greater severity than his follower John Pits. The following are some of those invenomed arrows which he has shot at him :-" This writer," says he, "did not so much enlarge Leland's catalogue, as corrupt it in a monstrous manner. For he has stuffed it full of lies and calumnies, and spoiled Leland's work, by his own barbarous style. He says many things worthy, indeed, of the mind and mouth of an heretic, but absolutely void of all civility and moral honesty, some things plainly unworthy of a christian ear.—If we except his slanders against men, and his blasphemies against God, the poor wretch has nothing of his own, which deserves our notice.-I hoped to have found at least some gem of antiquity in that dunghill: but more unlucky than Esop's cock, I was disappointed in my expectation." He brands him with the name of Baal, and calls him an apostate Carmelite monk, and a married priest. Such are the foul accusations brought against our divine, by this bigotted papist. Wharton charges Bale with paying very little regard to truth, provided he could increase the number of enemies to the Romish church; and adds, that, for the most part, he settled the chronology of the English writers with his eyes shut. Bishop Nicolson says: "The groundplot of his famous work was borrowed from Leland; and the chief of his own superstructure is malicious and bitter invectives against the papists."* It will be proper on the contrary to observe, that Gesner denominates Bale " a writer of the greatest diligence;" and Bishop Godwin gives him the character of a laborious inquirer into the British antiquities. Dr. Lawrence Humphrey says, that Vergerius, Platina, and Luther, have discovered many errors and frauds of the papists; but that Bale hath detected them all. Valentine Henry Vogler says, "it will be less matter of wonder, that Bale inveighs with so much asperity against the power of the pope, when it is considered that England was more grievously oppressed, by the tyranny of the holy see, than any other kingdom. Though he rendered himself so odious to the papists, his very enemies could not help praising his Catalogue of English writers."+ It is generally allowed that Bale's sufferings from the popish party, is some apology for his severe treatment of them: He wrote with all the warmth of one who had escaped the flames. Granger observes, that his intemperate * Biog. Britan. vol. i. p. 535. + Ibid. p. 534. zeal often carries him beyond the bounds of decency and candour, in his accounts of the papists. Anthony Wood styles him "the foul-mouthed Bale ;"* but, the above writer adds, some of his foul language translated into English, would appear to be of the same import with many expres sions used by that writer himself.+ Perhaps some allowance ought to be made not only for his resentment of what he had suffered, but for the age in which he lived. It would be doing him great injustice, to form our ideas of him from the popish authors, many of whom were exceedingly exasperated against him, on account of the vehemence with which he had attacked the errors and superstitions of the papal see. Dr. Bale's writings are prohibited by the church of Rome, among those of the first class of heretical books. The Index Expurgatorius, published at Madrid in 1667, calls him a most impudent and scurrilous writer against the see of Rome, the Mass, the Eucharist, and one that is perpetually breathing out poison; for which, it forbids the reading of his works for ever. His writings were numerous, a list of which, according to the subjects, is given below: the exact titles cannot now be ascertained. His WORKS, while he was a papist.-1. A Bundle of Things worth knowing.-2. The Writers from Elias.-3. The Writers from Berthold. -4. Additions to Trithemius.-5. German Collections.-6. French Collections.-7. English Collections.-8. Divers Writings of divers learned Men.-9. A Catalogue of Generals.-10. The Spiritual War. -11. The Castle of Peace.-12. Sermons for Children.-13. To the Synod of Hull.-14. An Answer to certain Questions.-15. Addition to Palaonydorus.-16. The History of Patronage.-17. The Story of Simon the Englishman.-18. The Story of Francus Senensis.-19. The Story of St. Brocard.-20. A Commentary on Mantuan's Preface to his Fasti. He wrote the following after he renounced popery:-1. The Heliades of the English.-2. Notes on the three Tomes of Walden.-3. On his Bundle of Tares.