led, like a blind man, by a way that he knew not; but it certainly was something, to have received such an answer or attestation to his scholarship from such a man, before he proceeded farther with his intended work. It was equal to the Bishop having said, Go forward-though, if Tunstal had only divined what was the main object in view, no such answer had been returned; nay, an authoritative stop would have been put to all farther progress.

Meanwhile, and on the contrary, by the advice, and therefore the authority, of the Bishop of London himself, Tyndale was now authorised to seek for some situation throughout the metropolis. No ecclesiastic, however, afforded him any permanent abode; but, in a little time, and for fully the last six months of this year, namely, 1523, he was most kindly entertained under the roof of Mr. Humphrie Munmouth, a wealthy citizen, and future Alderman of London, when he used to preach at St. Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street. Although he sought in vain for a situation, "almost a year," yet the residence itself was not without its value in future life. It had a similar effect upon him, which a visit to Rome had upon some others, and tended not only to ground him more firmly in his views of Divine truth, but to inflame his zeal for translating the Scriptures. He had opportunity for more closely observing many things which he had never seen before; and, in reference to the scene around him, witness his own language, in 1530:—

"And so in London I abode almost a year, and marked the course of the world, and heard our preachers, and beheld the pomp of our Prelates, and how busy they were, as they yet are, to set peace and unity in the world; though it be not possible for them that walk in darkness to continue long in peace; and saw things whereof I defer to speak at this time; and understood, at the last, not only that there was no room in my Lord of London's palace to translate the New Testament, but also, that there was no place to do it, in all England, as experience doth now openly declare." 10

But before that Tyndale embarked for the Continent, was there no other step already suggested, which might operate in direct hostility to such a design as that which he contemplated? Yes, there was, and in this very year, one of the most powerful and magnificent character. It may be regarded as the climax

10 Preface to the Pentateuch, 1530.

in the triumph of literature, or as a phalanx in opposition. The attempt too is the more worthy of notice, since it has often been loosely regarded as the only redeeming trait in Wolsey's character. We refer to the establishment of Cardinal College, Oxford. "He patronised letters," it has been said, "and may be classed among the benefactors of the human mind." But even in the cultivation of letters, we must observe the end in view; and in order effectually to secure us against all unfair or even harsh conclusions, we shall take the explanation from the best of all authorities; or from the devoted friend of Wolsey, the Confessor of Henry VIII. and his Almoner, John Longland, the Bishop of Lincoln. Immediately after explaining Wolsey's whole intentions to the King, he wrote to the Cardinal on the 5th of January, 1523, to say how he sped; and this letter, yet extant, divulges the secret purpose of the proposed institution, which was no other than a systematic attempt, under the guise of learning, to retain the human mind in bondage; to prevent, if possible, the entrance of Divine truth into England, and thus far retard its progress in Europe. There was first to be a sermon preached before the King against Luther and Lutheran books, and their introduction into the kingdom; then there was to be a "secret search in divers places, and that at one time;" then a proclamation was to be made, giving notice to all having heretical books to bring them in under pain of the greater excommunication, and should any "contumaciously persist in their contumacy, then to pursue them by the law (ad ignem) to the fire." All this was called the "quarrel of God;" and the necessity of maintaining it urged on the King, "as the World is marvellously bent against us, which only His Grace and the Cardinal can remedy." Then followed, as part of the scheme, the new College, and "the notable Lectures which should be there, and the exercitations of learning, and that the Students should be limited by the Readers to the same; likewise in the exposition of the Bible."

All these purposes were literally fulfilled, the secret search, the sermon, the books found and burnt; but then, it is a most remarkable fact, that all these we shall see deferred-nay, deferred for exactly three years, or till immediately after Tyndale's New Testaments had arrived in the country! Wolsey, it is

1

true, will have quite enough to divert him all the time, but it was just as if Providence had intended that the writings of no human being should have the precedence, but that His own Word, being so treated, should thus enjoy the distinction of exciting the general commotion of 1526. The burning of the New Testament was to be the head and front of their offending.

We have now done with Tyndale upon English ground; and, disappointed of employment, he also was done with "marking the pomp of our Prelates," or hearing the whole fraternity "boast of their high authority." But certainly when he was to be seen walking up Fleet Street, from the hospitable abode of Mr. Humphrie Munmouth, to preach at St. Dunstan's in the West, nothing in this world could have been more improbable, than that in a short time he was so to agitate the whole hierarchy of England, and the city which he was now about to leave for ever!

