hould provide itself with a copy of the
English Bible by All-hallow-tide next, under a penalty of 40_s._ He
explains that the object is that "the power, wisdom, and goodness of
God may be perceived hereby," but the people are not to expound it,
nor to read it while Mass is going on, but are to "read it meekly,
humbly, and reverently for their instruction, edification, and
amendment." Accordingly, Bishop Bonner had six of these great Bibles
chained to pillars in different parts of St. Paul's, as well as an
"advertisement" fixed at the same places, "admonishing all that came
thither to read that they should lay aside vain-glory, hypocrisy, and
all other corrupt affections, and bring with them discretion, good
intention, charity, reverence, and a quiet behaviour, for the
edification of their own souls; but not to draw multitudes about them,
nor to make exposition of what they read, nor to read aloud in time of
divine service, nor enter into disputes concerning it."

There was no mistake as to the eagerness of the people to take
advantage of the opportunity. They assembled in crowds to hear such as
could read, and even, so says Burnet, sent their children to school
that they might carry them with them and hear them read.

It is not to be wondered at that Bonner soon found that his
Advertisement was powerless to check what he dreaded. Not only did
expounders dwell upon such words as "Drink ye all of it," but they
compared the clergy to the Scribes and Pharisees, and identified them
with the generation of vipers, and with priests of Baal. Accordingly,
he put forth a fresh advertisement, in which he said that "diverse,
wilful, and unlearned persons, contrary to all good order and honest
behaviour, have read the Scriptures especially and chiefly at the time
of divine service in this right honourable Catholic church, yea, in
the time of the sermon and declaration of the Word of God, in such
sort as was both to the evil and lewd example of the rest of the
multitude, and also to the high dishonour of the Word of God, over and
beside the great disturbance and unquietness of the people repairing
hither for honest purposes." And he declares that if this friendly
admonition be not attended to he will have the Bibles removed, but
that he shall do so very unwillingly, seeing that he "will be, by
God's grace, right glad that the Scripture and Word of God should be
well known."

There is a painful story in "Foxe's Martyrs," that one Jo