to living fountains of waters; and God has wiped away all tears from his eyes.

The next exploit performed by these deluded man-slayers, was the assassination of a worthy and pious man, named Richard Packington, brother to him who helped bishop Tonstal to buy the incorrect edition of Tindal's Testament. He was shot, when in the act of crossing Cheapside, on his way to early prayers, which he invariably attended every morning at five o'clock. For a long time the murderer was unsuspected; but at length Dr. Incent, dean of St. Paul's, on his death-bed confessed the crime, having hired an Italian to shoot his victim, whose only offence was the courage with which he, as a burgess in parliament, had spoken his mind on the covetousness and cruelty of the popish clergy; and that he was suspected of having some influence with the king.

Although this cannot be reckoned as a martyrdom, it evinces the fearful spirit of the persecuting party; to which another murder, more openly perpetrated about the same time, adds a shocking testimony. A gentleman named Collins, a lawyer, had a wife of extraordinary beauty, who proved unfaithful, and forsook him for another man. This affliction was too much for his reason, and he became deranged. One day the poor maniac wandered into a church, just when the priest was saying mass: as he elevated the host, holding up the wafer above his head for the people to worship, Collins, with the childish mimicry peculiar to his idiotic state, caught up his little dog, and held him in like manner, by the legs, in sight of the people. He was immediately seized, and put on his trial for heresy; and notwithstanding the irrefragable proof of his being in a state of sheer madness, he was condemned, and actually burned in Smithfield, together with his poor little dog, the unconscious partner of his crime! Perhaps the annals of papal butchery cannot furnish a more striking instance of the madness of that harlot's rage, who is represented by the Spirit of God as making rulers "drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication," than this, of judicially condemning to a torturing death a senseless idiot and a dumb brute, for alleged contempt of her idolatry! Poor Collins, thus broken-hearted, deprived of his senses through domestic calamity, and of his life by antichristian cruelty, was perhaps chosen in the furnace of affliction; a saved

one of the Lord's little flock, enabled to glorify him in the fires, on the spot where Lambert had just before, with all the powers of mind and spirit, exceedingly magnified Christ's glorious name.

Another poor madman named Cowbridge was, in the following year, burned at Oxford, on the ground of some articles that exhibited only the ravings of a distempered mind. Concerning him and Collins, Fox beautifully says, "they rather should have been pitied, and all ways convenient sought, how to reduce the silly wretches into their right minds again, according as the true pastors of Israel be commanded by the Spirit of God to seek again the things that be lost, and to bind up the things that be broken, and not so extremely to burst the things that be bruised before." Concerning Cowbridge, however, there is this happy testimony given, that in the midst of the flames his right senses appeared to be restored; while lifting up his head to heaven, he soberly and calmly called on the blessed name of Jesus, and with that name on his lips expired.

One Puttedew, and another named Leiton, were both, about this time, burned. The first in Suffolk, for laughingly saying to the priest that when he had drunk up all the wine himself, he afterwards blessed the hungry people with the empty chalice; the latter in Norwich for uttering some words of contempt concerning an idol which they carried in procession, and for holding that the sacrament should be administered in both kinds.

It was in Suffolk also that a man named Peke was burnt, at Ipswich, under circumstances of aggravated cruelty; for being fastened to the stake, he was first scorched with blazing furze-bushes, until his face and body were black as coal: then one Dr. Reading struck him on the shoulder with a long wand, exclaiming, "Peke! recant; and believe that the sacrament of the altar is the very body of Christ, flesh, blood, and bone, after the priest hath spoken the words of consecration over it;" showing him a scroll of paper, by which he declared he had authority to absolve him for his unbelief. The martyr, whose veins had burst internally through the fierceness of the fire, and extremity of his anguish, cast a stream of blood from his mouth, while answering, "I defy it, and thee also." Whereon the doctor, turning to the spectators, said, "To as many as shall cast a stick to the burning of this heretic, is granted forty days of pardon, by my lord bishop of Norwich." To the

shame of their knighthood it is recorded, that on hearing this, the baron Curzon, Sir John Audley and others, rose from their seats, and with their swords cutting down boughs from the surrounding trees, cast them into the fire. A cheap mode of purchasing remission for nearly six weeks' guilt!

CHAPTER VII.

THE SIX ARTICLES-CROMWELL-BARNES-GARRET-HIEROME.

