1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1806 
Marginalia1556. March.so hygh,MarginaliaNo state in this earth so hie nor so sure, but it may fall. that cā promise it selfe safetie on the earth, and that Gods vengeaunce is equally stretched agaynst all men, and spareth none: therefore they should beware & learne to feare their Prince. And seyng the Queenes Maiestie would not spare so notable a man as this, much lesse in the lyke cause she would spare other men, that no man shoulde thinke to make thereby any defence of his errour, either in riches or any kynde of authoritie. They had now an example to teach them all, by whose calamitie euery man might consider his owne fortune: who from the toppe of dignitie, none beyng more honorable then he in the whole Realme, and next the kyng, was fallen into so great miserie, as they might now see, being a mā of so high degree, sometyme one of the chiefest Prelates in the Church and an Archbishop, the chief of the Counsell, the secōd person in the Realme of long time, a mā thought in greatest assuraunce, hanyng a kyng on his side: notwithstādyng all his authoritie and defence to be debased from high estate, to a low degree, of a Counsellour to become a caitiffe, and to be set in so wretched a state, that the poorest wretche would not chaunge condition with him: briefly so heaped with misery on all sides, that neither was left in him any hope of better fortune, nor place for worse.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDoct. Cole encourageth the Archb. to take his death patientlye.The latter part of his Sermon
CloseAt this point Foxe drew on another source, an eyewitness account by a catholic known only by his initials of 'J. A.'. ('J. A.''s account survives in Foxe's papers as BL, Harley 422, fos. 48r-52v. It is printed in John Strype, Memorials of Thomas Cranmer [4 vols., Oxford: 1848-54], III, pp. 244-55). This account must have reached Foxe just after his account of Cranmer was printed, because the columns on the page in 1563 including this material (p. 1500) were widened, allowing Foxe to add details from 'J.A.''s account without having to reprint subsequent pages. (See Elizabeth Evenden and Thomas S. Freeman, 'John Foxe, John Day and the Printing of the "Book of Martyrs"' in Lives in Print: Biography and the Book Trade from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century', eds. Robin Myers, Michael Harris and Giles Mandelbrote [New Castle, DE and London: 2002], p. 34). Foxe draws the remainder of Cole's sermon from 'J.A.' (cf. BL, Harley 422, fos. 48v-49r).
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CloseHodie mecum eris in Paradiso.
This day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise.
[et dixit illi Iesus amen dico tibi] hodie mecum eris in paradiso.
[Accurate citation.]
CloseDominus fidelis est, non sinet vos tentari vltra quam ferre potestis.
The Lord is faythfull whiche will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue your strength.
fidelis autem Deus qui non patietur vos temptari super id quod potestis.
[Here Cole (or Foxe) is either using a Latin bible other than the Vulgate or is translating directly into Latin from the Greek text.]
MarginaliaDoct. Cole reioyceth in the Archbishops conuersion, but that reioycing lasted not long.He glorified GOD much in his conuersion, because it appeared to be onely his worke, declaryng what trauell and conference had bene with him to conuert him, and all preuayled not till that it pleased GOD of his mercy to reclayme him, and call him home. In discoursing of whiche place, he much commended Cranmer, and qualified his former doynges, thus temperyng his iudgement and talke of him, that while the tyme (sayd hee) he flowed in riches and honour, he was vnworthy of his life: and now that he might not lyue, he was vnworthy of death. But lest he should cary with him no comfort, he would diligently labour (he sayd) and also he did promise in the name of all the Priestes that were present, MarginaliaDiriges and masses promised for Cranmers soule.that immediately after his death, there should be Diriges, Masses, and funerals executed for him in all the Churches of Oxford for the succour of his soule.
[Back to Top]Cranmer in all this meane tyme
CloseThis description of Cranmer's reaction to Cole's sermon and the spectators' reaction to Cranmer's reaction, is taken from 'J.A.' (cf. BL, Harley 422, fo. 49r).
Cole after hee had ended his Sermon, called backe the people that were ready to departe, to Prayers. Brethren (sayd hee) lest any man should doubt of this mans earnest conuersion and repentaunce, you shall heare him speake before you, MarginaliaCranmer required to declare his fayth.and therfore I pray you Maister Cranmer, that you will now performe that you promised not long agoe, namely that you would openly expresse the true & vndoubted profession of your fayth, that you may take away all suspition from men, and that al men may vnderstand that you are a Catholicke in deede. MarginaliaCranmer willing to declare his fayth.I wil do it (sayd the Archbishop) and with a good will: who by and by rising vp, and puttyng of his cap, began to speake thus vnto the people.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe wordes of the Archbyshop to the people.I desire you welbeloued brethren in the Lord, that you will pray to God for me, to forgeue me my sinnes, whiche aboue all men both in number and greatnes, I haue committed: but among all the rest, there is one offence whiche of all at this tyme doth vexe and trouble me, whereof in processe of my talke you shall heare more in his proper place, and then
[Back to Top]puttyng his hande into his bosome, he drew forth his Prayer, which he recited to the people in this sense.
