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A. D. 1546.

Henry said books; and commandeth that no bishop, chancellor, commissary, mayor, VIII. bailiff, sheriff, or constable, shall be curious to mark who bringeth forth such books, but only order and burn them openly, as is in this proclamation ordered. And if any man, after the last day of August next coming, shall have any of the said books in his keeping, or be proved and convicted, by sufficient witness, before four of the king's most honourable council, to have hidden them, or used them, or any copy of any of them, or any part of them, whereby it should appear that he willingly hath offended the true meaning of this proclamation, the same shall not only suffer imprisonment and punishment of his body at the king's majesty's will and pleasure, but also shall make such fine and ransom to his highness for the same, as by his majesty, or four of his grace's said council, shall be determined, &c.

The penalty limited.

Finally, His majesty straitly chargeth and commandeth, that no person or persons, of what estate, degree, or condition soever he or they be, from the day of this proclamation, presume to bring any manner of English book, concerning any manner of christian religion, printed in the parts beyond the seas, into this realm, to sell, give, or distribute any English book, printed in outward parts, or the copy of any such book, or any part thereof, to any person dwelling within this his grace's realm, or any other his majesty's dominions, unless the same shall be specially licensed so to do by his highness's express grant, to be obtained in writing for the same, upon the pains before limited; and therewithal to incur his majesty's extreme indignation.

2

*Hereafter1 follow the names of certain books, which, either after the injunction mentioned before, or some other, in this king's days, were prohibited; the names of which books here follow, in order expressed.

The Names of certain prohibited Books.

First, The Whole Bible.3

Item, The New Testament.

Item, A General Confession.

Item, The Acts of the Disputation in the council of the Empire at Regensburgh.

Item, A Short Recapitulation or Abridgment.

Item, A Confutation touching the Protestation of Dr. Barnes.

Item, The Christian State of Matrimony.

Item, A very excellent and sweet Exposition on the Twenty-third Psalm of David, called in Latin, 'Dominus regit me.'

Item, The Old Faith.

Item, The Order that the church and congregation of Christ in Denmark, and in many other places of Germany doth use at the Supper of the Lord, and at the ministration of the blessed sacrament of Baptism and Holy Wedlock. Item, A Faithful and True Prognostication upon the year 1536, translated out of high Almain into English.

Item, Psalms and Songs, drawn, as is pretended, out of Holy Scripture.

First, The Exposition of Daniel the Prophet, gathered out by Philip Melancthon, John Ecolampade, Conrade Pellicane; and out of John Draconite, &c., translated into English.5

Item, David's Psalter, translated into English.

Item, Jeremy, the Prophet, translated into English.

Item, An Apology against William Tyndale.

Item, A book called The Prophet Esay,' translated into English.

Item, The Subversion of Moses' false foundation.

Item, A Present Consolation for the sufferance of persecution for righteous

ness.

(1) This catalogue of prohibited books is only found in the First Edition, 1563, pp. 573, 574.—ED.
(2) See p. 565 of this volume.-ED.
(4) Regensburg or Ratisbon.-ED.

(3) The whole Bible,' by Miles Coverdale.
(5) Translated into English, by George Joye.

First, A New Year's Gift.'

Henry

Item, David's Harp, full of most delectable harmony, newly stringed and set in tune.

VIII.

A. D.

Item, The Golden Book of Christian Matrimony.

1546.

Item, News out of Heaven.

Item, A Christmas Banquet, garnished with many pleasant and dainty dishes.
Item, The True Defence of Peace.

Item, A Potation or Drinking, for the holy time of Lent.

Item, An Invective against the most wicked vice of Swearing.

Item, The Right Pathway unto Prayer.

Item, The New Policy of War.

Item, A New Catechism.

Item, A Pleasant New Nosegay.

Item, Christmas Carols, very new and godly.2

First, The New Testament in divers prints.

Item, The Obedience of a Christian Man.3

Item, An Answer of Sir Thomas More's Dialogue.

Item, A book, called The Prophet Jonas, teaching to understand the right use of Scripture.

Item, A Treatise of the Justification by Faith only, otherwise called, The Parable of the Wicked Mammon.

Item, The Parable and Complaint of a Ploughman unto Christ.

Item, A Book touching the Church.

Item, A Godly Disputation between a Christian Shoemaker and a Popish Parson.

Item, The Disclosing of the Man of Sin.

First, A Letter, sent by John Frith unto the faithful followers of the Gospel. Item, A Treatise, made by the said John Frith, while he was prisoner in the Tower of London.

Item, A Treatise, [another] made by the said John Frith, while he was prisoner in the Tower of London.

Item, A Book, made by the said Frith, prisoner in the Tower of London, answering unto Master Moore's Letter.

Item, The New Testament of William Tracey, esquire, expounded both by William Tyndale and John Frith.

Item, A Book against the Sacrament, made by John Frith.

Item, A Mirror or Glass for them that be sick and in pain: translated out of Dutch into English.

Item, An Exposition upon Magnificat, translated out of Latin into English. Item, The Original and Spring of all Sects and Ordery: translated out of Dutch into English.

