the unjust exactions and tyranny of the court of Rome had been steadily resisted. England was now only asserting the freedom which in earlier and purer times had been hers.

In the year 1532, the famous tax, called Peter's Pence, which you remember from Saxon times had been paid annually, into the Roman treasury, was finally abolished, together with all the various payments which the popes had hitherto claimed from the English Church. The bishops and clergy of England were no longer to look to Rome for their presentations, but were to be elected and ordained in England, as had been the custom before the English Church became the vassal of the Church of Rome. All appeals to Rome in ecclesiastical causes were forbidden, for every cause was to be determined in England, according to ancient usage. Matters were indeed rapidly approaching a climax. The papal power in England was tottering to its fall. Meanwhile, the matter of the King's divorce was still undecided; but the opinion of the English bishops and clergy was at length obtained. It proved favourable to the King, who, on the 14th November, 1532, was privately married to Ann Boleyn. It was mainly through the exertions of Cranmer that this matter of the divorce, which had been pending for six years, was brought to a decisive issue; and Henry, delighted with the zeal he had shown in his cause, determined to reward him by offering for his acceptance the highest post in the kingdom.

Archbishop Warham died in the year 1532. Cranmer was at that time abroad. Henry showed discernment in appreciating Cranmer's merits. Strongly opposed to the pretensions of the Roman Pontiff, and yet of a gentle and conciliatory disposition, Cranmer appeared to Henry the very man to guide the helm of the Church of England at this important juncture. Cranmer received orders to return home at once. Yet still he lingered. He showed himself by no means eager to seize the proffered honour. A man of retiring and somewhat distrustful disposition, he may have shrunk from encountering the struggle he foresaw was dawning upon the Church. So for seven weeks he lingered abroad, distrusting his own strength and hoping that some better and more dauntless captain might be found to guide the Church's helm. Then the thought that the oath of allegiance to the Bishop of Rome was not as yet finally abolished, may have deterred him; for Cranmer, like many other good and moderate men at that time, had begun seriously to doubt the lawfulness of the Pope's claims; and the Roman Church, Cranmer was well aware, had resolutely refused to sanction those changes which he, in common with the rest of his countrymen, now acknowledged to be more than necessary.

In this, however, as in all other matters, Henry was determined to have his will, and so Cranmer was forced to consent. It was a great and sudden elevation, for the new favourite was but a private priest. The sudden promotion of his favourites, and their equally rapid disgrace, were vagaries in which Henry delighted to indulge; yet in this case we see clearly how God in His wisdom overruled the passing whim of a fickle prince to the final good of our Church.

66

Meanwhile, Pope Clement VII. regarded with serious alarm the intended promotion of Cranmer. He knew full well that the darling project of the Primate-elect was the reformation of his Church. That his scheme would be carried out in defiance of the Court of Rome, he could have no doubt, for had not Cranmer already joined with some of the foreign reformers, and had he not also urged Henry to act independently of Rome in the matter of the divorce? Holy and consistent in his daily life, Cranmer already exercised a powerful influence over the mind of his wayward sovereign. Surely, thought Clement, if King, Primate, and the bulk of the English nation join in asserting their freedom, the See of Rome must needs lose one of her most valuable allies. In order to avert so great an evil, Clement was ready to make one last effort to conciliate Henry. As yet, the King and people of England had not publicly proclaimed themselves independent of Rome, although, as we have seen, several anti-papal Acts had been passed; for, we are told, Henry resolved not to begin the breach till he was forced to it by the Pope." He therefore applied to Clement to confirm Cranmer's appointment. The Pope reluctantly consented to send over the necessary bulls for the new Primate's consecration, feeling at the same time that, so to speak, he was signing his own death-warrant. Upon the arrival of these bulls, Cranmer was consecrated by the Bishops of Lincoln, Exeter, and St. Asaph. One difficulty, however, presented itself; Cranmer, in common with his predecessors, must take the customary oath of allegiance to the Pope. The honest mind of the Primate shrank from acknowledging with his lips what he secretly intended to contradict by his acts. So the following protest was inserted in the usual form, and several times repeated by Cranmer during the ceremony: "I do not intend by this oath to restrict myself from full liberty of saying and advising whatever may concern the reformation of religion or the good of the state of England, or of executing such reforms as may seem to be required in the English Church."

