John Rogers
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John Rogers (c. 1500-1555)
John Rogers (c. 1500-1555)
John Rogers was a Catholic when he met William Tyndale. Tyndale led Rogers to see that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone rather than through good works in any church including the Catholic Church.
Rogers married, started preaching the truth of God’s Word, and had 11 children.
In 1553, when Tyndale was murdered by Henry VIII, he left to Rogers the portion of the Old Testament he had translated into English.
Rogers took Tyndale’s New Testament translation, Tyndale’s partial translation of the Old Testament, and filled in the rest of the Old Testament with Myles Coverdale’s translation from German to English.
The final product was known as the Matthew’s Bible. The Bible that Rogers edited together was published under the pseudonym ‘Thomas Matthew’ because it was illegal to print and distribute Bibles in English.
Even so, King Henry VIII who had Tyndale killed, allowed the Matthew’s Bible to be read in Anglican Churches until the he authorized the translation and publication of The Great Bible, which was to be the official Bible of the Anglican Church.
When King Henry VIII died, his son, Prince Edward, took the throne. He was a protestant, which meant that preachers like John Rogers could tell the truth about the Catholic Mass without fear of royal persecution.
But after King Edward died, his sister, Mary I, took the throne and she was Catholic. She longed to see Catholicism return to dominance. As soon as she became Queen, she had Rogers arrested.
He was arrested for being a Lutheran, which didn’t refer to his denomination but to his belief, like Luther, that salvation was by grace through faith alone.
The sheriff who arrested him asked if he would repent of his preaching that the Catholic Mass was not salvific—it didn’t save anyone.
Rogers responded, “That which I have preached, I will seal with my own blood.”
While imprisoned, Rogers knew that he was going to die. He asked if he might speak with his wife, so plans could be made for her and their 11 children—one of whom, an infant, Rogers had never met—the child having been born after Rogers was arrested.
The request was denied.
A moment before being led to his death, a written pardon was brought to him on the condition that he recant his teaching on the unbiblical nature of the Catholic Mass.
He refused.
According to John Foxe, while being led to the stake, Rogers quoted Psalm 51, which begins…
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
He was encouraged along the way by his church members to remain faithful. He was jeered by others.
But also there along the way were his wife and children—his wife nursing the infant whom Rogers had never met.
The French Ambassador to England was present and described the scene in this way…
“As (Rogers) was being conducted to his death the greatest part of the people were not afraid to make him many exclamations to strengthen his courage. Even his children assisting him, comforting him in such a manner that it was as if Rogers was being led to a wedding.”
The fire was lit and as it took hold of Rogers’ legs and shoulders, Foxe says he washed his hands in the flames as if they were cold water.
Then with hands aflame, he raised them to Heaven until he had given up his spirit.