A

BRIEF ACCOUNT

OF

THOMAS BILNEY;

TO WHICH ARE SUBJOINED HIS LETTERS TO

BISHOP TONSTAL.

THOMAS BILNEY was brought up in the university of Cambridge from an early age. He made considerable proficiency in study, particularly in the civil and canon law. But, as Fox expresses it, "Having gotten a better schoolmaster, even the Holy Spirit of Christ, who endued his heart by secret inspiration, with the knowledge of better and more wholesome things, he came at the last unto this point, that forsaking the knowledge of man's laws, he converted his study to those things which tended more to godliness than gain."

He was anxious to teach others the truths he had learned. Among other seals to his ministry was that faithful servant of Christ Hugh Latimer. In the Acts and Monuments of John Fox, the reader will find a particular account of the life and martyrdom of Bilney; in these pages only a brief notice can be inserted, as an introduction to the small, yet important written remains of this martyr, which have been preserved by the enemies of the truth.

Leaving the university, Bilney travelled into several parts of the country, accompanied by Thomas Arthur, another of the seals to his ministry. The scriptural doctrines he taught were frequently attacked by the Romanists and were powerfully defended by him. One memorial of these controversies has been preserved by his opponent, a friar Brusierd of Ipswich, who wrote down their conference to make it a ground of accusation against Bilney. We cannot suppose that this singular document does foll justice to

the reformer, but it contains sufficient proof of the scriptural origin of the doctrines he taught, while it shows the fallacies advanced by the popish advocate.

The friar objected to Bilney, “Whereas you have said that none of the saints make intercession for us, nor obtain for us.any thing, you have blasphemed the efficacy (power) of the church, consecrated with the precious blood of Christ; which, nevertheless, you are not able to deny, seeing they (the church) incessantly knock at the gates of heaven, through the continual intercession of the saints, as is plainly set forth in the seven-fold Litany."

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Bilney referred to the text, There is but one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus;" and asked, "If there be but one Mediator between God and man, even Christ Jesus, where is our blessed lady? where is St. Peter, and the other saints ?"

The friar admitted that such was the doctrine of the primitive church, and that St. Paul was right in making such a statement," when as yet there was no saint canonized, nor put into the calendar!" But 66 now the church assuredly knew and believed, that the blessed virgin, and the other saints, were placed in the bosom of Abraham; and that the church, like a good mother, diligently taught her children to praise the omnipotent Jesus in his saints, and also to offer up by the same saints our petitions to God!"

To this sophistical argument, Bilney replied, by quoting the words of our Saviour, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father, in my name, he will give it unto you;" adding, "He saith not, Whatsoever ye ask the Father in the name of St. Peter, St. Paul, and other saints; but in my name. Let us, then, ask help in the name of Him who is able to obtain for us of the Father whatsoever we ask; lest, at the day of judgment, we should hear him say, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name." The friar could not evade the force of this reasoning, but endeavoured to entangle Bilney in a scholastic argument, and a discussion respecting the authority of the church of Rome. Bilney, however, was too well informed to be so caught; and again referred to scripture, inquiring if the friar knew the ten commandments. His answer deserves notice: " According as the catholic doctors do expound them, I know them." The remainder of their conference was very similar to what is already given.

As Fox states, "The whole sum of Bilney's preaching

and doctrine proceeded chiefly against idolatry, invocation of saints, vain worship of images, false trust to men's merits, and such other gross points of religion, as seemed preju dicial and derogatory to the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. As touching the mass and sacrament of the altar, he never differed thereon from the grossest (Roman) catholics."

Fox

In November, 1527, Bilney and Arthur were apprehended by command of cardinal Wolsey, who after a short examination committed their further examination to Tonstal, bishop of London, a decided Romanist, though milder than his brethren in his proceedings against the protestants.* gives the particulars of their examinations from the bishop's own register, wherein Tonstal, with scrupulous fidelity, caused several letters written to him by Bilney to be inserted. Fox states,

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The third day of December, the bishop of London with the other bishops, assembling at the house of the bishop of Norwich, after that Bilney had denied utterly to return to the church of Rome, the bishop of London in discharge of his conscience, as he said, lest he should hide any thing that had come to his hands, exhibited unto the notaries, in the presence of Bilney, five letters or epistles, with a schedule in one of the epistles,† containing his articles and answers folded therein, and another epistle folded in manner of a book, with six leaves; which all and every one he commanded to be written out and registered, and the originals to be delivered to him again. This was done in the presence of Bilney, desiring a copy of them; and the bishop bound the notaries with an oath, for the safe keeping of the copies, and true registering of the same. Which articles and answers, with three of the same epistles, with certain depositions deposed by the aforesaid witness, here follow, truly drawn out, partly of his own hand-writing, and partly out of the register."

