25

SKETCHES OF BIOGRAPHY.

State of the Reformation at the time of Luther's

appearance.

Intended to connect the Biographical Sketches.

THE invention of printing at this period of the reformation, is one of those opportune events which cannot fail to be attributed to the directing hand of Heaven. Humanly speaking, the reformation could scarcely have been effected without it; and all contemporary writers speak of it as the irresistible engine of Almighty wisdom, against which the papacy could not maintain itself. It is a frequent expression of those writers, " that either the Pope must abolish printing, or printing would root him out." "Touching the time," observes a writer of that period, "of this faculty being given to the use of man, this is to be remarked. The Bishops of Rome, in full council at Constance, had condemned poor John Huss and Jerome of Prague to death for heresy-they had subdued the Bohemians and all the world to the authority of the Romish See, and had made all Christian people vassals of the same; so that the matter was past, not only the power of all men, but the hope also of any man to be recovered. In this very time, so dangerous and desperate, where man's power could do no more; there the blessed wisdom and omnipotent power of the Lord began to work for his church, not with sword and target, to subdue his exalted adversary, but with printing, writing and reading, to convince darkness by light, error by truth, ignorance by learning. For that hereby tongues are known, knowledge groweth, judgment increaseth, books are dispersed, the Scriptures are seen, the doctors be read, stories be opened, times compared, truth discerned, falsehood detected, and with finger pointed; and all, as I said, through the benefit of printing. Wherefore I sup

pose, that either the Pope must abolish printing, or he must seek a new world to reign over: for else, as the world standeth, printing doubtless will abolish him. In former days books were scarce, and also of such excessive price, that few could attain to the buying, fewer to the reading and studying thereof; which books, now, by the means of this art, are made easy unto all men. Ye heard before how Nicholas Belward bought a new Testament in those days for four marks and forty pence; whereas now the same price will serve well forty persons with so many books.”

The accounts of the scarcity of books just previous to this invention, are sufficiently curious-"The Archbishop of Armagh complains, that the begging friars, through their privileges obtained of the popes, to preach, to hear confessions, and to bury, and through their charters of impropriations, did grow thereby to such great riches and possessions, that no book could stir of any science, either of divinity, law, or physic, but they were both able and ready to buy it up. So that every convent, having a great library full stuffed and furnished with all sorts of books, and being so many convents within the realm, and in every convent so many friars, increasing daily more and more, by reason thereof it came to pass, that very few books, or none at all, remained for other students. He himself sent forth to the Universities some of his own priests or chaplains, who, sending him word again that they could neither find the Bible, nor any other good profitable book of divinity meet for their study, therefore were minded to return home to their country."

From the time of which we spoke at the conclusion of Lord Cobham's life, the reformation continued to struggle forward amid every contrivance of cruel and subtle prevention. The reformed now began to be known among themselves by the name of known men, or just fast men; as afterwards by that of protestants. "As they were simple, and yet not uncircumspect in their doings, so the crafty

serpent, being more wily than they, by fraudulent subtilty did so circumvent them, that they caused the wife to detect the husband, the husband the wife; the father the daughter, the daughter the father, the brother to disclose the brother, the neighbour the neighbour. Neither were there any assemblies or readings kept, but both the persons and also the books were known: neither was any word so closely spoken, nor article mentioned, but it was discovered. So subtilly and sleightly these catholic prelates did use their inquisitions and examinations, that nothing was done or said among these known men, for fifteen or twenty years before, so covertly, but it was brought at length to their intelligence." It appears that the principal points at this time, and before the circulation of Luther's works, in which the known men resisted the church's authority, were pilgrimage, adoration of saints, reading Scripture in English, and the real presence in the sacrament. The following picture of the circumstances of Luther's appearance is extremely interesting, and calculated to correct the erroneous statements of our common histories; which is our motive for introducing it here at length; aware as we are of the false impressions those histories leave upon the mind.

