Remembering The Oxford Martyrs
Today we commemorate three men who were burned at the stake by Queen Mary, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, an Archbishop and two Bishops of the Church of England.
The Oxford Martyrs, as these three came to be known, represent a mere one percent of the number of people Mary had put to death during her reign. Bloody Mary accomplished a great deal in shaping the England we know today, losing most of its control over its territories in Europe.
She is also responsible for something else she didn't want to happen, keeping England Protestant.
Latimer was a believer in the separation from Rome and wanted more reforms that Mary's predecessor Henry didn't agree to. So Latimer resigned and focused his preaching on living an upright prayerful life, rather than worry about doctrine. Mary didn't approve. (Edward, who succeeded to the throne after Henry died at a young age, leaving the throne to his sister Mary.) She wanted to bring England back to Catholicism.
Ridley, who worked with Cranmer and his committee to write the Book of Common Prayer, was tried along with Latimer and they burned together on this date in 1655.
Ridley's prayer while being burned was: "Oh, heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death. I beseech thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England, and deliver it from all her enemies."
Cranmer, who we praise for his work in bringing us a book that guides our prayer lives as Anglicans, making it easy for anyone to worship alone or in communion with others, had a difficult time wrestling with the will of God. He believed the monarchy was ordained to power by God, so when Mary turned everything around, he was torn.
Though he tormented over returning to the authority of Rome and the Pope, and eventually did send a letter saying he would, Mary didn't believe him and he was burned at the stake. Legend has it that he rescinded his letter and forced his right hand into the flames to be burned first.
In this modern age of torture and murder across the globe, we need to look back at the martyrs of our faith and learn how foolish we are when we take God's judgment into our own hands. Perhaps we can find a way by sharing the stories of those who were murdered by Christians for Christ, we can sway one or more to stop the senseless repetition of this foolishness today.
It is for this I pray.
More to come...
Note: I drew upon several sources for this topic today, but should acknowledge one who is referenced often, James Kiefer. His stories of the commemorated saints and saintly are an inspiration to many.