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The Death of Thomas Cranmer
thecripplegate.com ^ | September 16, 2014 | Nathan Busenitz

Posted on 02/06/2015 6:56:05 AM PST by Gamecock

Four hundred fifty eight years ago, on March 21, 1556, a crowd of curious spectators packed University Church in Oxford, England. They were there to witness the public recantation of one of the most well-known English Reformers, a man named Thomas Cranmer.

Cranmer had been arrested by Roman Catholic authorities nearly three years earlier. At first, his resolve was strong. But after many months in prison, under daily pressure from his captors and the imminent threat of being burned at the stake, the Reformer’s faith faltered. His enemies eventually coerced him to sign several documents renouncing his Protestant faith.

In a moment of weakness, in order to prolong his life, Cranmer denied the truths he had defended throughout his ministry, the very principles upon which the Reformation itself was based.

Roman Catholic Queen Mary I, known to church history as “Bloody Mary,” viewed Cranmer’s retractions as a mighty trophy in her violent campaign against the Protestant cause. But Cranmer’s enemies wanted more than just a written recantation. They wanted him to declare it publicly.

And so, on March 21, 1556, Thomas Cranmer was taken from prison and brought to University Church. Dressed in tattered clothing, the weary, broken, and degraded Reformer took his place at the pulpit. A script of his public recantation had already been approved; and his enemies sat expectantly in the audience, eager to hear his clear denunciation of the evangelical faith.

But then the unexpected happened. In the middle of his speech, Thomas Cranmer deviated from his script. To the shock and dismay of his enemies, he refused to recant the true gospel. Instead, he bravely recanted his earlier recantations.

Finding the courage he had lacked over those previous months, the emboldened Reformer announced to the crowd of shocked onlookers:

"I come to the great thing that troubles my conscience more than any other thing that I ever said or did in my life: and that is, the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth, which here now I renounce and refuse, as things written with my hand [which were] contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, [being] written for fear of death, and to save my life."

Cranmer went on to say that if he should be burned at the stake, his right hand would be the first to be destroyed, since it had signed those recantations. And then, just to make sure no one misunderstood him, Cranmer added this: “And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ’s enemy and antichrist, with all his false doctrine.”

Chaos ensued.

Moments later, Cranmer was seized, marched outside, and burned at the stake.

True to his word, he thrust his right hand into the flames so that it might be destroyed first. As the flames encircled his body, Cranmer died with the words of Stephen on his lips: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. I see the heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: bloodymary; killerpopes; thomascranmer

1 posted on 02/06/2015 6:56:05 AM PST by Gamecock
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To: Gamecock

Sadly, we may be back to his situation soon. The Catholic Church was so politicized back then...its purpose was to serve the state and guard the status quo rather than save souls and minister to the people. Thomas Cranmer wavered but was obviously embolden by Holy Spirit in the end. The “new” political “church” correctness today demands we compromise on abortion, gay “marriage” and Bible Truth… based on what I heard in Obama prayer breakfast speech, and the HATE spewed daily by media and leftists at Christians... the “stake” for the Saints may soon be operational again.


2 posted on 02/06/2015 7:14:53 AM PST by FiddlePig
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To: Gamecock
....on March 21, 1556, Thomas Cranmer was taken from prison and brought to University Church. Dressed in tattered clothing, the weary, broken, and degraded Reformer took his place at the pulpit. A script of his public recantation had already been approved; and his enemies sat expectantly in the audience, eager to hear his clear denunciation of the evangelical faith. But then the unexpected happened. In the middle of his speech, Thomas Cranmer deviated from his script. To the shock and dismay of his enemies, he refused to recant the true gospel. Instead, he bravely recanted his earlier recantations. Finding the courage he had lacked over those previous months, the emboldened Reformer announced to the crowd of shocked onlookers:
"I come to the great thing that troubles my conscience more than any other thing that I ever said or did in my life: and that is, the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth, which here now I renounce and refuse, as things written with my hand [which were] contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, [being] written for fear of death, and to save my life."
Cranmer went on to say that if he should be burned at the stake, his right hand would be the first to be destroyed, since it had signed those recantations. And then, just to make sure no one misunderstood him, Cranmer added this:
“And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ’s enemy and antichrist, with all his false doctrine.”
Chaos ensued.

Moments later, Cranmer was seized, marched outside, and burned at the stake. True to his word, he thrust his right hand into the flames so that it might be destroyed first. As the flames encircled his body, Cranmer died with the words of Stephen on his lips: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. I see the heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

Ping for later

3 posted on 02/06/2015 7:46:19 AM PST by Alex Murphy ("the defacto Leader of the FR Calvinist Protestant Brigades")
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To: FiddlePig

Barrack Obama claims to be a Christian doesn’t he? Isn’t he the current “King” of the United States? According to what I’ve read from Tyndale, Kings, rulers and such get to be the deciding factor on how the faith will be followed in their own country.

How can you criticize what “Bible Truth” means to some people when the reformers essentially gave them the right to interpret Scripture to their own meaning? Isn’t that what Protestantism is all about?

