Saturday, May 11, 2024

Forget Not Frith

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;....
And he shall speak great words against the most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the most High,
Daniel 7:24,25

"I understand the church of God in a wide sense," said John Frith. "It contains all those whom we regard as members of Christ. It is a net thrown into the sea."

Having joined with church reformers during his years at university, he was thrown into prison. When freed, he joined William Tyndale in Germany and helped him with his Bible translation. But when he remembered the people in England who did not understand how to come to God, he felt he had to go back.

Sir Thomas More ordered John Frith arrested. He offered a great reward to anyone who would deliver him over to the authorities.
John planned to escape back to the Germany. But he was betrayed as he tried to board his ship. He was sent to prison. 
While in prison, he prayed to be able to convert at least one of his enemies to the truth. His prayer was heard when Sir Thomas More's son-in-law switched to Protestant views.

July 4, 1533, John Frith, the man of peace and purity was burned to death at the stake because of his religious views. A young man named Andrew Hewitt was chained with him. John encouraged him to trust his soul to God. The men were two hours dying, because the wind blew the fire away from their bodies.

*John had quoted scriptures to argue that the bread and wine do not actually turn into Jesus' flesh and blood.
*He also denied that there is a purgatory after death."
Christianity.com

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