was talking of, to utter an opinion that the question of the lawfulness of the King's marriage might be decided by the learned men of our own universities without the Pope. This opinion coming to the King's ears so pleased him, that he sent for Mr. Cranmer, and, to sum up the whole matter in a few words, employed him both to write his own opinion upon the question, and to obtain the views of the most learned men in the kingdom upon it. The result Cranmer reported to the King in these words: "The Bishop of Rome has no such authority as whereby he may dispense with the word of God and the Scripture." "Wilt thou abide by this," said the King, "before the Bishop of Rome ?" "That will I do by God's grace," answered Dr. Cranmer, "if your Majesty do send me thither."

Upon this the King sent the Earl of Wiltshire, with Cranmer and other learned doctors, to the Pope; but although they were civilly treated, the divines of Rome showed no forwardness to hear Dr. Cranmer dispute in favour of the supreme authority of the Holy Scriptures. The ambassadors left Rome therefore, and travelled to other courts and universities, where they had great success in persuading the learned men of the goodness of the King's cause. Upon their return to England, they found that Archbishop Warham had just de-parted this life, and the archbishopric was given to Dr. Cranmer, as a proper reward for his learning and his faithful management of the King's business. Thus did his flight from the plague, and an accidental conversation in a mixed company, prove, by the overruling providence of God, necessary steps to the highest dignity. Doubtless the good man looked back upon these things, and said in the words of that Bible he so justly esteemed, On my left hand he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on my right hand that I cannot see him, but he knoweth the way that I take. Job xxii. 9, 10.

It generally happens that great promotion and riches do not make

the person who possesses them more happy. Doubtless good Archbishop Cranmer, in the troublesome times in which he lived, often felt an earnest desire for his quiet fellowship, or for some small village curacy. Difficult indeed was his situation, and very evil the days in which he was called to fill it; and it cannot be concealed that he fell into many mistakes, and even committed several faults; but they are so eclipsed in his general goodness and wisdom, that the wonder is he fell into so few errors, rather than that he committed any." Let this great man's falls ever be my lesson; and if this glittering jewel were thus clouded and foiled, God be merciful to me a sinner." The greatest fault he could have committed, and the severest misfortune which he could have brought upon his country, would have been an absolute refusal to fill the post for which he was so admirably suited. For several months he did decline it, and delayed his return to England, in hopes the King would have filled up the situation before he came home. But it might not be. "Promotion cometh from God," says David, and a good man, therefore, will not utterly reject his gift, or shrink from the burden he lays upon him. And truly a heavy burden Cranmer found his. He had to manage a cruel tyrant in the King, to contend against covetous noblemen who were grasping after the tythes and church lands, to soothe a bigotted and ignorant clergy, and to enlighten a dark and savage people; and that with few friends to advise, with ill understood laws to guide him, and with many crafty and envious enemies to lead him into error. And yet there is abundant proof that, in the general tenor of his life and temper, Cranmer was an eminent Christian. Let us see how piously he conducted himself under such trying circumstances, and glorify God in him.

He was very industrious. No hour of his day was spent in vain; but was so bestowed, as tended to the glory of God, the service of the Prince, or the benefit of the Church. He constant

came

ly rose at five in the morning. His days were evil and uncertain, he therefore worked before the night And this diligence not only enabled him to publish inany very excellent works for the reforination of religion, to write letters to most of the pious and learned men at home and abroad, to converse much and to read more; but it procured him a good report of all men, from the king to the servant, so that all pronounced him faultless, as became the servant of God. And no wonder: for diligence in business is, by the bless ing of God, the best means for preventing temptation; whereas the devil always finds something of his work for the idle man.

He was very meek and forgiving, insomuch that it became a common proverb, "Do unto my Lord of Canterbury displeasure or a shrewd turn, and then you may be sure to have him for your friend while he liveth." Dr. Hethe once said to him, " My Lord, I know how to win all things at your hand well enough." "How so?" replied Cranmer. "Truly," said Dr. Hethe, “I perceive I must first attempt to do unto you some notable displeasure, and then by a little relenting I shall obtain of you what I desire."

