it is not my province to examine, held * " that if a bishop or priest be in deadly fynne, he doth not order, confecrate, nor baptize; † that ecclefiaftical minifters should not have any temporal poffeffions, nor property in any thing, but should begge. He condemned lawful oaths, favouring therein, faith Ofiander, of anabaptism. He also taught that all things come to pass by absolute neceffity." And lastly, he held, as Melanchton termed it, a feditious doctrine, and mother of rebellion; § "That there is no civil magistrates whilst he is in mortal fin, and that the people may at their pleafure correct princes, when they offend." And accordFied to foment ing to this principle, Mr. Stow informs us, "The favourers of Wickliffe's doctrine did nayle up schedules upon the church dores of London, conteyning, that there was a hundreth thousand men ready to ryfe against all fuch, as could not away with (i. e. follow) their fect."

rebellion.

Acts & Mon. p. 96. a. Art. 4. b. Art. 15. & Ofiander Epit. Hift. Ecc. Cent. 9, 10, 11. p. 452. Art. 4. + Acts & Mon. p. 96. & 93. Art. 12. & Ofiander, ubi fupra, p. 458. Art. 36.

Oñander, ubi fupra, p. 459. Art. 43.

Ofiander in Ep. Cent. 9, 10. 11, &c. p. 455. Art. 17.
Stowe's Annal. &c. p. 550. poft med.

opinions of

doctrines.

Of these opinions there could but be one Melanchton's true judgment, which Melanchton feems to Wickliffe's have very justly expreffed. De domino civili fophifticè planè & feditiofè rixatur; he fquabbles about the civil magiftrate clearly in a very fophiftical and feditious manner. And infaniit Wicklevus, qui fenfit impios nulium dominium habere; Wickliffe was mad when he thought, that wicked men could have no property nor power. And lastly,. not to tire my readers with redundant quotations, † Miras tragedias excitavit Wicklevus, qui contendit eos, qui non habent fpiritum fanctum amittere dominium, & colligit multas fophifticas rationes ad confirmandum hoc dogma, &c.; Wickliffe occafioned wonderful tragedies by holding, that those, who were not poffeffed of the holy ghost (ie. who were not in the state of grace) loft all right to property or power, and he collects many fophiftical arguments to confirm his opinion.

Few accounts are, I believe, more variously reported by English hiftorians, than the hiftory of Sir John Oldcastle, who was

Mel. en Ep. ad Fred, Micon. in lib. Epistol. Zuinglii & Ecolampad. p. 622. and Ofiand. in Epit. Hift. Eccl. Cent. 9, 10, 11, 12. p. 454. Art. 15. & Conc. Conft. Seff. 8. Art. 15.

+ Barrington's Obfervations on the Ancient Statutes,

P. 347.

M m 3

the

Sir John Old

caftle's history

often mifrepre

fented.

caftle's trea

the great patron, fupporter, and the martyr
of the Wickliffites, or, as they were in those
days generally called the Lollards. Few
authors fince the reformation give credit to
the chroniclers of thofe times, who being
generally monks are fufpected of par-
tiality. There are however fufficient facts
allowed by all hiftorians for us to form an
undoubted and unbiaffed judgment upon the
real cause of his death; and Mr. Stowe, who
dedicated his work to the archbishop of Can-
terbury fince the reformation, barring his
perfonal impartiality and credit as an hif
torian, appears from this circumstance to
command the belief of all parties, when he
Speaks of Sir John Oldcastle.

After the relation of the rebellion raised
by him and his men in St. Giles's Field, and
how many were put to death for the fame,
he informs us, that Sir John Oldcastle
efcaped out of prifon and lived abroad as an
outlaw for four or five years, and after that,

Sir John Old" molefting a great part of England with fonable prac riding, roving, and spoylinge in the absence tices in Eng of K. Henry, that was accupied in warres beyond the feas. Whilst these things were in

Jand.

• Vid. Barrington's Obfervations on the Ancient Statutes, p. 347.

+ Stowe's An. 5 H. V. p. 570, & feq.

1

doing (beyond the fea) by the king, the fauourers of Syr John Oldcastle beganne to rage in England, who with great profers and promises of money ftyrred up the Scotts to invade the realme in the king's abfence, affirminge the fame would be easily wonne. And it was faid, that Syr John Oldcastle talked with William (Douglass) the Scott, at Pomfrett, promising him a great fumme of money to perfuade the people to come with him, and to bringe with him him, who was falfely I called K. Richard the II. and to fet him up as king. Also indentures and other wrytings were found, made betwixt Syr John Oldcaftle and the Duke of Albany in Scotland, wherein the Scotts were inuited to befeege Rookefborow and Barwicke, &c.

"Towards the end of the yeare 1417 Syr John Oldcastle was taken by chance in the

territory of the Lord Poweffe neere the borders of Wales, not without danger and hurt of fome, that tooke him; neyther could he himfelfe be taken before he was wounded. He was brought up to London in a litter wounded during the parliament, and there examined. As foone as Syr John Oldcastle was brought into the parliament before the king's brother, the duke of Bedford, regent and gouernour of the realme, and the other ftates,

Mm 4

Sir John Old prifoner.

castle taken

Queftioned in

parliament up

ftates, his indightment was read before him, of his forcible infurrection against the king in Saint Gyles Field, and other treafons by him committed. The queftion was asked, how on his treafon he would excufe himselfe, and fhew why he fhould not be deemed to dy? But he feeking other talke, began to preach of the mercyes of God, and that all mortall men, that would be followers of God ought to preferre mercy aboue judgment. And that vengeance perteyned only to the Lord, and ought not to be practifed by them, that worshipped God, but to be left to God alone. With many other words to detract tyme, untill the cheefe juf tice admonished the regent not to fuffer him to fpend the tyme fo vaynely, &c. But he againe began to talke nothing to the purpose, untill the cheefe juftice commaunded him to anfwere finally, why he fhould not fuffer death. To which he ftoutly answered, that he had no judge among them, fo long as his liege lord K. Richard was aliue, and in the Condemned as realme of Scotland. Which anfwere when he had made, because there needed no further witneffe, he was condemned to be drawne and hanged upon a gallowes, and to be burned hanging upon the fame. Which judgment was executed on him on the 14th of December, in Saint Gyles Field. Where many honorable