Fox's Book of Martyrs
Chapter XII
We have now to
enter into the story of the good martyr of God, William Tyndale; which William
Tyndale, as he was a special organ of the Lord appointed, and as God's mattock
to shake the inward roots and foundation of the pope's proud prelacy, so the
great prince of darkness, with his impious imps, having a special malice
against him, left no way unsought how craftily to entrap him, and falsely to
betray him, and maliciously to spill his life, as by the process of his story
here following may appear.
William Tyndale, the faithful minister of Christ, was born
about the borders of Wales, and brought up from a child in the University of
Oxford, where he, by long continuance, increased as well in the knowledge of
tongues, and other liberal arts, as especially in the knowledge of the
Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularly addicted; insomuch that he, lying
then in Magdalen Hall, read privily to certain students and fellows of Magdalen
College some parcel of divinity; instructing them in the knowledge and truth of
the Scriptures. His manners and conversation being correspondent to the same,
were such that all they that knew him reputed him to be a man of most virtuous
disposition, and of life unspotted.
Thus he, in the University of Oxford, increasing more and more in learning, and proceeding in degrees of the schools, spying his time,
removed from thence to the University of Cambridge, where he likewise made his
abode a certain space. Being now further ripened in
the knowledge of God's Word, leaving that university, he resorted to one Master
Welch, a knight of Gloucestershire, and was there schoolmaster to his children,
and in good favor with his master. As this gentleman kept a good ordinary
commonly at his table, there resorted to him many times sundry abbots, deans,
archdeacons, with divers other doctors, and great beneficed men; who there,
together with Master Tyndale sitting at the same table, did use many times to
enter communication, and talk of learned men, as of Luther and of Erasmus; also
of divers other controversies and questions upon the Scripture.
Then Master Tyndale, as he was learned and well practiced in God's matters, spared not to show unto
them simply and plainly his judgment, and when they at any time did vary from
Tyndale in opinions, he would show them in the Book, and lay plainly before
them the open and manifest places of the Scriptures, to confute their errors,
and confirm his sayings. And thus continued they for a
certain season, reasoning and contending together divers times, until at length
they waxed weary, and bare a secret grudge in their hearts against him.
As this grew on, the priests of the country, clustering
together, began to grudge and storm against Tyndale, railing against him in
alehouses and other places, affirming that his sayings were heresy; and accused
him secretly to the chancellor, and others of the bishop's officers.
It followed not long after this that there was a sitting of
the bishop's chancellor appointed, and warning was given
to the priests to appear, amongst whom Master Tyndale was
also warned to be there. And whether he had any misdoubt by their
threatenings, or knowledge given him that they would lay some things to his
charge, it is uncertain; but certain this is (as he himself declared), that he
doubted their privy accusations; so that he by the way, in going thitherwards,
cried in his mind heartily to God, to give him strength fast to stand in the
truth of His Word.
When the time came for his appearance before the chancellor,
he threatened him grievously, reviling and rating him as though he had been a
dog, and laid to his charge many things whereof no accuser could be brought forth, notwithstanding that the priests of the
country were there present. Thus Master Tyndale, escaping out of their hands,
departed home, and returned to his master again.
There dwelt not far off a certain doctor, that he been
chancellor to a bishop, who had been of old, familiar acquaintance with Master
Tyndale, and favored him well; unto whom Master Tyndale went and opened his
mind upon divers questions of the Scripture: for to him he durst be bold to
disclose his heart. Unto whom the doctor said, "Do you not know that the
pope is very Antichrist, whom the Scripture speaketh of? But beware what you say; for if you shall be perceived to be of that opinion, it
will cost you your life."
Not long after, Master Tyndale happened to be in the company
of a certain divine, recounted for a learned man, and, in communing and
disputing with him, he drove him to that issue, that the said great doctor
burst out into these blasphemous words, "We were better to be without
God's laws than the pope's." Master Tyndale, hearing this, full of godly
zeal, and not bearing that blasphemous saying, replied, "I defy the pope,
and all his laws;" and added, "If God spared him life, ere many years
he would cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture than
he did."
The grudge of the priests increasing still more
and more against Tyndale, they never ceased barking and rating at him,
and laid many things sorely to his charge, saying that he was a heretic. Being
so molested and vexed, he was constrained to leave that country, and to seek
another place; and so coming to Master Welch, he desired him, of his good will,
that he might depart from him, saying: "Sir, I perceive that I shall not
be suffered to tarry long here in this country, neither shall you be able,
though you would, to keep me out of the hands of the spirituality; what
displeasure might grow to you by keeping me, God knoweth; for the which I
should be right sorry."
So that in fine, Master Tyndale, with the good will of his
master, departed, and eftsoons came up to London, and there
preached a while, as he had done in the country.
