Those of you who are new to The Anne Boleyn Files may be interested to know that when I published my book The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown I also created a website with an interactive timeline showing the events of that fateful spring. You can find the timeline, as well as other extras and resources, at www.thefallofanneboleyn.com.
Today’s event on the timeline is John Skip’s controversial Passion Sunday sermon. Here is an extract:
On the 2nd April 1536, Anne Boleyn’s almoner, John Skip, preached a rather controversial sermon in front of the King. Skip’s theme was “Quis ex vobis arguet me de peccato?” or “Which of you can convict me of sin?”.
Skip spoke “defending the clergy from their defamers and from the immoderate zeal of men in holding up to public reprobation the faults of any single clergyman as if it were the fault of all.” He also used the example of the Old Testament story of King Ahasuerus “who was moved by a wicked minister to destroy the Jews” but Queen Esther stepped in with different advice and saved the Jews. In Skip’s sermon, Henry VIII was Ahasuerus, Anne Boleyn was Queen Esther and Thomas Cromwell, who had just introduced the Act of Suppression of the Lesser Monasteries into Parliament, was Haman, the “wicked minister”.
Click here to read the full article.
The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Claire Ridgway is available from Amazon.com and other online book retailers.
The Holy Bible is a great and special book, no other book can be compared to it. The problem with the Christian community is that the Bible is abused and misinterpreted by fellow Christians. Some stories are used only to achieve their agenda and some Bible passages are taken out of contest.
Having said this, interesting that preacher John Skip gave such a controversial sermon comparing the Jews living in Medo-Persia to Protestants living in England, and comparing Queen Esther’s position and influence to Anne’s influence.
The situations are totally different, the Jews in Persia were hated by Haman and all he wanted was to kill them because he had pure hatred for them. The Catholics did kill and persecute protestants but this was done because they thought they were doing Gods work and, the Protestants also killed and persecuted in the name of doing God’s work.
Esther was a Jewish woman who saved her people. In the case of Anne from what i have read she may have have been interested in protestant theology but some say she was still a catholic, she did turn to protestantism because the catholic church failed her.
Protestants did suffer by the hand of catholics and Anne did help protestants but to compare that situation to the Jewish persecution in Persia and Esther was an exaggerated by Skip.
My guess is that preacher Skip used the drama that went on in Persia for his own agenda. He preached in a way that made the other group look bad.
Even today some preacher men and women do take passages from the Bible out of contest and some use the Bible for attacking other people and making it look like they are devils e.g Pastor John Hagee, Pat Robertson, Chuck Norris, Rod Parsley, Jack Van Impe e.t.c. some of these have described Obama as a cold blooded baby killer like Herod.
ds 370,I agree with you that there are some people who do twist the ,Holy Bible to there own version. My Greatgrand Father was a Southern Babtist Pastor,he had 10 children,at night after there bath they would warm by the base broad,my grandmothers night dress caught on fire,thank God she was not bruned.Her father said she was possed by the devil, this was back in 1915.Now we know she was not possed by the devil,my point is that people know matter what religion one may be, there will always be those,whom have there own veiws and twist and spin lies.Shame on them!! By the way my, Greatgrand father was a good God fearing man,not a lier it was just the way people were and just think some 500 years ago ,there were people who did the same thing ,it’s the way they veiw not just the Bible,but everything just as Henry V111 did and many others.By the way I’m married to a Catholic,what a combo!
It’s true, Baroness, that the Christian faith has, and still is at times used out of context, misinterpreted and abused by those who want to achieve their own ends, I also think this rings true with all the different religions of the world too, as you have said. It is very sad that true followers of their chosen religion are exploited, suffer and are persecuted because of those who take advange of something that should be untained by the down side of human behaviour.
Sorry, typo, the word should be untainted…
Dawn 1st,Very true,but not just the christian,in just about every religion this is done and we can not change ,what people say or do weather it be religion ,or anything else for that matter. Kind Regards Baroness x
Hello everyone,
I recently ran into a article about Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria (1538–1612) was an English lady-in-waiting to Mary I. I ran into it reading something about the Dormer family. I have never heard of Jane Dormer; one of the links that I ran into said that because of the timing, and resources of a few English books, that Jane Dormer was one of the few people that actually new Anne’s death. Every link or info I have looked up, ends in a dead link. There is a portrait of who we think she is by Antonis_Mor. Claire, or anyone really, has anyone looked more into her, or know anymore about her? I am new to her, but she was a playmate of the young Edward vi Tudor, and was the duchess after Mary I death. Anyway, you can find her through Wikipedia. I would love to hear more. Thanks guys
Lady Brooke
I agree with you guys as well. I don’t know if this is the perfect place to put this post, but during the anniversary of The Anne Boleyn Files. While Claire graciously let us download her books for free, her and her husband Tim, walked me through getting the Kindle app in my iPhone. I am in the middle of “The Anne Boleyn Collection “book by Claire and it us a MUST READ, MUST HAVE BOOK! All of the books are fabulous and detailed, but I just had to take a moment and give credit where credit is due. These books are amazing. And I’m do glad I got them, even though they might not be free at this time, I tell you they are worth the money. Informative, factual and entertaining. I am completely hooked.
Lady Brooke
Wonderful book, Claire! I have read it through twice and refer to it often. Great companion web site as well !
Put in that little ‘c’ at the end of my name by accident..
I guess my first comment didn’t get posted…Great book, Claire. I’ve read it twice and refer to it often. Really enjoy the companion web site, too.
C.Ferry, May I ask what your first post was about ? Regards Baroness
Ah, this time of the year again … it’s almost like Holy Week for Anne Boleyn enthusiasts. It must have been something to be present at this sermon — I especially liked Ives’s point about how Skip massaged the story a little bit to make it fit with his theme better (Skip apparently had Haman promising to raise 10,000 talents instead of offering 10,000 talents — just to underline the parallel with the dissolution of the monasteries a bit further).
We must all remember , that in those old dayes religion WAS politic , conviened to rule the people . We can still see today in certain countrys , that religios law s are very real , feks SHAria . But today in a modern society , we have politic and are in no need to use religion to rule or to set the law .
Some of the most excitement in thise Anne Boleyn books are noticing HOW importent religion was , and how it was used .
It was impossible to hold on the rigth horse at those old times , because one day a catholic was burnt , another a protestant .
There was no tolerance of other religions than the kings .
Anne boleyn changed world history because of her intellect and sexappeal , and she paid the ultimate price .But she got a faboulus revenge -her daugther ruled in 45 years . THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFULL FILES . aND EXCUSE MY ENGLISH SPELLING , IM FROM DENMARK
Interesting!