THE BRITISH REFORMERS may be arranged in the following order: By order of the Executive Committee. WM. M. ENGLES, EDITOR. alone absolveth and freely forgiveth the sins of so many as unfeignedly repent and turn unto him, The Fortress of the Faithful, against the cruel assaults of pov- The Christian Knight, teaching warriors of God not only how they may prevail against Satan and his wicked army in Selections from the Sick Man's Salve, wherein faithful Chris- tians may learn both how to behave themselves patiently and thankfully in time of sickness, and also virtuously to Extracts from The diversity between God's word and Man's invention; wherein thou shalt see lively described and plainly set forth, what comfortable and heavenly benefits the word of God bringeth unto us; and contrariwise, what Sermons selected from A new Postill; containing most godly SOME PARTICULARS OF THE LIFE OF THOMAS BECON. THOMAS BECON, or Beacon, was one of the most active of the English Reformers; and by his writings he contributed much to the diffusion of the truth. He was born in Suffolk about A. D. 1510, and was educated at Cambridge, where he took his bachelor's degree in 1530. The preaching of Latimer appears to have been very useful to him, and he became a zealous teacher of the gospel. On this account Becon was persecuted by the Romish clergy, and was apprehended by Bonner in 1544, when he was compelled to make a public recantation at Paul's Cross, and to burn his little treatises, which had attracted considerable notice. Some of them had been printed under the name of Theodore Basil,* and were prohibited in the proclamation against heretical books, in July, 1546. Finding there was no safety for him in London or its vicinity, Becon travelled into Staffordshire and Derbyshire, where he remained in seclusion until the accession of Edward VI. During this interval "he educated children in good literature, and instilled into their minds the principles of christian doctrine." But the account of Becon's proceedings at that period is best given in his own words, as related in his tract, “The Jewel of Joy," "What gentleness I found for my godly labours at the hands of some men in these parts ye know right well. Therefore when neither by speaking, nor by writing, I could do good, I thought it best not rashly to throw myself into the ravening paws of those greedy wolves, but for a certain space to absent * Becon had two sons, whom he named Theodore and Basil, probably from his having assumed that appellation. myself from their tyranny, according to the doctrine of the gospel.-Leaving mine own native country, I travelled into such strange places as were unknown to me, and I to them. And yet, I thank the Lord my God, who never leaveth his servants succourless, I, although an unprofitable servant, in that exile and banishment wanted no good thing. Let the voluptuous worldlings take thought for the belly, and be careful for this present life; I have learned in that my journey to cast my care upon the Lord my God, who abundantly feedeth so many as trust in him, and depend on his liberality and goodness. For one house I found twenty, and for one friend a hundred. I could wish nothing for the provision of this life, but I had it plenteously, God so caring for me, his unprofitable and wretched servant. "After I had taken leave of my most sweet mother, and my other dear friends, I travelled into Derbyshire, and from thence into the Peak, whither I appointed my books and my clothes to be brought. Mine intent was, by exercising the office of a schoolmaster, to engraft Christ and the knowledge of him, in the breasts of those scholars whom God should appoint unto me to be taught.—I found them of very good wits and apt understandings.—Coming to a little village, called Alsop in the dale, I chanced upon a certain gentleman, called Alsop, lord of that village, a man not only ancient in years, but also ripe in the knowledge of Christ's doctrine. After we had saluted each other, and taken a sufficient repast, he showed me certain books, which he called his jewels and principal treasures.-To repeat them all by name I am not able, but of this I am sure, that there was the New Testament after the translation of the godly learned man, Miles Coverdale,* which seemed to be as well worn by the diligent reading thereof, as ever was any portass or mass book among the papists.-I remember he had many other godly books, as the Obedience of a Christian man, the Parable of the wicked Mammon, the Revelation of Antichrist, the Sum of Holy Scripture, the book of John Frith against Purgatory,f all the books published in the name of Theodore Basil, with divers other learned men's works. In these godly treatises this ancient gentleman, among the * The first testament printed in English, about twenty years before the time here referred to. + These were writings of Tindal and Frith. |