He therefore willed, that no one should write, print, or keep any books contrary to the Catholic faith of holy church; or preach without license, or utter false doctrine; on penalty of suffering such fine and imprisonment, as the bishop of the diocese in which the offence should be committed, should think proper.

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And furthermore, that no one should publish or keep any book "against the faith Catholic, or against "the holy decrees, laws, and ordinances of holy church; or in reproach, rebuke, or slander of the king, his honourable council, or his lords spiritual "or temporal," as they would avoid the king's high indignation and displeasure.

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Fox says, that the bishops, having procured this "fierce and terrible proclamation" to be set forth, "had that now, which they would have: neither did "there lack, on their part, any study unapplied, any "stone unremoved, any corner unsearched, for the diligent execution of the same. Whereupon ensued a grievous persecution and slaughter of the faithful."" Well might Fox call this "a fierce and terrible proclamation," for the most unlimited authority that ever was heard of, was hereby given to the bishops to fine and imprison whomsoever they pleased. How difficult a thing was it to decide, what was doctrine against the Catholic faith of the holy church; and how easy was it for the bishops to include in that description every offence they chose; seeing that they

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Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. ii. p. 289.

alone could be judges of whether it was against the true doctrine or not. It is hard to conceive a more unjust and tyrannical power than the one hereby conferred, since the term of imprisonment, and the amount of fine, were left entirely to the bishops' discretion.

But it would seem that notwithstanding, it had not the effect desired, for in the following year, 1530, a fourth Dutch edition of the New Testament of Tyndal's translation was printed, and soon sold off." This edition was full of errors, they having no Englishman to correct it.

Great numbers (says Halle') of the New Testaments, translated by Tyndal, Joy, and others, had in the last four years been brought into the realm; and the common people got hold of them, and read them secretly, in spite of the hinderance of the clergy, who punished all who read, studied, or taught the same with great severity. But inasmuch as they were so numerous, the clergy applied to the Lord Chancellor," (who leaned much to the spiritual men's side) to punish them; and he accordingly imprisoned and punished a great number; by which great disputes, murmurs, and discontents arose.

Nix, Bishop of Norwich, in a letter that he wrote to Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 14th of May, 1530,' tells him that he is much troubled with

Sir Thomas More. Fox tells us of several instances of cruelty, that this otherwise excellent man committed with regard to heretics.

Orig. Cott. MS. Cleop. E. v. fol. 360.

those that keep "these Arronious boks in engleshe," and that teach others to give credence to the same. He says he has done all he can to suppress them, but that it passed his power or any spiritual man's to do it. For divers say openly, that the king wills that they shall have these books. He says that he has desired the Abbot of Hide to show these matters to the king, and to pray him to send his letters down under his seal, that it may be seen, that it is not his pleasure, that such books should be read or taught. And some, he adds, are bold enough to assert that by Michaelmas next, they trust there will be more that believe of their opinions, than they that believe the contrary. He adds, that since the Abbot of Hide departed, which was on Monday last, he has had much trouble about these matters; "and they say "that where so mever they go they here say that the

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kings pleasure is the new testament in ingleshe "shulde go forth, and me shuld haue it, and Rede "it. And from that opynion I cañe no wise induce them, but I had greter auctorite to punyshe them, "than I haue."

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He tells the Archbishop, however, that as yet this may be well remedied in his diocese; for that the gentry and common people are not greatly infected, but only the merchants, and such as have their abiding not far from the sea. But, he says, if these matters are suffered to run on, "vndoe vs all." He adds that the Abbot can shew him of a curate, a well-learned man in his diocese, who has exhorted his parishioners to believe con

"I think they shall

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MEMORIALS OF MYLES COVERDALE.

trary to the Catholic faith: and that he has heard that out of a certain college at Cambridge, called Gunwell Hall, there has never come a clerk lately, but that "sauerith of the friaige panne though he speke neuer so holely."

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It would seem curious to conceive how the bishop could complain of not having sufficient authority, when we recollect the proclamation, that was issued only the year before, which put so great a power into his hands. But it would seem, on attentively examining the letter itself," that the bishop had the New Testament chiefly in his eye; and it might very well be questioned, whether, under that proclamation, he had a right to prohibit it. Besides, he says in his letter, that those who had them said that it was the king's pleasure they should have them; and he therefore probably feared to take any steps against men so confident, and who very likely would have openly resisted his authority, all the while, however, professing the utmost submission to the king's will.

"In one part of the letter, the words "the saide boks" are erased, and "the new testament in ingleshe" inserted in their place.

CHAPTER III.

DECISION OF THE KING IN COUNCIL AGAINST THE NEW DOCTRINES. HIS INTENTION TO HAVE THE SCRIPTURE TRANSLATED, TO GIVE TO HIS PEOPLE, WHEN HE SHOULD SEE THAT LATIMER'S LETTER THEY WERE FIT TO RECEIVE THE SAME.

TO THE KING, PERSUADING HIM TO GRANT THE FREE USE OF THE BIBLE TO HIS SUBJECTS. PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION. RESOLUTION OF THE CONVOCATION OF THE CLERGY WITII REGARD TO PROMULGATING THE SCRIPTURE IN ENG-ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST. COVERDALE DETERMINES TO TRANSLATE IT.

LISH.

THESE and the like representations made the king anxious to take some more effectual step towards checking the Lutheran publications, which were now pouring into the kingdom. And as he judged some solemn and decisive measure was necessary, beyond that of merely issuing a prohibitory proclamation, in order that the people might be convinced that these works were not forbidden without a cause; he summoned the principal bishops, and a number of the most learned of the two universities, and putting several of these publications into their hands, he desired them to examine them, and report upon them. And in order to confer a greater air of impartiality on their decision, free liberty, we are told, was given to every