Thomas Bilney - Part 1

By: LMH, 2010

Thomas Bilney was one of the first Protestant reformers and an English martyr. The exact location and date of his birth are not known, but to the best of our knowledge, he was born in 1495 in Norwich. Not much is known of his life until he went to Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

Thomas Bilney was a man of small stature; he could even be described as sickly. He was somewhat bashful and not a strong speaker. He longed to serve God and be at peace in his heart. However, he never seemed able to reach this goal. He continually went before the priest to confess his sins, but instead of finding fulfillment and peace, he went away with fasting orders, indulgences, and a heavy heart. Over time, he became poor and very weak.

During this time, a certain book, Erasmus' Testament, was causing quite a stir. It was highly praised for its elegant Latinity. Erasmus' Testament was forbidden to be read because it was in Greek. Anything written in Greek or Hebrew was considered heresy. In spite of this, Bilney was drawn to the book. So he secretly bought the Testament, and when he opened it, a verse fairly popped off the page at him. It read:

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: of whom I am chief."

 Suddenly, he realized he was a sinner and that Christ saved sinners! From that point on, he was a changed man. He began to read the Scriptures often, and he stopped listening to the false teachings of the schoolmen. He gathered his friends together and shared the wonderful news of Jesus with them. He also witnessed to Hugh Latimer, who eventually got saved. Because of Bilney's faithful witness, many were led to Christ.

Thomas Bilney did much for the cause of Christ during his short life. And while he died a martyr's death at age 36, his impact on Christianity is so strongly felt that he is often called the "Father of the English Reformation."