to them whose hole study is beset1 therupon, and to the preachers appointed therunto, whiche may shew them such thinges in time and place convenient with reverence and authoritie, the sermon so tempered, as may bee mete and convenient alwaye for the present audience. Wherunto it appereth that oure Saviour himself, and his apostles after him, had ever speciall respect: and therfore, as I say forsoth, I can in no wise agree with you that it wer mete for men unlearned to be busy with the chamming of holy scripture, but to have it chammed unto them. For that is the preachers part and theirs that after longe studye are admytted to reade and expown it. And to this entent waye 2 al the wordes, as farre as I perceve, of al holy doctours that any thing have writen in this matter.

"But never ment they, as I suppose, the forbydding of the Byble to be readde in any vulgare tong. Nor I never yet heard any reason layd, why it were not convenient to have the Byble translated into the Englishe tong, but al those reasons, semed they never so gay and glorious at the first sight: yet, when they were well examined, they myght in effect, for ought that I can see, as wel be layde against the holy writers that wrote the Scripture in the Hebrue tongue, and against the blessed evangelistes that wrote the Scripture in Greke, and against all those in likewise that translated it oute of every of those tonges into Latine, as to their charge that would well and faithfully translate it oute of Latine into our Englishe tong. For as for that our tong is called barbarous, is but a fantasye. For so is, as every lerned man knoweth, every straunge language to other. And if they would call it barayn of wordes, there is no doubte but it is plenteous enough to expresse our myndes in anye thing wherof one man hath used to speke with another. Nowe as touchynge the difficultie which a translatour fyndeth in expressing well and lively the sentence of his author, whiche is hard alwaye to doe so surely but that he shall sometime minyshe eyther of the sentence or of the grace that it bereth in the formar tong: that poynt hath lyen in their lyght that have translated the Scrypture alreadye eyther out of Greke into Latine, or out of Hebrue into any of them both, as, by many translacions which we rede already, to them that be learned appereth.

3

4

1 applied 2 weigh, tend 3 diminish meaning lain

"Now as touching the harme that may growe by suche blynde bayardes as will, whan they reade the Byble in Englishe, be more busy than will become them: They that touche that poynt harpe upon the right string, and touche truely the great harme that wer likely to growe to some folke: howe be it not by the occasion yet of the English translacion, but by the occasion of theyr own lewdnes and foly, whiche yet were not in my mynde a sufficiente cause to exclude the translacion, and to put other folke from the benefite therof: but rather to make provision agaynste such abuse, and let a good thing goe furth. No wise manne wer there that woulde put al weapons away because manquellers 1 misuse them.

3

1

"Nor this letted not, as I sayd, the Scripture to be first writen in a vulgare tong. For Scripture, as I said before, was not writen but in a vulgare tonge, suche as the whole people understode, nor in no secrete cyphers but such common letters as almost every man could rede. For neither was the Hebrue nor the Greke tong, nor the Laten, neither any other speche than such as all the peple spake. And therfore if we shold lay that it wer evil done to translate the Scripture into our tong, because it is vulgare and comen to every Englishe man, than had it been as evill done to translate it into Greke or into Latin, or to wryte the New Testament first in Greke, or the Old Testament in Hebrew, because both those tonges wer as verye vulgare as ours. And yet should there by this reason also, not onely the Scripture be kepte out of oure tong, but, over that, shoulde the reading therof be forboden, both al such ley people and all suche priestes too, as can no more than theyr grammer, and verye scantly that. All which companye though they can understande the wordes, be yet as farre from the perceiving of the sentence in harde and doubtefull textes, as were weomen if the Scripture were translated to oure own language. How be it, of trouth, seldome hath it been seen that any secte of heretikes hath begonne of suche unlearned folke as nothynge coulde elles but the language wherein they read the Scripture: but there hathe alway comonly these sectes sprongen of the pryde of such folke as had, with the knowledge of that tong, some high persuasion in themselfe of their owne lerning beside. To whose authoritie some other folke have soone

