The history of popery, or, Pacquet of advice from Rome the fourth volume containing the lives of eighteen popes and the most remarkable occurrences in the church, for near one hundred and fifty years, viz. from the beginning of Wickliff's preaching, to the first appearance of Martin Luther, intermixt with several large polemical discourses, as whether the present Church of Rome be to be accounted a Church of Christ, whether any Protestant may be present at Mass and other important subjects : together with continued courants, or innocent reflections weekly on the distempers of the times.

The Proceedings against Dissenters, in the Raigns of King Richard the Second, and King Henry the Fourth.

WE have told you the severe Laws made against all those that in these dark Times durst open their Eyes and see farther than Popery, the Church then, as by Law establisht, thought fit to permit them; such Hereticks were generally call'd Lol∣lards, they were the Puritans, the Fanaticks, the Whigs, the Brummingham's of those days, and how busie the Magistrates especially of the Clergy, were to put the said Laws in Execu∣tion against them, will appear in the following account.

'Tis true, during the Raign of King Richard the Second we do not find any burnt to Death for the profession of Religion, but many were imprison'd, harrass'd, and in great trouble, and especially William Swinderby a Priest, and Walter Brute a Lay∣man, but Learned, and a Graduate of the University of Ox∣ford, the several Articles against whom, and their Answers thereunto, you may read at large in Foxes Acts and Monu∣ments, too tedious here to recite; I shall therefore only note, That John Bishop of Hereford having by solemn sentence denounced the said Swinderby to be an Heretick, Schismatick, and a false informer of the People, and to be avoided by all faithful Christians, He the said Swinderby did thereupon Appeal from such the Bi∣shops Sentence to the King and Council, by an Instrument under his hand, which, both in respect of the Matter, and of the English wherein it is written, being such as was then current, (now above 280 years ago) I shall trespass so far on the Rea∣ders patience as to repeat it verbatim.

IN nomine Patris, & Filii, & Spiritûs Sancti, Amen. I Wil∣liam Swinderby Priest, knowledge openly to all Men, That I was before the Bishop of Hereford the Third day of October, and be∣fore many other good Clerk••, to answer to certain Conclusions of the Faith I was accused of, and mine Answer was this: That if the Bi∣shop or any Man cou••h•• shew me by God's Law, that my Conclusions or my Answers were Errour or Heresie, I would be amended, and openly revoke them before all the people; but they sayden singly with word, That there was Errours in them, and bidden me subject me to the Bishop, and put me into his Grace, and revoke mine Errour, and shewed me nought by God's Law, ne Reason, ne proved which they weren. And for I would not knowledge me Guilty, so as I knew no Errour in them, of which I should, therefore the Bishop sate in Doom in mine absence, and deemed me an Heretick, a Schisma∣tick, and a teacher of Errours, and denounced me accursed, that I come not to correction of the Church; and therefore for this unright∣ful Judgment I appeal to the King's Justices for many other Causes.

One Cause is, For the King's Court in such matter is above the Bi∣shop's Court; for after the Bishop has accursed, he may not fear by his Law, but then mote he sech succour of the King's Law, and by a Writ of Significavit, put a Man in Prison.

The second Cause: For in cause of Heresie there liggeth Judg∣ment

of Death, and that doom may not be given without the King's Justices: For the Bishop will say, Nobis non licet interficere quenquam; that is, It is not lawful for us to kill any man, as they sayden to Pilate, when Christ should be deemed. And for I think that no Justice will give sodenly and untrue Doom, as the Bishop did, and therefore openly I appeal to hem, and send my Conclusions to the Knights of the Parliament, to be shewed to the Lords, and to be taken to the Justices to be well adviset, or that they given Doom.

The third Cause is, For it was a false Doom; for no M••n is a Heretick, but he that Masterfully defends his Errour or Heresie, and stifly maintains it: And mine Answer has always bene Condi∣tional, as the people openly knows, for ever I say, and yet say, and al∣way will; that if they cannen shew me by Gods Law that I have erret, I will gladly bene amendet, and revoke mine Errours, and so I am no Heretick, ne nevermore in Gods grace will ben en no wise.

