sulting the principal universities of Europe. When furnished with their opinions, the king could proceed without reference to the pope.

Henry approved of the idea when reported to him. Gardiner would have passed it off as his own suggestion, but Fox was too honest to support such knavery. Cranmer was sent for: he had passed his youth in the usual sports and routine of a country gentleman's life, but becoming fond of study, applied ardently, and became a learned divine. He imbibed the principles of Luther, so far as to be opposed to the arrogant assumptions of popery; but being of a studious and quiet disposition, he was not openly known as inclined to Protestantism, though, being public examiner, he exerted himself in acquiring the study of the Scriptures. Thus, on the present occasion, he was prepared to urge the authority of the Scriptures over the interested mandates of the pope. That question went further; it went at once to the all-important point, "How shall man be just with God ?" Could it be only through the atonement of a crucified Saviour, the Son of God? or could it be attained by the interference of a mere mortal? Was it a privilege which one man could sell and another purchase for money? The contest between Henry and the pope involved these important questions.

By desire of Henry, the earl of Wiltshire made Cranmer his domestic chaplain. In that retreat he studied the question of the marriage, and wrote a book to prove that the роре had no authority to dispense with Scripture. We may be surprised that this proposition should require to be set forth with learned arguments, or that Cranmer and his associates should confirm their assertions against popery, by references to the fathers, or other human authorities of the Christian church, instead of simply declaring, in the language of our Lord, "It is written;" but this shows the mental bondage then prevalent. The king now sent Cranmer abroad, accompanied by others, to obtain the opinions of the universities; they visited most of

the learned establishments of Europe, and obtained opinions in favour of the separation. In some cases, money was required and given, the learned doctors being unwilling to hazard the emperor's displeasure, unless recompensed for so doing. Everywhere, however, the authority of Scripture was acknowledged to be superior to that of the pope: indeed, this question needed not to be asked, but by a people like Israel of old, blinded and misled by those professing to be their spiritual guides. To the law and to the testimony," says the prophet: "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," Isaiah viii. 20.

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Most remarkable was the providential dealing by which the pope was constrained by the emperor to adhere to the decree of his predecessor, else he would readily have sanctioned Henry's proceeding, and thus have prevented his own authority from being questioned. Meanwhile, the English parliament addressed the pope, requesting his sanction to the divorce: this was again refused; but Clement did not hesitate to intimate to the English agent at Rome, that he might possibly allow Henry to have two wives! Of course this proposal was not listened to; but the letter mentioning the suggestion has repeatedly been printed.

The emperor urged the pope to active measures against Henry, who was summoned to appear and answer for himself in the consistory court at Rome, and forbidden to proceed to a second marriage. No one dared to bring this summons to England, but it was affixed on the church doors in the port towns of Flanders.

The measures against Henry, into which the pope was urged, were met by others against the papal authority. The suggestions of Cromwell were adopted. Under an old statute, the clergy as a body were fined for submitting to the legantine authority of Wolsey; they were obliged to pay 100,000l., and to recognise a claim made by theking to be acknowledged the protector

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and supreme head of the church; they added, however, as far as the law of Christ allowed." The bishops sought to throw most of the pecuniary burden upon the inferior clergy; but six hundred priests forced their way into the chapter-house of St. Paul's, pleading that the bishops and abbots had offended, and ought to pay the fine, while their scanty incomes of twenty nobles a year (a noble was 6s. 8d.) would scarcely provide them with the necessary articles of life. The prelates were forced to give way, but fifteen priests were sent to prison for riotous conduct.

The House of Commons was roused to press forward the liberation of England from the yoke of Rome. An act was passed, forbidding the bishops to pay the usual sums to Rome for sanctioning their appointments. After some other proceedings, the opinions of a number of theologians upon the king's marriage were laid before parliament, with a request that the members would make these opinions known among their constituents. Though a large number of the people desired the divorce, on account of the political advantages it promised, yet it was not altogether a popular measure. The women of England were naturally opposed to the proceedings against Catherine, which shook the security of the married state. The queen was urged to withdraw her appeal to the pope, and to commit her cause to four prelates and four lay peers. She steadily refused, and then the king wholly withdrew from her society. The opposition to his will rendered his character more arbitrary; he was still further excited by an earnest admonition from the pope, ordering him, as he regarded the papal favour and his own salvation, to recall Catherine, and dismiss Anne Boleyn from the court.

The contest deepened. More, seeing the papal authority in danger, resigned the office of chancellor, at which time his property in money did not amount to a hundred pounds. Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, died about the same time, in August, 1532, when

the king resolved to appoint Cranmer to the vacant see. He was then abroad, visiting the universities; his desire for quiet made him unwilling to accept the proffered honour. He delayed his return till November, hoping that the king would fix upon some one else to be primate. But Henry was strengthened in his determination by a sentence of excommunication from the pope, who also denounced as invalid the union Henry was about to form with Anne Boleyn. This sentence was pronounced November 15, 1532, though its publication was delayed.

The close alliance between the pope and the emperor led to increased amity between Henry and Francis. They met at Boulogne, when Anne Boleyn was introduced to the French king as the marchioness of Pembroke.

Cranmer had no desire for the responsible office of the primacy, but he consented to receive it from the king, not from the pope. Henry was not fully prepared to throw off the papal yoke; he, therefore, desired and obtained the pope's sanction in the usual form. The new archbishop, however, protested against any recognition of such authority, except so far as it might agree with the word of God, repeating publicly this declaration three times, when he was consecrated in March, 1533. This was very different from the secret protestations common in those days; yet to us it bears an appearance of the casuistry in which Cranmer had been educated, and from which he was not yet emancipated. Warham, his immediate predecessor, had, by a private protest, thought to relieve himself from the obligation of obedience to the pope, a few years before. It may be here remarked once for all, that although it is wrong to rest any part of the arguments for the Protestant reformation upon the private character or individual proceedings of its chief supporters, it is equally wrong to allow them to be unduly appreciated. With all his faults, Cranmer was very far superior in honesty and religious principle to any of the Romish prelates. As

for the king, he never claimed to be considered a Protestant, but always adhered to the Romish faith, excepting in respect to the supremacy of the pope.

Two months before the consecration of Cranmer, the king married Anne Boleyn. The ceremony appears to have been performed early one morning in the month of January, 1533, in an upper room of the palace at Whitehall. Dr. Lee, one of the royal chaplains, read the service. Only three attendants were present. The event remained secret for some time; Cranmer himself did not know of it till a fortnight afterwards. One motive for secrecy was, that the efforts of Francis to influence the pope in favour of Henry might not be frustrated. On April 12th, the new queen was publicly announced; shortly after, the archbishop held a convocation, to determine the tion relative to the king's marriage with Catherine, who was cited to appear, but refused. The union was then declared to have been illegal and invalid. This proceeding was urged and directed by the king, who, in his mandatory letter on the subject, asserted his unlimited and despotic authority, above the laws, in the most unqualified terms. A magnificent coronation of the new queen followed: she was conducted to the Tower by water from Greenwich, and two days afterwards proceeded in state to Whitehall. She was crowned at Westminster, on June 1, when for three successive days splendid pageants were exhibited.

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The pope was thus set openly at defiance, which he resented, by declaring that Henry was excommunicated, unless he separated from his new queen before the month of September. Henry was equally decided; he sent Bonner, whose vindictive and determined temper was now directed against the pope, to read an appeal from the papal decision to a general council. Bonner executed his orders, but hastened away, being threatened that he should be thrown into a cauldron of molten lead. The pope, at the suggestion of the emperor, held a consistorial court, when nineteen out of