Item, The Old God and the New.

First, A Comparison between the Old Learning and the New: translated out of Latin into English.

Item, The Abridgment of Unio Dissidentium: translated out of Latin into English.

Item, The Hunting of the Fox.

Item, The sum of the Holy Scripture.

Item, The Book of Merchants, right necessary to all folks; newly made by the Lord Pantapole.

Item, The Spiritual Nosegay.

First, A Supplication made by the said Barnes, unto the king's majesty.

Item, A Book in Articles, touching Christian Religion.

Item, A Book called the Preparation to the Cross and Death.

Item, A Brief Chronicle, concerning the examination, and the death of Sir John Oldcastle the Lord Cobham.

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Henry
VIII.

A.D. 1546.

Untrue

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Item, A Preface against the Genealogy of John Huntingdon.

Item, A Mystery of Iniquity, disclosed and confuted by the said John Bale.
Item, The Image of Both Churches.

Item, The second and third part of the Image of Both Churches.

Item, The Disclosing the Man of Sin; made by Bale, naming himself Harrison.

Item, The Door of Holy Scripture; made by Thomas Boughe.

Item, The Lord's Flail; made by T. Solme.

Item, The Lamentation against the City of London; made by Roderick Mors.
Item, An Epistle Exhortatory, made by Henry Stalbridge.

Item, A Work concerning both parts of the Sacrament; made by Melancthon.
Item, The Exposition of Daniel the Prophet; made by Melancthon.
Item, The Image of a Counterfeit Bishop; made by Luther.

Item, The Obedience of a Christian Man; compiled by William Tyndale.
Item, The Medicine of Life; by Urbanus Regius.

Item, Common Places of Scripture.

Item, The Confession of the Germans, with the defence of the same.

Item, A Compendious Letter, which John Pomerane, curate of the congregation of Wittenburgh, sent to the faithful congregation in England.

Item, The Defence of Marriage of Priests; made by James Sawtre.

Item, Ten Places of Scripture, by which it is proved, that doctrines and traditions of men ought to be avoided.

Item, A Consolation for Christian People to repair again to the Lord's Temple; with certain places of Scripture, truly applied to satisfy their minds for the expelling of Idolatry.

Item, The Epistle Exhortatory of an English Christian unto his dearly beloved country of England.

Item, The Image of a very Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop.
Item, An Exposition upon the sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew.
Item, The Lantern of Light.

Item, A Pathway unto Holy Scripture.

Item, A Treatise called The New Additions.

Item, The Liberty of a Christian Man.

Item, The Practice of Prelates.

Forasmuch as it is, and always hath been, the common guise and the pa practice of the pope's church, to extinguish, condemn, and abolish all gathering good books and wholesome treatises of learned men, under a false pretence of errors and heresies, whereof examples abundantly appear none are. in this history above: now, for the better trial hereof, to see and try the impudent and shameless vanity of these catholic clergymen, in mistaking, falsifying, depraving, blaspheming, and slandering, where they have no cause, against all right and honest dealing, yea, against their own knowledge, conscience, and manifest verity of God's word; I shall therefore desire the attentive reader, before we pass any further, to consider and expend here two things by the way: First, what opinions and articles these men gather out of their books for errors and heresies. Secondly, how wittingly and willingly they wrest, pervert, and misconstrue their sayings and writings in such sense as the writers never spake nor meant; and all, to bring them into hatred of the world, after they have burned their books.

Articles of Wicklift and others, falsitied

by the papists.

So did they before with John Wickliff, John Huss, and Jerome: so did they before with Martin Luther, Tyndale, Frith, Lambert, Barnes, Joye, Roy, Seton; and, briefly, yet do still with all the protestants, either perverting their sayings otherwise than they meant, or noting for heresies such as are manifest principles and grounds of our religion or else falsely belieing them, or untruly mistaking them, either in mangling the places, or adding to their words, as may serve

for their most advantage, to bring them out of credit with princes and Henry all the people.

VIII.

1546.

For the more evident probation and experience whereof, thou shalt A.D. see here, christian reader, as in a table laid before thine eyes, the book or catalogue of such errors, blasphemies, and heresies, which the catholic papists in their own registers have extracted out of their books, whom in this, and other proclamations, they have condemned. Whereunto, moreover, we have annexed the very places also of the authors, out of which every article is gathered, keeping also the same. signature of verse and page, which they in their registers do send us unto. So that with little diligence thou mayest now, loving reader, easily perceive, conferring the articles and places together, what truth and fidelity these bloody catholics have used toward the children of God: first, in burning up their bodies; then, in consuming and abolishing their books; and afterwards, in drawing out articles, such as they list themselves, out of their works, to make the people believe what damnable heretics they were, as by these articles hereunder ensuing, collected and contained in their own registers, may well appear. In all which articles, there is not one (speaking of these writers which here they have condemned) but either it is a perfect truth, and a principle of christian doctrine, or else it is falsely gathered, or perversely recited, or craftily handled, and maliciously mangled; having either something cut from it, or some more added, or else racked out of his right place, or wrested to a wrong meaning, which the place giveth not, or else which some other place following doth better expound and declare. This false and malicious dealing hath always been a common practice amongst God's enemies from the The beginning, to falsify, wrest, and deprave all things, whatsoever maketh words of not to their faction and affection, be it ever so true and just. So phen began they with Stephen, the first martyr of Jesus Christ,' and so praved. have they continued still, and yet do to this present day.

