Testaments amongst the wheat, and to send them over secretly to this country. The plan was tried; and it was found that as many as five hundred could be secreted in one ship, and in this way a large number were soon conveyed, and were shortly in circulation.

The Bishop of London, whose name was Tunstall, and who had all along been one of Tyndale's most violent opposers, was exceedingly vexed and angry, when he found that with all his endeavours, he could not keep the word of God out of the country. He determined, however, to make one trial more, and his scheme was now to collect all the books together, and to burn them to ashes! There was a merchant named Packington who happened at this time to be in Antwerp, and to meet there Bishop Tunstall. Packington was a friend of Tyndale, and a warm supporter of his cause, and he determined to further that cause by the very means through which Tunstall intended to destroy it.

So he went to the Bishop, and offered to procure for him all Tyndale's Testaments, if he would engage to purchase them. Tunstall did not regard any expense, provided he could accomplish his wish; so he willingly accepted the proposal; and then Packington went to Tyndale, and told the plan to him. When Tyndale heard it, he exclaimed, "I am the

gladder of it, for I shall now get money to bring myself out of debt; and the whole world. will cry out against the burning of God's word; and with the money that remains, I will reprint the whole of the New Testament, and I trust the second will better please you than the first." So the books were collected, brought to Tunstall, and paid for by him; and then the money was given to Tyndale, who set to work again immediately, to prepare a new edition.

But what became of the Testaments which thus unexpectedly fell into the hands of this enemy of God's word? He had his wish ;in the presence of a number of his friends, and of a large assembly of persons, they were all committed to the flames, at St. Paul's Cross, in London! It is dreadful to think of such awful wickedness, committed too by those who had means and opportunities of knowing the truth, and who therefore could not plead ignorance as an excuse for their actions. The story may remind us of the account given of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, who, you remember, cut, in pieces with his penknife, and cast into the fire, the roll on which were written the words which God had spoken to Jeremiah. But, you know, that though the first roll was destroyed, another was written immediately after; and thus Jehoiakim's wicked

attempt to destroy God's message was of no avail. And so it happened now; for the new copies of the Testament of Tyndale soon appeared, having had the advantage of his improvements and corrections; and it was now a much more perfect and valuable performance than it had been before.

Great indeed was the vexation of Bishop Tunstall and others, when they saw the gospel which they had vainly thought to destroy altogether, once more spreading through the land with greater rapidity than ever, and eagerly read by the people notwithstanding all prohibitions. The Archbishop of Canterbury was now entreated to interfere for the suppression of these new doctrines, and he accordingly drew up a document denouncing the New Testament by his own authority. "You that have the New Testament in English," he wrote, "of the translation that is now printed, and such other books in English, detest them, abhor them, keep them not in your hands; deliver them to the superiors such as call for them. And if, by reading them heretofore, any thing remains in your heart of that teaching, either forget it, or by information of truth, expel it. This you ought to do; and being obstinate, the prelates of the church ought to compel you; and your prince to punish and correct you, not doing the same.

Finally, it appeareth, that having of the whole. Scriptures is not necessary to Christian men; and like as the having of the Scripture in the vulgar tongue and in common people's hands, hath been by the holy fathers in the church in some times thought meet and convenient, so at another time, it had been thought not expedient to be communicate amongst them."

You may clearly see from this, what the principles of the Romish church were then, and what they are still, in regard to the reading of God's word. You remember Christ's command is," Search the Scriptures,"-and that command is for all people, and for all times. But we cannot wonder at those holding doctrines so opposed to the Bible as very many of the Roman Catholic doctrines are, should do all in their power to prevent the people from discovering and giving up the errors of that false system of religion. It was not only the Archbishop of Canterbury who wrote against the circulation of the Scriptures. Sir Thomas More did the same; and so ignorant was he on this matter, though he was very learned in most other things, that he actually conceived that the devil was at work among the people, tempting them to read the scriptures to their everlasting destruction! But let us go back once more to Antwerp, and see how Tyndale was engaged.

There he was labouring on still, though in the midst of difficulty and persecution. But he had now the comfort of a christian friend and companion who laboured with him, and shared his joys and his sorrows. This was Fryth, one of those who, with Delaber and others, had been confined in the close cellar, after their apprehension at Oxford some years before. It must have consoled Tyndale not a little to have such a man for his companion. But after a time, it was thought right for Fryth to go to London, and to carry on the work there if possible; so he took leave of his beloved friend, and left Antwerp. After his departure, Tyndale wrote him a letter of advice and exhortation, some part of which I think you will like to read." The grace of our Saviour Jesus, his patience, meekness, humbleness, circumspection, and wisdom, be with your heart! Amen. Dearly beloved brother, my heart's desire in our Saviour Jesus is, that you arm yourself with patience, and be cool, sober, wise, and circumspect. But expound the law truly, to condemn all flesh, and prove all men sinners, and all deeds under the law, before mercy have taken away the condemnation thereof, to be sin. And then, as a faithful minister, set forth the mercy of our Lord Jesus. Then shall your preaching be with power."-Such was the way in which