beacon lights of history-iii-2-第44章

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decided　for　the　King；　and　a　great　injustice　and　heartless　cruelty

was　done　to　a　worthy　and　loyal　woman；　and　a　great　insult　offered　to

the　Church　and　to　the　Emperor　Charles　of　Germany；　who　was　a　nephew

of　the　Spanish　Princess　and　English　Queen。　　This　scandal　resulted

in　a　separation　from　Rome；　as　was　foreseen　both　by　Cromwell　and

Cranmer；　and　the　latter　became　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　a　prelate

whose　power　and　dignity　were　greater　then　than　at　the　present　day；

exalted　as　the　post　is　even　now；the　highest　in　dignity　and　rank

to　which　a　subject　can　aspire；higher　even　than　the　Lord　High

Chancellorship；　both　of　which　however；　pale　before　the　position　of

a　Prime　Minister　so　far　as　power　is　concerned。



The　separation　from　Rome；　the　suppression　of　the　monasteries；　and

the　curtailment　of　the　powers　of　the　spiritual　courts　were　the　only

reforms　of　note　during　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　unless　we　name

also　the　new　translation　of　the　Bible；　authorized　through　Cranmer's

influence；　and　the　teaching　of　the　creed；　the　commandments；　and　the

Lord's　prayer　in　English。　　The　King　died　in　1547。　　Cranmer　was　now

fifty…seven；　and　was　left　to　prosecute　reforms　in　his　own　way　as

president　of　the　council　of　regency；　Edward　VI。　being　but　nine

years　old；〃a　learned　boy；〃　as　Macaulay　calls　him；　but　still　a　boy

in　the　hands　of　the　great　noblemen　who　composed　the　regency；　and

who　belonged　to　the　progressive　school。



I　do　not　think　the　career　of　Cranmer　during　the　life　of　Henry　is

sufficiently　appreciated。　　He　must　have　shown　at　least

extraordinary　tact　and　wisdom；with　his　reforming　tendencies　and

enlightened　views；not　to　come　in　conflict　with　his　sovereign　as

Becket　did　with　Henry　II。　　He　had　to　deal　with　the　most　capricious

and　jealous　of　tyrants；　cruel　and　unscrupulous　when　crossed；　a　man

who　rarely　retained　a　friendship　or　remembered　a　service；　who　never

forgave　an　injury　or　forgot　an　affront；　a　glutton　and　a　sensualist；

although　prodigal　with　his　gifts；　social　in　his　temper；　enlightened

in　his　government；　and　with　very　respectable　abilities　and　very

considerable　theological　knowledge。　　This　hard　and　exacting　master

Cranmer　had　to　serve；　without　exciting　his　suspicions　or　coming　in

conflict　with　him；　so　that　he　seemed　politic　and　vacillating；　for

which　he　would　not　be　excused　were　it　not　for　his　subsequent

services；　and　his　undoubted　sincerity　and　devotion　to　the

Protestant　cause。　　During　the　life　of　Henry　we　can　scarcely　call

Cranmer　a　reformer。　　The　most　noted　reformer　of　the　day　was　old

Hugh　Latimer；　the　King's　chaplain；　who　declaimed　against　sin　with

the　zeal　and　fire　of　Savonarola；　and　aimed　to　create　a　religious

life　among　the　people；　from　whom　he　sprung　and　whom　he　loved；a

rough；　hearty；　honest；　conscientious　man；　with　deep　convictions　and

lofty　soul。



In　the　reforms　thus　far　carried　on　we　perceive　that；　though

popular；　they　emanated　from　princes　and　not　from　the　people。　　The

people　had　no　hand　in　the　changes　made；　as　at　Geneva；　only　the

ministers　of　kings　and　great　public　functionaries。　　And　in　the

reforms　subsequently　effected；　which　really　constitute　the　English

Reformation；　they　were　made　by　the　council　of　regency；　under　the

leadership　of　Cranmer　and　the　protectorship　of　Somerset。



The　first　thing　which　the　Government　did　after　the　accession　of

Edward　VI。　was　to　remove　images　from　the　churches；　as　a　form　of

idolatry；much　to　the　wrath　of　Gardiner；　Bishop　of　Winchester；　the

ablest　man　of　the　old　conservative　and　papal　party。　　But　Ridley；

afterwards　Bishop　of　Rochester；　preached　against　all　forms　of　papal

superstition　with　so　much　ability　and　zeal　that　the　churches　were

soon　cleared　of　these　〃helps　to　devotion。〃



Cranmer；　now　unchecked；　turned　his　attention　to　other　reforms；　but

proceeded　slowly　and　cautiously；　not　wishing　to　hazard　much　at　the

outset。　　First　communion　of　both　kinds；　heretofore　restricted　to

the　clergy；　was　appointed；　and；　closely　connected　with　it；　Masses

