may have the office to convey the effect of the holiness of the invocation of God's name.

• Albeit there hath been between you and me no familiarity, but contrariwise, a little disagreement (which I did not hide from you), yet considering the fervent zeal ye professed to teach Peter's true doctrine, that is to say Christ's true doctrine, whereunto ye thought the doctrine of Images and Holy Water to put away devils agreed not, I have willingly spent this time to communicate unto you my folly (if it be folly) plainly as it is; whereupon ye may have occasion the more substantially, fully, and plainly to open these matters for the relief of such as be fallen from the truth, and confirmation of those that receive and follow it: wherein it hath been ever much commended, to have such regard to histories of credit, and the continual use of the church, rather to show how a thing continued from the beginning, as Holy Water and Images have done, may be well used, than to follow the light rash eloquence, which is ever ad manum, to mock and improve that is established, &c. &c.

"Your loving friend,

STEPHEN WINCHESTER.'

330

THOMAS CRANMER,

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.*

[1498-1556.]

THIS eminent prelate, the son of Thomas Cranmer, Esq. was born at Aslacton in Nottinghamshire, in 1489. In 1503 he was admitted of Jesus College, Cambridge, where he highly distinguished himself by his unwearied application to his studies. He had been some time fellow of that society, when he married; but, his wife dying within the year, he was re-admitted to his fellowship.

When Wolsey established his new college at Oxford, Cranmer was offered a fellowship on that foundation, which however he thought proper to decline. In 1523 he commenced D. D., and became reader of the divinity-lecture in his own college.

He had now acquired so much reputation in the University, that he was appointed one of the examiners of those, who commenced bachelors and doctors in divinity. In this office, he rendered great service to the cause of religion; for he examined candi

* AUTHORITIES. Strype's Memorials of Cranmer; Gilpin's Life of Cranmer; Burnet's History of the Reformation; and Fox's Acts and Monuments, &c.

dates out of the Scriptures, and would by no means suffer them to pass, if he found them unacquainted with the sacred writings. Of this species of learning the friars, in general, were extremely ignorant; being much better versed in Scotus and Aquinas, than in the Bible. This class of applicants, therefore, Cranmer occasionally rejected as insufficient, advising them to study the Scriptures some years longer, before they applied for their degrees; as 'it was a shame (he added) for a professor in divinity to be unskilled in that book, in which the knowledge of God and the true principles of theology were chiefly to be found.' In consequence of this behaviour, he was greatly disliked by the members of that community. Some of the more ingenuous of them, however, subsequently returned him public thanks for his severity; acknowledging, that they had in consequence, by a closer study of the divine word, attained to a more perfect knowledge in religion, than they should otherwise have done.

During his residence at Cambridge, the question arose concerning Henry VIII.'s divorce; and the plague breaking out in the University about this time, he retired to the house of a friend (Mr. Cressey) at Waltham Abbey; where casually meeting with Gardiner and Fox, the King's Secretary and his Almoner, he freely delivered his opinion, That it would be much better to have the question, "Whether a man could lawfully marry his brother's wife?" discussed and determined upon the authority of God's word, than from year to year to protract the decision by having recourse to the Pope: that there was but one truth in it, which the Scripture would soon manifest, being handled by learned men; and that might be done as well at the Universities in

6

England, as at Rome or elsewhere.' This declaration being communicated to the King so highly pleased him, that he directly exclaimed, The man had the sow by the right ear,' and gave orders that he should instantly be summoned to court.

Upon his arrival in 1529 he was appointed chaplain to his Majesty, and Sir Thomas Boleyn (father of Anne Boleyn) was desired to receive him into his family, and to furnish him with such books as he should require, to enable him to draw up a defence of the opinion which he had given respecting the divorce. In this treatise, he showed by the united testimonies of the Scriptures, of General Councils, and of ancient writers, that the Bishop of Rome had no authority to dispense with God's word; and thence he proved the illegality of the King's marriage with Katharine of Arragon, his brother Arthur's widow. When he had finished his tract, he was sent to Cambridge to dispute publicly upon the subject, accompanied by Gardiner, Fox, and other learned men ; and having speedily brought over a number of divines and civilians to his opinion, upon his return he was rewarded with a benefice and the archdeaconry of Taunton.

The following year the King despatched him to France, Italy, and Germany, upon a similar errand; Sir Thomas Boleyn, now Earl of Wiltshire, being appointed embassador upon the occasion, and furnished with credentials for the purpose. In France, they met with numerous supporters. At Rome, Cranmer's treatise was delivered to the Pope, and he offered to justify it at a public disputation; but no open adversary appearing, after several private conferences with the chief Romanists, it was ad

mitted in the Pope's chief court of the Rota, that the marriage was unlawful; though it was still contended, that his Holiness had authority to dispense with the scripture-law.' That the Pontiff, indeed, was not at that time willing to be considered as decisively hostile to the views of the English Sovereign, may be inferred from his constituting Cranmer his penitentiary throughout England, Ireland, and Wales.

In consequence of these successes, the Earl of Wiltshire transmitted such encomiums of his learned collegue, that the King appointed him his sole embassador upon the same cause to the Emperor's court, This gave him an opportunity of traversing Germany; and as the imperial party was at that time in constant motion, by following it he became acquainted with the most eminent German divines and civilians, many of whom embraced his opinion with respect to the marriage. Among others, the celebrated Osiander, pastor of Nuremberg, publicly defended it; and an intimacy between him and the English envoy ensued, which was still farther confirmed by Cranmer's marriage with his niece.

While he remained in Germany, the King employed him in other negotiations, particularly in establishing a treaty of commerce between England and the Emperor's dominions in the Low Countries. He went, also, upon a special mission to the Duke of Saxony and other Protestant princes.

On the death of Archbishop Warham, the King resolved to place Cranmer in the see of Canterbury ; and though he assigned as his sole reason for this extraordinary promotion, that he judged him the fittest person among the English clergy for so distinguished a station, there can be no doubt that his