The most foolish mistake the Catholic Church made during the reign of Bloody Queen Mary was executing John Hooper, one of the boldest champions of the Reformation. Though he was burned at the stake in 1555 after enduring nearly an hour of fire that would not enflame, it was said that Hooper died as quietly as a child in his bed.
Yet his death was not forgotten, and his cause could not be quieted. By torturing a man for his faith, the church in Rome reached millions with the message of the gospel, where Hooper’s sermons could not.