maid of sixteen years of age, went out to make hay about half a mile off, betwixt eight and nine of the clock, after they had served God according to the day. And, as they were come to the entrance of that meadow, the cruel murderers, to the number of more than a score, leaped out of their lurking bushes, with swords and with darts, and cowardly slew them all unarmed and unweaponed, without mercy. This did they, in their wicked fury, as it was reported, for that they had watched so long before, yea, a whole month space they say, and sped not of their purpose concerning me. They feloniously also robbed me of all my horses, and of all master Cooper's horses, who that time sojourned with me for safeguard of his life, to the number of seven, driving them afore them. In the afternoon, about three of the clock, the good sovereign of Kilkenny, having knowledge thereof, resorted to me with a hundred horsemen, and three hundred footmen, and so with great strength brought me that night to the town, the young men singing psalms and other godly songs all the way, in rejoice of my deliverance.

"As we were come to the town, the people, in great number, stood on both sides of the way, both within the gates and without, with candles lighted in their hands, shouting out praises to God for delivering me from the hands of these murderers. The priests the next day, to colour their mischief, caused it to be noised all the country over, that it was by the hand of God that my servants were slain, for that they had broken, they said, the great holy day of our lady's nativity.* But I would fain know what holy days those blood-thirsty hypocrites and malicious murderers kept, who had hired their cruel kerns to do that mischief? Oh! abominable traitors, both to God and to all godly order. Ye here commend murder under a colour of false religion, to hide your own mischiefs to the eyes of the people; but the eyes of God ye cannot deceive. Your horrible slaughter must now be God's doing, and yet was it the devil that set you to work! Ye prate here of the observance of the holy day, who never yet kept the holy day as it should be kept. For ye never yet preached the word of God truly, neither ministered the sacraments rightly, neither yet taught the people to honour God purely, and to keep his commandments inviolably, which are the only keepings of the holy days.

"On the day next following, which was Saturday, in the afternoon, the aforesaid treasurer, a man unlearned, and of vile life, resorted to me with a number of priests, to tempt me, like as Satan did Christ in the wilderness, saving that Satan to Christ offered stones, and that tempting treasurer both apples and wine. And, as they had then compassed me in round about, the said treasurer proponed unto me, that they were all fully minded to have solemn exequies for king Edward, lately departed, like as the queen's highness had had them in England. I asked them *The church of Rome teaches that holy days and saints' days are to be observed as strictly, or even more so, than the sabbath.

BALE.

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how that was? They made me answer, with a requiem mass and dirge. Then asked I of them again, Who should sing the mass? And they answered me, that it was my bounden duty to do it, being their bishop. Then said I unto them, ‘Massing is an office appointed of that antichrist, the bishop of Rome, to whom I owe no obedience, neither will I owe him any so long as I shall live. But if ye will have me there to do that office, which Christ, the Son of God, hath earnestly commanded, which is to preach his holy gospel, I will do it with all my heart.'

"No,' said they, we will have a solemn mass, for so had the queen.' Said I, 'Then must ye go seek out some other chaplain; for, truly, of all generations, I am no mass-monger; for, of all occupations, methinks it is most foolish; for there standeth the priest disguised, like one that would show some conveyance or juggling play. He turneth his back to the people, and telleth a tale to the wall in a foreign language. If he turn his face to them, it is either to receive the offering, either to desire them to give him a good word, with Orate pro me fratres, (pray for me brethren,) for he is a poor brother of theirs; either to bid them God speed, with Dominus vobiscum, (the Lord be with you,) for they get no part of his banquet; either else to bless them with the bottom of the cup, with Benedictio Dei, (the blessing of God,) when all the breakfast is done.* And of these feats,' said I, 'can I now little skill.' With that the treasurer, being in his fumes, stoutly demanded a determinate answer, as though he came not thither without authority. Then suspected I somewhat the wickedness of justice Hoth, and such other; notwithstanding, I asked him once again, What profit he thought the king's soul to have of those funeral exequies? Then answered one of the priests, that God knew well enough what he had to do. 'Yet you must appoint him!' said I. If these poor suffrages be a way for him to heaven, and that he cannot go thither without them, ye are much to blame that ye have deferred them so long. Ye had a commandment, the last Saturday, of the justice Hoth, to have solemnized them that night, and the next day after. But the devil, which that day danced at Thomas Town, (for they had a procession with pageants,) and the Aqua Vitæ and Rob Ďavie withal, would not suffer you then to do them. I desire you, considering that the last Sunday ye deferred them to see the devil dance at Thomas Town,that ye will also this Sunday defer them, till such time as I send to the queen's commissioners at Dublin, to know how to be discharged of the oath which I made to the king and his council for abolishment of that popish mass; for I am loth to incur the danger of perjury.' With that, after a few words more, they seemed content, and so departed.

*The different postures and actions observed by the priest in celebrating mass, are very numerous, and are all especially directed. They are delineated in some of the Romish books of devotion to the number of thirty-five. See Daily Devotions, or the most profitable manner of hearing Mass. Dublin, 1824.

“The next day came thither a proclamation, that they which would hear masses, should be suffered so to do, and they that would not, should not thereunto be compelled. Thus was that building clearly overthrown, and that practice of blasphemy would not take at that time, as God would. And, as I had continued there certain days, I chanced to hear of many secret mutterings, that the priests would not so leave me, but were still conspiring my death. It was also noised abroad, by the bishop of Galway, and others, that the antichrist of Rome should be taken again for the supreme head of the church of Ireland. And, to declare a contemptuous change from religion to superstition again, the priests had suddenly set up all the altars and images in the cathedral church. Beholding therefore so many inconveniencies to ensue, and so many dangers toward, having also, which was worst of all, no English deputy or governor within the land to complain to for remedy, I shook the dust off my feet against those wicked priests, according to Christ's commandment, Matt. x. that it might stand against them as a witness at the day of judgment. The next day, early in the morning, by help of friends, I conveyed myself away to the castle of Lechline, and so to the city of Dublin, where I, for a certain time, among friends remained."

