Of the wives of Henry VIII, the only one who I had ever thought of as being remotely connected with the reformation was Anne Boleyn. Well, as it turns out, his final wife, Katherine Parr, became a steadfast member of the movement midway through her reign. One time, she nearly lost her life for her convictions. She wrote two small books: the first, a prayer book called Meditations, and the second, a devotional work full of spiritual insight, titled The Lamentation of a Sinner. I've posted a quote from the latter before, but the book is so good, I have another excerpt to share:
"Charity suffereth long, and is gentle, envieth not, upbraideth no man, casteth frowardly no faults in men's teeth, but referreth all things to God (1 Cor. 13), being angry without sin (Eph. 4:26), reforming others without their slanders, carrying ever a storehouse of mild words to pierce the stony-hearted men. I would that all Christians, like as they have professed Christ, would so endeavor themselves to follow Him in godly living. For we have not put on Christ to live any more to the vanities, delights, and pleasures of the world, and the flesh, suffering the concupiscence and carnality of the flesh to have its full swing: for we must walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, for the spirit is spiritual, and coveteth spiritual things, and the flesh carnal (Gal. 5:16 ff), and desireth carnal things. The men, regenerate by Christ, despise the world and all the vanities and pleasures thereof."
(The Lamentation of a Sinner, ch. 8)
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