Canterbury and to the Vicâ—châ—ncellor of Oxford Robert Riggs who was himself a fâ—vourer of Wickliff and for which he was afterwards displaced As to Wickliff himself he was fâ—in to sly and hide himself from the persecution of the Popish Prelats but God preserved him from their Malice and at last repairing to his parish of Luttâ—rworth where he was Parson he quietly and in Peace departed this Life about the beginning of the year 1384. But though they could not fully reak their malice on him whilst he lived yet when dead they shewed all the spite imaginable against his Books and Bones for at Oxford they caused all his Books they could light on to be publickly burnt They say he had wrote 200 volumes being a most painful sedulous writer as well as preacher of whom and of whose holy and godly life and Conversation the whole University of Oxford gave a publick Testimony under their hands and Seal in the Year 1406. Whose Doctrines also were publickly defended by John Hus of Bohemia who was martyred for the same But for all this the Popish Clergies inveterate malice against Wickliff appeared 41 years after he was buried for by a Decree of the Synod of Constance they caused this holy mans Bones to be dug out of his Grave and burnt and the Ashes to be flung into the River The Doctrine of Wickliff notwithstanding daily increased to the no small grief of the Popish Clergy and his Followers or those professing his Doctrines which were contrary to those of the corrupt Romish Church and many of them or most of them such as the Protestants now hold began then to be called Lollards for they had then Nick-names as well as now for such as profest the purer Light of the Gospel After Wickliff was gone they set themselves to suppress these Lollards as they called them the Pope interpreting the Word from Lollum Cocle or Darnel and one William Swinderly a Priest in 1389. was brought into great trouble by these men for holding and preaching some of Wickliff's Doctrines and was condemned by the Bishop of Hereford for an Heretick but Swinderly appealed to the King and to the Parliament and during King Richard's Reign he was protected from their Violence but it is thought he suffered Martyrdom afterwards in the days of King Hen. 4. when the Popish Clergy had got more power About the same time also they persecuted Walter Brute a Lay-Man but bred up in the Vniversity at Oxford and a graduate there accusing him of Heresie and for saying that the Sacrament of the Altar was not the very Body of Christ but a sign and memorial of him and that he had avouched the Pope to be Antichrist and that the Sentence given against Swinderly was unjust For these things he is brought before the Bishop of Hereford where he learnedly maintained his Assertions against them but being put to horrible Trouble and Vexation was forced at last to make a Submission which was that he submitted to the Censure of the Gospel the Church and General Councils and to St. Augustine Jerom Ambrose and Gregory and to his Bishop as his Subject And so he escaped at that time but whether he suffered afterwards is uncertain About this time Pope Boniface the 9th made a Bull against the Lollards and sent it to King Richard 2d who by the Instigation of Courtney then Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Hereford the Popes Legat issued out his Letters against the Lollards as Hereticks so that by this means many were forced to do Pennance and to abjure many were imprisoned and evilly intreated but during his Reign none were burnt The manner of doing Pennance The Town of Leicester was interdicted and many of them forced to do Pennance which was after this manner They went about the Cross bare-footed and bare-headed and nothing on their Bodies both Men and Women but their Shifts in one Hand a Crucifix in the other a large Wax Taper lighted and from thence marched to the Cathedral where they stood after they had made a procession about the Church all the time of Mass this also to be done three times during the Market After this manner they sought to punish such as made profession of the Gospel And about the same time the Londoners favouring one Peter Pateshull an Austin-Friar who having embraced the Doctrines of Wickliff preached against the corruptions of his Order many of them were converted by him and the Doctrines of Wickliff spread very much in the City For which they were malic'd by the Bishops and complained oâ— to the King who was so incensed against the Mayor and Sheriffs that he removed them from their Office and made Sir Edward Darlington Warden of the City and then removed his Court and the Terms to York thinking thereby to dispight the Londoners But this so alienated their Hearts that by losing their Love he also not long after lost his Crown and Life to Henry Duke of Lancaster called Henry the 4th The first Act for burning of Hereticks William Sawtry the first that was burnt Henry the 4th being but an Usurper and Tyrant was fain to comply with the Prelatical Clergy who had a great stroke in deposing their lawful Prince that he might the better assure himself of the Crown which he had unjustly taken Till now the Sufferings and Persecutions of the Lollards or such as made a profession of the purer Light of the Gospel was but slight in comparison of what they now began to suffer for there was as yet no Law for to put an Heretick to Death though they had made use of the afore-mentioned Statute in the 5th Year of King R 2d