CXXI. Sede Cant. vacante. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The king's letter to the bishop of London about translating the Bible. Reg. III. Whitgift, fol. 155. AFTER my hearty commendations unto your lordship. I have received letters from his most excellent majesty, the tenor whereof followeth: Right trusty and wellbeloved, we greet you well. Whereas we have appointed 5 certain learned men, to the number of four and fifty, for the translating of the Bible, and that in this number, divers of them have either no ecclesiastical preferment at all, or else so very small, as the same is far unmeet for The king's letter] The determination to make a new translation of the 10 Bible grew out of the proceedings at Hampton Court, in the 2nd day's conference; when Dr. Reynolds proposed it, alleging that "those translations which were allowed in the reigns of king Henry VIII. and Edward VI. were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original." It appears from what passed at the time, that the bishops did 15 not think it desirable to engage in such an undertaking; and from the 80th canon, which was adopted in the ensuing convocation, enjoining that the Bishops' Bible should be provided for all parish churches, it may be inferred that they did not expect the undertaking to be carried so promptly into execution. But the king had not only expressed himself 20 in favour of it, and with much shew of learning, when it was first proposed, but had also stated at the same time his general views as to the plan on which it was to be conducted. He accordingly took the proper means for carrying it into effect, and all his proceedings connected with this matter display great knowledge and judgment. The transla25 tion appears to have been delayed by the death of one of its principal conductors, and was not actually published till the year 1611. See No. CXXIV. Lewis, Hist. of Transl. p. 306. Todd's Vindication. Barlow's Conference, 2nd day. Wood's Ann. an. 1604. Strype, Whitg. vol. ii. p. 527. men of their deserts, and yet we of ourself in any convenient time cannot well remedy it; therefore we do hereby require you, that presently you write in our name as well to the archbishop of York, as to the rest of the bishops of the province of Cant. signifying unto them, that we do 5 will, and straitly charge every one of them, as also the other bishops of the province of York, as they tender our good favour towards them, that (all excuses set apart) when any prebend or parsonage, being rated in our book of taxations, the prebend to twenty pound at the least, 10 and the parsonage to the like sum and upwards, shall next upon any occasion happen to be void, and to be either of their patronage and gift, or the like parsonage so void to be of the patronage and gift of any person whatsoever, they do make stay thereof, and admit none 15 unto it, until certifying us of the avoidance of it, and of the name of the patron (if it be not of their own gift) we may commend for the same some such of the learned men, as we shall think fit to be preferred unto it; not doubting of the bishop's readiness to satisfy us herein, or 20 that any of the laity, when we shall in time move them to so good and religious an act, will be unwilling to give us the like due contentment and satisfaction; we ourselves having taken the same order for such prebends and benefices as shall be void in our gift. What we 25 write to you of others, you must apply it to yourself, as also not forget to move the said archbishop and all the bishops, with their deans and chapters of both provinces, as touching the other point to be imparted otherwise by you unto them. Furthermore we require you, to move 30 all our bishops to inform themselves of all such learned men within their several dioceses, as having especial skill in the Hebrew and Greek tongues, have taken pains, in their private studies of the scriptures, for the clearing of any obscurities either in the Hebrew or in the Greek, or 35 touching any difficulties or mistakings in the former 1 English translation, which we have now commanded to be thoroughly viewed and amended, and thereupon to write unto them, earnestly charging them, and signifying our pleasure therein, that they send such their observations 5 either to Mr. Lively, our Hebrew reader in Cambridge, or to Dr. Harding, our Hebrew reader in Oxford, or to Dr. Andrews, dean of Westminster, to be imparted to the rest of their several companies; that so our said intended translation may have the help and furtherance of all our 10 principal learned men within this our kingdom. Given under our signet at our palace of Westm. the two and twentieth of July, in the second year of our reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland xxxvII. Your lordship may see, how careful his majesty is for the 15 providing of livings for these learned men; I doubt not