-4. On Polydore de Rerum Inventionibus.-5. On Textor's Officina.-6. On Capgrave's Catalogue.-7. On Barnes's Lives of the Popes.-8. The Acts of the Popes of Rome.-9. A Translation of Thorp's Examination.-10. The Life of John Baptist. —11. Of John Baptist's Preaching.§-12. Of Christ's Temptation.→→→ Wood's Athenæ, vol. i. p. 60. + Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 139, 140. Biog. Britan. vol. i. p. 535. The title of this piece is, "A Comedy, or Interlude, of Joban Baptyst's Preachynge in the Wildernesse; opening the Crafts of Hypocrytes," and is printed in the "Harleian Miscellany." "There was a time," says Mr. Granger, "when the lamentable comedies of Bale were acted with applause. He tells us, in the account of his vocation to the bishopric of Ossory, that his comedy of John Baptist's Preaching, and bis VOL. I. I 13. Two Comedies of Christ's Baptism and Temptations.—14. A Comedy of Christ at twelve years old.-15. A Comedy of the Raising of Lazarus.-16. A Comedy of the High Priest's Council.-17. Å Comedy of Simon the Leper.-18. A Comedy of the Lord's Supper, and the Washing of the Disciples Feet.—19. Two Comedies (or rather Tragedies) of Christ's Passion.-20. Two Comedies of Christ's Burial and Resurrection.-21 A Poem of God's Promises.-22. Against those that pervert God's Word.—23. Of the Corrupting of God's Laws.—24. Against Carpers and Traducers.—25. A Defence of King John.-26. Of King Henry's two Marriages.-27. Of Popish Sects.-28. Of Popish Treacheries.-29. Of Thomas Becket's Impostures.-30. The Image of Love.-31. Pamachius's Tragedies, translated into English.-32. Christian Sonnets.-33. A Commentary on St. John's Apocalypse.-34. A Locupletation of the Apocalypse.35. Wickliffe's War with the Papists.-36. Sir John Oldcastle's Trials. -37. An Apology for Barnes.-38. A Defence of Grey against Smith. —39. John Lambert's Confession.-40. Anne Askew's Martyrdom.— 41. Of Luther's Decease.-42. The Bishops Alcoran.-43. The Man of Sin.-44. The Mystery of Iniquity.—45. Against Anti-Christs, or False Christs.-46. Against Baal's Priests, or Baalamites.—47. Against the Clergy's Single Life.—48. A Dispatch of Popish Vows and Priesthood.-49. The Acts of English Votaries, in two parts.-50. Of Heretics indeed.—51. Against the Popish Mass.-52. The Drunkard's Mass.-53. Against Popish Persuasions.-54. Against Bonner's Articles.-55. Certain Dialogues.-56. To Elizabeth the King's Daughter. -57. Against Customary Swearing.—58. On Mantuan of Death.-59. A Week before God.-60. Of his Calling to a Bishopric.*-61. Of Leland's Journal, or an Abridgement of Leland, with Additions.— 62. A Translation of Sebald Heyden's Apology against Salve Regina. -63. A Translation of Gardiner's Oration of true Obedience, and Bonner's Epistle before it, with a Preface to it, Notes on it, and an Epilogue to the Reader.-But his most capital work was his Lives of the Writers, already noticed.-Bale's Collectanea is preserved among the Cottonean Manuscripts, and now deposited in the British Museum. JOHN PULLAIN, B. D.-This zealous reformer was born in Yorkshire, in the year 1517, and educated first in New college, then in Christ's college, Oxford. He was a famous preacher, and a celebrated reformer, in the days of King Edward VI. He became rector of St. Peter's, Cornhill, London, in the year 1552, but suffered deprivation in 1555.+ Upon the commencement of Queen Mary's bloody persecution, he did not immediately flee, but endured the storm for some Tragedy of God's Promises, were acted by young men at the market-cross of Kilkenny, upon a Sunday. Surely this tragedy must be as extraordinary a composition, in its kind, as his comedies."-Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 139. This work is entitled "The Vocacyon of Johan Bale to the Bishopric of Ossorie in Irelande, his persecutions in the same, and finall Delyverance.” + Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. i. p. 92. time. Having no prospect of enjoying his public ministry, and being deeply concerned for his persecuted countrymen, he continued to labour in private as he found an opportunity. He preached and administered the Lord's supper, about a year, to the protestant congregation, which assembled in private places, in and about the city of London.