Beza's translation of the NEW TESTAMENT, englished by L. TOMSON, who was under-secretary to Sir Francis Walsingham: but though he pretends to translate from Beza, he has very seldom varied so much as a word from the Genevan translation.75

The Translators of the GENEVAN BIBLE were Bishop Coverdale, Anthony Gilby, William Whittingham, Christopher Goodman, Thomas Sampson, and Thomas Cole; to whom some add John Knox, John Bodleigh, and John Pullain; all zealous Calvinists both in doctrine and discipline; but the chief and most learned of them were the first three. They also consulted Beza and Calvin.

Of MILES COVERDALE, some account has been already given, when speaking of the former translations of the English Bible.*

ANTHONY GILBY was born in Lincolnshire, and educated in Christ's-College, Cambridge, where he gained an accurate knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. Upon the accession of Queen Mary, he quitted the kingdom, and withdrew to Frankfort. In consequence of the disputes among the exiles in that city, he removed to Geneva, and assisted in translating the Bible. When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, he returned to England, and was one of the most zealous of the reformers. The earl of Huntingdon, who was his constant friend and patron, presented him to the vicarage of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire; and the bishop of the diocese honoured him with his esteem and friendship. The opposition of "Father Gilby," as he was often called, to the clerical habits retained by the high episcopal party, occasioned him considerable trouble, and appears to have been the cause of his being

(7, Newcome's Historical View of English Biblical Translations, sec. 6, pp. 65-77.

Lewis, pp. 207-211. 233-235.

*See vol. II. p. 395 of this work.

silenced from the public ministry. The time of his death is not known, but he evidently lived to a great age, as a letter was addressed to him by Dr. Sampson, dated March 8th, 1584. He was author of a Commentary on the Prophet MICAH, and other works."

WILLIAM WHITTINGHAM was born in the city of Chester, in 1524, and was educated at Brazen-nose College, Oxford. In 1545, he was elected fellow of All Souls, and two years afterwards was made one of the senior students of Christ Church. In May 1550, having obtained leave to travel for three years, he passed his time principally at Orleans, where he married the sister of Calvin. He returned to England in the latter end of the reign of Edward VI.; but on the accession of Mary, found it necessary, from his attachment to the principles of the Reformation, to quit the kingdom. He then joined the illustrious exiles at Frankfort, until the disputes respecting the English Liturgy, occasioned him to remove to Geneva, where he succeeded the great Scotch reformer, Knox, as pastor of the English church. When Elizabeth ascended the throne, in 1558, he would have returned to England, but that he wished, with his co-adjutors, to complete the translation of the Bible, which was not printed till 1560. During his stay at Geneva, he translated int metre, five of the PSALMS, of which the 119th was one together with the TEN COMMANDMENTS, and a Prayer distinguished in the collection of Sternhold and Hopkins. by the initials of his name, W. W. Afterwards he return.. ed to England, and was employed to accompany Francis Earl of Bedford, on an embassy of condolence for th death of the French king. He also attended Ambros Earl of Warwick, to Havre-de-Grace, to be preach there, while the earl defended it against the French By the interest of Warwick, Whittingham was promoted in 1563, to the deanery of Durham, which he enjoye (76) Brook's Lives of the Puritans, I. pp. 278–284.

for sixteen years. His zeal against popery was so violent, that he destroyed some of the antiquities and monuments in Durham Cathedral, and took up the stone coffins of the priors of Durham, and ordered them to be used as troughs for horses to drink in. He rendered essential services to government in the rebellion of 1569; and "did good service," says the Oxford historian (Ath. Ox. vol. I. p. 154) "in repelling the archbishop of York from visiting the church of Durham." This "service," however, engaged him in a dispute with Archbishop Sandys respecting the validity of his ordination, but before the case was finally decided, he died, June 10th, 1579, in the 65th year of his age. He is said to have been "a truly pious and religious man, an excellent preacher, and an ornament to religion.""

