ttcorbitt ital utl}lg Continuing LEHRE UNO WEH E MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. H OMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. XUI No.5 CONTENTS Page Leading Thoughts on Eschatology in the Epistle to I,be Thessalonians. L. FuerbriJlgo:r ................ ..... .. . ..... .. 0 • • • •••••••• • ••• 321 Luther: A Blessing to the English. W. Dallmann ............. ................. 330 Consciflnc E. W. A. Koehler .. _ ..... _............. .. ....... . __ .. ... " ..... ____ .. ____ ....... 337 Outlines on the WuerUemberg l.:!l j~tle Selcrtions " .... ..... __ .... ". __ ........ 364 .1bcellanea .... __ .......................... __ ...................... __ .. ____ . ______ ...... __ . ____ . __ . __ ... __ __ __ ... __ 378 Theo]of-lcal ) <;ern'l·. - K irc:1 ich-Zeitgeschichtliches ..... __ . __ .. __ . __ ... J89 Book Review. - Literatur . ____ ...... ____ ,, __ __ ............ __ .. .. __ . 0 __ ... __ • __ __ __ __ ____ •••••••• 393 Ein P'" II1~r r llU- nl~ht allein wei- de1&., L r e Se. !~ unter- . k~. wll! sle I cht;c Cluislen sollen .:;em, sondem auch daneben den Woel- fen lDe1:ren. dass aie die Schafe nicht angreifen und mit talscher Lehre ver- tuehren und Irrlum elnfuehren. Luther Es 1st keln Ding, .Ls die Leute mehr bel der Klrche behaelt dena die gute Predlgt. - Apologle, Art. 24 If the trumpet give an uncertmn Bound, who shall prepve him w the battle? - 1 Cor. 14:B Pub u.hcd for the Ev. Luth. Synod of ·<; .. ouri, Ohio, and Other te~ CO CORDIA UBLlSHI G BOll .~, • Louis, Mo. 330 Luther: A Blessing to the English Luther: A Blessing to the English V. The First English Lutherans and the First English Lutheran Theological Seminary "Martin Luther" is written over the page with the names of Gardiner, Cranmer, Thirlby, and Bilney, the degree list of Cam- b 'ld e in 1521. A 'committee was sent to London to have Luther's books ex- amined and to get an order from Cardinal Wolsey to burn them- Drs. Humfrey; Robert Ridley, uncle of the martyr; John Watson, praised by Erasmus; and Henry Bullock, a pupil of Erasmus, "most learned Bovillus," now professor of Greek and vice-chan- cellor. The books were burned on Market Hill about the Easter term, and the grand spectacle was graced by the august presence of the magnificent cardinal, Chancellor John Fisher of Rochester, and Vice-chancellor Bullock. Can we not see gown and town assisting at this act of faith? Proctors John Denne and William Medew Paid Peter the bedel sent to the Lord Cardinal and the Chancellor with letters respecting Luther's works __ For writing the statutes sent to the Lord Cardinal . ______ ___ __ ______ ____ _ __ _ _ Paid Dr. Bulloke for expenses to London concern- ing the examination of Luther at the com- mand of the Lord Cardinal _ . _ __ _ ______________ _ To Dr. Umphrey for his expenses in the like business To Drs. Watson and Ridley _.. £5 To Dr. Nyocalas, deputy Vicechancellor, for drink and other expenses about the burning of the books of Martin Luther __ _ [Peter the bedel is the father of Sir John Cheke, the great Greek scholar] 20s. 121f2d. 53s. 4d. 53s. 4d. 6s. Sd. 2s. What good did that burning do? Erasmus grinned: "By burn- ing you can remove Luther's books from the shelves, but whether you can thereby remove them from men's hearts, I know not." By the way, how did Luther's books get to Cambridge? So far no one has been able to answer our question, but we think we have stumbled upon a clue. John Siberch, or Siburg, a German printer, the first to use Greek letters in England, settled in Cam- bridge in 1521. Next! At Christmas, 1525, Erasmus asked Robert Aldrige to greet John Siburg "the bookseller." Have we found the missing link? Thomas Forman, or Farman, fellow and later president of Queens' College, where Erasmus had lived and taught, smuggled Luther's books into his college and hid them from the inquisitors, and they found eager readers. Luther: A Blessing to the English 331 Thomas Bilney wrote Bishop Tunstal: "There are those physi- cians upon whom that woman which was twelve years vexed had conswned all that she had and felt no help but was still worse and worse until such time as at the last she came unto Christ, and after she had once touched the hem of his garment through