The Baby Killer
& the King

Colin Melbourne

© 05-08 Born-Again-Christian.Info

A woman facing death at the order of King Henry the Eighth, is rescued by a man who appeals for her life: then gives his own

Those of you who genuinely know Christ as Saviour will meet Hugh and Tom one day soon; you will be able to ask them about this true story. But most likely they'll point you to a woman they found bound in chains accused of murdering her own child. She's in the Glory now praising the LORD who snatched her from the lion's jaws and Hell's mouth. What an account of God's wonderful grace she will share with you.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Heartbroken, filthy, and pregnant, she languished in Cambridge Tower awaiting execution for the murder of her own child. Chief accuser was her husband, and Henry the Eighth was on the throne of England. The woman protested her innocence, though in a land where the king thought little of chopping off his wife's head, she was utterly doomed, and knew it.

Imminent and certain death dramatically rearranges your priorities. This farmer's wife's thoughts centred upon facing Almighty God at her judgement. Are you ready to face God after you die? Have you fulfilled the purpose you were created for? What account will you give of yourself to the Judge of judges? Where are your sins right now? If you are not ready, or you are uncertain, it's time to repent like this dear woman did.

Like her, we are all guilty until proven innocent in the sight of God. Born sinners, condemned to Hell, until we are born again, a new creation, made perfectly righteous through faith in Christ Jesus. That is the Gospel Truth: God Himself came and told us so, see Jn. 3 and Ro. 5:12-21

Bashing Your Head Against a Wall?

The best way she knew, she sought God with all her heart. Nobody in that dungeon cared a whit for the wretch. Her man claimed she killed their child so she must be punished by death, and die she would, after much torment, ridicule and abuse.

What a blessed place when He walls you in with no one to turn to, and no shoulder to cry on. So many wonderful testimonies of prisoners we have heard, where they approached the brink of madness in despair: then Jesus came and set them free. Precious walls indeed, when they draw you to the feet of the LORD Jesus Christ. They are not to smack your skull upon. They are there to point you to the only Saviour. Remember Peter in Acts 12?

His chains fell off. Fell... off. He didn't break out of jail, that iron-gate opened for him. This is God's plan for you today. Humble yourself; repent and believe the Good News. The arm of flesh is useless to save. Not by power, nor by might: but by the Spirit of the Lord.

Christ heard: God answered that woman's prayer, and He set in place a plan using two of England's greatest preachers to show He cares when nobody else does.

On Heretic's Hill with Jesus

Hugh and Tom were marked men in Catholic England. Though eminent doctors of divinity at Cambridge University, who had the ear of the King, they'd become pariahs for embracing the Gospel of Christ and denouncing Catholic idolatry. Both knew what the cost would be, and spent hours walking the lush meadows of Cambridge fellowshipping in the Lord. So conspicuous was this habit, their favourite spot was mocked as 'Heretic's Hill'. Imagine the courage our Brothers displayed, to swim against the tide, to forsake all and stand on 'Heretics Hill' for the Glory of Christ. They followed in the steps of the 'Chief Heretic' who did not shrink from death on a stark hilltop to wipe out your sin-debt forever.

Praise Him you saints of God!

Whatever persecutions and slander they faced it couldn't inhibit their zeal for proclaiming the Truth, and helping the poor. Notice, they had more than Biblical doctrine, they put their faith into practice, as Christ Jesus, Paul, Peter and James urge by God's Spirit. Sound doctrine is important but if that is all you have you miss the mark.

Listen to valiant Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army, drive home this point:

"Show the world a real, living, self-sacrificing, hard-working, toiling, triumphing Christianity, and the world will be influenced by it; but anything short of that they will turn round and spit upon."

The Kick Inside

These two blokes embraced that and often visited squalid Cambridge jail to minister to the condemned, meeting practical needs from their purses. It was on one such visit they saw the 'mother who murdered her child', and had compassion on her.

Something tugged at their hearts, as they spoke with her, they knew she was innocent. They just knew. It was the Spirit of God leading them. Investigating her case, it transpired her husband was a callous brute who simply wanted to find a way to be rid of her. Their child had suffered from TB for a year and died one harvest day. The woman's neighbours were busy in the fields; heartbroken, she searched in vain for help, and had to bury the diseased corpse alone. When her husband returned he pounced on the chance to accuse her of murder, and she was thrown in jail on his false testimony.

Defender of the True Faith

Soon after meeting Hugh and Tom she gave birth to another child inside putrid Cambridge Tower. Knowing she was about to be executed Hugh volunteered to be 'Godfather' and promised to look after the babe.

King Henry VIII summoned Hugh to preach at Windsor Royal Chapel. He was fascinated by the doctrine of 'heretics', and flushed with his new title 'Defender of the Faith' bestowed on him by the Roman Catholic Pope, he enjoyed debating Scriptures. Following Hugh's sermon Henry invited him for a private discussion during which Hugh seized his opportunity, knelt before the ruthless monarch, and pleaded for the woman's life.

The most famous painting of Henry the Eighth is the life-sized portrait originally by Hans Holbein. I often saw a contemporary copy of it on visits to Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, during my childhood. (The same building in which Queen Elizabeth confined treacherous Mary Queen of Scots for many years.) I mention this because just looking at that painting made my boyish knees tremble in fear. For a 'heretic' to preach to the bloodthirsty king denouncing his Catholic doctrine, and then plead for mercy for a farmer's wife took divine courage.

But who holds the hearts of kings in His Palm?

Henry VIII granted her a Royal pardon

Hugh and Tom rejoiced but decided not to tell the woman immediately, instead, using the wisdom of Solomon, they waited for the time of her execution to draw near.

She prepared herself for death, and called them to minister to her, she wanted to be certain her sins were cleansed. Now you see their plan, can you not?

Sometimes it is best to make sinners sweat, for their own good. Convinced she was about to die, and desperate to be free of guilt, they knew she would be ready to confess fully to them. And of course proved she was indeed innocent of the accusation of murder, as the Holy Spirit had led them to believe.

Nothing but The Blood of Jesus

She pleaded with them to cleanse her of sins, but they refused, protesting that there's only One who can do so, and pointed her to Christ. Once she understood and responded to the Gospel, and they were sure she was saved, they showed her the King's pardon: she was set free.

It was the greatest day of her life: a pardon from the cruel king, another from the Gracious King of kings.

Burning With Love for Christ

Perhaps you recognize the names of Hugh Latimer and Thomas Bilney. This was just one small act in their witness for Christ. Greater glory lay ahead for each of them. Both chose to die rather than deny the Gospel of Christ.

You can visit the spot where Hugh Latimer was chained to a wooden post with Nicholas Ridley in the centre of Oxford. They refused to deny Christ by partaking in the idolatrous Catholic Mass. Therefore on the order of Catholic Queen 'Bloody' Mary they were burned alive as 'heretics'.

It was not a difficult choice for them to make. They'd each discovered a love worth dying for.

You can too.

You will find their heroic testimonies in the original Fox's Book of Martyrs, but beware. There's only one edition of Foxe's that we endorse. To find out which and why, don't miss our revealing article on later corrupted editions of Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

The message of Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Why They Were Burned at the Stake