Tried by Fire - Five English Martyrs

Motivated by the conviction that the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church, Bishop J. C. Ryle set pen to paper to recount the martyrdom of five great English Protestant reformers. His work was first published in 1890 under the title “Light from Old Times.” Re-titled as Five English Reformers for its release in 1960, this work has gone through several reprints, the latest done by Banner of Truth in 1999.

Ryle’s purpose was to challenge his reader to appreciate, understand, and embrace the stand these men took against Rome in order to emulate their character and commitment to Christ in daily life and ministry. He begins by explaining why these five Reformers were burned. In Ryle’s day there was a movement in the Church of England to re-assimilate much of what the Roman Catholic Church practiced. From a weakening of the Protestant position on the Eucharist to the use of vestments and liturgy in formal worship, there was a growing acceptance of what these ancient Reformers died for withstanding. To this end, Ryle begins with a brief history lesson.

“It is fashionable in some quarters to deny that there is any such thing as certainty about religious truth, or any opinions for which it is worth while to be burned. Yet, 300 years ago, there were men who were certain they had found out truth, and were content to die for their opinions. . . .Last but not least, it is thought very bad taste in many quarters to say anything which throws discredit on the Church of Rome. Yet it is as certain that the Romish Church burned our English Reformers as it is that William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. . . .Truth is truth, however long it may be neglected. Facts are facts, however long they may lie buried. I only want to dig up some old facts which the sands of time have covered over, to bring to the light of day some old English monuments which have been long neglected, to unstop some old wells which the prince of this world has been diligently filling with earth.” (pp. 5-6)

“It is a broad fact that these 288 sufferers were not put to death for any offence against property or person. They were not rebels against the Queens authority, caught red-handed in arms. They were not thieves, or murderers, or drunkards, or unbelievers, or men and women of immoral lives. On the contrary, they were, with barely an exception, some of the holiest, purest, and best Christians in England, and several of them the most learned men of their day. . . . For one thing, I ask my readers never to forget that for the burning of our Reformers the Church of Rome is wholly and entirely responsible. . . . For another thing, I wish my readers to remember that the burning of the Marian martyrs is an act that the Church of Rome has never repudiated, apologized for, or repented of, down to the present day . . . . We should make a note of that fact, and let it sink down into our minds. Rome never changes. Rome will never admit that she has made mistakes. She burned our English Reformers 300 years ago. . . .If Rome had only the power, I am not sure that she would not attempt to play the whole game over again.” (pp.8-9)

Ryle tells the stories of five Reformers martyred under Mary’s reign starting with John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester. He was appointed to his parish during the reign of Edward VI and had a sterling reputation for personal holiness, pastoral care, and diligent preaching. On the morning of February 9th, 1555 over 7000 people gathered to witness his death. As he knelt to pray, authorities placed a box before him containing a full pardon from the Queen if he would but recant. His answer was, “Away with it; if you love my soul, away with it!” He went boldly and joyfully to his death.

Rowland Taylor, the rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk is next. Rowland had articulated a strong argument against Papist doctrine. When urged by friends to flee the coming persecution, he stated:.

“What will ye have me do? I am now old, and have already lived too long, to see these terrible and most wicked days. Fly you, and do as your conscience leadeth you. I am fully determined, with God’s grace, to go to the Bishop and tell him to his beard that he doth naught. I believe before God that I shall never be able to do for my God such good service as I may do now.” (p. 13)

On the day of his burning he said to his grieving parishioners who had come to the execution, “I have preached to you God’s Word and truth, and am come this day to seal it with my own blood.”

Third and fourth in Ryle’s list were the well known Protestant preachers, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley. These men stood for truth together; were imprisoned together; were martyred together bound to the same stake. While bound to the chain with Ridley, Latimer cried out, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day, by God’s grace, light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out.”

John Bradford is the fifth martyr in Ryle’s account. After faithful service at Cambridge, Bradford was ordained to ministry by Nicholas Ridley in 1550 and was soon appointed by Edward VI as one of six royal chaplains. His popularity and reputation for holiness made him an object of intense interest during his imprisonment. Many attempts were made to turn him from his beliefs and pervert him back to Rome. All efforts failed and on January 31, 1555 he was burned at the stake at Smithfield.

One can’t help but be deeply moved upon reading the account of the last words of these worthy men and the faith they exhibited in their suffering. Their courage and willingness to stand for truth and against Rome in their day is sorely needed in our day as some modern Evangelical leaders attempt to undo the very thing these men died for – a solid and bold stance against reunification with the Roman Catholic Church. One wonders what these martyrs would do or say when presented with such efforts as the document known as “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” One can but wonder if Ryle’s words to the Church of England in his day would be worth repeating to Evangelical leaders in our day.

“The very life of the Church of England is at stake, and nothing less. Take away the Gospel from a Church and that Church is not worth preserving. A well without water, a scabbard without a sword, a steam-engine without a fire, a ship without compass and rudder, a watch without a mainspring, a stuffed carcase (sic) without life, all these are useless things. But there is nothing so useless as a Church without the Gospel. And this is the very question that stares us in the face. Is the Church of England to retain the Gospel or not? Without it. . . Ichabod will soon be written on our walls. The ark of God will not be with us. Surely something ought to be done.” (p. 32)