The History of the Puritans, Or Protestant Non-conformists

145. Line 15, to the word predestination, subjoin Cranmer's Mem. p. 351, 2, 3. Appendix, p. 83. 162. To the beginning of the paragraph subjoin, Strype's Ann. vol. i. p. 2, 51, 175. And to the end of it, Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. ii. p. 376.

163. To the beginning of the second paragraph subjoin, Strype's Ann. vol. i. p. 103, 105.

191. In the references at the bottom, after Parker, add p. 46.

193. To the top subjoin, Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 72, 73.

218. Add to the reference at the bottom, Strype's Ann. vol. ii. p. 555.

224. To the second reference at the bottom add, after 30, Strype's Ann. vol. i. p. 173. 232. To the last paragraph of note subjoin, Strype's Ann. vol. i.

p. 459.

270. To the beginning of the second paragraph subjoin, Strype's Ann. vol. i. p. 623.
279. To the reference at the bottom add, Life of Parker, p. 312.

294. To the reference at the bottom add, Pierce's Vindic. p. 45, 46.
309. To the second reference at the bottom add, Life of Parker, p. 423.
318. To the reference at the bottom add, Strype's Ann. vol. ii. p. 288.
320. In the last references after 263 add, 343. MS. Life of Parker, p. 479.
336. To the second reference at the bottom add, Strype's Ann. vol. ii. p. 323.
344. To the second reference add, Life of Parker, p. 352, 3, 4.

vol. i. p. 622.

Appendix, p. 47. Strype's Ann.

407. To the beginning of the page subjoin, Strype's Life of Whitgift, p. 4.

486. To puritanical principles subjoin, Strype's Ann. vol. i. p. 472. vol. ii. p. 451.-To a severe persecutor, subjoin, Life of Parker, p. 428, 438. Pierce's Vindic. p. 89.

553. To the beginning of the second paragraph subjoin, Lord Chancellor King's speech at Sachever el's trial, fol. 81, 290. "If these be wholesome severities, let human nature determine ; but I "believe," says his lordship, "that there is not one person here," (among the lords and commons of Great Britain) " but if these severities were to be inflicted on himself, would be far ⚫ from thinking them wholesome, and desire to be excused from them."

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

PURITAN S.

CHAP. I.

THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII.

KING William the Conqueror having got possession of the crown of England, by the assistance of the see of Rome; and King John having afterwards sold it, in his wars with the Barons; the rights and privileges of the English clergy were delivered up into the hands of the Pope, who taxed them at his pleasure, and in process of time drained the kingdom of immense treasures; for besides all his other dues, arising from annates, first-fruits, peter-pence, &c. he extorted large sums of money from the clergy for their preferments in the Church. He advanced foreigners to the richest bishopricks, who never resided in their dioceses, nor so much as set foot upon English ground, but sent for all their profits to a foreign country; nay, so covetous was his Holiness, that before livings became void, he sold them provisionally among his Italians, insomuch, that neither the King nor the clergy had any thing to dispose of, but every thing was bargained for before-hand at Rome. This awakened the resentments of the legislature, who in the 25th year of King Edward III. passed an act, called the Statute of Provisors, to establish, "That the King, and other Lords, "shall present unto benefices of their own, or their ances"tor's foundation, and not the Bishop of Rome." This act enacted, "That all forestalling of benefices to foreigners "shall cease: and that the free elections, presentments, and "collations of benefices, shall stand in right of the crown, or VOL. I.

"of any of his Majesty's subjects, as they had formerly en"joyed them, notwithstanding any provisions from Rome."

