"things that the conscience may feel, and not in the "imaginations of the brain: In fear, and not in bold"ness: In open necessary things, and not to pronounce "or define of hid secrets, or things that neither help nor "hinder, whether it be so or no; in unity, and not in "seditious opinions: Insomuch, that if you be sure you "know, yet in things that may abide leizure you will "defer, or say, (till other agree with you) Methinks "the text requireth the sense or understanding. Yea, "and if you be sure that your part be good, and another "hold the contrary, yet if it be a thing that maketh no "matter, you will laugh and let it pass, and refer the "thing to other men, and stick you stiffly and stubbornly "in earnest and necessary things. And I trust you be, "persuaded even so of me: For I calk God. to record. "against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus,. "to give a reckoning of our doings, that I never altered "one syllable of God's word against my conscience, nor "would this day, if all that is in the earth, whether it "be pleasure, honour, or riches, might be given me. "Moreover, I take God to record to my conscience, "that I desire of God to myself in this world, no more "than that without which I cannot keep his laws.

"Finally, if there were in me any gift that could help. "at hand, and aid you if need required, I promise you "I would not be far off, and commit the end to God. "My soul is not faint, though my body be weary. But "God hath made me evil favoured in this world, and "without grace in the sight of men, speechless and rude, "dull and slow witted; your part shall be to supply "what lacketh in me: Remembering, that as lowliness "of heart shall make you high with God, even so meek"ness of words shall make you sink into the hearts of men. Nature giveth age authority, but meekness is "the glory of youth, and giveth them honour. Abun"dance of love maketh me exceed in babling.

ἐσ

"Sir, as concerning purgatory and many other things, "if you be demanded, you may say, if you err, the "spirituality hath so led you, and that they have taught σε you to believe as you do. For they preached you all "such things out of God's word, and alledged a thou"sand texts, by reason of which texts you believed as "they taught you, but now you find them liars, and "that the texts mean no such things, and therefore you "can believe them no longer, but are as ye were before "they taught you, and believe no such thing: Howbeit

❝ you

"you are ready to believe, if they have any other way "to prove it; for without proof you cannot believe them, "when you have found them with so many lies, &c. "If you perceive wherein we may help, either in being "still or doing somewhat, let us have word, and I will do

"mine uttermost.

16

My lord of London hath a servant called John Tisen, "with a red beard, and a black-reddish head, and was "once my scholar; he was seen in Antwerp, but came "not among the Englishmen: Whether he is gone am"bassador secret, I wot not.

"The mighty God of Jacob be with you, to supplant "his enemies, and give you the favour of Joseph, and "the wisdom and the spirit of Stephen; be with your heart, and with your mouth, and teach your lips what "they shall say, and how to answer to all things. He " is our God, if we despair in ourselves, and trust in "him And his is the glory. Amen.

"January, 1533.

WILLIAM TINDALE."

T

JOHN LAMBERT.

HE true name of this admirable man was Nicholson ; but, in order to avoid the dangers which threatened him in the latter part of his life on a religious account, he assumed the sirname of Lambert. It does not appear when he was born, though it may be presumed to have been about the end of the fifteenth, or beginning of the sixteenth century, as he suffered for the cause of truth in the year 1538. We have not likewise the precise place of his birth: Only it is affirmed, that he was born and brought up, for the most part, in the county of Norfolk. His academical education he received at Cambridge, where he acquired the learned languages, and (what was better than them) his conversion to GOD from popish superstition and the love of this evil world. The blessed instrument of this happy change was the memorable and

blessed

blessed Bilney, who was likewise the instrument of con verting many others to the knowledge of GOD and their own hearts.

The fury of king Henry the Eighth against Lutheranism (or Protestantism, as it was afterwards more justly called) compelled poor Lambert, who began to be distinguished for his learning and piety, to such a refuge upon the continent. Accordingly, he repaired to Antwerp, then the residence of Tindale and Frith, who appear to have been his chosen friends, and officiated as preacher and chaplain to the English factory in that city, (which at that time had great correspondence with England on account of the woollen manufacture) for the greater part of two years. But the tenor of his preaching was of such a kind, as rendered it by no means surprising, that he should procure himself enemies among the sons of Rome. One Barlow, glad, no doubt, of shewing his zeal, accused him to Sir Thomas More, then lord chancellor of England, by whose means he was brought from Antwerp to London, as an innocent lamb to satiate the cruelty of the Romish wolves, who thirsted for his blood. This event occurred in the year 1532. He was first examined at Lambeth by Warham, then archbishop of Canterbury, and afterwards at the bishop's house at Oxford, before a multitude of his adversaries. He was questioned upon forty-five articles, to all of which he gave a very long, full, and learned answer, which does him and the cause he professed exceeding great honour. A more solid and comprehensive apology. for Protestantism is rarely to be found; and we should be happy to lay it before our readers, did not its very great length exceed the limits of our plan. The curious Reader may see it at large in Fox's Acts and Monuments, for the reign of Henry the Eighth. We will, however, subjoin an extract or two at the end of his life, as a specimen of his faith and doctrine.