to molest trouble and imprison good and pious men but now in the 2d Year of this King Henry the 4th they obtained a Law or Statute for the burning alive such as were convict of Heresie made especially against the Lollards and the first that so suffered upon this Statute was William Sawtry the Parish Priest of St. Scithes in London who had preached against worshipping the Cross and the Images of Saints against Pilgrimages and Transubstantiation and other Popish Heresies for which he was cited before the Bishops and convicted of as they called it Heresie and then publickly degraded of all his Sacerdotal Ornaments aâ—d made a Lay-man and then delivered over to the secular Power to be put to death according to the new made Law which they had with great joy obtained for the extirpating the Lollards Thus the King who had deposed his lawful Prince and usurpt the Crown was the first that put men to death for Religion in England by the unmerciful burning of their Bodies at the Instigation of the cruel Popish Prelates And this William Sawtry was the first that so suffered for the Gospel by the Papists in England who was burnt Anno 1400. The burning of John Badby Taylor After this unusual Exeâ—ution of Sawtry a great fear and dread fell upon all the People but yet
the Persecutions of Papal Authority there were several who by the purer Light of the Gospel had discovered the great errours and many Abominations of that Church increasing in England that durst withstand the wickedness of the Priests Monks and Fryers and by writing and preaching oppose their wicked Actions and horrible doings and shew them to the World for which they were sure to run the risque of cruel and barbarous usage from their Hands suffer for a good Conscience adhering to the Doctrine of the Apostles and their Successors in the Primitive Times before the many Corruptions that now overwhelm the Romish Church were crept in amonâ— them These may be called dissenters from theâ—â— erronious Doctrines vicious Lives and evil pracâ—â—ces Among these in the time of King Edward thâ— third may be accounted the Author of the Ploâ—â—mans Complaint though he was not known whiâ—â— little Treatise put the Monks and Fryers inâ—o a Rage it so plainly laying open all their wickednesâ—â— and evil practices The Persecutions of Armachanâ—â— and the abominable errours and abuses of their Dâ—ctrines This did but whet the Rage of these eâ—â—l men and though they could not shew it to the Author of that wholsom Treatise they expresseâ— iâ— against his writing what they could and â—ad he been known his Life had been in danger The next that publickly owned the Pure light of the Gospel in those dark daies of blind Superstitâ—on and error was Richard Fitzrafe known by the name of Armichanus being by King Edward the 3d made Archdeacon of Litchfeild and then Commisâ—â—â— to the University of Oxford where he was bred â—â—der Bakenthorp and lastly Arch-Bishop of Armâ—â—â— in Ireland He preached in London openly agaâ—nst the Fryers for which he was cited to appear before Pope Innocent the 6th which he did and there to the death most valiantly opposed the Corruptions Crept into the Church both by preaching and writing being several ways persecuted by them He dyed in Avignion after 7 years banishment from his Native Country About this time in King Edw. the 3d's Reign and about the year 1367. That plotting and state coâ—founding Order of the Jesuites began to be knowâ— in the world in the 5th year of Pope Vrban the 5â—â— and the Papal Clergy in England being grown â—o odious to the laity through their vicious Lives aâ—â— evil Manners the Lords in Parliament desired the King that the great Offices of the Crown which were usually executed by the Clergy might be tâ—ken from them which accordingly were removed and put into the Hands of the Temporal Lords This K. also by Parliament holden in the 27th and 38th years of his Reign by statutes made the Popes Supremacy in England was much abated his Jurisdiction in this Realm much lessened and his Papal power restrained causing all Controversies in Law either Spiritual or Temporal to be determined in the Kings Courts and that if any one should appeal or Consent to an appellation made to the Court of Rome should incur the writ of Premunire being put out of the K's Protection Loss of Lands goods imprisonment during the Kings pleasure This begot or rather increased the Hatred of the Romanists against the Kings of England studying their ruin and overthrow for the setting up their arbitrary Papal Jurisdiction in this Land And about this time a certain Hermit disputed in St. Pauls against the Doctrine of the Sacrament for which they imprisoned him and kept him in hold till he dyed It is also to be observ'd that in the 5th year of the said King Ed. the 3d at a Parliament holden at Westminster the 24th April 1376. a Bill was preferred against the Usurpations of the Pope in England attributing thereunto all the Plagues Murrains Famines and Poverty that had invaded the Land and required a redress of many Grievances and incroachments of his usurpations rehearsing many particulars so that the Tyranny and usurpation of Rome was grown in those days intolerable and would now be much more so since they after this shewed an implacablâ— Rage against their opposers and all such who professed the purer Light of the Gospel or found fault with their erronious Doctrines and wicked Lives But the most eminent Light by God raised up