After his abjuration made, about the yeere of our Lord 1529. the said Bilney took such repentance and sorrow, that he was neere the point of utter despaire; as by the words of M. Latimer, is credible testified; whose words for my better discharge, I thought heere to annexe, written in his seventh sermon preached before K. Edward, which be these: "I knew a man my selfe, Bilney, little Bilney, that blessed martyr of God, who what time he had borne his fagot, and was come againe to Cambridge, had such conflicts within himselfe (beholding this image of death) that his friends were afraid to let him be alone. They were faine to be with him day and night, and comfort him as they could, but no comforts would serve. And as for the comfortable places of scripture, to bring them unto him, it was as though a man should run him thorow the heart with a sword.-Yet afterward for all this, he was revived and tooke his death patientlie, and died well against the tyrannicall see of Rome." Againe, the said M. Latimer speaking of Bilney in another of his sermons preached in Lincolnshire, hath these words following; That same M. Bilney, which was burnt here in England for Gods words sake, was induced and perswaded by his friends to beare a fagot at the time when the Cardinall was aloft, and bare the swinge. Now when the same Bilney came to Cambridge again, a whole yeere after, he was in such an anguish and agonie, that nothing did him good, neither eating nor drinking, nor any other communication of Gods word: for he thought that all the whole scriptures were against him, and sounded to his condemnation. So that I many a time communed with him (for I was familiarlie acquainted with him) but al things whatsoever any man could alleage to his comfort, seemed unto him to make against him. Yet for all that, afterward he came againe; God indued him with such strength and perfectnes of faith, that he not only confessed his faith in the gospell of our saviour Jesus Christ, but also suffered his bodie to be burned for that same gospels sake, which we now preach in England." Furthermore, in the first sermon of the said M. Latimer before the dutches of Suffolke, hee yet speaking more of Bilney, inferreth as followeth; "Here I have (saith he) occasion to tell you a storie which happened at Cambridge. M. Bilney, or rather St. Bilney, that suffered death for Gods words sake, the same Bilney was the instrument whereby God called me to knowledge. For I may thanke him next to God, for that knowledge that I have in the word of God. For I was an obstinate papist as any was in England: insomuch that when I should be made bacheler of divinitie, my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon and against his opinions. Bilney heard me at that time, and perceived that I was zealous without knowledge, and came to me afterward in my studie, and desired me for Gods sake to heare his confession. I did so and (to say the truth) by his confession I learned more than afore in many yeeres. So from that time forward I began to smell the word of God, and forsake the schoole-doctors and such fooleries." And much more hee hath of the same matter, which yee may see hereafter in the life of master Latimer. 9 By this it appeareth how vehementlie this good man was pierced with sorrow and remorse for his abjuration, the space almost of two yeeres, that is, from the yeere 1529. to the yeere 1531. It followed then that he by Gods grace' and good coun 9 I learned more.] See Index, under Confessions, private. In his Conferences with Ridley, Latimer gives us the following goodhumoured account of this affair. "Sir, I begin now to smell what you meane. By travelling thus with mee, you use me as Bilney did once, when he converted me. Pretending as though hee would be taught of me, he sought waies and meanes to teach me ;-and so do you. I thank you therefore most heartilie." 1 He by Gods grace.] There is another passage, which, beyond doubt, relates to Bilney. I give it therefore here: not, however, merely on that account, but also for its intrinsic importance and value; inasmuch as it records a very affecting and instructive case in moral and pastoral theology. "What is this same sinne agaynst the Holy Ghost? an horrible sinne that never shal be forgiven, neyther in this worlde, nor in the worlde to come. What is this sinne? For all impenitencie, and (some saye) impugning of the truth. "One came to me once, that dispayred, because of sinne agaynst the Holy Ghost. He was sore troubled in his conscience, that he should be damned, and that it was not possible for him to be saved. I sayd to him; What, man, (quoth I) comfort yourself in these wordes of the apostle, Christus