beacon lights of history-iii-2-第45章

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been　great　religious　apathy；　or　else　these　reforms　would　have

excited　more　opposition　on　the　part　of　the　clergy；　who　generally

acquiesced　in　the　changes。　　But　the　Reformation　thus　far　was

official；　it　was　not　popular。　　It　repressed　vice　and　superstition；

but　kindled　no　great　enthusiasm。　　It　was　necessary　for　the　English

reformers　and　sincere　Protestants　to　go　through　a　great　trial；　to

be　persecuted；　to　submit　to　martyrdom　for　the　sake　of　their

opinions。　　The　school　of　heroes　and　saints　has　ever　been　among

blazing　fires　and　scaffolds。　　It　was　martyrdom　which　first　gave

form　and　power　to　early　Christianity。　　The　first　chapter　in　the

history　of　the　early　Church　is　the　torments　of　the　martyrs。　　The

English　Reformation　had　no　great　dignity　or　life　until　the　funeral

pyres　were　lighted。　　Men　had　placidly　accepted　new　opinions；　and

had　Bibles　to　instruct　them；　but　it　was　to　be　seen　how　far　they

would　make　sacrifices　to　maintain　them。



This　test　was　afforded　by　the　accession　of　Mary；　daughter　of

Catharine　the　Spaniard；an　affectionate　and　kind…hearted　woman

enough　in　ordinary　times；　but　a　fiend　of　bigotry；　like　Catherine

de'　Medicis；　when　called　upon　to　suppress　the　Reformation；　although

on　her　accession　she　declared　that　she　would　force　no　man's

conscience。　　But　the　first　thing　she　does　is　to　restore　the　popish

bishops；for　so　they　were　called　then　by　historians；　and　the　next

thing　she　does　is　to　restore　the　Mass；　and　the　third　to　shut　up

Cranmer　and　Latimer　in　the　Tower；　attaint　and　execute　them；　with

sundry　others　like　Ridley　and　Hooper；　as　well　as　those　great　nobles

who　favored　the　claims　of　the　Lady　Jane　Grey　and　the　religious

reforms　of　Edward　VI。　　She　reconciles　herself　with　Rome；　and

accepts　its　legate　at　her　court；　she　receives　Spanish　spies　and

Jesuit　confessors；　she　marries　the　son　of　Charles　V。；　afterwards

Philip　II。；　she　executes　the　Lady　Jane　Grey；　she　keeps　the

strictest　watch　on　the　Princess　Elizabeth；　who　learns　in　her

retirement　the　art　of　dissimulation　and　lying；　she　forms　an

alliance　with　Spain；　she　makes　Cardinal　Pole　Archbishop　of

Canterbury；　she　gives　almost　unlimited　power　to　Gardiner　and

Bonner；　who　begin　a　series　of　diabolical　persecutions；　burning　such

people　as　John　Rogers；　Sanders；　Doctor　Taylor　of　Hadley；　William

Hunter；　and　Stephen　Harwood；　ferreting　out　all　suspected　of　heresy；

and　confining　them　in　the　foulest　jails；burning　even　little

children。　　Mary　even　takes　measures　to　introduce　the　Inquisition

and　restore　the　monasteries。　　Everywhere　are　scaffolds　and

burnings。　　In　three　years　nearly　three　hundred　people　were　burned

alive；　often　with　green　wood；a　small　number　compared　with　those

who　were　executed　and　assassinated　in　France；　about　this　time；　by

Catherine　de'　Medicis；　the　Guises；　and　Charles　IX。



In　those　dreadful　persecutions　which　began　with　the　accession　of

Mary；　it　was　impossible　that　Cranmer　should　escape。　　In　spite　of

his　dignity；　rank；　age；　and　services；　he　could　hope　for　no　favor　or

indulgence　from　that　morose　woman　in　whose　sapless　bosom　no

compassion　for　the　Protestants　ever　found　admission；　and　still　less

from　those　cruel；　mercenary；　bigoted　prelates　whom　she　selected　for

her　ministers。　　It　was　not　customary　in　that　age　for　the　Churchmen

to　spare　heretics；　whether　high　or　low。　　Would　it　forgive　him　who

had　overturned　the　consecrated　altars；　displaced　the　ritual　of　a

thousand　years；　and　revolted　from　the　authority　of　the　supreme　head

of　the　Christian　world？　　Would　Mary　suffer　him　to　pass　unpunished

who　had　displaced　her　mother　from　the　nuptial　bed；　and　pronounced

her　own　birth　to　be　stained　with　an　ignominious　blot；　and　who　had

exalted　a　rival　to　the　throne？　　And　Gardiner　and　Bonner；　too；　those

bigoted　prelates　and　ministers　who　would　have　sent　to　the　flames　an

unoffending　woman　if　she　denied　the　authority　of　the　Pope；　were　not

the　men　to　suffer　him　to　escape　who　had　not　only　overturned　the

