The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 34 – Biography 35
THOMAS CRANMER
The Life and Death of Thomas Cranmer.
THomas Cranmer was extracted from an ancient family in Lincolnshire, as that derived it selfe from one of more antiquity, (still retaining the said name and Armes) in …rmandy. Of his infancy and childhood, we can give no other account, then what is common to others of the same age as not capable of any extraordinary Actions, but silently shaddowed under the …nnocency and simplicity thereof.
Afterwards he was admitted into Iesus Colledge in Cambridge where he proceeded Master of Arts, with generall applause for his learning and manners. Here he happened to marry the Inkeepers wives kinswoman at the sign of the Dolphin: An act beheld by some as destructive to his future preferment, and deepely condemned by those who preferred height before holinesse, and a rich and plentifull before a chaste and comfortable life.
Malicious tongues on this foundation built many foule and false Scandals against him, some slandering him for to be an Ostler (because of his often repairing to that Inne) which causelesse report (confuting it selfe with its own improbability) his weeknesse and Patience overcame, by contemning it. Thus worthy Saint Helen Mother to Constantine the great was scoffed at to have been a Stable-groomes Daughter, for her Zeale in searching the monuments of Christs nativity in Bethleham; of whom Saint Ambrosse, Bona Statularia quaedici maluit Stercoraria ut Christum lucrifaceret.
But Gods Providence who orders all things to the best some yeere after tooke Cranmers wife away, which losse… proved a great gaine unto him. For resuming his Studie… (thereby to allay his sorrow and solitarinesse) he became so eminent that the Society of Iesus Colledge chose him again into his Fellowship. Indeed it was against the Fundamentall Law of the Vniversitie, which provides Nolimus socios nostros esse mari…os vel maritatos: yet seeing a Widdower is the second part of a Bachelor, and Cranmers extraordinary learning a dispensation for himselfe, by peculiar favour he wa… reelected into that House.
How excellently he behaved himselfe therein, one Instance for many; At that time many unworthy Schollars scambled up into the highest degrees, whose scarlet Gowns might seeme to blush the wearers Ignorance. To prevent the dangerous consequences thereof, and to render Degrees more considerable for the future, Cranmer by generall consent was chosen Publicke Examiner of the sufficiency of such candidates for Degrees. Herein he carried himselfe with such remarke…ble moderation, neither over remisse to incourage any unworthinesse to presume, nor too riged to dishearten the endeavours of the ingenious, that it is questionable whether his Carriage brought more profit to private Persons, or credit to the University. Some whose Graces for the present were stopt by him returned afterwards to thanke him, because (prefering rather to displease then hurt them) the gentle Checke he gave them occasioned their greater diligence in the race of learning.
Here Cranmer lived till the infection of the Plague forced the students to leave their Colledges and he no entertaine the time with more safety and privacy became a teacher to some Gentlemans sonnes in the Country where we leave him for a time, requesting the Reader to accompany u… to some matters of higher Concernement. About this time the Divorse betwixt King Henry & Katherine his wife was agitated in the Court of Rome; Queen Katherines age was above her Husbands, her Gravity above her age, more pious at her Beades then pleasant in her Bed, a better woman then a wife, and a fitter wife for any Prince then King Henry. No wonder then if he were impatient to be delayed in his Divorce by the Dilatory tricks of the Romish Court (intending first to divorce all the Gold from England) kept the Cause some yeers in suspention; so torturing King Hen…y on the racke, betwixt hope and feare; not to have his d…sire effected.
It hapned that a Courtier came into Cranmers Company, who familiarly conversing together amongst other discourse light on this matter of Divorse. Cranmer informes the Gentleman that the readiest way for the King to attaine his desire was no longer to trace the Labirinths of the Popes proceedings (where Clyents loose themselves in the endlesse Multiplication of affected intricacies) but directly to be take himselfe to the Word of God, according to which the Kings marriage unlawfull at the first might lawfully be anulled. This being brought to the Kings Eare (where welcom news would quickly arrive) Cranmer is sent for, & afterwards imployed to the most principal Universities in Europe there publickly to maintain the truth of his aforesaid Assertions; and after his returne was rewarded for his undertaking (no lesse learned then Laborious) with the Archbishopricke of Canterbury.