The fourth Cause is, For the Bishop's Law that they deme Men by, is full of Errours and Heresies, contrary to the truth of Christ's Law of the Gospel. For there as Christ's Law bids us Love our Enemies, the Pope's Law gives us leave to hate them, and to sley them, and graunts Men pardon to werren again Heathen Men, and sley hem. And there as Christ's Law teach us to be merciful, the Bishop's Law teachs us to be wretchful; for Death is the greatest wretch that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mowen done on him that guilty is. There as Christs Law teaches us to blessen him that diseazen us, and to pray for him; the Popes Law teacheth us to Curse them, and in their great sentence that they usen, they presume to Dam hem to Hell that they cursen. And this is afoue Heresie of Blasphemy: There as Christ's Law bids us be patient, the Pope's Law justifies two Swords, that wherewith he smitheth the Sheep of the Church; and he has made Lords and Kings to swear to defend him and his Church. There as Christ's Law forbideth us Letchery, the Pope's Law justifies the abominable Whoredom of common Women, and the Bishops in some place have a great Tribute or Rent of Whoredom. There as Christ's Law bids to minister Spiritual things freely to the people, the Pope with his Law sells for Money, after the quantity of the Gift, as Pardons, Orders, Blessings, and Sacraments, and Prayers, and Benefices, and preaching to the People, as it is known amongst them. There as Christ's Law teaches Peace, the Pope with his Law assoiles Men for money to gader the People, Priests and other to fight for his Cause. There as Christ's Law forbids Swearing, the Pope's

Law justifies Swearing, and compels men thereto. Whereas Christ's Law teacheth his Priests to be Poor, the Pope with his Law justifies and maintains Priests to be Lords.

And yet the fifth Cause is, For the Pope's Law that the Bishops demen Men by, is the same unrightful Law that Christ was demet by of the Bishops with the Scribes and with the Pharisees; for right as at time they gaven more credens to the two false Witnesses that wit∣nessed against Christ, then they deden to all the people that witnesseden to his true Preaching and his Miracles: So the Bishops of the Pope's Law geven more Leven by their Law to two Hereticks and Apostates, or two comen Wymen that woulden witnesseden againes a Man in the cause of Heresie, than to thousands of people that were true and good. And for the Pope is this Antichrist, and his Law contrary to Christ's Law, fully I forsake this Law, and so I reed all Christen men; for thus by another point of this Law, they mighten conquer much of this World: For when they can, they by this Law present a a man an Heretick, his Goods shulen be forfet from him and his Heirs, and so might they lightly have two or three false Witnesses to Record an Heresie again what true man so hem liked. Herefore me thinks, that whatsoever that I am an Christen man, I may lawfully appeal from a false Dome of the Law, to be Righteo••sly demet by the trouth of God'd Law. And if this Appeal will n••••serve, I appeal openly to by Lord Jesu Christ that shall deme all the World, for he, I wot well, will not spare for no man to deme a trouth. And therefore I pray God Almighty with David in the Sauter Book, Deus Judi∣cium tuum Regi da, & Justitiam tuam Filio Regis, judicare populum tuum in Justitiâ, & pauperes tuos in Judicio: That is,

O God, give thy Judgment to the King, and thy Justice to the King's Son, to judge thy people in Justice, and thy poor ones in Judgment, &c.

What afterwards became of this Swinderby, we find not in History; but as for Walter Brute, having worried him a long time, they at last prevail'd with him to submit himself in a Scroll under his hand, in these words following.

I Walter Brute submit my self principally to the Evangelie of Jesus Christ, and to the determination of Holy Kirk, and to the General Councils of the Holy Kirk. And to the sentence and deter∣mination of the four Doctors of holy Writ, that is, Augustine, Am∣brose, Jerome, and Gregory. And I meekly submit me to your Correction as a Subject ought to his Bishop.—Fox, fo. 461.

