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Cranmer, and lady Jane Grey, tried.

any preacher or priest during divine service, or "should break or abuse the holy sacrament," or break altars, crucifixes, or crosses.

Cranmer, with lady Jane Grey, and her husband, were brought to trial at Guildhall, on the 13th of November, and condemned for high treason against queen Mary. They all admitted their offence, in this respect; but Cranmer appealed to his judges, who well knew that he had refused to consent to the exclusion of Mary, till those who were acquainted with the law had declared that it was legal; having made this appeal, he submitted himself to the mercy of the queen..

By this proceeding, he was, according to the law of the land, deprived of his archbishopric; but as Gardiner had a distant hope of succeeding to that dignity, and wished to keep cardinal Pole from it, he caused that the archbishop should be considered above secular jurisdiction, till judged according to canon law. Thus Cranmer was only set aside from exercising his office; and kept in prison; while, by pardoning what was called his treasons, the queen persuaded herself that she thereby made him a sufficient return for his former kindness to her. At the same time, she resolved that he should suffer for heresy, an offence which she never forgave. "The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

But this parliament was not sufficiently obsequious to the queen. The true reasons are fully stated by Rapin, Burnet, and others; and although rather of a secular than a religious nature, yet, like all the events of this unhappy reign, they were too much influenced by the principles of Romanism, not to require some notice.

As soon as Mary succeeded to the throne, cardinal Dandino, the popish legate at Brussels, sent over a priest, named Commendone, to see how matters stood, and to endeavour to promote the restoration of popery. This agent was successful beyond expectation. He obtained a secret interview with the queen, and ascertained her willingness to reestablish the papal authority, as speedily as circumstances permitted. The intelligence caused much joy at Rome. The pope and cardinals recollected how much wealth had been derived from England in former times; and with that greediness, which even Romish writers admit prevailed in the popedom, they felt no little

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pleasure at the prospect, that our nation would again be come tributary to the holy see. Mass was publicly celebrated, an unusual quantity of indulgences were distributed on this occasion; and they blasphemously applied the parable of the shepherd seeking the lost sheep in the wilderness, as the method for them to pursue, and resolved to endeavour to persuade England again to come under their yoke! In conclusion, it was determined that Cardinal Pole should proceed as legate, with full powers to reconcile England to the pope.

Such a hasty proceeding did not quite suit Gardiner's politics; and knowing the emperor's desire to promote a marriage between his son, Philip, king of Spain, and queen Mary, he availed himself of that circumstance. Being aware that the nation would not, at once, readily give up the abbey lands, and submit to the full absurdities of popery, and also to the queen's marriage with a foreigner, he, with his usual prudence, wished the marriage first to be accomplished, as it would give additional power to the queen for effecting her superstitious designs. He, therefore, induced the emperor to delay cardinal Pole's journey; and, for the present, to keep out of sight the intention of restoring the authority of the pope. This made a breach between Pole and Gardiner, who judged rightly of each other; the former being a weak, superstitious character, only zealous in the cause of popery, while the latter was a crafty, insidious politician, who scrupled at nothing that stood in the way of his political manœuvres.

The intended marriage becoming known, much discontent was excited, both on religious and national grounds; and servile as the parliament had been on other matters, an address was voted, beseeching the queen not to marry a stranger. The parliament was dissolved in consequence; and Gardiner informed the emperor, that the marriage of his son could not be accomplished, without considerable sums of money being expended, to bribe persons of influence. The emperor, accordingly, borrowed a sum equal to four millions of our money, which was applied for this purpose.

The convocation of the clergy had met at the same time as the parliament, Bonner being appointed to preside! Harpsfield, his chaplain, was selected to preach at the opening of the session, and chose for his text,

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"Feed the flock." (See Acts xx. 28.) He took occasion to commend queen Mary and the popish clergy in the grossest manner. Among other misapplications of Scripture, he parodied the words written of Deborah, (Judges v. 7, 8.) applying them to the queen, thus: Religion ceased in England, it was at rest until Mary arose-a virgin arose in England. The lord chose new wars." And, contrasting the queen with her sister, the princess Elizabeth, he said, Mary hath chosen the best part." Care had been taken that no clergy should be elected to the convocation except such as favoured the Romish doctrines; but Philpot, Haddon, and four others, who were protestants, had a right to sit in the assembly as deans and archdeacons, and they resolved to bear their testimony to the truth.

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Weston, the dean of Westminster, being chosen prolocutor, or speaker, opened the business on the 18th of October, by calling their attention to Edward the Sixth's catechism, as very pestiferous, and full of heresies ;" and likewise to the book of common prayer, as being very abominable," and proposed that all persons should fully speak their opinions thereon, at their next meeting. But instead of following this method, he then proposed they should sign a paper, declaring the real presence of Christ's body in the sacrament, and condemning the catechism.