Lambert continued in custody at Oxford till the next year, 1533, in which archbishop Warham died, and was succeeded by Cranmer, who was (at the time of Warham's death) in Germany, debating the affair of the king's divorce. The death of the archbishop, and the rise of queen Anne of Boleyn, seem to have been the immediate causes of Lambert's release, which he had no sooner obtained than he repaired to London, and engaged himself in teaching the Greek and Latin tongues. He preferred this secalar business to the priesthood, as times went; and as he meant to marry and settle, he purposed to take up the

freedom

freedom of the city in the grocer's company. But GOD, who appoints and disappoints the inclinations and purposes of men after his own will and wisdom, called this blessed man to a higher vocation, and to give up his life as a martyr for the testimony of Jesus.

Sometime in the year 1538, Lambert was present at a sermon, preached by a Dr Taylor, who, it seems was then rather a friend to the gospel, and was afterwards made bishop of Lincoln in the reign of king Edward, and finally deprived by queen Mary. Lambert, whether he was dissatisfied with the sermon, or had a good opinion of the preacher, desired to have a friendly conference with him, and proposed, in the course of conversation, several theological points, on which he desired to be satisfied, the chief of which was the question concerning the corporeal presence of Christ in the sacrament. Taylor, pressed perhaps too close, desired Lambert to excuse him for the present, on account of other business, and to write his mind upon the matter, which they would talk over again at their leisure.

Lambert accordingly proposed ten arguments in writing for support of his opinion, which are mostly lost, except the first, which was founded upon these words; This cup is the New Testament, &c. "Now, says he, if these words "do neither change the cup nor the wine therein sub"stantially into the New Testament, which nobody as"serts; then, by parity of reason, the words spoken of "the bread, do not turn the bread corporally into the << person of Christ." The other reasons are said to have been equally acute, and supported by the scriptures and by testimonies from the primitive fathers.

Taylor, out of a real wish to satisfy Lambert, and feeling himself unable to answer him, applied among others to Dr Barnes, a good man, but as yet (like many good men at the dawning of the Reformation) not sufficiently clear in the matter of the sacrament. Barnes advised Taylor to lay the matter before Cranmer, the archbishop, who then was an advocate for transubstantiation; and Lambert was obliged to defend his doctrine in open court before him and some other bishops. This published Lambert and his opinions to the whole court and city.

Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, glad of every opportunity of insinuating himself into the king's good graces, suggested to his majesty, That now an opportunity occurred to shew to all the world, that though he had renounced the supreme authority of the bishop of Rome, he

had

had not renounced the catholic faith (which the king had professed not to do), and that therefore he would prosecute and punish all heretics and others, who should presume to set forth doctrines contrary to it: That this Lambert might be made a proper example, and that by his pu nishment he might quiet the apprehensions of the people, with respect to farther innovations.

The king eagerly caught the bait, and immediately issued a general ordinance, commanding all the nobility and bishops of the realm forthwith to repair to London, in order to assist the king against heretics and heresies, as he purposed to sit personally in judgment upon them.

Vast was the concourse of people assembled to see this solemn business; and the apparatus for the trial was no less extraordinary. The king himself came as judge, with a great guard, and sat upon the throne prepared for him, arrayed in white: On his right hand were the bishops, and behind him the judges and crown lawyers, clothed all in purple; and, on his left, the peers of the realm and other officers of the crown, according to precedency. Such an appearance, with the king's severe looks, words, and manner, would have sufficed to daunt any man, who could not rely upon the promise, That GOD's people should speak in his cause before kings, and not be ashamed.

It would be long to enter upon the cruel and unfair proceedings of this memorable day. The imperious frowns and threats of the king, and the meek and humble deportment of Lambert, can only be paralleled by the history of Caiaphas the high-priest, or Pontius Pilate, and Lambert's Saviour. Cranmer, it is to be regretted, opposed a cause on that day, for which Cranmer himself not many years afterwards suffered and bled. Lambert defended himself with the firmness of a man, the learning of a scholar, and the humility of a Christian. The issue was predetermined in the king's mind; and all the eloquence and truth in the world would have been of no avail. The king commanded Cromwell (the famous Lord Cromwell, who so much supported the Reformation) to read the doleful sentence of condemnation. It was Lambert's peculiar case, not only to be a martyr, but to suffer by those, who, in their turn, and for the same identical cause, were not long afterwards, martyrs themselves.

It appears, that, upon this judgment, he was confined to lord Cromwell's house, and that Cromwell besought his forgiveness for what he had been compelled to do (it is said, by Gardiner's particular management,) against him.

Upon