defended their doctrins even unto death. Among a variety of other names they were called Lollards from (3) one Walter Lollard, who preached in Germany about the year 1315 againft the authority of the pope, the interceffion of faints, the mafs, extreme unction, and other ceremonies and fuperftitions of the church of Rome; and was burned alive at Cologne in the year 1322. In England alfo they were denominated Lollards, tho' there was a man more worthy to have given name to the fect, the defervedly famous John Wickliff, the honor of his own and the admiration of all fucceeding times. Rector only of Lutterworth, he (4) filled all England, and almost all Europe with his doctrin. He began to grow famous about the year 1360 by preaching and writing againft the fuperftitions of the age; the tyranny of the pope, the erroneous doctrins and vicious lives of the monks and the clergy; and efpecially by defending the royal and ecclefiaftical' jurifdiction againft the ufurpations of the popes and mendicant friars. The more he oppofed, the more reafon he found for oppofition. He tranflated the canonical fcriptures into the English language, and wrote comments upon them. He demonftrated the antichriftianity of popery, and the abomination of defolation in the temple of God. He afferted the one true facrifice of Chrift, and oppofed the facrifice of the mafs, tranfubftantiation, the adoration of the hoft, the feven facraments, purgatory, prayers for the dead, the worship of faints and images, and in fhort all the principal corruptions and fuperftitions of the church of Rome. His fuccefs too was greater than he could have expected. The princes, the people, the univerfity of Oxford, many even of the clergy, favored and fupported him, and embraced his opinions. His enemies have charged him with feveral heterodox notions; but many years ago was published An apology for John Wickliff, showing his conformity with the now church of England, &c. collected out of his written works in the Bodleian library by Thomas James keeper of the fame,

(3) Dupin. ibid. Hoffmanni Lex. Spelman. Skinner, &c.

(4) H. Wharton in Append. ad

Cave. p. 60, &c. Spanhem. ibid. Cap. 6. Leland, Bale, Tanner, &c. &c,

at Oxford 1608. This truly great and good man died of a palfy the last day of the year 1387, but his doctrins did not die with him. His books were read in the public fchools and colleges at Oxford, and were recommended to the diligent perufal of each student in the univerfity, till they were condemned and prohibited by the council of Conftance in the next century. His followers the Lollards in the year 1395 prefented (5) a remonftrance to the parliament, which contained thefe with other articles; that when the church of England began to mifimanage her temporalities in conformity to the precedents of Rome, faith, hope, and charity began to take their leave of her communion; that the English priesthood derived from Rome, and pretending to a power fuperior to angels, is not that priesthood which Chrift fettled upon his apoftles; that injoining celibacy to the clergy was the occafion of fcandalous irregula rities in the church; that the pretended miracle of tranfuftantiation runs the greatest part of chriftendom upon idolatry; that exorcifms and benedictions pronounced over wine, bread, water, the mitre, the cross, &c. have more of necromancy than religion in them; that prayer made for the dead is a wrong ground for charity and religious endowments; that pilgrimages, prayers, and offerings made to images and croffes, are near of kin to idolatry; that auricular confeffion makes the priests proud, lets them into the fecrets of the penitent, gives opportunities for intrigues, and is attended with fcandalous confequences, as well as the doctrin of indulgences; that the vow of fingle life undertaken by women in the church of England is the occafion of horrible disorders, &c. Some falfe tenets might be contained in the fame remonftrance; for alas, who is there that holdeth the truth without any mixture or allay of error? They denied the infallibility of the pope, and they could not well pretend to be infallible theinfelves.

Two things contributed much to the revival of learning in the fifteenth century, the Greeks flying with their books from Conftantinople which the Turks had taken,

(5) Walfingham, Stow, Spelman, Collier's Ecclef. Hift. B. 6. p. 596, &c.

and

and the invention of printing. As learning more re vived, fo the truth prevailed more; and the more the truth prevailed, the fury of perfecution increased in proportion. Wickliff himself had been permitted to die in peace; but after his death (6) his doctrins were condemned, his books were burnt, his very body was dug up and burnt too, by a decree of the council of Conftance, and the command of pope Martin V, executed by Richard Fleming bishop of Lincoln, His followers however were not difcouraged, and many of them witneffed a good confeffion even unto death. William Sawtre, parish priest of St. Ofith in London, (7) hath the honor of being the firft who was burnt for herefy in England; which was done in the reign of Henry IV, at the beginning of this century. A few years afterwards Thomas Badby (8) was convicted of herefy, and ordered alfo to be burnt in Smithfield. Henry prince of Wales was prefent at his execution: and the poor man fhowing very fenfible figns of the torment he endured, the prince out of compaffion commanded the fire to be removed, and promised him pardon, and a penfion for life, provided he would retract his errors. But Badby being come to himself, refolutely rejected this offer; he chose rather to die with a good, than to live with an evil confcience; and fo the fire was kindled again, and he was confumed to afhes. In the next reign Sir John Oldcaftle, baron of Cobham, (9) was profecuted for being the principal patron and abettor of the Lollards. Being examined before the archbishop of Canterbury, he declared against tranfubftantiation, penances, the worshipping of the cross, the power of the keys; and afferted that the pope was Antichrift and the head of that body, the bishops were the members, and the friers, the hinder parts of the antichriftian fociety. He was therefore pronounced a heretic convict, and delivered over to the fecular power.

