is own defence. Among other
expressions, he there said, that as the devil was a liar from the
beginning, and the father of lies, he had at this time stirred up his
servants to persecute Christ and his true religion: that this infernal
spirit now endeavored to restore the Latin satisfactory masses, a thing
of his own invention and device; and in order to effect his purpose, had
falsely made use of Cranmer's name and authority: and that the mass is
not only without foundation, either in the Scriptures or in the practice
of the primitive church, but likewise discovers a plain contradiction
to antiquity and the inspired writings, and is besides replete with many
horrid blasphemies.[*]

* Fox, vol. iii. p. 94. Heylin, p. 25. Godwin, p. 336.
Burnet Vol. ii. Coll. No. 8. Cranm. Mem. p. 305. Thuanus,
lib xiii. c. 8.

On the publication of this inflammatory paper Cranmer was thrown into
prison, and was tried for the part which he had acted in concurring
with the lady Jane, and opposing the queen's accession. Sentence of high
treason was pronounced against him, and though his guilt was shared with
the whole privy council and was even less than that of the greater part
of them, this sentence, however severe, must be allowed entirely legal.
The execution of it, however, did not follow; and Cranmer was reserved
for a more cruel punishment.

Peter Martyr, seeing a persecution gathering against the reformers
desired leave to withdraw;[*] and while some zealous Catholics moved
for his commitment, Gardiner both pleaded that he had come over by
an invitation from the government, and generously furnished him with
supplies for his journey: but as bigoted zeal still increased, his
wife's body, which had been interred at Oxford, was afterwards dug up
by public orders, and buried in a dunghill.[**] The bones of Bucer and
Fagius, two foreign reformers, were about the same time committed to the
flames at Cambridge.[***] John Alasco was first silenced, then ordered
to depart the kingdom with his congregation. The greater part of the
foreign Protestants followed him; and the nation thereby lost many
useful hands for arts and manufactures. Several English Protestants also
took shelter in foreign parts; and every thing bore a dismal aspect for
the reformation.

During this revolution of the court, no protection was expected by
Protestants from the Parliament which was summoned to assemble. A
zealous reformer[****] pretends, that