This account of the proceedings of the papists in Ireland, in opposition to the protestant reformation, is an important document in the history of that period.

Bale then relates his escape from Dublin in a small trading vessel, but before they had lost sight of land, he was taken by the pilot and commander of a Flemish vessel of war, who carried him on board their own ship, and robbed him of all his property. The Fleming was driven by adverse weather into St. Ives, in Cornwall, where an attempt was made to cause Bale to be suspected of treason. This failed, but after a further cruise of several days, the ship came to Dover, where he was again endangered by a false accusation. The captain was about to deliver him to the papists, but was prevailed upon, by Bale's offer of a sum of money, to proceed to Holland, where he obtained his liberty on payment of thirty pounds.

Bale then proceeded to Switzerland, and continued to reside at Basle during the reign of queen Mary. After her decease, he returned to England. In January, 1560, he was appointed to a prebend in Canterbury cathedral. He died in that city in November, 1563, aged sixty-eight.

Bale was well skilled in divinity as well as in general learning, and was an able preacher. Previously to his conversion from popery, which appears to have taken place in 1529, he for some time taught the civil law at Cambridge. He was a voluminous writer; some of his pieces were written before he left the Romish church, but the greater part subsequently. The latter were chiefly controversial and personal; they bore heavily upon

the papists, especially as he exposed the shameless lives of their ecclesiastics in the plainest terms. Their vices he attributes to the "idolatries" of their religion. With these he was well acquainted; speaking of the papists, he says, "Yea, I ask God mercy a thousand times, I have been one of them myself." One of the most severe of his publications, “The Acts and unchaste Examples of religious Votaries, gathered out of their own legends and chronicles," he did not complete; probably he was advised to suppress the abominable and shameful details.

Bale's principal work was his "Summary of the Illustrious Writers of Great Britain," in which, with most persevering industry, he collected from a variety of sources, a particular account of the most remarkable actions, sayings, and writings of each author, especially showing the errors and enormities of the church of Rome. Of course very opposite views of this work have been taken by different writers; it will, however, always be considered and referred to as the foundation of English biography. Strype admits that it is not free from errors, and justly asks, What historical work can be so? but he speaks of Bale as "an author of high esteem, and of commendable diligence and integrity, to whom posterity is much indebted for preserving from utter perishing much of the English ecclesiastical history."

Bale's controversial and other smaller pieces must have had very considerable influence at that day. Their coarseness, which now disgusts the reader, was then hardly considered an objection. He was, as Strype observes, sharp and foul enough sometimes, when he had foul subjects to deal with-and such were indeed abundant in that day. The near view he had of these practices appears to have been the principal occasion of exciting his disgust to popery. It has been fairly observed that "he wrote with all the warmth of one who had escaped the flames." It is not surprising that many among those who never have seen the fires should think such delineations too vivid.

Among the most finished of Bale's writings, is “The Image of both Churches," being a comment on the Apocalypse, printed in the reign of Edward VI. Some extracts from this work are given in the following pages, as it appeared desirable to include in the present collection specimens of an author who was so efficient among the British Reformers; that work also conveys to us the matured opinions of Bale, which he held in common with all the most eminent British Reformers, upon some subjects which have continually agitated the church of Christ. Bale must ever be respected for the bold and uncompromising manner in which he opposed the errors of the papacy, and the half measures of some among his associates; but the nature of his writings, though then very useful, gives him fewer claims upon our attention than most of the reformers at that period.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE

IMAGE OF BOTH CHURCHES,

AFTER THE MOST WONDERFUL AND HEAVENLY REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST; CONTAINING A VERY FRUITFUL EXPO

SITION OR PARAPHRASE UPON THE SAME, WHEREIN IT IS

CONFERRED WITH THE OTHER SCRIPTURES AND

MOST AUTHORIZED HISTORIES. COMPILED

BY JOHN BALE, AN EXILE ALSO IN

THIS LIFE FOR THE FAITHFUL
TESTIMONY OF JESUS.

A. D. 1550.

From A Preface unto the Christian Reader.

So highly necessary, good Christian reader, is the knowledge of St. John's Apocalypse or Revelation, to him that is a true member of Christ's church, as of any other book of the sacred Bible. For in none of them all, are faithful diligent hearers and readers more blessed, nor more lively so declared, observing the contents thereof, than in this one book. No where is more clearly specified the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost to be one everlasting God, and Jesus Christ to be the eternal Son of that living Father, (which are the first and chief grounds of our Christian faith) than here. No where is the durable kingdom and priesthood of the said Jesus Christ more plenteously spread, more plainly proved, and more largely uttered than in this holy oracle. No where is the doctrine of health* more purely taught, faith more thoroughly commended, nor yet righteousness more highly rewarded than here. No where are heresies more earnestly condemned, blasphemous vices more vehemently rebuked, nor yet their just plagues more fiercely threatened, than in this compendious work.

Herein is the true Christian church, which is the meek spouse of the Lamb without spot, in her right fashioned colours described. So is the proud church of hypocrites, the rose-coloured harlot, the paramour of antichrist, and the * Salvation. 38*

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