Bethinking himself of Cuthbert Tonstal, then bishop of
London, and especially of the great commendation of Erasmus, who, in his
annotations, so extolleth the said Tonstal for his learning, Tyndale thus cast
with himself, that if he might attain unto his service, he were
a happy man. Coming to Sir Henry Guilford, the king's comptroller, and bringing
with him an oration of Isocrates, which he had translated out of Greek into
English, he desired him to speak to the said bishop of London for him; which he
also did; and willed him moreover to write an epistle to the bishop, and to go
himself with him. This he did, and delivered his epistle to a servant of his,
named William Hebilthwait, a man of his old acquaintance. But God, who secretly
disposeth the course of things, saw that was not best for Tyndale's purpose,
nor for the profit of His Church, and therefore gave him to find little favor
in the bishop's sight; the answer of whom was this: his house was full; he had
more than he could well find: and he advised him to seek in London abroad,
where, he said, he could lack no service.
Being refused of
the bishop he came to Humphrey Mummuth, alderman of London, and besought him to
help him: who the same time took him into his house, where the said Tyndale
lived (as Mummuth said) like a good priest, studying both night and day. He
would eat but sodden meat by his good will, nor drink but small single beer. He was
never seen in the house to wear linen about
him, all the space of his being there.
And so remained Master Tyndale in London almost a year,
marking with himself the course of the world, and especially the demeanor of
the preachers, how they boasted themselves, and set up their authority;
beholding also the pomp of the prelates, with other things more, which greatly
misliked him; insomuch that he understood not only that there was no room in
the bishop's house for him to translate the New Testament, but also that there
was no place to do it in all England.
Therefore, having by God's providence some aid ministered
unto him by Humphrey Mummuth, and certain other good men, he took his leave of
the realm, and departed into Germany, where the good man, being inflamed with a
tender care and zeal of his country, refused no travail nor diligence, how, by
all means possible, to reduce his brethren and countrymen of England to the
same taste and understanding of God's holy Word and verity, which the Lord had
endued him withal. Whereupon, considering in his mind, and conferring also with
John Frith, Tyndale thought with himself no way more to conduce thereunto, than
if the Scripture were turned into the vulgar speech,
that the poor people might read and see the simple plain Word of God. He
perceived that it was not possible to establish the lay people in any truth,
except the Scriptures were so plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue
that they might see the meaning of the text; for else, whatsoever truth should
be taught them, the enemies of the truth would quench it, either with reasons
of sophistry, and traditions of their own making, founded without all ground of
Scripture; or else juggling with the text, expounding it in such a sense as it
were impossible to gather of the text, if the right meaning thereof were seen.
Master Tyndale considered this only, or most chiefly, to be
the cause of all mischief in the Church, that the Scriptures of God were hidden
from the people's eyes; for so long the abominable doings and idolatries
maintained by the pharisaical clergy could not be espied; and therefore all
their labor was with might and main to keep it down, so that either it should
not be read at all, or if it were, they would darken the right sense with the
mist of their sophistry, and so entangle those who reguked or despised their
abominations; wresting the Scripture unto their own purpose, contrary unto the
meaning of the text, they would so delude the unlearned lay people, that though
thou felt in thy heart, and wert sure that all were false that they said, yet
couldst thou not solve their subtle riddles.
For these and such other considerations this good man was stirred up of God to translate the Scripture into his
mother tongue, for the profit of the simple people of his country; first
setting in hand with the New Testament, which came forth in print about A.D.
1525. Cuthbert Tonstal, bishop of London, with Sir Thomas More, being sore
aggrieved, despised how to destroy that false erroneous translation, as they
called it.
It happened that one Augustine Packington, a mercer, was then
at Antwerp, where the bishop was. This man favored Tyndale,
but showed the contrary unto the bishop. The bishop, being desirous to
bring his purpose to pass, communed how that he would gladly buy the New
Testaments. Packington hearing him say so, said, "My lord! I can do more
in this matter than most merchants that be here, if it be your pleasure; for I
know the Dutchmen and strangers that have brought them of Tyndale, and have
them here to sell; so that if it be your lordship's pleasure, I must disburse
money to pay for them, or else I cannot have them: and so I will assure you to
have every book of them that is printed and unsold." The bishop, thinking
he had God "by the toe," said, "Do your diligence, gentle Master
Packington! get them for me, and I will pay whatsoever they cost; for I intend
to burn and destroy them all at Paul's Cross." This Augustine Packington
went unto William Tyndale, and declared the whole matter, and so, upon compact
made between them, the bishop of London had the books, Packington had the
thanks, and Tyndale had the money.
After this, Tyndale corrected the same New Testaments again,
and caused them to be newly imprinted, so that they came thick and threefold
over into England. When the bishop perceived that, he sent for Packington, and
said to him, "How cometh this, that there are so many New Testaments
abroad? You promised me that you would buy them all." Then answered
Packington, "Surely, I bought all that were to be had, but I perceive they
have printed more since. I see it will never be better so long as they have
letters and stamps: wherefore you were best to buy the stamps too, and so you
shall be sure," at which answer the bishop smiled, and so the matter
ended.
