In the summer of 1551 Archbishop Cranmer sketched the faith of the Reformed Church of England in a series of forty-two Articles of Religion. Of these, a draught was sent to the bishops for revision and suggestion. They were then submitted to William Cecil and John Cheke, then to the royal chaplains, including Edmund Grindal and John Knox. In November, 1552, they were returned to the Archbishop for final corrections, and in 1553 they were published by Richard Grafton, the king's printer, as "Articles agreed on by the Bishops and other learned men in the Synod at London in the year of our Lord God 1552, for the avoiding of controversy in opinions and the establishment of a godly concord in certain matters of Religion." By a royal mandate of June 19th, 1553, actual incumbents of Church livings were required to subscribe to these forty-two articles, on pain of deprivation; future incumbents were to subscribe to them before admission. the death of Edward VI. in July arrested the

movement.

But

There was also an authorised book of Homilies to which Cranmer contributed three sermons. In 1540 a book of Postilles or Homilies upon the Epistles and Gospels with sermons on other subjects "by dyverse learned men" had been issued by royal allowance, and in 1542 the Convocation of the Clergy resolved to prepare a Book of Homilies "to stay such errors as were then by ignorant men sparkled1 among the people." In 1547 Archbishop Cranmer applied his energy to the carrying out of this design, and he published in that year a volume of twelve Homilies. The three written by himself were on "The Salvation of Mankind," "The True and Lively Christian Faith," and "Good Works annexed unto Faith." Two were by Thomas Becon, who lived until 1570.

Of Cranmer's preaching I take as an example the First Part of his "Short Declaration of the True, Lively, and Christian Faith" in the first Book of Homilies. The Homily was in three parts, which were to be read at successive meetings of the congregation, and the First Part, a complete sermon for one service, was this upon

FAITH, DEAD AND LIVING.

The first entry unto God, good Christian people, is through faith, whereby (as it is declared in the last sermon) we be justified before God. And lest any man should be deceived for lack of right understanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faith is taken in the Scripture two manner of ways. There is one faith, which in Scripture is called a dead faith, which bringeth forth no good works, but is idle, barren, and unfruitful. And this faith by the holy Apostle St. James is compared to the faith of devils, which believe God to be true and just, and tremble for fear; yet they do nothing well, but all evil. And such a manner of faith have the wicked and naughty Christian people, "which confess God," as St. Paul saith, "in their mouth, but deny him in their deeds, being abominable, and without the right faith, and in all good works reprovable." And this faith is a persuasion and belief in man's heart, whereby he knoweth that there is

1 Sparkled, scattered, sprinkled. From Latin "spargere."

a God, and assenteth unto all truth of God's most holy Word, contained in holy Scripture: so that it consisteth only in believing of the Word of God, that it is true. And this is not properly called faith. But as he that readeth Cæsar's Commentaries, believing the same to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cæsar's life and noble acts, because he believeth the history of Cæsar; yet it is not properly said, that he believeth in Caesar, of whom he looketh for no help nor benefit: even so, he that believeth that all that is spoken of God in the Bible is truc, and yet liveth so ungodly, that he cannot look to enjoy the promises and benefits of God; although it may be said that such a man hath a faith and belief to the Word of God, yet it is not properly said that he believeth in God, or hath such a faith and trust in God, whereby he may surely look for grace, mercy, and eternal life at God's hand, but rather for indignation and punishment, according to the merits of his wicked life. For, as it is written in a book intituled to be of Didymus Alexandrinus: "Forasmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not now faith, as a dead man is not a man." The dead faith therefore is not that sure and substantial faith, which saveth sinners.

Another faith there is in Scripture, which is not, as the foresaid faith, idle, unfruitful, and dead, but "worketh by charity," as St. Paul declareth (Gal. v.); which, as the other vain faith is called a dead faith, so may this be called a quick or lively faith. And this is not only the common belief of the articles of our faith, but it is also a sure trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and a steadfast hope of all good things to be received at God's hand; and that, although we through infirmity, or temptation of our ghostly enemy, do fall from him by sin, yet if we return again unto him by true repentance, that he will forgive and forget our offences for his Son's sake, our Saviour Jesus Christ, and will make us inheritors with him of his everlasting kingdom; and that in the mean time, until that kingdom come, he will be our protector and defender in all perils and dangers, whatsoever do chance: and that, though sometime he doth send us sharp adversity, yet that evermore he will be a loving father unto us, correcting us for our sin, but not withdrawing his mercy finally from us, if we trust in him, and commit ourselves wholly to him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and serve him. This is the true, lively, and unfeigned Christian faith, and is not in the mouth and outward profession only, but it liveth and stirreth inwardly in the heart. And this faith is not without hope and trust in God, nor without the love of God and of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God, nor without the desire to hear God's Word, and to follow the same, in eschewing evil and doing gladly all good works.

