This is part 6 of a 15 part series examining the historical antecedents of the Anglican Communion.
But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; “He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Psalm 22: 6-8
It is nearly impossible for us to imagine the situation today. Under the reign of Henry VIII, the act of translating the Scriptures into English was treated as heresy.
“Many children of iniquity, maintainers of Luther’s sect, blinded through extreme wickedness, wandering from the way of truth and the Catholic faith, craftily have translated the New Testament into our English tongue … which truly, without it be speedily foreseen, without doubt will contaminate and infect the flock committed unto us, with most deadly poison and heresy, to the grievous peril and danger of the souls committed to our charge, and the offence of God’s Divine Majesty.” –William Tunstall, Bishop of London, Proclamation signed in 1526.
The Bishop was responding to the recent appearance in England of copies of the New Testament printed in English. The source of those books was a man named William Tyndale, the first person ever to translate large portions of Scripture directly from Hebrew and Greek into English. Tyndale had printed his translations first in Cologne, but most of his work was seized before the project was finished. He fled to Worms , where he completed a few thousand copies, and began smuggling them into England. Authorities sought these ought and burned them whenever they could find them.
The church could not really maintain that it was a crime or heretical per se to translate Scriptures into the vernacular so that people might read and understand them. But the church could disagree with a translator’s choice of language. And if the translation included commentary, and the commentary disagreed with the church on doctrinal issues, the translation could be branded as heretical. Tyndale was a Protestant who believed in salvation by faith alone. And his translation included commentary.
Tyndale’s translation was denounced by leading bishops and by Thomas More. Cardinal Wolsey, who was serving Henry VIII as Lord Chancellor, demanded his arrest and trial as a heretic. Tyndale was on the continent, probably in Germany at first and later in the Netherlands, and he continued his work, including a translation of the Pentateuch and the book of Jonah. Henry VIII asked the emperor to arrest him and return him to England. In 1535 he was betrayed to Imperial authorities and arrested in Antwerp. He was brought to a castle near Brussels where he was imprisoned for more than 18 months.
In 1536 he was tried for heresy and condemned to burning at the stake. His executioner, in an act of mercy, strangled him before lighting the fires.
Father, our ancestors have made martyrs of faithful Christians. We have executed people for holding incorrect beliefs, for holding beliefs with which we disagree, and for speaking out against errors committed by the church. In our arrogance we have not admitted our own errors, but instead punished those who point them out. We execute martyrs in cruel and painful ways.
Father, these sins echo down even to our generation. There are yet Christians martyrs in the world. There are yet those who are persecuted for their beliefs, even in Europe and North America. We attempt to impose our beliefs on others by dint of force and power.
Have mercy, Father. Use the blood shed by Jesus on the cross to cleanse the sins of our ancestors and our own sins. Wipe clean this stain on our history. Restore us. Break the cycle of repeated sins. Free us from bondage to this history. Begin a new creation in which you are our God and we are your people.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord and true King.
Amen.
Posted by anglicanprayer 
