back to Bilney

"Since he was of a shy and bashful nature, he did not at first with boldness preach to the world. It is written that his vocation was prayer...pleading for souls".

Bilney was the leader of the protestant group in Cambridge. He and several others began meeting secretly in the White Horse Inn to discuss these new Lutheran teachings.

"Any evangelist would be proud to count among his converts those that Bilney made, names that stand high in the Reformation's hall of fame, persons without whom the English Reformation would perhaps not have been accomplished. Of Cambridge's eminent professors, Arthur, Thistle, and Stafford were the first to respond to him Latimer, Barnes, Lambert, Warner, Fooke and Soude were also among those he converted. All were men who place formost roles in the English Reformation." In fact, "he is known to have converted more great men among the English Reformers than did anyone else."

Others he was associated with were Tyndale and Frith. Bilney quietly attempted to fit his presentation of or conversation about the Gospel to the person he wished to convert.

His intensity in his love for His Savior and the Word of God must have seemed incandescent & the response to the Gospel would have reminded us of the effect of the Gospel in

Acts 2
40 And with many other words he [Peter] testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and prayers.
47 ...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Later Bilney became emboldened enough to preach. "It was not long, however, before opposition to his preaching developed. Twice monks forcibly drew him out of the pulpit."

This is only the beginning...

quoted material taken from the Friends of William Tyndale site. Information about Bilney specifically, is found here.