This faith, as St. Paul describeth it, is the "sure ground and foundation of the benefits which we ought to look for, and trust to receive of God; a certificate and sure expectation of them, although they yet sensibly appear not unto us." And after he saith: "He that cometh to God must believe both that he is, and that he is a merciful rewarder of welldoers." And nothing commendeth good men unto God so much as this assured faith and trust in him.

Of this faith three things are specially to be noted. First, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works. Second, that without it can no good works be done, that shall be acceptable and pleasant to God. Third, what manner of good works they be that this faith doth bring forth.

For the first, as the light cannot be hid, but will show forth itself at one place or other; so a true faith cannot be kept secret, but, when occasion is offered, it will break out

and show itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exerciseth such things as belongeth to a natural and living body, for nourishment and preservation of the same, as it hath need, opportunity, and occasion; even so the soui, that hath a lively faith in it, will be doing alway some good work, which shall declare that it is living, and will not be unoccupied. Therefore, when men hear in the Scriptures so high commendations of faith, that it maketh us to please God, to live with God, and to be the children of God; if then they phantasy that they be set at liberty from doing all good works, and may live as they list, they trifle with God, and deceive themselves. And it is a manifest token that they be far from having the true and lively faith, and also far from knowledge what true faith meaneth. For the very sure and lively Christian faith is, not only to believe all things of God which are contained in holy Scripture; but also is an earnest trust and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and hath cure of us, as the father of the child whom he doth love, and that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's sake, and that we have our Saviour Christ our perpetual advocate and priest, in whose only merits, oblation, and suffering, we do trust that our offences be continually washed and purged, whensoever we, repenting truly, do return to him with our whole heart, steadfastly determining with ourselves, through his grace, to obey and serve him in keeping his 'commandments, and never to turn back again to sin. Such is the true faith that the Scripture doth so much commend; the which, when it seeth and considereth what God hath done for us, is also moved, through continual assistance of the Spirit of God, to serve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his displeasure, to continue his obedient children, showing thankfulness again by observing his commandments, and that freely, for true love chiefly, and not for dread of punishment or love of temporal reward; considering how clearly, without our deservings, we have received his mercy and pardon freely.

:

This true faith will show forth itself, and cannot long be idle for, as it is written, "The just man doth live by his faith." He neither sleepeth, nor is idle, when he should wake and be well occupied. And God by his prophet Jeremy saith, that "he is a happy and blessed man which hath faith and confidence in God. For he is like a tree set by the water-side, that spreadeth his roots abroad toward the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not cease to bring forth his fruit:" even so faithful men, putting away all fear of adversity, will show forth the fruit of their good works, as occasion is offered to do them.

John Bale, born at Hove, in Suffolk, in the year 1495, began life as a Carmelite monk at Norwich, was afterwards a priest in the Suffolk parish of Thorndon, then studied at Cambridge, and at the age of thirty became Doctor of Civil Law. Lord Wentworth, of Nettlestead, Suffolk, in days of much controversy about reformation in religion, transformed John Bale the Carmelite into John Bale the Reformer. As he wrote himself, in the last chapter of his eighth Century of British Writers, "I was involved in the utmost ignorance and darkness of mind, both at Norwich and Cambridge, without tutor or patron, till the Word of God shining forth, the Churches began to return to the true foundation of Divinity. Moved not by any monk or priest, but by the noble Lord Wentworth, of Nettlestead, in Suffolk, I saw and acknowledged my former defor

mity, and by the goodness of God I was transported from the barren Mount (Carmel) into the fair and fruitful valley of the Gospel, where I found all things built, not on a sandy shore, but on a solid foundation of stone." Then John Bale put off his habit as a Carmelite, married a wife Dorothy, and became a zealous convert. For marrying and preaching heresy he was cited before Dr. Lee, Archbishop of York, and Dr. Stokesly, Bishop of London. Thomas Cromwell rescued him, but after Cromwell had been executed in 1540 for introducing Henry VIII. to his fourth wife, who proved fatter than he expected, and who did not please him, John Bale had lost his friend. He then went into Germany, where he remained during the last six years of Henry VIII.'s reign, writing some sharp attacks upon the Roman Catholics, and preparing in Latin an account of the Illustrious Writers of Great Britain ("Illustrium Majoris Britanniæ Scriptorum Summarium"), printed at Ipswich by John Overton, in 1548. Edward VI. had then come to the throne, and his advisers had just recalled John Bale and given him the rectory of Bishopstoke, near Southampton. Therefore his account of British Writers, divided into Centuries, had in this first edition a picture of its author presenting his book to the young king in formal state.

