dinall, and before the day of thy appearance, not having made thy purgation upon those points that thou wast cited, has preached openly in divers churches of the citie and diocesse of London, without sufficient licence from the bishop, or any other."

Concerning the answeres unto these articles, (gentle Reader) for so much as in the most part of them, Bilney with Arthur seemed to consent and agree (although not fullie and directly, but by way and manner of qualifying) yet because he did not expressely denie them, it shall not be needfull heere to recite them all, save only such wherein he seemed to dissent from them.

To the first and second articles he answered affirmatively.

To the third he said, "I beleeve that many of the popes lawes are profitable and necessarie, and do prevaile unto godlinesse, neither in any point are repugnant unto the Scriptures, nor by any meanes are to be abrogate, but of all men to be observed and reverenced. But touching all those lawes I cannot determine: for, as for such as I have not read, I trust notwithstanding they are good also: and as for those that I have read, I did never reade them to the end and purpose to reprove them, but according to my power, to learne and understand them. And as touching the multitude of lawes, Saint Augustine in his time did much complaine, and Gerson also, who marvelled that we could by any meanes live in safetie amongst so many snares of constitutions, whenas our forefathers being pure before their fall, could not observe one only precept."

To the fourth article he said, "that the catholike church cau by no meanes erre in faith, for it is the whole congregation of the elect, and so knowne

knowne only unto God, which knoweth who are his: otherwise, no man should be ascertained of another mans salvation, or of his owne, but only through faith and hope. For it is written, (Eccles. 5.) No man knoweth whether he be worthie of hatred or love. It is also sensible, and may be demonstrate so far forth as it is sufficient to establish us in all things, that are to be beleeved and done. For I may truly say of the generall councell being congregate in the Holy Ghoft; Behold heere the catholike Church, denominating the whole by the most worthie part."

To the fifth article, he answered affirmatively in these words, Cum sint libri Laicorum, adorare oportet, at non imaginem, sed prototypon.

To the fixth article he answered, "that he did not beleeve that they are in heaven, being so taught by the Scriptures, and holy fathers of the church."

To the seventh article he said, "that it is not to be thought contrarie."

To the eighth article, whether a man may not observe the feasts and fasts of the church prescribed, he thought" that there is no man, but he ought to observe them."

To the ninth article he said, wise bound as unto parents."

"that we are like

To the fourteenth article he answered thus: "The fourteenth chapter of St. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians, mooveth me to beleeve, that it is best, that the people should have the Lords Prayer, and the Apostles Creed in English, so that their devotion might the more be furthered by the understanding thereof, and also that thereby they might be the more prompt and expert in the articles of their faith of the which it is to be feared, a great number are ignorant. Surely I have

heard

heard many say, that they never heard speake of the resurrection of the bodie, and being certified thereof, but they became much more apt and readie unto goodnesse, and more fearefull to do evill."

To the fifteenth article he said, "he would wish that the Gospels and Epistles should be read in English. For I would (saith Paul, 1 Cor. 14.) rather have five words, &c. That the church might be edified, &c. And Chrysostome exhorteth his hearers to looke upon bookes, that they might the better commit unto memorie those things which they had heard. And Saint Bede did translate Saint Johns Gospell into English."

Touching the eighteenth article, for the translation of the Scripture into English, "concerning. the whole, he did partly doubt. Notwithstanding, he wished that the Gospels and Epistles of the day might be read in English, that the people might be made the more apt to heare Sermons. But heere some will say, there might also be danger for errour. Whereunto he answered: But good and vigilant pastors might easilie helpe that matter, by adding the plaine interpretation of the fathers in the mar gents, in English, upon the darke and obscure places, which would put away all doubts. O how great profit of soules should the vigilant pastors get thereby, which contrariwise through their slothfulnesse bring great ruine and decay!"

To the five and twentieth article, as touching pardons*, he said, "that as they be used, and have

too

* As touching purdons.] There was no point from which Luther derived with greater success the eloquence with which he thundered against the Vatican, than that of the antichristian doctrine of pardons and indulgences, and the disgraceful traffic in the sale of them, so prevalent in his days. But that part of the history of the Reformation needs not to

be

too long been, it were better that they should be restrained, than that they should be any longer used as they have been, to the injurie of Christs passion."

