4th February 2025: Horsham
I’ve been reminded today of the life and death of John Rogers. Rogers was an English protestant theologian who died as a martyr 170 years ago today. Whilst not a household name, Rogers was an important and influential figure in the history of biblical translation.
Rogers spent time in Antwerp and northern Germany working as a pastor and biblical scholar. He was acquainted with Tyndale and other European Reformation leaders, and developed a strong reputation as a translator of biblical texts.
Matthew Bible: Rogers is credited with the compilation of the ‘Matthew Bible’, so called because it was published under the assumed pen name of ‘Thomas Matthews’. 1500 copies of the work were printed and circulated in 1537. Having returned to England in 1548, during the reign of King Edward VI, Rogers was appointed as Prebendary of St Pancras at St Paul’s, London.
In 1553, following the Coronation of Queen Mary, Rogers reportedly preached against the return to the Catholic tradition which was being imposed at the direction of Mary. The new administration deemed his speech to be heretical and Rogers was arrested. Following a lengthy period of house arrest he was moved to Newgate prison in London, where he was charged with heresy. After his conviction in January 1555, he was condemned to death. Rogers was executed by burning at Smithfield on the morning of 4th February 1555.
End Piece: We easily lose track of how significant the translation of the Bible into European languages was for the development of the protestant Christian faith. John Rogers was one of many people who paid the ultimate price during the turbulent 16th Century to make the Scriptures available and accessible in living languages. His work contributed to the seismic shift in the relationship between the Church and society. We live in a culture where anyone who wants to read the Bible in their own language can do so. It’s good to remind ourselves that it wasn’t always so.
John Rogers rejected the opportunity of avoiding the death penalty by publicly recanting his protestant beliefs. He chose to cheerfully embrace martyrdom to demonstrate his beliefs and his commitment to making the Word of God accessible in the English language.
On his way to this death, Rogers was forced to pass his wife and ten of his eleven surviving children, but not permitted to speak to them. He was the first of 287 people, including 56 women, who were executed by fire, the penalty for heresy, during the 5 year reign of ‘Bloody Mary’.
Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK
Source: Foxes Book of Martyrs & Oxford Dictionary of National Biography