VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT IN ENGLAND-SEVERE
PERSECUTION OF THOSE IN WHOSE POSSESSION IT WAS
PUBLICLY BURNT AT PAUL'S CROSS.

FOUND

No sooner was this volume published, than the most extraordinary efforts were made to exterminate it. The contemporary opinions expressed as to the merits of the translation, and the narrative of the attempts to destroy it, are intimately blended together. The public will now have an opportunity, for the first time, of forming a dispassionate judgment as to the reasons assigned by those nobles and prelates who sought to destroy it; and of weighing them with those of more modern prelates, highly distinguished for learning and piety, who counted it worthy to be the basis of our present version: a translation which stands unrivalled, and has proved to be the bread of life to myriads now singing the anthems of heaven. Immediately on the circulation of the New Testament, the English prelates were actively engaged in attempts to extinguish and destroy what they alleged to be the light and seed of heresy.*

The vulgate latin translation, which occupied the time of Jerome fifteen years, was made "amidst many contradictions, reproaches, and the most bitter invectives," of that sect which afterwards adopted and preferred it, as the standard of faith, to the scriptures in the original languages.-See GEDDES' PROSPECTUS, p. 45.

On the 23rd of October, 1526,* Tonstall, bishop of London, issued an injunction or prohibition against the New Testament in English. "Wherefore we, understanding by the report of divers credible persons, and also by the evident appearance of the matter, that many children of iniquitie, mayntayners of Luthers sect, blinded through extreame wickedness, wandring from the way of truth and the catholike fayth, craftily have translated the New Testament into our English tongue, intermedling therewith many hereticall articles and erroneous opinions, pernicious and offensive, seducing the simple people, attempting by their wicked and perverse interpretations to prophanate the maiestie of the scripture, which hitherto have remained undefiled, and craftily to abuse the most holy word of God, and the true sense of the same. Of the which translation there are many books imprinted, some with glosses, and some without, containing in the English tongue that pestiferous and most pernicious poyson dispersed throughout all our diocesse of London in great number, which truely without it be speedily forsene, without doubt will contaminate and infect the flocke committed unto us with most deadly poison and heresie, to the grievous perill and danger of the soules committed to our charge, and the offence of God's divine maiestie. Wherefore we ...command that within thirtie days... under pain of excommunication and incurring the suspicion of heresie, they do bring in and really deliver unto our Vicar generall all and singular such books as containe the translation of the New Testament in the English tongue.”

On the 24th of February, 1527, Sebastian Harris, curate of Kensington, was proceeded against for heresy, he having the English Testament translated by William Hochyn (Tyndale), presbyter, and brother Roy.

Not contented with calling in these dreaded volumes, the bishop attempted a wholesale destruction of them by a stratagem in which he singularly outwitted himself. Being acquainted with a merchant named Packington, who was on friendly terms with Tyndale, he employed him to buy all the copies of the English

Wilkins' Concilia, tom. 3, p. 706.

Testament. "The bishop thinking that he had God by the too, when in dede he had (as after he thought) the devil by the fiste, said, gentle maister Packington, do your diligence and get them, and with al my hart I will paye for them, whatsoever the cost you, for the bokes are erronious and naughte, and I entend surely to destroy them all, and to burne theim at

Tyndale sold him the books, saying, I shal gett moneye of hym for these bokes, to bryng myself out of debt, and the whole world shall cry out upon the burning of Goddes worde. And the overplus of the money that shal remain to me, shal make me more studious to correct the sayd New Testament, and so newly to imprint the same. And so forwarde went the bargain, the byshop had the bokes, Packyngton the thankes, and Tyndale had the money." Afterwards, more New Testaments came thick and threefold into England. Sir Thomas More questioned George Constantine, a prisoner for heresy, how Tyndale and his friends were supported; and he frankly told the lord chancellor, "It is the bishop of London that hath holpen vs, for he hath bestowed

emonge vs a great deale of moneye in Newe Testamentes to burne theim, and that hath been and yet is our onely succour and comfort."* The destruction of these books, according to Lord Herbert of Cherbury, was on the 4th of May, 1530: this is an error, for it certainly took place in 1528.+ Tyndale seriously asks, what Tonstall had done for Christ's church, that he was made bishop of London and then of Durham. "Was it that he burnt the Newe Testament, callinge it doctrinam peregrinam, straunge lernynge!!"

Necessity drove the Reformers to a secret circulation of these silent destroyers of popery: notwithstanding the active exertions of More, Wolsey, and Tonstall to prevent it, they were extensively distributed. Richard Herman, a merchant of the staple at Antwerp, was a considerable exporter of the prohibited books to England, at a great sacrifice of his fortune. Dr. Barnes and Mr. Fish dispensed them in London, Mr. Garret at Oxford, and pious reformers in every part of the kingdom: all this was done in confidence seldom betrayed.

In January, 1527, the Bishop proceeded into Essex, to discover how far his injunction had been obeyed. His course was marked with terror, many poor prisoners for heresy were examined before him. John Tyball deposed, that he first saw the New Testament in English about April, 1526, and at Michaelmas following came to London, and bought one for three shillings and twopence of friar Barons, requesting that he would keep it close; that in conversation the friar made a twyte of the manuscript copies, and said: "A point for them, for they are not to be regarded toward the new printed Testament in English." John Necton deposed, that vicar Constantine, in November, 1526, directed him to Mr. Fish, of whom he bought twenty or thirty copies of the great volume; that Constantine had fifteen or sixteen of the biggest, and sold five or six to persons in London; and that about Easter, 1527, he bought of G. Usher, servant to

Hall's Chronicle, xxi. Henry VIII.

+ Sir Thomas More attempts to justify this transaction in his Dialogues, which were published in 1529. Practice of Prelates.