He was extremely charitable. In those days when there were few or no infirmaries or hospitals, good part of his revenues was expended in furnishing diseased and wounded persons with medicine, attendance, and com fortable food. He devoted one of his mansions expressly to the use of sick and wounded soldiers, and whenever any were discharged, money was delivered to them to bear their expenses home, according to the number of miles they had to travel. Nor was he wanting in that decent hospitality which became his high station, there being generally three tables spread in the hall for the different ranks of guests who came to his palace either in friendship or on business.

He was a great lover of the truth of the Gospel so far as he knew it; and indeed he held his life by a very slender thread during the last days of

King Henry the Eighth, on account of his zeal for the truth. That wick ed unreasonable man passed edicts so contradictory, that scarcely a man in England but forfeited his life by the one or the other. The Papists who held the Pope's supremacy, were punished as traitors for denying the King to be supreme; and the Protestants, by an act which enjoined a belief of some of the worst tenets of the Church of Rome, were judged guilty of heresy. It appears that Cranmer was quite firm in his belief of the worst error enjoined by this act, unti! many conversations with good Bishop Ridley, some years afterwards, convinced him of the truth; and therefore he countenanced, or at least did not make the resistance he should have done to the martyrdom of good John Lambert, who was burnt for denying that the bread and wine in the Sacrament were the real body and blood of Christ. And yet his integrity with respect to the other parts of this wicked law, often brought him into jeopardy of his own life. At one time he escaped from such imminent danger that he seemed like another Daniel delivered from the lions' den. Cranmer's enemies had obtained an order from the King to commit him to the Tower, from whence few who went in on account of their zeal for the law of their God ever came out, except to mount the scaffold. But when the King heard that whilst the council were drawing up a warrant for his commitment, the good Archbishop was standing among the footmen without, exposed to all their insults, his ancient love for the good man revived; and if it had not been for Cranmer's christian spirit of interceding for his enemies, the King would have sent them to occupy the dungeon which they had prepared for the Archbishop.

These clear proofs of a pious and renewed heart Cranmer exhibited all the days of King Henry; and God, who has the hearts of all men in his hands, enabled him to weather the storm all the life of that wicked ty rant. Indeed when the King's phy sicians informed him that he was

drawing near to death, he knew of no divine in that awful hour to whom he could so properly apply for advice as to Cranmer. He therefore sent for him to Croydon, where he then dwelt; but before the Archbishop could arrive the King had lost the power of utterance; yet stretching out his hand to Dr. Cranmer, he held him fast. The Archbishop exhorted him to put his trust in Christ and to call upon his mercy, and moreover he desired him to give him some token if he did trust in the Lord. The King immediately wrung his hand as hard as he could, and shortly after died.

And now Cranmer's golden days began; for it pleased God in great mercy to this realm, to place that pious young prince King Edward the Sixth upon the throne. Cranmer was his godfather, and doubtless had a great hand in imprinting on his heart that love for the Bible, the benefits of which we feel even to this day. It appears indeed that the scholar had outgone his master in knowledge of the gospel truth, for it was not till after several conferences with Bishop Ridley as we have before mentioned, that Cranmer overcame all the prejudices of his education, and became established in the truth. He now had quietness and encouragement to do all the good he wished, and he therefore lost no time in setting forth a Book of Common Prayer, nearly the same with the one we now use, the Catechism, and the Book of Ho milies, a considerable part of which he wrote himself, and the rest was composed by pious men who lived in his palace. Thus in a "short time he fulfilled a long time;" for, alas! the days of his prosperity were soon to end. The pious King Edward died. at the age of 16, and with him died all the earthly hopes of the Protestants; for the heir to the crown was his eldest sister, who was soon afterAwards known by the well-merited title of bloody Queen Mary.

