On July 6, 471 years ago, Thomas More was killed.
I only heard that the author of "Utopia" was killed by those in power. It was only a few weeks ago that I knew more about the specific reason for his death: He did not sworn to admit the divorce between King Henry VIII of England and Queen Catherine at the time. It is legal, and Henry VIII is not recognized as the head of the Christian church.
It was noon in the early summer of this year. A good friend and I passed by a video store near Liangma River to see if there were any films about European history.
The shopkeeper said, it doesn't seem to be. This is not surprising. Based on the experience of my friend and I over the past few years, this type of DVD is indeed rare, so I just ask about it.
But we still hope that there will be unexpected discoveries, plus time calmly, we will continue to search between the shelves. As usual, the cover is full of common covers, which seem to have nothing to do with my goal.
Just when I was about to give up this search, I heard my friend call me:
"Look at this?"
I turned from the inner row of aisles and walked back to the middle row, and took a box of DVDs from my friend. "It's about Henry VIII."
As we grow older, that friend and I have less and less favorable impressions of the story of the so-called "Emperor Generals". Wisdom is just used to hate more than anyone, more able to control, use people, to be capable and self-righteous. Henry VIII seems to be no exception.
The light bronze cover is printed with brick-red English characters: A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS; the following is a big black and yellow photo: two men sitting almost side by side, obviously not dressed up as modern people, the one on the left The man dressed in a luxurious, golden-yellow robe stared squintingly at the black man who seemed to be thinking beside him; look carefully, there are three lines of white English characters printed at the bottom of the photo: 1966 WINNER OF 6 ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE: Between the photo and the large English characters above, there are four inconspicuous, brick-red Chinese characters: Riyue Zhongjing.
Turning over, there are three small stills on the upper left, and the people in them are not dressed up as modern Europeans: black robes, red robes, and so on. The following one is printed with green English characters, introducing the plot, publishing company, and cast and crew. In the lower part of the middle, there are four lines of very small black Chinese characters, which can only be seen through the eyes: this
film is adapted from historical real stories. In the 16th century, the erotic king Henry VIII fell in love with Anne and wanted to divorce the queen. He broke off contact with the Pope in order to avoid being restricted, but he still had to seek the support of the domestic aristocracy, so he Ask Justice Thomas More to sign his divorce decree. Thomas Moore was a principled and rational man. He was a well-known British politician at the time and author of the book "Utopia" with far-reaching influence. He was placed in a dilemma at this time: Should we not succumb to the corrupting power of the king and stick to principles, or should we bow to the lustful, violent and hopeless Henry VIII? In the end, he resigned from the post of justice and refused to sign. The intensification of his contradiction with the king caused him to be framed and killed by Henry VIII. What he left for future generations is a solid heart.
This is the typical language introduced in the DVD Chinese plot, which is not attractive, but the story itself is quite meaningful: in the 16th century in England, the king and the queen of a state even said that there was a "divorce", and in this matter actually Subject to the Pope of Rome. Wasn't it just right in the world at the time that the Sangong and the Sixth Court and the groups of wives and concubines were just right? As a courtier Thomas More, why offend the ruler because of the king's marriage. A good judge is improper. For what principle is it that principles are more important than fate?
We asked the owner if the quality of the film could be returned, and the owner said that there is no problem. I just paid. Out of the video store, my friend has to go to work in the afternoon, and I went to the library to borrow books as planned. We said goodbye and met to watch together when we met again in the evening.
The viewing process is pleasing to the eye, and the most memorable thing is the dialogue in it. This is very different from our impression of those films that have won Oscars in recent years, and it is this that has increased my interest in that period of history.
And near the end of the film, it is not only because of interest, we seem to say goodbye to a great friend. Moore was eventually convicted of treason. At the last moment of his life, he stood on the guillotine and said:
"The king asked me to be brief.
I am a loyal subject of the king.
I will naturally say it briefly:
I am your majesty. A faithful servant died,
but I am a faithful servant of God first."