1 murderers 2 hindered 3 declare besides 6 knew 7 else

Our

then

after, parte of malice, parte of symplenesse, and muche parte of pleasure and delighte in new fanglenesse fallen in, and encreased the faccion. But the head hath ever comonly been eyther some prowde learned man, or, at the least, beside the language, some proude smaterer in learning. So that, if we should, for feare of heretikes that might hap to growe thereby, kepe the Scripture out of any tong, or out of unlerned mens handes, we should for like feare be fayne to kepe it out of al tonges, and out of lerned mens handes to,' and wot not whom we mighte trust therwith. Wherfore ther is, as me thinketh, no remedie but, if any good thing shall goe foreward, somewhat must nedes be adventured. And some folke will not fayle to be naughte. Agaynst which thinges provision must bee made, that as muche good maye growe, and as litle harme come as canne bee devysed, and not to kepe the whole commoditie 2 from any hole people, because of harme that by their owne foly and faulte may come to some part, as thoughe a lewde surgion woulde cutte of the legge by the knee to kepe the toe from the goute, or cut of a mans head by the shoulders to kepe him from the toothe ache.

4

"There is no treatice of Scripture so hard but that a good vertuous man or woman eyther shal somewhat find therin that shall delyte and encreace their devocion, besydes this that everye preachinge shall be the more pleasant and fruitfull unto them, whan they have in their mind the place of Scrypture that they shall there heare expowned. For though it bee, as it is in dede, great wisedome for a preacher to use discrecion in hys preachyng and to have a respecte unto the qualities and capacities of his audience, yet letteth that nothinge, but that the whole audience maye without harme have read and have readye the Scrypture in mynde, that he shall in hys preachyng declare and expowne. For no doute is there, but that God and his Holye Spirite hath so prudentlye tempered theyr speche thorowe the whole corps of Scripture that every man may take good therby, and no man harme but he that wil in the study therof leane proudly to the foly of hys own wit.

5

"For albeit that Chryst did speake to the people in parables, and expowned them secretly to hys especiall disciples, and sometime forbare to tell some thynges to them also, because they were not as yet hable to

1 too 2 benefit 3 ignorant 4 off hinders

1

beare them: and the apostles in lykewyse didde sometyme spare to speake to some people the thinges that they dydde not let playnly to speake to some other, yet letteth 2 all thys nothing the translacion of the Scripture into our own tong no more than in the Latine. Nor it is no cause to kepe the corps of Scripture out of the handes of anye Christen people so many yeres fastly confyrmed in fayth, because Christ and hys apostles used suche provision in their utterance of so strange and unherd misteries, either unto Jewes, Paynims,* or newly christened folk, except we would say that all the exposicions which Chryst made himself upon hys owne parables unto hys secret servauntes and disciples withdrawen from the people, shoulde nowe at thys day be kept in lykewyse from the comons, and no man suffred to reade or heare them, but those that in hys churche represent the state and office of hys apostles, whiche ther will, I wote well, no wyse manne say, consideryng that those thinges which were than comonly most kept from the people, be now most necessary for the people to knowe. As it well appeareth by al such things in effect as our Saviour at that tyme taught his apostles a part. Wherof I would not, for my mynde, witholde the profite that one good devoute unlerned ley man might take by the reading, not for the harme that an hundred heretikes would fall in by theyr own wilful abusion, no more than oure Saviour letted, for the weale of suche as woulde bee with hys grace of hys little chosen flock, to come into thys world and be lapis offensionis et petra scandali, the stone of stumbling and the stone of falling and ruine, to all the wilful wretches in the world beside.

Finally me thynketh that the constitucion provincial of whiche we spake right now, hath determined thys question alreadye. For whan the cleargie therein agreed that the Englyshe Bybles should remayne whiche were translated afore Wickliffes dayes, they consequentlye dydde agree that to have the Byble in Englishe was none hurte. And in that they forbade any new translacion to be read till it wer approved by the bishoppes: it appeareth well therby that theyr intent was that the byshop should approve it if he found it faultlesse, and also of reason amend it where it wer faultye, but-if the manne wer an heretike that made it, or the faultes such and so many, as it were

more eth to make it all newe than mend it. As it happed for bothe poyntes in the translacion of Tyndall.

