Chap. ii. External History Grafton examined as to the proposed Notes. The import ance of the of the Great Bible. called and first charged with the printing of Matthew's 'Bible, but he being fearful of trouble made excuses for himself in all things. Then was he examined of the 'Great Bible, and what notes he was prepared to make. 'To which he answered that he knew none. For his pur'pose was to have retained learned men to have made the notes, but when he perceived the king's majesty and his clergy not willing to have any he proceeded no 'further. But for all these excuses Grafton was sent to 'the Fleet, and there remained six weeks, and before he 'came out was bound in three hundred pounds that he should neither sell nor imprint or cause to be imprinted 'any more Bibles until the king and the clergy should agree upon a translation. And thus was the Bible from 'that time stayed during the reign of Henry VIII.” The publication of the Great Bible and the injunction for its free exhibition in the Parish Churches marked a memorable epoch. The king in a declaration appointed 'to be read by all curates upon the publishing ' of the Bible in English' justly dwelt upon the gravity of the measure. He commanded that in the reading ' and hearing thereof, first most humbly and reverently ' using and addressing yourselves unto it'—the curate is speaking to his congregation-'you shall have always in your remembrance and memories that all things 'contained in this book is the undoubted will, law, and commandment of Almighty God, the only and straight mean to know the goodness and benefits of God to'wards us, and the true duty of every Christian man to 'serve him accordingly...And if at any time by reading ' any doubt shall come to any of you, touching the sense 'and meaning of any part thereof; that then, not giving 'too much to your own minds, fancies and opinions, 1 Foxe, Acts and Monuments, 11. p. 135 (fol. ed.). 6 'nor having thereof any open reasoning in your open taverns or alehouses, ye shall have recourse to such 'learned men as be or shall be authorised to preach and 'declare the same. So that avoiding all contentions ' and disputations in such alehouses and other places... 'you use this most high benefit quietly and charitably every of you, to the edifying of himself, his wife and 'family...'.' Among others Bp. Bonner 'set up Six Bibles in certain convenient places of St Paul's church,' after the king's proclamation in May 1540, with an admonition to readers to bring with them 'discretion, honest 'intent, charity, reverence and quiet behaviour. That 'there should be no such number meet together there as 'to make a multitude. That no exposition be made thereupon but what is declared in the book itself. 'That it be not read with noise in time of divine service; 'or that any disputation or contention be used at it' It is scarcely surprising that the novelty of the license granted to the people should have led them to neglect these instructions. Bonner was forced, as he pleads, by the great disorders created by the readers to issue a new admonition in which he threatened the removal of the Bibles. 'Diverse wilful and unlearned persons,' he writes, 'inconsiderately and indiscreetly...read the same 'especially and chiefly at the time of divine service... 'yea in the time of the sermon and declaration of the 'word of God...Wherefore this is eftsoons of honest 'friendship to require and charitably to desire and pray every reader of this Book that either he will indeed. 'observe and keep my former advertisement and friendly 'admonition adjoined hereunto...either else to take in 2 See p. 77, n. I. 1 Strype's Cranmer, II. 735-6. 3 Strype's Cranmer, I. 120. G Chap. ii. Bishop Bonner sets up Bibles at St Paul's. Chap. ii. The Bibles are gene 'good part and be content that the said Bibles for the 'said abuses be taken down, for assuredly, the fault and disorder herein not amended but increased, I in'tend, being thereunto enforced, upon right good con'siderations, and especially for the said abuses, to take 'down the said Bibles, which otherwise I would be right 'loth to do, considering I have been always and still 'will be by God's grace right glad that the Scripture 'and Word of God should be well known and also set 'forth accordingly'.' The popular zeal for reading the Scriptures was not rally read: always manifested thus inconsiderately. In a public document drawn up to justify the position of the English Church in 15392 great stress is laid upon the revolution in common habits which was thus effected. 'Englishmen have now in hand in every Church and 'place and almost every man the Holy Bible and New 'Testament in their mother tongue instead of the fold fabulous and fantastical books of the Table Round, 'Launcelot du Lac, &c. and such other, whose impure filth and vain fabulosity the light of God has abolished 'utterly.' One narrative, which is derived from actual experience, will illustrate the feelings of the time. It was taken by Strype from a manuscript of Foxe. 'It was wonderful to see with what joy this book 'of God was received not only among the learneder 'sort and those that were noted for lovers of the reform'ation, but generally all England over among all the 'vulgar and common people; and with what greediness 'God's word was read and what resort to places where 1 Foxe, Acts and Monuments, v. A Summary Declaration of the England (dated 1539). Collier, Ec clesiastical History, II. Collection of Records, 47. Chap. ii. History. narrative. 'the reading of it was. Every body that could bought 'the book or busily read it or got others to read it to them 'if they could not themselves, and divers more elderly 'people learned to read on purpose. And even little 'boys flocked among the rest to hear portions of the 'holy Scripture read. One William Maldon happening Maldon's in the company of John Foxe, in the beginning of the ‘reign of Q. Elizabeth, and Foxe being very inquisitive 'after those that suffered for religion in the former 'reigns, asked him if he knew any that were persecuted 'for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he might add it 'to his Book of Martyrs. He told him he knew one 'that was whipped by his own father in king Henry's 'reign for it. And when Foxe was very inquisitive who 'he was and what was his name, he confessed it was 'himself; and upon his desire he wrote out all the cir'cumstances. Namely that when the king had allowed 'the Bible to be set forth to be read in all Churches 'immediately several poor men in the town of Chelms'ford in Essex, where his father lived and he was born, 'bought the New Testament and on Sundays sat reading of it in the lower end of the Church: many would 'flock about them to hear their reading: and he among the rest, being then but fifteen years old, came every Sunday to hear the glad and sweet tidings of the 'Gospel. But his father observing it once angrily fetched "him away and would have him say the Latin Matins 'with him, which grieved him much. And as he re'turned at other times to hear the Scripture read, his 'father still would fetch him away. This put him upon 'the thoughts of learning to read English that so he 'might read the New Testament himself; which when 'he had by diligence effected he and his father's ap'prentice bought the New Testament, joining their Chap. ii. A division among the people. stocks together, and to conceal it laid it under the bedstraw and read it at convenient times. One night his 'father being asleep he and his mother chanced to discourse concerning the crucifix, and kneeling down to it 'and knocking on the breast then used, and holding up 'the hands to it when it came by on procession. This 'he told his mother was plain idolatry....His mother enraged at him for this said, "Wilt thou not worship 'the cross which was about thee when thou wert chris'tened and must be laid on thee when thou art dead?" 'In this heat the mother and son departed and went to 'their beds. The sum of this evening's conference she 'presently repeats to her husband; which he impatient 'to hear and boiling in fury against his son for denying 'worship to be due to the cross, arose up forthwith and 'goes into his son's chamber and, like a mad zealot, 'taking him by the hair of his head with both his hands 'pulled him out of the bed and whipped him unmerci'fully. And when the young man bore this beating, as 'he related, with a kind of joy, considering it was for 'Christ's sake and shed not a tear, his father seeing 'that was more enraged, and ran down and fetched an 'halter and put it about his neck, saying he would hang 'him. At length with much entreaty of the mother and 'brother he left him almost dead1.' It would be impossible to paint in more vivid colours the result of the first open reading of the English Bible, and the revelation which it made of the thoughts of many hearts. Classes and households were divided. On the one side were the stern citizens of the old school to whom change seemed to be the beginning of license: on the other young men burning with eager zeal to carry to the uttermost the spiritual freedom of 1 Strype's Cranmer, I. 91, 92. |