THOMAS CRANMER was born at Aslacton in Nottinghamshire, on the second of July 1489. His father was a gentleman of small fortune; but the head of a family, which had long lived in reputation in those parts. He was a lover of country diversions; and seems to have given his son an early taste for them.

The circumstances indeed of Mr. Cranmer's youth were not such, as usually usher in the life of a scholar. No man could manage a pack of hounds better; or handle the long-bow with more dexterity; or with the cross-bow take a surer aim. In horsemanship he so excelled, that after he was an arch-bishop, he scrupled not to ride the roughest horse in his stables.

But amusements with him were only relaxations. He gave himself up to study with equal eagerness; and his proficiency in country-diversions shewed merely the versatility of his genius.—The experiment, however, is dangerous; and the example not to be followed by those, who are not well assured they have his strength of parts, and steadiness of temper to secure them from an extreme.

At the usual age Mr. Cranmer was sent to Cambridge; which was not then the seat of the muses. Schoolmen were the classics of that age; and nothing was heard from the chairs either of science, or religion, but what would have inspired an improved mind with disgust. This solemn trifling, which was then called learning, engaged Mr. Cranmer at least ten years.

About the year 1520 Martin Luther began first to draw the attention of mankind. Many reformers, before his day, particularly Wicliff, Huss, and Jerome of Prague, at different periods, had seen, and exposed, with great acuteness, and strength of argument, the corruptions of the church of Rome. But it pleased God to use these inquisitive minds only as the dawning of that day, which He intended gradually to open. The corruptions of the church therefore having not yet received any effectual check, continued to spread; and, in the days of Luther, had grown to an enormous height. Venality, and rapacity were the reigning characteristics of the sovereign pontiff; and of that band of ecclesiastics, who retained under him. The very idea of religion was lost; except where it was necessary to uphold some parading ceremonies of the church; which were all the remains now left of Christianity. Morals were never thought of; and so far were the ruling powers from being hurt by the scandalous lives of the clergy, that they invented every method to exempt them from the jurisdiction of all courts, except their own. In them, every trespass found the gentlest treatment. An easy fine would satisfy even for murder.

Nor is it surprizing, that the inferior clergy should lay aside all decency of manners, when they looked up to such pontiffs, as had long filled St. Peter's chair; particularly Alexander VI, and Julius II. Even Leo X, flattered by the wits of the age, as the revivor, and patron of arts, and letters, tho an elegant prince, was a detestable ecclesiastic^*.

We need not wonder therefore, if so complex a system of corruption, as the Roman hierarchy appears to have been, at that time, needed little developing. Luther's doctrines spread rapidly through Germany: and tho it was the single corruption of indulgences, which gave the first impulse to this disgust; yet from one error the minds of men presently passed to another; and the tenets of Luther were eagerly embraced, not only by the lower classes of people; but even by some of the princes of the empire; particularly by the elector of Saxony, one of the best, and by his sufferings shewn to be, one of the most magnanimous, princes of his time.

But tho the ardent, and intrepid spirit of Luther had thus awakened a great part of Germany from its lethargy; yet his opinions found their way but leisurely into other parts of Europe. In England they were received with great caution. Serious men began to see the corruptions of the clergy; but they were afraid to question the infallibility of the pope. They were convinced of the propriety of seeking truth in the bible: but examined with great timidity the doctrines it contained.

Indeed, as far as appears, the writings of Erasmus introduced the first idea of systematic reformation in England. This reformer was a man of a very different temper from Luther: and yet in his way perhaps he contributed as much to discountenance the corruptions of the Romish church. Luther, fearless in the path of truth, was animated, rather than daunted, by opposition. Erasmus, cautious, and respectful to authority, shrank from danger; and sought truth only in the regions of tranquillity. Luther, in vehement language, talked of extirpating error, root, and branch. Erasmus wished only to open the eyes of men; and to leave them by degrees to reform themselves: he satisfied himself with exposing what was wrong; but did not presume to point out what was right. Luther's opposition ran ever in the form of fierce invective, or serious argument. Erasmus, tho always in earnest, chose commonly to cloath his sentiments in ridicule. Luther was remarkable for the boldness of his measures; and a course of intrepid action: while Erasmus, trusting to his pen, never ventured abroad as the champion of religion; but defended it from his closet: and the art of printing getting then into use, his opinions soon made their way into the different parts of Europe.

