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.

A Preliminary Discourse to this Fourth Volume. The History of John Wickliff, his Parts, Doctrines, &c. with a brief Draught of the Complexion of those Times.

IN our three foregoing Tomes we have trac'd the Roman Lucifer from his very Cradle, and pursued him in all his subtle windings, 'till we found him mounted aloft, exal∣ting himself above all that is called God, disposing of the Crowns and Kingdoms of Princes at his pleasure, and trampling their Royal Necks under his audacious Feet. We have also par∣ticularly considered the Rise and Progress of the Apostacy, under what pretences the respective Errors, Superstitions, and Ido∣latries crept into the Church, and how they were entertain'd and promoted from time to time by the Pope and his Clergy, in order to gratifie their own Pride and Covetousness.

Thus have we follow'd the Thread of the Story to the 14th Century, at which time it pleased God to raise up Wickliff an English-man, who, more loud than any before him, sounded

the Alarm-Bell of Reformation, and by continual preaching and writing against the lazy Friars and their Fopperies, that the Impression; (altho his wicked Enemies burnt the good Man's Bones long after) made in the Minds of Men by his Doctrines, could never be totally effaced, but remain'd more or less in several parts, even 'till Luther's days: And indeed it wa•• high time for some such burning and shining Light to arise, for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all the World sat in darkness, and the shadow of Death. The name of Christianity was left, but scarce any thing else; the true ••nd lively Doctrine of our Blessed Lord and Saviour, was for the most part as unknown to those who call'd themselves after his Name, as to the Heathen themselves. The vileness of our natural State, the strength and turpitude of Sin, the end and use of the Law, the Offices of Christ, and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, the Nature of Faith, the true works of Grace, and liberty of a Christian Man, &c. were Points neither under∣stood, nor enquired after. There was rarely a word of Scri∣pture mentioned; Divinity and Learning were both confin'd close Prisoners to the Schools, and there miserably perverted into Cobweb Notions, and wrangling Sophistry. Instead of rea∣ding the Evangelists and St. Paul, Men spent their time and Brains in studying the crabbed perplexities of Scotus, and the Master of the Sentences, and the World forsaking the vivifying Power of God's Spiritual Word and Doctrine, was altogether first blinded, and then led with external gawdy Pomp, dazling Ceremonies, and multiplied humane Traditions. Scarce any thing else being seen in the Churches, heard in their Sermons, or intended in all their ••evotions; so that the People were taught to worship nothing but what they saw, and they saw almost no∣thing which they did not worship: Witness the multitudes of Images, Crosses, Pictures, Reliques, Shrines, Tombs, Altars, &c. all the Objections of their foolish Devotions. Instead of the Poverty and Purity of Christ, here was Pride and Superfluity, and all kinds of abomination of Life; instead of the Apostolical Labours and Humility, Sloth and Ambition had seiz'd upon the Priests. The simple and unlearned being far from all knowledge of the Holy Scripture, thought it enough for them to know only these things which were delivered them by their Pastors and Teachers, who were almost as ignorant themselves, and taught nothing but what they received from the Court of Rome,

whereof the most part tended more to the profit of their Order, advancing the Pope's Interest, or filling with Money his Coffers, than to the Glory of Christ, or real advantage of Souls. The Christian Faith was counted no other thing than to know, That Christ once suffer'd, that is, 'twas enough for us to know what the Devils also knew; Men were so addicted to the Hypocrisie of outward shews, that the Religion and Holiness, even of the most Learned and Pious, seem'd altogether to consist in the ob∣serving of Days, Meats, Habits, and such vain circumstances: Hence arose so many different Orders of Religion, or Fraterni∣ties of Monks and Friars, with Vestures of several fashions, and various colours: Hence likewise came your Pilgrimages to Loretto, to Rome, to Compostella, &c. As if St. James at Compostella would do that, which Christ could not do at London or Canterbury; or as if our Omnipotent Omnipresent Jehovah were not of like power or strength, and pity and compassion in every place; or could not be found, unless by running and gadding hither and thither contrary to his own Requirements. (Neither at Jerusa∣lem, nor in this Mountain, but in Spirit and Truth shall ye worship the Father, for such he seeketh to worship him. John 4. 22.) The Holiness requisite all the year was put off to Lent. No Coun∣try to be counted Holy, but Palestina, because thereon Christ had walked with his corporeal Feet. Instead of taking up the true Cross of Christ by Patience, Humility, Self-denial, Mor∣tification, &c. people go together by the Ears about the material Cross whereon Christ suffered; and though they knew not where to find it, yet upon an imagination that it was in those Parts, all Christian Kings and Princes are set agogg, many of them ruin'd, and 'tis believ'd, some millions of Men slain and destroy'd in these pretended Holy Wars; who though other∣wise never so debauch'd and wicked, are yet assur'd to go to rights to Heaven, the meritoriousness of this Expedition expia∣ting all their Villanies.

This was the state of Christendom in those days; and wanted not the World then an Hercules to purge such an Augaean Stable? Yes certainly; and Providence provided him, even Wickliff, a valiant and well-appointed Champion, for whom I may borrow that Encomium which Syracides bestows on Simon the Son of Onias, Eccles. 50. 6. He was as the morning Star in the midst of a Cloud, and as the Moon being Full in her Course, as the Sun shining

on the Temple of the Most High, and as the Rain-bow diverting our fears of a Deluge, as the Flower of Roses in the early Spring, as Lillies by the Rivers, or as the Branches of the Frankincense-Tree in the time of Summer.

