Martyr William Hunter

In keeping with my goal to highlight martyrs of history on this blog, today I wanted to highlight William Hunter.  Hunter is known as a Protestant martyr and a boy martyr.  Wikipedia tells us ...

"... burnt to death in Brentwood at the age of 19 on March 27, 1555. He had lost his job in London as a silk-weaver because of his views and had come to live with his parents in Brentwood, but got into a dispute when reading the Bible in Brentwood Chapel. He refused to accept the Catholic dogma of transubstantiation according to which the bread and wine of the communion become the body and blood of Jesus.

He was taken before the local Justice, Antony Browne, but refused to retract his position. Then he was sent to see Bishop Bonner in London. He resisted both threats and bribes—Bonner offered to make him a Freeman of the City of London and give him £40—and was eventually returned to Brentwood to be burnt. The site is now Brentwood School, an educational establishment founded by Antony Browne.

Another writer on the European Institute of Protestant Studies tells us that when he visited Brentwood he saw a statute in honor of William Hunter that had this inscription,

"WILLIAM HUNTER. MARTYR. Committed to the Flames March 26th MDLV. Christian Reader, learn from his example to value the privilege of an open Bible. And be careful to maintain it."

Isn't that powerful!  I think so.  Take a minute to read the rest of the article on William Hunter right here.