William Tyndal Burnt at Fitford, near Antwerp, 1536, Engraved from an Original Painting in Dr Williams's Library for the Raptist Magazine. Published Oct 1819 by Batton & Son Paternoster Row. THE Baptist Magazine. OCTOBER, 1819. THIS faithful minister and constant martyr of Christ was born about the borders of Wales,† some time before 1500. The family seems to have sprung from Elias Tyndale, who owned the lordship of Tansover, near Oundle in Northamptonshire, in the reign of Edward II. This family was called de Tyndale, Tyndale, and Tindale; and in the time of Henry VI. William Tindale, Esq. possessed the manors of Deen near Weldon, and of Stanion near Brigstock, in the same county. Mr. Jekyll says, that it descended from Adam de Tindale, Baron of Langley in South-Tindale in Northumberland.1 The subject of this memoir was The name of this Reformer is spelt various ways. The engraver of the copper-plate has adopted the spelling of Neal, the author of the History of the Puritans. We have adopted the spelling used by the family a short time before the Re former's birth. The late Reverend Joshua Thomas of Leominster mentions in his MSS. that some persons of a family of the name of Tyndal were members of the Baptist church at Llanwenarth near Abergavenny, at the close of the 17th century. South-Tindale, or rather South-Tyne Dale, is intersected by the South Tyne. A History of Northumberland published about sixty years ago, informs us that Langley-castle, the ancient seat of the barons of Tynedale, is situated on a rising ground on the south side of the Tyne; that four towers were then standing, and VOL. XI. brought up from a child in gram mar, logic, and philosophy, in Oxford, particularly for the most part in St. Mary Magdalen's-Hall, in the library of which hall his picture is preserved. He took so much pleasure in the study of the Scriptures, that he read privately to certain students and fellows of his college some portion of divinity, and instructed them in the knowledge and truth of the cred volume. His life and conversation were such, that all who knew him regarded him as a man of a most virtuous disposition, and unspotted life. So that on account of his merit, (ob egregias ingenii dotes,) he was admitted a canon of Christ-Church College. But, for openly espousing Luther's opinions, the truth of which he was convinced of by searching the Scriptures, being obliged to quit it, he retired to Cambridge, where he diligently applied himself to the study of the Holy Scriptures, and divinity, and took a degree; having taken his degrees before at Oxford. After some stay at Cambridge, he went and lived at Little Sodbury in Gloucestershire, with Sir John Welch, Knt. as tutor to his children. Moreover, to be as useful as pos that twelve fire-rooms remained. The village of Haydon-bridge, visible from it, was its appendant manor. sible, and to plant true Chris- adding, that if God spared his though he might have depended But a have said, before the chancellor; Sir Henry Guildford, Master of by whom being dismissed, he the Horse, and Comptroller tó called in his way home upon a King Henry VIII. who was a certain doctor, who had been an great patron of learned men, old chancellor to a bishop, and particular friend of Erasmus, and his very good friend: to him he an acquaintance of Sir John opened his heart, and consulted Welchs's: and he presented to him upon many passages of Scrip-him an oration of Isocrates, which ture. Before they parted, the he had translated from the Greek; doctor said to him, "Do you not an undoubted proof of his being know, that the Pope is very anti-uncommonly learned, since Greek christ, whom the Scripture speak-at that time was a language un eth of? but beware what you say; for if it should be known that you are of that opinion, it will cost you your life." He added, "I have been an officer of his; but I have given it up, and defy him and all his works." derstood by very few here in England. Sir Henry readily com plying with Mr. Tindale's request, not only recommended him to the Bishop of London, but advised him to write a letter to his Lordship, and carry it himself. This he did, and delivered the letter to an old acquaintance of his, a servant of the Bishop. But, as this was not the way which God, in his Providence, had marked out for him, the Bishop answered, that his house was full, that he had more than he could well provide for; and he advised Mr. Tindale to seek out in London, where, he said, he could not well miss of employment. Not being able to obtain any, he was supported by Mr. Humfrey Monmouth, Alderman of London, who was a draper, a man of good wealth and great charity, and a favourer of Luther's opinions; who took him into his house for half a