est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris. And agayne; My Father hath for thys purpose sent me into the worlde, that he whiche beleveth in me may not perish, but may have the life everlastyng. Also, in what houre soever the sinner shall mourne for sinne, he shall be saved. I had scriptures enough for me, as I thought: but say what I coulde say, he could more agaynst himselfe, that I could saye at that time to do him good withal . . . . I was fayne to take another day, and did so. Let me goe to my booke (quoth I), and goe you to your prayers, for ye are not altogether without fayth. I got me to my sell, came at length to some quiet of conscience, being fullie resolved to give over his life for the confession of that truth, which before hee had renounced. And thus being fully determined in his mind, and setting his time, hee tooke his leave in Trinitie Hall at ten of the clocke at night, of certaine of his friends, and said that he would goe to Jerusalem: alluding belike to the words and example of Christ in the gospell going up to Jerusa studye: I read many doctours, but none could content me; no expositour could please me, nor satisfie my minde in the matter. And it was with me as it is with a scholer of Cambridge, who beyng demaunded of his tutour howe he understoode his lesson, and what it meant; I know (quoth he) what it meaneth, but I cannot tell it; I cannot expresse it. So I understoode it well enough, but I could not well declare it. Neverthelesse I will bungle at it as well as I can. "Now, to tell you, by the way, what sinne it was that he had committed: he had fallen from the trueth knowne. And afterward he fell to mocking and scorning of it. And this sinne it was that he thought to be unforgiveable. I sayd unto him, that it was a vehement manner of speaking in scripture : yet (quoth I) this is not spoken universally; nor it is not ment that God doth never forgive it; but it is commonly called irremissible, unforgiveable; because that God doth seldome forgive it. But yet there is no sinne so great, but God may forgive it, and doth forgive it to the repentant heart, though in wordes it sound that it shall never be forgiven. As Privilegium paucorum non destruit regulam universalem; the priviledge of a fewe persons doth not destroy an universal rule. For the scripture sayth, Omnes moriemur, we shall dye every one of us: yet some shall be rapt and taken away, as S. Paule sayth. An irremissible sinne, an unexcusable sinne, yet to hym that will truely repent, it is forgiveable; in Christ it may be remitted. If there be no more but one man forgiven ye may be that same one man. Where iniquity hath abounded there shall grace abound. Thus, by little and little, this man came to a settled conscience agayne, and tooke comfort in Christes mercy. Therefore despayre not, though it be sayd it shall never be forgiven. Despaire not: but this one thing I say, Beware of this sin that ye fall not into it. For I have knowne no more but this man, this one man, that hath fallen from the truth, and hath afterward repented, and come to grace agayne. I have knowne many since: God hath opened myne eyes to see a little : I have knowne many (I say) that knew more than I, and some whom I have honored, that have afterwardes fallen from the truth; but never one of them, this man except, that have returned to grace, and to the truthe agayne. "And thus I gather of this irremissible sinne agaynst the Holie Ghost, that the scripture sayth, It is never forgiven, because it is seldom forgiven. For indeede I think that there is no sinne, whiche God doth so seldome, nor so hardly forgive, as this sinne of falling away from the truth, after that a man once knoweth it. And indeede this tooke best place with the man that I have told you of, and best quitted his conscience."-Last Sermon before K. Edward, fol. 113, 4. lem, what time hee was appointed to suffer his passion. And so Bilney meaning to give over his life for the testimonie of Christs gospel, told his friends that he would goe up to Jerusalem, and so would see them no more; and immediatly departed to Northfolke, and there preached first privilie in housholds to confirme the brethren and sisters, and also to confirme the anchresse whom he had converted to Christ. Then preached he openly in the fields, confessing his fact, and preaching publikely that doctrine, (which he before had abjured.) to be the very truth, and willed all men to beware by him, and never to trust to their fleshly friends in causes of religion. And so setting forward in his journey toward the celestiall Jerusalem, he departed from thence to the anchresse in Norwich, and there gave her a New