"And herein we have first to behold the admirable work of God's wisdom. For as the first decay and ruin of the church before began of rude ignorance, and lack of knowledge in teachers; so to restore the church again by doctrine and learning, it pleased God to open to man the art of printing, the time whereof was shortly after the burning of Huss and Jerome. Printing being opened, immediately ministered unto the church the instruments and tools of learning and knowledge, which were good books and authors, which before lay hid and unknown. The science of printing being found, immediately followed the grace of God, which stirred up good wits aptly to conceive the light of knowledge and of judgment; by which light, darkness began to be espied, and ignorance to be detected, truth from error, religion from

superstition to be discerned, as is above more largely discoursed, where was touched the inventing of printing.

"Furthermore, after these wits, stirred up of God, followed other men, increasing daily more and more in science, in tongues, and perfection of knowledge; who now were able, not only to discern in matters of judgment, but also were so armed and furnished with the help of good letters, that they did encounter also with the adversary, sustaining the cause and defence of learning against barbarity, of verity against error; of true religion against superstition. In the number of whom, amongst many others, here unnamed, were Picus, and Franciscus Mirandala, Laurentius Valla, Franciscus Petrarcha, Wesalianus, Renclinus, Grocinus, Coletus, Rhenanus, Erasmus, &c. Who after that, by their learned writings and laborious travail, they had opened a window of light unto the world, and had made, as it were, a way more ready for others to come after; immediately, according to God's gracious appointment, followed Martin Luther, with others after him, by whose ministry it pleased the Lord to work a more full reformation of his church. This appears to me, and may no less appear to all godly men, to be noted, not without great admiration, that seeing this foresaid Romish bishop hath had many enemies and gainsayers continually from time to time, both speaking and working, preaching and writing against him, yet notwithstanding never could any prevail before the coming of this man. The cause whereof, although it be secretly known to God, and not unto men, yet so far as men by conjectures may suppose, it may thus not unlikely be thought: that whereas other men before him, speaking against the pomp, pride, and avarice of the bishop of Rome, charged him only or most specially with examples and manners of life, Luther went further with him, charging him not with life, but with his learning; not with his doings, but with his doctrine; not picking at the rind, but plucking up the root; not seeking the man, but shaking his seat; yea, and charging him with plain

heresy, as prejudicial and resisting plainly against the blood of Christ, contrary to the true sense and direct understanding of the sacred testament of God's holy word. For whereas the foundation of our faith, grounded upon Holy Scripture, teacheth and leadeth us to be justified only by the worthiness of Christ, and the only price of his blood; the Pope, proceeding with a contrary doctrine, teaches us otherwise to seek our salvation, not by Christ alone, but by the way of men's meriting and deserving by works. Martin Luther therefore arguing and reducing things to the foundation and touchstone of the Scriptures, opened the eyes of many which before were drowned in darkness. Whereupon it cannot be expressed what joy, comfort, and consolation came to the hearts of men, some lying in darkness and ignorance, some wallowing in sin, some being in despair, some macerating themselves by works, and some presuming upon their own righteousness to behold that glorious benefit of the great liberty and free justification set up in Christ Jesus. And briefly to speak, the more glorious the benefit of this doctrine appeared to the world after long ignorance, the greater persecution followed upon the same. And where the elect of God took most comfort and salvation, thereof the adversaries took most matter of vexation and disturbance; as commonly we see the word of God to bring with it ever dissention and perturbation; and therefore, truly it was said of Christ, "That he came not to bring peace on earth, but a sword." And this was the cause why that after the doctrine and preaching of Luther, so great troubles and persecutions followed in all quarters of the world: whereby rose great disquietude among the prelates, and many laws and decrees were made, to overthrow the same by cruel handling of many good and Christian men. Thus while authority, armed with laws and vigour, did strive against simple verity, lamentable it was to hear, how many poor men were troubled and went to wreck, some tossed from place to place, some exiled out of the land for fear, some caused to abjure,