lished under the title of A Pathway into the Scriptures, by Tyndale. It is to be regretted that an admirable tract, much deformed and mutilated, was thus published under his name. There are a few alterations in the text from that of the 8vo. The references and glosses are in the margin. The reader may judge of the whole from the following specimens. Salt. Matt. 5. When the preachers ceaste to preache goddes worde, then muste they nedes be oppressed and trod vnder fote with mannes tradicions. Matt. 6. Rewarde them openly. ye shall not thynke, that oure dedes deserve ani thyng of god as a labourar deserueth hys hyre. For all good thynges come of the bounteousnes, liberalite, mercy, promyses and trewth of god bi the deseruinge of Christes bloud only, &c. *Syngle. The eye is single when a man in all his dedes loketh butt on the wil of god, and loketh nott for laude, honour or eni other rewarde in this worlde. Nother ascrybeth heven or a hyer roume in heven vnto his dedes: but accepteth heven as a thing purchased bi the bloud of Christe, and worketh frely for loves sake only." The following table shows all the alterations or improvements in the text of the 4to. edition. CHAPTER IV. Enemyes I shall haue, many a shoren crowne Who that tellyth trouth, his head shalbe broken." TYNDALE'S OLDE TREATYSE. VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT IN ENGLAND-SEVERE PERSECUTION OF THOSE IN WHOSE POSSESSION IT WAS FOUNDPUBLICLY BURNT AT PAUL'S CROSS. No sooner was this volume published, than the most extraordinary efforts were made to exterminate it. The contemporary opinions expressed as to the merits of the translation, and the narrative of the attempts to destroy it, are intimately blended together. The public will now have an opportunity, for the first time, of forming a dispassionate judgment as to the reasons assigned by those nobles and prelates who sought to destroy it; and of weighing them with those of more modern prelates, highly distinguished for learning and piety, who counted it worthy to be the basis of our present version: a translation which stands unrivalled, and has proved to be the bread of life to myriads now singing the anthems of heaven. Immediately on the circulation of the New Testament, the English prelates were actively engaged in attempts to extinguish and destroy what they alleged to be the light and seed of heresy.* *The vulgate latin translation, which occupied the time of Jerome fifteen years, was made" amidst many contradictions, reproaches, and the most bitter invectives,' of that sect which afterwards adopted and preferred it, as the standard of faith, to the scriptures in the original languages.-See GEDDES' PROSPECTUS, p. 45. On the 23rd of October, 1526,* Tonstall, bishop of London, issued an injunction or prohibition against the New Testament in English. "Wherefore we, understanding by the report of divers credible persons, and also by the evident appearance of the matter, that many children of iniquitie, mayntayners of Luthers sect, blinded through extreame wickedness, wandring from the way of truth and the catholike fayth, craftily have translated the New Testament into our English tongue, intermedling therewith many hereticall articles and erroneous opinions, pernicious and offensive, seducing the simple people, attempting by their wicked and perverse interpretations to prophanate the maiestie of the scripture, which hitherto have remained undefiled, and craftily to abuse the most holy word of God, and the true sense of the same. Of the which translation there are many books imprinted, some with glosses, and some without, containing in the English tongue that pestiferous and most pernicious poyson dispersed throughout all our diocesse of London in great number, which truely without it be speedily forsene, without doubt will contaminate and infect the flocke committed unto us with most deadly poison and heresie, to the grievous perill and danger of the soules committed to our charge, and the offence of God's divine maiestie. Wherefore we ... command that within thirtie days... under pain of excommunication and incurring the suspicion of heresie, they do bring in and really deliver unto our Vicar generall all and singular such books as containe the translation of the New Testament in the English tongue.” On the 24th of February, 1527, Sebastian Harris, curate of Kensington, was proceeded against for heresy, he having the English Testament translated by William Hochyn (Tyndale), presbyter, and brother Roy. Not contented with calling in these dreaded volumes, the bishop attempted a wholesale destruction of them by a stratagem in which he singularly outwitted himself. Being acquainted with a merchant named Packington, who was on friendly terms with Tyndale, he employed him to buy all the copies of the English Wilkins' Concilia, tom. 3, p. 706. Testament. "The bishop thinking that he had God by the too, when in dede he had (as after he thought) the devil by the fiste, said, gentle maister Packington, do your diligence and get them, and with al my hart I will paye for them, whatsoever thei cost you, for the bokes are erronious and naughte, and I entend surely to destroy them all, and to burne theim at Tyndale sold him the books, saying, I shal gett moneye of hym for these bokes, to bryng myself out of debt, and the whole world shall cry out upon the burning of Goddes worde. And the overplus of the money that shal remain to me, shal make me more studious to correct the sayd New Testament, and so newly to imprint the same. And so forwarde went the bargain, the byshop had the bokes, Packyngton the thankes, and Tyndale had the money." Afterwards, more New Testaments came thick and threefold into England. Sir Thomas More questioned George Constantine, a prisoner for heresy, how Tyndale and his friends were supported; and he frankly told the lord chancellor, "It is the bishop of London that hath holpen vs, for he hath bestowed |