If I, Or An Angel From Heaven, Should Preach Any Other Gospel . . .

If I, Or An Angel From Heaven, Should Preach Any Other Gospel . . .

He kept the faith.

DR. ROWLAND TAYLOR was the Anglican rector of Hadleigh, England, in the 1500s, a priest who, unlike many in his day, actually lived among the people whom he pastored. He faithfully studied the Scriptures, desiring to fulfill Christ’s command to Peter, “Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.” Every Sunday he preached salvation through faith in Christ and frequently warned his people of papal corruptions. He cared for the poor, the sick, and the lonely. He was a loving husband and trained his nine children in the Scriptures.

When the young Protestant King Edward VI died, Queen Mary, a Roman Catholic, came to the throne, and shortly thereafter two of Taylor’s enemies hired a Catholic priest to celebrate Mass in Taylor’s church. Just before the Mass was to begin, Taylor rushed into his church and protested that the service was both illegal and idolatrous. Thereupon Taylor was forcibly removed from the church and the incident reported to the lord chancellor of England. Taylor was summoned to London by the chancellor and arrested. He was imprisoned and then sentenced to burn at the stake for refusing to submit to the pope.

On February 5, 1555, he gave his son a book in which he had written his legacy:

I say to my wife and to my children, The Lord gave you unto me, and the Lord hath taken me from you and you from me: blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe that they are blessed which die in the Lord. God careth for sparrows, and for the hairs of our heads. I have ever found Him more faithful and favourable than is any father or husband. Trust ye, therefore, in Him by the means of our dear Savior Christ’s merits. Believe, love, fear, and obey Him: pray to Him, for He hath promised to help. Count me not dead, for I shall certainly live and never die. I go before, and you shall follow after, to our long home. . . . I have bequeathed you to the only Omnipotent.

I say to my dear friends . . . and to all others which have heard me preach, that I depart hence with a quiet conscience as touching my doctrine, for the which I pray you thank God with me. For I have, after my little talent, declared to others those lessons that I gathered out of God’s Book, the blessed Bible. “Therefore, if I, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any other Gospel than that ye have received,” God’s great curse be upon that preacher!

Beware, for God’s sake, that ye deny not God, neither decline from the word of faith, lest God decline from you, and so do ye everlastingly perish. For God’s sake beware of Popery, for though it appear to have in it unity, yet the same is vanity and anti-Christianity, and not in Christ’s faith and verity.

Beware of sin against the Holy Ghost, now after such a light opened so plainly and simply, truly, thoroughly, and generally to all England.

The Lord grant all men His good and Holy Spirit, increase of His wisdom, condemning the wicked world, hearty desire to be with God, and the heavenly company; through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator, Advocate, Righteousness, Life, Sanctification, and Hope. Amen. Amen. Pray. Pray.

Rowland Taylor, departing hence in sure hope, without all doubting of eternal salvation. I thank God, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, my certain Saviour. Amen. 5th of February, anno 1555.

Five days later, Dr. Rowland Taylor, father to nine, husband to one, and shepherd to many, was burned at the stake. Holding up both his hands, he called upon God, “Merciful Father of heaven, for Jesus Christ my Saviour’s sake, receive my soul into Thy hands.”

Reflection

If you had been Rowland Taylor, would you have intervened to prevent Mass from being celebrated in your church? Would you have chosen to be burned at the stake rather than to submit to the pope? Why or why not?

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

2 Timothy 3:12