Then, the masked executioner knelt to Moore, Moore told him:
"I forgive you, I really do." The
executioner stood up, and Moll approached. He added:
"Don't be afraid of your duties. You are sending me to God."
Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury on the side, asked, "Sir Thomas, are you sure?" Moore replied,
"He I won’t refuse a person who went to him with joy.”
...
Moore left his family, his friends, left us, and went where he happily went...At
night, we couldn't sleep.
Thanks to the Internet and the library next to Zizhu Courtyard, we soon learned that Moore's parting was at 9 am on July 6, 1535, a summer morning. Moore eventually left the Tower of London, which was only two kilometers away from his birthplace. He was born in a wealthy family of lawyers 57 years ago. After being baptized, his parents gave him a name that was familiar to almost all Londoners at the time: Thomas.
The reason why the name of the two Thomas Thomas was well-known in London at the end of the 15th century is that at the end of the 12th century there was a Christian saint named "Thomas" born in this city. He was Thomas Becket, born in York. In 1118, he served as Justice of Henry II and was later appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. He was called "Thomas of London" by his contemporaries. Although nearly 360 years apart, the birthplaces of the two Thomas are only less than 20 meters apart! Not just neighbors, but even more strikingly similar is that both Thomass were killed by a king named Henry because they opposed the king's attempt to get rid of and control the church. Both Thomas were appointed as justices by King Henry who eventually killed them. , And they were all eventually chased by the Holy See as saints, but so far, the coincidence is not over yet-in the 1960s, the two Thomas films were released one after another and both won Oscars. The film for Becket was in 1964, and A Man for All Seasons was just two years later!
No matter how these coincidences are explained, at least three points seem to be clear: First, in the four centuries between the two Thomass, in England, the dispute between the king and the Christian church not only existed but sometimes was of great importance, even It is fatal; second, in this kind of dispute, there are prominent figures in the king’s camp who are fighting against the king, and they finally rebelled against the expansion of the king’s power until they sacrificed their lives; third, this type of conflict is in the modern West The world still hasn't completely withdrawn from people's perspective, and the characters in conflict and their encounters and choices have become one of the sources of modern Western literary creation. What do these phenomena show? For observers outside the social traditions of such conflicts, I am most impressed by the fact that the existence of the Christian church is obviously a major obstacle to the monarchy’s autocratic rule in medieval England. The conflict between Thomas Beckett and Henry II was that the latter was dissatisfied with the former who maintained that the judicial power of the church was not controlled by the crown. When it came to Thomas Moore, Henry VIII was dissatisfied that the justice he appointed refused to support his divorce. Not only that, but Moore also refused to recognize the king as the supreme leader of the church. The king controls everything in the kingdom, the church is in the kingdom, and the king controls the church-this is natural, otherwise how is it called a king? However, why the king of England failed to complete the rule of the church for at least four hundred years in the Middle Ages (the Magna Carta, which was forced to endorse by King John of England in 1215 between the two Thomass, is a well-known proof. The first one clarifies the so-called "freedom of election of the church" principle of inviolability)? Answering this question will undoubtedly require an in-depth exploration of the history of England and wider Europe, especially the long course of the spread of Christianity in Europe. In this regard, I always remember the insights of American historian Brian Tierney, especially his “The Crisis of Church and State 1050” published in 1964. -1300 with selected documents) the opening text of the book:
... Maintaining order and unity in a larger and more diverse group than the extended family system is a complicated and difficult task. In the long run, strength alone is not enough. The most common measure is to give a sacred title to the ruler who controls the compulsory machinery of the state and act as the leader and symbol of the people's religion. Ancient society usually attributed magic power to their leader; the Pharaoh of Egypt, the Inca king of Peru, and the Emperor of Japan were all revered as gods; the Roman emperor also had the title of high priest. ... Therefore, we need not be surprised that the rulers of the Middle Ages also pursued the supreme spiritual and secular power. The real exception is that in medieval Europe, there were always at least two claimants who claimed to have this title, each commanding a huge set of government machinery, one after another, one hundred years later, no one was able to completely dominate. For the other side, for this reason, the duality coexistence situation continues, ... It is the existence itself that two power structures compete to gain the support of people, rather than the coercive obedience of only a single power, which greatly increases the possibility of human freedom. . Time and time again in real life, people in the Middle Ages found themselves having to choose between conflicting appeals for allegiance to them based on conscience or self-interest.