Testament of Tindals translation, and the Obedience of a Christian man; whereupon he was apprehended and carried to prison there to remaine, till the blind bishop Nixe sent up for a writ to burne him. In the meane season, the friers and religious men, with the residue of their doctors, civil and canon, resorted to him, busilie labouring to perswade him not to die in those opinions, saying, he should be damned bodie and soule, if hee so continued. Among whom, first were sent to him of the bishop, doctour Call minister, (as they call him) or provinciall of the Gray friers, and doctor Stokes an Augustine frier, who lay with him in prison in disputation, till the writ came that he should be burned. Doctour Call by the word of God, through the meanes of Bilneys doctrine, and good life, whereof hee had good experience, was somewhat reclaimed to the gospels side. Doctor Stokes remained obdurate, and doth yet to this day; whose heart also the Lord, if it bee his will, reforme, and open the eies of his old age, that he may forsake the former blindnes of his youth! Another great doer against him was one Frier Bird, with one eie, provinciall of the * The anchresse.] "And being there" (at Norwich) "secretly kept by a certayne space, he had in the whyle resorte unto an ancresse, and there began secretly to sow his cockle, and brought unto her divers of Tindalles bookes." Sir Thomas More's Works, p. 349. * The Obedience.] A valuable treatise by Tindal. See his Works, p. 97— A D. 1572. fol. • The blind bishop.] " Episcopus Norvicensis, Ricardus Nixus, cœcus, atque utroque oculo captus; nec interim animo minus quam corpore lusciuse" Latin copy, p. 124. white friers. This Bird was a suffragane in Coventrie, and after, bishop of Chester, and was he that brought apples to Boner, mentioned in the storie of Hawkes. Another was a blacke frier, called Hodgekins, who after, being under the archbishop of Canturburie, married; and afterward in Queen Maries time, put away his wife. These foure orders of Friers were sent (as is said) to bait Bilney; who notwithstanding, as he had planted himselfe upon the firme rocke of Gods word, was at a point and so continued unto the end. But here now commeth in Sir Thomas More trumping in our way, with his painted card, and would needs take up this Thomas Bilney from us, and make him a convert after his sect. Thus these coated cardes, though they could not by plaine scriptures convince him being alive, yet now after his death by false play they will make him theirs whether he will or no. This sir Thomas › Brought apples to Boner, mentioned.] “The next daie came thither an old bishop, who had a pearle in his eye, and hee brought with him to my lord a dish of apples, and a bottle of wine: for he had lost his living, because he had a wife." Fox's Acts, p 1442. Bird was deprived in the beginning of the reign of queen Mary, being a married ecclesiastic; upon which he conformed to the old religion.-Whether Fox means that there was any further mystery in these apples which he brought along with him, I am not able to say with confidence. But perhaps they might be a-kin to a very choice stock, mentioned in one of his sermons by old Latimer. "There was a patron in England that had a benefice fallen into his hand; and a good brother of mine came unto him and brought him thirty apples in a dish, and gave them to his man to carry them to his master. It is like he gave one to his man for his kabour, to make up the game; and so there was thirty-one. This man commeth to his mayster, and presented him with the dish of apples, saying, Syr, such a man hath sent you a dish of fruite, and desireth you to be good unto him for such a benefice. Tush! tush! (quoth he) this is no apple matter. I will none of his apples. I have as good as these, or as he hath any, in mine owne orchard. The man came to the priest agayne, and tolde him what his maister said. Then quoth the priest, Desire him yet to prove one of them for my sake, he shall finde them much better than they looke for. He cut one of them: and found ten pieces of gold in it. Mary, quoth he, this is a good apple. The priest standing not farre off, hearing what the gentleman sayd, cryed out and answered, They are all one apples, I warrant you Syr; they grew all on one tree, and have all one taste. Well he is a good fellow : let him have it, quoth the patron, &c.-Get you a graft of thys tree, and I warFant you it shall stande you in better stede than all S. Paules learning." Latimer's fifth Sermon before King Edward, fol. 65. Edit. 1584. ་ Commeth in sir Thomas More.] See preface to the Confutation of Tyndales Answere. Works, p. 349, 50. Also, p. 587. VOL. II. Ꭰ |