Thus it happened, through the providence of God, that these two men, tho in different ways, were equally adapted to the work of reformation. If Luther were the more spirited reformer on the spot; Erasmus was better qualified to make proselytes at a distance. If Luther's rough, and popular address were better suited to the multitude; the polished style, and elegant composition of Erasmus, found readier access to the gentleman, and the scholar.

The works of this celebrated writer began to be received in England at the time, when Mr. Cranmer was a student at Cambridge; and all men, who pretended to genius, learning, or liberality of sentiment, read them with avidity. To the general scholar, they opened a new idea—that of thinking for himself; and to the student in divinity, they pointed out the scriptures as the only source of religious truth. The sophistry of the schools began apace to lose credit; and the universities soon produced ingenious men, who thought they could not employ their time better, than in studying the naked text of the scriptures, which at length drew on a freedom of inquiry. These students were commonly known by the name of Scripturists.

Mr. Cranmer ranked himself very early in this class of men; and with great assiduity applied to the study of the scriptures. The more he studied, the more inlightened he grew: he daily saw more reason for rejecting the false aids, in which he consided; and began to entertain many doubts, and suspicions, which he yet kept to himself.

His mode of study was calculated for improvement, rather than for ostentation. He read few books; but made himself a thorough master of those, he did read. A general scholar he thought another name for a superficial one. His character as a student, is thus marked by one of his biographers. "In percurrendis, conferendisque scriptorum judiciis, tardus quidem lector, sed vehemens erat observator. Sine calamo nunquam ad scriptoris cujusquam librum accessit: ita tamen ut memoriam interim, haud minus quam calamum, exerceret^*."

An imprudent marriage, at this early period of his life, interrupted his studies; and threw him out of his preferment in Jesus college; of which he had been elected a fellow. He was now reduced to difficult circumstances. The slender income of a lectureship, which he obtained in Magdalen college, seems to have been the whole of what he now enjoyed. But tho it produced him little emolument, it tended greatly to increase his reputation. His lectures, which were considered as ingenious, and learned compositions, were always attended by a numerous academical audience of every description. They were chiefly directed against the Romish superstitions. "He rubbed the galled backs, says Fuller, and curried the lazy hides of many an idle, and ignorant frier." I know not that these expressions give us a just idea of Mr. Cranmer's talents. They imply a sarcastic manner, which was not his. Strong sense, and argument were the only weapons he employed.

He had scarce been married a year, when his wife died: and such was his reputation in the university, and particularly in his own college, that, on this event, he was re-elected into his former station.

He had soon an opportunity of shewing his gratitude. Some agents of cardinal Woolsey being employed to draw together a body of learned men from both the universities to fill the college of Christ-church in Oxford, which that prelate had just founded; Mr. Cranmer, among others, was applied to; but he did not care to leave his old friends, to whom he had been lately so much obliged; tho a better income was offered, and a more promising road to preferment.

In the year 1526 ^* he took the degree of doctor in divinity. The scripturists, it is evident, had great influence in the university at this time; as we find Dr. Cranmer appointed one of the examiners in theology.

In this situation he did very eminent service to religion by allowing no student to proceed to his degree, who did not appear to be well acquainted with the scriptures. His strictness however was tempered with so much gentleness, and benignity; that the disappointed candidate, unless a very disingenuous man, plainly saw, that the examiner's conscience drew from him a reluctant severity.

The university however soon felt the good effects of Dr. Cranmer's attention. The young divines caught a new object of pursuit; and intirely changed their mode of study. He would often afterwards say, that in the course of his life, he had met with many eminent scholars, who had told him with great ingenuity, how much they thought themselves obliged to him for the check he had formerly given them at Cambridge, "Had it not been for that, they would add, we might have persisted, all our lives, in our early prejudices."