protest) Tradition. According to the account in the Gospel of Matthew, this division was made by Jesus in response to a serious practical problem. According to the "Gospel of Matthew", the Pharisees gathered and discussed, trying to find a handle from Jesus' words and trap him, so they sent their disciples and the Herods to see Jesus and said: "Teacher , We know that you are telling the truth. No matter what others think, you will faithfully preach the word of God, because you don’t look at the status of people. Please tell us your opinion: Should you pay taxes to Caesar?” Jesus knew them. Maliciously, they said, "Impersonator, why should you frame me? Show me a tax payment." They gave him one. Jesus asked them, "Whose image and name belonged to this?" They answered, "Caesar's." So Jesus said to them, "Let Caesar's things belong to Caesar; God's things belong to God." When they heard this, they were quite surprised and left him. However, this verbal division is subtle in itself. How can it be implemented in life? The later history of the development of Christianity shows that different Christian denominations have very different understandings and practices of this division. The sect that survived and spread widely was the one that fled from Jerusalem. They were followers of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. After Stephen's death, these Jews returned to the Hellenistic In the diaspora established by the world, the Jewish compatriots who spoke Greek in the diaspora were converted through them, and there were also non-Jews who were “god-fearing” non-Jews and those who converted to Judaism. By the fourth century, Christianity was recognized by the Roman emperor. The divergence between Eastern and Western sects that gradually emerged during this period had a decisive influence on the subsequent history of Europe. Christian schools in Constantinople and surroundings regarded the Roman emperor as the head of the church. , And in North Africa and Western Europe, the believers there established monasteries far away from the political center, and theoretically continued to elucidate the distinction between Caesar’s things and God’s things. For them, neither the emperor nor the king could be a church at the same time. The leader of the church, because the church already has its own leader—Jesus and his apostles. Of course, neither the emperor nor the king will abandon the tendency of autocratic rule just because the Western church insists on the division of the state and the church. They have successfully achieved the annexation of the church in many cases. The so-called clergy of many churches are actually the state. It seems that Western churches are not immune from the fate of becoming a tool of state governance. After all, Western churches are also made up of people. How many will remain indifferent in the face of power and wealth? However, the kings and emperors of Western Europe not only failed to complete once and for all The inclusion of the church, their control of secular power during the centuries of the Middle Ages, was not considered successful, and by the end of the Middle Ages, they were not far from the status of "virtual monarchs". How to explain this unreasonable phenomenon? In my opinion, the existence of characters such as Thomas Beckett and Thomas Moore is one of the key factors that caused this situation. Their life choices made Christianity’s dualistic separation of spirit and secularity not completely empty talk. More fundamentally, their life choices mean that worldly values do not always dominate everything. In the world they live in, obedience to the emperor or king is not justified. The belief in God has been accumulated over many generations. Intellectual traditions provide people in empires or kingdoms with the possibility of making judgments and choices.
Utopia and the Kingdom of God
In today’s world, Thomas Moore’s name is most closely associated with "Utopia" and the pioneers of communist ideological movements. He is also considered a representative of Western European humanist scholars. Inferring from these reputations, Moore is likely to be an activist rejecting the Christian tradition, at least perhaps he should support the "Protestant Revolution" at that time. If this is the case, Moore may also be on Henry VIII's side, because this king of England is known for his opposition to the Holy See in history, and his divorce with Queen Catherine is the beginning of the break with the Holy See. However, Moore was killed by the king because he refused to swear to recognize Henry VIII’s divorce as legal, and was eventually chased by the Holy See as a saint. Not only that, but Moore also had many contacts with the Protestant churches in Europe during his lifetime. Revolutionary leader Martin Luther engaged in a fierce debate. The phenomenon that all this is concentrated on Mohr alone seems to be contradictory. However, as long as we learn more about Moore’s life and writings, we will see that this contradiction is natural, and such a complex and diverse situation reflects the pluralistic pattern of Western European society in the late Middle Ages. It is not only the separation of the state and the church, even It is not monolithic within Christianity, and may not be monolithic in personal thoughts.
