aggravate the charge. The episcopal seal was construed to be a counterfeiting of the king's seal; the two letters were heretical; and the council's letter a conspiracy against the queen. When the captain returned to the ship, it was proposed to send Bale to London; but, after some consultation, they resolved to send two persons, with information to the privy council. This determination, however, was relinquished, upon Bale's strong remonstrances to the captain, and offering to pay fifty pounds for his ransom, on his arrival in Holland.

He was carried into Zealand, and lodged in the house of one of the owners of the ship, who treated him with great civility and kindness. He had only twenty-six days allowed him for raising the money agreed upon for his ransom, and could not obtain the liberty of going abroad to find out his friends. In this state of perplexity and distress, he was sometimes threatened to be thrown into the common gaol, sometimes to be brought before the magistrates, sometimes to be left to the examination of the clergy, at other times to be sent to London, or to be delivered to the queen's ambassador at Brussels. At length his kind host interposed, and desired the captain to consider, how far he had exceeded the limits of his commission, in thus using a subject of England, with which nation they were at peace. This produced the desired effect, and the captain was willing to take thirty pounds for his ransom, as he should be able to pay it, and so discharged him.*

Dr. Bale having obtained his liberty, retired to Frankfort, where he and the other English exiles were favoured by the magistrates with the use of one of their churches. Having obtained so great a privilege, their next object was to agree to certain forms of worship: driven from their own country, and now comfortably settled in a foreign land, they thought it their duty to make certain improvements upon the reformation of King Edward. They entered, therefore, into a mutual and friendly consultation upon the subject, and agreed to the following things:- Having perused the "English liturgy, it was concluded among them, That the "answering aloud after the minister should not be used; the "litany, surplice, and many other things also omitted, "because in the reformed churches abroad such things "would seem more than strange. It was further agreed upon, that the minister, in the room of the English con

« fession, should use another, both of more effect, and also “framed according to the state and time. And the same “ended, the people to sing a psalm in metre in a plain tune, "as was and is accustomed in the French, Dutch, Italian, “Spanish and Scottish churches: that done, the minister to 66 pray for the assistance of God's Holy Spirit, and to pro❝ceed to the sermon. After the sermon, a general prayer "for all estates, and for our country of England, was “devised: at the end of which prayer was joined the Lord's "prayer, and a rehearsal of the articles of belief; which "ended, the people to sing another psalm as afore. Then ❝ the minister pronouncing this blessing, The peace of God, "&c. or some other of like effect, the people to depart. “And as touching the ministration of the sacraments, sundry "things were also by common consent omitted, as supersti❝tious and superfluous."

Our learned and pious divine undoubtedly took an active part in the formation of the church at Frankfort. The pious exiles having comfortably settled their new congregation, entered into a friendly correspondence with their brethren who had settled at other places. In their letter addressed to the exiles at Strasburgh, signed by John Bale, William Whittingham, John Fox, and fourteen others, they conclude by saying: "We have a church freely granted to preach "God's word purely, to minister the sacraments sincerely, "and to execute discipline truly. And as touching our "book, we will practice it so far as God's word doth assure "it, and the state of this country permit." They wrote also to their brethren who had fled to other places, signifying how comfortably they were settled, and inviting them to Frankfort. Upon the arrival of Dr. Cox ‡ and his friends,

* Troubles of Frankeford, p. 3.

+ Ibid. p. 20.

Dr. Richard Cox had been preceptor and almoner to King Edward, and dean of Oxford and Westminster, but was now fled from the persecution of Queen Mary. He was a high churchman, a bigot to the English ceremonies, and of too imperious a disposition. On his return home, Queen Elizabeth made him Bishop of Ely, which he enjoyed to his death. He scrupled for some time to officiate in the royal chapel, on account of the queen's retaining the crucifix, with lights on the altar; and when he con sented, it was, he said, with a trembling conscience. He was violent in his opposition against the puritans, as well in his own country, as at Frankfort. He wrote to Archbishop Parker, to go on vigorously in reclaiming or punishing them, and not be disheartened by the frowns of those court-favourites who protected them; assuring him, that he might expect the blessing of God on his gious labours. When the privy council interposed in favour of the puritans, and endeavoured to skreen them from punishment, he wrote a bold letter to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh; in which he warmly expostulated with the council, for meddling with the affairs of the church, which, he

who broke through the conditions of the new-formed church, interrupted the peace of the congregation, and, in effect, drove them from the city, they fled to other places. Dr. Bale retired to Basil in Switzerland, where he remained until the death of Queen Mary. The church at Basil was also exercised with contentions, of which our author, in a letter to one of his friends, gives a very deplorable account, severely censuring those who were of a contentious spirit.*