therefore, but your lordship will have a due regard of his majesty's request herein, as it is fit and meet, and that you will take such order both with your chancellor, register, and such your lordship's officers, who shall have 20 intelligence of the premises, as also with the dean and chapter of your cathedral church, whom his majesty likewise requireth to be put in mind of his pleasure herein, not forgetting the latter part of his majesty's letter, touching the informing of yourself of the fittest linguists 25 within your diocese for to perform, and speedily to return that, which his majesty is so careful to have faithfully performed. I could wish your lordship would, for my discharge, return me in some few lines, the time of the receipt of these letters, that I may discharge that duty, 30 which his majesty, by these his letters, hath laid upon me: and so I bid your lordship right heartily farewell. From Fulham the 31st of July, MDCIV. Your lordship's loving friend and brother, R. LONDON. The bishop of London's letter about the expenses translating the Bible.-Reg. III. Whitgift, fol. 156. in "SALUTEM in Christo." My very good lord, as touching that clause in his majesty's letter, which is referred to my relation, this it is: there are many, as your lordship perceiveth, who are to be employed in this translating of the Bible, and sundry of them must of 5 necessity have their charges borne, which his majesty was very ready of his most princely disposition to have borne; but some of my lords, as things now go, did hold it inconvenient, whereupon it was left to me, to move all my brethren the bishops, and likewise every several dean and 10 chapters, to contribute toward this work. Accordingly therefore to my duty, I heartily pray your lordship, not only to think yourself what is meet for you to give for this purpose, but likewise to acquaint your dean and chapter not only with the said clause of his majesty's let- 15 ter, but likewise with the meaning of it, that they may agree upon such a sum, as they mean to contribute. I do not think that a thousand marks will finish the work, to be employed as is aforesaid, whereof your lordship, with your dean and chapter, having due consideration, I must 20 require you in his majesty's name, according to his good pleasure in that behalf, that as soon as possibly you can, you send me word, what shall be expected from you and your said dean and chapter; for I am to acquaint his majesty with every man's liberality towards this most 25 godly work. And thus not doubting of your especial care for the accomplishing of the premises, and desiring your lordship to note the date to me of your receipt of this letter, I commit your lordship unto the tuition of the Almighty God. From Fulham this 31st of July, 30 MDCIV. Your lordship's very loving friend and brother, R. LONDON. CXXII. Archiepisc. Cant. RIC. BANCROFT I. Anno Christi Reg. Angliæ The council's letter for proceeding against the non-conformitans of the clergy.-Reg. Bancroft, fol. 127. a. 66 SALUTEM in Christo." I have received a letter from the lords of his majesty's most honourable privy council, whereof your lordship is to take notice, the copy whereof followeth word for word: After our hearty 5 commendations to your lordship. Forasmuch as the time is now expired, which by his majesty's late proclamation, dated the sixteenth day of July last, was prescribed and limited to all those of the clergy, for the conforming of themselves unto the laws and orders of the 10 The council's letter] This letter, together with the directions of the archbishop on the same subject and of the same date, and his letter of the following March, form an important epoch in the history, not only of the church, but also of the state of England. The puritans were now a numerous and powerful body, and being many of them unwilling, from 15 a conscientious feeling, to separate themselves altogether from the church, were determined to resist, by every lawful method, the exact conformity required by the canons of the recent convocation. Confident that they should be supported by the house of commons, as many of its members were of their religious persuasion, they called into ques20 tion the powers of the high court of commission, denying that the crown had any right to enact laws for the government of the church without the consent of parliament. But Bancroft, who was confirmed in the primacy on the 10th of December 1604, was not a prelate to be alarmed by the number, or baffled by the ingenuity, of his opponents. 25" He understood the church excellently," says lord Clarendon (Hist. vol. i. p. 134. ed. 4to. 1816), "and had almost rescued it out of the hands of the Calvinian party, and very much subdued the unruly spirit of the nonconformists by and after the conference at Hampton court, . . . . . and if he had lived, would quickly have extinguished all that fire in England, |