endeared　to　the　hearts　of　the　English　people。　　Northern　Germany
  the　scene　of　the　stupendous　triumphs　of　Lutheris　and　has　been；
  since　the　time　of　Frederick　the　Great；　the　hot…bed　of　rationalistic
  inquiries；　and　the　Genevan　as　well　as　the　French　and　Swiss　churches
  which　Calvin　controlled　have　become　cold；　with　a　dreary　and　formal
  Protestantism；　without　poetry　or　life。　　But　the　Church　of　England
  has　survived　two　revolutions　and　all　the　changes　of　human　thought；
  and　is　still　a　mighty　power；　decorous；　beautiful；　conservative；　yet
  open　to　all　the　liberalizing　influences　of　an　age　of　science　and
  philosophy。　　Cranmer；　though　a　scholastic；　seems　to　have　perceived
  that　nothing　is　more　misleading　and　uncertain　and　unsatisfactory
  than　any　truth　pushed　out　to　its　severest　logical　conclusions
  without　reference　to　other　truths　which　have　for　their　support　the
  same　divine　authority。　　It　is　not　logic　which　has　built　up　the　most
  enduring　institutions；　but　common…sense　and　plain　truths；　and
  appeals　to　human　consciousness；the　cogito；　ergo　sum；　without
  whose　approval　most　systems　have　perished。　　In　mediis　tutissimus
  ibis；　is　not　indeed　an　agreeable　maxim　to　zealots　and　partisans　and
  dialectical　logicians；　but　it　seems　to　be　induced　from　the　varied
  experiences　of　human　life　and　the　history　of　different　ages　and
  nations；　and　applies　to　all　the　mixed　sciences；　like　government　and
  political　economy；　as　well　as　to　church　institutions。
  As　Cromwell　made　his　fortune　by　advising　the　King　to　assume　the
  headship　of　the　Church　in　England；　so　Cranmer's　rise　is　to　be
  traced　to　his　advice　to　Henry　to　appeal　to　the　decision　of
  universities　whether　or　not　he　could　be　legally　divorced　from
  Catharine；　since　the　Popetrue　to　the　traditions；　of　the　Catholic
  Church；　or　from　fear　of　Charles　V。would　not　grant　a　dispensation。
  All　this　business　was　a　miserable　quibble；　a　tissue　of　scholastic
  technicalities。　　But　it　answered　the　ends　of　Cranmer。　　The　schools
  decided　for　the　King；　and　a　great　injustice　and　heartless　cruelty
  was　done　to　a　worthy　and　loyal　woman；　and　a　great　insult　offered　to
  the　Church　and　to　the　Emperor　Charles　of　Germany；　who　was　a　nephew
  of　the　Spanish　Princess　and　English　Queen。　　This　scandal　resulted
  in　a　separation　from　Rome；　as　was　foreseen　both　by　Cromwell　and
  Cranmer；　and　the　latter　became　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　a　prelate
  whose　power　and　dignity　were　greater　then　than　at　the　present　day；
  exalted　as　the　post　is　even　now；the　highest　in　dignity　and　rank
  to　which　a　subject　can　aspire；higher　even　than　the　Lord　High
  Chancellorship；　both　of　which　however；　pale　before　the　position　of
  a　Prime　Minister　so　far　as　power　is　concerned。
  The　separation　from　Rome；　the　suppression　of　the　monasteries；　and
  the　curtailment　of　the　powers　of　the　spiritual　courts　were　the　only
  reforms　of　note　during　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　unless　we　name
  also　the　new　translation　of　the　Bible；　authorized　through　Cranmer's
  influence；　and　the　teaching　of　the　creed；　the　commandments；　and　the
  Lord's　prayer　in　English。　　The　King　died　in　1547。　　Cranmer　was　now
  fifty…seven；　and　was　left　to　prosecute　reforms　in　his　own　way　as
  president　of　the　council　of　regency；　Edward　VI。　being　but　nine
  years　old；〃a　learned　boy；〃　as　Macaulay　calls　him；　but　still　a　boy
  in　the　hands　of　the　great　noblemen　who　composed　the　regency；　and
  who　belonged　to　the　progressive　school。
  I　do　not　think　the　career　of　Cranmer　during　the　life　of　Henry　is
  sufficiently　appreciated。　　He　must　have　shown　at　least
  extraordinary　tact　and　wisdom；with　his　reforming　tendencies　and
  enlightened　views；not　to　come　in　conflict　with　his　sovereign　as
  Becket　did　with　Henry　II。　　He　had　to　deal　with　the　most　capricious
  and　jealous　of　tyrants；　cruel　and　unscrupulous　when　crossed；　a　man
  who　rarely　retained　a　friendship　or　remembered　a　service；　who　never
  forgave　an　injury　or　forgot　an　affront；　a　glutton　and　a　sensualist；
  although　prodigal　with　his　gifts；　social　in　his　temper；　enlightened
  in　his　government；　and　with　very　respectable　abilities　and　very
  considerable　theological　knowledge。　　This　hard　and　exacting　master
  Cranmer　had　to　serve；　without　exciting　his　suspicions　or　coming　in
  conflict　with　him；　so　that　he　seemed　politic　and　vacillating；　for
  which　he　would　not　be　excused　were　it　not　for　his　subsequent
  services；　and　his　undoubted　sincerity　and　devotion　to　the
  Protestant　cause。　　During　the　life　of　Henry　we　can　scarcely　call
  Cranmer　a　reformer。　　The　most　noted　reformer　of　the　day　was　old