in those daies and appearing bright and shining above the rest detecting the foul errors of the Romish Church was the famous John Wickliff from whom his followers dissenting from the Church of Rome were called Wickliffians whose story I shall give you in Brief In the reign of King Edir the 3d and much about the year of our Lord 1371. this Wickliff flowrished He was a Publick Reader of Divinity in the University of Oxford and reputed among them all for a great Clerk and man of learning and parts a deep Schoolman and well studied in the points of Divinity and also of Philosâ—phy of all kinds And with his strong Arguments and sound reasoning he confounded his opposers and made his very enemies acknowledge his abilities He was a man in great esteem of that valiant and prudent Princeâ—â—ing Edward being by him sent with Commission joyned with other Lords and Ambassadors into Iâ—aly to treat with he Popes Legats concerning affairs betwixt the King and the Pâ—pe The Chief business was that the Bishop of Rome should no more intermeddle in the Distribution of Benefices within his Kingdom but that all Bâ—shâ—ps that were under his Dominion should enjoy their former and ancient Liberty and be confirmed of their Metropolitans as had been in the Ancient times This set the Pope and Pâ—pish Clergy a raging and Wickliff being in this Matter nâ— small obstacle to them Confounding them with hâ—s learned Arguments so that they term'd him Heâ—â—ick as they still do all that stick fast to the rules of the holy Scriptures to the purer Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles they set themselves against him and endeavoured their utmost to ruine him Those days wherein he lived were daies of thick Eâ—â—pâ—â—â— Darkness and gross Ignorance and the people only retained the name of Christians having nothing of the nature of Christ in them or following his Example in any thing They were Idâ—latrous and taught by their Pâ—iests to worship nothing but what they saw Images and Cracifixes and indeed there was scarce any thing they saw that they did not worship as Reliques of Saints Consecrated Beads Aâ—â—us Dei's and such trumpery The Doctrine and Office of Christ was utterly unknown to the people noâ— the use of the Law and benefit of the Scriptures the power and efficacy of the Holy Ghost Free Grace Justification by Faith Remission of Sins and the like were never treated of Learâ—ing and Divinity was utterly unknown to the Priests and preaching fryers and those among them who seemed learned were meer Sophisters studying Aquinas and Scotus instead of St. Peter and Paul and led the blind and ignorant people into superstition Ceremonies and human Traditions which they taught iâ—stead of the Scripture in which
the whose scope of Christian perfection depends And thâ—s being wholly degenerated from the true Catâ—olick institution they fell into all manner of exâ—reâ—m tyranny and persecution changing the poverty and simplicity of Christ into Cruelty and wickedness of Life and manners Thus in these times of horrible Darkness and Ignorance and when there seemed â—o be no manner of spark of Christs pure doctrine left Wickliff by the providence of God sprung up and as a bright and shining light let the world see the errors and impieties of the Church of Rome After he had for a long time professed Divinity at Oxford and perceiving the true Doctrine of the Gospel to be defiled and adulâ—erated with many filthy â—â—rentions and after long debating with himself concerning the danger he should run into by going about to detect these errors so fast embraced by the Râ—mâ—sh Church and in medling with them who had power to crush him yet his mind being inspired of God he could not rest till he had set his study and bent to endeavour a Regulation by his preaching and teaching of these gross errours that were every where taught and maintained But fi st he began warily attempting his Adversaries with Logical and Metaphysicial Qâ—estions of the Formâ— of things and of the intelligible sâ—bâ—tance of the Creatures and such like which begaâ— attention to other matters which he soon began with great Art and learning to dispute of This stir'd up one Kâ—â—inghum a Carmelite to dispute against him by which meâ—n Wickliff fell upon the matter of the Sacrament their errors therein and other abuses in the Church But this bit so sore that it was not to be enâ—ured and a whoâ—e glut of Monks and Fryers fell into a Rage and madness against him fighting for their Gods their Altars their paunches and Bellies Then the Arch-Bishop Simon Sudberry deprived him of his Benefice which he had in Oxford However being befriended by many noblemen and in favour of the King he bare up against the Monks and Fryers his implacabâ—e Enemies and the Arch-Bishop himself till about the year 1377. He had for his special maintainors the great John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Kings Son and the noble Lord Henry Peircy both which were his great Friends embracing the Truth of His Doctrine and perceiving the impurity of that professed by the Roman Clergy together with their most abominable and vicious Life But for the appearing of this noble Duke for the Truth and siding with Wickliff the Romish Clergy perfectly hated him and the Bishop of Winchester most horridly asperses him of Bastardy making the Queen upon her Death bed to Confess it to him that he was not the Kings Son nor hers for lying in at Gaunt the child she had