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| On a wet Saturday in 1556, on March 21st, the aged former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Thomas Cranmer, was brought by his persecutors to the town ditch outside Oxford's northern wall. There he was chained to a stake, and was burned alive "bearing witness to the sacred truths which [he] had maintained against the errors of the Church of Rome and rejoicing that to [him] it was given not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake", as the fine memorial raised to the three martyr bishops at Oxford records.
Four hundred and fifty years later, on a dry but very cold Saturday, March 18th, three consecutive meetings were held to commemorate this event. Proceedings began with a gathering in St Mary's Church, the venue for Thomas Cranmer's trials, and from which he had been taken to the stake. Indeed, as folk began to make their way
out of the building for the first address, a tour guide was over heard pointing out to visitors the marks on the pillars showing where the platform had been fixed, on which Cranmer had been placed.
Behind St Mary's Church, in Radcliffe Square, and amid the upheaval of roadworks, some seventy-five people gathered to hear the Rev Dr Roger Beckwith outline the events of that day. He spoke of the manner in which Thomas Cranmer had so upset his judges by refuting his recantations instead of affirming them, which bold act caused an uproar.
Dr Beckwith then informed the assembled crowd that the route to the martyrdom site would pass Hertford College, formerly known as Magdalen Hall, where William Tyndale had studied. His work of translating the Bible from the original languages was the culmination of a process begun some two hundred and fifty years earlier by the Master of Balliol, John Wyclif, outside whose former college the martyrdom of Cranmer took place. The English Bible of William Tyndale was completed by Miles Coverdale. Cranmer was able to move King Henry VIII to order the setting up of the Great Bible in every parish church in England. It was surely no coincidence that the translator of the English Bible and the author of the greatest English liturgy should have come at the same time.
The meeting in Broad Street was chaired by Bishop Edward Malcolm of the Church of England (Continuing). He thanked the organisers of the day's events, and welcomed all who were attending. He then spoke of the justification given by Dr Cole for Cranmer's martyrdom, namely that while the execution of Thomas More was expiated in the execution of Thomas Cromwell, the combined martyrdoms of Bishops Hooper, Latimer and Ridley were not sufficient to equal the death of John Fisher, and that Cranmer was needed as a makeweight! Attention was drawn to the fact that some two hundred and fifty Christians are martyred each day in our time that we know of. Bishop David Samuel read from the Scriptures, led the crowd in prayer, and then spoke about Dr Cranmer and his work and death, from his chosen text, 2 Timothy 1:7; "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". He spoke of the state of religion prior to the reformation, a religion of fear and of ignorance. He showed how Archbishop Cranmer, in the setting up of the Bible and in the preaching of sound doctrine which he promoted, freed the people from this fear.
The attempt under Queen Mary to restore Roman Catholicism required the destruction of Cranmer's reputation, as well as his death. Under extreme pressure he was moved to sign six documents of recantation. By God's grace, he was strengthened at the end to renounce this, and to bear a good testimony to the love and grace of his Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr Samuel ended with a call to all ministers and people to stand fast. He also called upon all who do not know Christ to come to Him and to put their faith in Him if they would know true salvation.
Before speaking Dr Samuel laid a wreath on the martyrdom site. The wording on the card was as follows: "This wreath was laid on behalf of the Protestant Truth Society on the 18th of March 2006 with thanksgiving to God for the faithful witness of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer whose godly influence advanced the Protestant Reformation in England, and who died as a martyr at this spot on the 21st of March 1556 `for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ' (Revelation ch 1 v 9)". Many passers-by stopped to read the card, some coming over to hear the preaching, others being willing to take tracts, and some to talk.
The meeting moved around the corner to the Memorial, where two more wreaths were laid, one by the Protestant Truth Society, the other by a representative of the Orange Order. The Rev Guy Davies then preached a Gospel message, echoing many of the points made earlier in the day, and calling upon sinners to repent.
Numbers, which are by no means a measure of `success', are hard to judge, but an estimate of some one hundred and twenty people seems reasonable, with more stopping for some of the time. We give thanks to God for this occasion, and for the opportunity to preach in the open air, to hand out tracts, and to speak with a number of passersby. May God bring forth fruit from this event, and may He raise up another Thomas Cranmer to call His people back to sound doctrine. |
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