year, where he lived in the most sober and temperate manner, eating only boiled meat, drinking small beer, wearing no linen, and studying night and day. His thoughts were then bent upon translating the New Testament into English, as the Observing that he could no longer stay in the county with any quiet and comfort, and that his patron, Sir John Welch, could not protect him without bringing himself into great dangers and difficulties, they parted by common consent, Mr. Tindale saying to the knight," Sir, I perceive that I shall not be suffered to tarry long in this country; neither will you be able to keep me out of the hands of the spirituality. What displeasure might therefore grow to you by keeping me, is known only to God." Mr. Tindale therefore went to London, and preached there for some time in the church of St. Dunstan's in the West, as he had done before in the neighbourhood of Bristol, as well as in St. Austin's Green in that city. At length, having conceived a great opinion of Dr. Cuthbert Tonstall, promoted to the bishopric of London in 1522, on account of the great commendations given him by the much-ad-only means to root out Popery, mired Erasmus, he imagined that he should be a happy man, if he could but be admitted into his service, as one of his chaplains. For that purpose, he applied to and establish the true doctrine of Jesus Christ. He thought it á matter of the greatest importance that the poor people should be able to read the pure word of God. He saw that it was not possible to establish the laity in the truth, except they could be enabled to see the connexion, the order, and the meaning of the sacred volume; and that without this, though the truth might be taught them, its enemies would quench it again, either by sophistry and unscriptural traditions, or by expounding the places which contained it, in a manner contrary to their connexion, order, and true meaning. He perceived, that although the unlearned laity might be sure that all was false which the priests said, yet, unless they had the Scriptures in their own hands, they might be puzzled by the sophistry of the priests, and unable to answer their subtle arguments in favour of the usurped authority of the Bishop of Rome, and of the doctrines of the Romish Church. serve many particulars concerning it for another article; suffice it at present to say, that only 1500 copies were printed, most of which were imported into England. Strict search was made among those who were suspected of importing and concealing them; of whom John Tindale, our martyr's brother, was prosecuted, and condemned to do penance. Humfrey Monmouth, his great patron and benefactor, was imprisoned in the Tower, and almost ruined. But these rigorous measures not having the intended effect, and burning the Word of God being looked upon among the people as a shocking profanation, the great patrons of Popery endeavoured to ridicule what they could not suppress. They employed for that purpose the noted Sir Thomas More, who, like all other witty men, suffered his wit to outrun Mr. Tindale remained in Lon- his judgment, and had so dedon about a year, when perceiving voted himself to the blindest corthat the Scriptures could not be ruptions of the Church of Rome, safely translated in England, he that he was ready to swallow and resolved to go abroad into Ger- defend them without examination, many, as a place of greater se- and was as severe a persecutor as curity, and more liberty. This any ignorant monk. He publishhe was enabled to do by the ed in 1529, a "Dyaloge," wherein assistance of Mr. Monmouth, and he treated of the pestilent sect of other well disposed persons, who Luther and Tyndale, &c. It is gave him ten pounds a year, then entitled, "A Dyaloge of Syr a sufficient maintenance for a Thomas More, knyghte, one of single man. At his first leaving the counsayll of oure Soveragne England, he went as far as Sax-lorde the Kyng and chauncellour ony, where he conferred with Luther, and other learned men in those parts. Then he came back into the Netherlands, and settled at Antwerp, where was a very considerable factory of English merchants, many of whom were zealous professors of Luther's doctrine. Here he immediately set himself about his favourite work, the English translation of the New Testament, which was printed in 1526. We shall re of hys duchy of Lancaster, wherein he treated dyvers matters, as of the veneration and worshyp of ymagys and relyques, praying to Sayntys and going on Pylgrymage, with many other thyngys touchyng the Pestylent Sect of Luther and Tyndale, by the tone bygone in Saxony, and by the tother laboryd to be brought into England. Emprynted at London at the Sygne of the Meremayd at Powlys gate next to Chepe syde |