THE LOLLARDS;

Or some Account of the Witnesses for the Truth in England, between the Years 1400 & 1546; with a brief notice of events connected with the early History of THE REFORMATION.

PART VI.

Bainham. His dying words.-Petit.-The Festival. - Notice of the Legends which it contains.-Tracy's Testament - His body is dug up and burned.-Phillips.- Canons.--Death of Warham.-The King appoints Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury. False assertions of the Papists respecting him. His Protest against the power of the Pope.-Sums of money annually remitted to Rome.- Gardiner, Stokesly, Bonner, and others, oppose the Pope's Supremacy.Preaching at Paul's Cross.

Bainham addressing the Papists. (See page 126.)

JAMES BAINHAM was the son of Sir Alexander Bainham, of Gloucestershire: he received an education suitable to his father's rank, and made considerable progress in the Latin and Greek languages. He was brought up to the law; in which he set a good example to all of his profession, being very liberal to his clients, and willingly giving advice to the needy, to widows, orphans, and all who were afflicted, without money or reward. He was a man of a virtuous disposition, and [Lollards, Part 6.]

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godly conversation, constant in prayer and reading the Scriptures, and abounding in all good works. This conduct exposed Bainham to suspicion, which he increased by marrying the widow of Simon Fish, already mentioned as author of "The Supplication of the Beggars;" and Sir Thomas More caused him to be imprisoned in his house at Chelsea. His sufferings at first were not severe; but refusing to recant, he experienced harder treatment. The Chancellor ordered him to be tied to a tree in the garden, called "The Tree of Truth," and whipped him with his own hand; but as these measures were as unsuccessful as the former, he committed Bainham to the Tower, ordering him to be tortured on the rack. This is a horrible machine, on which the sufferer is laid with his legs and arms extended; and it is worked so that his limbs are stretched to the utmost, frequently so much as to be put out of joint. This instrument of torture has long since been forbidden in our land, but it always has been, and still is, a favourite with the Popish Inquisition. Sir Thomas More was present on this occasion, and ordered the rack to be worked so severely, that Mr. Bainham was lamed by its effects. These cruel measures were designed to make him accuse some gentlemen of the Temple, who were suspected of heresy, and to compel him to discover his books; but the patient sufferer was enabled to bear the torture, and baffle his adversaries. His wife was then sent to the Fleet Prison, and his goods were confiscated.

After these proceedings, Sir Thomas More sent Bainham to Stokesly, then Bishop of London, before whom he was brought, December 15, 1531, and examined upon several articles. The particulars of this examination deserve notice. The first inquiry was, whether he believed there was any purgatory for souls departed this life. Bainham answered by quoting 1 John, i. 7, 8, 9. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighte ousness." Being then asked what he thought of purga

gatory, he answered, if any such thing as purgatory after this life had been mentioned to St. Paul, he thought the Apostle would have rejected it as heresy.

Secondly, Whether the saints departed hence, are to be honoured and prayed unto, intreating them to pray for us.

He answered from 1 John ii. 1, 2. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

And further, being asked what he meant when he used the words of the Popish Liturgy, "All ye saints of God pray for us," he answered, that he meant the saints that were alive, and not those that were dead, as St. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians, "Pray for us." (2 Cor. i. 11.) He said he prayed not to the dead, because he thought that those who are dead could not pray for him. And when the whole church is gathered together, they used to pray for one another, or desire one to pray for another, with one heart; and that the will of the Lord may be fulfilled, and not ours. And I pray, (said he,) as our Saviour Christ prayed, "Father, take this cup from me, if it be possible, yet thy will be done."

Thirdly. He was asked, whether he thought that any departed souls were yet in heaven or not. To this he answered, that he believed they were wherever it pleased God they should be.

Fourthly. It was demanded whether he thought it necessary to salvation, for a man to confess his sins to a Priest? To this he answered, that it was lawful for one man to confess and acknowledge his sins to another. As for any other than a voluntary confession of this kind, he knew of none. And further he said, that if when he heard the word of God preached, he repented of his sins, he believed his sins forthwith were forgiven by God, and that he needed not to go to confession to a Priest, in order to obtain pardon.

The fifth and sixth inquiries related to the Scriptures. He stated that the Holy Scriptures had not, during the last eight hundred years, been so plainly declared to the people, as duringthe last six years. He added, that the