But before the day fixed for his execu

tion he escaped out of prifon; and being charged by his enemies with endeavouring to make an infurrection, he was outlawed for high treafon; and being taken afterwards, he was hanged as a traitor, and burnt hanging as an heretic, being the firft nobleman in England who fuffered death for the caufe of religion. It was the great blot and stain of Henry the fifth's reign and character, that while he was carrying the glory of the English arms abroad, he was ftill perfecuting the poor Lollards at home. But notwithstanding thefe perfecutions, and the fevereft laws and proclamations against them, their numbers still increased, not only among the people, but even in parliament, not only in England, but even in foreign countries, and especially in Bohemia, For there (1) John Hufs and Jerome of Prague having received Wickliff's books, advanced and propagated the fame doctrins; for which they were both condemned to the flames, and fuffered death with the most heroic fortitude. It was a moft unjuft fentence, contrary to all faith and the folemn engagement of a fafe conduct, and drew after it the moft fatal confequences. For out of their afhes a civil war was kindled; the Bohemians revolted against the emperor, and maintained and defended their opinions by arms as well as by arguments. What the opinions generally received among the Bohemians were, we may learn with fome exactnefs from one, who had opportunities of being well informed by living and converting fome time among them, and was far from being prejudiced in their favor, Eneas Sylvius, who being afterwards chofen pope affumed the name of. Pius II. Thefe then were (2) their opinions according to him, who, we may be certain, would not reprefent them

(1) Spanhemii Hift. Chriftian. Sec. XV. Cap. 6 et 7. Dupin Siecle XV. Chap. 7. Lenfant. Hift. Conc. Pif. et Conftance.

(2) Uffer. de Chriftian. Ecclef. fucceffione et ftatu. Cap. 6. Sect. 16. Allix's Remarks upon the antient church of Piedmont. Chap. 22. Eneas Sylv. Hilt. Bohem. Cap. 35.

Romanum præfulem reliquis epif copis parem effe.

Inter facerdotes nullum difcrimen; prefbyterum non dignitatem, fed vitæ meritum efficere potiorem.

Animas e corporibus excedentes, aut in æternas e veftigio pænas mergi, aut perpetua confequi gaudia.

Purgatorium ignem nullum inve

niri.

Vanum effe orare pro mortuis, et avaritiæ facerdotalis inventum.

Dei

n better, if he would not reprefent them worfe, than y were in reality.

The pope of Rome is equal with other bishops. Among priests there is no difference; not dignity, ut merit giveth the preference.

Souls departing out of bodies, are immediately ther plunged into eternal punishments, or attain ernal joys.

There is no purgatory fire.

It is in vain to pray for the dead, and an invention f prieftly covetoufnefs.

The images of God and the faints ought to be eftroyed.

The bleffing of water and palm branches is ridiulous.

The religion of the mendicants was invented by evil

emons.

Priefts ought to be poor, content with alms alone. Every one hath free liberty to preach the word of -od.

i et fan&torum imagines delen

quarum palmarumque benedics irridendas.

endicantium religiones malos dæs inveniffe.

cerdotes pauperes effe debere, fotentos eleemofynâ.

beram cuique prædicationem verei patere.

llum capitale peccatum, quanis majoris mali vitandi gratia, Endum.

i mortalis culpæ reus fit, eum ⇒ feculari, neque ecclefiaftica dige potiri, neque parendum ei. nfirmationem, quam chrifmate fices inducunt, et extremam uncn inter ecclefiæ facramenta micontineri.

ricularem confeffionem nugacem fufficere fua quamque Deo in fuo conqueri peccata. ptifma fluvialis undæ, nullâ intâ facri olei mixturâ recipien

gantur tellure humana corpora nihil diftare.

Templum Dei latè patentis ipfum 'mundum effe; coarctare majeftatem ejus, qui ecclefias, monafteria, oratoriaque conftruunt, tanquam propitior in eis divina bonitas inveniatur.

Sacerdotales veftes, altarium orna. menta pallas, corporalia, calices, patinas, vafaque hujufmodi nil habere momenti.

Sacerdotem quocunque loco, quocunque tempore facrum Chrifti corpus conficere poffe, petentibufque miniftrare; fufficere, fi verbis facramentalia tantum dicat.

Suffragia fanctorum in cœlis cum Chrifto regnantium fruftra impetrari, quæ juvare non poffunt.

In canonicis horis cantandis dicendifque fruftra tempus teri.

Nulla die ab opere ceffandum, nifi quæ Dominica nunc appellatur.

Celebritates fanctorum prorfus rejiciendas.

Jejuniis quoque ab ecclefiis infti