Are you only relegating political correctness to the Catholic Church? What about Henry VIII? What about the countless other Kings and heads of state who twisted scripture and religion to their own ends?


4 posted on 02/06/2015 8:09:36 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: Gamecock

The Son of God goes forth to war,
A kingly crown to gain;
His blood red banner streams afar:
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below,
He follows in His train.

The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave;
Who saw his Master in the sky,
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue,
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for them that did the wrong:
Who follows in his train?

A glorious band, the chosen few
On whom the Spirit came;
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew,
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their heads the death to feel:
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of Heav’n,
Through peril, toil and pain;
O God, to us may grace be giv’n,
To follow in their train.

—Reginald Heber, 1827


5 posted on 02/06/2015 8:16:07 AM PST by TIElniff (Autonomy is the guise of every graceless heart.)
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To: Gamecock

The following is from Cranmer’s trial record when he was questioned by one of the commissioners, a man named Dr. Martin, about who exactly was Supreme Head of the Church in England:

Martin: ”Now sir, as touching the last part of your oration, you denied that the pope’s holiness was supreme head of the church of Christ.”

Cranmer: “I did so.”

Martin: “Who say you then is supreme head?”

Cranmer: “Christ”

Martin: “But whom hath Christ left here in earth his vicar and head of his church?”

Cranmer: “Nobody.”

Martin: “Ah! why told you not king Henry this when you made him supreme head? and now nobody is. This is treason against his own person as you then made him.”

Cranmer: “I mean not but every king in his own realm and dominion is supreme head, and so was he supreme head of the church of Christ in England.”

Martin: “Is this always true? and was it ever so in Christ’s church?”

Cranmer: “It was so.”

Martin: “Then what say you by Nero? He was the mightiest prince of the earth after Christ was ascended: was he head of Christ’s church?

Cranmer: “Nero was Peter’s head.”

Martin: “I ask whether Nero was head of the church or no? If he were not, it is false that you said before, that all princes be, and ever were, heads of the church within their realms.”

Cranmer: “Nay, it is true, for Nero was head of the church; that is, in worldly respect of the temporal bodies of men, of whom the church consisteth; for so he beheaded Peter and the apostles. And the Turk too is head of the church in Turkey.”

Martin: “Then he that beheaded the heads of the church, and crucified the apostles, was head of Christ’s church; and he that was never member of the church, is head of the church, by your new-found understanding of God’s word.”

(Josiah Pratt, The Church Historians of England: Reformation period, Volume 8, Part 1, 57).


6 posted on 02/06/2015 10:55:42 AM PST by vladimir998
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To: Gamecock

Sorry, but this hagiography is utter nonsense. Cromwell was a monster and a cold blooded killer. His only religion was himself. His embrace of Protestantism (and fierce persecution of the Catholic Church) was all about personal self aggrandizement. See...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11361080/Thomas-Cromwell-was-the-Islamic-State-of-his-day.html

I would post that as a separate article on here but I don’t think I have been here long enough to do that. If someone else wants to, feel free.


7 posted on 02/06/2015 2:03:11 PM PST by NRx
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To: NRx

An interesting article, but a slight correction — this particular post was about Thomas Cranmer, not Thomas Cromwell.

Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More... seems almost everyone in that whole bloody affair was named “Thomas.” ;)


8 posted on 02/06/2015 2:50:59 PM PST by MWS
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To: Gamecock

My pastor gave a wonderful sermon a few weeks ago that caused me think on it for weeks.. He spoke of the new martyrs at the hands of Islam ..and how at that moment the Holy Spirit gives courage to the weak.. I spent time hoping that is so ... I believe his final speech was empowered by the Holy Spirit


9 posted on 02/06/2015 5:19:05 PM PST by RnMomof7
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To: MWS

Yikes! I stand corrected.


10 posted on 02/06/2015 7:58:24 PM PST by NRx
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To: Gamecock

The Death of Edward Campion

He was martyred under Elizabeth I (Bloody Good Queen Bess)

Protestants killed Catholics (especially priests) under the penal laws of Bess who executed people for treason simply because they were Catholic.

Reformation England was a tragic era with intolerant protestants killing Catholics and visa versa. Historian Eamon Duffy provides a good account of protestant atrocities in his book “Stripping of the Altars”.

King Henry VIII’s split from the True Church because he was desperate to legitimize his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and thus started his own religion was the ultimate root of the English Reformation.

This was bound to set off disaster as the whole premise was unbiblical from the start (see Matthew 19:3-6) Fornication allows for separation only, not divorce.

The Protestants had further blood on their hands; the Puritans split from the (protestant) Church of England to form their own new protestant sect in New England. Once there, they initiated the Salem witch trials with the burning of Ann Glover, an Irish Catholic washer woman who was burned at the stake for her Catholicism. She had the misfortune of ending up in New England after having been sold as a slave to Barbados by none other than the illustrious Oliver Cromwell.

The attempt to vilify Catholics as the “bad” guys and idealize protestants as the “good” guys in the Reformation era inevitably will fail as history will not support this scenario as fact.


11 posted on 02/07/2015 11:14:29 AM PST by stonehouse01
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