3. In compliance with the wishes of the reformers, William Tyndale, a Welchman, settled at Antwerp, assisted by John Fry, a learned layman, and William Roye, a friar, translated the New Testament from the Greek, into English. In 1526, he published his translation; and procured several copies to be conveyed to England. The success it met with induced him to continue his labours. In 1530, he published a translation of the Pentateuch from the Hebrew. Numerous editions of the New Testament, and some of the Pentateuch, were printed.

4. In 1535, Myles Coverdale, an Augustinian friar, published a complete translation, made by himself, of all the Old and New Testament. These translations, Tyndale's, in particular,-gave offence; and great efforts were made to suppress the copies. Among his assailants, Tyndale had the honour to reckon sir Thomas More. Several propositions, which sir Thomas extracted from the writings of Tyndale, are as opposite to those of the church of England, as they are to those of the church of Rome. "If he is not misreported," says Collier, "he has failed, both in truth and decency " in several material points. In short, his hetero"doxies are too visible to reckon him amongst the "reformers of the English church." Coverdale's translation was thought less objectionable than Tyndale's; and was, therefore, more favourably received by the public.

5. At length, the wish to have an authorized

⚫ Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 72.

version of the Bible was so general, and so strongly expressed, that in 1536 the clergy petitioned the king, that "he would graciously indulge his sub"jects of the laity with the reading of the Bible, "in the English tongue; and have a new translation "of it made for that purpose. Soon after this petition was presented, Cromwell, "the vicegerent "of his majesty for and concerning, all the juris"diction ecclesiastical within his realm,"-(this is the title which he assumed in the instrument in question),-issued his celebrated injunctions to the clergy. By the 9th of these, he ordered, that

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every person, or proprietary of any parish church "should provide a book of the whole Bible, both "in Latin and English; and lay the same in the

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quire, for every man that would, to loke, and read, "thereon; and that no man should be discouraged from the reading any part of the Bible, in Latin,

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or in English." In consequence of this injunction, a new version of the whole Bible was printed, in 1537. It consisted of the translation of Tyndale, so far as this extended. What Tyndale had left undone, was supplied from the translation of Coverdale. In the title, it was said to be translated by Thomas Mathewe,-a fictitious name. It was printed abroad; but, in what place, is not known. The types are certainly German. Amongst bibliographers, it is generally styled "Mathewe's Bible." A revised edition of it was published, in 1539; which archbishop Cranmer was supposed to have superintended. It is, hence, usually called Cranmer's Great Bible.

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.

4. In May 1540, the king issued a proclamation, requiring curates "to provide themselves with this Bible." It fixed the price at two shillings, unbound; and directed, that it should not exceed twelve shillings, well bound, and clasped. But his majesty gives the people to understand, that "his "allowing them the holy scriptures, in their own "mother tongue, was not his duty, but his goodness " and liberality, to them*."

of

Other proclamations, of the same import, were issued. But, by the act, passed in the last year the reign of his majesty, "for the advancement of "the true religion," after reciting in the preamble, that "the people had abused the liberty with which "the king had indulged them, of reading the "scriptures," Tyndale's translation is condemned as crafty, false, and untrue; and all the books of the Old and New Testament of that translation, are abolished, and forbidden to be read. Other translations were declared not to be included in the act: but, if there should be found any annotations in them, they were to be cut, or blotted out; except summaries of chapters. None, but persons specially appointed by his majesty, were to read them, in any church, or open assembly; but the chancellor, captains of the wars, the king's justices, the recorder

of

any town, the speaker, and some others, might continue to use them as before. Any noblewoman and gentlewoman might read the Bible privately. Women of lower degree, artificers, apprentices,

* Lewis's History of English Translations of the Bible, p. 137.

journeymen, serving husbandmen, and labourers, were prohibited from reading the Bible, or New Testament, to themselves, or any other person.

XII. 3.

Ecclesiastical regulations of Henry, respecting the Faith, and Devotions, of his subjects.

HENRY's pastoral solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his subjects was not confined to their reading of the Bible. Formularies also of faith, and some books of devotion, were published by him, or by his direction, for their use. The principal of these are 1, his Primer; 2, his Ten Articles of religious belief: 3, the work called, The Institution of a Christian Man: 4, his Six Articles of religious belief.

1. The first edition of his Primer is said, in the title-page, to be printed by John Biddle, on the 16th June, 1535. It was published, with the approbation, but without the formal authority, of the king. When, by the act of parliament already mentioned, the reading of the Bible was prohibited to all persons under the rank of gentlemen, the Primer was expressly saved from the prohibition. Abstracting from the circumstance, that it condemns the offering of prayer to angels and saints, its doctrines accord with those of the catholic church.

2. The innovations in religion occasioning much diversity in the doctrines delivered from the pulpit, his majesty, on the 12th July 1536, sent a circular letter to the bishops, enjoining them to abstain from preaching, until the ensuing Michaelmas. In the

mean time he framed Ten Articles of faith; and sent them to the convocation, which was then sitting, at St. Paul's. They were received, with great respect; passed, by an unanimous act, and then signed by his majesty. They run in his name; and were published, by his authority. Baptism, penance, the sacrament of the eucharist, with the doctrine of transubstantiation, auricular confession, and prayers to the saints, are retained in them. They omit the article of purgatory. The scriptures, and ancient creeds, are made the standards of faith.

3. The Institution of a Christian Man was published in 1537, by Berthelet. It was recommended, and subscribed, by the two archbishops, nineteen bishops, and the lower house of convocation. It contains an explanation of our Lord's prayer, the creed, the seven sacraments, the decalogue, the ave maria, justification, and purgatory. It is observable, that it maintains, in its fullest extent, the doctrine of passive obedience; and that, in the article of orders, it declares, that, "after the conversion "of kings and princes, the bishop had recourse to "the assistance of the secular magistrate. This "was done to reinforce the jurisdiction of the "church by the civil sanction. For the church "has no authority to inflict pecuniary, or corporal, "punishment.

4. In the parliament of the year 1538-9,-the last that was holden in the reign of Henry, the act passed for abolishing diversity of opinions. After a preamble, it propounds "certain articles con