Gordon Clark: Some More English History (The Southern Presbyterian Journal)

1959. Some More English History. The Southern Presbyterian Journal. Sep. 2. 6.

Some More English History

By Gordon H. Clark, Ph.D.

During the reign of Henry VIII more and more people began to read the Scriptures and to see that the Romish religion was not that taught by Christ and the apostles. The numbers of believers increased rapidly. Thomas Mann, a poor preacher, who suffered death under the charge of heresy in 1518, confessed in his trial that he had won seven hundred persons to his faith. The priests clamored for more vigorous persecutions, and soon the Lollards' prison was full again. The rack and stake claimed their victims.

One of the most common charges against the Lollards of this periods was the possession of some part of Wickliffe's Bible. Reading the Bible was a crime.

The book of record of trials kept by Longland, bishop of Lincoln, for the single year 1521, contains a list of one hundred names of persons charged with reading or repeating portions of the Scriptures in the English language. John Barret, goldsmith, of London, was arrested for having recited to his wife and maid-servant the Epistle of James. Thomas Philip and Lawrence Taylor were arrested for reading the Epistle to the Romans and the first chapter of Luke in English.

Bibles were very scarce, and if there was one in the vicinity, the Lollards would gather at night to hear it read. Some portions would be copied out by hand. To make a complete copy required ten months labor. Obviously few would buy such expensive productions. Gradually, however, the printing press became more common.  Caxton, the first English printer, set up his press at Westminster and published numerous tracts exposing the errors and the vices of the priests. Luther's powerful protests against the corruption of Rome were now heard in England, and reform was on its way.

But the opposition was great. Thomas Bilney, a student at Cambridge, began to preach against the pride and insolence of the clergy. Cardinal Wolsey had him arrested and imprisoned. Overcome with fear, Bilney recanted, was pardoned, and returned to Cambridge. He soon repented of his unfaithfulness and determined to ease his conscience by a public profession of faith. He prepared for this by studying the Scriptures for two years. Then he went to Norfolk and preached openly against idolatry and superstition. He exhorted the people to trust Christ alone. He also confessed his sin of recantation and made no effort to escape the bishops' officers. Sir Thomas More sent down from London the warrant for his arrest. When tied to the stake, his face was first burned by the light reeds that had been used for kindling, but the wind kept blowing the flames away from him. Finally the wood caught fire and he died.

John Brown was travelling down the Thames in a barge. A priest took offence at Brown's sitting so close to him. Dost thou not know who I am, he said; I am a priest. After some further conversation, in which Brown failed to show the respect the priest demanded, the priest cried out, I perceive thou art a heretic, and I will be even with thee. Within three days Archbishop Warham arrested John Brown. He was carried away to Canterbury without the knowledge of his wife or friends. When an examination showed that Brown was hostile to the Roman church, he was sent to Ashford to be burned. Now his wife was informed, and she came and sat by him all the night before his execution. In the morning he was burned to death.

John Lambert, a teacher of languages in London, was brought before the archbishop for having written tracts against Romanism. He appealed to the king, Henry VIII, who, thinking that the trial of a heretic would give him a good opportunity for displaying his learning (Henry was rather proud of his meagre theological knowledge), resolved to hear the case himself. On the day appointed a great number of nobles, bishops, and persons of various ranks was present. Henry was on his throne and Lambert was put directly opposite the king. First, the king commended the bishop of Chichester to explain to the gathering why the court was assembled and to read the charge against Lambert. The bishop made a long speech, in which he said that although Henry had broken with Rome, it was not to be supposed that he would grant freedom to heretics. Therefore the defendant was to be tried for disturbing the peace of the church. Next Lambert was asked to state his views on the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. He replied by denying that the bread and wine became the actual body and blood of Christ. Then the king commanded Cranmer to prove the falsity of Lambert's views; but Cranmer's speech was loudly interrupted by Gardiner who wanted to taunt and intimidate Lambert. Tonstal and Stokesly also ad- dressed the court; and when Lambert attempted to answer their arguments, the king silenced him. Several other bishops also spoke, but Lambert was not permitted to say a word in rebuttal. At evening, the king addressed Lambert: Art thou not yet satisfied? Wilt thou live or die? What sayest thou? Lambert answered, I commend my soul unto the hands of God, but my body I wholly submit unto your clemency. Thereupon the king had Cromwell read the sentence of condemnation. In a few days he was taken to Smithfield for execution. First they burned his legs; then two soldiers lifted him up on their halberts, and as he cried out, "None but Christ," the soldiers let him fall into the fire where he died.