C R A N M E R. 
s. That the holinefs that Tee fo much boafted of, and by 
which name the popes affedted to be ftyled, was but a 
holinefs in name ; whence he took occafion to launch out 
into the vices of the court of Rome. 3. He inveighed 
againft the bifhop of Rome’s laws, which, he faid, were 
.mifcalled divinae leges, and facri canones. In 1536 he di¬ 
vorced king Heqry from Anne Boleyne. In 1537 he vi- 
fited his diocefe, and endeavoured to abolilh the fuper- 
ftitious obfervation of certain holidays. In 1539 he and 
fome bifliops fell under the king’s difpleafure, becaufe 
they would not confent in parliament, that the monafte- 
ries fliould be fuppreffed for the king’s foie ufe. Cran- 
jner had projected, that out of the revenues of thofe 
nurferies of idlenefs, a provifion fliould be made in every 
cathedral, for readers of divinity, and of Greek and He¬ 
brew, and a great number of ftudents, whom the bifliop 
might tranfplant out ol this nurfery into all parts of his 
diocefe ; but this defign mifcarried. He alfo ftrenuoufiy 
oppofed the aft for the fix articles, in the houfe of lords, 
fpeaking three days againft it. In 1540 lie was one of the 
commiilioners for infpedting into matters of religion, and 
for explaining fome of its main doftrines; and the book 
intitled A neceffhry Erudition of a Chriftian Man, was 
the refult of their .commillion. After lord Cromwell’s 
death, in wliofe behalf he had written to the king, lie 
retired, and lived in great privacy, not meddling at all 
in ftate affairs. In 1541 he gave orders, purfuant to the 
king’s directions, for taking away fuperftitious (brines; 
and the year following procured the adt for the advance¬ 
ment of true religion, and the abolifhment of the con¬ 
trary, which moderated the rigour of the fix articles. 
In 1543 his enemies preferred accufations againft; him, 
for oppoling the fix articles. He was complained of in 
the houfe of commons, for preaching herefy againft the 
facrament of the altar; and alfo in the privy-council, 
where the fubftance of his accufation was, “ that he, 
with his learned men, had fo infeCted the whole realm, 
with tiieir unfav.oury doctrine, that three parts of the 
land were become abominable heretics; that it might 
prove dangerous to the king, being like to produce fuch 
commotions and uproars as were fprung up in Germany: 
and therefore they delired, that the archbiftiop might be 
fent to the Tower, till he could be examined.” All 
thefe w r ere fuppofed to be contrivances of Gardiner, and 
would have been fufficient for his ruin, if the king had 
not protected him. 
Upon Henry’s deceafe, lie was one of the regents of 
the kingdom, and one of the executors of his will; and 
February 20, 1546, crowmed Edward VI. to whom he 
had been godfather, as he had been alfo to the lady Eli¬ 
zabeth. Soon after he caufed the homilies to be com- 
pofed, and he now laboured earneftly in promoting the 
reformation. For this purpofe he procured the repeal 
of the fix articles ; the eftablilhment of the communion 
in both kinds, and a new office for the facrament; the 
revifal and amendment of the other offices of the church ; 
frequent preaching; a royal vifitation to infpeCt into the 
manners and abilities of the clergy; and vilited his own 
diocefe himfelf for the fame purpofe. In 1549 he was 
one of the commiilioners for examining bifliop Bonner, 
with a power to imprifon or deprive him of his bifliopric. 
The fame year he ordained feveral priefts and deacons, 
according to the new form of ordination in the Common- 
prayer book ; which through his care w’as now finiflied, 
and fettled by aCt of parliament. A review was made 
of this book towards the end of the next year; and 
in 1552 it was printed again with amendments and alte¬ 
rations, and authorized by parliament. In 1553 he op¬ 
pofed the new fettlement of the crown upon Jane Grey, 
and would no way be concerned in that affair ; nor would 
he join in any of Dudley’s ambitious projects; however, 
upon the death of Edward VI. he appeared for her. 