The first thing to clarify is the so-called "humanism". Among Mohr’s good friends is Erasmus. This Dutch priest is also known as the representative of Western European humanist scholars. The humanism they represent does not replace religious beliefs with secular values. They used the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome that were gradually revived in Western Europe to reinterpret the Christian faith. They emphasized the importance of rhetoric and grammar in enhancing human understanding. Before that, the so-called logic that emphasized logical speculation prevailed. "Scholastic Theology".
Regarding More's famous book Utopia, the social form of property sharing depicted in it is often connected with the communist movement that arose in Europe in the nineteenth century and the communist countries in the twentieth century. From a retrospective point of view, this is actually a characteristic of many Christian groups. As for the other characteristics of utopia, they are completely different from later communism in many aspects. It is not the continuous rule of a party, but more like the republican democracy of ancient Greek city-states, where most people believe in a god beyond humanity. It is believed that the soul will be rewarded or punished after death, but people do not impose each other on specific beliefs. In the view of the founder of Utopia, even if only one belief is correct, then the truth must pass through nature. Development and performance. Of course, the religious tolerance of utopians also has its limits. For the people there, the idea that the soul dies with the body is low and barbaric. Anyone who declares this idea will be excluded from public office. Such people are also forbidden to make their views public. defend. Utopias also have clergy, but the number is very small, because they are very pious and elected by the people. From the perspective of the origin of thought, More’s "Utopia" was not only influenced by Plato’s "Utopia", but also Augustine and his "City of God", which the author most admired. Moore was invited to London when he was studying law in his early years. A church in China teaches this masterpiece. Of course, the geographic prototype of "Utopia" is obviously the United Kingdom itself, and Moore borrowed this book to condemn the large-scale enclosure movement that took place in the United Kingdom at that time and the monopolistic behavior of the London Chamber of Commerce. In the history of Western political thought, it is not uncommon for individuals to completely outline ideal social forms through writings. "Utopia", "City of God", and "Utopia" are just a few of the well-known achievements.
Compared with humanism and communism, what more reflects the essence of More's thoughts and life is his attitude towards Christian faith and secular life. When Moore was born, Christianity had been introduced to Britain for more than a thousand years. According to Erasmus’s account, Moore almost decided to become a priest when he wrote a lecture on "City of God", but he felt that he could not overcome his desire to get married, so "I would rather be a loyal husband than May I be an unfaithful priest". The Christian tradition that Moore inherited made him face a choice as soon as he was an adult. This is the core question of Augustine's "City of God": between the secular and spiritual, which destination should a person choose? Moore's life witnessed him answering this question continuously. He wanted to know whether people can live in the city of God at the same time as they can live in the earthly city. In early 1505, 26-year-old More was married. The bride was 16-year-old Jane Colt, the eldest daughter of Sir John Colt, the landlord of Essex. And just before getting married, Moore was once again in a decision-making situation. According to Morr’s eldest son-in-law, William Roper (William Roper), Morr originally liked the second daughter of Sir Colt, but Mor felt that the eldest daughter would be sad because her sister married first, so she finally chose Jane. After marriage, the couple rented in London. Erasmus was a frequent visitor there. In his writing, it was a warm and happy family. Erasmus said that Moore did everything he could to help Jane from the country learn literature and music. However, this period of time only lasted for 6 years. In the summer of 1511, the 22-year-old Jane died suddenly. The specific reason is unknown, but from Erasmus’s letter, it can be seen that this was after Jane gave birth to her fourth child. Soon, frequent births and plague may be the decisive factor. Surprisingly, Moore soon married again in the early autumn of this year. His wife was a businessman John Meadowton. Middleton's widow, Alice Middleton, is 8 years old. Later biographers generally attributed this rapid remarriage to Mor. Out of considerations of maintaining and caring for the family, he had 4 young children to be raised at that time, the oldest was only 6 years old. Of course, this marriage It was chartered by a friendly priest. In addition to taking care of Moore's 3 daughters and 1 son, Alice also has a daughter born to her and her ex-husband. In Erasmus' view, this