In short space after, it fortuned
that George Constantine was apprehended by Sir Thomas
More, who was then chancellor of England, as suspected of certain heresies.
Master More asked of him, saying, "Constantine! I
would have thee be plain with me in one thing that I
will ask; and I promise thee I will show thee favor in all other things whereof thou art accused.
There is beyond the sea, Tyndale, Joye, and a great many of you: I know they
cannot live without help. There are some that succor
them with money; and thou, being one of them, hadst thy part thereof, and
therefore knowest whence it came. I pray thee, tell
me, who be they that help
them thus?" "My lord," quoth Constantine, "I will tell you
truly: it is the bishop of London that hath holpen us, for he hath bestowed
among us a great deal of money upon New Testaments to burn them; and that hath
been, and yet is, our only succor and comfort." "Now by my
troth," quoth More, "I think even the same; for so much I told the
bishop before he went about it."
After that, Master Tyndale took in hand to translate the Old
Testament, finishing the five books of Moses, with sundry most learned and
godly prologues most worthy to be read and read again
by all good Christians. These books being sent over
into England, it cannot be spoken what a door of light
they opened to the eyes of the whole English nation, which before were shut up in darkness.
At his first departing out of the realm he took his journey
into Germany, where he had conference with Luther and other learned men; after
he had continued there a certain season he came down into the Netherlands, and had his most abiding in the town of
Antwerp.
The godly books of Tyndale, and especially the New Testament
of his translation, after that they began to come into men's hands, and to
spread abroad, wrought great and singular profit to the godly; but the ungodly
(envying and disdaining that the people should be anything wiser than they and,
fearing lest by the shining beams of truth, their works of darkness should be
discerned) began to sir with no small ado.
At what time Tyndale had translated Deuteronomy, minding to print the same at Hamburg, he sailed thitherward; upon
the coast of Holland he suffered shipwreck, by which he lost all his books,
writings, and copies, his money and his time, and so was compelled to begin all again. He came in another ship to
Hamburg, where, at his appointment, Master Coverdale tarried for him, and
helped him in the translating of the whole five books of Moses, from Easter
until December, in the house of a worshipful widow, Mistress Margaret Van
Emmerson, A.D. 1529; a great sweating sickness being at the same time in the
town. So, having dispatched his business at Hamburg,
he returned to Antwerp.
When God's will was, that the New
Testament in the common tongue should come abroad, Tyndale, the translator
thereof, added to the latter end a certain epistle, wherein he desired them
that were learned to amend, if ought
were found amiss. Wherefore if there had been any such default deserving
correction, it had been the part of courtesy and gentleness, for men of
knowledge and judgment to have showed their learning therein, and to have
redressed what was to be amended. But the clergy, not
willing to have that book prosper, cried out upon it, that there were a
thousand heresies in it, and that it was not to be corrected,
but utterly to be suppressed. Some
said it was not possible to translate the Scriptures into English; some that it was not lawful for the lay people to have it in
their mother tongue; some, that it would make them all
heretics. And to the intent to induce the temporal
rulers unto their purpose, they said it would make the
people to rebel against the king.
All this Tyndale himself, in his prologue before the first
book of Moses, declareth; showing further what great pains were taken in
examining that translation, and comparing it with their own imaginations, that
with less labor, he supposeth, they might have translated a great part of the
Bible; showing moreover that they scanned and examined every title and point in
such sort, and so narrowly, that there was not one i therein, but if it lacked
a prick over his head, they did note it, and numbered it unto the ignorant
people for a heresy.
So great were then the froward devices of the English clergy
(who should have been the guides of light unto the people), to drive the people
from the knowledge of the Scripture, which neither they would translate
themselves, nor yet abide it to be translated of others; to the intent (as
Tyndale saith) that the world being kept still in darkness, they might sit in
the consciences of the people through vain superstition and false doctrine, to
satisfy their ambition, and insatiable covetousness, and to exalt their own
honor above king and emperor.
The bishops and prelates never rested before they had brought
the king to their consent; by reason whereof, a proclamation in all haste was devised and set forth under public authority, that the
Testament of Tyndale's translation was inhibited-which
was about A.D. 1537. And not content herewith, they proceeded further, how to
entangle him in their nets, and to bereave him of his life; which how they brought to pass, now it remaineth to be declared.
In the registers of London it appeareth manifest how that the
bishops and Sir Thomas More having before them such as had been at Antwerp,
most studiously would search and examine all things belonging to Tyndale, where
and with whom he hosted, whereabouts stood the house, what was his stature, in
what apparel he went, what resort he had; all which things when they had
diligently learned then began they to work their feats.
