History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century Volume V Part 20

Having thus spoken, the prelate, whose courage was worthy of a better cause, rose up and waited. Every one strove to guess at the king's thoughts. Sir Thomas More was present, and he could not forsake his friend Erasmus. "What are the heresies this book is likely to engender?" he inquired. After the sublime came the ridiculous. With the forefinger of his right hand, touching successively the fingers of his left,[336] Standish replied: "First, this book destroys _the resurrection_; secondly, it annuls the _sacrament of marriage_; thirdly, it abolishes _the ma.s.s_." Then uplifting his thumb and two fingers, he showed them to the a.s.sembly with a look of triumph. The bigoted Catherine shuddered as she saw Standish's three fingers,--signs of the three heresies of Erasmus; and Henry himself, an admirer of Aquinas, was embarra.s.sed. It was a critical moment: the Greek Testament was on the point of being banished from England. "The proof, the proof," exclaimed the friends of literature. "I will give it," rejoined the impetuous Standish, and then once more touching his left thumb: "Firstly," he said, ... But he brought forward such foolish reasons, that even the women and the unlearned were ashamed of them. The more he endeavoured to justify his a.s.sertions, the more confused he became: he affirmed among other things that the Epistles of St. Paul were written in _Hebrew_. "There is not a schoolboy that does not know that Paul's epistles were written in _Greek_," said a doctor of divinity kneeling before the king. Henry, blushing for the bishop, turned the conversation, and Standish, ashamed at having made a Greek write to the Greeks in Hebrew, would have withdrawn un.o.bserved. "The beetle must not attack the eagle,"[337] was whispered in his ear. Thus did the book of G.o.d remain in England the standard of a faithful band, who found in its pages the motto, which the church of Rome had usurped: _The truth is in me alone_.

[336] Et rem in digitos porrectos dispartiens. (Ibid.) And distributing the charge on his outstretched fingers.

[337] Scarabaeus ille qui maximo suo malo aquilam quaesivit. (Erasm. Ep.

p. 555.) That beetle who sought to do the worst he could to the eagle.

[Sidenote: WOLSEY'S AMBITION.]

A more formidable adversary than Standish aspired to combat the Reformation, not only in England, but in all the West. One of those ambitious designs, which easily germinate in the human heart, developed itself in the soul of the chief minister of Henry VIII; and if this project succeeded, it promised to secure for ever the empire of the papacy on the banks of the Thames, and perhaps in the whole of Christendom.

Wolsey, as chancellor and legate, governed both in state and in church, and could, without an untruth, utter his famous _Ego et rex meus_. Having reached so great a height, he desired to soar still higher. The favourite of Henry VIII, almost his master, treated as a brother by the emperor, by the king of France, and by other crowned heads, invested with the t.i.tle of Majesty, the peculiar property of sovereigns,[338] the cardinal, sincere in his faith in the popedom, aspired to fill the throne of the pontiffs, and thus become _Deus in terris_. He thought, that if G.o.d permitted a Luther to appear in the world, it was because he had a Wolsey to oppose to him.

[338] Consultissima tua Majestas. Vestra sublimis et longe reverendissima, Majestas, etc. Fiddes, Bodleian Papers, p. 178.

It would be difficult to fix the precise moment when this immoderate desire entered his mind: it was about the end of 1518 that it began to show itself. The bishop of Ely, amba.s.sador at the court of Francis I, being in conference with that prince on the 18th of December in that year, said to him mysteriously: "The cardinal has an idea in his mind ... on which he can unbosom himself to n.o.body ... except it be to your majesty." Francis understood him.

[Sidenote: AMBITION OF FRANCIS I.]

An event occurred to facilitate the cardinal's plans. If Wolsey desired to be the first priest, Henry desired to be the first king.

The imperial crown, vacant by the death of Maximilian, was sought by two princes:--by Charles of Austria, a cold and calculating man, caring little about the pleasures and even the pomp of power, but forming great designs, and knowing how to pursue them with energy; and by Francis I, a man of less penetrating glance and less indefatigable activity, but more daring and impetuous. Henry VIII, inferior to both, pa.s.sionate, capricious, and selfish, thought himself strong enough to contend with such puissant compet.i.tors, and secretly strove to win "the monarchy of all Christendom."[339] Wolsey flattered himself that, hidden under the cloak of his master's ambition, he might satisfy his own. If he procured the crown of the Caesars for Henry, he might easily obtain the tiara of the popes for himself; if he failed, the least that could be done to compensate England for the loss of the empire, would be to give the sovereignty of the church to her prime minister.

[339] Cotton MSS. Brit. Mus. Calig. D. 7, p. 88.