Bale did not want liveliness, it seems to have been suggested as the subject of another little woodcut.

SECOND VIEW OF JOHN BALE PRESENTING A BOOK TO EDWARD VI. From his "Centuries of British Writers" (1548).

In August, 1552, Bale was made Bishop of Ossory, in Ireland, and endeavoured to convert his people to the Reformed Church. King Edward died before the bishopric had been held quite a year; Mary came to the throne, and the relations of the Roman Catholics to the Reformers were again suddenly reversed. Some of Bale's servants were killed, and his own life was in danger; he escaped to Dublin, sailed thence, was taken by pirates, but at last made his way to Basle, where he published a new edition of his "Centuries of British Writers." He came back after Elizabeth's accession, declined to return to Ireland, and was made a prebend of Canterbury, where he lived content until he died in 1563, leaving, said Thomas Fuller, "a scholar's inventory, more books (many of his own writing) than money behind him."

Among John Bale's works are religious Interludes, one on "the Promises of God" which is comparatively well known; another, made in 1538, which remains only in a single copy of the original edition, and has been reproduced by the Rev. A. B. Grosart in the Miscellany of his "Fuller Worthies' Library.' This is on "The Temptation of our Lord," which thus opens:

BALEUS PROLOCUTOR.

After his baptism Christ was God's Son declared
By the Father's voice, as ye before have heard,
Which signifieth to us that we, once baptized,
Are the sons of God by His gift and reward,
And because that we should have Christ in regard
He gave unto him the mighty authority

Of His Heavenly Word, our only Teacher to be.

1 It is in the first volume of Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays.

2 This Miscellany, now completed, forms four substantial volumes, each containing five or six scarce and valuable works, privately printed.

Now is he gone forth into the desert place
With the Holy Ghost his office to begin,
Where Satan, the Devil, with his assaults apace,
With colours of craft and many a subtle gin
Will undermine him, yet nothing shall he win
But shame and rebuke in the conclusion finál,
This tokeneth our rise, and his unrecurable fall.

Learn first in this act that we whom Christ doth call
Ought not to follow the fantasies of man

But the Holy Ghost as our guide special,
Which to defend us is he that will and can;

To persecution let us prepare us than,3

For that will follow in them that seek the Truth: Mark in this process what troubles to Christ ensu'th.

Satan assaulteth him with many a subtle drift,

So will he do us, if we take Christ's part. And when that helpeth not he seeketh another shift The rulers among to put Christ unto smart, With so many else that bear him their good heart: Be ye sure of this, as ye are of daily meat, If ye follow Christ, with him ye must be beat.

For assaults of Satan, learn here the remedie,
Take the Word of God, let that be your defence.
So will Christ teach you in our next comedie,
Earnestly print it in your quick intelligence.
Resist not the World but with meek patience
If ye be of Christ. Of this hereafter ye shall
Perceive more at large, by the story as it fall.

The Interlude begins with Christ in the Wilderness, who will encounter Satan to teach men ways his mischiefs to prevent

By the Word of God, which must be your defence, Rather than Fastings, to withstand his violence.

Then comes Satan, seeking everywhere the hurt of man, to try Christ, of whom he has heard as the Redeemer. He puts on a semblance of religion, approaches Christ and says:

It is a great joy, by my halidom, to see
So virtuous a life in a young man as you be.
As here thus to wander in godly contemplation,
And to live alone in the desert solitary.

Iesus Christus.
Your pleasure is it to utter your fantasy.
Satan Tentator.

A brother am I of this desert wilderness,
And full glad would be to talk with you of goodness,
If ye would accept my simple companý.

Iesus Christus.

I disdain nothing which is of God trulý.

Satan Tentator. Then will I be bold a little with you to walk. Iesus Christus.

Do so if ye list, and your mind freely talk.