were　put　down。　　Then　a　law　was　passed　by　Parliament　that　the

appointment　of　bishops　should　vest　in　the　Crown　alone；　and　not；　as

formerly；　be　confirmed　by　the　Pope。　　The　next　great　thing　to　which

the　reformers　directed　their　attention　was　the　preparation　of　a　new

liturgy　in　the　public　worship　of　God；　which　gave　rise　to

considerable　discussion。　　They　did　not　seek　to　sweep　away　the　old

form；　for　it　was　prepared　by　the　sainted　doctors　of　the　Church　of

all　ages；　but　they　would　purge　it　of　all　superstitions；　and　retain

what　was　most　beautiful　and　expressive　in　the　old　prayers。　　The　Ten

Commandments；　the　Lord's　Prayer；　and　the　early　creeds　of　course

were　retained；　as　well　as　whatever　was　in　harmony　with　primitive

usages。　　These　changes　called　out　letters　from　Calvin　at　Geneva；

who　was　now　recognized　as　a　great　oracle　among　the　Protestants：　he

encouraged　the　work；　but　advised　a　more　complete　reformation；　and

complained　of　the　coldness　of　the　clergy；　as　well　as　of　the　general

vices　of　the　times。　　Martin　Bucer　of　Strasburg；　at　this　time

professor　at　Cambridge；　also　wrote　letters　to　the　same　effect；　but

the　time　had　not　come　for　more　radical　reforms。　　Then　Parliament；

controlled　by　the　Government；　passed　an　act　allowing　the　clergy　to

marry；opposed；　of　course；　by　many　bishops　in　allegiance　to　Rome。

This　was　a　great　step　in　reform；　and　removed　many　popular　scandals；

it　struck　a　heavy　blow　at　the　conditions　of　the　Middle　Ages；

holding　that　celibacy　sprung　from　no　law　of　God；　but　was　Oriental

in　its　origin；　encouraged　by　the　Church　to　cement　its　power。　　And

this　act　concerning　the　marriage　of　the　clergy　was　soon　followed　by

the　celebrated　Forty…two　Articles；　framed　by　Cranmer　and　Ridley；

which　are　the　bases　of　the　English　Church；a　theological　creed；

slightly　amended　afterwards　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　evangelical

but　not　Calvinistic；　affirming　the　great　ideas　of　Augustine　and

Luther　as　to　grace；　justification　by　faith；　and　original　sin；　and

repudiating　purgatory；　pardons；　the　worship　and　invocation　of

saints　and　images；　a　larger　creed　than　the　Nicene　or　Athanasian；

and　comprehensive；such　as　most　Protestants　might　accept。　　Both

this　and　the　book　of　Common　Prayer　were　written　with　consummate

taste；　were　the　work　of　great　scholars；moderate；　broad；

enlightened；　conciliatory。



The　reformers　then　gave　their　attention　to　an　alteration　of

ecclesiastical　laws　in　reference　to　matters　which　had　always　been

decided　in　ecclesiastical　courts。　　The　commissionersthe　ablest

men　in　England；　thirty…two　in　numberhad　scarcely　completed　their

work　before　the　young　King　died；　and　Mary　ascended　the　throne。



We　cannot　too　highly　praise　the　moderation　with　which　the　reforms

had　been　made；　especially　when　we　remember　the　violence　of　the　age。

There　were　indeed　two　or　three　capital　executions　for　heresy。

Gardiner　and　Bonner；　who　opposed　the　reformation　with　unparalleled

bitterness　were　only　deprived　of　their　sees　and　sent　to　the　Tower。

The　execution　of　Somerset　was　the　work　of　politicians；　of　great

noblemen　jealous　of　his　ascendency。　　It　does　not　belong　to　the

reformation；　nor　do　the　executions　of　a　few　other　noblemen。



Cranmer　himself　was　a　statesman　rather　than　a　preacher。　　He　left

but　few　sermons；　and　these　commonplace；　without　learning；　or　wit；

or　zeal；ordinary　exhortations　to　a　virtuous　life。　　The　chief

thing；　outside　of　the　reforms　I　have　mentioned；　was　the　publication

of　a　few　homilies　for　the　use　of　the　clergy；too　ignorant　to　write

sermons；which　homilies　were　practical　and　orthodox；　but

containing　nothing　to　stir　up　an　ardent　religious　life。　　The　Bible

was　also　given　a　greater　scope；　everybody　could　read　it　if　he

wished。　　Public　prayer　was　restored　to　the　people　in　a　language

which　they　could　understand；　and　a　few　preachers　arose　who　appealed

to　conscience　and　reason；like　Latimer　and　Ridley；　and　Hooper　and

Taylor；　but　most　of　them　were　formal　and　cold。　　There　must　have

been　great　religious　apathy；　or　else　these　reforms　would　have

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