Long it were to recite, but more grievous to behold, what spite and falsehood were used in the articles of the Albigenses, Waldenses, Wickliff, Swinderby, Brute, Thorpe, Armachanus, sir John Oldcastle, John Huss, the Bohemians, and such others: which thing, if the books and places whence these articles were gathered against them had been suffered to remain, we might more plainly understand. In the mean season, as touching these articles here present, forasmuch as the bishop's own registers have offered them unto us, and do yet remain with the selfsame books from whence they be excerpted, I shall therefore desire thee, friendly reader, first to consider the articles, and lay them with the places which the registers themselves do assign, and then judge thyself, what is to be thought thereof. The articles, gathered out of the aforesaid books, with the bishops' decree prefixed before the same, are as hereunder follow:

A Public Instrument by the Bishops, for the abolishing of the Scripture, and other Books, to be read in English.

In the name of God, Amen. Be it known to all and singular true and faithful people, to whom these present letters testimonial, or this present public and authentic instrument, shall come to be seen, read, heard, or understood, and

(1) Acts vi. 7.

St. Ste

falsely de

Henry

VIII.

A. 1).

1546.

The papists, of the prin

whom this under-written shall or may teach, or appertain unto in any manner of wise in time to come; William, by the sufferance of Almighty God, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all the realm of England, sendeth greeting in our Lord God everlasting. We signify unto you all, and let you well to wit and know by these presents, that the king, our sovereign lord, hearing of many books in the English tongue, containing many detestable errors, and damnable opinions, printed in the parts beyond the seas, to be brought into divers towns, and sundry parts of this his realm of England, and sown abroad in the same, to the great decay of our faith catholic, and perilous corruption of his people, unless speedy remedy were briefly provided; his highness, willing evermore to employ all his study and mind, in the high degree which Almighty God hath called him unto, to the wealth of his subjects, that they might live not only in tranquillity and peace, but also be kept pure and clean of all contagion, and wrong opinions in Christ's religion: considering also, that he, being defender of the faith, would be full loth to suffer such evil seed sown amongst his people, and so take root that it might overgrow the corn of the catholic doctrine before sprung in the souls of his subjects: for the repelling of such books, calling unto him of his great goodness and gracious disposition, not only certain of the chief prelates and clerks of his realm, but also of each university a certain number of the chief learned men, proposed such of those books as his grace had ready to be read unto them, requiring to hear in that behalf their advice and judgment of them: who, both by great diligence and mature deliberation, perusing over the said books, found in them many errors and heresies, both detestable and damnable, being of such sort, that they were like briefly to corrupt a great part of his people (if they might be suffered to remain in their hands any space); gathering also out of them many great errors and pestilent heresies, and noting them in writing, to the intent to show for what cause they reputed the said books damnable; of which hereafter, out of each book gathered, many do ensue albeit many more there be in the said books, which books totally do swarm full of heresies and detestable opinions.

Heresies and Errors collected by the Bishops out of the Book of
Tyndale, named "The Wicked Mammon,"

WITH THE PLACES OF THE BOOK ANNEXED TO THE SAME, OUT
OF WHICH EVERY ARTICLE IS COLLECTED.

First Article. "Faith only justifieth." Fol. 62.1

This article being a principle of the Scripture, and the ground of our salvation, is plain enough by St. Paul and the whole body of the ciples of Scripture; neither can any make this a heresy, but they must make make he- St. Paul a heretic, and show themselves enemies unto the promises of grace, and to the cross of Christ.

divinity,

resy.

Article.

Article.

II. "The law maketh us to hear God, because we be born under the power of the devil." Fol. 62.

III. "It is impossible for us to consent to the will of God." Fol. 62. The place of Tyndale from whence these articles be wrested, is in the "Wicked Mammon," as followeth which place I beseech thee indifferently to read, and then to judge.

'In the faith which we have in Christ, and in God's promises, find we mercy, life, favour, and peace. In the law we find death, damnation, and wrath: moreover, the curse and vengeance of God upon us. And it, that is to say the law, is called of Paul, the ministration of death and damnation. (2 Cor. iii.) In the law we are proved to be enemies of God, and that we hate him: for how can we be at peace with God, and love him, seeing we are conceived and born under the power of the devil, and are his possession and kingdom, his captives and bondmen, and led at his will, and he holdeth our hearts, so that it is impossible for

(1) These folios refer to an edition of the works of Tyndale, Frith, and Barnes, printed by John Daye, London, 1573; and to which Foxe wrote a preface. There has been occasion to correct a few of them. The passages within brackets have been inserted from that edition, and collated with an edition printed at 'Malborowe, in the lande of Hesse,' in 1528.-ED.

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