Henry first sounded the king of France. Sir Thomas Boleyn appeared one day before Francis I just as the latter was returning from ma.s.s. The king, desirous to antic.i.p.ate a confidence that might be embarra.s.sing, took the amba.s.sador aside to the window and whispered to him: "Some of the electors have offered me the empire; I hope your master will be favourable to me." Sir Thomas, in confusion, made some vague reply, and the chivalrous king, following up his idea, took the amba.s.sador firmly by one hand, and laying the other on his breast,[340]

exclaimed: "By my faith, if I become emperor, in three years I shall be in Constantinople, or I shall die on the road!" This was not what Henry wanted; but dissembling his wishes, he took care to inform Francis that he would support his candidature. Upon hearing this Francis raised his hat and exclaimed: "I desire to see the king of England; I will see him, I tell you, even if I go to London with only one page and one lackey."

[340] He took me hard by the wrist with one hand, and laid the other upon his breast. Ibid. D. 8, p. 93.

Francis was well aware that if he threatened the king's ambition, he must flatter the minister's, and recollecting the hint given by the bishop of Ely, he said one day to Boleyn: "It seems to me that my brother of England and I could do, indeed ought to do ... something for the cardinal. He was prepared by G.o.d for the good of Christendom ... one of the greatest men in the church ... and on the word of a king, if he consents, I will do it." A few minutes after he continued: "Write and tell the cardinal, that if he aspires to be the head of the church, and if any thing should happen to the reigning pope, I will promise him fourteen cardinals on my part.[341] Let us only act in concert, your master and me, and I promise you, Mr. Amba.s.sador, that neither pope nor emperor shall be created in Europe without our consent."

[341] He will a.s.sure you full fourteen cardinals for him. Ibid. D. F.

p. 98.

[Sidenote: THE CARDINAL'S PRACTICES.]

But Henry did not act in concert with the king of France. At Wolsey's instigation he supported three candidates at once: at Paris he was for Francis I; at Madrid for Charles V; and at Frankfort for himself.

The kings of France and England failed, and on the 10th August, Pace, Henry's envoy at Frankfort, having returned to England, desired to console the king by mentioning the sums of money which Charles had spent. "By the ma.s.s!"[342] exclaimed the king, congratulating himself at not having obtained the crown at so dear a rate. Wolsey proposed to sing a _Te Deum_ in St. Paul's, and bonfires were lighted in the city.

[342] Bi the messe! State Papers, i. 9.

The cardinal's rejoicings were not misplaced. Charles had scarcely ascended the imperial throne, in despite of the king of France, when these two princes swore eternal hatred of each other, and each was anxious to win over Henry VIII. At one time Charles, under the pretence of seeing his uncle and aunt, visited England; at another, Francis had an interview with the king in the neighbourhood of Calais.

The cardinal shared in the flattering attentions of the two monarchs.

"It is easy for the king of Spain, who has become the head of the empire, to raise whomsoever he pleases to the supreme pontificate,"

said the young emperor to him; and at these words the ambitious cardinal surrendered himself to Maximilian's successor. But erelong Francis I flattered him in his turn, and Wolsey replied also to his advances. The king of France gave Henry tournaments and banquets of Asiatic luxury; and Wolsey, whose countenance yet bore the marks of the graceful smile with which he had taken leave of Charles, smiled also on Francis, and sang ma.s.s in his honour. He engaged the hand of the Princess Mary to the dauphin of France and to Charles V, leaving the care of unravelling the matter to futurity. Then proud of his skilful practices he returned to London full of hope. By walking in falsehood he hoped to attain the tiara: and if it was yet too far above him, there were certain _gospellers_ in England who might serve as a ladder to reach it. Murder might serve as the complement to fraud.

CHAPTER IV.

Tyndale--Sodbury Hall--Sir John and Lady Walsh--Table-Talk--The Holy Scriptures--The images--The Anchor of Faith--A Roman Camp--Preaching of Faith and Works--Tyndale accused by the Priests--They tear up what he has planted--Tyndale resolves to translate the Bible--His first triumph--The Priests in the taverns--Tyndale summoned before the Chancellor of Worcester--Consoled by an aged Doctor--Attacked by a schoolman--His Secret becomes known--He leaves Sodbury Hall.

[Sidenote: TYNDALE.]

Whilst this ambitious prelate was thinking of nothing but his own glory and that of the Roman pontificate, a great desire, but of a very different nature, was springing up in the heart of one of the humble "gospellers" of England. If Wolsey had his eyes fixed on the throne of the popedom in order to seat himself there, Tyndale thought of raising up the true throne of the church by re-establishing the legitimate sovereignty of the word of G.o.d. The Greek Testament of Erasmus had been one step; and it now became necessary to place before the simple what the king of the schools had given to the learned. This idea, which pursued the young Oxford doctor everywhere, was to be the mighty mainspring of the English Reformation.

On the slope of Sodbury hill there stood a plain but large mansion commanding an extensive view over the beautiful vale of the Severn where Tyndale was born. It was inhabited by a family of gentle birth: Sir John Walsh had shone in the tournaments of the court, and by this means conciliated the favour of his prince. He kept open table; and gentlemen, deans, abbots, archdeacons, doctors of divinity, and fat rectors, charmed by Sir John's cordial welcome and by his good dinners, were ever at his house. The former brother at arms of Henry VIII felt an interest in the questions then discussing throughout Christendom. Lady Walsh herself, a sensible and generous woman, lost not a word of the animated conversation of her guests, and discreetly tried to incline the balance to the side of truth.[343]

[343] Lady Walsh, a stout and wise woman. Foxe, Acts, v. p. 115.