faith, she was so healed that presently she felt the same in her body. Oh, mighty power of the Most Highest! which I also, miserable sinner, have often tasted and felt. Who before that I could come unto Christ, had even likewise spent all that I had upon those ignorant physicians, that is to say, unlearned hearers of confes- sion, so that there was but small force of strength left in me, which of nature was but weak, small store of money, and very little knowledge or understanding; for they appointed me fastings ; watchings, buying of pardons, and masses: in all whieh things, as I now understand, they sought rather their own gain than the salvation of my sick and perishing soul." He heard two friends whisper about a new book, the Greek New Testament. He stole into the house where the forbidden book was secretly sold and got a copy. "He was soon known as a student and admirer of the writings of Luther." As Luther had been converted by Rom. 1: 16,17, so Bilney was converted by 1 Tim. 1: 15. "Immediately I felt a marvellous comfort and quietness, insomuch as my bruised bones leapt for joy." Cooper, the old historian of Cambridge, says the reading of the New Testament "and the works of Luther taught him other views of religion." John Fox says Bilney was "the first framer of the University in the knowledge of Christ." Sir Thomas More calls him "a thorough Lutheran." If he is right, Bilney was the first English Lutheran. The Lutheran faith produced a Lutheran life. John Fox "with surpassing beauty" describes him "preaching at the lazar cots, wrapping them in sheets, helping them of what they wanted, if they would convert to Christ; laborious and painful to the desperates; a preacher to the prisoners and comfortless; a great doer in Cambridge." Thomas Thirlby had a room below Bilney's, and when he played on "the recorder," Bilney betook himself to prayer, as if to resist the Evil One. He disliked music as much as Andrew Fair- service hated the "kists of whustles." Bilney believed; therefor.e he spoke. He converted others. William Paget read and spread Luther's works and lectured 011 the Rhetoric of Melanchthon. He will visit Luther in August, 1532, on the "king's business" and become the powerful Lord Paget. John Thixtill was "a warm supporter of the Reformation," and his retainer Remige will visit Luther and tell him of the progress of the Reforma tion in England. 332 Luther: A Blessing to the English Richard Smith will become a Doctor of the Canon Law and go to prison for heresy. John Frith will be burned for heresy. Simon Heynes will baptize Edward VI and oppose the savage Six Articles in 1539. Nicholas Shaxton "boldly advocated Lutheran doctrines," and he will oppose the Six Articles. Richard Taverner will translate Lutheran works and the New Testament and preach, though a lawyer. Matthew Pnrker will become the famous archbishop of Canter- bury under Elizabeth. John Rogers will become pastor near Wittenberg, get out Matthew's Bible, be an able preacher and the first martyr under Bloody Mary. Thomas Forman will become rector of Allhallows in Honey Lane, a D. D. in 1524, go to prison, and die in 1528. Edward Crome, already D. D., will suffer in prison for years and die there. John Skip will be "a warm friend of the Reformers" and almoner to Queen Anne. John Mallory was another "early Lutheran." William Warner was a "Gospeller," that is, he lectured on the Bible instead of the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard. Simon Smith, "an early Lutheran," will become curate of Thomas Patmore, marry, and be punished. Bilney converted Thomas Arthur, and the two converted John Nichols, or Lambert, who will be burned. Hugh Latimer preached "An Examination of the Theological Opinions of Melanchthon." Bilney hastened to Latimer's room and begged him "for God's sake to hear my confession." What was the result? "I was as obstinate a papist as any was in England, insomuch that when I should be made a Bachelor of Divinity, my whole oration was against Philip Melanchthon and against his opinions. Then having met Master Bilney, or rather St. Bilney, that suf- fered death for Christ's sake, I learned more by his confession than before in many years, so that from that time forward I began to smell the