The causes for his resolving upon it, besides those already
mentioned, were, because he remembered Luther once did
so in such a case; and that he might not seem rashly to
cast away his own life; and because he was bound by his
oath never to receive the Pope's authority in this realm;
and because the commissioners had broken their promise
with him, as above was said; and because he thought the
bishop of Rome was not an indifferent judge in this cause,
which was his own cause; for all the archbishop's troubles
came upon him for departing from him. He, therefore,
wrote privately to a trusty friend, and learned in the law,
then in the university, to instruct him in the order and form
of an appeal; and whether he should first appeal from the
judge-delegate to the Pope, or else from that judge imme-
diately to a general council. And so earnestly entreated
him to lay aside all other studies, and to take this in hand
presently, because he was summoned to make his answer at
Rome, the sixteenth day of this month, that is of February.
There was one reason more moved him to appeal, which
must not be omitted, namely, that he might gain time to
finish his answer to Marcus Antonius. "He feared, after
all, they would not admit his appeal. But he did not much
pass, and desired God's will might be done: so that God
might be glorified by his life or death. He thought it
much better to die in Christ's quarrel, than to be shut in
the prison of the body, unless it were for the advancement
of God's glory, and the profit of his brethren."
letter of the archbishop, being writ with so much strength
and presence of mind, and shewing so much prudence and
wit, is happily preserved in Fox's Monuments, where it
may be read.1

This

This appeal, when the archbishop had produced and preferred to the bishop of Ely, he told him, "That they could not admit of it, because their commission was to proceed against him, omni appellatione remota." Cranmer replied, "That this cause was not every private man's cause, but that it was between the Pope and him immediately, and none otherwise, and that no man ought to be judge in his own cause. And, therefore, they did him the more wrong."

1

[Acts and Monuments, vol. viii. pp. 98-100.]

So at last Thirlby received it of him, and said, if it might be admitted, it should.

And so, after this interruption, they proceeded to degrade him, taking off the rest of his habits. And then put him on a poor yeoman-beadle's gown, threadbare, and a townsman's cap. And Bonner told him, "He was no lord any more:" and so was sent to prison.

CHAPTER XX.

Cranmer writes to the Queen.

AND now, having undergone these brunts with all this gravity, discretion, learning, and courage, he next resolved to give the queen a true and impartial account of these transactions, to prevent misreports, and to justify himself in what he had said and done. Two letters, therefore, he wrote to her, but thought not fit to intrust them with the commissioners, since Weston had served him such a trick in the like case before. In these letters he related the reason of his refusing the bishop of Gloucester for his judge, and of his appeal. For as he thought it his duty, at that juncture, to declare himself in that public manner against the bishop of Rome, so he reckoned he ought to declare himself also to the supreme magistrate. And, therefore, before the bishop of Gloucester and the commissioners, he said, “That as he had thus discharged his own conscience towards the world, so he would also write his mind to her grace touching this matter.”

He wrote to her, "That the twelfth day of that month he was cited to appear at Rome the eightieth day after. And that it could not but grieve the heart of a natural subject to be accused by the king and queen of his own country, and before any outward judge; as if the king and queen were subjects within their own realm, and were fain to complain and require justice at a stranger's hand against their

[For which letters, see Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. viii. pp. 91-97; and Parker's Society's edition of Abp. Cranmer's Works, vol. ii. pp. 447-454.]

own subject, being already condemned to death by their own laws. As though the king and queen could not have or do justice within their own realm, against their own subjects, but they must seek it at a stranger's hand, [in a strange land."

Then he proceeded to shew her, why he refused the Pope's authority, when Brooks, bishop of Gloucester, came to try him, namely: "because he was sworn never to consent that the bishop of Rome should have or exercise any authority or jurisdiction in the realm of England. Another reason why he denied his authority, was, because his authority repugned to the crown imperial of this realm, and to the laws of the same. For the Pope saith, all manner of power, both temporal and spiritual, is given unto him of God, and that temporal power is given to kings and emperors to use it under him. Whereas, contrary to this claim, said the archbishop, the imperial crown of this realm is taken immediately from God, to be used under him only, and, is subject to none but God alone.

"Moreover, to the imperial laws of this realm all the kings in their coronations, and all justices when they receive their offices, are sworn, and all the whole realm bound to defend them. But, contrary hereunto, the Pope, he said, made void, and commanded to blot out of our books, all laws and customs repugnant to his laws.