William Tyndale, being in the town of Antwerp, had been lodged about one whole year in
the house of Thomas Pointz, an Englishman, who kept a house of English
merchants. Came thither one out of England, whose name was Henry Philips, his
father being customer of Poole, a comely fellow, like as he had been a
gentleman having a servant with him: but wherefore he came, or for what purpose
he was sent thither, no man could tell.
Master Tyndale divers times was desired forth to dinner and
support amongst merchants; by means whereof this Henry Philips became
acquainted with him, so that within short space Master Tyndale had a great
confidence in him, and brought him to his lodging, to the house of Thomas
Pointz; and had him also once or twice with him to dinner and supper, and
further entered such friendship with him, that through his procurement he lay
in the same house of the sait Pointz; to whom he showed moreover his books, and
other secrets of his study, so little did Tyndale then mistrust this traitor.
But Pointz, having no great confidence in the fellow, asked
Master Tyndale how he came acquainted with this Philips. Master Tyndale answered, that he was an honest man, handsomely learned, and
very conformable. Pointz, perceiving that he bare such
favor to him, said no more, thinking that he was brought
acquainted with him by some friend of his. The said Philips, being in the town
three or four days, upon a time desired Pointz to walk with him forth of the
town to show him the commodities thereof, and in walking together without the
town, had communication of divers things, and some of the king's affairs; by
which talk Pointz as yet suspected nothing. But after, when the time was past, Pointz perceived this to be the mind of
Philips, to feel whether the said Pointz might, for lucre of money, help him to
his purpose, for he perceived before that Philips was monied, and would that Pointz should think no less. For he had desired
Pointz before to help him to divers things; and such
things as he named, he required might be of the best, "for," said he, "I have money enough."
Philips went from Antwerp to the court of Brussels, which is
from thence twenty-four English miles, whence he brought with him to Antwerp,
the procurator-general, who is the emperor's attorney, with certain other
officers.
Within three or four days, Pointz went forth to the town of
Barois, being eighteen English miles from Antwerp, where he had business to do
for the space of a month or six weeks; and in the time of his absence Henry
Philips came again to Antwerp, to the house of Pointz, and coming in, spake
with his wife, asking whether Master Tyndale were within. Then went he forth again and set the officers whom he had brought
with him from Brussels, in the street, and about the door. About noon he came
again, and went to Master Tyndale, and desired him to lend him forty shillings;
"for," said he, "I lost my purse this morning, coming over at
the passage between this and Mechlin." So Master
Tyndale took him forty shillings, which was easy to be had
of him, if he had it; for in the wily subtleties of this world
he was simple and inexpert. Then said Philips, "Master Tyndale! you shall
be my guest here this day." "No," said
Master Tyndale, "I go forth this day to dinner, and you shall go with me,
and be my guest, where you shall be welcome."
So
when it was dinner time, Master Tyndale went forth with Philips, and at the
going forth of Pointz's house, was a long narrow
entry, so that two could not go in front. Master Tyndale would have put Philips
before him, but Philips would in no wise, but put Master Tyndale before, for
that he pretended to show great humanity. So Master Tyndale, being a man of no
great stature, went before, and Philips, a tall, comely person, followed behind
him; who had set officers on either side of the door
upon two seats, who might see who came in the entry. Philips pointed with his
finger over Master Tyndale's head down to him, that the officers might see that
it was he whom they should take. The officers afterwards told Pointz, when they
had laid him in prison, that they pitied to see his
simplicity. They brought him to the emperor's attorney, where he dined. Then
came the procurator-general to the house of Pointz, and
sent away all that was there of Master Tyndale's, as well his books as other
things; and from thence Tyndale was had to the castle
of Vilvorde, eighteen English miles from Antwerp.
Master Tyndale, remaining in prison, was
proffered an advocate and a procurator; the which he refused, saying
that he would make answer for himself. He had so preached to them who had him
in charge, and such as was there conversant with him in the Castle that they
reported of him, that if he were not a good Christian man, they knew not whom
they might take to be one.
At last, after much reasoning, when no reason would serve,
although he deserved no death, he was condemned by
virtue of the emperor's decree, made in the assembly at Augsburg. Brought forth
to the place of execution, he was tied to the stake,
strangled by the hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire, at the town of
Vilvorde, A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice,
"Lord! open the king of England's eyes."
Such was the power of his doctrine, and the sincerity of his
life, that during the time of his imprisonment (which endured a year and a
half), he converted, it is said, his keeper, the
keeper's daughter, and others of his household.
As touching his translation of the New Testament, because his
enemies did so much carp at it, pretending it to be full of heresies, he wrote
to John Frith, as followeth, "I call God to record against the day we
shall appear before our Lord Jesus, that I never altered one syllable of God's
Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth,
whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me."