papal　power　in　England；　but　had　deprived　them　of　their　sees　and

sent　them　to　the　Tower。　　No　matter　how　decent　the　forms　of　law　or

respectful　the　agents　of　the　crown；　Cranmer　had　not　the　shadow　of　a

hope；　and　hence　he　was　certainly　weak　to　say　the　least；　to　trust　to

any　deceitful　promises　made　to　him。　　What　his　enemies　were　bent

upon　was　his　recantation；　as　preliminary　to　his　execution；　and　he

should　have　been　firm；　both　for　his　cause；　and　because　his

martyrdom　was　sure。　　In　an　evil　hour　he　listened　to　the　voice　of

the　seducer。　　Both　life　and　dignities　were　promised　if　he　would

recant。　　〃Confounded；　heart…broken；　old；〃　the　love　of　life　and　the

fear　of　death　were　stronger　for　a　time　than　the　power　of　conscience

or　dignity　of　character。　　Six　several　times　was　he　induced　to

recant　the　doctrines　he　had　preached；　and　profess　an　allegiance

which　could　only　be　a　solemn　mockery。



True；　Cranmer　came　to　himself；　he　perceived　that　he　was　mocked；　and

felt　both　grief　and　shame　in　view　of　his　apostasy。　　His　last　hours

were　glorious。　　Never　did　a　good　man　more　splendidly　redeem　his

memory　from　shame。　　Being　permitted　to　address　the　people　before

his　execution；with　the　hope　on　the　part　of　his　tormentors　that　he

would　publicly　confirm　his　recantation；he　first　supplicated　the

mercy　and　forgiveness　of　Almighty　God；　and　concluded　his　speech

with　these　memorable　words：　〃And　now　I　come　to　the　great　thing　that

troubleth　my　conscience　more　than　anything　I　ever　did　or　said；　even

the　setting　forth　of　writings　contrary　to　the　truth；　which　I　now

renounce　and　refuse；those　things　written　with　my　own　hand

contrary　to　the　truth　I　thought　in　my　heart；　and　writ　for　fear　of

death　and　to　save　my　life。　　And　forasmuch　as　my　hand　offended　in

writing　contrary　to　my　heart；　therefore　my　hand　shall　first　be

punished；　for　if　I　come　to　the　fire；　it　shall　first　be　burned。　　As

for　the　Pope；　I　denounce　him　as　Christ's　enemy　and　Antichrist；　with

all　his　false　doctrines。〃　　Then　he　was　carried　away；　and　a　great

multitude　ran　after　him；　exhorting　him；　while　time　was；　to　remember

himself。　　〃Coming　to　the　stake；〃　says　the　Catholic　eye…witness；

〃with　a　cheerful　countenance　and　willing　mind；　he　took　off　his

garments　in　haste　and　stood　upright　in　his　shirt。　　Fire　being

applied；　he　stretched　forth　his　right　hand　and　thrust　it　into　the

flame；　before　the　fire　came　to　any　other　part　of　his　body；　when　his

hand　was　to　be　seen　sensibly　burning；　he　cried　with　a　loud　voice；

'This　hand　hath　offended。〃'



Thus　died　Cranmer；　in　the　sixty…seventh　year　of　his　age；　after

presiding　over　the　Church　of　England　above　twenty　years；　and　having

bequeathed　a　legacy　to　his　countrymen　of　which　they　continue　to　be

proud。　　He　had　not　the　intrepidity　of　Latimer；　he　was　supple　to

Henry　VIII。；　he　was　weak　in　his　recantation；　he　was　not　an　original

genius；but　he　was　a　man　of　great　breadth　of　views；　conciliating

wise；　temperate　in　reform；　and　discharged　his　great　trust　with

conscientious　adherence　to　the　truth　as　he　understood　it；　the

friend　of　Calvin；　and　revered　by　the　Protestant　world。



Queen　Mary　reigned；　fortunately；　but　five　years；　and　the

persecutions　she　encouraged　and　indorsed　proved　the　seed　of　a

higher　morality　and　a　loftier　religious　life。





　　　　〃For　thus　spake　aged　Latimer：

　　　　　I　tarry　by　the　stake；

　　　　　Not　trusting　in　my　own　weak　heart；

　　　　　But　for　the　Saviour's　sake。

　　　　　Why　speak　of　life　or　death　to　me；

　　　　　Whose　days　are　but　a　span？

　　　　　Our　crown　is　yonder；Ridley；　see！

　　　　　Be　strong　and　play　the　man！

　　　　　God　helping；　such　a　torch　this　day

　　　　　We'll　light　on　English　land；

　　　　　That　Rome；　with　all　her　cardinals；

　　　　　Shall　never　quench　the　brand！〃





The　triumphs　of　Gardiner　and　Bonner　too　were　short。　　Mary　died　with

a　bruised　heart　and　a　crushed　ambition。　　On　her　death；　and　the

accession　of　her　sister　Elizabeth；　exiles　returned　from　Geneva　and

Frankfort　to　advocate　more　radical　changes　in　government　and

doctrine。　　Popular　enthusiasm　was　kindled；　never　afterwards　to　be

re