But still the power of the court of Rome ran very high, for they brought all the trials of titles to advowsons into their own courts beyond sea; and though by the 7th of Richard II. the power of nomination to benefices, without the King's license, was taken from them, they still claimed the benefit of confirmations, of translations of Bishops, and of excommunications; the Archbishops of Canterbury and York might still, by virtue of bulls from Rome, assemble the clergy of their several provinces, at what time and place they thought fit, without leave obtained from the crown: and all the canons and constitutions concluded upon in those synods were binding, without any farther ratification from the King: so that the power of the Church was independent of the civil government. This being represented to the parliament of the 16th of Richard II. they passed the statute commonly called PRÆMUNIRE, by which it was enacted, "That if any did purchase translations to be"nefices, processes, sentences of excommunications, bulls, "or any other instruments from the court of Rome, against "the king or his crown; or whoever brought them into Eng"land, or did receive or execute them, they were declared "to be out of the King's protection, and should forfeit their "goods and chattels to the King, and should be attached by "their bodies if they may be found, and brought before the King and Council, to answer to the cases aforesaid; or that "process should be made against them, by præmunire facias, "in manner as it is clained in other statutes of provisors; "and other which do sue in any other court in derogation "of the regality of the King." From this time the Archbishops called no more convocations by their sole authority, but by license from the king; their synods being formed by a writ or precept from the crown, directed to the Archbish ops, to assemble their clergy, in order to consult upon such affairs as his Majesty should lay before them. But still their canons were binding, though confirmed by no authority but their own, till the act of submission of the clergy took place.

*Fuller's Church History, book iv. p. 145-148.

About this time flourished the famous John Wickliffe, the morning-star of the Reformation. He was born at Wickliffe, near Richmond in Yorkshire,* about the year 1324, and was educated in Queen's College, Oxford, where he was Divinity Professor, and afterwards parson of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire. He flourished in the latter end of the reign of King Edward III. and the beginning of Richard II. about one hundred and thirty years before the reformation of Luther. The University gave this testimonial of him after his death, "That from his youth to the time of his death, his "conversation was so praiseworthy, that there was never "any spot, or suspicion noised of him; that in his reading "and preaching he behaved like a stout and valiant cham

See the very valuable life of Wickliffe, published by the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Margate, which begins thus: "John de Wickliffe was born, "very probably, about the year 1324, in the parish of Wickliffe, near "Richmond, in Yorkshire, and was first admitted Commoner of Queen's "College, Oxford, then newly founded by Robert Egglesfield, S. T. B. "but was soon after removed to Merton College, where he was first pro"bationer, and afterwards fellow. He was advanced to the professor's "chair 1372. It appears by this ingenious writer, as well as by the "Catalogus Testium, that Wickliffe was for rejecting all human rites, "and new shadows or traditions in religion :—and with regard to the "identity of the order of Bishops and Priests in the apostolic age, he is "very positive. Unum audacter assero,—one thing I boldly assert, that "in the primitive Church, or in the time of the apostle Paul, two orders "of clergy were thought sufficient, viz. Priest and Deacon; and I do also "say, that in the time of Paul, fuit idem presbyter atque episcopus, a "priest, and a bishop were one and the same; for in those times the "distinct orders of Pope, Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, "Archdeacons, Officials, and Deans, were not invented."

Mr. Neal's review of the 1st vol. of the History of the Puritans, subjoined to the quarto edition of this history, vol. 1. p. 890. ED. To Mr. Neal's account of Wickliffe's sentiments, it may be added, that he advanced some tenets which not only symbolize with, but directly led to, the peculiar opinions of those who, called Baptists, have in subsequent ages formed a large body of Dissenters, viz." That wise men "leave that as impertinent, which is not plainly expressed in scripture ; "that those are fools and presumptuous which affirm such infants not to "be saved, which die without baptism; that baptism doth not confer, but "only signify grace, which was given before. He also denied, that all "sins are abolished in baptism; and asserted, that children may be sav "ed without baptism: and that the baptism of water profiteth not, with"out the baptism of the spirit." Fuller's Church History, B. iv. p. 130. Trialogus, lib. iv. cap. 1. ED.

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The History of the Puritans, Or Protestant Non-conformists: With ..., Volume 1