2

"Now if it so be that it woulde happely be thought not a thyng metely to be adventured to set all on a flushe at ones, and dashe rashelye out Holye Scrypture in everye lewde felowes teeth: yet, thynketh me, ther might such a moderacion be taken therein, as neither good verteous ley folke shoulde lacke it, nor rude and rashe braynes abuse it. For it might be with diligence well and truely translated by some good catholike and well learned man, or by dyvers dividing the labour among them, and after conferring theyr several parties together eche with other. And after that might the worke be alowed and approved by the ordinaries, and by theyr authorities so put unto prent, as all the copies should come whole unto the bysshoppes hande. Which he may after his discrecion and wisedom deliver to such as he perceiveth honest, sad, and verteous, with a good monicion and fatherly counsell to use it reverently with humble heart and lowly mind, rather sekyng therin occasion of devocion than of despicion. And providing as much as may be, that the boke be after the decease of the partie brought again and reverently restored unto the ordinarye. So that as nere as maye be devised, no man have it but of the ordinaries hande, and by hym thought and reputed for such as shalbe likly to use it to Gods honor and merite of his own soule. Among whom if any be proved after to have abused it, than the use therof to be forboden him, eyther for ever, or till he be waxen wyser."

5

6

7

"By Our Lady," quod your frend, "this way misliketh not me. But who should sette the price of the booke?" "Forsoth," quod I, "that reken I a thing of litle force. For neither wer it a great matter for any man in maner to give a grote or twain above the mene price for a boke of so greate profite, nor for the bysshope to geve them all free, wherin he myght serve his dyoces with the cost of x. li.,8 I thynke, or xx. markes. Which summe, I dare saye there is no bishop but he wold be glad to bestow 10 about a thing that might do his hole dyoces so special a pleasure with such a spirituall profit." "By my trouth," quod he, "yet wene I that the peple would grudge to have it on this wise delivered them at the bishops

11

1

hande, and had lever pay for it to the printer than have it of the byshop free." "It might so happen with some," quod I. "But yet, in myne opinion, ther wer in that maner more wilfulness than wisedom or any good mind in suche as would not be content so to receive them. And therfore I wold think in good faith that it wold so fortune in few. But, for God, the more dout would be, lest they would grudge and hold themself sore greved that wold require it and wer happely denied it: which I suppose would not often happen unto any honest housholder to be by his discrecion reverently red in his house. But though it wer not taken to every lewde lad in his own handes to rede a litle rudely whan he list, and than cast the boke at his heles, or among other such as himselfe to kepe a quotlibet and a pot parlament upon, I trow there wil no wise man find a faulte therin.

"Ye spake right now of the Jewes, among whom the hole peple have, ye say, the Scripture in their hands. And ye thought it no reason that we shold reken Christen men lesse worthy therto than them. Wherin I am as ye see of your own opinion. But yet wold God, we had the like reverence to the Scripture of God that they have. For I assure you I have heard very worshipfull folke say which have been in their houses, that a man could not hyre a Jewe to sit down upon his Byble of the Olde Testament, but he taketh it with gret reverence in hand whan he wil rede, and reverently layeth it up agayn whan he hath doone. Wheras we, God forgeve us! take a litle regarde to sit down on our Byble with the Old Testament and the New too. Which homely handeling, as it procedeth of litle reverence, so doth it more and more engrendre in the mind a negligence and contempt of Gods holi words.

WILLIAM TYNDALE (D. 1536)

THE GOSPELL OF S. MATHEW. THE FYFTH CHAPTER

When he sawe the people, he went up into a mountaine, and wen he was sett, hys disciples cam unto him, and he opened his mouth, and taught them sayinge: "Blessed are the poure in sprete: for thers is the kyngdom of heven. Blessed are they that mourne: for they shalbe comforted. Blessed are the meke: for they

1 liefer, rather 2 deliver debate drunken discussion

shall inheret the erthe. Blessed are they which hunger and thurst for rightewesnes: for they shalbe fylled. Blessed are the mercyfull: for they shall obteyne mercy. Blessed are the pure in hert: for they shall se God. Blessed are the maynteyners of peace: for they shalbe called the chyldren of God. Blessed are they which suffre persecucion for rightewesnes sake: for thers is the kyngdom of heven. Blessed are ye when men shall revyle you, and persecute you, and shal falsly saye all manner of evle sayinges agaynst you for my sake. Rejoyce and be gladde, for greate is youre rewarde in heven. For so persecuted they the prophettes which were before youre dayes.