Though we have already mentioned Dr. Bale as an author, it will be proper to renew the subject. He published a celebrated work, containing the lives of the most eminent writers of Great Britain. It came out at three different times. He first published his "Summarium illustrium majoris Brytannia Scriptorum," Wesel, 1549. This was addressed to King Edward, and contained only five centuries of writers. Afterwards he added four more, and made several additions and corrections through the whole, work. The book thus enlarged, was entitled "Scriptorum illustrium majoris Brytanniæ, quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vacant, Catalogus; à Japheto per 3618 annos usque ad annum hunc Domini 1557," &c. It was completed and printed at Basil, while the author was in a state of exile. The writers, whose lives are contained in this celebrated work, are those of Great Britain, including England and Scotland. The work commences from Japhet, one of the sons of Noah, and is carried down through a series of 3618 years, to the year of our Lord 1557. It is collected from a great variety of authors: as, Barosus, Gennadius, Bede, Honorius, Boston of Bury, Frumentarius, Capgrave, Bostius, Burellus, Trithemius, Gesner, and our great antiquary John Leland. It consists of nine centuries, comprising the antiquity, origin, annals, places, successes, and the most remarkable actions, sayings, and writings of each author, in the whole of which a due regard is had to chronology; and with this particular view," That the actions of the reprobate as well as the elect ministers of the church may historically and aptly correspond with the mysteries described in the Revelation, the stars, angels, horses, trumpets, thunderings, heads, horns, mountains, vials, and plagues, through every age of the same church." There are said, ought to be left to the determination of the bishops. He, also, admonished their lordships to keep within their own sphere; and told them, that he would appeal to the queen, if they continued to interpose in matters not belonging to them.-Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 161.—Biog. Britan vol. iv. p. 398, 399.

↑ Strype's Eccl. Mem. vol. iii, p. 243. Appen. p. 107.

appendixes to many of the articles; also an account of such actions of the contemporary popes as are omitted by their flatterers, Carsulanus, Platina, and the like; together with the actions of the monks, particularly those of the mendicant order, who, he pretends, are meant by the locusts in Revelation ix. 3, 7. To the appendixes is added a perpetual succession both of the holy fathers and the antichrists of the church, with instances from the histories of various nations and countries; in order to expose their adulteries, debaucheries, strifes, seditions, sects, deceits, poisonings, murders, treasons, and innumerable impostures. The book is dedicated to Otho Henry, Prince Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of both Bavarias, and Elector of the Roman Empire; dated from Basil in September, 1557. Our learned divine was, therefore, laboriously employed while in a foreign land.

In the month of February, 1559, he published a new edition of this celebrated work, with the addition of five more centuries, making in all fourteen; to which is prefixed an account of the writers before the deluge and the birth of Christ, with a description of England from Paulus Jovius, George Lilly, John Leland, Andrew Althamerus, and others. This impression is dedicated to Count Zkradin and Dr. Paul Scalechius of Lika.*

On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, Dr. Bale returned to England, but not to his bishopric in Ireland. The queen, during her minority, and while exercised with troubles under her sister Mary, shewed the highest respect for him, and even honoured him by sending him a book which she had translated into French. It was too manifest, however, that she afterwards drew her affections from him: but whether this was on account of the puritanical principles which he imbibed while abroad, or from some other cause, we do not undertake to determine. During the few years that he lived under her majesty's government, he contented himself with a prebend in the church of Canterbury, where he continued the rest of his days, still refusing to accept of his bishopric. "One may wonder," says Fuller, "that being so learned a man, who had done and suffered so much for religion, higher promotion was not forced upon him; seeing about the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, bishoprics went about begging able men to receive them."+ It ought to be recollected, that many of the pious Biog. Britan. vol. i. p. 533, 534.

+ Fuller's Worthies, part iii. p. 61.

reformers, while in a state of exile, and living among foreign protestants, were led to examine more minutely the grand principles of the reformation; and they acted upon those principles, as we have already observed, while dwelling in a foreign land. Nor did they forget their principles on their return to their native country. Notwithstanding their want of success, they constantly endeavoured, as the times would permit, to obtain a more pure reformation of the English church. This was the case with Dr. Bale, and was undoubtedly the reason of his refusing to accept his former preferment. Though it does not appear that he gave his reasons for this refusal; yet it is evident, says our author, that, while he was a zealous opposer of the Romish superstitions, he was a leading person among the nonconformists, and was against the use of the English. rites and ceremonies: he opposed the divine institution of bishops, and was a zealous advocate for the discipline of the foreign reformed churches. It was a settled principle with him, that the government of the church by bishops, did not exist till the beginning of the seventh century. These are his own words :- "In the year 607, the church "began to be ruled by the policy and government of "bishops, which government was especially devised and "invented by the monks."* From the above facts, Dr. Bale, with great justice, stands first on the list of our puritan worthies. He was summoned to assist in the consecration of Archbishop Parker, but refused to attend, no doubt on account of his puritanical principles. He died at Canterbury in the month of November, 1563, aged sixtyeight years; and his remains were interred in the cathedral at that place. Several of our historians are greatly mistaken in both the time and place of his death.§

The character of no man has been more variously represented than that of our author, as will appear from the different testimonies concerning him. Bishop Montague censures him for his unjustifiable freedom in speaking and writing; yet he thinks him of credit and weight in many things. Valerius Andreas calls him an impious wretch and a wicked apostate; but at the same time allows him his merit as a writer. Vossius charges him with disingenuity in his accounts of ancient writers. But of all the authors, who have censured Bale, no one has fallen upon him with

*MS. Chronology, vol. i. p. 49. (2.)

Biog. Britan. vol. i. p. 534.

+ Strype's Parker, p. 54.

Lupton's Modern Divines, p. 201.-Fuller's Worthies, part iii. p. 61.