Burned at the Stake

This past week I read through all of Foxe's 200 pages in his book entitled "Foxe's Book of Martyrs." It was very inspiring for me, and very sobering. I also found it very interesting what issues the Protestants were willing to lay down their lives for, and what issues they were willing to confirm with their blood.

One of the most repeated issues that the Protestants were burned and otherwise tortured for under the reign of "Bloody Mary" through the influence of the Catholic Church was whether or not the communion bread and wine were literally the body and blood of Christ.

As the Protestants said, Christ was sacrificed once-for-all. There is no need, as the Catholics believed, to re-sacrifice the Savior.

In my reading, I came across a story of a martyr named "Robert Smith." I wanted to share his story with you. He was martyred around the year 1555:

"Warne, Tankervil, and Others

“After this came the persecution of ten other true servants and saints of the Lord. Not saints that the pope made or those mentioned in The Legend of the Saints or in The Lives of the Fathers, but those spoken of in Revelation: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” In a way, the pope did make these people saints, for if he had not killed them, they would not be martyrs.

“The ten were: Elizabeth Warne, George Tankervil, Robert Smith, Stephen Harwood, Thomas Fust, William Hall, Thomas Leyes, George King, John Wade, and Joan Lashford.

“Now that the prisons of London were full and more prisoners were still arriving, the council and commissioners sent these ten people to Bonner at once, to make room for others.

…

“Robert Smith was brought to Newgate on November 5. He was a tall, slender man, active in many things, especially painting, which he found relaxing. Once he was converted by the preaching and reading of Mr. Turner and others, he was very fervent in his religion. When Queen Mary came to the throne, Smith was fired from his clerkship in Windsor College, arrested, and brought before Bishop Bonner. Smith saw Bonner four times, answering all his questions boldly, arguing theology without fear – perhaps even a little rashly – until Bonner realized he would get nowhere and condemned him on July 12.

“While in prison, Smith had been used by God to comfort those suffering with him. At the stake on August 8, he determined to do the same, telling everyone present he was sure his body would rise again. ‘And,’ he added, ‘I’m sure God will show you some sign of that.’ By the time he was nearly half burned and black from the fire, everyone thought Smith was dead, but he suddenly rose upright, lifted the stumps of his arms, and clapped them together joyfully before sinking back into the flames.”

From Foxe’s Christian Martyrs, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission. P140-143