Philpot stood up, and spoke upon the impropriety of requiring men to consent to such matters, without previous consideration; and stated his surprise to see so many ancient and learned men gathered together, to maintain old traditions, rather than the truth of God's holy word. He, therefore, urged that the subject should be publicly discussed, as had been promised, and some other persons added to their number, such as bishop Ridley. An appearance of consenting to this reasonable proposition was made, but it was not acceded to.

(

On the 23d, the convocation again assembled: many noblemen and thers were present. Weston began by stating, that in permitting this disputation it was not intended to call in doubt the points laid down, which he termed "the truth," but only to satisfy the five or six who doubted. He then demanded if they were inclined to argue upon the subject. Haddon and Aylmer, seeing

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Philpot, and others.

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that they should be silenced by numbers and clamour, and that the assistance of Ridley and others was not granted, declared that they considered it useless to debate under such circumstances. Cheyney was next called upon; and he stated his objection from St. Paul's repeatedly calling the sacrament bread, even after it was consecrated; and quoted the words of Origen and Theodoret in confirmation. To this a Romanist replied, with the quibbling evasive answer usually given from a misinterpretation of Aristotle's words, by which the school divines sought to wrest scripture to their purpose, with the assistance of a heathen philosopher! Aylmer was too good a scholar to allow this to pass, and pointed out the fallacy of such arguments. Philpot then spoke, explaining the passage from Theodoret, and showing that it could not be set aside, as the Romanists endeavoured to do.

The disputation became general. It was, however, only a few against many, and it would be both tedious and unprofitable to the general reader to give a minute account of the arguments brought forward. The debate is fully recorded by Fox, and was also printed in Latin at the time. Those who have leisure and inclination to go through the whole, will notice the quibbling, sophistical arguments of the Romanists, and will admire the able manner in which Philpot and his companions met them on their own ground. One instance from this day's debate may suffice. By a regular train of reasoning, dean Haddon led the Romanists to assert, that our Lord ate his own natural body at the last supper with his disciples! In this absurdity he left them; while Philpot proceeded to reason with them, that such a supposition could not be granted, as "receiving Christ's body had a promise of remission of sin, and He had none to be remitted." The Romanists endeavoured to reply, but entangled themselves deeper in confusion; at length, Weston demanded of Philpot, whether he would argue regularly against "the natural presence," as he termed it, of Christ in the sacrament? To this, Philpot answered in the affirmative, provided he were suffered to speak without interruption. He was accordingly appointed to begin the disputation the next day of their assembling.

On the 25th, Philpot began as had been arranged, and spoke in Latin; intending, thereby, to disprove Weston's

assertion, that he had no learning. Weston stopped him, and refused to allow him to make a speech; stating that, he should only propose his arguments, and that in English. Philpot then began to state what was the gross and carnal idea of Christ's presence, which he purposed to argue against; but Weston cried out, "Hold your peace, or make a short argument." Philpot then declared his opinion, that the sacrament of the altar, or the mass, now again ordered to be received, was no sacrament, nor was Christ present in it. This he offered to maintain before the queen and the council, against any six opponents; adding, that if he was not able to maintain what he asserted, he was willing to be burned before the gates of the palace.

At this there was a great outcry that he was mad; and Weston threatened to send him to prison, if he would not cease his speaking. Philpot then exclaimed, "O Lord, what a world is this, that the truth of thy holy word may not be spoken!"

Some of the persons present urged Weston to allow the freedom of speech he had promised; upon which he consented that Philpot should make a short argument. The reformer then urged, that Christ was in heaven, and not upon earth; quoting the words, "I leave the world and go unto the Father;" observing that the disciples had said, "Now thou speakest plainly, and without a parable."

Not being able to answer the scripture by scripture, the Romanists had recourse to the fathers. Dr. Chedsey quoted a passage from Chrysostom, "that Christ, ascending into heaven, took his flesh with him, and left also his flesh behind him." Philpot was proceeding to reply on their own grounds, but Weston again interrupted him, declaring that the argument was unanswerable, and endeavouring to bear him down by clamour. Philpot, however, insisted upon being heard; and showed that in this passage, Chrysostom referred to Christ's taking upon him our human nature, and by his sufferings uniting us to himself; so that when he ascended to heaven with his natural body, those who are his chosen people, the members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones, as St. Paul expresses himself, (Ephesians the fifth,) were left behind. He also referred to the words of the same father, a few lines preceding, where he expressly stated, that Christ, when he ascended into heaven, left his flesh, not carnally, but mystically,