Oxford, in 1699;—and, of the New Testament, the gospels only, published by Matthew Parker, at London, in 1571. They were printed by Franciscus Junius and Thomas Marshal, at Dordrecht, with the Mæso-gothic version, in 1665, 4to. and reprinted at Amsterdam, in 1684. An Anglo-Saxon version of the Psalms, evidently translated from the Vulgate, was published by sir Henry Spelman.

It is generally said, that the most ancient English translation of the Bible is that of Wickliffe. This is an error:-"The whole Bible was, before "Wickliffe's days, by virtuous and learned men, "translated into the English tongue, and by good " and godly people, with devotion and soberness, "well and reverently read*." In the preface to Wickliffe's Bible, by Lewis, mention is made of two English translations of part of the Bible, still existing in manuscript, and anterior to Wickliffe's. His translation was finished about the year 1367; and revised by one of his followers. Both the original and the revised translation, are still extant in manuscript: the manuscript copies of the latter are more rare, than those of the former. In the writer's Hora Biblica*, it is said that printed copies of it are not uncommon.-This is a great mistake, as the work was never printed.

In compliance with the wishes of the reformers, William Tyndale, a Welchman, settled at Antwerp, assisted by John Fry, a learned layman, and William Roye, a friar, translated the New Testament from the Greek, into English. In 1526, he pub* Sir Thomas More, dial. iii. c. 14. ↑ Sect. xv.

lished his translation; and procured several copies to be conveyed to England. The success which it met with, induced him to continue his labours. In 1530, he published a translation of the Pentateuch from the Hebrew. Numerous editions of the New Testament, and some editions of the Pentateuch, were printed.

In 1535, Myles Coverdale, an Augustinian friar, published a complete translation, made by himself, of all the Old and New Testament. These translations,-Tyndale's, in particular,-gave offence; and great efforts were made to suppress the copies. Among his opponents, Tyndale had the honour to reckon sir Thomas More. Several propositions, which sir Thomas extracted from the writings of Tyndale, are as opposite to those of the church of England, as they are to those of the church of Rome. "If he is not misreported," says Collier*, "he has failed both in truth and decency in several "material points. In short, his heterodoxies are "too visible to reckon him amongst the reformers "of the English church." Coverdale's translation was thought less objectionable than Tyndale's, and, therefore, more favourably received by the public.

At length, the wish to have an authorized version of the Bible was so general, and so strongly expressed, that, in 1536, the clergy petitioned the king, that "he would graciously indulge his subjects of the laity with the reading of the Bible, in "the English tongue; and have a new translation "of it made for that purpose." Soon after this

66

* Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 72.

petition was presented, Cromwell, "the vicegerent "of his majesty for and concerning all the juris"diction ecclesiastical within his realm,"-(this is the title which he assumed in the instrument in question),-issued his celebrated injunctions to the clergy. By the 9th, he ordered, that "every person or proprietary of any parish church should " provide a book of the whole Bible, both in Latin "and English; and lay the same in the quire, for 66 every man that would, to loke and read thereon; ❝and that no man should be discouraged from the "reading any part of the Bible, in Latin or in Eng"lish." In consequence of this injunction, a new version of the whole Bible was printed, in 1537. It consisted of the translation of Tyndale, so far as this extended. What Tyndale had left undone, was supplied from the translation of Coverdale. In the title, it was said to be translated by Thomas Mathewe, a fictitious name. It was printed abroad; but, in what place, is not known. The types are certainly German. Amongst bibliographers, it is generally styled, "Mathewe's Bible." A revised edition of it was published, in 1539; which archbishop Cranmer was supposed to have superintended. Hence, the edition is usually called Cranmer's Great Bible.

In May 1540, the king issued a proclamation, requiring curates "to provide themselves with this "Bible." It fixed the price at two shillings, unbound; and directed, that it should not exceed twelve shillings, well bound and clasped. But his majesty gives the people to understand, that "his

"allowing them the holy scriptures, in their own "mother tongue, was not his duty, but his good"ness and liberality to them*.

Other proclamations, of the same import, were issued but, by the act, passed in the last year of the reign of his majesty, "for the advancement of "the true religion,"-after reciting in the preamble, that "the people had abused the liberty, with which "the king had indulged them, of reading the "scriptures," Tyndale's translation is condemned as crafty, false, and untrue; and all the books of the Old and New Testament of that translation are abolished and forbidden to be read. Other translations were declared not to be included in the act: but, if there should be found any annotations in them, they were to be cut, or blotted out, except summaries of chapters. None, but persons specially appointed by his majesty, were to read them, in any church, or open assembly; but the chancellor, captains of the wars, the king's justices, the recorder of any town, the speaker, and some others, might continue to use them as before: any noblewoman and gentlewoman might read the Bible privately; women of lower degree, artificers, apprentices, journeymen, serving husbandmen, and labourers, were prohibited from reading the Bible or New Testament, to themselves, or any other person.

* Lewis's History of English Translations of the Bible,

P. 137.

XIX. 4.

Ecclesiastical Regulations of Henry, respecting the Faith and Devotions of his Subjects.

HENRY's pastoral solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his subjects was not confined to their reading of the Bible. Formularies of faith also, and some books of devotion, were published by him, or by his direction, for their use. The principal of these are, his Primer; his Ten Articles of religious belief; the work called the Institution of a Christian Man; and his Six Articles of religious belief.

1. The first edition of his Primer is said, in the title-page, to be printed by John Biddle, on the 16th of June 1535. It was published, with the approbation, but without the formal authority of the king. When, by the act of parliament already mentioned, the reading of the Bible was prohibited to all persons under the rank of gentlemen, the Primer was expressly saved from the prohibition. Abstracting from the circumstance, that it condemns the offering of prayer to angels and saints, its doctrines accord with those of the catholic church.

2. The innovations in religion occasioning much diversity in the doctrines delivered from the pulpit, his majesty, on the 12th of July 1536, sent a circular letter to the bishops, enjoining them to abstain from preaching, until the ensuing Michaelmas. In the mean time, he framed Ten Articles of Faith;

VOL. I.