CHRISTOPHER GOODMAN was also a native of Chester, born about 1519, and educated in Brazen-nose College, Oxford. Afterwards he was chosen one of the senior students of Christ Church, and Margaret professor of divinity. On Queen Mary's advancement to the throne, he quitted his preferment, and went abroad. After residing some time at Strasburg, or Frankfort, or both, he removed to Geneva, where he and John Knox were chosen pastors of the English church. While at Geneva, he assisted Knox in composing "The Book of Common Order," which was to be used as a directory of worship in the Protestant congregations; and also took an active part in publishing the Genevan translation of the Bible. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Goodman, after the translation was completed, went to Scotland; and for several years was actively employed in promoting the Reformation, and preaching the Gospel, in that country. In 1560, the committee of parliament appointed him to be minister at St. Andrew's; and about the same time he was (77) Chalmers' Gen. Biog. Dict. XXXII. pp. 18-20. Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, I. p. 318.

employed in a public disputation at Edinburgh, betwixt the Papists and Protestants. In 1565, he left Scotland, and came to England, where, about the year 1568, he became chaplain to Sir Henry Sidney, in his expedition against the rebels in Ireland, and displayed great diligence and faithfulness in that service. In 1571, he was cited before Archbishop Parker, and other high commissioners, at Lambeth, to answer for the opinions contained in a work published during his exile, in which he had spoken against the government of women, and especially the severe proceedings of Queen Mary; but by subscribing a recantation, acknowledging that "good and godly women might lawfully govern whole realms and nations," and avowing his submission to the authority of Queen Elizabeth, he was released. It is probable that he was afterwards silenced for nonconformity, as we find him, in 1584, living in his native county; and Fuller denominates him, a leader of the fierce nonconformists. The pious Dr. James Usher, afterwards archbishop of Armagh, having come to England to purchase books for the college libra ry at Dublin, visited him on his death-bed, and was so impressed with the wise and grave speeches he heard from him, that when he himself became an old man he frequently repeated them. He died in 1602, aged 83 years; and his remains were interred in St. Werburg's Church, in the city of Chester.78

THOMAS SAMPSON is said to have been born at Playford, in Suffolk, in 1517, and seems to have received his education at Oxford, as that university was the scene of much of his future life, though Strype says he was a fellow of Pembroke-Hall, Cambridge. He imbibed the principles of the Reformation at an early period, and is said, by Anth. Wood, to have been the means of converting John Bradford, the famous martyr. He was ordained by Archbishop Cranmer, and Bishop Ridley, and (78) Brook's Lives of the Puritans, II. pp. 123-129. Lond. 1813, 8vo.

became an eminent preacher. In 1551, he was preferred to the rectory of Allhallows, Bread-street, London; and, afterwards to the deanery of Chichester. The rectory. he resigned in 1553. After the accession of Mary to the throne, he concealed himself for some time: but having been active in collecting money for the poor scholars in the two universities, he narrowly escaped being. apprehended, and therefore fled to Strasburg, where he became intimate with the famous Tremellius. Having joined in the dispute with the other exiles, respecting the English Liturgy, he removed to Geneva, and there engaged in the translation of the Bible. When Queen Elizabeth obtained the crown, he returned to England, and was offered the bishoprick of Norwich, which he refused. He continued, however, to preach, particularly at Paul's Cross, where his eloquence and wonderful memory were much admired; and in September, 1560, he was made a prebendary of Durham. In 1561, he was installed dean of Christ Church, Oxford. In 1562, he resigned his prebendary of Durham; and, in 1564, was deprived of his deanery, for not wearing the clerical habits then enjoined. He was, however, presented, in 1568, to the mastership of Wigston-Hospital, at Leicester, and had likewise, according to Anth. Wood, (Ath. Ox.) a prebend in St. Paul's. Neal (Hist. of Puritans, vol. i. p. 290) says, he also held a lecture in the church at Whittington college. He went to reside at Leicester, and continued there until his death, April 9th, 1589. He married Bishop Latimer's niece, by whom he had two sons, John and Nathaniel, who erected a monument to his memory, in the chapel of the hospital, at Leicester."

THOMAS COLE was one of the English refugees, who, during the reign of Queen Mary, fled to Frankfort, and afterwards joined those at Geneva. After the acces

(79) Chalmers' Gen. Biog. Dict. XXVII. pp. 86-88.

Lewis, pp. 205, 206.