We have followed good Archbishop Cranmer through the whole of the prosperous part of his life, and seen with what meekness, charity,

and zeal for God he passed so many years. And now it pleased God to put his servant into the fire of affliction, in order that he might add his noble testimony to the truth which he was the principal means of establishing in England. Queen Mary was soon enabled to set aside her brother's will, and after she had beheaded the relation who usurped her throne, she pardoned all the witnesses to the will but Cranmer. Yet when it appeared on his trial at the Guildhall in London, that he had signed the will last, and that against his own judgment, by the advice of all the judges and learned counsellors in the land, the Queen could not with any propriety withhold her pardon. He had therefore the punishment of treason remitted, that he might suffer that which was pronounced upon heresy. And although many may think this a circumstance by no means to be rejoiced at, since burning is a much more painful death than beheading, yet was Dr. Cranmer exceedingly thankful for it, since the cause was now not his own but Christ's, not the Queen's but the Church's. He was accordingly sent down to Oxford, to the same disputation, as it was called, in which Latimer and Ridley were condemned, and, as might be expected, he shared no other fate than his brethren. But they were soon dispatched, whereas poor Cranmer, as more noble game, was to be sported with and entangled in their nets, and deluded with false hopes, and brought to a hearing again and again, that their glory in their prize might be the greater. From the summer of 1553 to the 21st of March, 1556, the day of his martyrdom, he was frequently brought, under one pretence or other, before commissioners, to see whether any signs of wavering might be perceived in him. On the 14th of December, 1555, Bonner, Bishop of London, and Thirlby, Bishop of Ely, proceeded to degrade him. Much against his will did Thirlby undertake this office, having received from the Archbishop while he was in his prosperity, a continual repetition of kindness, as if he

had been his own brother. There was never any thing in the Archbi shop's house, however dear, were it plate, jewels, horse, maps, books, or any thing else, but if Thirlby commended it, Cranmer either gave it to him or shortly sent it after him to his house. Notwithstanding this great friendship, the painful office of degrading the Archbishop was committed to Thirlby, who performed it, as might be expected, with so much grief, so tenderly, and with so many tears, that when he assured him it was the most sorrowful thing that ever happened unto him, Cranmer gently comforted him, and said, he was very well content.

Happy would it have been for Cranmer, if the persecution of his enemies had continued to the end of his life; but they were so well aware of the generous disposition of the man they had to deal with, that they saw severity would never bend his fortitude, although perhaps kindness and pretended love might cause him to comply with their wishes. After he had been therefore in prison nearly three years, they took him to the Deanery-house, in Christ Church, where he lacked no delicate fare, played at bowls, had his pleasure for walking, and every thing else which might allure him to the love of life. Arguments they had tried in vain; they now sought to entice him to recant, by promises not only of life, but of an ancient dignity, or of an honour able privacy, if he preferred it; in short, nothing the Queen could give should be withheld from Cranmer, provided he became a Roman Catholic. Flattery, promises, terror, and a spirit broken with the continual hardships of Bocardo prison, at last induced him to listen to the proposal of his crafty enemies. He appears first to have written a short recantation, which in a certain sense perhaps contained nothing untrue: this was accepted, but soon returned for some small addition and explanation; till at last, after no less than six alterations, a full recantation was ex torted from the miserable man.

No sooner had his cruel enemies

obtained their purpose than they took off the mask. Dr. Cole was ordered to prepare a funeral sermon for Cranmer's burning, and the 21st of March was appointed as the day on which he should preach it.

And now Cranmer was in a most wretched situation: he had neither quietness in his own conscience, nor any help from man; he neither could die with honour, nor might he live in dishonour. Early on the morning of the 21st of March, Cranmer began to guess the designs of the Papists from Dr. Cole's coming to him and asking him if he had any money, and when he replied he had not, giving him 15 crowns to distribute to the poor. He also exhorted him to be constant in the faith, and departed. Cranmer now began to see that he could no longer dissemble his faith with Christ's people, he therefore employed himself until he was called to hear his funeral sermon, in writing a prayer and exhortation, to be recited to the people before his confession of faith, lest he should be prevented afterwards.

