William Hunter
WILLIAM HUNTER
On March 26, 1555, William Hunter—a godly man only nineteen years old—was martyred. His story should be an example to all Christian parents who find their emotions at odds with their convictions, for William’s parents allowed their son to follow his beliefs, even though it led to his death.
William was apprenticed to a silk weaver in London. In the first year of Queen Mary’s reign, his parish priest ordered him to receive Communion at the Easter Mass, which he refused to do. His master, afraid he himself would be in danger if William remained in his house, asked the boy to move back to his father’s house in Brentwood for several weeks, which he did.
Five or six weeks later, William picked up a Bible he found in the chapel at Brentwood and began to read it aloud to himself. He was interrupted when Father Atwell came into the chapel. “Are you meddling with the Bible?” Atwell demanded. “Do you know what you’re reading? Can you expound the scriptures?”
“I don’t take it upon myself to expound the scriptures,” William explained. “I found it here and was reading it to comfort myself.”
Father Atwell commented, “It hasn’t been a happy world since the Bible was published in English.”
“Oh, don’t say that! It’s God’s book, from which we learn to know what pleases and displeases God.”
“Didn’t we know that before?”
“Not as well as we do now with the Bible available,” William replied. “I pray we always have it with us.”
Father Atwell fumed. “I know you! You’re one of those who dislike the queen’s laws. That’s why you left London. If you don’t mend your ways, you and many other heretics will broil!”
“God give me grace to believe His Word and confess His name, no matter what happens,” William retorted.
Atwell rushed out of the chapel, calling back, “I can’t reason with you, but I’ll find someone who can, you heretic!”
William stayed in the chapel and continued to read until Atwell returned with the vicar of Southwell. “Who gave you permission to read and expound on the Bible?” the vicar demanded.
“I don’t expound on it, sir,” William answered. “I only read it for comfort.”
“Why do you need to read it at all?”
“I’ll read it as long as I live. You shouldn’t discourage people from doing so. You should encourage them.”
“Oh, so you want to tell me what I should do?” the vicar muttered. “You’re a heretic!”
“I’m not a heretic just because I speak the truth.”
More words passed between them concerning the sacrament of Communion, on which William explained his point of view. Accused of being a heretic, he replied, “I wish you and I were both tied to the stake, to prove which of us would defend his faith the longest. I think you’d recant first.”
“We’ll see about that!” the vicar replied, leaving to report the boy.
The vicar went directly to Master Brown, who called in William’s father and the local policeman and demanded that Mr. Hunter go find his son, since William had wisely left town after his argument with the vicar. Mr. Hunter rode for two or three days to satisfy Brown, intending to go back and say he couldn’t find the boy, when suddenly they met. Mr. Hunter told his son to hide; he would go back and say he couldn’t find him.
“No, Father,” William said, “I’ll go home with you so you don’t get in trouble.” As soon as they arrived in town, William was arrested and taken before Brown, who argued with him about transubstantiation. William was so firm in his beliefs that he enraged Brown, who sent him to Bishop Bonner in London.
William was put in the stocks in London for two days, fed only a crust of brown bread and a cup of water before he defended himself to the bishop. Getting nowhere with the boy, Bonner ordered him locked up in jail with as many claims against him as he could bear. “How old are you?” he asked William.
“Nineteen.”
“Well, you’ll be burned before you’re twenty if you don’t do better than you did today!”
William spent nine months in jail, appearing before the bishop six times, including the time he was condemned on February 9. That day the bishop made William his final offer: “If you recant, I’ll make you a freeman and give you forty pounds to set up a business. Or I’ll make you the steward of my house. I like you. You’re smart, and I’ll take care of you if you recant.”
William replied, “Thank you, but if you can’t change my mind through scripture, I can’t turn from God for love of the world. I count all worldly things but loss and dung, compared to the love of Christ.”
“If you die believing this way,” the bishop continued, “you will be condemned forever.”
“God judges righteously, justifying those whom man condemns unjustly,” William maintained.
William was sent back to Newgate Prison for a month then taken home to Brentwood for burning. When his parents visited him there, they encouraged him to remain faithful, saying they were proud to have a son willing to die for Christ’s sake.
At the stake, William asked the people to pray for him. Master Brown sneered, “Pray for you? I wouldn’t pray for you any more than I would for a dog!”
“I forgive you.”
“I’m not asking for your forgiveness!” yelled Brown.
Seeing a priest approaching with a Bible, William called out, “Get away, you false prophet! Beware of them, people. Don’t take part in their plagues.”
The priest replied, “As you burn here, so you will burn in hell.”
“You lie, you false prophet!” William cried. “Get out of here!”
A man in the crowd spoke up. “I pray God will have mercy on his soul.”
“Amen, amen,” answered the crowd.
As the fire was lit, William tossed his psalter to his brother. “William,” his brother called, “think of the holy passion of Christ. Don’t be afraid of death.”
“I’m not.” William lifted his hands to heaven and said, “Lord, Lord, Lord, receive my spirit.” Dropping his head into the smoke, William Hunter gave up his life for the truth, sealing it with his blood to the praise of God.