JOHN BADBY
JOHN BADBY
On March 1, 1409, John Badby, a layman, was examined before Thomas Arundel, the archbishop of Canterbury, and a number of other lords. The principal charge against him was that he believed the bread was not turned into the actual physical body of Christ upon consecration.
When the examination was finished and all the conclusions were read in English, the archbishop asked Badby if he would renounce his beliefs and adhere to the doctrine of the Catholic faith. He answered that he would stay with his own beliefs. Badby was locked in the friars’ mansion, with the archbishop holding the key, until he appeared again on March 15, was declared a heretic, and was turned over to the secular authorities for punishment.
That afternoon, John Badby was brought to Smithfield and put in an empty barrel, bound with chains to the stake, and surrounded by dry wood. As he stood there, the king’s eldest son happened by and encouraged Badby to save himself while there was still time, but Badby refused to change his opinions. The barrel was put over him and the fire lit.
When Badby felt the fire, he cried, “Mercy, Lord!” and the prince immediately ordered the fire extinguished. Then he promised Badby a yearly stipend from the king if he would return to the faith of the church. Even then, Badby held his ground to the death.
After Badby’s death, the bishops, seeking to suppress the doctrine forever and knowing they had a king willing to act on their wishes, drafted a law that condemned the books of heretics and ordered all diocesans to proceed against any heretic with zeal. Death by fire was declared the fate of any heretic who would not recant. After this, the archbishop of Canterbury issued similarly harsh laws against the Protestants.
With all these laws against them, you would think the Protestants would have been utterly destroyed, and yet such are the works of the Lord that these men multiplied daily instead of being defeated. Their numbers especially increased in London, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Herefordshire, Shrewsbury, and Calais. Some, however, did recant, among whom were John Purvey, who recanted at Paul’s Cross; John Edward, priest of the diocese of Lincoln; Richard Herbert and Emmot Willy, of London; John Becket, of London; and John Seynons, of Lincolnshire.