"Thomas Cranmer:" Jasper Ridley (#16): Ch.4--Archbishop of Canterbury: D...

As ordered by Henry, Dr. Cranmer leaves Mantua, Italy on 19 Nov 1532 and Tom knows that Henry has picked him to be Archbishop William Warham's successor at Canterbury. (Warham had died 22 Aug 1532 and Henry picked Tom over several other qualified Bishops.)

Dr. Cranmer arrives in London about 10 Jan 1533, approximately seven weeks later, riding slowly from Mantua via Lyons, France. Travel conditions are awful with rain, snow and frozen roads.

We pause to ponder: (1) What thoughts filled his mind? (2) What of Margaret his new wife? Can I pull this gig off as a married ABC? (3) What of the conversations on theology and politics with the Lutheran Pastor, Osiander, at Nurenberg? (3) What of Lutheranism? (4) Can I really support Henry's cause? (he had some doubts, unsurprisingly) (5) What of my own emerging convictions and the relationship to the Archepiscopate? (6) Oh my, Cambridge has better allures that this busy life? What did I get myself into? (7) What will I face upon return to London?

We may surmise that this careful Doctor was pondering many things and many without immediate answers. Tom was not a prophet and could not predict the future. His future was in God's hands.

Soon enough, we'll see Dr. Cranmer doing Henry's biddings on the "Great Matter." And things start moving really fast in 1533. Really fast. Buckle up.


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