"Ye are the salt of the erthe, but ah! yf the salte be once unsavery, what can be salted there with? it is thence forthe good for nothynge, but to be cast out at the dores, and that men treade it under fete. Ye are the light of the worlde. A cite that is sett on an hill cannot be hyd, nether do men light a candle and put it under a busshell, but on a candelstycke, and it lighteth all those which are in the housse. Se that youre light so schyne before men, that they maye se youre good werkes, and gloryfie youre Father, which is in heven.

"Ye shall not thynke, that y am come to disanull the lawe other 1 the prophettes: no, y am not come to dysanull them, but to fulfyll them. For truely y say unto you, tyll heven and erthe perysshe, one jott, or one tytle of the lawe shall not scape, tyll all be fulfylled.

"Whosoever breaketh one of these leest commaundmentes, and shall teche men so, he shalbe called the leest in the kyngdom of heven. But whosoever shall observe and teache them, that persone shalbe called greate in the kyngdom of heven.

"For I say unto you, except youre rightewesnes excede the rightewesnes of the scrybes and pharyses, ye cannot entre into the kyngdom of heven.

"Ye have herde howe it was sayd unto them of the olde tyme. Thou shalt not kyll. Whosoever shall kyll, shalbe in daunger of judgement. But I say unto you, whosoever ys angre with hys brother, shalbe in daunger of judgement. Whosoever shall say unto his brother, Racha! shalbe in daunger of a counseill. But whosoever shall say unto his brother, Thou fole! shalbe in daunger of hell fyre. Therfore when thou offerest thy gyfte

att the altre, and there remembrest that thy brother hath eny thynge agaynst the leve there thyne offrynge before the altre, and go thy waye fyrst and reconcyle thy silff to thy brother, and then come and offre thy gyfte.

"Agre with thine adversary at once, whyles thou arte in the waye with hym, lest thine adversary delivre the to the judge, and the judge delyvre the to the minister,' and then thou be cast into preson. I say unto the verely: thou shalt not come out thence tyll thou have payed the utmoost forthynge."

"Ye have herde howe yt was sayde to them of olde tyme, thou shalt not commytt advoutrie.3 But I say unto you, that whosoever eyeth a wyfe, lustynge after her, hathe commytted advoutrie with her alredy in his hert.

"Wherfore yf thy right eye offende the, plucke hym out and caste him from the, Better hit is for the, that one of thy membres perysshe then that thy whole body shuld be caste in to hell. Also yf thy right honde offend the, cutt hym of and caste hym from the. Better hit is that one of thy membres perisshe, then that all thy body shulde be caste in to hell.

4

"Hit ys sayd, whosoever put awaye his wyfe, let hym geve her a testymonyall of her divorcement. But I say unto you: whosoever put awaye hys wyfe (except hit be for fornicacion) causeth her to breake matrimony, And who soever maryeth her that is divorsed, breaketh wedlocke.

"Agayne ye have herde, howe it was said to them of olde tyme, thou shalt not forswere thysilfe, but shalt performe thine othe to God. But I saye unto you swere not at all: nether by heven, for hit ys Goddes seate: nor yet by the erth, For it is hys fote stole: Nether by Jerusalem, for it is the cite of the greate kynge: Nether shalt thou swere by thy heed, because thou canst not make one heer whyte, or blacke: But youre communicacion shalbe, ye, ye: nay, nay. For whatsoever is more then that, commeth of evle.

"Ye have herde howe it is sayd, an eye for an eye: a tothe for a tothe. But I say unto you, that ye withstond not wronge: But yf a man geve the a blowe on thy right cheke, turne to hym the othre. And yf eny man wyll sue the at the lawe, and take thi coote from the, lett hym have thi clooke also. And whosoever wyll compell the to goo a myle, goo wyth him twayne. Geve to him that axeth: and from him that wolde borowe turne not away.

