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Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

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monarch, resulted <strong>in</strong> great bless<strong>in</strong>gs to <strong>England</strong>.<br />

When <strong>Henry</strong> died, he left to Cranmer little but<br />

a ru<strong>in</strong>. The foundations <strong>of</strong> a new edifice had <strong>in</strong>deed<br />

been laid <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> diffusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God; but<br />

while <strong>the</strong> substructions lay hid underground, <strong>the</strong><br />

surface was strewn over by <strong>the</strong> debris <strong>of</strong> that old<br />

edifice which <strong>the</strong> terrible blows <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>g had<br />

shivered <strong>in</strong> pieces. Cranmer had to set to work,<br />

with such assistants as he could ga<strong>the</strong>r round him,<br />

and essay <strong>in</strong> patience and toil <strong>the</strong> rear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a new<br />

edifice. It is <strong>in</strong> this labor that we are now to follow<br />

him.<br />

Footnotes:<br />

1. Herbert, book 3., p. 196.<br />

2. Her uncle <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Norfolk, her bitterest<br />

enemy, pronounced <strong>the</strong> sentence, on hear<strong>in</strong>g<br />

which she raised her eyes to heaven, and<br />

exclaimed, "Oh, Fa<strong>the</strong>r and Creator! oh, Thou<br />

who art <strong>the</strong> way, and <strong>the</strong> truth, and <strong>the</strong> life!<br />

Thou knowest that I have not deserved this<br />

death." (Meteren, History des Pays Bas, p. 21.)<br />

223

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