was a Factory of English Merchants well-affected to the Reformation, who (be fure) gave him all neceffary encouragement and affiftance. From hence he fent over into England feveral Books Printed at Antwerp, or Hamburgh, as [The Obedience of a Chriftian Man, The Wicked Mamman, &c.] which he wrote during his Travels.

About the Year 1526. he finifhed his [ Tranflation of the New Teftament] and fent it over to England ready Printed; and never did any Merchandize or Treafure come to our English Shore, more welcome to thofe of this Nation, who had a mind to be better inftructed in things that concern'd their eternal Welfare. But this mightily alarm'd all in Authority, both in Church and State: and even Bishop Tonftall himfelf was forced to do fomething toward the fuppreffing thefe English Teftaments. He was advifed to buy up all the remaining Books, by one Packington a fecret Friend to Tindall, and he was willing to take this Advice: Because he hoped by this means to prevent one great occafion of Perfecution, which was, the having and reading the English Teftament. So he bought up the Books, and had them Burnt in St. Paul's; for he rather chofe to Burn Books, than Men for buying and ufing of f them. The Bishop gave a great Price for thefe Books, which were Faulty; and this Mony coming to Tindall, and his Agents, whofe Goods they were, enabled them fhortly after to put out a New Edition, more Correct, and of more Copies than the former. Bishop Tonftall took notice of this to Packington, who advifed his Lordfhip [to buy the Stamps too: He found he had made himself a Jeft, and put it off with a Smile, the moft proper conclufion of fuch a Story.

Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor, having one Conftantine, that had been helpful to Mr. Tindall in Printing the New Teftament, under Examination, b among

among other things ask'd him, who had encouraged Mr. Tindall to Publifh it. Conftantine answer'd, That he knew none but the Bifhop of London, who, as is before hinted, undefignedly encouraged him to put out a fecond Edition, by buying up fo great a part of the first.

Next, he makes an effay on the Old Teftament by Tranflating Deuteronomy, but was Wreck'd on the Coaft of Holland, while he was Sailing to Ham burgh to Print it. At Hamburgh he meets Miles Coverdale by mutual agreement, and they two fet heartily to this great Work: But before they had finished it they both went to Antwerp, where Mr. Rogers, Chap lain to the English Factory, joined with them, and the report of this their defign foon paffed the Seas into England.

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Sir Thomas More and others being refolved, if they could not fupprefs the Bible, to fupprefs him that was the chief Tranflator of it, having fome Perfons, who lately came from beyond Sea, under Examination, upon fufpicion of Herefy, enquir'd of them, where Tindall was, in what Houfe he lodged, what Cloaths he wore, and the like; and having found by enquiry, that he was at Antwerp, lodg'd with one Thomas Points, who kept an Houfe of Accommodation for the English Merchants, they, it fhould feem, difcover it to fuch Men as were moft like to make an ill use of it. For not long after, one Henry Philips, whofe Father was a Cuftom-house Officer at Poole, comes over to Antwerp, readily finds out the Merchant's Houfe, infinuates with Mr. Tindall, who was a plain Man, eafy of accefs, and ready to perform all Offices of Humanity, especially to a Scholar, and one that pretended himself inclin'd to his own Sentiments in Religion. Philips did not think fit to apply himfelf to the Magiftrates of Antwerp, with whom perhaps he thought our Merchants might have fome Intereft,

which (be fure) they would ufe in favour of Tindall: But he goes to Bruffels, and gets the Emperor's Procurator General to come over to Antwerp, at no fmall expence, One Morning Philips comes to Points's Houfe, and enquires for his Friend Mr. Tindall, finding that he was there, and that he was to go out to Dinner, he goes out of the Houfe again to place the Officers, which he had brought, at the Door, that they might be in a readiness to Seize him. About Noon Philips goes to Mr.Tindall, asking him to lend him Forty Shillings, pretending that he had loft his Purfe that Morning, between Mechlin and Antwerp: Mr. Tindall readily lends it him; upon which Philips faid [Mr. Tindall, you fhall be my Gueft to Day.] [No,] fays Tindall, [I go forth to Dinner to Day, where you fhall be welcome. They were both going out together, but there was a long Entry, through which they could not go both a-breaft. Tindall would have put Philips foremoft, but Philips (out of true Refpect, and Friendfhip no doubt,) forces Mr. Tindall to lead the way; and by this means he had an opportunity given, being much taller than Mr. Tindall, to point over his Head to the Officers, whom he had before placed. at the Door, to let them know that this was the Man, whom they were to Seize: They take him, sand carry him to the Procurator, who fent him to Fildford Caftle Eighteen Miles from Antwerp.

He remained in Cuftody there a Year and a half in which time he converted his Keeper, and others of his Family, Difputed with the Romifb Divines of Louvain, and continued to the very laft diligent in his Studies, and conftant to his Devotions. Points was his True Friend, who, had all along fufpected Philips to be Falfe. He was a very active, and earneft Solicitor for Mr. Tindall. He procured Letters in his behalf to the Procurator from the Lord Cromwell, and others in England,

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who

who favour'd Tindall and his Caufe; and he was once promised that Mr. Tindall fhould be deliver'd to him. And Philips began to think that all his intentions would be defeated, unlefs he could fend Points out of the way: Whereupon he accufes him too for being a Heretick; fo that at laft this honeft Man had enough to do to fave himself, and was glad to efcape with his own Life, when he could no further ferve his Friend Mr. Tindall; who was foon after brought to his Tryal, and found Guilty of having oppofed the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, and fo had Sentence of Death paffed on him, by virtue of the Imperial Edict made at Ausburg in the Year 1530. He was executed, by having his Hands tied to a Stake, and in that pofture Burnt; after the Executioner had firft Strangled him. His laft Prayer was, [That God would open the King of England's Eyes.] Anno Domini, 1536.

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Thus Liv'd and Died Mr. Tindall, to whofe Labour we chiefly owe this Tranflation of the Pfalms. Such a Man we may believe, when he fays in one of his Letters to John Frythe, [I call: God to Record, against the day we shall appear before our Lord fus, to give a reckoning of our doings, that I never alter'd one Syllable of God's Word againft my Confcience, nor would do this Day, if all that is in Earth, whether it be Honour, Pleasure or Riches might be given me.] The Emperor's Procurator himself, tho' he were the means of his Death, yet gave this Character of him, that he was a Learned, Pious, and Good Man.]

Some

Some Account of the

LIFE and DEATH

O F

JOHN ROGERS.

MR. John Rogers had his Education in the Uni

verfity of Cambridge. He was afterwards Chaplain to the English Factory at Antwerp; where he was very useful to Mr. Tindall and Dr. Coverdale, in Tranflating the Bible, and turn'd the Apocrypha throughout. And as to that Edition of it at Hamburgh in the Year 1537. Printed by Grafton and Whitchurch, he managed it entirely himself, and Reprinted it in the Year 1551. He review'd Tindall's Tranflation, comparing it (fays Mr. Strype) with the Hebrew, Greek, Latin and German Bibles. He added Prefaces, and Notes out of Luther, and Dedicated the whole to King Henry the Eighth, calling himfelf Thomas Matthews. He lived fome time in Germany; Mr. Fox fays 'twas at Wittembergh, where he was Paftor of a Church, Mr. Strype fays he was Superintendent. Bifhop Ridley in the Reign of Edward the Sixth gave him a Prebend in his Church of St. Paul London; and the Dean, and Chapter, made him Divinity-Lecturer. At Queen Mary's coming to the Crown he made a vehement Sermon for the Reformation, at St. Paul's Cross, for which