[The Prayer, Exhortation, and Confession of Dr. Cranmer before his death TM.] Foxe, Acts, [On Saturday the 21st of March, 1556,] about nine of the &c. vol. iii. clock, the Lord Williams, Sir Thomas Bridges, Sir John p. 667. Dr. Cran mer Browne, and the other justices, with certain other noblemen, that were sent of the Queen's Council, came to Oxford with a great train of waiting men. Also of the other multitude on every side (as is wont in such a matter) was made a great concourse, and greater expectation. For, first of all, they that were of the Pope's side were in great hope that day to hear something of Cranmer that should stablish the vanity of their opinion: the other part, which were endued with a better mind, could not yet doubt, that he, which by continual study and labour for so many years, had set forth the doctrine of the Gospel, either would or could now in the last act of his life forsake his part. Briefly, as every man's will inclined, either to this part or to that, so, according to the diversity of their desires, every man wished and hoped for. And yet, because in an uncertain thing the certainty could be known of none what would be the end, all their minds were hanging between hope and doubt. So that the greater the expectation was in so doubtful a matter, the more was the multitude that was gathered thither to hear and behold. In this so great frequency and expectation Cranmer at the length cometh from Bocardo prison unto Saint Mary's Dr. Cole's Church, (because it was a foul and rainy day,) the chief brought to sermon. m [This concluding scene of Cranmer's life is taken from Foxe, whose report is the most full. The other authorities which might have been followed, are two manuscripts in the British Museum, (Titus A. xxiv. fol. 87. and Harl. MSS. 422. fol. 50.) But both of them seem to have been used by Foxe, and the latter, which is the most valuable, and which has been printed by Strype, belonged to him. See Strype, Cranm. p. 384.] Church in the University, in this order. The Mayor went before; next him the Aldermen in their place and degree; after them was Cranmer brought between two friars, which, mumbling to and fro certain Psalms in the streets, answered one another until they came to the Church door, and there they began the song of Simeon, Nunc dimittis; and entering into the Church, the Psalm-saying friars brought him to his standing, and there left him. There was a stage set Cranmer over against the pulpit, of a mean height from the ground, where Cranmer had his standing, waiting until Cole made him ready to his sermon. The lamentable case and sight of that man gave a sorrowful spectacle to all Christian eyes that beheld him. He that late was Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of England, and the King's Privy Chancellor, being now in a bare and ragged gown, and ill-favouredly clothed, with an old square cap, exposed to the contempt of all men, did admonish men, not only of his own calamity, but also 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 dignities, in his old years to be deprived of his estate, adjudged to die, and in so painful a death to end his life, and now presently from such fresh ornaments to descend to such vile and ragged apparel. set up upon a stage. In this habit, when he had stood a good space upon the stage, turning to a pillar near adjoining thereunto, he lifted up his hands to heaven, and prayed unto God once or twice, till at the length Doctor Cole coming into the pulpit, and beginning his sermon, entered first into mention of Tobias and Zachary. Whom after he had praised, in the beginning of his sermon, for their perseverance in the true worshipping of God, he then divided his whole sermon Dr. Cole's into three parts, according to the solemn custom of the sermon dischools; intending to speak, first, of the mercy of God; three parts. secondly, of his justice to be showed; and, last of all, how the prince's secrets are not to be opened. And proceeding a little from the beginning, he took occasion by and by to vided into The sum and effect of Oxford. turn his tale to Cranmer, and with many hot words reproved him, that, once he being endued with the savour and feeling of wholesome and catholic doctrine, fell into the contrary opinion of pernicious error; which he had not only defended by writings, and all his power, but also allured other men to do the like, with great liberality of gifts; as it were, appointing rewards for error; and after he had allured them, by all means did cherish them. It were too long to repeat all things, that in long order were pronounced. The sum of his tripartite declamation Dr. Cole's was, that he said God's mercy was so tempered with his sermon at justice, that he did not altogether require punishment according to the merits of offenders, nor yet sometimes suffered the same altogether to go unpunished, yea, though they had repented. As in David, who when he was bidden choose of three kinds of punishments which he would, and he had chosen pestilence for three days, the Lord forgave him half the time, but did not release all: and that the same thing came to pass in him also, to whom, although pardon and reconciliation was due, according to the Canons, seeing he repented him of his errors, yet there were causes, why the Queen and the Council at