"Ye have herde howe it is saide: thou shalt love thyne neghbour, and hate thyne enemy. But y saye unto you, love youre enemies. Blesse them that cursse you. Doo good to them that hate you, Praye for them which doo you wronge, and persecute you, that ye maye be the chyldren of youre hevenly Father: for he maketh his sunne to aryse on the evle and on the good, and sendeth his reyne on the juste and on the onjuste. For if ye shall love them, which love you: what rewarde shall ye have? Doo not the publicans even so? And if ye be frendly to youre brethren only: what singuler thynge doo ye? Doo nott the publicans lyke wyse? Ye shall therfore be perfecte, even as youre hevenly Father is perfecte."

HUGH LATIMER (1485?-1555) FROM THE FIRST SERMON BEFORE KING EDWARD VI

2

And necessary it is that a kyng have a treasure all wayeys in a redines, for that, and such other affayres, as be dayly in hys handes. The which treasure, if it be not sufficiente, he maye lawfully and wyth a salve1 conscience take taxis of hys subjectes. For it were not mete the treasure shoulde be in the subjectes purses whan the money shoulde be occupied,3 nor it were not best for themselves, for the lacke there of, it myght cause both it and all the rest that they have shold not long be theirs, And so for a necessarye and expedyent occacion, it is warranted by Goddes word to take of the subjectes. But if there be sufficyente treasures, and the burdenynge of subjectes be for a vayne thyng, so that he wyl require thus much, or so much, of his subjects, whyche perchaunce are in great necessitie and penurye, then this covetous intent, and the request thereof, is to muche, whych God forbiddeth the king her in this place of scripture to have. But who shal se this "to much," or tell the king of this "to much"? Thinke you anye of the Kynges prevye chamber? No. For feare of losse of faver.

Shall

The seconde cleare sighte is charitie, whych is fervente towardes hys Chrysten brother. By them two must the Kynge se ever whan he hath to muche. But fewe therbe that useth these spectacles, the more is theyr dampnacion. Not wythoute cause Chrisostome wyth admiracion' sayeth, "Miror si aliquis rectorum potest salvari. I marvell if anye ruler can be saved." Whyche wordes he speaketh not of an impossibilitie, but of a great difficultie; for that their charge is marvelous great, and that none aboute them dare shew them the truth of the thing how it goth. Wel then, if God wyl not alowe a king to much, whither wyl he alowe a subject to much? No, that he wil not. Whether have any man here in England to much? I doubte most riche men have to muche, for wythout to muche, we can get nothynge. As for example, the Phisicion. If the pore man be dyseased, he can have no helpe without to much; and of the lawyer the pore man can get no counsell, expedicion, nor helpe in his matter, except he geve him to much. At marchandes handes no kynd of wares can be had, except we geve for it to muche. You landelordes, you rent-reisers, I maye saye you steplordes, you unnaturall lordes, you have for your possessions yerely to much. For that 3 herebefore went for .xx. or .xl. pound by yere, (which is an honest porcion to be had gratis in one Lordeshyp, of a nother mannes sweat and laboure) now is it let for .l. (fifty) or a .C. (hundred) pound by yeare. Of thys "to muche commeth thys monsterous and portentious dearthis made by man. Not with standynge God doeth sende us plentifullye the fruites of the earth, mercyfullye, contrarye unto oure desertes, not wythstandynge "to muche," whyche these riche menne have, causeth suche dearth, that poore menne (whyche live of theyr laboure) can not wyth the sweate of their face have a livinge, all kinde of victales is so deare, pigges, gese, capons, chickens, egges, etc.

These thinges with other are so unresonably enhansed. And I thinke verely that if it this continewe, we shal at length be constrayned to paye for a pygge a pounde. I wyl tel you, my lordes and maysters, thys is not for the kynges honoure. Yet some wyl saye, knowest thou what belongeth unto the kinges honoure better then we? I answere, that the true honoure of a Kinge, is moost perfectly mencioned and painted furth in the scriptures, of which, if ye be ignoraunt, for lacke of tyme, * what • thus

1 wonder 2 whether