John Badby
Encyclopedia
John Badby one of the early Lollard martyr
s, was a tailor (or perhaps a blacksmith) in the west Midlands, and was condemned by the Worcester diocesan court for his denial of transubstantiation
.
Badby bluntly maintained that when Christ sat at supper with his disciples he had not his body in his hand to distribute, and that “if every host consecrated at the altar were the Lord’s body, then there be 20,000 Gods in England.” A further court in St Paul’s
, London, presided over by Archbishop Thomas Arundel
, condemned him to be burned at Smithfield
, the tournament ground just outside the city walls.
It is said that the prince of Wales (afterwards Henry V
) witnessed the execution and offered the sufferer both life and a pension if he would recant; but in Walsingham’s words, “the abandoned villain declined the prince’s advice, and chose rather to be burned than to give reverence to the life-giving sacrament. So it befell that this mischievous fellow was burnt to ashes, and died miserably in his sin.”
Narration in Foxe's Book of Martyrs
:
" .. And then was the tunne put ouer hym, and fire putte vnto hym. And when he felt the fire, he cryed, mercy (calling belike vpon the Lorde) and so the Prince immediatlye commaunded to take away the tunne, and quenche the fire. The Prince, his commaundement beyng done, asked him if he would forsake heresie to take him to the fayth of holy churche: which thing if he would doo, he shoulde haue goods inough, promising also vnto him a yearelye stipende out of the kinges treasury, so muche as shoulde suffice hys contentation.
"But this valiant champion of Christ, neglectyng the princes fayre wordes, as also contempnyng all mennes deuises: refused the offer of worldly promises, no doubt, but beyng more vehemently inflamed with the spirite of God then with any earthly desire.
"Wherfore, when as yet he continued vnmoueable in hys former minde, the prince commaunded him straight to be put againe into the pype or tunne, & that he should not afterward looke for any grace or fauour. But as he could be allured by no rewardes, euen so was he nothing at all abashed at their tormentes, but as a valiant champion of Christ, he perseuered inuincible to the end. .. "
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s, was a tailor (or perhaps a blacksmith) in the west Midlands, and was condemned by the Worcester diocesan court for his denial of transubstantiation
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
.
Badby bluntly maintained that when Christ sat at supper with his disciples he had not his body in his hand to distribute, and that “if every host consecrated at the altar were the Lord’s body, then there be 20,000 Gods in England.” A further court in St Paul’s
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, London, presided over by Archbishop Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.-Family background:...
, condemned him to be burned at Smithfield
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
, the tournament ground just outside the city walls.
It is said that the prince of Wales (afterwards Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
) witnessed the execution and offered the sufferer both life and a pension if he would recant; but in Walsingham’s words, “the abandoned villain declined the prince’s advice, and chose rather to be burned than to give reverence to the life-giving sacrament. So it befell that this mischievous fellow was burnt to ashes, and died miserably in his sin.”
Narration in Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, more accurately Acts and Monuments, is an account from a Protestant point of view of Christian church history and martyrology...
:
" .. And then was the tunne put ouer hym, and fire putte vnto hym. And when he felt the fire, he cryed, mercy (calling belike vpon the Lorde) and so the Prince immediatlye commaunded to take away the tunne, and quenche the fire. The Prince, his commaundement beyng done, asked him if he would forsake heresie to take him to the fayth of holy churche: which thing if he would doo, he shoulde haue goods inough, promising also vnto him a yearelye stipende out of the kinges treasury, so muche as shoulde suffice hys contentation.
"But this valiant champion of Christ, neglectyng the princes fayre wordes, as also contempnyng all mennes deuises: refused the offer of worldly promises, no doubt, but beyng more vehemently inflamed with the spirite of God then with any earthly desire.
"Wherfore, when as yet he continued vnmoueable in hys former minde, the prince commaunded him straight to be put againe into the pype or tunne, & that he should not afterward looke for any grace or fauour. But as he could be allured by no rewardes, euen so was he nothing at all abashed at their tormentes, but as a valiant champion of Christ, he perseuered inuincible to the end. .. "