fhop of St. Asaph, 1st and 2d Timothy, Titus, Philemon; Holdgate Bishop of Landaff, ft and 2d Peter; Skip Bishop of Hereford, Hebrews; Thirlby Bishop of Westminster, James, 1st, 2d, 3d John, Jude; Wakeman Bishop of Gloucester, and Chambers Bishop of Peterborough, Revela

tions.

In this Convocation Gardiner read a large Catalogue of Latin Words of his own Collection out of the New Testament, and defired, that for their genuine and native Meaning, and for the Majefty of the Matter therein contained, thofe Words might be retained in their own Nature, as much as might be; or be very fitly Englished with the leaft Alteration. Among thofe, fome few could not be tranflated without Loss of Life or Luftre, and thefe are continued in our English Teftament entire ; it being conceived better, that Minifters fhould expound thefe Words in their Sermons, than alter them in their Texts. The reft were not emphatical in themselves, but that they may be rendered in English without Prejudice of Truth. Wherefore Gardiner's Defign plainly appeared in ftickling for preferving fo many Latin Words to obfcure the Scriptures; who, though wanting Power to keep the Light of the Word from fhining, fought, out of Policy, to put it in a dark Lanthorn: Befides the Popish Bishops multiplied the Mixture of Latin Words in the Teftament, to teach the Laity their Diftance, who, though admitted into the outward Court of common Matter, were yet debarred Entrance into the Holy of Holies of these myfterious Expreffions, referved only for the Understanding of the High Prieft to pierce into them. Moreover this made Gardiner not only tender, but fond to have thefe Words continued in Kind, without Alteration, because the Profits of the Romish Church were deeply in fome of them concerned. Witness the Word Penance, which (according to the vulgar Sound, contrary to the original Senfe thereof) was a Magazine of Will-worship, and brought in much Gain to the Priefts, who were therefore defirous to keep that and fuch like Words. What Entertainment Gardiner's Motion met with, I find not; it seems fo fufpended in Succefs, as to be neither generally received, nor rejected.

The Archbishop faw through all this, and therefore in a following Seffion, told the House from the King (to whom he had discovered this Intrigue) That it was the King's Will and Pleafure, that the Tranflation both of the Old and New Teftament should be examined by both Univer fi ties. This was a Surprize to the Bishops, and met with much Oppofition in the Houfe, all the Bishops (Goodrick Bishop of Ely, and Barlow Bifhop of St. David's, excepted) making their Protefts to the contrary. These affirmed the Univerfities were much decayed of late, wherein all Things were carried by young Men, whofe Judgments were not to be relied on; fo that the Learning of the Land was chiefly in the Convocation. But the Archbishop faid, He would flick close to the Will and Pleasure of the King his Mafter, and that the Univerfuies should examine the Tranflation. And here, for any Thing that can be found to the contrary, the Matter ceased, and the Convocation foon after was diffolved.

In the latter End of 1541, came forth a new Impreffion of the Bible, which was nothing but that of Matthews corrected. To this the Arch

bishop

bishop had added the laft Hand, mending it in divers Places with his own Pen, and fixing a very excellent Preface before it, for which Reafon it is called Cranmer's Bible. Durel, in his Vindic. Ecclef. Ang. c 27, fays, this was published by Tonftal Bishop of Durham, and Heath Bishop of Rochester, to whom the King had committed that Work. To this Impreffion the King gave Countenance, commanding the buying and fetting it up in Churches, by his Proclamation in May 1541: For as yet, notwithstanding the former Injunctions, many Parishes were deftitute of Bibles; whether it were by reafon of the Unwillingness of the Priests to have the English Bible, or the People to be any ways acquainted with it, for fear it should make them Hereticks, as their Curates told them. He limited alfo the Time that it fhould be every where provided before All-Saints Day next coming, and that upon the Penalty of Forty Shillings a Month, after the faid Feaft, that they should be without it: The faid Proclamation alfo fet the Price at Ten Shillings a Book unbound, and well bound and clafped not above Twelve. And charged all his Bishops and other Ordinaries to take Care for the feeing this Command the better executed. The King feconded this Proclamation with a Declaration to be read openly by the Clergy in their several Parishes, upon the publishing of this Bible, the better to poffefs the People with the King's good Affection towards them, in fuffering them to have the Benefit of fuch heavenly Treafure; and to direct them in a Courfe by which they might enjoy the fame to their greater Comfort, the Reformation of their Lives, and the Peace and Quiet of the Church; namely, to ufe it with Reverence and great Devotion, to conform their Lives unto it, and to encourage thofe that were under them, Wives, Children, and Servants, to live according to the Rules thereof; that in doubtful Places they should confer with the learned for the Senfe, who fhould be appointed to preach and explain. the fame, and not to contend and difpute about them in Ale-Houfes and Taverns.

