cited before the archbishop, and other commiffioners. At his first appearance he protested against the authority of the judges, and excepted against the legality of their commiffion: he protefted alfo against the perfons who appeared against him; and behaving himself in the fame haughty and arrogant manner as Bonner had done bofore, he was at laft deprived, after they had borne with his infolence no lefs than two and twenty feffions at different places, from the 15th of December, to the 14th of February. This year the archbishop publifhed his defence" of the true and catholic doctrine of the facrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Chrift." He had now, by the affiftance of bishop Ridley, overcome thofe ftrong prejudiceshe had long la boured under, in favour of the corporeal prefence; and in this treatife, from scripture and reafon, excellently confuted it. The popish party were alarmed at the publication of it; and foon after two anfwers to it were published, the one wrote by doctor Smith, the other by Gardiner. The archbishop defended his book against them both and was allowed by all impartial readers, vaftly to have the fuperiority in the argument. The archbishop's book was afterwards tranflated into latin, by Sir John Cheke, and was highly esteemed by all learned foreigners, for the great knowledge in fcripture and ecclefiaftical antiquity therein discovered. The next material occurrence relating to the archbishop, was the publication

publication of the forty-two articles of religion; which, with the affiftance of bishop Ridley, he drew up for preferving and maintaining the purity and unity of the church. They were alfo revised by feveral other bifhops and learned divines; and, after their corrections, farther enlarged and improved by Cranmer. Thefe articles were agreed to in convocation, and were afterwards published by royal authority, both in Latin and English.

The archbishop had formed a design, in the reign of the late king Henry, to review and purge the old canon law from its popifh corruptions, and had made fome progrefs in the work: but by the fecret artifices of Gardiner and others, the king was prevailed upon not to countenance or encourage it. In this reign he refumed his defign, and procured a commiffion from the king, for himself, with other learned divines and lawyers, diligently to examine into the churchlaws; and to compile fuch a body of laws as they thought moft expedient to be practised in the ecclefiaftical courts, and most conducive to order and good difcipline. The archbishop profecuted this undertaking with great vigour, and had the principal hand in it: but when a direct and complete draught of it was finished and prepared for the royal affent, the unhappy death of the good king blafted this great defign, and prevented its confirmation. The book was published by archbishop Parker, in C. 3.

the

the year 1571, intituled, "Reformatio legum ecclefiafticarum.'

King Edward was now far gone in a consumption, he had been perfuaded by the artifices of the duke of Northumberland, to exclude his fifters, and to bequeath the crown to the lady Jane Grey, who was married to Northumberland's fon. The archbishop did his utmost to oppose this alteration of the fuc ceffion: he argued against it with the king, telling him, that religion wonted not to be defended by fuch unrighteoufs methods; that it was one of the grofs errors of the papifts, to juftify the excluding or depofing princes from their just rights, on account of religion; and, let the confequence be what it would, juftice ought to take place, and the protection of the church committed to the care of that righteous providence, which was never known to give a bleffing to thofe who endeavoured to preferve themselves from any imminent danger by unlawful means. But his majefty being over-perfuaded by Northumberland's agents, was not to be moved from his refolution: the will was made, and fubfcribed by the council and the judges. The archbishop was fent for laft of all, and required to subscribe: but he plainly told them he could not do it without perjury, having fworn to the entail of the crown on the two princeffes, Mary and Elizabeth. To this the king replied, that the judges, who beft knew the conflitution, fhould be moft regarded in this point; and they had

informed

informed him, that notwithstanding that entail, he might lawfully bequeath the crown to the lady Jane. The archbishop defired to difcourfe with them himself about this matter; and they all agreeing, that he might lawfully fubfcribe to the king's will, he was, after many perfuafions, prevailed upon to refign his own private fcruples to their authority; and at laft, not without great reluctancy, he fet his hand to it.

On the fixth of July, in the year of our Lord 1553, it pleafed almighty God to take to himself this pious and good prince, king Edward; and the archbishop having fubfcribed to the king's will, thought himself obliged, by virtue of his bath, to join the lady Jane. But her fhort-lived power foon expired, and queen Mary's title was univerfally acknowledged, and fubmitted to.. Not long after her acceffion, a falfe report was raifed, that archbishop Cranmer,, in order to make his court to the queen, had offered to reflore the Latin fervice, and that he had already faid mass in his cathedral church at Canterbury. To vindicate himself from this vile and base afpertion, the archbishop published a declaration, in which he not only cleared himself from that unjuft imputation, but offered publickly to defend the English liturgy, and prove it confonant to scripture and the pureft antiquity; and challenged his enemies to a difputation. This declaration foon fell into the hands of the council, who fent a copy of it to the C.4 queen's

queen's commiffioners; and they immediately fent for the archbishop, and queftioned him about it. Cranmer acknowledged it to be his; but complained that it had, contrary to his intent, fiolen abroad in fo imperfect a condition for his defign was to review and correct it; and then, after he had put his feal to it, to fix it up at St. Paul's, and on all the church doors in London. This bold and extraordinary answer fo irritated them, that they fent him to the Tower,, there to be confined, till the queen's pleasure concerning him was known. Some of his friends who forefaw this ftorm, had advised him to confult his fafety by retiring beyond fea; but he thought it would reflect a great difhonour on the cause he had efpoufed, if he fhould defert his station at fuch a time as this; and chofe rather to hazard his life, than give fuch just cause of scandal and offence.

In the middle of November, archbishop Cranmer was attainted by the parliament, and adjudged guilty of high treafon, at Guildhall. His fee was hereupon declared void: and on the tenth of December, the dean and chapter of Canterbury gave commiffions to feveral perfons to exercife archiepifcopal jurifdiction in their name, and by their authority. Archbishop Cranmer wrote a very fubmiflive letter to the queen, in the most humble manner acknowledging his fault, in confenting to fign the king's will; acquainting her what preffing inftances he made to the king against it; and excufing