23 April 1554 A.D. OXFORD, UK: At trial, Dr. Cranmer answers Dr. John Harpsfield—24 Apr 1554: Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer pronounced “heretics”
23 April 1554 A.D. OXFORD, UK: At trial, Dr. Cranmer answers Dr. John Harpsfield—24 Apr 1554: Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer pronounced “heretics” A few of our musings on the offerings by Bromiley, G.W. Thomas Cranmer: Archbishop and Martyr. London: Church Book Room Press, 1956. The university-trial had been opened 16 Apr 1554, which was more of a rail-road job than a trial. Bishops Thirlby and Bonner were the chairs, the former being polite and the latter being himself, triumphantly rude and obnoxious. It was a university review with the combined forces of Oxford and Cambridge. As such, it had no state or judicial authority other than an academic event functioning advisorially to state and Crown authorities. The year 1555 was used to remove Henrician laws since 1529 with an installation of Mary’s ruthless ecclesiastical and heresy policy laws. These Parliamentary changes in 1555 would provide the legal basis for the subsequent burnings-at-the-stake. But, we get ahead of ou...