this time judged him to death a of which, lest he should marvel too much, he should hear some. First, that, being a traitor, he had dissolved the lawful matrimony between the King her father, and mother; besides the driving out the Pope's authority, while he was Metropolitan. Secondly, that he had been an hereticb, from whom, as from an author and only fountain, all heretical doctrine and schismatical opinions, that so many years have prevailed in England, did first rise and spring; of which he had not been a secret favourer only, but also a most earnest defender, even to the end of his life, sowing them abroad by If Cole gave this judgment upon Cranmer, when he had repented, what judgment is then to be given of Cole, which always perdured in error, and never yet repented? b If all heretics in England should be burned, where should Dr. Cole have been ere now? writings and arguments, privately and openly, not without great ruin and decay of the catholic Church. And further, it seemed meet, according to the law of equality, that as the death of the Duke of Northumberland of late made even with Thomas More, Chancellor, that died for the Church, so there should be one that should make even with Fisher of Rochester; and because that Ridley, Lex nou æqualitatis Hooper, Ferrar, were not able to make even with that man, sed iniquiit seemed that Cranmer should be joined to them, to fill up tatis. their part of equality. Besides these, there were other just and weighty causes, which seemed to the Queen and Council, which was not meet at that time to be opened to the common people. this earth After this, turning his tale to the hearers, he bade all men beware, by this man's example, that among men nothing is so high, that can promise itself safety on the No state in earth, and that God's vengeance is equally stretched against so high nor all men, and spareth none; therefore they should beware so sure, but it may fall. and learn to fear their prince. And seeing the Queen's Majesty would not spare so notable a man as this, much less in the like cause she would spare other men; that no man should think to make thereby any defence of his error, either in riches or any kind of authority, they had now an example to teach them all; by whose calamity every man might consider his own fortune; who from the top of dignity, none being more honourable than he in the whole realm, and next the King, was fallen into so great misery, as they might now see, being a man of so high degree, sometime one of the chiefest prelates in the Church, and an Archbishop, the chief of the Council, the second person in the realm of long time, a man thought in greatest assurance, having a king on his side, notwithstanding all his authority and defence, to be debased from high estate to a low degree, of a counsellor to become a caitiff, and to be set in so wretched a state, that the poorest wretch would not change condition with him; briefly, so heaped with misery on all sides, that neither was left in him any hope of better fortune, nor place for worse. Dr. Cole eth the to take his death patiently. 1 Cor. x. The latter part of his sermon he converted to the Archencourag bishop, whom he comforted and encouraged to take his Archbishop death well, by many places of Scripture; as with these and such like: bidding him not to mistrust but he should incontinently receive that the thief did, to whom Christ said, Hodie mecum eris in paradiso; that is, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise: and out of St. Paul he armed him against the terror of the fire, by this, Dominus fidelis est, non sinet vos tentari ultra quam ferre potestis; that is, The Lord is faithful, which will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength; by the example of the three children, to whom God made the flame to seem like a pleasant dew; adding also the rejoicing of St. Andrew in his cross, the patience of St. Laurence on the fire; assuring him, that God, if he called on him, and to such as die in his faith, either would abate the fury of the flame, or give him strength to abide it. Dr. Cole rejoiceth in bishop's He glorified God much in his conversion, because it apthe Arch-peared to be only his work, declaring what travail and conference had been with him to convert him, and all prevailed but that 'not, till that it pleased God of his mercy to reclaim him, rejoicing and call him home. In discoursing of which place, he much conversion; lasted not long. commended Cranmer, and qualified his former doings, thus tempering his judgment and talk of him; that all the time, said he, he flowed in riches and honour, he was unworthy of his life; and now that he might not live, he was unworthy of death. But lest he should carry with him no comfort, he would diligently labour, he said; and also he did promise, in the name of all the priests that were present, Dirges and that immediately after his death there should be dirges, mised for masses, and funerals executed for him in all the churches Cranmer's of Oxford, for the succour of his soul. masses pro soul. Cranmer in all this mean time, with what great grief of mind he stood hearing this sermon, the outward shows of his body and countenance did better express than any man can declare; 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 the very image |