A brief account of some of the depositions against Bilney will present awful proofs of the spiritual darkness which then prevailed, and shows the blindness in which the church of Rome sought to retain its votaries.

It was deposed, that in his sermon in Christ's church in Ipswich, Bilney preached and said, Our Saviour Christ is our Mediator between us and the Father. What should we

See the life of Bernard Gilpin in the Christian Biography. + Only three of these letters are printed by Fox.

need then to seek any saint for remedy? Wherefore, it is great injury to the blood of Christ, to make such petitions, and blasphemeth our Saviour.

That man is so unperfect of himself, that he can in no wise merit by his own deeds.

Also, that the coming of Christ was long prophesied before, and desired by the prophets. But John Baptist being more than a prophet, did not only prophesy, but with his finger showed him, saying, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Then if this were the very Lamb which John did demonstrate, that taketh away the sins of the world, what an injury is it to our Saviour Christ, to say that to be buried in St. Francis's cowl,* should remit four parts of penance: what is then left to our Saviour Christ, which taketh away the sins of the world? This I will justify to be a great blasphemy to the blood of Christ. Also, that it was a great folly to go on pilgrimage, and that preachers in times past have been antichrists, and now it hath pleased God somewhat to show forth their falsehood and errors.

Also, that the miracles done at Walsingham, at Canterbury, and there in Ipswich, were done by the devil, through the sufferance of God, to blind the poor people; and that the pope hath not the keys that Peter had, except he follow Peter in his living.

Moreover, it was deposed against him, that he was notoriously suspected as a heretic, and twice pulled out of the pulpit in the diocese of Norwich.

Also it was deposed against him, that he should in the parish church of Willesdon, exhort the people to put away their gods of silver and gold, and leave their offerings unto them, for that such things as they offered have been known oftentimes afterward to have been given to harlots. Also that Jews and Saracens would have become christian men long ago, had it not been for the idolatry of christian men in offering of candles, wax, and money, to stocks and stones.

Tonstal was particularly desirous not to proceed to

To be buried in a friar's cast off habit, accompanied by letters, enrolling the deceased in a monastic order, was accounted a sure deliverance from eternal condemnation! In Piers the Ploughman's creed a friar is described as wheedling a poor man out of his money, by assuring him that if he will contribute to his monastery,

St. Francis himself shall fold thee in his cope,

And present thee to the Trinity, and pray for thy sins. King John was buried in a monk's cowl! See note, p. 158.

extremities with Bilney. He repeatedly remanded him to give time for reflection, and even after reading a part of the sentence deferred the remainder. These continued attacks upon the constancy of Bilney were seconded by several friends of the reformer, and probably were of greater efficacy than severer measures. We find that at length he recanted; he was released after carrying a fagot in a Romish procession, and standing bareheaded before the preacher at Paul's cross, during the sermon. In this recantation he admitted the worship of saints, and prayer to them, also that men could merit by their deeds.

Bilney returned to Cambridge after his abjuration, deeply lamenting and sorrowing for his weakness. He was almost brought into a state of utter desperation, as Latimer described in his sermons. * He relates that Bilney's agony of mind was so great, "that him to be alone day or night. could, but no comforts would fortable places of scripture, to though a man should run him through the heart with a sword."

his friends dared not suffer They comforted him as they serve. And as for the combring them to him was as

Fox, or rather archbishop Parker,† whose narrative of Bilney's martyrdom he inserts, proceeds thus :

By this it appears how vehemently this good man was pierced with sorrow and remorse for his abjuration, the space almost of two years, that is, from the year 1529, to the year 1531. It followed then, that by God's grace and good counsel he came at length to some quiet of conscience, being fully resolved to give his life for the confession of that truth, which before he had renounced. And thus being fully determined in his mind, and setting his time, he took his leave in Trinity Hall at ten of the clock at night, of certain of his friends, and said that he would go to Jerusalem; alluding belike to the words and example of Christ in the gospel, going up to Jerusalem,‡ what time he was appointed to suffer his passion. And so Bilney, meaning to * See Latimer, p. 56, 115, 260.

+ Archbishop Parker, then resident at the university, went from Cambridge to Norwich to witness the martyrdom of Bilney, for whom he entertained a warm affection. He was thus enabled to bear testi. mony to the faithful adherence of the martyr to the truth during his last moments, in contradiction to the assertions of sir Thomas More, who falsely declared that Bilney had recanted at the stake. A particular statement respecting this is given by Fox, supported by several undoubted testimonies.

+ Or probably to the words of St. Paul, Acts xix. 21. xx. 22.