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| Bishop-ass John Stokesley |
19
December 1534. Mr. (Canterbury) Thomas
Cranmer runs into a buzz-saw of obstructionism and stonewalling against a vernacular,
English Bible from an Anglo-Italian ass-bishop, old Stokesley.
The details, loc.
cit, of events leading thereto and after are found on page 165 of Daniell,
David. The Bible in English: Its History and Influence. New Haven, CT:
Yale University Press, 2003.
The Convocation of Canterbury in the summer session of 1534
discussed the “Lutheran heresies” and the English books from the Continent,
e.g. Tyndale’s works and Bible. The
Upper House resolved that Mr. Cranmer should approach the King: (1) that
Scriptures should be translated to English (correcting Tyndale’s, presumably),
(2) that a team of scholars be appointed by the King, and (3) that certain men
be allowed to instruct from the vernacular Scriptures.
Ralph Morice, Cranmer’s trusted secretary, and, later, an important
source for John Foxe affords the insights to the fracas and the result: defeat
for Mr. (Canterbury) Cranmer.
Cranmer had divided the Scripture into ten parts for
translation. Bishop Stokesley, London, was one appointed translator. Here’s Morice’s recollection of Stokesley’s
obstructionism that surely accords with previous state and ecclesiastical
hostilities (1401—to this period), both from the Italian bishops and bishops in
Canterbury, but does not quite accord with the slow developments at
hand...moving slowly towards a vernacular translation in English: Here’s Stokesley’s response to Cranmer:
It chanced that the Acts of the Apostles were sent to
bishop Stokesley to oversee and correct, then Bishop of London. When the day
came, every man had sent to Lambeth their parts corret: only Stokesley’s
portion wanted. My lord of Canterbury wrote to the Bishop letters for his part,
requiring to deliver them unto the bringer thereof, his secretary. Bishop
Stokesley being at Fulham received the letters, unto the which he made this
answer: I marvel what my lord of Canterbury meaneth that thus absueth the
people in giving them the liberty to read the scriptures, which doth nothing
else but infect them with heresies. I have bestowed never an hour upon my
portion, nor never will. And therefore my lord shall have his book agains, for
I will never be guilty to bring the simple people into error.
My lord of Canterbury’s servant took the book, and brought
the same to Lambeth unto my lord, declaring my lord of London’s answer. When
my lord perceived that the Bishop had done nothing therein, I marvel,
quod my lord of Canterbury, that my lord of London is so forward, that he will
not do as other men do. Mr. Lowney stood
by, hearing my lord speak so much of the Bishop’s untowardness, said:
I can tell your grace why my lord of London will not bestow
any labour or pain this way. Your Grace
knoweth well (quod Lowney) that his porition is a piece of the New
Testament. And then he being persuaded
that Christ had bequeathed him nothing in his testament thought it mere madness
to bestow any labour or pain where no gain was to be gotten. And besides this, it is the Acts of the
Apostles, which were simple poor fellows, and therefore my lord of London
disdained to have to do with any of their acts.
Bishop Steven Gardiner
completed his section of Luke and John.
It is unknown what became of the other sections. “We know that Gardiner was very hostile to
the idea of an English Bible” (167). Mr.
Daniell concludes that “Cranmer’s excellent intentions had been defeated”
(167).
Cranmer went to the flames 21
NOV 1556.
These martrys are not forgotten nor will they be forgotten
in that “Great Day,” a day to be remembered in Advent 2013.
Revelation 6.9ff.
“.9 And
when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 and
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And
white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that
they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