Here I have no leisure to listen to, much lesse faith to beleeve those false Aspersions, which Doctor Sanders cast…th on this reverend Prelate, bottoming the beginning of his Court Advancement on the Basest Employments performed by him. Sufficeth it is to know that as the Herneshaw when unable by maine strength to grapple with the Hawke doth Slice upon her, bespattering the Hawkes wings with dung or ordure; so to conquer with her taile which she cannot doe with her bill and beake. So Papists finding themselves unable to encounter the Pro…estants by force of Argument out of the Scripture, cast the dung of foule langvage and filthy railing upon them, wherein Sanders, exceedeth all of his Soci…ty. Yea God may seeme to have vindicated the innocence of the one and punished the slanderous mouth of the other, in that the foresaid Sanders was afterwards famished in Ireland, that mouth being starved for want of food, it surfetted with superfluity of Falsehood.
Cranmer now Archbishop, so became the Place with his Piety and Gravity that he indeared himselfe to all conditions of People. This was the greatest fault he was guilty of, That his nature was bad in being too good; he was of too easie and flexible a disposition, which made him cowardly to comply with the Church of Rome. For although he never did any harme to the Protestants, yet he did not unto them so m…ch good as he might and ought.
Some may conceive this passage might well be omitted, but the truth of our love to this good mans memory, must not make us to forget our love to Truth: besides this recording of such slips, doth read to us in him a Lecture of our owne Infirmities, if Gods grace be not more Active in our Hearts. Oh there is more required to make us Valiant, then barely to be able to call another Coward.
During the Reigne of Henry the eight and Edward the sixth, our Cranmer flourished in favour. But no sooner came Queen Mary to the Crowne, but he was scorched with the heat of her Anger; As an earnest that his whole Body should afterwards be burnt by her cruelty. Indeed he well deserved of Queen Mary in this particular, because he with Justice Hales would never consent to the dissinheriting of Queen Mary, and refused to subscribe the Will (shall I say of Edward the sixt or the Duke of Northumberland) translating the Crowne on the Lady Iane: But all this would not advance him into the Queenes favour, no nor recon…ile to h…r good Will, shee being still troubled with the fit of the mother, and meditating revenge against him, because Cranmer had been the principall promoter of Queen Ka…herines Divorse: Or, which is more probable, (being the Queen of her selfe was not cruelly minded) some under her, which did bite where she did not barke (Gardiner the Spanniell, Bonner the Bloudhound) projected his destruction.
For being pardoned of Treason (of which he stood guilty with the rest of the Privie Council) he was ch…rged with Heresie and sent to Oxford, there to dispute upon certaine Controversies, being nothing else but a plausible contrivance of his Death, which was concluded on before any Sylogisme in that Disputation was propounded. However his Adversaries improved themselves so much on his facile nature and love of life, that their large promis…s prevailed on him so far, as to make him subscribe to Popery, though presently after he recanted his recantation, and was burned to ashes for the profession of the Truth; first thrusting his owne right Hand (faulty for his former subscription) into the fire, so that his Hand died a Malefactor, and the rest of his body a Martyr. All which passages are so largely reported by M…ster Fox, who in his Hi…tory hath so carefully gathered in the Harvest, th…t his diligence hath left no gleanings for Posterity to picke, having omitted nothing in his life remarkeable for such as succeed him to observe. He writ many things which are here to his eternall praise truely registred.
1. A catechisme of christian Doctrine. 2. Ordinations of churhes reformed. 3. Of ordaining Priests. 4. Of the Eucharist with Luther. 5. Of defence of catholicke doctrine. 6. To the professors of the Truth. 7 Ecclesiasticall Laws in Edward the sixt his reign. 8. Against Gardners Sermon. 9. Doctrine of the Lords Supper. 10. Twelv Books of common places, out of the Doctors of the church. 11. Christian Homilies. 12. To Richard Smiths calumnies. 13. Confu…a…ions of unwritten truths. 14. Of not marrying ones sister, two Books. 15. Against the Popes primacy, two books. 16. Against Popish purgatory, two books. 17. Of Iustification, two books. 18. Epistles to learned men.
