Jean Crespin’s Book of Martyrs Title page of Crespin’s lenged the accepted church doctrines un- “Book of derwent horrific experiences at the hands of Martyrs” their religious opposers. One source of infor- (1564 mation about such sufferings is Jean Cres- Edition) pin’s Le Livre des martyrs (Book of Martyrs), published in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1554. It is also known as Histoire des martyrs. A Lawyer Joins the Reformation N1546,14menofMeaux,France,were Born about 1520, in Arras, in what is now I found guilty of heresy and condemned to northern France, Crespin studied law at Lou- be burned alive. Their crimes? They met in vain, Belgium. It was likely while he was there private homes, prayed, sang psalms, observed that he was for the first time exposed to Re- theLord’sSupper,anddeclaredthatthey formist ideas. In 1541, Crespin went to Par- would never accept “Papistical idolatries.” is to work as the secretary of a noted jurist. About the same time, he witnessed in Place On execution day, the Roman Catholic Maubert, Paris, the burning of Claude Le teacher Francois¸ Picard challenged the con- Painctre, who had been condemned as a her- demned men about their beliefs regarding etic. Crespin was deeply impressed by the the Lord’s Supper. They answered by ques- faith of this young goldsmith, who was execut- tioning him about the Catholic teaching ed for what Crespin called “announcing the of transubstantiation, which claims that the truth to his parents and friends.” breadandthewineusedduringthatobser- About this time, Crespin began practicing vance change miraculously into Jesus’ flesh law in Arras. Soon, however, his newfound and blood. ‘Does the bread,’ the condemned beliefs led to his being accused of heresy. men asked, ‘taste like meat? Or the wine like To escape prosecution, he fled to Strasbourg, blood?’ France, and later settled in Geneva, Switzer- Despite the lack of response, the 14 were land.There,Crespinassociatedwithsupport- tied to stakes and burned alive. The ones ers of the Reformation. He gave up his legal who had not had their tongues removed sang career and became a printer. psalms. Priests who stood around the execu- Crespin published religious works of Re- tion site attempted to drown them out by sing- formers, such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, ing louder than they did. The next day, on the same spot, Picard proclaimed that the 14 were A translation of one title of Crespin’s work is Book of Mar- tyrs, That Is, a Collection of Several Martyrs Who Endured Death condemned to hell forever. in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, From Jan Hus Until This In the 1500’s, Europe was a dangerous Year, 1554. Several revised and enlarged editions with various ti- tles and content were published during Crespin’s lifetime; and place for religious dissenters. Many who chal- others, after his death. 12 Awake! March 2011 Execution of Protestants before the French King Henry II and his court John Knox, and Theodore Beza. He printed the Greek text of the part of the Bible com- ¸ cais, Paris monly called the New Testament and the Bi- ble—in whole or in part—in English, French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. Crespin became famous, however, for his Book of Martyrs. In it he listed many who had been executed for heresy between 1415 and 1554. ´ The Purpose of a Martyrology edel’HistoireduProtestantismeFran ´ et Much of the literature produced by Re- Soci formers denounced the brutality of the Cath- olic authorities. It encouraged the people by presenting the “heroism” of Protestant mar- tyrs as a continuation of the sufferings faced example, over such issues as the use of im- Images, both pages: by God’s servants in earlier times, including ages in worship, purgatory, and prayers for Christians in the first century. To provide fel- the dead, as well as whether Jesus’ sacrifice low Protestants with examples to be imitated, was repeated during the Catholic Mass and Crespin compiled a catalog of those who had whether the pope was God’s representative. suffered death for their faith. The Book of Martyrs is a testimony to the Crespin’s book is a compilation of records controversy and intolerance that charac- of trials, inquisitorial proceedings, and eye- terized those violent times. While Crespin witnessaccounts,aswellastestimonieswrit- focused on the Catholic persecution of Prot- ten by the accused while they were in prison. estants, it should not be forgotten that Protes- Included, too, were letters of encouragement tants have at times also persecuted Catholics written to those in prison, some of which with much the same ferocity. are filled with quotations from the Bible. The Throughout history, false religion has faith of the writers, Crespin believed, was stained itself with “the blood of prophets “worthy of perpetual memory.” and of holy ones and of all those who have Much of the doctrinal material covered in been slaughtered on the earth.” Certainly, Crespin’s book centers on well-known dis- the blood of those whom God recognizes as putes between Catholics and Protestants. The his faithful martyrs cries out for vengeance. persecutors and the persecuted argued, for (Revelation 6:9, 10; 18:24) Likely some of those who suffered and died for their faith Two other martyrologies were published in 1554—the same back in Jean Crespin’s day were searching in year that Crespin published his Book of Martyrs—one in Ger- man, by Ludwig Rabus, and the other in Latin, by John Foxe. all sincerity for religious truth. Awake! March 2011 13.