reorganized family is peaceful and harmonious. The eldest daughter Margaret recalled that she had only seen her father get angry twice. The whole family is like a monastery or a school. Under normal circumstances, every morning and evening there will be a prayer for the whole family members, recitation of the Bible and commentary on the Bible. Moore himself has been wearing the hair shirt worn by the confessor under his coat. Playing cards is prohibited at home. Moore and Alice learn to play the lute together. In addition to learning music, Alice loves to participate in discussions about church affairs so much that she misses meals. Of course, there are signs of quarrel between the couple. In a letter to a friend, Moore said that once you have a wife, then you should never worry about it. However, historians believe that the atmosphere is usually joking, and they also believe that More is likely to be the first British person to take women's education seriously. Moore once told the tutors of his children that women’s erudition is a new development, and women should acquire knowledge in the same way as men. Moore's eldest daughter Margaret (Margaret) is the best proof. She studied theology, Latin, Greek, logic, geometry, astronomy, and philosophy with her younger siblings and children from other families under the supervision of Mohr. Historians believed that she was probably the most knowledgeable British woman at the time. Moore asked the children to memorize and explain the sermons they heard, and encouraged them to practice translation between Latin and English. Whenever they went out, they would write letters in Latin at home, hoping that the children would reply in the same style. . This communication continued until the day before Moore's death. Originally, these communications and this marriage were likely to last longer. It was the life decision that Moore made at the age of 54 that ruined this possibility, and this decision is the continuation and end of his early decision. . shirt). Playing cards is prohibited at home. Moore and Alice learn to play the lute together. In addition to learning music, Alice loves to participate in discussions about church affairs so much that she misses meals. Of course, there are signs of quarrel between the couple. In a letter to a friend, Moore said that once you have a wife, then you should never worry about it. However, historians believe that the atmosphere is usually joking, and they also believe that More is likely to be the first British person to take women's education seriously. Moore once told the tutors of his children that women’s erudition is a new development, and women should acquire knowledge in the same way as men. Moore's eldest daughter Margaret (Margaret) is the best proof. She studied theology, Latin, Greek, logic, geometry, astronomy, and philosophy with her younger siblings and children from other families under the supervision of Mohr. Historians believed that she was probably the most knowledgeable British woman at the time. Moore asked the children to memorize and explain the sermons they heard, and encouraged them to practice translation between Latin and English. Whenever they went out, they would write letters in Latin at home, hoping that the children would reply in the same style. . This communication continued until the day before Moore's death. Originally, these communications and this marriage were likely to last longer. It was the life decision that Moore made at the age of 54 that ruined this possibility, and this decision is the continuation and end of his early decision. . shirt). Playing cards is prohibited at home. Moore and Alice learn to play the lute together. In addition to learning music, Alice loves to participate in discussions about church affairs so much that she misses meals. Of course, there are signs of quarrel between the couple. In a letter to a friend, Moore said that once you have a wife, then you should never worry about it. However, historians believe that the atmosphere is usually joking, and they also believe that More is likely to be the first British person to take women's education seriously. Moore once told the tutors of his children that women’s erudition is a new development, and women should acquire knowledge in the same way as men. Moore's eldest daughter Margaret (Margaret) is the best proof. She studied theology, Latin, Greek, logic, geometry, astronomy, and philosophy with her younger siblings and children from other families under the supervision of Mohr. Historians believed that she was probably the most knowledgeable British woman at the time. Moore asked the children to memorize and explain the sermons they heard, and encouraged them to practice translation between Latin and English. Whenever they went out, they would write letters in Latin at home, hoping that the children would reply in the same style. . This communication continued until the day before Moore's death. Originally, these communications and this marriage were likely to last longer. It was the life decision that Moore made at the age of 54 that ruined this possibility, and this decision is the continuation and end of his early decision. .