* The persecution of the protestants becoming, at length, extremely hot, and Mr. Pullain finding himself most probably in danger of the fire, he fled into a foreign land, and became an exile at Geneva; where he became a member of the English congregation, and abode during the remainder of the bloody queen's reign. The news of the queen's death, and of the accession of Queen Elizabeth, gladdened the hearts of all the worthy exiles. On this occasion, Mr. Pullain united with his brethren at Geneva, in their letter of congratulation, addressed to their fellow-exiles at Arrau, Basil, Strasburgh, Frankfort, and other places.+ Upon the reception of the joyful news, he immediately prepared to return home; and was no sooner arrived in his native country, than he resumed his zealous ministerial labours. But he had not continued long in his beloved work, before he received a sudden check. For the new queen having issued her royal proclamation prohibiting all preaching, till all the affairs of the church were finally settled, this worthy servant of Christ was taken into custody at Colchester, and sent prisoner up to London. His crime was that of preaching when prohibited by the queen; but our historian does not say what further prosecution he underwent.‡ Towards the close of the year 1559, Mr. Pullain became rector of Capford in Essex, which he kept to his death. About the same time, he was made Archdeacon of Colchester. He sat in the famous convocation of 1562, and subscribed the articles of religion. He was an avowed enemy to all popery and superstition; and, therefore, was much grieved at the imperfect state in which the reformation rested, and the severe proceedings of the prelates which immediately followed. He was ever anxious to have the church purged of all its corruptions and antichristian ceremonies, and for its discipline and government, as well as its Fox's Martyrs, vol. iii. p. 525,-Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 292. + Troubles at Frankeford, p. 160-162. Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 44. Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. ii. p. 192. doctrine, to be regulated by the word of God alone. These things made so deep an impression upon his mind, as brought a complaint upon his body, of which he died in the month of July, 1565, aged forty-eight years. He was a truly pious man, a constant preacher, a learned divine, a thorough puritan, and an admired English and Latin poet.* He published "A Tract against the Arians," and several translations of the works of other learned men. JOHN HARDYMAN, D. D.-He was educated at Cambridge, where he took his degrees; and was made preacher at St. Martin's church, Ironmonger-lane, London, in the reign of Henry VIII., when he came forwards openly and boldly in the cause of the reformation. He preached publicly, "That confession to priests, was confusion; that the ceremonies of the church being the superstitious inventions of men, ought to be abhorred; that to esteem any internal virtue in the sacrament, was mischievous and robbing God of his glóry; and that faith in Christ, without any other sacrament, was sufficient for justification;" for which, in the year 1541, he was presented and most probably deprived.+ The Oxford historian, with his usual bitterness against the puritans, says, that he ran with the mutable times of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. However, the above account of his suffering persecution for the avowal of his principles, shews that this account is not altogether correct. Though it does not appear whether he ever changed his sentiments, it is certain that upon the accession of Elizabeth, he was still a zealous protestant, and still desirous to carry forwards the reformation. In the year 1560, the queen appointed him one of the twelve prebendaries of Westminster; and about the same time, he became famous for his puritanical principles, and distinguished himself in the cause of the reformation. He was not, indeed, like too many of the clergy, who rested in the reformation of King Edward, or even in that which fell short of it; but laboured to carry on the work to perfection. He wished, with the rest of the puritanical reformers, to have the church thoroughly purged of all the remnants of antichrist. But his zeal for nonconformity presently exposed him to the resentment and persecution of the ruling prelates; and in the year 1567, he was summoned * MS. Chronology, vol. i. p. 135. (6.) + Fox's Martyrs, vol. ii. p. 450. |