3 Than, then.

The temptations then begin in dialogue of argument. To the suggestion that the stones should be made bread it is answered:

Man liveth not by bread or corporal feeding only,
But by God's Promise, and by His Scriptures heavenly.
Here ye persuade me to recreate my bodý

And neglect God's Word, which is great blasphemý.
This causéd Adam from innocency to fall,
And all his offspring made miserable and mortáll.
Whereas in God's Word there is both sprete1 and life,
And where that is not, death and damnation is rife.
The strength of God's Word mightily sustained Mosés
For forty days' space, thereof such is the goodness.
It fortified Elias, it preservéd Daniél

And holp in the desert the children of Israél.
Sore plagues do follow where God's Word is reject,
For no persuasion will I therefore neglect
That office to do which God hath me commandéd,
But in all meekness it shall be accomplished.

Satan Tentator.

I had rather nay, considering your feeblenéss,

For ye are but tuly,2 ye are no strong person doubtless.

Iesus Christus.

Well, it is not the bread that doth a man uphold,
But the Lord of Heaven with His graces manifold;
He that man creates is able him to nourish
And after weakness cause him again to flourish.
God's Word is a rule for all that man should do,
And out of that rule no creature ought to go.

There spoke the Reformer who desired a Church based upon Bible rule, and Christian lives obedient to the teaching of Christ and his Apostles. When Scripture is still insisted on, Satan is made to

answer:

Scriptures I know none, for I am but an hermit I;
I may say to you, it is no part of our studý.
We religious men live all in contemplation;
Scriptures to study is not our occupation.

It longeth to Doctors. Howbeit I may say to yow,
As blind as we are they in the understanding now.

Then Satan suggests to Christ to wander to Jerusalem, there tempts him to throw himself from the pinnacle of the Temple, saying:

Tush, Scripture is with it, ye cannot fare amiss.
For it is written how God hath given a charge
Unto his Angels that if ye leap at large
They shall receive ye, in their hands tenderly
Lest ye dash your foot against a stone thereby.
If
ye do take scathe, believe God is not true
Nor just of His word, and then bid Him Adieu.
Iesus Christus.

In no wise ye ought the Scriptures to deprave,
But as they lie whole, so ought ye them to have.

1 Sprete, spirit.

2 Tuly. In Halliwell's "Dictionary of Provincial and Archaic Words," tully is given as Yorkshire for "a little wretch." Cymric "tuli" is a shroud; "tul" an outer covering only. In that sense "tully" would be equivalent to "skinny."

No more take ye here than serve for your vain purpose,
Leaving out the best, as ye should trifle or glose.
Ye mind not by this towards God to edify,
But of sincere faith to corrupt the innocency.

Satan is shown that he has wrested Scripture from its sense for his own purpose, and Christ says:

To walk in God's ways it becometh mortal man,
And therefore I will obey them if I can.
For it is written, in the sixth of Deutronomy,
Thou shalt in no wise tempt God presumptuously.

Satan Tentator.

What is it to tempt God, after your judgemént?

Iesus Christus.

To take of His Word an outward experiment
Of an idle brain, which God neither taught ne meant.

Satan Tentator.

What persons do so? Make that more evident.

Iesus Christus.

All such as forsake any grace or remedý
Appointed of God for their own policý.

As they that do think God shall fill their bellý
Without their labours, when His laws are contrarý.
And they that will say, the Scripture of God doth slee,3
They never searching thereof the veritie.
Those also tempt God that vow presumptuously,
Not having His gift, to keep their continence.
With so many else as follow their good intents
Not grounded on God nor yet on His commandments.
These throw themselves down into most deep damnation.

Satan Tentator.

Little good get I by this communication.
Will ye walk farther and let this prattling be?
A Mountain here is, which I wold you to see.

Still by reference to God's Word all the temptations are resisted. Then says Satan :

Well, then it helpeth not to tarry here any longer,
Advantage to have I see I must go farther;

So long as thou livest I am like to have no profight.
If all come to pass, I may sit as much in your light
If ye preach God's Word, as methinks ye do intend:
Ere four years be past I shall you to your Father send,
If pharisees and scribes can do anything thereto,
False priests and bishops with my other servants mo.
Though I have hinderance it will be but for a season;
I doubt not thine own will hereafter work some treason.
My Vicar at Rome I think will be my frynde,

I defy thee therefore; and take thy words as wynde.
He shall Me worship and have the World to reward:
That Thou here forsakest, he will most highly regard.
God's Word will he tread underneath his foot for ever
And the hearts of men from the Truth thereof dissever.
Thy faith will he hate, and slay thy flock in conclusion.
All this will I work, to do thee utter confusion.

