George Shipside, had not Providence delivered him by the means of Dr. Heath, bishop of Worcester. Dr. Ridley was first in part converted by reading Bertram's book on the Sacrament, and by his conferences with Archbishop Cranmer and Peter Martyr. When Edward VI. was removed from the throne, and bloody Mary succeeded, Bishop Ridley was immediately marked as an object of slaughter. He was first sent to the Tower, and afterward, at Oxford, was consigned to the common prison of Bocardo.

Bishop Latimer was the son of Hugh Latimer, of Thirkelson, in Leicestershire, a husbandman of repute, with whom he remained till he was four years old. His parents, finding him of acute parts, gave him a good education, and then sent him at fourteen to the University of Cambridge, where he entered into the study of the school divinity of that day, and was from principle a zealous observer of the Romish superstitions of the time. In his oration, when he commenced bachelor of divinity, he inveighed against the reformer Melancthon, and openly declaimed against good Mr. Stafford, divinity lecturer in Cambridge.

Mr. Thomas Bilney, moved by a brotherly pity towards Mr. Latimer, begged to wait upon him in his study, and to explain to him the groundwork of his (Mr. Bilney's) faith. This blessed interview effected his conversion; the persecutor of Christ became his zealous advocate, and before Dr. Stafford died he became reconciled to him.

Once converted, he became eager for the conversion of others, and commenced public preacher and private instructor in the university. His sermons were so pointed against the absurdity of praying in the Latin tongue, and withholding the oracles of salvation from the people who were to be saved by belief in them, that he drew upon himself the pulpit animadversions of

several of the resident friars and heads of houses, whom he subsequently silenced by his severe criticisms and eloquent arguments. At length Dr. West prohibited. him from preaching again in the churches of the university; notwithstanding which, he continued during three years to advocate openly the cause of Christ, and even his enemies confessed the power of those talents he possessed. Mr. Bilney remained here some time with Mr. Latimer, and thus the place where they frequently walked together obtained the name of Heretics' Hill.

Soon after Queen Mary was proclaimed, a messenger was sent to summon Mr. Latimer to town, and there is reason to believe it was wished that he should make his escape. On entering Smithfield he jocosely said, that the place had long groaned for him. After being examined by the council, he was committed to the Tower, where his cheerfulness is displayed in the following anecdote:-Being kept without fire in severe frosty weather, his aged frame suffered so much that he told the lieutenant's man that if he did not look better after him he should deceive his master. The lieutenant, thinking he meant to effect his escape, came to him to know what he meant by this speech; which Mr. Latimer replied to, by saying, "You, Mr. Lieutenant, doubtless suppose I shall BURN; but, except you let me have some fire, I shall deceive your expectation, for here it is likely I shall be STARVED WITH COLD."

Mr. Latimer, after remaining a long time in the Tower, was transported to Oxford, with Cranmer and Ridley. He remained imprisoned till October, 1555; and the principal objects of all his prayers were threethat he might stand faithful to the doctrine he had professed, that God would restore his Gospel to England once again, and preserve the Lady Elizabeth to be queen: all which happened. When he stood at the stake without the Bocardo-gate, Oxford, with Dr. Rid

ley, and fire was putting to the pile of fagots, he raised his eyes benignantly toward heaven, and said, "God is faithful, who doth not suffer us to be tempted above our strength."