Archbishop Cranmer now set himself in earnest, in conjunction with the rest of the prelates and nobles of England, pub

licly to decide the matter of the King's divorce. In ten days, the affair, which had been for six years pending, was finally settled in favour of Henry, who, in June, 1533, caused Ann Boleyn to be publicly crowned Queen. When the news of this bold measure reached the ears of Pope Clement, he was furious. The authority of the Holy Church of Rome had been openly defied, and the Pope utterly set at nought. An unheard-of outrage had been committed on the dignity of the Roman See; yet the Pope was powerless, for the King, the Primate, and the bulk of the English nation were ranged against him in battle array, and it was now too late to recede. One last resource yet remained- -a resource which in former ages had rarely failed. But times were strangely altered, and when the thunders of excommunication hung over the King of England, the bold and determined monarch decided at once to shake off altogether the Papal yoke. The threatened excommunication was an unwise, impolitic measure on the part of the Roman Church, for it severed England for ever from her communion. Although Henry's inordinate ambition and want of principle aided in bringing about this important event, it is very necessary that we should remember the English Church fully sanctioned and approved of the measure. Those who still own the supreme authority of the Roman Church would fain have us believe that the arbitrary and tyrannical will of a bad prince was the sole cause which had led to the separation of our church from the see of Rome. The simple facts of history (of which, unfortunately, too many of us are wholly ignorant) will at once disprove this false statement. Henry gained the sanction and consent of his whole church when he broke away from the allegiance of the Pope of Rome. The following question was solemnly proposed to the bishops and clergy assembled at the provincial synods of Canterbury and York, in the year 1534: "Hath the Bishop of Rome any more authority in England by the laws of God than any other foreign bishop?" The answer was prompt and unanimous, “No.”* When I add that the universities, the different chapters, monks, and friars, throughout the kingdom also declared their assent, enough will have been said to prove that our church willingly and deliberately freed herself from the thraldom of Rome, and boldly asserted her ancient independence.

* Massingberd, p. 281.

CHAPTER LV.

HENRY VIII. continued.-1534 To 1535.

FISHER, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER, AND SIR THOMAS MORE, INCUR THE WRATH OF THE KING BY REFUSING TO TAKE THE OATH OF SUPREMACY-HENRY DETERMINES ON THEIR DESTRUCTION-LAST HOURS OF FISHER-HIS BRAVE AND PIOUS BEHAVIOUR ON THE SCAFFOLD-EXECUTION OF SIR THOMAS MORE-HENRY, SUPPORTED BY ARCHBISHOP CRANMER, MAKES KNOWN THAT HE INTENDS TO REFORM THE CHURCH-DIFFERENCES OF OPINION WITH REGARD TO THIS IMPORTANT QUESTION — THREE PARTIES IN THE CHURCH -MEANING OF THE TERM "PROTESTANT-DIFFICULTY OF RECONCILING THE THREE PARTIES-ARCHBISHOP CRANMER WELL SUITED IN MANY RESPECTS TO GRAPPLE WITH THE DIFFICULTY-HIS CONCILIATING DISPOSITION -HIS CONDUCT DEFENDED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRELATES ENTIRELY APPROVE OF THE SEPARATION OF THEIR CHURCH FROM THE DOMINION OF THE SEE OF ROME-OPINIONS OF BISHOPS GARDINER, BONNER, AND TONSTAL ON THIS SUBJECT-THEIR WORDS A REFUTATION OF THE MODERN DOCTRINE OF ROME WITH REGARD TO THE PAPAL SUPREMACY-CRANMER PROPOSES TO PARLIAMENT THAT HENRY SHOULD BE PREVAILED ON TO SANCTION THE TRANSLATION OF HOLY SCRIPTURE-HE GAINS HIS POINT-ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF AN OPEN BIBLE CONSIDERED--PROPER WAY OF STUDYING HOLY SCRIPTURE-MODIFICATIONS OF THE LAW FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF HERETICS-HENRY'S CRUEL AND TYRANNICAL CONDUCT.

