and Wickliff's Bible, particularly as it was judged to be an unfaithful translation, was condemned to be burnt. In the time of Richard the Second, a bill was brought into the House of Lords, A. D. 1390, to prohibit the use of English Bibles. The bill, however, being strongly reprobated and opposed by John Duke of Lancaster [A] was rejected; but about A.D. 1408, Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, decreed in a convocation of the Clergy at Oxford, that no unauthorized person should translate any text of scripture into English, or any other language by way of book, and that no translation made either in, or since Wickliff's time should be read, till approved by the bishop of the diocese, or in a provincial council. This decree was enforced by great persecutions, and as about the same time Pope Alexander the fifth condemned all translations into the vulgar tongue, they were as much as it was possible, suppressed till the Reformation.

It appears indeed, from our bishops registers, that in consequence of Arundel's commission, several persons were burnt, on refusing to abjure their principles, for having read the New Testament, and the Ten Commandments, in Wickliff's translation [B]. In the reign of Henry VIII. whose

[A] Usher, Parker, Linwood, and Collier. The Duke is related to have said, "We will not be the dregs of all, seeing other nations have the law of God, which is the law of our faith, written in their own language." Vid. Fox's Pref. to Saxon Gospel, A. D. 1571. Usher de Script. et Sacr. Vern. [B] At that time the people were so little acquainted with

violent passions were providentially rendered conducive to the reformation in this country, William Tyndal, or as he was otherwise called, Hickens [c], having left the kingdom on account of his religious principles, translated at Antwerp, by the assistance of John Fry, or Fryth, and William Roye, the New Testament from the Greek, and printed it in octavo, in 1526 [D]. The written copies of Wickliff's translation had been long known, but this was the first time that any part of the scriptures was printed in English. It appeared at Hamburgh, or Antwerp, and was dispersed at London, and Oxford. Wolsey, and the bishops, published prohibitions, and injunctions against it as false, and heretical, Tonstal, bishop of London, and Sir Thomas More, bought up almost, the whole impression, and burnt it at St. Paul's Cross, which, whether or not in

the scriptures, and so ignorant even of the language in which they were originally written, that upon the appearance of printed editions of the scriptures in the Hebrew and Greek originals, some of the more illiterate Monks declaimed from the pulpits, that "there was now a new language discovered called Greek, of which people should beware, since it was that which produced all heresies; that in this language was come forth a book called the New Testament, which was now in every body's hands, and was full of thorns and briers. And there had also another language now started up, which they called Hebrew, and that they who learnt it were turned Hebrews." Vid. Hody de Bibl. Text. p. 465. Erasm. Epist. Lib XXXI. No. 42. edit. 1642.

[c] Hist. et Antiq. Oxon. Lib. ii. p. 375. vol. ii. [D] Fox's Acts. Usher de Script. p. 187.

Joye's Apology.

tended to serve Tyndal [E], did most certainly assist him in the continuance of his designs [F]. The venders of Tyndal's work were condemned by the star-chamber, to ride with their faces to the horses tails, with papers on their heads, and with the books which they had dispersed tied about them, to the standard in Cheapside, and they themselves were compelled to throw them into the fire, and were afterwards amerced by a considerable fine [G]. The clergy now professed an intention of publishing the New Testament themselves, and a proclamation was issued against Tyndal's work; but before the appearance of this proclamation, Tyndal, by the help of Miles Coverdale, had translated the Pentateuch, which was printed at Hamburgh, in small octavo, in 1530 [H]. In the same year he published a corrected, transla

[E] Jortin's Life of Eras. Collier's Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 22. Sir Thomas More's Engl. Works, vol. ii. p. 369. The Dutch editions were soon published, and dispersed at a cheap rate, at about thirteen-pence each. The English books were sold for about 3s. 6d. Three editions were sold before 1530. Thus were eyes opened to the abuses of popery.

[F] Sir Thomas More objected to Translations in general, and particularly considered Tyndal's as erroneous, especially in matters of church government. Vid. Spelman's Papers. Burnet, vol. i. b. 2. p. 160.

[G] Hall, Henry VIII. Fuller, &c.

[H] Mr. Thoresby speaks of a copy printed at Marpurg, in Hesse, by Hans Luft, in 1530. Vid. Ducat. Leod. Lewis says, that Tyndal translated this Pentateuch from the Hebrew, Vid. Hist. Transl. p. 70.

tion of the New Testament; and in 1531, a translation of Jonah. As he had but little knowledge of the Hebrew, he probably rendered chiefly from the Latin, though he had some reference to the Hebrew, and his work had great merit, considering the disadvantages under which he laboured [1]. His prefaces, which reflected on the bishops and clergy, were chiefly complained of, though eagerly read by the people; and provoked Henry, at the instigation of his ministers, to procure that he should be seized in Flanders, where he was afterwards strangled, and his body was burnt.

In 1535, Miles Coverdale published a translation of the whole Bible, which, as some have supposed, was printed at Zurich, chiefly from the original language. It was dedicated to the King, probably by permission, though Tyndal was now in prison for his work. Coverdale styled it a special translation, and it passed under his name; but it is supposed to have contained much of Tyndal's labours, though none of his prologues, or notes [K].

When the papal restrictions were no longer respected in this country, it was strenuously urged,

[1] The translation of the Pentateuch was finished in 1528; but Tyndal being shipwrecked in his voyage to Hamburgh, lost all his papers, and was obliged to begin his work again. He was strangled and burnt near Felford Castle, about eighteen miles from Antwerp, praying that God would open the king of England's eyes. Vid. Fox's Martyrs. He received only 14s. Flemish for his work.

[K] This was reprinted in large quarto in 1550, and again with a new title in 1553.

D

that if Tyndal's translation were erroneous, a new one should be made; and Cranmer had sufficient interest in convocation, in 1535, to obtain, that a petition should be made to the King for that purpose. Henry, influenced partly by argument, and partly by the interest which Queen Anne [L] had in his affections, commanded that it should be immediately set about. Cranmer began with the New Testament, assigning a portion of the translation to be revised by each bishop. But the refusal of Stokesly, Bishop of London, to correct his portion, appears to have put a stop to the work at that time. In 1536, Cromwell directed in his injunctions to the clergy, “ that every parson or pro-→ prietary of a church, should provide a Bible in Latin and English, to be laid in the choir for every one to read at his pleasure."

In 1537 was published a folio edition of the Bible, which was called Matthews's Bible, of Tyndal's and Rogers's translation; it was printed by Grafton and Whitchurch, at Hamburgh [M]. Tyndal is said to have translated to the end of Chronicles, or, as some state, of Nehemiah, if not all the canonical books both of the Old and New Testament [N], and Rogers completed the rest, partly from Coverdale's translation. He had compared it

[L] Anne Boleyn.

[M] The 1500 copies cost 5007. then a large sum.

[N] It certainly contained his translation of Jonah. See More's Confutation of Tyndal's Answer, 1542; and others translated different parts.