ON PAR WITH PARR, PART 1

Katherine Parr almost lost her head, literally, in her attempt to encourage her husband toward Protestant Reform doctrine. Why the near loss of her head? Well, to give you a clue, her husband's name was Henry.

I just finished reading a wonderful book I had ordered from Monergism Books. If you have an interest in (British) Protestant Reformation history, then this book is a must read!

"Katherine Parr - A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Reformation Queen", by Brandon G Withrow, "examines the life of an important, but often forgotten, Protestant Reformer. Katherine Parr, one of only a handful of women to publish in a hundred-year period in England, dared to push Henry VIII toward the Reformation, nearly losing her head as a result."

Below is an excerpt taken from one of her two published works called "The Lamentation or Complaint of a Sinner". This humble confession alone speaks volumes of the convicting work of God in this woman's heart during the early stages of the Reformation.

It encourages me to go out on the street and make people aware of their total depravity compared to the total perfection of Christ, which purchased redemption for those who repent and believe.

Read and see if you can relate at any point. I most certainly can.

"Christ was innocent and void of all sin, and I wallowed in filthy sin, and was free from no sin.

Christ was obedient unto his Father, even to the death of the cross, and I disobedient, and most stubborn, even to the confusion of truth.

Christ was meek and humble in heart, and I most proud of vainglorious.

Christ despised the world with all the vanities thereof, and I made it my god because of the vanities.

Christ came to serve his brethren, and I coveted to rule over them.

Christ despised worldly honour, and I much delighted to attain the same.

Christ loved the base and simple things of the world and I esteemed the most fair and pleasant things.

Christ loved poverty, and I wealth.

Christ was gentle and merciful to the poor, and I hard hearted and ungentle.

Christ prayed for his enemies, and I hated mine.

Christ rejoiced in the conversion of sinners, and I was not grieved to see their reversion to sin.

By this declaration all creatures may perceive how far I was from Christ, and without Christ, yea, how contrary to Christ, although I bare the name of a Christian.

Insomuch that if any man had said I had been without Christ, I would have stiffly withstood the same. And yet I neither knew Christ, nor wherefore he came.

As concerning the effect and purpose of his coming, I had a certain vain blind knowledge, both cold and dead, which may be had with all sin, as doth plainly appear by this my confession and open delcaration."