Out of Prison he writ these.
1. Against the sacrifice of the Masse. 2. Against adoring the Host. 3. To Queen Mary with others. 4. Emendations of the Translation of the English Bible, and added Prefaces to it.
'Twas not inticing Honour could remove
The constant heart of Cranmer from the love
Of sound Divinity, he alwayes stood
Firme to God's Caus…, and dy'd it with his blood:
A true Seraphicke and Tyrannicke fire
Prov'd (as it were) ambitious to aspire;
And both prevail'd, being willing to controule;
Th'one burnt his Body, th'other cur'd his Soule.
Image adoring Papists, boast your fils;
Ye sent a Soule to Heav'n against your wils.
What can ye say, but this, your rage was spent;
Ye did him good, though with an ill intent?
Pricke up your eares, and h…are this fatall tone,
Those fires which made him screek, wil make you gro…
The Life and Death of Conrade Pellican, who dyed Anno Christi 1556.
COnrade Pellican was born at Rubeac in Swedeland, Anno 1478. and brought up in learning by his Parents: at thirteen yeeres of age he went to Heidleberg, after sixteen moneths study there, he returned home, where he entered into a Monastery: yet afterwards returned to Heidleberg, and from thence to Tubinge, where he studied the Liberall Arts, and was much admired for his quick wit: he studied also School-Divinity, and Cosmography, wherein he profited exceedingly; he tooke very great pains in the study of Hebrew: and at Basil was made Doctor in Divinity, afterwards the Popes Legat took him with him towards Rome, being affected with his learning, but falling sick of a Fever by the way, he returned to Basil. Whilst he thus continued a Fryar, he was of great esteeme amongst them, because of his learning & integrity: but it pleased God at last, that by reading Luthers bookes, and conference with learned and godly men, he began to dis-relish the Popish Errors, and so far to declare his dislike of them, that he was much hated, and persecuted for a Lutheran: but about the same time the Senate of Basil chose him Lecturer in Divinity in that City toge…her with Oecolampadius: where he began first with reading upon Genesis, then on Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. An. Christi 1526. he was by the meanes of Zuinglius, sent for to Tygure, and being come, was most courteously entertained by him: there he laid downe his Monks Coul, and married a wife, by whom he had a son, which he named Samuel, being then preaching upon the history of Samuel: that wife dying, he married againe, but had no children by his second wife: he was present at the Disputation at Bern about Religion: after Zuinglius his death, there were chosen into his room, Henry Bullinger, and Theodor Bibliander, who was an excellent Linguist, and began to read upon I…aie, to the great astonishment of his hearers, for that he was not above 23. yeers of age. Pellican … at the earnest request o… learned men, Printed all his Lectures, and Annotations, which were upon the whole Bible, excepting onelyonly the Revelations; which portion of Scripture he not intending to write upon, caused the Commeta…y of Sebastian Meyter upon it, to be bound with his, to make the worke compleat: He translated many bookes out of Hebrew, which were printed by Robert Stevens: and having been Hebrew Professor at Tygure for the space of thirty yeers, wherein he was most acceptable to all, not on…ly in regard of his excellent learning, and indefatigable pain…, but also in regard of his sweet, and holy Conversation. At las… falling into the pain of the stone & other diseases, he departed this life upon the day of Christs Resurrection 1556. of his Age 78.
After our Pellican had wandred long
In the worlds wide-wildernesse, he grew so strong
In grace and goodnesse, that he soon became
An ample Subject for the mouth of Fame;
He was admir'd by all that lov'd to be
Serious proficients in Divinity;
He lives, he lives, although his body lyes
Inshrin'd by earth; True virtue never dyes.