Unto thefe Commands of fo great a Prince, both Bishops, Priefts, and People did apply themselves with fuch chearful Reverence, that Bonner, now Bishop of London, caufed Six of them to be chained in certain convenient Places in St. Paul's Church, for all that were fo well inclined, to refort unto; together with a certain Admonition to the Readers, faftened upon the Pillars to which the Bibles were chained, to this Tenor, That whosoever came there to read, should prepare himself to be edified and made the better thereby; that he should join thereunto his Readiness to obey the King's Injunctions, made in that Behalf; that he bring with him Difcretion, honeft Intent, Charity, Reverence, and quiet Behaviour; that there fhould no fuch Number meet together there, as to make a Multitude; that no Expofition be made thereupcy, but what is declared in the Book itself; that it be not read with Noife in Time of Divine Service, or that any Difputation or Contention be used about it: That in cafe they continued their former Mifbehaviour, and refused to comply with thefe Directions, he fhould be forced, against his Will, to remove the Occafion, and take the Bible out of the Church.

But the People could not be hindered from entring into Difputes about fome Places, fo that the King had many Complaints brought him of

the Abufes that were faid to have been rifen, from the Liberty given the People to read the Scriptures; yet thefe Complaints produced no Severity at this Time; but by them the Popish Party afterwards obtained what they defired, the Suppreffion of the Bible again. For after they had taken off the Lord Cromwell, they made great (and their old) Complaints to the King of the Tranflation, and of the Prefaces, whereas indeed it was the Text itself that disturbed them, as that which they knew would moft effectually beat down all their Projects.

A Parliament met the 22d of January 1542, and fate to the 12th of May following, in which a Complaint was made, That the Liberty granted to the People in having in their Hands the Books of the Old and New Teftament, had been much abused by many falfe Gloffes and Interpretations which were made upon them, tending to the feducing of the People, efpecially of the younger Sort, and the raising of Sedition within the Realm. Hereupon it was enacted by the Authority of Parliament, (on whom the King was eontent to caft the Odium of an Act fo contrary to his former gracious Proclamation) That all manner of Books of the Old and New Teftament, of the crafty, falfe, and untrue Tranflation of Tyndal, be forthwith abolished, and forbidden to be ufed and kept; and alfo that all other Bibles, not being of Tyndal's Tranflation, in which were found any Preambles or Annotations, other than the Quotations, or Summary of the Chapters, Should be purged of the faid Preambles or Annotations, either by cutting them out, or blotting them in fuch wife, that they might not be perceived or read. And finally, that the Bible be not read openly in any Church, but by the Leave of the King, or the Ordinary of the Place; nor privately by any Women, Artificers, Apprentices, Journey-Men, HusbandMen, Labourers, or by any of the Servants of Yeomen or under, with several Pains to those who fhould do the contrary; as may be seen in the Statute of the 34th and 35th of Hen. VIII. c. 1.

But the King being now engaged in a War with France, and refolving to cross the Seas himfelf; the Archbishop took this Occafion to do fome good Service for Religion, and to endeavour to moderate the fevere Acts relating thereunto, and to get fome Liberty at least, for the People's reading the Scriptures. Cranmer firft made the Motion, and Four Bishops, viz. Heath Bifhop of Worcester, Sampfon Bishop of Chichefter, Skip Bishop of Hereford, and the Bifhop of Rochester, feconded him; But Winchester oppofed the Archbishop's Motion with all Earneftnefs, and the Faction combined with fo much Violence, that these Bifhops, and all others, fell off from the Archbishop, and two of them endeavoured to perfuade him to defift at prefent, and ftay for a better Opportunity: But he refufed, and followed his Stroke with as much Vigour as he could; and, in fine, by his Perfuafion with the King, and the Lords, this Claufe was inferted in the Bill, That every Nobleman and Gentleman might have the Bible read in their Houfes, and that Noble Ladies, Gentlewomen and Merchants might read it themselves, but no Man or Woman under thofe Degrees; which was all the Archbishop could obtain. And the King the rather inclined to this, becaufe he being now to go Abroad, upon a weighty Expedition, thought convenient to leave his Subjects at Home as eafy as might be.

Anne

Anno 1543, a Book called, A necessary Erudition for a Chriftian Man, was published by the King's Order. In the Preface his Majefty fets forth, That in order to the bringing off his Subjects from fuperftitious Practices, he had publifhed the Scriptures in the English Tongue; that tho' this Expedient was not without its Effect, yet fome People, out of a Spirit of. Pride and Contention, had avrefted the Holy Text, and given Rife to Difputes, and Diversity of Opinions; that to recover the People to Orthodoxy and Union, he had fet forth this Summary of Religion, with the Advice of his Clergy. He takes Notice, That the Church confifts of two Sorts of Men, fome to inftruct, and the reft to be inflructed; that it is neceffary for the first - Divifion to read and fudy the Scripture; but as to the Laity, the reading the Old and New Teftament is not fo neceffary for all of that Class; that Liberty or Refraint in this Matter, is to be referred to the Laws and Government, and that the Legislature now lately had barred feveral Ranks reading the Bible.