GOod Christen people, my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in Christ, I besech you most hartely to pray for me to almighty God, that hee will forgeue me all my sinnes and offences, which be many, without number, and great aboue measure. But yet one thing greueth my conscience more then all the rest, whereof God willing, I entend to speake more hereafter. But how great and how many soeuer my sinnes be, I besech you to pray GOD of his mercy to pardon & forgeue them all. And here kneelyng downe, hee sayd:
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe prayer of Archb. Cranmer.O father of heauen: O sonne of God redemer of the world: O holy Ghost three persons and one God, haue mercy vpō me most wretched caitife and miserable sinner. I haue offended both against heauē & earth more thē my tonge cā expresse. Whether then may I go, or whether should I flie? To heauē I may be ashamed to lyft vp myne eyes, and in earth I finde no place of refuge or succour. To the therfore (O Lord) do I runn: to the do I humble my self, saying: O Lord my God, my sins bee great, but yet haue mercy vpon me for thy great mercy. The great mistery that God became man, was not wrought for little or few offēses. Thou diddest not geue they sonne (O heauēly father) vnto death for small sins onely, but for all the greatest sinnes of the world, so that the sinner returne to the with his whole hart, as I do here at this presēt. Wherfore haue mercy on me O God, whose propertie is alwayes to haue mercy: haue mercy vpon me O Lord, for thy great mercy. I craue nothyng O Lord, for mine owne merites, but for thy names sake, that it may be halowed therby and for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake: And now therfore, our father of heauen, halowed be thy name. &c. And thē he rysing, sayd:
CloseCranmer's prayer, as printed by Foxe, is a composite of the versions given by the account of Cranmer sent to Foxe during his exile and the account of 'J. A.'. Both accounts closely resemble each other but there are differences. Preceding this point, Cranmer's prayer is based on the account sent to Foxe during his exile; after this point it is based on 'J.A.' until 'The second exhortation...'.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe last wordes of exhortation of the Archb. to the people.Euery man (good people) desireth at that tyme of theyr death to geue some good exhortatiō, that other may remember the same before theyr death, and be the better therby: so I besech God graunt me grace, that I may speake some thing at this my departyng, whereby God may bee glorified, and you edified.
[Back to Top]First, it is an heauy case to see that so many folke bee so much doted vpon the loue of this false worlde, and so careful for it, that of the loue of god, or the world to come, they seeme to care very little or nothing. Therfore this shall be my first exhortation,MarginaliaExhortation to contempt of the world. that you set not your mindes ouer much vppon this glosing worlde, but vpon God and vppon the world to come: and to learne to knowe what this lesson meaneth, which S. Iohn teacheth, that the loue of this world is hatred agaynst God.
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CloseFrom this point until the end Cranmer's prayer is based on the version in the account sent him during his exile (cf. BL, Harley 422, fo. 94r-v).
The third exhortatiō is,MarginaliaExhortation to brotherly loue. þt you loue altogether like brethren & sisters. For alas, pitie it is to see what contention & hatred one Christen man beareth to an other, not taking ech other as brother and sister, but rather as straungers & mortall enemies. But I pray you learne and beare well awaye this one lesson, to do good vnto all men, asmuch as in you lyeth, and to hurt no man, no more then you woulde hurt your owne naturall louyng brother or sister. For this you may be sure of, that whosoeuer hateth any person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurt him, surely & without al doubt God is not with that man, although he thinke him selfe neuer so much in Gods fauour.
[Back to Top]The fourth exhortationMarginaliaExhortation to rich men of this world mouing thē to charitable almes. shall be to them that haue great substaunce and riches of this world, that they wil well cōsider and wey three sayinges of the scripture. One is of our Sauiour Christ him selfe, who sayth: MarginaliaLuke. 18.It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kyngdome of heauen. A sore saying, and yet spoken of him that knoweth the truth.
[Back to Top]The second is of S. Iohn, whose saying is this: Marginalia1. Iohn. 3.Hee that hath the substance of this world, and seeth his brother in necessitie, and shutteth vp his mercy from him, how can he say that he loueth God?
The third is of S. Iames, who speaketh to the couetous rich man after this maner: Weepe you and howle for the miserie that shall come vpon you: your riches do rotte, your clothes be moth eaten, your gold and siluer doth canker and