was Smother'd and fearing the Kings displeasure she caused this John of Gaunt being a poor womans Son then newly brought to bed supposititiously to be brought up instead of the dead Prince Thus for his owning Wickliff he had this wicked abuse put upon him by that proud Prelate But the Duke not induring the affront caused him to be condemned by Parliament and his temporalities confiscated and the said Bishop was prohibited to come within 20 miles of the Court But not long after by the means of Alice Pierce the Kings Minion being well brib'd and by the intercession of the whole Company of the Bishops he was again restored But now Wickliff as I said about the year 1377. was forbid to preach any more and cited to appear before the Bishops which was on the 19th of February The Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Henry Peircy both accompanied him and caused out of every order of the Fryers a Batchelour of Divinity to be chosen which were 4 to joyn with Wickliff and to Assist him But so great was the disorder and variance between the Bishop of London Courtney and the Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Henry Peircy in the behalf of Wickliff that nothing was done and the Assembly was broke up being held in St. Pauls Church the Duke and the Bishop threatning one another Thus he escaped at this time and Continued unmolested all the time of King Edward the 3d but afterwards in the Reign of King Richard the Second though he was a favourer of Wickliffs Doctrines yet the Duke and Lord Peircy not intermedling in the Affairs of state as before but living privatly the Bishops took their time to trouble him again and exhibited several Articles against him to Pope Gregory the 11th who presently sends his bull to Oxford for the Apprehending of Wickliff and for the silencing him and rooting out his Doctrines and writes also to the King against him The Bishops now hoping to ruine this holy man cite him a Second time who appeared but there came a Command to them from the King not to give any definitive sentence against him so that he by that means escaped them a 2d time Not long after the Rebellion of Jack-straw breaking forth and the Kingdom in a Combustion the Bishops perceiving the Doctrine of Wickliff dayly to increase and that he had many followers they procured the Vicechancellour of Oxford William Barton in the year 1380 to put forth an Edict against Wickliff and his followers which again brought him into trouble not having his former supports to help him and his Articles which he had maintained so stoutly against the force of his Adversaries were condemned as Heretical in 1382. About the same time one Hereford with Rippington and Ashton all Batchelours of Divinity were cited before the Bishops persecuted for holding the tenents of Wickliff and Hereford and Rippington were excommunicated Also one Thomas Hillman a Batchellor of Divinity was at the same time troubled by them for the same cause Hitherto there was no Law to burn any man for Religion and had they been contented with the power of excommunication it had been well and had not stirred up the Civil Magistrate to be their bloody and Cruel executioners so that we may account these first Persecutions but light But now their malice rage being increased the K. being but young and overawed by the Pope and the proud and imperious clergy of the Land who bore great sway they circumvented the King got surreptitiously a statute made without notice of the Commons called an Act of the Parliament holden at Westminster An. 5. Rich. 3. l. in which power was given to Sheriffs and other Civil Magistrates to imprison any for Religion upon the Certificates of the Bishop which caused great Persecutions but this Act was shortly after repealed at the intreaty of the Commons However the Bâ—shops supressed the knâ—wlâ—dge of this Repealing and unjustly under colour of the former Act wrought horrible troubles against all such as opposed them or were fâ—vouâ—ers of Wickâ—iff and they also so wrought upon the King that he sent forth his Letters against Wicâ—â—â—f and for the suppression of his Doctrine both to the Arch-Bishop of
God would not leave his People without Testimony for notwithstanding this cruel Act many maintained the Trâ—ch and among the rest one John Badby an Artificer and Lay-man who w â—â—he next thâ—t suffered in the Year 1409. He was convicted before Tho. Arundel Archbishop of Canterbuâ—y with other Bishops his Assistants of certain Articles in which he is said to affirm that the consecrated Wafer was not the real Body of Christ which he averred to be true to the face of all the Bishops and gave his Reasons for the same upon which they pronounced Sentence against him as an Heretick he remaining constant to the Death and could not be wrought upon by any persuasions to give his Conscience the Lye upon which he was delivered over to the secular Power who had got the Kings Writ ad combâ—rendum Haereticum by force of which he was brought to Smithfield and there put into an empty Barrel and bound with Chains to a stake with Fagots a bout him and being in this posture they brought the Sacrament to him in great Pomp asking him how he believed it and whether he would yet recant and save his Life but he told them he believed it to be hallowed Bread and not Gods Body upon which they set Fire to the Fagots upon the seeling of which he cried Mercy and the Prince being present caused the sire to be withdrawn endeavouring