Touching the Deposing of King Richard the Second, and the Ill-Favourites and Mis-government which originally occasion'd that Princes Misfortunes, being foreign to our Subject, we shall say nothing here. Those that desire to be satisfied therein, may read an excellent, tho short, Discourse, Entituled, The Life and Raign of King Richard the Second, printed not long since for the Publisher hereof, wherein a more full and true account is given thereof, than in any of our Histories extant in English.

As King Henry the Fourth, who was the Deposer of King Richard, was the first of all our English Kings that brought into mode the cruel burning of Christ's Saints for opposing the Pope and his wicked Doctrines, so as far as I can find the first Martyr in that kind, was one William Santre Priest, (whom elsewhere I find mention'd by the name of Sir William Chatris, Parish-Priest of the Church of St. Scithe the Virgin in London) who was con∣sumed by the Flames in the year of our Lord 1400. The Articles or Heretical Conclusions which he was charged to hold, were these:

1. Imprimis, That he should say, That he would not worship the Cross on which Christ suffered, but only Christ that suffered on the Cross.

2. That he would sooner worship a Temporal King, than the foresaid wooden Cross.

3. That he would rather worship the Bodies of the Saints, than the very Cross on which he hung, if it were before him.

4. That he would rather worship a Man truly contrite, than the said material Cross of Christ.

5. That if any Man would visit the Monuments of Peter and Paul, or go on Pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. Thomas or else∣where for the obtaining any benefit, he is not bound to keep his Vow, but may distribute the Expences that such a Journey would cost him in Alms to the Poor, and it would do as well.

6. That every Priest and Deacon is more bound to preach the Word of God, than to say the Canonical hours.

7. That after the pronouncing of the Sacramental words, the Bread remaineth of the same Nature it was before; neither doth it cease to be Bread.

Are not these, Christian Reader! mighty Crimes? And yet for these this poor Man was first very solemnly Degraded from all their pretended Holy Orders, and then most barbarously burnt as

aforesaid: Ought not such Examples make Protestant Englishmen fond of a Popish Successor, who must infallibly act over again the same Barbarities, when ever his bloody Clergy shall instigate him thereunto, upon themselves or their Posterity?

The next dying Witness to truth was one John Badby a Taylor, of the Diocess of Worcester, who was burnt in Smithfield, Anno 1409. His only Crime was for asserting, That the Sacrament consecrated by the Priest is not the very Body of Christ, but that still the Bread remained; and that when Christ sat at Supper with his Disciples, he had not his Body in his hand, to the intent to di∣stribute it to his Disciples, &c. And 'tis remarkable, that when he came to dye, and was put in a Tun or Vessel, and Fire put to him, he crying out (to the Lord, not to Men, as by the Sequel appear'd) Mercy, Mercy, the Prince (King Henry's eldest Son) being present, caused the Fire to be stopt, and made him large Offers, not only of Life, but of Preferment too, if he would change his Opinion; but he with a glorious Constancy refused those Temptations, and chose rather to Seal the Truth with his Blood, than betray it by a base Compliance with such worldly Allurements.

King Henry to confirm his ill got Soveraignty, resolving in all things to gratifie the Clergy, the Empire of the Pope and his Party became so strong in this Realm, that scarce any durst oppose them; the Bishops having got such an Ascendant on the King, and besides being Arm'd with the Statute we formerly recited, and with additional Constitutions of their own, power of Impri∣sonment, Temporal Sword, Fire, and Fagot, Reigned and Ruled as uncontroulable; so puft up with Pride, that they thought all things subject to their extravagant Power, and daily boasted how they would utterly extirpate Heresie, (as they call'd the Profes∣sion of the Truth) out of the Land. And indeed to the Eye of Humane Reason, nothing seem'd more easie to effect, under such advantageous Circumstances. But 'tis the nature of Truth to flourish by opposition, Premi potest non suppremi, It may be op∣prest, but never supprest. All their kicking was against the Pricks; Providence supported That, which they with united Councils, and Force, and Fraud, and Policy, and Power, thought to over∣throw, as will appear in the Sequel of this History. A fair war∣ning, would Men but be so wise as to heed it, of the vanity of such or the like attempts to all succeeding Generations.