A new Meanwhile the Reformation went forward. translation of the Bible was begun, many books were circulated containing scriptural truth; while others advocating popish error, and attacking the king in gross and treasonable language, were also published. Henry endeavoured to enforce uniformity of views, though in vain. This was remarkably shown in 1538, when a poor but learned schoolmaster, named Lambert, was brought forward publicly in Westminster Hall, to plead before the king and his bishops, against the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation. It was a painful sight to see this pious man beset by such powerful adversaries: the Romish bishops argued against him in cruel and bigoted terms; the prelates inclined to Reformation pursued a milder course, but still supported the gross and fatal error respecting the sacrament. The king delighted in showing his scholastic attainments; he did not hesitate to gratify this puerile vanity at the expense of the victim before him. At length, the faithful confessor, wearied with the debate, which continued five hours, was silenced by the abuse heaped upon him. He commended his soul to God, and threw himself upon the king's mercy. Henry declared he would not patronize heretics, and ordered sentence to be pronounced against him. Lambert was shortly after burned in Smithfield, with circumstances of great cruelty; but under unspeakable agonies he was enabled to exclaim, “ None but Christ, none but Christ!" Others suffered in the same cause, clearly showing that there were many among the people far more enlightened than their rulers and teachers. That the contest, so far as Henry was concerned, was rather for temporal than spiritual matters, was also shown by the burning of friar Forest, about the same time, for denying the king's supremacy. A noted Welsh idol formed part of the pile which consumed him. It would be wrong to excuse or palliate these arbitrary and sanguinary proceedings; but it is equally wrong to attempt to conceal, that Henry K was driven to many of them by the unceasing attempts of the papists. Pole's residence in Flanders has been mentioned. He instigated the later insurrections; and in November, 1538, several of his relatives in England were attainted and executed, on the charge of being concerned in a treasonable plot. His aged mother, the last of the direct line of Plantagenet, was implicated, but her life was spared. She remained a prisoner till May, 1541, when the king, irritated by new devices of cardinal Pole, caused her to be beheaded; a useless act of cruelty, justly noted as a stigma upon his memory. Henry was bent on forcing his subjects to uniformity of opinion on religious subjects, but had no intention that they should be again subject to the pope; yet under the influence of Norfolk and Gardiner, the bishop of Winchester, he was induced to support the worst errors of Rome, by causing the parliament in July, 1539, to enact the act of six articles, which commanded all to believe in transubstantiation, restricted the communion to the administration of bread, forbade the marriage of priests, countenanced vows and private masses, and confirmed confession to priests. All who opposed these dogmas were liable to suffer death. Cranmer openly resisted the enactment of this iniquitous law in parliament; the king respected his honest boldness, although at one time he ordered him to cease his opposition, and withdraw. it The papists rejoiced at carrying this measure; induced them more easily to allow the final proceedings for the dissolution of monasteries, and the execution of several of their inmates on charge of treason, resulting from their unwillingness to resign their offices, and acknowledge the king's supremacy. Three mitred abbots, of Glastonbury, Colchester, and Reading, were thus publicly executed. Many of these larger establishments were notorious for the depravity of their inmates. The Romanists say this is a false representation; but any one who reads the statement of cardinal Morton, relative to the depraved and criminal lives of the monks of the great abbey of St. Albans, in 1490, which cannot be said to be made by the opponents of popery, will find a delineation quite as black as those of the visitors of Cromwell. Six hundred and forty-five monastic establishments, with other foundations, having yearly incomes, amounting to 161,000l., and large property in goods and valuables, were now suppressed. Had these acquisitions been rightly administered, the crown would have been supplied with a considerable revenue, while many useful measures might have been instituted. Cranmer exerted himself to procure this result, but the grasping characters about the king prevailed. The property thus acquired was speedily dissipated. The nobles and gentry of the court mostly supported these proceedings, hoping to obtain a share of the plunder; and the large possessions still enjoyed by several of the principal nobility of our land, were then assigned to their ancestors for paltry considerations, or as gifts, or as recompenses for trivial, and even for disgraceful services. Yet the dissolution of the monasteries, and the subsequent division of property, was a measure beneficial to the nation; it was absolutely needed to give scope for that spirit of commerce and enterprise required to meet the altered circumstances of the age, when the nominal value of every commodity was materially affected by the influx of gold and silver from the New World. It must be remembered, on the one hand, the progress of civilization and truth would have been hindered in this country, as in many nations of the continent, had these monastic establishments continued to exist; while, on the other, that the power of the crown would have been still further increased by the retaining all these possessions, which would have rendered the king independent of the people. One feature in the alteration of property was much to be regretted, the appropriating to laymen the ecclesiastical revenues of a parish. Thus all the disadvantages attending the usual method of raising money for ecclesiastical purposes were continued, and even increased, without any public services being returned in consequence. Even at the time, ignorance was rendered more inveterate, for instead of a pastor, in some degree partaking of the increasing learning of that day, a superannuated destitute monk was often retained as parish minister, whose services could be had for his mere living, and who exhibited the same disgraceful conduct as an incumbent in public, which he had practised in the seclusion of his monastery. The parliament at this time gave unlimited consent to the king's mandates, even declaring that the royal proclamations should have the force of laws. Henry balanced the two great parties which divided the nation, and thus established his prerogative beyond control. After forwarding the designs of those attached to the Romish faith, he granted the request of the Protestants, by sanctioning the English Scriptures. The Bible was now set forth by authority; the annexed engraving is from part of the title-page. Cranmer's earnest desire was fulfilled: when he first took a completed copy into his hand, he wrote to Cromwell, that in furthering this work he had done him more pleasure than if he had given him a thousand pounds; and that he doubted not but that thereby such fruit of good knowledge should ensue, that it would well appear hereafter what high and excellent service Cromwell had done unto God and the king. The pleasure with which the people received this inestimable gift is thus described by Strype: "It was wonderful to see with what joy this book of God was received, not only among the more learned sort, and those that were noted for lovers of the Reformation, but generally all England over, among all the vulgar and common people; and with what greediness God's word was read, and what resort to places where the reading of it was. Every body that could bought the book, and busily read it, or got others to read it for them, if they could |