word of God and forsook the school doctors and such fooleries," said Bishop Latimer in his first sermon on the "Lord's Prayer." Bishop West of Ely, the ordinary of Cambridge, asked Latimer "that you will preach me one sermon against Martin Luther and his doctrine." "My lord ... we are not permitted here to read his works .... If Luther do none otherwise than I have done, preaches no man's Luther: A Blessing to the English 333 doctrine, but only the doctrine of God out of the Scriptures, there needeth no confutation of his doctrine." Bilney was forbidden to preach "Luther's doctrines." "I will not preach Luther's doctrines, if there are any peculiar to him, but I must preach the doctrine of Jesus Christ, although Luther should preach it too." Robert Barnes became an Augustinian friar in 1514, and, being a lad of parts, was sent to the University of Louvain, a rival of Paris. On his return with his pupil Thomas Paynell he was made prior. "Putting aside Duns and Dorbel," scholasticism and Byzan- tine logic, he lectured on Terence, Plautus, Cicero, and the letters of St. Paul, and "caused the house shortly to flourish with good letters, and made a great part of the house learned who before were drowned in barbarous ignorance." He was "lucid and effective and had no equal." He was helped by Thomas Paynell, who will be sent on important embassies to the Lutheran princes. All of these were accounted converts of Bilney. Then there was William Tyndale, who will register at Witten- berg on May 27, 1524, as Guillelmus DaItici ex Anglia and translate the New Testament. William Roy will register on June 10, 1525, as Guilhelmus Roy ex Londino and help Tyndale get out "Luther's New Testament in English." Thomas Dusgate will go to Luther for advice and be advised to marry if he cannot contain. He will do so, call himself Benet, and be burned for a Protestant. Edward Fox will be at Wittenberg from January 1, 1536, till April and be an influential Lutheran. Nicholas Heath will be with Fox at Wittenberg and become a violent persecutor of the Lutherans. Stephen Gardiner will be a very bloody persecutor of the Lu- therans; a Doctor of the Canon Law in 1524. Nicholas Ridley will be burned with Latimer. Thomas Thirlby will be the first and the last bishop of Windsor. Richard Sampson will become bishop of Chichester. Miles Coverdale will get out the first complete English Bible and the first English hymnal, translated from Luther and other Lutherans. Simon Matthew will preach against the Pope. Rodolph Bradford will go to prison for spreading the English New Testament. John Taylor will go to prison for attacking the savage Six Articles. Thomas Swinerton "embraced the doctrines of Luther" and fled under Bloody Mary. 334 Luther: A Blessing to the English Robert Ferrar will buy Lutheran books and be burned. John Ponet, or Poynet, will become a Lutheran, an able preacher, bishop of Rochester, flee to Strassburg under Mary, and defend Luther against lies. Richard Bayfield, a priest, converted by Barnes, in prison for nine months, freed by Barnes, will flee to the continent, import Protestant books, burned in 1531. Thomas Allen, son of the Lord Mayor, will comfort Saint Bilney at his fiery death. John Bale will send to England the account of Luther's death and call him "a saint" and become bishop of Ossory. Nicholas Drumm will go to prison for being a Lutheran. John Rickes will translate Otto Brunsfelsing's "Pronosticacion" for 1536. Robert Aldrich, who was with Erasmus in his famous pil- grimage to Our Lady of Walsingham in 1511. "Richard Croke is the great man at Leipzig," wrote Erasmus, and taught Greek to Camerarius and Mosellanus about 1514 for fifteen guilders a year. He went to Dresden and returned to Cam- bridge in 1517 and became an A. M. Peter Valence, a Norman, "who held Lutheran opinions" and attacked Pope Leo's indulgence, will comfort the heretics William Wolsey and Robert Pygot in 1555. John Stokys will promise Cromwell to reform and preach sincerely God's Word. John Leland will become famous as a linguist, orator, poet, and hlstorian. William Butts will be knighted, the physician of King Henry, and yet belong to the "Lutheran party." John Clarke will go to Oxford and die in prison for Lu- theranism. George