Martyr Robert Barnes

What’s In Your Bible: Dr. Robert Barnes

Robert Barnes studied under Erasmus at Cambridge.

He Graduated with a Doctorate of Divinity in 1523.

Barnes once preached against the outrageous wealth of the Roman Catholic Church compared to the poverty of Christ, and against Christians suing other Christians inside the parish church of Cambridge University's College of Lawyers.

As a result, Barnes was brought before the vice-chancellor for preaching a heretical sermon.

(evidently the papists and Lawyers didn’t like it.)

He was subsequently interrogated by Cardinal Wolsey and four other Roman Catholic bishops.

He was ordered to abjure his sermon or be burnt.

He chose to burn rather than recant.

He was then committed to Fleet prison.

While incarcerated, Barnes secretly distributed illegal copies of Tyndale's Bible. Love it!

He escaped in 1528 and went to Wittenberg where he became good friends with Martin Luther.

Barnes was the first English speaking follower of the teachings of Luther which went against the 6 Articles established by the Roman Catholic church within the government.

The Six Articles are:

Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine become the physical flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.

Both the bread and the wine didn’t have to be taken during communion in order for it to count.

Priests cannot marry.

Priests have to be celibate.

Private masses are allowed.

Auricular confession (confession to a priest) was necessary as part of divine law.

If anyone refuse, deny, or abstain to Confess their sins to a priest or to receive communion or believe that the bread and wine are not the actual flesh and blood of Jesus shall suffer imprisonment and be fined.

Every such offence was also deemed a felony.

Offenders suffered pains of death, lose, and forfeit all his goods, lands, and tenements.

Barnes was convicted of heresy and sentenced to execution by burning in Smithfield. July 30, 1540

7 years later, The Act of Six Articles was repealed by the Treason Act of 1547 during the reign of King Edward VI.

Dr. Steven A. Hite