The execution of John Hooper, documented in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, is one of the saddest and most gut wrenching things you will ever read. How people can read of the persecutions of “the church” by “the church”, and think “the church” should wield “the sword” is beyond me. Just names and dates of martyrs on paper do not do justice to the descriptions of the events, and it would benefit everyone to keep this book next to their Bible, as it used to be by so many.
John Hooper was an Anglican Bishop, that was born in 1495, and executed for heresy in 1555. Below is the chilling account from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
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“Then the reeds were cast up, and he received two bundles of them in his own hands, embraced them, kissed them, put one of them under each arm, and shewed with his hand how the rest should be bestowed, and pointed to the place where any were wanting.
COMMAND was now given that the fire should be kindled. But because there were not fewer green faggots, than two horses could carry, it kindled not speedily, and was a pretty while also before it took the reeds upon the faggots. At length it burned about him, but the wind having full strength in that place (and being a lowring cold morning) it blew the flame from him, so that he was in a a manner little more than touched by the fire.
WITHIN a space after, a few dry faggots were brought, and a new fire kindled with faggots, (for there were no more reeds) and that burned at the nether parts, but had small power above, because of the wind, saving that it did burn in his hair, and scorch his skin a little. In the time of which fire, even as at the first flame, he prayed, saying mildly, and not very loud, (but as one without pains) O Jesus, son of David, have mercy upon me, and re|ceive my soul. After the second fire was spent, he wiped both his eyes with his hands, and beholding the people, he said with an indifferent loud voice, For God’s love, good people, let me have more fire: and all this while his nether parts did burn; but the faggots were so few, that the flame did not burn strongly at his upper parts.
THE third fire was kindled within a while after, which was more extreme than the other two: and then the bladders of gun-powder brake, which did him little good, they were so placed, and the wind had such power. In this fire he prayed with a loud voice, Lord Jesus have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus receive my spirit! And these were the last words he was heard to utter. But when he was black in the mouth, and his tongue swoln, that he could not speak, yet his lips went till they were shrunk to the gums: and he knocking his breast with his hands, until one of his arms fell off, and then knocked still with the the other, while the fat, water, and blood dropped out at his finger ends, untill by renewing of the fire his strength was gone, and his hand did cleave fast in knocking to the iron upon his breast. So immediately, bowing forwards, he yielded up his spirit.
THUS was he three quarters of an hour or more in the fire; even as the lamb, patiently bearing the extremity thereof, neither moving forwards, backwards, nor to any side; but having his neither parts burned, and his bowels fallen out, he died as quietly as a child in his bed: and he now reigneth as a blessed martyr in the joys of heaven, prepared for the faithful in Christ before the foundations of the world: for whose constancy all christians are bound to praise God.”
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