3 Slee, slay.

John Knox was born in 1505, at Gifford, in Lothian. He was taught first at the Haddington Grammar School, and then at the University of St. Andrews. He was ordained priest at the age of twenty-five, in 1530. This was two years after the burning of Patrick Hamilton, a young Scottish gentleman, who had visited Luther, and had then taught Lutheran opinions in Scotland. The martyrdom of Hamilton gave impulse to the movement for Reform, and other burnings, between 1530 and 1540, helped it much. Knox, teaching philosophy at St. Andrews, advanced in the boldness of his opinions, and attacked corruptions of the Church. Cardinal Beatoun being then supreme at St. Andrews, Knox went to the south of Scotland, and in. 1542 declared himself a Protestant. He was then sentenced by Beatoun as a heretic, and expelled from the priesthood of the Roman Church. In 1544 George Wishart returned to Scotland with the commissioners who had been sent to negotiate a treaty with Henry VIII. George Wishart, a brother of the Laird of Pittarow, in Mearns, had been banished by the Bishop of Brechin for teaching the Greek Testament in Montrose, and he had been living for some years at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. One of his pupils there sent to John Fox, who published it in the "Book of Martyrs," the following

CHARACTER OF GEORGE WISHART.

About the yeare of our Lord, a thousand, five hundreth, fortie and three, there was, in the universitie of Cambridge, one Maister George Wischart, commonly called Maister George of Bennet's Colledge, who was a man of tall stature, polde headed,' and on the same a round French cap of the best. Judged of melancholye complexion by his phisiognomie, blacke haired, long bearded, comely of personage, well spoken after his country of Scotland, courteous, lowly, lovely, glad to teach, desirous to learne, and was well trauelled; hauing on him for his habit or clothing, neuer but a mantell frise gowne to the shoes, a blacke Millian fustain dublet, and plaine blacke hosen, coarse new canuasse for his shirtes, and white falling bandes and cuffes at the hands. All the which apparell he gaue to the poore, some weekly, some monethly, some quarterly, as hee liked, sauing his Frenche cappe, which hee kept the whole yeare of my beeing with him. Hee was

a man modest, temperate, fearing God, hating couetousnesse: for his charitie had neuer ende, night, noone, nor daye. Hee forbare one meale in three, one day in foure for the most part, except something to comfort nature. Hee lay hard upon a pouffe of straw: coarse new canuasse sheetes, which, when he changed, he gaue away. Hee had commonly by his bedside a tubbe of water, in the which (his people being in bed, the candle put out, and all quiet) hee used to bathe himselfe, as I being very yong, being assured offen heard him, and in one light night discerned him. Hee loved me tenderly, and I him, for my age, as effectually. He taught with great modestie and grauitie, so that some of his people thought him seuere, and would haue slain him, but the Lord was his defence. And hee, after due correction for their malice, by good exhortation amended them, and hee went his way. O that the Lord had left him to mee his poore boy, that hee might haue finished that hee had begunne! For in his Religion hee was as you see heere in the rest of his life when he went into Scotland with diuers of the Nobilitie, that came for a treaty to King Henry the eight. His learning was no less sufficient than his desire, alwayes prest and readie to do good in that hee was able, both in the house priuately, and in the schoole publickly, professing and reading divers authours.

If I should declare his loue to mee and all men, his charitie to the poore, in giuing, relieuing, caring, helping, prouiding, yea infinitely studying how to do good unto all, and hurt to none, I should sooner want words than just cause to commend him.

All this I testifie with my whole heart and trueth of this godly man. Hee that made all, gouerneth all, and shall judge all, knoweth I speake the troth, that the simple may be satisfied, the arrogant confounded, the hypocrite disclosed.

τέλυσε

EMERY TYLNey.

George Wishart preached Church Reform in Scotland, and had many adherents, none more devoted than John Knox, who was then a tutor in the family of Hugh Douglas of Langniddrie, in East Lothian, who had become a Protestant. The son of a neighbouring gentleman, John Cockburn of Ormiston, was also taught by him. When Wishart visited Lothian, Knox stood by him at his preaching with the sword that was carried to defend the preacher

1 Polde-headed, with shaven head,

2 TEAOS, the end.