the rack, when I immediately swooned, and they recovered me again. After that I sat two hours reasoning with my Lord Chancellor, upon the bare floor, where he, with many flattering words, persuaded me to leave my opinions; but my Lord God, I thank his everlasting goodness, gave me grace to persevere, and will do, I hope, to the very end."

And he did so, for she was soon afterward carried to the stake and burned.

CHAPTER IX.

THE DUKE OF SOMERSET AND CRANMER.

THE English Reformation, as we have said, commenced in the time of Wiclif, about 1375. Luther's fame and writings no doubt influenced the English people to some extent, but not sufficiently to sup pose that it materially hastened or retarded the great work. It was not until the accession of Edward VI., in 1547, that the great Reformation was acknowledged by the nation. It dwelt before in the hearts of the people and on the lips of the martyrs.

Conspicuous among those who were instrumental in this important change were the Earl of Hertford and Thomas Cranmer. The former was the uncle of the young king, and he became Protector of the realm during the king's minority. Created Duke of Somerset, almost as soon as Henry VIII. died he assumed the direction of Edward's education, and he took care that the books he read and the tutors who instructed him should be thoroughly Protestant.

Too little has been said of what the Duke of Som

erset accomplished for the reformation of England. He is not behind many whose names have come down with great luster to our times. The king, not ten years of age when his father died, was too young to accomplish much himself; and Cranmer had no authority beyond the limits of his ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It is true he was the constant counselor of Somerset; but it was the latter who, step by step, boldly abolished the peculiar practices of Romanism all over the kingdom; and in doing this he conformed to the sentiment of the great mass of the English people. This fact shows how the leaven, which had been at work since the time of Wiclif, had extended.

A most decisive step was to remove the images. But even in this he proceeded with great moderation, for at first he allowed to remain all images which might be supposed not to have been used idolatrously. Afterward, finding it impossible to distinguish between what has been called the reverence for them and the worship of them, an order was issued by which they were taken entirely from the churches, an event which seemed to announce everywhere a complete religious revolution. What a change must have been wrought in those who frequented the churches, when they could go one Sabbath and behold their accustomed idols all throughout the country, and the next Sabbath see that they were gone, and this without tumult or insurrection!

Visitors were appointed to go through all the churches, to correct the morals of the clergy, and to abolish the ancient superstitions. They were directed to restrain the people from sprinkling their beds with holy water, from ringing bells, and using blessed candles to drive away the devil.

The laws against the Lollards and many of the

rigorous statutes against heretics were now repealed, together with the famous "six articles." The cup was allowed to the laity; private masses were abolished; candles were forbidden to be carried about on Candlemas-day, ashes on Ash-Wednesday, and palms on Palm-Sunday. Priests were also allowed to marry.

And as the advancing intelligence of the people demanded the public prayers to Almighty God to be in a language understood by them, some of the best prayers of the Roman Catholic service, which had come down from a time when the Church existed in a comparatively pure state, were translated; other prayers were added to them, and these were incorporated in what is now known as the book of Common Prayer of the English Church. In this was

manifest the wisdom of Somerset and Cranmer. Whatever was good in Romanism they were anxious to retain, not only in the public services of religion, but in the hearts of the people, lest they should throw away all faith, as men did in the French Revolution, and go over to infidelity and atheism.

It has been asserted that these reformers of England did not go far enough. This is certainly true; but it should be spoken to their praise rather than otherwise. They were unwilling to overturn the religious sentiment of the nation, and they could go further as they gained more light. And this they did, for in the same reign the book of Common Prayer was revised, and oil in confirmation, extreme unction, and prayers for the dead, were left out. About fifty years afterward, in the reign of James I., it was revised again.

Somerset, however, could not proceed thus without making enemies. It seemed to be the genius of the age that whoever would persevere with decision in

acting according to the principles of the Bible, must some time or other lay down his life for it.

He was accused of treason, but acquitted of the charge. The people, by whom he was greatly beloved, expressed their joy by loud acclamations. He was, however, condemned, without either proof or probability of guilt, for felony, and not long afterward executed. Many of the spectators came to the place of execution to dip their handkerchiefs in his blood, which they long preserved as a precious relic. In 1553 Edward died, and Queen Mary came to the throne.

CHAPTER X.

REIGN OF QUEEN MARY.

Ir was a happy circumstance for England that Mary lived but a little over five years after her accession to the throne. During that time she did all she could to bring the nation back to Romanism. All the statutes of King Edward with regard to religion were repealed by one vote. Commissioners were appointed to go to Rome and negotiate with the pope for the giving up of the kingdom again to his supremacy. The pope haughtily insisted that the Church property which Henry VIII. had taken from the monasteries should be restored. The Parliament would not consent to this. Latin services were substituted for the English all over the nation.

Gardiner, Bonner, Tonstal, Day, Heath, and Vesey were restored to their sees; and Holgate, archbishop of York, Coverdale, bishop of Exeter, Ridley of London, Hooper of Gloucester, and Latimer, now in his

old age, were thrown into prison. All preachers were silenced, except such as should obtain a license; and at last, at the instigation of Gardiner, when the queen seemed to be securely seated on her throne, the fires of persecution were lighted.

Cranmer boldly and fearlessly opposed the new order of things, and published a statement asserting that it was the devil who was trying to restore the Latin masses. He affirmed that the mass itself had no foundation in Scripture, or in the practice of the primitive Church; but was, on the contrary, a plain contradiction to antiquity and the inspired writings, and was replete with many horrid blasphemies. He was rewarded for this fidelity to his principles by being charged as a conspirator, taking part with Lady Jane Grey; and thereupon he was convicted of high treason. His execution however was delayed; a more cruel punishment awaited him.

Queen Mary now filled the Tower and all the prisons with the nobility and gentry of the kingdom. And as she found herself becoming universally hated, she was stimulated to greater cruelty.

The first one called on to take up his cross was John Rogers, an aged, devoted, and talented minister of London. He had assisted Tindale and Coverdale in the translation of the Bible. Believing marriage lawful to a priest as well as to any other man, he had entered into that state, and was the father of ten children. Neither his anxiety as to the protection and support of his wife and children nor his fear of suffering could induce him to deny the principles which he had cherished. When brought before his judges he asserted that the pope was antichrist, and that his religion was contrary to the Gospel. He was condemned to be burned.