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kingdom is not of this world," and set us the example of submitting to our rulers; for even He paid tribute to Cæsar. (Matt. xvii. 24-27.)

Many other errors were there, such as praying to the Virgin Mary and the saints, bowing down to images and to crosses, and believing in seven sacraments, while we Protestants only recognize two,Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because we find in Scripture that these two only were especially appointed by our Redeemer; and we hold that the Scriptures contain all things necessary to our salvation; as St. Paul says to Timothy, "The holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." But the popes did not, and to this day do not, allow the Bible to be read by the people; and with the exception of Wickliffe's translation, there were neither Bibles nor prayer-books at this time, but such as were written in Latin, which comparatively few persons understood. And you remember, that any one found out reading Wickliffe's Bible was liable to be burnt. With the general improvement in education, which followed the invention of printing, a great thirst for the knowledge of the truth arose, and a conviction of the falsehood of much that had been hitherto

taught as truth. The preaching of Wickliffe, Luther, Melancthon, and others, had led many, even at peril of their lives, to "search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so; therefore, many of them believed." (Acts xvii. 11, 12.)

In 1517, Luther struck the first blow against popery in Germany, and in a very few years it was followed up heartily in England. Wolsey was greatly opposed to the Reformation, and Henry at first was of his opinion, and even wrote a book in defence of the seven sacraments, dedicating it to Leo the tenth, the reigning pope, who was so much pleased with it, that he gave him the title of "Defender of the Faith," which the sovereigns of England have borne ever since.

But Henry's heart was not right with God; he did not act with a sincere desire to do His will, and as is always the case with irreligious men, his conduct was inconsistent. He wished to marry a beautiful lady named Anne Boleyn, although Katherine of Arragon, his first wife, was still living, and had been a good and faithful wife to him; but she was a Romanist, and much opposed to the Reformation. Anne Boleyn favoured the Protestants; and for this reason Wolsey would not consent that Henry

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should put away Katherine and marry her. Henry, whose temper would not brook the slightest contradiction, quarrelled with the cardinal who had so long been his favourite, and sent him away from court in disgrace. Wolsey had been a proud, ambitious man, fond of wealth and pleasure, and living more like a king than a minister of the Gospel. But there is reason to hope that adversity touched his heart, and improved him, for he submitted with great humility to Henry's displeasure. The king deprived him of all his property, even to his clothes, and the cardinal, in sickness and sorrow, took refuge in Leicester Abbey, saying to the abbot (according to Shakespeare,)

O, father abbot,

An old man, broken with the storms of state,
Is come to lay his weary bones among you;
Give him a little earth for charity.

Of all his followers one only remained true to him in his disgrace, Thomas Cromwell, who afterwards entered the king's service, and was made earl of Essex. "Had I been as faithful to my God as to my king," said Wolsey, "He would not have forsaken me in my grey hairs." Let us hope that his repentance

was sincere, and that, even at this eleventh hour, he found acceptance with his Lord and Saviour. He died November 29, 1530.

A young man, named Cranmer, succeeded Wolsey in Henry's favour, which he retained till the death of the king. The marriage with Anne Boleyn took place, and she became the mother of a daughter, afterwards queen Elizabeth. Henry had quarrelled with the Pope, because he refused to let him put away Katherine, and would no longer acknowledge him as head of the church of England, claiming that title himself, although in many other respects he continued to hold the doctrines of popery. Nothing could exceed the savage violence of Henry's proceedings. He caused numbers of papists to be executed for denying his supremacy, or right to be head, or chief, of the church of England, among whom were the lord chancellor, sir Thomas More, and the venerable Dr. Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who had been Henry's tutor. Both these sufferers were men of distinguished piety and learning. Protestants, on the other hand, were put to death for refusing to believe in the popish doctrines Henry still retained, and especially that of transubstantiation.

Still the Reformation progressed in England.

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Cranmer, who was made archbishop of Canterbury, exerted himself to the utmost to carry it on. At the same time we must remember, dear children, that it never could have been brought about by human efforts alone. The blessing of the Almighty was upon it; and as He first caused the glad tidings of the Gospel to be proclaimed and spread abroad by twelve poor, uneducated men, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so now, from very small beginnings, and in the first instance through the preaching of Luther,

"That solitary monk who shook the world,"

He ordained that the light of true religion should once more burst through the clouds of ignorance and superstition.

Cranmer was a man of sincere piety and singlemindedness. The one object of his life was the reforming of religion; and this he maintained not only against the king's alternate caprice and violence, but also in spite of his own timidity of character, which sometimes betrayed him into weaknesses of which he afterwards deeply repented. Doubtless, like St. Paul, Cranmer prayed against this infirmity, and received the same assurance of assistance from his Lord:

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'My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is