An exhortation to the patient suffering of afflictions To a Friend, by whom he had been comforted in his trouble 485 To the Professors of God's Word in the Town of 486 488 491 506 Langton To certain of his Friends at Manchester Letters of other Men. 512 519 A Letter of Master John Rough the Tower. A Letter of N. Shetterden A Letter of Cuthbert Simpson. A Letter of Cuthbert Simpson, of his cruel handling in A Letter of William Coker. A Letter of the Lady Jane Grey A Letter of Stephen Cotton to his brother J. Cotton A Letter of the Prisoners of Canterbury Castle 526 527 A Letter of Thomas Leaver to Master John Bradford. 530 NOTICE TO THE READER. In the following pages the ancient spelling of Scripture names is frequently retained; thus: -- Letters of the Martyrs. CERTAIN GODLY AND FRUITFUL LETTERS OF DOCTOR CRANMER, Late Archbishop of Canterbury; who first being imprisoned in the Tower of London, and afterward in Oxford, was there cruelly burnt for the true testimony of Christ's Gospel, in the Year of our Lord, 1556, the 16th day of February. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Queen Mary. to be re his offence senting Edward's so he was, was ac heresy, which he best liked then he knew his cause was Christ's. Most lamentably mourning and moaning himself unto your He desired highness, Thomas Cranmer, although unworthy either to write leased of or speak unto your highness, yet having no person that I know, to for conbe mediator for me, and knowing your pitiful ears ready to hear unto King all pitiful complaints, and seeing so many before to have felt your will, and abundant clemency in like case, am now constrained most lament- but after ably, and with most penitent and sorrowful heart, to ask mercy used of and pardon for my heinous folly and offence, in consenting and following the testament and last will of our late Sovereign Lord, King for Edward the Sixth, your Grace's brother; which will, God knoweth, God he knoweth, I never liked; nor never any thing grieved me so much that your grace's brother did; and if by any means it had been in me to have a-letted' the making of that will, I would have, hindered done it; and what I said therein, as well to his counsel as to himself, divers of your majesty's counsel can report, but none so well as the Marquis of Northampton, and the Lord Darcy, then lord chamberlain to the king's majesty, which two were present at the communication between the king's majesty and me. I desired to talk with the king's majesty alone, but I could not be suffered, and so I failed of my purpose: for if I might have communed with the king alone, and at good leisure, my trust was, that I should have prevented him from that purpose; but, they being present, my labour was in vain. Then when I could not dissuade him from the said will, and both he and his privy-council also informed me that the judges and his learned counsel said, that the act of entailing the crown, made by his father, could not be prejudicial to him, but that he, being in possession of the crown, might make his will thereof; this seemed very strange unto me: but, being the sentence of the judges, and other his learned counsel in the laws of this realm, (as both he and his B : counsel informed me,) methought it became not me, being unlearned in the law, to stand against my prince therein. And so at length I was required by the king's majesty himself, to set to my hand to his will, saying that he trusted that I alone would not be more repugnant to his will, than the rest of the counsel were (which words surely grieved my heart very sore): and so I granted him to subscribe his will, and to follow the same; which when I had set my hand unto, I did it unfeignedly, and without dissimulation. For the which, I submit myself most humbly unto your majesty, acknowledging mine offence with most grievous and sorrowful heart, and beseeching your mercy and pardon; assureth which my heart giveth' me shall not be denied unto me, being 2 laboured granted before to so many, which travailed not so much to dissuade both the king and his counsel as I did. And whereas it is contained in two acts of parliament, (as I understand,) that I, with the Duke of Northumberland, should devise and compass the deprivation of your majesty from your royal crown, surely it is untrue for the duke never opened his mouth to me, to move me to any such matter, nor I him; nor his heart was not such towards me, seeking long time my destruction, that he would either trust me in such a matter, or think that I would be persuaded by him. It was other of the counsel that moved me, and the king himself, the Duke of Northumberland not being present. Neither before, nor after, had I ever any privy communication with the duke of that matter; saving that, openly at the counsel table, the duke said unto me, that it became not me to say to the king as I did, when I went about to dissuade him from the said will. Now, as concerning the estate of religion, as it is used in this realm of England at this present, if it please your highness to allow me, I would gladly write my mind unto your majesty. I will never, God willing, be author of sedition, to move subjects from the obedience of their heads and rulers, which is an offence most detestable. If I have uttered my mind to your majesty, being a Christian queen and governor of this realm, (of whom I am most assuredly persuaded, that your gracious intent is, above all other things, to prefer God's true word, his honour and glory,) if I have uttered, I say, my mind unto your majesty, then I shall think myself discharged; for it lieth not in me, but in your grace only, to see the reformation of things that be amiss. To private subjects it appertaineth not to reform things, but quietly to suffer that they cannot amend; yet, nevertheless, to shew your majesty my mind, in things appertaining unto God, methink it my duty, knowing that I do, and considering the place which in times past I have occupied. Yet will I not presume thereunto, without your grace's pleasure first known, and your permission obtained; whereof I, most humbly prostrate to the ground, do beseech your majesty: and I shall not cease daily to pray to Almighty God, |