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21st March, 2006  marks the 450th anniversary/martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer: the first Protestant Archbishop/Canterbury
Such an event is to be remembered for a number/reasons:

[i] Thomas Cranmer died as a Christian martyr. His sole crime was to confess the all sufficiency: Jesus Christ as the only Saviour/sinners In the matter of eternal life, he believed he could dispense with sacraments and all the trappings/church like Popes and priests etc.,  and rely on Christ alone. If that was still considered to be a capital crime today, then every true Protestant would all be fit/killed
In so remembering these men, we are endorsing their stand and their doctrine that led them to take this position

[ii] In dying as a Christian martyr, Cranmer is singularly owned/God
 In our readings, Stephen is called "thy martyr" by Paul when he addressed Christ (Acts 22:20)
Again, God refers to Antipas: "my faithful martyr" (Revelation 2:13)
I don't think we can read that and then just walk away from those who died in similar circumstances and for the same reasons
If God is going to give then a crown (2 Timothy 4:8) then, surely the least we can do is remember them with great honour

[iii] In so remembering them, we help steel ourselves for whatever lies ahead.
Seems a bit romantic and even far fetched to imagine having to die for the faith, but even now in this very small world in which we live, there are people being martyred for their faith and if we are depending upon public opinion or the guarantees/EU or any political body to secure our religious freedoms, then we might well find them to be a broken reed which will pierce our hands as we so lean

[iv] In so remembering the Protestant martyrs, we take a decided stand against the RC Church who is still responsible for their blood - and who would shed blood again if/when she ever gained the ascendancy. Don't forget Revelation 17!

We don't remember these things to be bitter etc., but to just sweep them under the carpet as if they never happened is sheer madness
There is a despising/Reformation, even among so called Evangelicals. If we despise something which was so evidently sent/God…do not be surprised if God holds back from sending us another Reformation 

Let's think about Thomas Cranmer

1) CRANMER'S BACKGROUND

Born 1489 in Aslacton, Nottinghamshire
Baptised into the RC Church
Educated in a local school by a very cruel priest
Like many young boys - he learned use/long bow and horse riding
Even though his father died when he was 12 years old, Cranmer's mother was still able to send her son to Cambridge University
Later appointed as one of the University's public examiner/theology

Ordained as a RC priest in 1520 and gained his doctorate in 1522

2) CRANMER'S CONVERSION TO GOD

A/ Cambridge University had a tremendous claim/fame
Erasmus (Dutch scholar) lectured in Greek there for a while
Also published a copy of the Greek NT for private study

B/ Who can tell the power of the word/God in such circumstances?
The Bible was a closed book to many - Rome breeds ignorance
"Ignorance is the mother of devotion"
Think of the power/God unleashed when men study the pure word
Romans 1:16/Isaiah 55:11
Soon Luther's writings were smuggled in and studied

C/ Some of the early Reformer's were at Cambridge at this time
Including Latimer and Tyndale
Cranmer did not openly associate with them…but in his private papers he records his pray for the downfall of the Papacy in England

D/ We are not told the "how" of Cranmer's conversion - we are left to judge the tree by the fruit
May surmise that it was through reading the Bible in Cambridge

E/ The word/God cannot be bound (2 Timothy 2:9)
This is why we should be distributing it as much as we can.
The printing press was a great friend of the Reformation and it should ever remain so

3) CRANMER'S PART IN THE REFORMATION

A/ Noticed by Henry VIII who sought to divorce Catherine/Aragon
A plague broke out in Cambridge and Cranmer left to tutor the children of a rich man in Waltham where Henry VIII would hunt nearby
The Cressey family entertained some of Henry's courtiers and when the Pope delayed giving a decision on Henry's divorce (for political reasons) Cranmer suggested that the English Universities (founded by theologians) should debate the issue and decide
Henry agreed and liked Cranmer so much, that he sent him to represent England in the papal court

B/ After 2 years, Cranmer was brought home by Henry VIII and was somewhat reluctantly elevated to be Archbishop/Canterbury in 1533
This gave him great influence

Henry broke with Rome in 1534, although he remained a doctrinal RC, and this made it difficult for Cranmer to institute great reforms esp. concerning doctrine

C/ One key reform though was to have the Bible set up in every parish church in England which did tremendous good

D/ Cranmer appointed Nicholas Ridley as his chaplain and Ridley convinced Cranmer of the heretical nature of the RC mass

E/ At this time, Cranmer corresponded with other leading Reformers including  John Knox (to whom he offered a bishopric) and John Calvin
He entertained Peter Martyr (Italy) and Martin Bucer (Switzerland) when they came to England

4) CRANMER AND THE ANGLICAN PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILIES

A/ After Henry's death, his son Edward was crowned king, even though he was but 9 years old
However, he was a Protestant (unlike his father and elder sister, Mary) and this gave men like Cranmer, Ridley etc., great leeway in promoting the Evangelical faith

B/ Cranmer was largely responsible for the prayer book
As Presbyterians, we shy away from the idea of prayer books
The COE Prayer Book still retained some Popish doctrines
(Ryle Bishop type Evangelicals argued that the prayer book is to be interpreted by the 39 Articles which are stoutly Protestant - but this is a war which non Prayer Book users don't have to get involved in)

C/ Cranmer also is responsible for the Homilies (Book of official sermons)
Many of the Anglican clergy were still unconverted and others could not preach…so whatever their deficiencies, they could read these sermons (solidly Protestant) and disseminate truth
(Thought of unconverted clergy is an abomination to us today, but these men were making do with what they could. Not a pattern…but at least a start. Further Reformation soon followed)  

5) CRANMER'S MARTYRDOM

A/ Edward died young (16 years old) and England lurched back to Rome under the reign of his eldest sister Mary (Bloody Mary)
Nearly 300 Protestant men and women were burned in Mary's reign

B/ Mary had the leading Reformers sent to the Tower
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burned together (16-10-1555)
Cranmer was detained 6 months more until March 1556

He was taken to Oxford and degraded - i.e. various ceremonies to show that he was no longer holding authority/RC Church e.g. they scraped his fingers and nails to undo the effects of the anointing etc.
Then his enemies changed tactics and placed him in pleasant apartments and limited liberty and seduced him back into Rome, with him even signing papers renouncing his Protestant faith
(1 Corinthians 10:12 is worth bearing in mind here)

However, the Devil always oversteps himself
Mary never forgave Cranmer for enabling the divorce of her father and mother outside/Rome and she still wanted him burned/stake
Cranmer was hauled before such a gathering in St Mary's church in Oxford (University) to speak to the assembled crowd
But to their utter amazement he said that in signing a recantation/former belief's his hand had 'offended in writing contrary to his heart' and he continued:

'Therefore my hand shall be first punished, for if I may come to the fire, it shall be first burned.
And as for the Pope, I refuse him a Christ's enemy/antichrist, with all his false doctrine.'

The priests went mad with rage shouting 'Stop the heretic's mouth'
He ran rather than walked to the flames, and as he had vowed he thrust his right hand stedfastly into the flame, repeating
'This unworthy right hand' and so died as one of Christ's faithful martyrs
May we likewise be faithful unto death for the gospel sake

THE END