Joy will be persecuted for heresy and flee to Strassburg. George Constantine will be jailed for his Protestant opinions and spreading Protestant books. John Fryer will go to prison for his Lutheran opinions. Richard Harman will go to prison for heresy. Sygar Nicholson will go to prison for his Lutheran opinions and Lutheran books. The cost "For faggots for burning books, 4d." Others were John Bradford and George Day. Thomas Cranmer came "to be nursed in the grossest kind of sophistry, logic, philosophy, moral and natural (not in the text of the old philosophers, but chiefly in the dark riddles of Duns and other subtle questionists) to his age of 22 years." Strype says he studied other writers "unto the time that Luther began to write. And then he bent himself to tryout the truth therein." He said he Luther: A Blessing to the English 335 prayed heartily God would destroy the power of the bishop of Rome. William Gace will print some of Luther's works. Richard Argentine, alias Sex ten, will become a physician. William Barlow will fall off from the true religion but repent and return. Robert Drury will marry and die March 2, 1535, taph reads- "Suche as we are suche schall ye be, Suche as ye be sometyme were we. Miserere ncstri." and his epi- William Turner will become a scholarly clergyman, critic of the New Testament text, translator, botanist, ornithologist, min- eralogist, member of Parliament, prolific author of both religious and scientific books and physician to Lord Protector Somerset, the first Protestant ruler of England. George Stafford, "a man of very perfect life, and approvedly learned in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues," "like Luther a t Wittenberg" would be a "Doctor Biblicus" and lecture on the Bible and not on the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard. Thomas Becon in "The Jewel of Joy" says of his teacher: "George Stafford lectured on Paul which before had so many years been foiled with the foolish fantasies and elvish expositions of certain doting doctors, and, as it were, drowned in the dirty dregs of the drowsy duncers by his industry, labor, pain, and diligence, he seemed of a dead man to make him alive again, and putting away all unseemliness to set him forth in his native colours; so that now he is both seen, read, and heard not without great and singular pleasures of them that travail in the studies of his most godly epistles. And as he beautified the letters of blessed Paul with his godly expositions, so likewise did he learnedly set forth in his lectures the native sense and true understanding of the four evangelists, vively restoring unto us the apostle's mind, and the mind of those holy writers, which so many years before had lien unknown and obscured through the darkness and mists of the Pharisees and papists." He had large audiences. He visited Sir [Rev.] Henry, the conjurer, sick of the plague, brought him to repentance, had all his books burned before his face, caught the infection, and died thereof in 1529. Prior Robert Barnes of the Augustinians was the head of the society, though Shaxton and Forman also presided, but Bilney was the soul of this Cambridge movement. Strype writes of "those days, when learning and religion began to dawn there; when divers godly men resorted together for conference sake; who also oftentimes flocked together in open 336 Luther: A Blessing to the English sight, both in the schools, and at the sermons in St. Mary's and at St. Augustine's, where Dr. Barnes was prior, and at other dispu- tations. . .. Their meetings to comer and discourse together for edification and Christian knowledge, were chiefly at an house called 'The White Horse,' which was, therefore, afterwards named 'Germany' by their enemies. . .. They were in mockery called 'Germans,' because they conversed much in the books of the divines of Germany brouth thence." On their way there they were jeered, "There are the Germans going to Germany!" Where they took their walks was known as "Heretics' Hill." The inn "At the Sign of the White Horse" in St. Benedict's stood on university ground belonging to Catherine Hall between Bull Hotel and King's College with a narrow front- age on Hight street and a rear entrance on Mill street or