Martyr: Julius Palmer
Julius Palmer grew up a Romanist and was a graduate of Oxford College. Soon thereafter was elected as fellow at Magdalene College, Oxford.
It happened, however, during the time Palmer had been away from college, he had made the acquaintance of several leaders of the reformed party, and was so much impressed by their arguments that he began to doubt, himself, whether obedience to Rome was a necessary part of Christianity. when the persecution began, being a humane man, he became still more unsettled in his belief, and inquired, very particularly, into the cause of persons being arrested, the nature of the charges upon which they were condemned, the manner of their treatment, and their behavior at the time of their burning. So anxious was he to become fully informed on the subject, that he sent one of his pupils from Oxford to Gloucester, to see bishop Hooper’s execution, and to bring him a full description of the dreadful scene.
Before this event Palmer was inclined to think that very few men would brave the fire for the sake of their religion. But when he had heard of Hooper’s heroism, and been present at the examination of bishops Ridley and Latimer—an eye-witness of their faith, patience, and fortitude, even unto death—these scenes brought about an entire change in his belief. On his return from the scene of this execution, he was heard to say, “O raging cruelty! O barbarous tyranny!” From that very day he applied himself most earnestly to the study of the Scriptures, and at length became as zealous a worker in the ranks of the reformers as he had before been an opposer of them.
Palmer was now absent from church and was soon under suspicion. Palmer fled his fellowship and took up a position teaching at a grammar school in Reading, Berkshire. Now Julius had an open demeanor about him and at some point revealed his religious belief to those around him. They searched the school and found “heretical books” which denounced religious persecution. Confronting Palmer with what they found and threatening to take these to the Queen’s commissioners, Julius quickly fled and left all he owned and all that was owed to him behind.
Palmer, being destitute and very much poor, left to Evesham, Worcestershire in search of his mother. He thought that perhaps he would be able to gain his father’s inheritance or legacy, since his father passed four years prior.
As soon as Palmer’s mother saw him standing at her door, needy and forlorn, she motioned to him to go away, addressing him in these bitter words: “Get thee gone, heretic! Get thee gone!”
He departed blessing her, the tears trickling down his cheeks, whereat “she hurled an old angel after him and said, “Take it to keep thee a true man.” He then visited his friend Cope at Magdalen; went to Reading to get his arrears of salary; was there arrested…