But now, after the acceflion of queen Mary, his trou¬ 
bles came on apace. He was firft ordered to appear be¬ 
fore the council, and bring an inventory of his goods; 
Vol, V. No. 276, 
325 
which he did Auguft 27, when be was commanded to 
keep in his houfe, and be forthcoming. September 13, 
he was again fummoned before the council, and ordered 
to be at the Star-chamber the next day ; when he was 
committed to the Tower, partly for fetting his hand to 
the inftrument of lady Jane’s fucceffion, and partly for 
the public offer he had made a little before, of juftifying 
openly the religious proceedings of the late king. No¬ 
vember 3, he was attainted, and found guilty of high 
treafon, upon which the fruits of his fee were fequef- 
tered ; but upon his repeated application, he was par¬ 
doned the treafon, and it was refolved he fliould be pro¬ 
ceeded againft for herefy. April 1554? he, Ridley, and 
Latimer, were removed to Oxford, in order for a public 
difputation with the papifts, which was accordingly held 
upon the iStli; and two days after, they were brought 
before the commiflioners, and afked, Whether they would 
fubferibe to popery, which unanimoufly refilling, they 
were condemned as heretics. Some of Cranmer’S friends 
petitioned the queen in his behalf; putting her in mind 
that he had once preferved her in her father’s life-time. 
For the king, it feems, was refolved to fend her to the 
Tower, and to make her fuffer as a fubjeCt, becaufe (lie 
would not obey the laws of the realm, in renouncing the 
pope’s authority and religion ; but was prevented by 
Cranmer’s interceflion. This however had no effedt upon 
the queen, who was determined to give him up : and a 
new commiflion was fent from Rome for his trial and 
conviction. Accordingly, September 12, 1555, he ap¬ 
peared before the commiilioners at St. Mary’s church in 
Oxford, where he was accufed of blafphemy, perjury, 
incontinency, and herefy : of blafphemy and herefy, for 
his writings againft popery ; of perjury, for breaking his 
oath to the pope ; and of incontinency, on account of 
his being married. At laft he was cited to appear at 
Rome within eighty days, to anfwer in perfon ; but no 
care being taken to fend him, he was, by an order from 
thence, degraded and deprived. 
Hitherto he had manifefted much courage and wifdoni 
in his fufferings, but at laft human frailty made him 
commit what has been deemed a 1110ft capital error; for, 
from various motives, that efpecially of faving his life, 
he was artfully drawn in to fign a recantation, wherein 
he renounced the preteftant religion, and re-embraced 
all the errors of popery. But neither did this work at 
all upon Mary, who was ftill refolved to commit him to 
the flames ; and who foon after Cent for dodor Cole, 
provoft of Eton, and gave him inftrudtions to prepare a 
fermon for that mournful occafion. February 24, a writ 
was figned for the burning of Cranmer ; and on March 21, 
which was the fatal day, he was brought to St. Mary’s 
church, and placed on a kind of ftage oppolite the pul¬ 
pit. While Cole was haranguing, Cranmer expreffed 
great inward confufion; often lifting his hands and eyes 
to heaven, and frequently pouring out floods of tears. 
At the end of the fermon, when Cole defired him to 
make an open profeflion of his faith, as he had promifed 
him he would, he firft prayed in the molt fervent man¬ 
ner. Then he exhorted the people prefent, not to fet 
their minds upon the world ; to obey the queen ; to love 
each other; and to be charitable. After which he madd 
a confeffion of his faith, beginning with the Creed, and 
concluding with thefe words: “ And I believe every 
word and fentence taught by our Saviour Jefus Chrift„ 
his apoftles and prophets, in the Old and New Teftament. 
And now (added he) I come to the great thing that fo 
much troubleth my confidence, more than any thing I 
ever did or faid in my whole life ; and that is, the fetting 
abroad a writing contrary to the truth, which I here now 
renounce as things written with my hand, contrary to the 
truth'which I thought in my heart, and written for fear 
of death, and to fave my life if it might be; that is, all 
fuch bills or papers which I have written and figned with 
my hand fince my degradation, wherein I have written 
many things untrue. And forafmuch as my hand offended^ 
4 O “ writing 