"Then he proceeded to show, how contrary the laws of the realm and the Pope's laws were. And, therefore, that the kings of this realm had provided for their laws by the præmunire. So that, if any man let the execution of the law by any authority from the see of Rome, he fell into the præmunire. And, to meet with this, the popes had provided for their law by cursing.

"He supposed that these things were not fully opened in the Parliament-house, when the Pope's authority was received again; for, if they were, he could not believe that the king and queen, the nobles and commons, would again receive a foreign authority, so hurtful and prejudicial to the crown, and to the laws and state of this realm. He rebuked the clergy, who were the main movers of this at the Parliament, for their own ends. For they desired to have the Pope their chief head, to the intent that they might have,

as it were a kingdom and laws within themselves, distinct from the laws of the crown, and live in this realm like lords and kings, without damage or fear of any man. And then he glanced at some of the clergy [probably meaning Thirlby, Heath, Tunstal, &c.], that they held their peace for this consideration, though they knew this well enough; who, if they had done their duty to the crown and realm, should have opened their mouths at this time, and shewn the peril and danger that might ensue to the crown hereby.

"Another cause he urged to the queen, why he could not allow the Pope's authority, was, because he subverted, not only the laws of the nation, but the laws of God. So that, whosoever be under his authority, he suffered them not to be under Christ's religion purely. For proof of which he gave these instances. God's will and commandment is, that when the people be gathered together to serve God, the ministers should use such a language as the people might understand, and take profit thereby. For God said by the mouth of St. Paul, 'As a harp or lute, if it give no certain sound, that men may know what is stricken, who can dance after it? it is but in vain.' So it is in vain, profiteth nothing, if the priest speak to the people in a language they know not. And whereas, when he urged this to the commissioners, they told him, that That place respected preaching only. He told the queen, that St. Paul's words meant it not only of preaching, for that he spake expressly of praying, singing and giving thanks, and of all other things, which the priests say in the churches. And so, he said, all interpreters, Greek and Latin, old and new, school authors, and others, that he had read, understood it, till about thirty years past, Eckius, and others of his sort, began to invent this new exposition. And so, he said, all the best-learned divines, that met at Windsor, 1549, for the reformation of the Church, both of the new learning and the old, agreed without controversy, (not one opposing), that the service of the Church ought to be in the mother tongue, and that that place of St. Paul was so to be understood.

66

Again, Christ ordained the sacrament to be received of Christian people, under both forms of bread and wine, and said, Drink ye all of this.' The Pope gives a clean contrary

command, that no layman shall drink of the cup of their salvation. So that, if he should obey the Pope in these things, he must needs disobey his Saviour."

Again, "He instanced in the Pope's taking upon him to give the temporal sword to kings and princes, and to depose them from their imperial states, if they were disobedient to him; and in commanding subjects to disobey their princes; assoiling them as well from their obedience, as their lawful oaths made unto them; directly contrary to God's commandment, that commandeth all subjects to obey their kings, and their rulers under them.

"Then he spake of the superiority the Pope claimed above kings and emperors, and making himself universal bishop. And how his flatterers told him he might dispense against God's Word, both against the Old and New Testament; and that whatsoever he did, though he drew innumerable people by heaps with himself to hell, yet might no mortal man reprove him; because he is the judge of all men, and might be judged by no man. And thus he sat in the temple of God, as he were a God, and named himself God, and dispensed against God. If this were not, he said, to play Antichrist's part, he knew not what Antichrist wasthat is, Christ's enemy and adversary. Now, added he, until the time that such a person might be found, men might easily conjecture where to find Antichrist.

"He took God to record, that what he spake against the power and authority of the Pope, he spake it not for any malice he owed to the Pope's person, whom he knew not; nor for fear of punishment, or to avoid the same; thinking it rather an occasion to aggravate, than to diminish the same; but for his most bounden duty to the crown, liberty, laws, and customs of this realm of England; and most especially to discharge his conscience in uttering the truth to God's glory, casting away all fear by the comfort, which he had in Christ, who saith, Fear not them that kill the body.'

As touching the sacrament, he said, "That forasmuch as the whole matter stood in the understanding those words of Christ, This is my body; this is my blood;' he told the commissioners, that Christ in those words made demonstration of the bread and wine, and spake figuratively, calling