“But I tell you who hear me:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27,28
Every so often out of the blue God gives me an example of what a Christian should be like. This one comes from courtesy of today in history on my Google home page. It reads,
“They came for Anne on the morning of May 19th to take her to the Tower Green, where she was to be afforded the dignity of a private execution. The Constable of the Tower wrote this of her:
“This morning she sent for me, that I might be with her at such time as she received the good Lord (i.e. took Communion), to the intent I should hear her speak as touching her innocency alway to be clear. And in the writing of this she sent for me, and at my coming she said, "Mr. Kingston, I hear I shall not die afore noon, and I am very sorry therefore, for I thought to be dead by this time and past my pain ". I told her it should be no pain, it was so little. And then she said, "I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck", and then put her hands about it, laughing heartily. I have seen many men and also women executed, and that they have been in great sorrow, and to my knowledge this lady has much joy in death. Sir, her almoner is continually with her, and had been since two o'clock after midnight.
She wore a "red petticoat under a loose, dark grey gown of damask trimmed in fur". Her dark hair was bound up and she wore her customary French headdress. She made a short speech:
“Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.”
The Anne spoken of is Anne Boleyn king Henry VIII second wife.
Anne’s trial was a sham, an easy way out for Henry, who was looking for a male heir. Anne couldn’t supply the need so she was accused of adultery, incest, witchcraft, and high treason. All of which historians say were untrue.
Anne however in her short time with Henry made a significant mark on History. Anne became the power behind the thrown.
Anne was hailed as a Christian reformer, Martin Luther even noting it was a good that she came to power.
It was because of her the Church of England split with the Pope.
She arranged for her personal chaplain Thomas Cranmer to become Archbishop of Canterbury. She encouraged Henry to look to the advice of religious radicals of the day such as William Tynsdale who denied the power of the Pope. A man who to the dislike of the Pope translated the Bible into English.
Additionally another radical slash reformer of the day Thomas Cromwell became Henry’s favoured advisor.
Unfortunately Anne lost favour with the king simply because of her inability to produce a male heir.
Henry would marry four more times and get his son. The Son however would not reign long. Ultimately it would be Anne’s daughter Elizabeth who would rise to power and be remembered as one of the greatest monarchs in English history.
But having said all of this, I wish to make this point.
Anne could have become bitter and resentful toward Henry and how she was treated. She could have become sombre and downcast yet the constable of the tower noted.
“I have seen many men and also women executed, and that they have been in great sorrow, and to my knowledge this lady has much joy in death.”
Anne seemed to be resigned to her fate. Not vengeful at all. She seems to have exemplified the scripture I quoted at the beginning of this article,
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27,28
Anne’s final words seem to show she was a dedicated Christian,
“Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.”
Question, how would you fair if you were put in Anne’s shoes? True Anne was dying because a King simply wanted a son. But never the less she was Christian and did constitute change in a very real way in England. Changes that echo down the centuries to us.
According to human rights groups between 115,000 and 163,000 Christians die for their faith each year,(7 people an hour).
Seventy-five percent of all religious persecution is directed at Christians.
Half of all the Christian persecution in history 35,000,000 deaths have occurred in the twentieth century alone.
Yet the church in the western world seems to be silent.
A personal project for you the reader.
Write a letter to your member of parliament, or congress. Your prime minister or president expressing your opinion on the persecuted church.
Ask them to do all within their power to help persecuted Christians around the world.
Open Doors International, a group that reaches out to persecuted Christians, lists the 10 most repressive countries for minority religions and Christians in particular: North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mauritania, Laos and Uzbekistan.
And if you can do nothing else pray for our Christian brothers and sisters living under persecution.