Here then, and before he embarks, let us pause for a moment. The copies of the Sacred Scriptures in the English tongue, now far exceed in number, not only that of every other nation, but they have been supposed to surpass the number in all other languages when put together! With us they are familiarly enumerated by millions, and myriads of our countrymen have lived in peace, and died in joy, full of the genuine consolation thus imparted! As far, therefore, as human agency was employed, it becomes a sacred duty to trace this, the highest favour of Heaven, up to its source; and certainly it is not a little singular, at the distance of nearly three hundred and twenty years, that we should be able to contemplate the origin of the whole, within the bosom of one disappointed and neglected, if not despised individual! There was, indeed, one young man, his own convert, with whom he may have communed on the subject, John Fryth, whether in London, which is most probable, or at Cambridge, but he was not to accompany him; no, nor even an amanuensis. Solitary and alone he went out, like the patriarch of old, "not knowing whither he went." By faith, it may be truly said, he left his native country, not unmindful of it, but, on the contrary, loaded with a sense of genuine pity for its inhabitants, from the king downward.

MDXXIV., MDXXV.

THE NEW TESTAMENT IN ENGLISH PREPARING BY TYNDALE, FOR CIRCULATION IN HIS NATIVE LAND; AND IN TWO EDITIONS FROM THE PRESS BY THE CLOSE OF 1525.

E are now entering upon a war of opinion, and one of paramount importance to this kingdom, which, as far as our first translator of the Sacred Volume was concerned, lasted, without one moment's interruption, for twelve years. It must appear singular, that no detail of such a contest, ending as it did, has ever been written. Such, however, being the fact, and such the variety of character, as well as the strange incidents involved in the struggle, without keeping rigidly to our narrative, year by year, as the subject never has been, so it never can be understood.

Tyndale, though strongly attached to his native country, having now fully resolved on going abroad, Munmouth "helped him over the sea." We know that he sailed direct for Hamburg, and the question is, whether he did not there remain for more than a year. At all events, a period of about fifteen months, or rather two years, has to be accounted for, from January 1524; but so much obscurity has rested upon it, owing to the mere affirmations, both of friends and foes, that it becomes necessary to call for proof, and to proceed no farther than it will carry us.

Two general assertions have been hazarded, and too long received. One is, that, upon leaving his native land, Tyndale went directly to Luther, and completed his translation in confederacy with him. The other is, that he dwelt at Wittenberg while thus engaged.

This idea of Tyndale's immediate and intimate confederacy with Luther, and his dependence upon him, originally imported from abroad, through men who were, at the moment, under the torture of examination in England, has been repeated from Sir Thomas More and John Cochlæus, two determined enemies, not to say John Foxe, a decided friend, down to Herbert Marsh in our own day; but it is more than time that it should be exploded. Considering that these are nothing more than asser

tions, it is strange that they should have prevailed with any, after Tyndale's own language to Sir Thomas More, who had asserted that our Translator was with Luther in Wittenberg, where he wrote his marginal glosses; and again that " the confederacy between Luther and him is a thing well known." To this, Tyndale, in his "Answer," replies with emphasis, "When he saith, Tyndale was confederate with Luther, that is not truth;" but, as a man traduced, gives his adversary no farther positive information.

But even independently of this pointed denial, was he even resident in Wittenberg, nay, in any part of Saxony, during this period? If not, then both assertions fall to the ground.

That he saw and conversed with Luther at some period, may be supposed, though we have not a shadow of proof; but that he had done either, or even set his foot in Saxony, before the publication of his New Testament, will very soon appear to have been impossible, in the nature of things. On the contrary, if we are to depend on the distinctly recorded testimony of the generous man with whom he resided in London; delivered, too, in very peculiar, because responsible, circumstances, and involving pecuniary transactions with Tyndale himself, which account for his support, a different place of residence must be assigned to him.

On the 14th of May, 1528, Munmouth being sent for by Sir T. More, was the same day committed to the Tower. His petition for release, on the 19th, is addressed to Wolsey and the King's Council. Now, in this we have the following evidence, that Munmouth heard Tyndale preach four years and a half and more before at St. Dunstan's, London; that on Tunstal's refusal to employ him, he took him into his house for half a year; that "when he made his exchange to Hamburg," he paid him ten pounds; that within a year after he sent from Hamburg for other ten pounds which he had left in his hands, and that thither he had sent it to him. From this, and what follows, it is evident, he remained in Hamburg throughout 1524, and that he had means of support for even a longer period.

We presume it will now be admitted, that the residence of Tyndale at Wittenberg has been nothing more than an assumption, serving powerfully, at the moment, the purpose of Sir