THE lady Jane Seymour having survived the birth of prince Edward only a day or two, the king remained in a state of widowhood for two years; after which by the judicious advice of Cromwell, earl of Essex, he contracted a marriage with the princess Ann of Cleves. This union would greatly have tended to the establishment of protestantism in England, by confirming the amicable relationship between Henry and the German princes, who were fully bent to extinguish the papal power: but the wily Gardiner, who possessed too much of the royal ear, was ever at hand to thwart all that promised well for true religion; and now he wrought on the fickle king, under pretence of strengthening his authority by maintaining an outward zeal for the religion of which he had declared himself the head, to strike a deadly blow at the root of the reformation. Under this evil influence, the king summoning his parliament, with a convocation of all the prelates and learned clergy of the realm, in April, 1540, they jointly decreed and promulgated the celebrated act of the Six Articles, more aptly termed "the scourge with six strings," which proved as sanguinary a gift as any country ever received from its legislators.

As reference is so often to be made to this wicked act, it may be well to state its provisions: they were as follows:

I. That in the most blessed sacrifice of the altar, by the strength and efficacy of Christ's mighty word, it being spoken by the priest, is present really, under the form of bread and wine, the natural body and blood of our Saviour

Jesus Christ, conceived of the Virgin Mary; and that after the consecration there remaineth no substance of bread and wine, or any other substance, but the substance of Christ, God and man.

II. That the communion in both kinds is not necessary to salvation, by the law of God, to all persons: and that it is to be believed, and not doubted of, but that in the flesh, under form of bread, is the very blood, and with the blood under form of wine is the very flesh, as well apart as they were both together.

III. That priests, after the order of priesthood received as afore, may not marry, by the law of God.

IV. That vows of chastity or widowhood, by man or woman made to God advisedly, ought to be observed by the law of God; and that it exempteth them from other liberties of Christian people, which without they might enjoy.

V. That it is meet and necessary, that private masses be continued in this English church and congregation; as whereby good Christian people, ordering themselves, accordingly, do receive both godly and goodly consolations and benefits: and it is agreable also to God's law.

VI. That auricular confession is expedient and necessary to be retained and continued, used and frequented in the church of God.

The prelates, who had agreed upon these antiscriptural articles, perceiving that, amid the extending light of gospel truth they would never be consented to by the people, unless under the compulsion of severe and bloody penalties, induced the king and parliament to enact that any one who should publish, preach, teach, say, affirm, declare, dispute, argue, or hold any opinion contrary to the first article-which, in the broadest terms, sets forth the dogma of transubstantiation,-together with their aiders, comforters, counsellors, consenters, and abettors therein, should be deemed heretics, and suffer death by burning, without any abjuration, or benefit of the clergy or sanctuary, forfeiting also the whole of their property to the king, as in cases of high treason: that any person who should teach or hold any thing contrary to the remaining five, should, for the first offence, suffer imprisonment at the king's pleasure, with like forfeiture of goods: and for the second be put to death as a felon. To complete the matter, an inquisition was appointed, of which the archbishop, bishop,

his chancellor or his commissary, was always to be one, to sit at least four times in the year, with full powers to try and adjudge the cases of suspected heresy or contu

macy.

In the enactment of this dreadful law, one man alone was found to make an open protest against the proceeding: and that man was archbishop Cranmer. He made his allegations against the articles with so much modesty, humility, and loyal respect for the king, repeatedly declaring that the cause which he advocated was not his own but that of Almighty God, that even Henry could not take offence; nor did the power of his reasoning admit of any attempt at refutation, on the part of his unworthy brethren. The king only requested him to retire from the council chamber, that, in his absence, the act might be passed: but this Cranmer, with humble firmness, refused to do: and maintained his protest to the last. The king judging how much he must be afflicted at the deed, afterwards sent Cromwell and all the barons to him, at Lambeth, to signify the royal approval of his conscientious course, to commend his learning and zeal, and to comfort him under his defeat. To which Cranmer, while suitably acknowledging the honour put upon him, also added, he hoped in God that, hereafter, his allegations and authorities should prevail, to the glory of God, and commodity of the realm.

The enemies of God's truth having thus far triumphed, their next step was to remove its most powerful upholder. Cranmer was beyond their reach, neither could they then fear much from him; but lord Cromwell, who, by his singular talents and admirable conduct had risen from an humble walk of life to be earl of Essex, lord high chamberlain, and the king's bosom-friend and counsellor, was known as the fast and fearless patron of such as loved the gospel; ever using his interest with the monarch to promote the cause. His fall was contrived by Winchester and others, who too well understood the weak points in Henry's unhappy character; and on a false charge of treason this upright nobleman was suddenly arrested, condemned, and beheaded.

Yet a more formidable foe than Cromwell remained, by all means to be put out of the way: this was the Bible, which under his patronage had been translated by Coverdale, with the help of Tindal's version. The bishops made great complaints to the king of the translation, particularly