Today we remember and give thanks for Robert Barnes,
Confessor and Martyr. Remembered as a devoted disciple of Martin
Luther, Robert Barnes is considered to be among the first Lutheran
martyrs. Born in 1495, Barnes became the
prior of the Augustinian monastery at Cambridge, England. Converted to Lutheran teaching, he shared his
insights with many English scholars through writings and personal
contacts. During a time of exile to
Germany, he became friends with Luther and later wrote a Latin summary of the
main doctrines of the Augsburg Confession titled Sententiae. Upon his return
to England, Barnes shared his Lutheran doctrines and views in person with King
Henry VIII. The changing political and
ecclesiastical climate in his native country, however, claimed him as a victim;
he was burned at the stake in Smithfield in 1540. His final confession of faith was published
by Luther, who called his friend Barnes, “our good, pious dinner guest and
houseguest … this holy martyr, St. Robert Barnes.”
Collect of the Day:
Almighty
God, heavenly Father, You gave courage to Your servant Robert Barnes to give up
his life for confessing the true faith during the Reformation. May we continue steadfast in our confession
of the apostolic faith and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away
from I; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever.
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