  Hugh　Latimer；　the　King's　chaplain；　who　declaimed　against　sin　with
  the　zeal　and　fire　of　Savonarola；　and　aimed　to　create　a　religious
  life　among　the　people；　from　whom　he　sprung　and　whom　he　loved；a
  rough；　hearty；　honest；　conscientious　man；　with　deep　convictions　and
  lofty　soul。
  In　the　reforms　thus　far　carried　on　we　perceive　that；　though
  popular；　they　emanated　from　princes　and　not　from　the　people。　　The
  people　had　no　hand　in　the　changes　made；　as　at　Geneva；　only　the
  ministers　of　kings　and　great　public　functionaries。　　And　in　the
  reforms　subsequently　effected；　which　really　constitute　the　English
  Reformation；　they　were　made　by　the　council　of　regency；　under　the
  leadership　of　Cranmer　and　the　protectorship　of　Somerset。
  The　first　thing　which　the　Government　did　after　the　accession　of
  Edward　VI。　was　to　remove　images　from　the　churches；　as　a　form　of
  idolatry；much　to　the　wrath　of　Gardiner；　Bishop　of　Winchester；　the
  ablest　man　of　the　old　conservative　and　papal　party。　　But　Ridley；
  afterwards　Bishop　of　Rochester；　preached　against　all　forms　of　papal
  superstition　with　so　much　ability　and　zeal　that　the　churches　were
  soon　cleared　of　these　〃helps　to　devotion。〃
  Cranmer；　now　unchecked；　turned　his　attention　to　other　reforms；　but
  proceeded　slowly　and　cautiously；　not　wishing　to　hazard　much　at　the
  outset。　　First　communion　of　both　kinds；　heretofore　restricted　to
  the　clergy；　was　appointed；　and；　closely　connected　with　it；　Masses
  were　put　down。　　Then　a　law　was　passed　by　Parliament　that　the
  appointment　of　bishops　should　vest　in　the　Crown　alone；　and　not；　as
  formerly；　be　confirmed　by　the　Pope。　　The　next　great　thing　to　which
  the　reformers　directed　their　attention　was　the　preparation　of　a　new
  liturgy　in　the　public　worship　of　God；　which　gave　rise　to
  considerable　discussion。　　They　did　not　seek　to　sweep　away　the　old
  form；　for　it　was　prepared　by　the　sainted　doctors　of　the　Church　of
  all　ages；　but　they　would　purge　it　of　all　superstitions；　and　retain
  what　was　most　beautiful　and　expressive　in　the　old　prayers。　　The　Ten
  Commandments；　the　Lord's　Prayer；　and　the　early　creeds　of　course
  were　retained；　as　well　as　whatever　was　in　harmony　with　primitive
  usages。　　These　changes　called　out　letters　from　Calvin　at　Geneva；
  who　was　now　recognized　as　a　great　oracle　among　the　Protestants：　he
  encouraged　the　work；　but　advised　a　more　complete　reformation；　and
  complained　of　the　coldness　of　the　clergy；　as　well　as　of　the　general
  vices　of　the　times。　　Martin　Bucer　of　Strasburg；　at　this　time
  professor　at　Cambridge；　also　wrote　letters　to　the　same　effect；　but
  the　time　had　not　come　for　more　radical　reforms。　　Then　Parliament；
  controlled　by　the　Government；　passed　an　act　allowing　the　clergy　to
  marry；opposed；　of　course；　by　many　bishops　in　allegiance　to　Rome。
  This　was　a　great　step　in　reform；　and　removed　many　popular　scandals；
  it　struck　a　heavy　blow　at　the　conditions　of　the　Middle　Ages；
  holding　that　celibacy　sprung　from　no　law　of　God；　but　was　Oriental
  in　its　origin；　encouraged　by　the　Church　to　cement　its　power。　　And
  this　act　concerning　the　marriage　of　the　clergy　was　soon　followed　by
  the　celebrated　Forty…two　Articles；　framed　by　Cranmer　and　Ridley；
  which　are　the　bases　of　the　English　Church；a　theological　creed；
  slightly　amended　afterwards　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　evangelical
  but　not　Calvinistic；　affirming　the　great　ideas　of　Augustine　and
  Luther　as　to　grace；　justification　by　faith；　and　original　sin；　and
  repudiating　purgatory；　pardons；　the　worship　and　invocation　of
  saints　and　images；　a　larger　creed　than　the　Nicene　or　Athanasian；
  and　comprehensive；such　as　most　Protestants　might　accept。　　Both
  this　and　the　book　of　Common　Prayer　were　written　with　consummate
  taste；　were　the　work　of　great　scholars；moderate；　broad；
  enlightened；　conciliatory。
  The　reformers　then　gave　their　attention　to　an　alteration　of
  ecclesiastical　laws　in　reference　to　matters　which　had　always　been
  decided　in　ecclesiastical　courts。　　The　commissionersthe　ablest
  men　in　England；　thirty…two　in　numberhad　scarcely　completed　their
  work　before　the　young　King　died；　and　Mary　ascended　the　throne。
  We　cannot　too　highly　praise　the　moderation　with　which　the　reforms
  had　been　made；　especially　when　we　remember　the　violence　of　the　age。
  There　were　indeed　two　or　three　capital　executions　for　heresy。
  Gardiner　and　Bonner；　who　opposed　the　reformation　with　unparalleled
  bitterness　were　only　deprived　of　their　sees　and　sent　to　the　Tower。
  The　execution　of　Somerset　was　the　work　of　politicians；　of　gr