HENRY's prompt and tyrannical conduct paralyzed the minds of his people. The main body of the bishops and clergy had bowed to his sovereign will. They had acknowledged him supreme head over church and state; and they had consented to declare his marriage with Catharine of Arragon null and void. It was at this important juncture that two men boldly defied the wrath of the King, and refused to tender their submission in the precise words required by the haughty tyrant. A narrowminded fanaticism would condemn Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More as bigoted Romanists, because they refused at once to transfer their allegiance from the Pope of Rome to their headstrong monarch. But the lives and deaths of these Christian men prove them to have been noble, truehearted Englishmen, worthy of honour in any age. Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More had long been friends. They had both enjoyed great happiness and prosperity; and when in a moment all faded from their grasp, they cheerfully bowed to the will of God, and were well content to share with one another sorrow and death. Sir Thomas More had long been high in the King's favour; for, as Lord Chancellor, he had served his sovereign with loyalty and zeal. But More was a conscientious man, and when required to renounce all allegiance to the see of Rome, and publicly to declare his belief that Henry's marriage with Catharine was unlawful, he hesi

tated, and at length refused to take the oaths. He was not as yet prepared to go the full length of Henry's demands; so he prudently endeavoured to avert the storm which hung over him by retiring into private life. Such a step cost Sir Thomas More but little effort, for he was a devoted husband and father, and the honours of the world had little charm for him. But King Henry had already tasted the sweets of absolute power; and rather than allow it to slip from his grasp, he determined to sacrifice the lives of Fisher and More, that the nation might be intimidated by the ruin of these good and loyal Englishmen. It will do you no harm to dwell for a few moments on the last hours of the good bishop, for I am sorry to say I have not space to give you any further account of Sir Thomas More. Archbishop Cranmer, who felt real respect for Fisher's character, although he differed from him on some points, did his utmost to induce Henry to be patient with him, but without success. The royal mandate went forth. More

and Fisher were committed to the Tower. Fisher was now old and infirm; a long weary imprisonment was fast hastening his end, when an event occurred which speedily brought him to a more violent but less lingering death. The Pope, delighted with Fisher's constancy to the see of Rome, created him at this juncture cardinal. Nothing could possibly have been more illtimed than such promotion; for although the aged prelate declared that "if the cardinal's hat lay at his feet, he would not stoop to pick it up," Henry's jealousy was roused, and he at once issued the writ for Fisher's execution. Bearing the cruel mandate of death, the Lieutenant of the Tower approached the Bishop's bedside. It was then five o'clock in the morning, and Fisher was buried in profound slumber. The lieutenant awoke him, and informed him that it was his Majesty's pleasure that he should suffer death that very day. "Well," replied Fisher, with Christian calmness, "if this is your errand, ye bring me no great news, for I have looked a long time for this message, and I humbly thank his Majesty that it pleaseth him to rid me of all this worldly business."

After he had reposed quietly for two hours longer, the Bishop rose, and put on his best and cleanest attire; "for," said he, "this is our marriage-day, and it behoveth us to use more cleanliness for the solemnity thereof." The fatal hour at length arrived. The Bishop, clasping a copy of the New Testament to his breast, and devoutly making the sign of the cross on his forehead, left his dreary prison-house for ever. It was no gloomy prospect that the pious prelate saw before him; for, beyond the dark scaffold with its sable hangings, there opened a glorious