August 31, 1555 A.D.
Mr. Rusten reminds us of the story. Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten, Sharon. The One Year Christian History. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003.
Robert Samuel loved God, his congregation and his wife. He was burned at the stake for his faith at August 31, 1555.
We know the back-story here in this forum. Edward VI had died after the tumultuous 6-year reign. Old Harry had made testamentary provisions for the regal sequence. Edward, Mary, Elizabeth and if no issue [royal children] from them, then the issue of his sister, Margaret. Interestingly, that exact dynastic sequence played out historically.
Queen Mary 1 ascended to the English throne. She was married to the Spanish Prince-now-turned-King of England. Spain was the most powerful and wealthy country in Europe (including cash-back for overseas ventures and revenues). Queen Mary was all about “restoring Catholicism [=Papal Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism 1.0] as the state religion” and was giving “the courts of the Roman Catholic Church the power to burn heretics” (488).
Things would go south fast. We know that story too. This was 4.0 Anglicanism, that is, a return to 1.0 Anglicanism. In other words, it was Papal and Roman Anglicanism, an un-doing of what her half-brother Edward had invoked in his 3.0 Anglican version. This was a major set-back.
There had been 35 years of Protestant principles and forces that had been reshaping the English contours of faith in high places, notably, with Mr. (Canterbury) Cranmer and many others. Even if Mr. Canterbury had been waffling around here and there, these forces had been developing at the plebiscite, pedestrian, proletarian, collegiate, academic and royal levels since 1520. Mary's animosities and hostilities, however, would be her undoing...and the undoing of Anglicanism 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was, however, a Protestant Anglican minister in the 3.0 stream, the Edwardian version. The English Reformation had increasingly seen Reformed men not just in garden-variety pulpits with rank-and-file believers, but also in high places at Cambridge and Oxford and in high places of government.
However, the Papal Roman bishops were unleashed under the new Queen. They resisted the Protestant and Evangelical Churchmen strenuously--with Royal support and by Royal order.
Under Queen Mary, they “removed them [Protestant Anglicans] from their parishes” and they “were forbidden to preach.”
100s left England for the Continent. Misters Canterbury, Ridley, and Latimer should have fled but they didn't. Others went underground, like Mr. (Rev. Dr.) Matthew Parker (later Mr. Canterbury under Ms. Elizabeth Tudor). Other poor chaps were arrested, tried and burned at the sake (about 288 of them, including women).
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was one such minister destined for the stake. For one thing, in time, he was ordered to leave his wife. The Protestants had allowed marriages amongst them, amongst other things. Even Mr. (Canterbury) Cranmer had a wife from Germany for crying out loud; ever-the-pliable one, he conveniently tucked her away in Germany, but he too was married. But, in "Great Apostasy" (1 Tim. 4. 3), apostates like Queen Mary would teach the "doctrine of demons," forbidding "to marry." Few ever talk about the demonic in reference to the Reformation; it's impolitic; it's impolite; it's not ecumenical; it's not Western; however, the Reformers--to a man--surely did. So does the Bible. We're not amnesiacs.
As for Mr. (Rev.) Samuel, he did not leave his wife and he did not stash her away. He believed that violated God’s law. He continued his Biblical ministry to his parishioners in secret.
The ante-was-upped when Mary ordered “all married clergymen to leave their wives and return” to celibacy. It was a pro-active, nationwide order in conformity with “strict canon law.” And Mary had that proverbial Tudor-tenacity, self-will, and certitude. “By God, the Holy Mass, and the Holy Mother Mary, these Protestant, Evangelical, Anglican heretics will conform” was the idea.
The bishops were directed to enforce this edict in 10,000 churches throughout England. If anything, Queen Mary was consistent with the canon law. De heretico comburendo, as a state policy, was back in effect.
But never mind the irregularities of Pope Clement VII’s “two wives” or Cardinal Wolsey’s “non-canonical” relationship-slash-marriage with two children, but we digress. Never mind the Papal pornocrats or pornocracy either, another dubious and little known chapter in Papal history.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was arrested and imprisoned. He never to saw his wife again.
The love-filled, grace-filled, charitable, God-filled, Bible-filled, justified and sanctified bishop ordered that “he [Mr. Samuel] be tortured with the cruelest techniques of the times” (489).
Although it sounds like something perfected by the Spaniards in the Spanish inquisition, the English had mastered the principles too. Islamo-fascists may have taken their cues from the Spanish play book. Think Jan Huss and Jerome of Prague, for example.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was imprisoned and tied to a post. He was forced to support his bodily weight on his toes. He was deprived of food and drink. He was insulted, of course.
But, things would get worse.
On August 31, 1555, he was put to the stake of fire and burned to death. Anathema to the damned bastard! That damned Protestant! That damned Evanglical! Away with him! Burn, baby, burn!
(Yes, “Protestant” and “Evangelical” were the terms of art, terms of derision and the assigned identities used in the popular, proletarian, ecclesiastical and royal parlance.)
Lest we forget!
(Below is a picture followed by our you-tube tribute to Mr. Osteen and Pentecostals.
