mere rags on him to represent the dress of an archbishop; then stripping him of his attire, they took off his own gown, and put an old worn one upon him instead.

But subsequently he was induced, by his love of life, and by the wiles of his insidious foes, to sign a paper condemning the Reformation. His enemies, though they knew that his death was already determined upon in Council, promised him restoration to all his former dignities, and even the favour of the queen, if he would recant. The first paper brought for his signature was conceived in general terms; this once signed, five others, explanatory of the first, were obtained. His enemies then supposed his recantation complete.

But the queen's revenge was only to be satiated in Cranmer's blood; and therefore she wrote an order to Dr. Cole to prepare a sermon to be preached, March 21, directly before his martyrdom, at St. Mary's, Oxford. About nine in the morning of the day of sacrifice, the queen's commissioners, attended by the magistrates, conducted the amiable unfortunate to St. Mary's church. His torn, dirty garb-the same in which they habited him upon his degradation-excited the commiseration of the people. In the church, he found a low, mean stage erected opposite to the pulpit, on which being placed, he turned his face, and fervently prayed to God. The church was crowded with persons of both persuasions, expecting to hear the justification of his late apostasy-the Catholics rejoicing, and the Protestants deeply wounded in spirit at the deceit of the human heart. Dr. Cole, in his sermon, represented Cranmer as having been guilty of the most atrocious crimes; encouraged the deluded sufferer not to fear death, not to doubt the support of God in his torments, nor that masses would be said in all the churches of Oxford for the repose of his soul. The doctor then noticed his conversion, and which he ascribed to the evident work

ing of almighty Power; and in order that the people might be convinced of its reality, asked the prisoner to give them a sign. This Cranmer did, and begged the congregation to pray for him, for he had committed many and grievous sins; but, of all, there was one which awfully lay upon his mind, of which he would speak shortly.

During the sermon Cranmer wept bitter tears; lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, and letting them fall, as if unworthy to live: his grief now found vent in words: before his confession he fell upon his knees, and in the following words unveiled the deep contrition and agitation which harrowed up his soul:

"O Father of heaven! O Son of God, Redeemer of the world! O Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God! have mercy on me, most wretched caitiff and miserable sinner! I have offended both against heaven and earth more than my tongue can express. Whither, then, may I go, or whither may I flee? To heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine eyes, and in earth I find no place of refuge or succour. To thee, therefore, O Lord, do I run; to thee do I humble myself, saying, O Lord, my God, my sins be great; but yet have mercy upon me for thy great mercy. The great mystery that God became man was not wrought for little or few offences. Thou didst not give thy Son, O heavenly Father, unto death for small sins only, but for all the greatest sins of the world, so that the sinner return to thee with his whole heart, as I do at this present. Wherefore, have mercy on me, O God, whose property is always to have mercy; have mercy upon me, O Lord, for thy great mercy! I crave nothing for my own. merits, but for thy name's sake, that it may be hallowed thereby, and for thy dear Son Jesus Christ's sake. And now, therefore, O Father of heaven, hallowed be thy name," &c.

Then rising, he said he was desirous before his death to give them some pious exhortations, by which God. might be glorified and themselves edified. He then descanted upon the danger of a love of the world, the duty of obedience to their magistrates, of love to one another, and the necessity of the rich administering to the wants of the poor. He quoted the three verses of the fifth chapter of James, and then proceeded, "Let them that be rich ponder well these three sentences: for if they ever had occasion to show their charity, they have it now at this present, the poor people being so many, and victual so dear.

"And now, forasmuch as I am come to the last end of my life, whereupon hangeth all my life past, and all my life to come,-either to live with my master Christ forever in joy, or else to be in pain forever with the wicked in hell,-and I see before mine eyes presently either heaven ready to receive me, or else hell ready to swallow me up, I shall therefore declare unto you my very faith how I believe, without any colour of dissimulation; for now is no time to dissemble whatsoever I have said or written in times past.

"First. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, &c. And I believe every article of the Catholic faith, every word and sentence taught by our Saviour Jesus Christ, his apostles and prophets, in the New and Old Testament.

"And now I come to the great thing which so much troubleth my conscience, more than anything that ever I did or said in my whole life, and that is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth; which now here I renounce and refuse, as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, and written for fear of death, and to save my life, if it might be; and that is, all such bills and papers which I have written or signed with my hand since my degra

dation, wherein I have written many things untrue. And forasmuch as my hand hath offended, writing contrary to my heart, therefore my hand shall first be punished; for when I come to the fire, it shall first be burned.

"And as for the pope, I refuse him as Christ's enemy, and antichrist, with all his false doctrine.

"And as for the sacrament, I believe as I have taught in my book against the bishop of Winchester, which my book teacheth so true a doctrine of the sacrament, that it shall stand in the last day before the judgment of God, where the Papistical doctrines contrary thereto shall be ashamed to show their face."

Upon the conclusion of this unexpected declaration, amazement and indignation were conspicuous in every part of the church. The Catholics were completely foiled, their object being frustrated; Cranmer, like Samson, having completed a greater ruin upon his enemies in the hour of death than he did in his life.

Cranmer would have proceeded in the exposure of the Popish doctrines; but the murmurs of the idolaters drowned his voice, and the preacher gave an order to lead the heretic away. The savage command was directly obeyed; and the lamb about to suffer was torn from his stand to the place of slaughter, insulted all the way by the revilings and taunts of the pestilent monks and friars. With thoughts intent upon a far higher object than the empty threats of man, he reached the spot dyed with the blood of Ridley and Latimer. There he knelt for a short time in carnest devotion, and then arose, that he might undress and prepare for the fire. Two friars, who had been parties in prevailing upon him to abjure, now endeavoured to draw him off again from the truth; but he was steadfast and immovable in what he had just professed and before publicly taught. A chain was provided to bind him to the stake; and

after it had tightly encircled him, fire was put to the fuel, and the flames began soon to ascend. Then was the glorious sentiment of the martyr made manifest; then it was, that, stretching out his right hand, he held it unshrinkingly in the fire till it was burned to a cinder, even before his body was injured, frequently exclaiming, "This hand-this unworthy right hand!" Apparently insensible of pain, with a countenance of venerable resignation, and eyes directed to Him for whose cause he suffered, he continued, like St. Stephen, to say, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" till the fury of the flames terminated his powers of utterance and existence. He closed a life of high sublunary elevation, of constant uneasiness, and of glorious martyrdom, on March 21, 1556.

27. JOHN ROGERS.

JOHN ROGERS was educated at Cambridge, and was afterward many years chaplain to the merchants adventurers at Antwerp, in Brabant. Here he met with the celebrated martyr William Tindal, and Miles Coverdale, both voluntary exiles from their country for their aversion to Popish superstition and idolatry. They were the instruments of his conversion; and he united with them in that translation of the Bible into English, entitled, "The Translation of Thomas Matthew." From the Scriptures he knew that unlawful vows may be lawfully broken; hence he married, and removed to Wittenberg, in Saxony, for the improvement of learning; and he there learned the Dutch language, and received the charge of a congregation, which he faithfully executed for many years. On King Edward's accession, he left Saxony to promote the work of reformation in England: and, after some time, Nicholas Ridley, then bishop of London, gave him a prebend in St. Paul's