Rogers, John (1)

Rogers, John (1), an English divine and martyr, was born about 1500. He was educated at Cambridge, where he entered holy orders, and was appointed chaplain to the English factory at Antwerp, where he remained several years. There he met Tyndale and Coverdale, through whom he was led to renounce popery. He married at Antwerp, and became pastor of a congregation at Wittenberg, which office he retained until the accession of Edward VI. In 1548 he returned to England, invited by bishop Ridley, and was presented with the rectory of St. Margaret Moyses and the vicarage of St. Sepulchre's, both in London, May 10, 1550. Bishop Ridley made him a prebendary of St. Paul's, St. Paneras, and rector of Chigwell, Aug. 24, 1551, and, later, divinity reader. On the Sunday after the entry of queen Mary into London (Thursday, Aug. 3, 1553), he denounced Romanism at St. Paul's Cross, urging the people to continue steadfast in the doctrines taught in king Edward's day. For this he was summoned before the privy council, but defended himself so ably that he was released. On Aug. 18 he was ordered to remain a prisoner in his own house at St. Paul's, from which he refused to make his escape, though frequently urged. After six months he was removed to Newgate, where his confinement was aggravated by every species of severity. In January, 1555, he was tried before Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, and condemned to be burned at Smithfield. Feb. 4, which sentence he bore with great constancy and patience. He translated from Melancthon, A Weighing and Considering of the Interim (Lond. 1548, 16mo); and was compiler of the first authorized English Bible prepared from Tyndale's MSS., Coverdale's translation, published under the assumed name of Thomas Matthew: The Byble, in which is contained the Olde and Newe Testameents, etc., by Thomas Matthew (1537, fol.). It was printed by Grafton and Whitchurch, and copies are in the British Museum, Lambeth, Bodleian, St. Paul's, and other libraries. During his imprisonment, he wrote an account of his examinations, and also other papers, which were providentially preserved, and have been transmitted to the present time. They may be found in Fox's Martyrology, p. 415. See Chester, Life of Rogers (Lond. 1861, 8vo); Strype, Cranmer; British Reformers, vol. 9; also Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.