When they came to the stake, Dr. Ridley embraced Latimer fervently, and bid him be of good heart. He then knelt by the stake, and after earnestly praying together, they had a short private conversation. Dr. Smith then preached a short sermon against the martyrs; who would have answered him, but were prevented by Dr. Marshal, the vice-chancellor. Dr. Ridley then took off his gown and tippet, and gave it to his brotherin-law, Mr. Shipside. He gave away also many trifles to his weeping friends, and the populace were anxious to get even a fragment of his garments. Mr. Latimer gave nothing; and from the poverty of his garb, was soon stripped to his shroud, and stood venerable and erect, fearless of death. Dr. Ridley being unclothed to his shirt, the smith placed an iron chain about their waists, and Dr. Ridley bid him fasten it securely; his brother having tied a bag of gunpowder about his neck, gave some also to Mr. Latimer. A lighted fagot was now laid at Dr. Ridley's feet, which caused Mr. Latimer to say, "Be of good cheer, Ridley, and play the We shall this day, by God's grace, light up such a candle in England as, I trust, will never be put out." When Dr. Ridley saw the flame approaching him, he exclaimed, "Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit!" and repeated often, "Lord, receive my spirit." Mr. Latimer, too, ceased not to say, "O Father of heaven, receive my soul!" Embracing the flame, he bathed his hands in it, and soon died, apparently with little pain; but Dr. Ridley, by the ill adjustment of the fagots,-which were green, and placed too high about the furze, was burned much downwards. At this time, piteously entreating for more fire to come to him, his

man.

brother-in-law imprudently heaped the fagots up over him, which caused the fire more fiercely to burn his limbs, whence he literally leaped up and down under the fagots, exclaiming that he could not burn: indeed, his dreadful extremity was but too plain; for after his legs were quite consumed, he showed his body and shirt unsinged by the flame. Crying upon God for mercy, a man with a bill pulled the fagots down, and when the flames arose, he bent himself towards that side: at length the gunpowder was ignited, and then he ceased to move, burning on the other side, and falling down at Mr. Latimer's feet over the chain that had hitherto supported him. Every eye shed tears at the afflicting sight of these sufferers, who were among the most distinguished persons of their time in dignity, piety, and public estimation.

26. ARCHBISHOP CRANMER.

THOMAS CRANMER was descended from an ancient family, and was born at Arselacton, in Northampton. He was educated at Cambridge, and afterwards chosen fellow of Jesus College. Subsequently he was promoted to be Divinity Lecturer, and one of the examiners of the candidates to become bachelors or doctors of divinity. It was his principle to judge of the candidates by their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures rather than the ancient fathers. Having obtained the favour of Henry VIII. by his vindication of that king's divorce from Catharine, he was elevated, upon the death of Dr. Warham, the archbishop of Canterbury, to that eminent station.

In this office he continued, with unwearied diligence, to promote the purity and success of the English Church. He was especially anxious to perfect the Reformation.

In 1538, the Holy Scriptures were openly used and on sale; and the places of worship overflowed everywhere to hear them expounded.

Upon the king's passing into a law the famous Six Articles, which went nearly to establish again the essential tenets of the Romish creed, Cranmer shone forth with all the lustre of a Christian patriot, in resisting the doctrines they contained, and in which he was supported by the bishops of Sarum, Worcester, Ely, and Rochester, the two former of whom resigned their bishoprics. The king, though now in opposition to Cranmer, still revered the sincerity, that marked his conduct. The death of Lord Cromwell in the Tower, in 1540, the good friend of Cranmer, was a severe blow to the wavering Protestant cause; but even now Cranmer, when he saw the tide directly adverse to the truth, boldly waited on the king in person, and by his manly and heartfelt pleading, caused the book of Articles to be passed on his side, to the great confusion of his enemies, who had contemplated his fall as inevitable.

With the approval of Henry, Cranmer was vigorously prosecuting the work of abolishing the mass in the kingdom, when that monarch departed this life, in 1546. Edward, who succeeded to the throne, continued Cranmer in office; and upon the coronation of the king, the archbishop delivered a charge that will ever honour his memory for its purity, freedom, and truth. During the reign of Edward, he continued to prosecute the Reformation with unabated zeal.

The death of Edward, in 1553, exposed Cranmer to all the rage of his enemies. Though the archbishop was among those who supported Mary's accession, he was attainted at the meeting of Parliament, and in November adjudged guilty of high treason at Guildhall, and degraded from his dignities. By virtue of this instrument, Cranmer was gradually degraded, by putting