Mr. Rusten reminds us of the story. Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten, Sharon. The One Year Christian History. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003.
Robert Samuel loved God, his congregation and his wife. He was burned at the stake for his faith at August 31, 1555.
We know the back-story here in this forum. Edward VI had died after the tumultuous 6-year reign. Old Harry had made testamentary provisions for the regal sequence. Edward, Mary, Elizabeth and if no issue [royal children] from them, then the issue of his sister, Margaret. Interestingly, that exact dynastic sequence played out historically.
Queen Mary 1 ascended to the English throne. She was married to the Spanish Prince-now-turned-King of England. Spain was the most powerful and wealthy country in Europe (including cash-back for overseas ventures and revenues). Queen Mary was all about “restoring Catholicism [=Papal Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism 1.0] as the state religion” and was giving “the courts of the Roman Catholic Church the power to burn heretics” (488).
Things would go south fast. We know that story too. This was 4.0 Anglicanism, that is, a return to 1.0 Anglicanism. In other words, it was Papal and Roman Anglicanism, an un-doing of what her half-brother Edward had invoked in his 3.0 Anglican version. This was a major set-back.
There had been 35 years of Protestant principles and forces that had been reshaping the English contours of faith in high places, notably, with Mr. (Canterbury) Cranmer and many others. Even if Mr. Canterbury had been waffling around here and there, these forces had been developing at the plebiscite, pedestrian, proletarian, collegiate, academic and royal levels since 1520. Mary's animosities and hostilities, however, would be her undoing...and the undoing of Anglicanism 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was, however, a Protestant Anglican minister in the 3.0 stream, the Edwardian version. The English Reformation had increasingly seen Reformed men not just in garden-variety pulpits with rank-and-file believers, but also in high places at Cambridge and Oxford and in high places of government.
However, the Papal Roman bishops were unleashed under the new Queen. They resisted the Protestant and Evangelical Churchmen strenuously--with Royal support and by Royal order.
Under Queen Mary, they “removed them [Protestant Anglicans] from their parishes” and they “were forbidden to preach.”
100s left England for the Continent. Misters Canterbury, Ridley, and Latimer should have fled but they didn't. Others went underground, like Mr. (Rev. Dr.) Matthew Parker (later Mr. Canterbury under Ms. Elizabeth Tudor). Other poor chaps were arrested, tried and burned at the sake (about 288 of them, including women).
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was one such minister destined for the stake. For one thing, in time, he was ordered to leave his wife. The Protestants had allowed marriages amongst them, amongst other things. Even Mr. (Canterbury) Cranmer had a wife from Germany for crying out loud; ever-the-pliable one, he conveniently tucked her away in Germany, but he too was married. But, in "Great Apostasy" (1 Tim. 4. 3), apostates like Queen Mary would teach the "doctrine of demons," forbidding "to marry." Few ever talk about the demonic in reference to the Reformation; it's impolitic; it's impolite; it's not ecumenical; it's not Western; however, the Reformers--to a man--surely did. So does the Bible. We're not amnesiacs.
As for Mr. (Rev.) Samuel, he did not leave his wife and he did not stash her away. He believed that violated God’s law. He continued his Biblical ministry to his parishioners in secret.
The ante-was-upped when Mary ordered “all married clergymen to leave their wives and return” to celibacy. It was a pro-active, nationwide order in conformity with “strict canon law.” And Mary had that proverbial Tudor-tenacity, self-will, and certitude. “By God, the Holy Mass, and the Holy Mother Mary, these Protestant, Evangelical, Anglican heretics will conform” was the idea.
The bishops were directed to enforce this edict in 10,000 churches throughout England. If anything, Queen Mary was consistent with the canon law. De heretico comburendo, as a state policy, was back in effect.
But never mind the irregularities of Pope Clement VII’s “two wives” or Cardinal Wolsey’s “non-canonical” relationship-slash-marriage with two children, but we digress. Never mind the Papal pornocrats or pornocracy either, another dubious and little known chapter in Papal history.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was arrested and imprisoned. He never to saw his wife again.
The love-filled, grace-filled, charitable, God-filled, Bible-filled, justified and sanctified bishop ordered that “he [Mr. Samuel] be tortured with the cruelest techniques of the times” (489).
Although it sounds like something perfected by the Spaniards in the Spanish inquisition, the English had mastered the principles too. Islamo-fascists may have taken their cues from the Spanish play book. Think Jan Huss and Jerome of Prague, for example.
Mr. (Rev.) Robert Samuel was imprisoned and tied to a post. He was forced to support his bodily weight on his toes. He was deprived of food and drink. He was insulted, of course.
But, things would get worse.
On August 31, 1555, he was put to the stake of fire and burned to death. Anathema to the damned bastard! That damned Protestant! That damned Evanglical! Away with him! Burn, baby, burn!
(Yes, “Protestant” and “Evangelical” were the terms of art, terms of derision and the assigned identities used in the popular, proletarian, ecclesiastical and royal parlance.)
Lest we forget!
(Below is a picture followed by our you-tube tribute to Mr. Osteen and Pentecostals.
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