Plute's lane - "detestable and filthy. This house was chosen because they of King's College, Queens' College and St. John's might come in with the more privacy at the back door." Benet, Pembroke, Gon- well, Peterhouse, and the Augustinian cloister must be added to this roll of honor. The sign of the White Horse remains. George Herbert Curteis in the Bampton Lectures of 1871, p. 56, writes of Cambridge: "There ... had been seen a little society of religious men, who . . . encouraged each other in reading the Scriptures, in mutual comession, and similar prescribed acts of personal piety. They visited the prisoners at jails; they preached anew the vital spiritual truths - formerly enshrined, but now ob- scured, by the ritual and ceremonies of their Church; and were, in short, engaged in reviving religion in England under its ancient forms. The names of twenty-seven of these men have been preserved to us; they obtained the honors of ridicule and social persecution, the house where these first English Lutherans met was nicknamed 'Germany.' And worse things than ridicule were not long in following." As has been shown above, we have dug up many more than twenty-seven names out of Cooper's "Athenae." John Bass Mullinger writes in his History of Cambridge: "In the old-fashioned inn, as at the meetings of the primitive Chris- tians, were heard again - freed from the sophistries and miscon- structions of mediaeval theology - the glowing utterances of the great apostle of the Gentiles. There also, for the first time, the noble thoughts of Luther sank deeply into many a heart; while his doctrines, if not invariably accepted, were tested by honest and devout enquiry and by the sole standard of Scriptural truth. To men who had known many a weary vigil over the fanciful and avid subtleties of Aquinas or Nicholas de Lyra, this grand but simple teaching came home with power. . .. The wranglings of Conscience 337 the theologians and the clamor of the schools died away and were forgotten in the rapture of a more perfect knowledge. Said Becon, one of the youngest, as in after years he looked back: 'So oft as I was in the company of these brethren, methought I was quietly placed in the new glorious Jerusalem.''' Mullinger calls trus "the theological school of the university"; we like to th.ink of it as the first English Lutheran Theological Seminary. Cardinal Wolsey's "contempt of the clergy was looked on as that which gave encouragement to the heretics. When reports were brought to court of a company that were at Cambridge, Bilney, Latimer, and others that read and propagated Luther's books and opinions, some bishops moved in the year 1523 "that there might be a visitation appointed to go to Cambridge for trying who were the fautors of heresy there. But he, as legate, did in- hibit it." He forbade Fisher of Rochester and West of Ely, two bitter enemies of the Lutherans, but he sent Dr. Robert Shorton of Pembroke Hall, a well-known favorer of Lutheranism. This was made the 43rd charge against the cardinal, not pun- ishing "the Lutheran sect. He had rundered the true and direct correction of heresies." And his acts as to the abbeys "may be weighed to the worst act or article of Martyn Luthers." Oak Park, Ill. (To be continued) WM. DALLMANN 4. I Conscience Lectures Delivered at the River Forest Summer School, 1941 I Etymology. - The English word conscience is derived from the Latin conscientia, wruch, in turn, is a literal translation of the Greek cruvZ(Ill](H<;, syneidesis, and which in German is rendered with Gewissen. The component parts of these words have the same meaning: eidesis, scientia, science, w i.ssen mean knowing, knowl- edge, and the prefixes syn, con, ge mean together with, in conjunc- tion with. The difficulty in determining the etymological concept of the term lies in fixing the relation of the prefix. With what does the prefix syn, or con, connect the noun eidesis, or scientia? The Modem Eclectic Dictionary, defines conscience thus: "As the etymology indicates, it signifies knowledge along with - but whether with a thing or a person or being, it is difficult to deter- mine." Young's Analytical Concordance defines syneidesi.s as a knowing w ith one's self. Vincent, in Word Studies in the New 22