description: When we think of the saints, we usually think of them isolated from the world in many respects or just about their close friends and relatives. And yet married saints have children, who have children. Indeed there are probably descendants of this holy martyr alive today! It should be noted that the preface, although it contains useful historical information, was written by a non-Catholic and some of his prejudice shows through. Let us read of Saint Thomas' relationship with Saint John “Sir Thomas :More's friendship with the glorious Bishop of Rochester was neither short nor small, but had long continued, and ended not [but] with their famous martyrdoms. See how good Bishop Fisher writeth unto "Let, I pray you, our Cambridge men have some hope in you to be favoured by the king's majesty, that our scholars may be stirred up to learning by the countenance of so worthy a prince. We have few friends in the court, which can or will commend our causes to his royal majesty, and amongst all we account you the chief, who have always favoured us greatly, even when you were in a meaner place; and now also shew what you can do, being raised to the honour of knighthood, and in such great favour with our prince, of which we greatly rejoice, and also do congratulate your happiness. Give furtherance to this youth, who is both a good scholar in divinity, and also a sufficient preacher to the people. For he hath hope in your favour, that you can procure him great furtherance, and that my commendations ",-ill help him to your favour." “To this Sir Thomas More answered This priest, Reverend Father, whom you write to be in possibility of a bishoprick, if he might have some worthy suitor to speak for him to the king, I imagine that I have so prevailed, that his majesty will be no hindrance thereto, &amp;c. If I have any favour with the king, which truly is but little, but whatsoever I have I will employ all I can to the service of your fatherhood and your scholars, to whom I yield perpetual thanks for their dear affections towards me, often testified by their loving letters, and my house shall be open to them as though it were their own. Farewell, worthy and most courteous prelate, and see you love me as you have done."” And let us consider this of More's home “He would often talk with his wife and children of the exceeding joys in heaven, and terrible pains of hell, of the lives of holy martyrs, what torments they endured for the love of God, of their man·ellous patience and deaths, which they suffered most willingly rather than they would offend God's divine majesty; and what an honourable thing it was for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to abide imprisonment, loss of goods, lands, and life; adding also what a comfort it would be to him, if he might find that his wife and children would encourage him to die in a good cause; for it would cause him for joy thereof merrily to run to death; besides, as prophesying of his future troubles, he would tell them what miseries might chance to happen unto him. With which virtuous discourses he had so encouraged them, that when these things after fell upon him indeed, their misery seemed the more tolerable unto them, because shafts foreseen hurt not so much.” And let us consider “When Sir Thomas had now fully perceived that he was called to martyrdom, having received sentence of death, with a bold and constant countenance he spoke in this "Well, seeing I am condemned, God knows how justly, I will freely speak for the disburthening of my conscience, what I think of this law. When I perceived that the king's pleasure was to sift out from whence the pope's authority was derived, I confess I studied seven years together to find out the truth thereof; and I could not read ill anyone doctor's writings, which the church alloweth, anyone saying that avouched that a layman was, or could ever be, head of the church."
language: English
title: The life and death of Sir Thomas Moore [i.e. More] (1630)
titlecomplete: The life and death of Sir Thomas Moore [i.e. More] (1630) (English recusant literature, 1558-1640)
publisher: Scolar Press