Moore gave up his plan to become a priest and was probably influenced by his father John Moore. He was already a student at Lincoln's Inn when he was teaching "City of God", and when his father was young Just study here. Because of his father's social status, Moore lived in the upper circle of London since he was a child, and entered St. Anthony's Mission School at the age of 7, where students usually entered Eton College, and Moore had a better future. At the age of 12, he became a small attendant of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Justice John Morton. This period of two-year life not only continued part of the previous school education, such as rhetoric-related speeches, debates, and dramas, but also served the life experience of the uppermost family in England, second only to the king. Later, he was promoted to Oxford University and entered the very politically influential lawyer industry, which prepared him to step into the center of power. Moore was elected as a member of the House of Commons at the age of 26, became an under-sheriff in London at the age of 32, and served as a senior lecturer at Lincoln's College of Law at the age of 37. In this year, he was appointed by Henry VIII as an envoy. Landers, participated in the negotiation of a trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the Low Countries. All this seems to be so logical. It’s no surprise that More was promoted to justice later. What is puzzling is why he resigned from the position of justice at the age of 54 and opposed Henry VIII, who admired him. So that the first part of the body is different? Further understanding of Moore's experience, we can see that his final rebellion was also natural. As early as when he was studying at the preparatory school for lawyers at Lincoln's College of Law, Moore became interested in the king's privileges. At that time, he had studied canon law and common law. According to Rupert's record, Moore opposed Henry VII's tax increase bill when he was a member of the House of Commons. Moore's first book before "Utopia" was called "The History of Richard III", which described the evil deeds of the usurper in the form of a biography. When Henry VIII came to the throne in April 1509, Moore wrote a poem to celebrate the end of Henry VII’s authoritarian rule, saying "here's freedom's spring has come." spring). And even when Henry VIII later invited Moore to join his Constellation Court advisory group, Moore did not accept it with pleasure, but went through some calculations. This kind of inner struggle even appeared in the "Utopia" he created at the time. . Mohr in the book argues with Hythlodaeus, who has been to Utopia, whether he should serve the monarch. Hythlodaeus's answer is totally negative. He thinks that scholars are no better to serve the king than to be slaves. The only thing available there is hypocrisy and flattery, and good people can't live. Moore in the book admits that this may be the case, but he pointed out that if scholars do not make suggestions to the king, the situation will be worse, and scholars should improve the status quo through various practical methods. Hythlodaeus disagrees with this and believes that only thorough changes are effective, and Utopia is like this, where there is no king, or even money or private property. In reality, Moore eventually chose to accept Henry VIII’s appointment, but he did not tell his good friend Erasmus until almost a year later, because the latter and some humanities scholars at the time were opposed to serving for the court. They believed this It will corrupt one's own principle of independence.