to save him and promising him a Pension but he refused all remaining constant inflamed with the Love of God and calling on the name of Jesus the Fire was renewed and he was burnt to Ashes The Statute Ex Officio The Cruelties of the Popish Bishops with their power more and more encreasing by their influence on the said King in the same Parliament they procured the Statute Ex Officio in which it was enacted that no man within the Realm should preach privily or openly without Licence obtained of the Ordinary nor that any should presume to teach preach or write any thing contrary to the Catholick Faith or determination of the holy Church as they then called that of Rome nor keep or frequent any Conventicles or any manner of Schools touching the Sect of the Wickliffians And that any person having any heretical Books Writings or Schrols containing the Wicked Doctrines of Wickliff should within 40 days after Proclamation of this Statute bring them to the Ordinary of the place And if any shall do contrary to any of these Commands the Ordinary by vertue of this Statute within the precincts of his Diccess may imprison them at his pleasure in his own prisons or any others vehemently suspected to be infected with or a favourer of such Doctrines and heretical Opinions until he or they shall by order of Law purge themselves of such Opinions or else openly recant the same And that also the said Ordinary have power to fine such person or persons for the King and to return such Fines into the Exchequer and further such person or persons convict by the Ordinary and his Commissaries he may keep him or them in their own prisons at his Discretion and further if the said persons so convicted remain obstinate and will not abjure or recant their Opinions that then they shall be delivered over to the secular power and the Mayor Sheriffs and other Officers of the County City or Burrough being present after Sentence pronounced against them shall take the persons so offending and sentenced and cause them to be openly burnt in the sight of the people The Arch-Bishops Constitutions This cruel Statute being obtained the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Arundel put forth certain Constitutions to be observed That no man should undertake to preach without a Licence from the Ordinary and they to be limited what to say That none should suffer any to preach in their Churches unless they produce such Authority That whosoever should preach contrary to order should be severely punished by his Ordinary That no School-Masters shall teach Children any thing of Religion nor suffer their Scholars to expound the Scriptures nor permit them to dispute concerning the Catholick Faith the Sacraments c That none of Wickliffs Books be kept in any School house or place nor Sold by any Bookseller That no man dare to undertake to translate the Scriptures or any part of them into English That no publick disputes be made concerning the Sacrament or any other points of the Catholick Faith None to speak against Images processions Tapers Crucifixes c. under penalty of being proceeded against as Hereticks With several others of the like kind which I here omit But by this the Reader may judge what Tyranny oppression and cruelty goes along with the Popish Religion and what we must expect to have here again if ever it comes to be set up in this Realm which God forbid Notwithstanding all this severity many thorowout the Land professed the Gospel some Publickly and others privately some stoutly induring Persecution and others through fear forced against their Consciences to Recant Among the rest one William Thorp was very much persecuted by the Arch-Bishop Arundel who in a very learned manner defended himself wrote a certain book called his Testament in which he fully laid open the corruptions and vices of the Popish clergy What became of this man is uncertain but 't is most likely that he died in their Prisons for they kept many in perpetual durance and obscure that none could tell what became of them So one John Ashton another professor was kept in Prison till he dyed in the year 1382. Poor men doing Pennance John Purvey also had great trouble about the same time by the said Arch-Bishop who at last was forced to Recant to get out of their cruel clutches This proud and imperious Prelat Arundel caused several poor men for neglect of bringing straw to his Stables as they were ordered to undergo penance bare footed and bare headed with each a great burthen of straw at his back going before the procession on which some one wrote these verses These Baggs full of straw we bear on our backs Because my Lords Horse his Litter did Lack If ye be not good to my Lord Graces horse Ye are like to go barefoot before the Cross After the Death of King Henry the 4 in the year of the Reign of his Son King H. 5th the Prelats procured another statute de Comburendo Heretico in which it was ordained that all such who would not abjure these opinions of the Lollards contrary to the received Catholick Faith should after conviction forfeit all their goods and chattels and their bodies openly burnt alive And upon this and the former statute Sr. Roger Acton Knight John Brown John Beverly and others to the number of 36 persons were burnt in St. Gyles's fields in January 1413. The cruel Persecution of the Lord Cobham The next noted man who was persecuted by these Tyrannical bloodsuckers was Sr. John Oldcastle Ld. Cobham who was a favourer