About 9 o'clock, Lord Williams, Sir Thomas Bridges, and other justices came to Oxford, and from all sides there was a very great concourse of people; the Papists hoping to hear what would confirm them in their errors, and the Protestants expecting something from the Archbishop worthy of his former life and labours. Through this great crowd of spectators Cranmer came from Bocardo to St. Mary's Church. It rained, or it was intended to take him to hear the sermon at the place of execution. The Mayor of Oxford went first, and then the Aldermen. After them followed Cranmer between two friars, who mumbled forth certain psalms, till they came to the church door, and then they began the Song of Simeon, called Nunc Dimit- · tis, which they continued till they brought him to his place of standing, which was a stage a little raised from the ground over against the pulpit, where Cranmer waited till Cole made himself ready for his sermon.

The lamentable case and appearance of that man gave a sorrowful

spectacle to all christian eyes that beheld him. He that was lately Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Pri mate of England, being now in a bare and ragged gown with an old square cap, did admonish men not only of his own calamity, but of their state and fortune. For who would not pity his case and bewail his fortune, and might not fear his own chance, to see such a prelate, so grave a counsellor and of so long continued honour, after so many dig nities, in his old years to be deprived of all, adjudged to die so painful a death, and from such rich ornaments to descend to such vile and ragged apparel ?

In this habit, when he had stood a good space upon the stage, turning to a pillar which was near, he lifted up his hands to heaven and prayed to God once or twice, till Dr. Cole entered the pulpit. The sermon consisted of an aggravation of what were called the Archbishop's crimes, except in the latter part, for then the condemned man was encouraged to take his death patiently, by several examples of grace vouchsafed to sufferers, taken from Scripture and Church History; and lest this should bring him no comfort, Dr. Cole concluded, by promising in the name of all the priests who were present, that dirges, masses, and funerals should be performed for the succour of his soul, in all the churches of Oxford.

The agitation of Cranmer's body, and the several alterations of his countenance during the time of the sermon, showed the great grief of his mind better than any man can declare it; one while lifting up his hands and eyes unto heaven, and then again for shame letting them down to the earth. A man might have seen in him the very image of perfect sorrow. More than twenty different times the tears gushed out abundantly, dropping down from his venerable and fatherly face. They that were present testify that they never saw more tears in a child than burst out from him all the sermon; but especially when he recited his prayer before the people. Such abundance of tears from so aged and

dignified a man, awakened astonishing pity in all men's hearts.

Cole, after he had finished his sermon, told the people to stop; and exhorted Cranmer to make a profession of his faith, that all men might understand that he was a Catholic. "Indeed I will do it," said the Archbishop," and that with a good will ;” and putting off his cap, he began to speak thus to the people.

"I desire you, well beloved brethren in the Lord, that you will pray to God for me to forgive me my sins, which above all men, both in number and greatness, I have committed.— But among all the rest, there is one offence which most of all at this time doth vex and trouble me, whereof in process of my talk you shall hear more in its proper place." Then putting his hand into his bosom, he drew forth his prayer, which he recited to the people as follows.

"Good christian people, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters in Christ, I beseech you most heartily to pray for me to Almighty God, that he will forgive me all my sins and offences, which be many without number, and great above measure. But how great and how many soever my sins be, I beseech you to pray God of his mercy to pardon and forgive them all." And here kneeling down, he said,

"O Father of Heaven, O Son of God Redeemer of the world, O Holy Ghost, three persons and one God, have mercy upon me, most wretched caitiff and miserable sinner. 1 have offended both against Heaven and earth, more than my tongue can express. Whither then may I go, or whither should I fly? To heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine eyes; and in earth I find no place of refuge or succour. To thee, therefore, O Lord, do I run; to thee do I humble myself, saying, O Lord my God, my sins be great, but yet have mercy upon me for thy great mercy. The great mystery that God became man, was not wrought for little or few offences. Thou didst not give thy Son, O heavenly Father, unto death for small sins only, but for all the greatest sins of the world; so that