Touching Wickliff's Parentage, all we can find, is, That he was born about the farthest part of York-shire; and Mr. Birckbek who was Minister of Gilling in those Parts, in his Learned Trea∣tise, Entituled, The Protestants Evidence, printed 1632. Centur. 14. assures us, That some of the Family remain'd there then, and probably may continue to this day; his words are these:

Our Country-man John Wickliff was born in the North, where there is (near to the place where I live) an ancient and wor∣shipful House bearing the name of Wickliff of Wickliff.

But in what Year he was born, is not Recorded, only 'tis certain, that he was liberally Educated, and became Learned beyond that Age, and flourished about the year of our Lord 1371. in the Reign of King Edward the Third, being then Fellow of Merton-Colledge in Oxford: (A happy Foundation, Illustrious for breeding many most famous Men, as Friar Bacon, Burley, Scotus, Occham, Peccham, Bradwardine, &c.) He was afterwards Ma∣ster of Baliol-Colledge in Oxford, where he commenc'd Doctor, and was chosen Reader in Divinity: In which public Lectures he shew'd himself a deep Schoolman, as in his ordinary Sermons a faithful Pastor of the Church, for whose Edification he spar'd no pains, for he Translated the whole Bible into the vulgar Tongue, one Copy whereof, written with his own hand, is, or lately was, extant in St. John Baptist Colledge in Oxford. He was beloved of all good Men for his holy Life, and admired even by his Ad∣versaries for his Learning: For we find Walden, his profess'd and spiteful Enemy, in a certain Letter to Pope Martin the Fifth, forc'd to acknowledge, That he was wonderfully astonish'd at his most forcible Arguments, the various and pertinent Authorities he had gathered, with the vehemence and smartness of his Reasonings. Nor was he unacquainted with Humanity, or polite Civil Lear∣ning, (especially he is observed to have been well read in our English Laws) and wrote so many large Volumes, as well in Philosophy as Divinity, as the same is almost incredible.

He seem'd to follow in the course of his Studies the method of the Schoolmen, and amongst them was a profess'd follower of Occham, by reading of whose Works, and sundry others who

lived about the same time, or not long before, as Bradwardine, Marsilius, St. Amore, Abelardus, Armachanus, and that great and godly Learned Man Rob. Grosthead, and especially and above all by diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures, God gave him grace and understanding to see the truth of his Gospel, and by seeing it, to loath all superstition, and the ill precepts and pra∣ctises of the then pretended Rules of the Church. In particu∣lar, by Occham and Marsilius he was informed of the Popes In∣trusions and Usurpations upon Kings, their Crowns and Dignities. Guido de S. Amore, and Armachanus, shew'd him the sundry abuses of Monks and Friars in upholding this usurped Power. By Abelard and others he began to have a right Apprehension touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Bradwardine taught him the Nature of a true sole justifying Faith, against Me∣ritmongers and Pardoners: Finally, by Grosthead's Work, with which he seem'd most conversant, he descried the Popes to be the very Antichrist, by hindering the Gospel to be preached, and placing unfit and unworthy Men in the Church, and in making all Religion subservient to his damnable Policy.

Being thus enlighten'd, 'tis no wonder if in his Writings and Preachings he delivered many things against the then corrupted Doctrine of the Church; but his Positions were chiefly directed against the several Orders of Begging Friars, (who were his professed Persecutors) and all Foreign usurped Jurisdiction of the Pope. By which he purchased some favour, or at least con∣nivance at Court, and got his other Complaints against them for other matters, the more easily heard and regarded, for at that time the Friars Orders, by their manifold and notorious Disor∣ders, were become exceeding odious, and the Popes pretences of Jurisdiction by Provisions, Reservations, and Collations, not only grievous, but utterly intollerable. This made way unto those excellent Acts of Parliament of Praemunire, against any that should appeal to Rome, or draw the Subjects of England, ad aliud Examen, To any Foreign Jurisdiction; as also against Provisors, and the Abuses of Begging Friars, which fobridled and restrai∣ned the Pope's Authority, that he could but little prevail in Eng∣land, during the Raign of King Edward the Third, or Richard the Second. Towards making which Law, Wickliff had no small Interest, by disposing several of the Nobility and the Body of the Commons thereunto; maintaining no less Loyalty, and

Magnanimously than Learnedly, the King's Jurisdiction, Crown, and Dignity, by the Laws Civil, Canon, and Common. For which reason, the Learned Dr. James, in Wickliff's Life, tells us, That he was by one King sent Ambassador into Foreign Parts, and by another consulted here at home. But amongst all his Ar∣guments, he most insisted upon those, drawn from the common Municipal Laws of England, (the best Bull-works for the Prero∣gative and Imperial Right of our Kings, against all the Usurpa∣tions and Encroachments of any Exotic Claim) for the mainte∣nance of his Opinions; and the better to enable him therein, he had good Directions and Advice from time to time from the Reverend Judges and Sages in the Law.

He was not so much hated of the Monks and Clergy out of Self-interest, because he opposed their lewd Practises; but he was much indulg'd and favour'd by the Temporal State for his Piety, Learning, and Virtue: For not only many of the Nobility, but the City of London, and the University of Oxford, were his Friends; which makes Walsingham the Monk angry who upon all occasions vomits out his Gall against poor Wickliff) that that famous Academy, where (as he saith) was the very height and top of Wisdom and Learning, should so kindly entertain him. Nor were they Freshmen, or younger Fry of Students there, that were his Admirers, but even the Heads and Chief of the Univer∣sity; for Mr. Robert Rigge Vice-Chancellor, and the two Pro∣ctors, took part with him; as also Nicholas Herford, John Ashton of Merton Colledge, John Ashwarby of Oriel Colledge, Minister of St. Maries Church; these all being Preachers, and Batchelors of Divinity, joined with him, and were put to Trouble for the same.