Touching

be enlarged upon in this place. Only it may be proper by a few domestic anecdotes and authorities to shew what progress the same pernicious doctrine and practice had made in this country.

In the latter end of the year 1500, being the year of jubilee, pope Alexander VI. sent a commissary into this kingdom, to distribute, as he called it, the heavenly grace, to all such as, prevented by any forcible impediment, could not be present at Rome to receive the benefit there. The articles contained in this bull, with the sums of money required of each person in proportion to his means, to intitle him to partake in the promised advantages, are given by Weever in the discourse prefixed to his Funeral Monuments, p. 158-162, edit. 1767. In Becon's Reliques of Rome, Works, Vol. III. fol. 205—207, and in Bp. Burnet's Hist. of the Reformation, Vol. II. p. 138-140, Records, may be found an account of the chief indulgences granted by different popes to those who shall say devoutly certain prayers therein specified. One of the most common purposes for which they were made use of was the raising of money and other supplies for the building of monasteries, abbies, and churches. Of this it would be easy to produce many examples. But we must confine ourselves within narrow limits. In the year 1112, previously to the erection of the abbey at Crowland, the abbot obtained of the archbishops and bishops of England an indulgence for remitting the third part of all penances injoined for sins committed, to every person who should help forward that good work: and with this indulgence he sent the monks abroad into all quarters to gather money, who returned after great success. On the day appointed for laying the foundation there was a very numerous appearance of nobles, prelates, and commons; and after mass and authems sung, the abbot himself laid the first stone, and the nobles and others, according to their degrees and quality, couched their stones respectively, and laid upon them sums of money; others gave their deeds of lands, advowsous of churches, certain measures of wheat, or engaged to pay so many labourers, masons, carpenters, &c. till the work was finished. The common people and townships, for their parts, offered with a zealous devotion, some money, others certain

days

Touching the six and twentieth article, he said, "that it is not against the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, to contend in the law, so it be done with charitie, if Saint Augustine, and the reverend father Marcus Marulus did not erre, which granted that libertie to the weake Christians: albeit that true Christians ought to give eare unto Saint Pauls

days of labour; some the building of whole pillars, others a certain extent of the walls, windows, &c. all striving to outvie each other. After this, the abbot in a solemn speech, commending their bounty, and granting to them and theirs all spiritual benefits in the church, and a participation in the merit of all the prayers, fastings, &c. gave his blessing to the assembly, and dismissed them, well satisfied with their work, to their respective homes. See Staveley's History of Churches in England, p. 57.

But these pardons were not always converted to purposes so beneficial; since by them, as Wickliffe assures us, many men were deceived, and "trusten to flee to heaven withouten pain, and therefore dreaden sin the less." Lewis's History, p. 139. They were often made the incentive to sanguinary wars, crusades, and idle pilgrimages. And in many ways, among private individuals, they encouraged the grossest errors and immoralities. "Yea it is well known that their pardons and other of theyr trompery hath bene bought and sold in Lombard-strete, and in other places, as thou wylt bye and sell an horse in Smith-field." Lamentation against the City of London. Signat. c. 8. A. D. 1548. "In times past (says bishop Grindal) men made preparations before death, but (God knoweth) farre out of square. Some redemned for money great plentye of indulgencies from Rome, and he that had the greatest plentie of them, to bee cast with him into his grave, when he was buried (whiche I myselfe have sene done) was counted the best prepared for death." Sermon at the Funeral Solemnity of the Emperor Ferdinand, preached in St. Paul's Cathedral, Oct. 3, 1564. Signat. D. 3. But perhaps no use was ever made of them which can be accounted more melancholy than the following. Proclamation was occasionally made at the burning of the martyrs, "that whosever did bring a faggot or a stake to the burning of a hereticke should have forty daies of pardon. Whereby it came to pass, that many ignorant people caused their children to beare billets and faggots to their burning." Fox's Acts, p. 897. See also Fox, p. 1405. and p. 1120.

6

saying;