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This Year Bonner Bishop of London fet forth Injunctions for the Clergy of his Diocefe, containing Directions for their Preaching and Converfation; together with a Catalogue of certain Books prohibited, which the Curates were to enquire after in their respective Parishes, and to inform their Ordinaries of them, and of those in whofe Poffeffion they found them. Amongst these Books was the English Teftament of Tyndal, and fome Prefaces, and Marginal Gloffes of Tho. Matthews in his English Bible.

And now was Grafton, fo long after, fummoned and charged with printing Matthew's Bible, which he, being timorous, made Excuses for. Then he was examined about the Great Bible, and what the Notes were he intended to fet thereto. To which he answered, That he knew none; for his Purpose was to have retained learned Men to have made the Notes; but when he perceived the King's Majefty, and his Clergy, not willing to have any, he proceeded no farther. But for all these Excuses, Grafton was fent to the Fleet, and there remained Six Weeks; and, before he came out, was bound in 300 Pounds, that he should not fell nor imprint, nor caufe to be printed any more Bibles, unless the King and the Clergy should agree upon a Tranflation. And from henceforth the Bible was ftopped during the Remainder of King Henry's Reign.

The Act of Parliament did not find fo general an Obedience from the common People, as might have been expected, but that the King was forced to quicken, and give Life thereto, by his Proclamation, Anno 1546: For the Ufe of the Scriptures were fadly abufed; they were much read, but the Effect of it appeared too much in their making use of it only for Jangling and Disputation upon Points of Religion, and to taunt at the Ignorance or Errors of Priefts. Others, on the other Hand, to be even with the Gofpellers (as they were called) made it their Business to derogate from the Scriptures, to deal with them irreverently, and to rhime and fing, and make Sport with them in AleHouses and Taverns. These things came to King Henry's Ears, which made him very earnestly blame both the Laity, and Spirituality for it, in a Speech to his Parliament, December the 24th Anno 1545, wherein he lets them know, how little Charity and Concord there was amongst VOL. III. them,

F

them, but Difcord and Diffention ruled every where. He lets the Tem-. porality know, that tho' they were allowed to read the Holy Scriptures, and to have the Word of God in their Mother Tongue; yet this Permiflion is only defigned for private Information, and the Inftruction of their Children and Family, but not to difpute, nor to furnish them with Expreffions of Reproach, and from thence to rail against Priests and Preachers. And yet this was the Ufe a great many disorderly People made of the privilege of having the Scriptures. He was forry to find, how much the Word of God is abused, with how little Reverence it is mentioned, both with refpect to Place, and Occafion; turried into wretched Rhime, fung in Ale-Houfes; but much more forry to fee fo little of it in their Practice, for Charity was never in a more languishing Condition, Virtue never at a lower Ebb, nor God never less honoured, and worfe ferved.

But the King being ftill vexed with the Contests and Clamours of the People, one against another, while they difputed fo much of what they read, and practifed fo little, in July Anno 1546, iflued out a Proclamation (which was the laft fet out under this King) prohibiting again Tyndal's or Coverdale's English New Teftament, or any other than what was permitted by Parliament in an Act paffed in the 34th and 35th Years of his Reign. The Books of Fryth, Wickliff, &c. were likewife prohibited, and to be delivered to the Civil and Ecclefiaftical Officers, in order to be burnt, which was accordingly done at Paul's Crofs, by the Order of the Bishop of London.

But however for fome Ends, the King reftrained now and then the Ufe of the Scriptures, to comply with the importunate Suits of the Popish Bishops, yet fome are of Opinion, his Judgment always was for the free Ufe of them among his Subjects, and (in order to that) for the tranflating and printing them.

King Henry dying January the 28th, Anno 1546, Edward the VIth fucceeded in the Throne, who by the pious Inftigations of the Archbihop, began early to think of the Church. And being unwilling that the People of the Lord fhould live fo long in Error and Ignorance, till a Parliament fhould be folemnly fummoned (which for fome Reafons of State, could not fo quickly be called) in the mean time, by his own. Regal Power and Authority, and by Advice of his Council, a Royal Vifitation all England over was refolved on, for the better Reformation of Religion; and a Book of Injunctions was prepared, whereby the King's Vifitors were to govern their Vifitation. A Book of Homilies was prepared for prefent Ufe, to be read in Churches to the People, to fupply the Defects of their Incumbents; and that they might have fome Help to lead them into the Understanding of the Scriptures, Erafmus's Paraphrafe, which was tranflated into English, was thought the moft profitable and eafieft Book. Therefore it was ordered by the Injunctions, that within Three Months after this Vifitation, the Bible of the larger Volume in English, and within Twelve Months Erafmus's Paraphrafe on the Gofpels be provided, and conveniently placed in the Church, for the People to read therein. And that every Ecclefiaftical Perfon, under the Degree of a Batchelor of Divinity, fhall within

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