[Sidenote: TABLE-TALK AT SODBURY.]

Tyndale after leaving Oxford and Cambridge had returned to the home of his fathers. Sir John had requested him to educate his children, and he had accepted. William was then in the prime of life (he was about thirty-six), well instructed in Scripture, and full of desire to show forth the light which G.o.d had given him. Opportunities were not wanting. Seated at table with all the doctors welcomed by Sir John,[344] Tyndale entered into conversation with them. They talked of the learned men of the day--of Erasmus much, and sometimes of Luther, who was beginning to astonish England.[345] They discussed several questions touching the holy Scriptures, and sundry points of theology.

Tyndale expressed his convictions with admirable clearness, supported them with great learning, and kept his ground against all with unbending courage. These animated conversations in the vale of the Severn are one of the essential features of the picture presented by the Reformation in this country. The historians of antiquity invented the speeches which they have put into the mouths of their heroes. In our times history, without inventing, should make us acquainted with the sentiments of the persons of whom it treats. It is sufficient to read Tyndale's works to form some idea of these conversations. It is from his writings that the following discussion has been drawn.

[344] Who were together with Master Tyndale sitting at the same table.

Foxe, Acts, v. p. 115.

[345] Talk of learned men, as of Luther and Erasmus, etc. Ibid.

[Sidenote: THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.]

In the dining-room of the old hall a varied group was a.s.sembled round the hospitable table. There were Sir John and Lady Walsh, a few gentlemen of the neighbourhood, with several abbots, deans, monks, and doctors, in their respective costumes. Tyndale occupied the humblest place, and generally kept Erasmus's New Testament within reach in order to prove what he advanced.[346] Numerous domestics were moving about engaged in waiting on the guests; and at length the conversation, after wandering a little, took a more precise direction.

The priests grew impatient when they saw the terrible volume appear.

"Your Scriptures only serve to make heretics," they exclaimed. "On the contrary," replied Tyndale, "the source of all heresies is _pride_; now the word of G.o.d strips man of everything, and leaves him as bare as Job."[347]--"_The word of G.o.d!_ why even _we_ don't understand your word, how can the _vulgar_ understand it?"--"You do not understand it," rejoined Tyndale, "because you look into it only for foolish questions, as you would into _our Lady's Matins_, or _Merlin's Prophecies_.[348] Now the Scriptures are a clue which we must follow, without turning aside, until we arrive at Christ;[349] for Christ is the end."--"And I tell you," shouted out a priest, "that the Scriptures are a Daedalian labyrinth, rather than Ariadne's clue--a conjuring book wherein everybody finds what he wants."--"Alas!"

replied Tyndale; "you read them without Jesus Christ; that's why they are an obscure book to you. What do I say? a den of thorns where you only escape from the briers to be caught by the brambles."[350] "No!"

exclaimed another clerk, heedless of contradicting his colleague, "nothing is obscure to us; it is we who give the Scriptures, and we who explain them to you."--"You would lose both your time and your trouble," said Tyndale; "do you know who taught the eagles to find their prey?[351] Well, that same G.o.d teaches his hungry children to find their Father in his word. Far from having given us the Scriptures, it is you who have hidden them from us; it is you who burn those who teach them, and if you could, you would burn the Scriptures themselves."

[346] When they at any time did vary from Tyndale in opinions and judgment, he would show them in the book. Ibid.

[347] Tyndale, Expositions. (Park. Soc.) p. 140.

[348] Tyndale, Expositions. (Park. Soc.) p. 141.

[349] So along by the Scripture as by a line until thou come at Christ. Tynd. Works, i. 354 (ed. Russell).

[350] A grave of briers; If thou loose thyself in one place thou art caught in another. Tyndale, Expositions, p. 5.

[351] Ibid. Answer to More (Park. Soc.) p. 49.

Tyndale was not satisfied with merely laying down the great principles of faith: he alway sought after what he calls "the sweet marrow within;" but to the divine unction he added no little humour, and unmercifully ridiculed the superst.i.tions of his adversaries. "You set candles before images," he said to them; "and since you give them _light_, why don't you give them _food_. Why don't you make their bellies hollow, and put victuals and drink inside.[352] To serve G.o.d by such mummeries is treating him like a spoilt child, whom you pacify with a toy or with a horse made of a stick."[353]

[352] Make a hollow belly in the image. Ibid. p. 81.

[353] Make him a horse of a stick. Tyndale's Wks. (ed. Russell) ii.

475.

But the learned Christian soon returned to more serious thoughts; and when his adversaries extolled the papacy as the power that would save the church in the tempest, he replied: "Let us only take on board the anchor of faith, after having dipped it in the blood of Christ,[354]