From August 1517 to May 1532, Moore followed Henry VIII around. According to the biographer's account, the two maintained a tacit relationship between the monarch and ministers during this period. Henry VIII himself once told Moore to serve God first and then the king. In these nearly 15 years, for Moore, loyalty to the king and loyalty to God are almost the same. He assisted Henry VIII through parliamentary enlistment. Taxes and diplomatic negotiations with France and the Holy Roman Empire played an important role. In Moore's eyes, Henry VIII does not seem to be a tyrant like his father, and the spring of freedom seems to be able to continue. In 1521, Henry VIII was even praised by the Pope for writing a book condemning Martin Luther, and was awarded the title of "defender of the faith". More was one of the authors of this book. However, which ambitious monarch still has self-knowledge and actively limits his power? Moore was clear about this. He once told his son-in-law Rubo, don't look at your majesty being so kind to me, if my head could get him a castle in France, he would never hesitate. In the end, the Holy See became the biggest obstacle to Henry VIII's conquest, because the pope who was thousands of miles away controlled his decision on marriage. This obstacle did not exist for the monarchs of other countries in the world at that time except Western Europe. Beginning in 1527, Henry VIII repeatedly asked for divorce from Queen Catherine because he wanted to divorce the Queen’s maid, Ann Pauline (Ann Pauline). Boleyn) married. For most monarchs in the world at that time, this was not a problem at all. The emperor didn't have to divorce the queen, and just made his new favorite a concubine. Henry VIII, who was born in the Western Christian world, could not do whatever he wanted. The reason for his divorce had to be found in the Christian "Bible", saying that Catherine was originally the widow of his deceased brother Arthur (Arthur). "Levitcus" (Levitcus) expressly prohibited. However, this was not only Henry VIII's willingness, but also the permission of the Pope. This time, Henry VIII's divorce request was delayed without the Pope's consent. This prompted him to finally break with the Holy See. Finally, in May 1533, the archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer appointed by him declared his marriage to Catherine invalid. On June 1, Ann Pauline was officially crowned queen. In the past few years, Henry VIII passed a series of decrees through the Parliament, announcing that the Church of England would no longer be loyal to the Pope, and that the King of England was the head of the Church of England. Moore resigned from the post of justice as early as May 16, 1532, because the day before, the bishopric of the church had accepted the leadership of the king. It was the "Inheritance Law" passed in early 1534 that ultimately led to Moore being convicted of treason, which required all adult subjects to swear to admit that the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine violated the law of God and that Henry VIII and Ann Pauline The queen's children are the legal heirs to the throne, and those who refuse to take the oath are treason. It was Moore's turn to be called to take the oath. He did not actually refuse to take the oath. Instead, he chose this approach. After reading the "Inheritance Law" on the spot, he said to the interrogator: "My purpose is not to point out that this decree is wrong. Or the person who made this decree was wrong, or anyone who took the oath was wrong, my purpose is not to blame anyone else’s conscience. But as far as I am concerned, my conscience prevents me from doing it. Take an oath, otherwise, my soul will be cursed forever."
However, what kind of "conscience" can't make Moore make such an oath? After all, almost all the subjects, including Mor's family, took the oath. If not, why not just refuse to take the oath? During more than a year's detention, Moore was tried many times. Every time he attributed his choice to being influenced by his "conscience", but each time he refused to say what his "conscience" was. It was his true choice-a dilemma: he did not want to be convicted of treason because of his position, because he believed that he was not treason, on the contrary, he believed that by doing so, he was truly loyal to the king, and he did not want to be a martyr. Because he said that he was not brave enough to dedicate himself, he obviously missed his family and friends, but at the same time he still obeyed his "conscience."
It was not until after he was finally convicted that Moore declared his "conscience", because silence is no longer helpful. He said: "Since you insist on condemning me, I will make my conscience public. The parliamentary decree on which your accusation against me is based is in contradiction with the law of God and the law of the holy church established by God, because any No earthly monarch can arbitrarily represent God through any laws, because our savior himself said that it is Saint Peter and his successors who represent him, that is, the Pope.” More
’s conscience is actually very simple, to him. Said that loyalty to God is the most fundamental. He could not agree with the king's claim that he was God or God's agent in the world, because man could not be God, even the king, and God has long been an agent in the world.
On the day before the execution, Moore said goodbye to his family in a letter. The letter was written to his eldest daughter Margaret. He prayed in the letter and asked his daughter to pray with him, so that God would bless the whole family and all his friends. Bless the reunion in heaven.
More than four hundred years have passed since the earth, have they met again?
(Draft in July 2006)
Bibliography
Peter Ackroyd, The Life of Thomas More, Chatto&Windus Random House, London, 1998
Anthony Kenny, Thomas More, Oxford University Press, 1983
Alvaro de Silva, The Last Letters of Thomas More, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Cambridge, 2000
Robert Bolt, Three Plays, Mercury Books, London, 1963
Orlando Patterson: Freedom: Volume I: Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, BasicBooks, 1991
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