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.

Objections against Wickliff, answer'd. An Example or two of his writing in his own ancient Style. His Troubles. The Ʋniver∣sity like to reject the Popes Bull, &c.

THE Papists (who are most exquisite and ready forgers of Lies and Scandals on all that oppose or go about to detect their Villanies) have raised several Aspersions and Calumnies against honest Wickliff.

As first, they affirm, That his Preaching was not out of Con∣science, but spite and desire of Revenge, because (forsooth) he was put by the Bishopprick of Worcester, which he aim'd at— Therefore he declaim'd so fiercely against the Church.

Answ. This is only the malicious suggestion of Parsons and Brerely, and such upstart Pettifoggers for the Church of Rome: There is no ancient Author (tho most of them, as being Monks, rail horribly against poor Wickliff) that mentions any such mat∣ter: Nay, Parsons himself gives himself the Lie, for in his three Conversions, Part 3. Cap. 5. Numb. 14. he saith, Wickliff con∣demn'd all temporal Goods—How then should he so greedily affect the Bishopprick of Worcester? And elsewhere he con∣fesses, That Wickliff was in great favour with the Duke of Lan∣caster, who bore chief sway during the time of King Edward the Third; so that if Wickliff had been so fond of a Bishop∣prick, sure that Duke's Interest might have got him one.

2. They object, that Wickliff taught, That so long as a Man is in deadly Sin, he is no Bishop or Prelate, neither doth truly Consecrate or Baptize.

Answ. If Wickliff did say so, what more did he say, than what St. Ambrose had said before him—Ʋnless thou embrace and follow the good works of a Bishop, a Bishop thou canst not be.— Ambr. de dignit. Sacerd. cap. 4. Nay, there is a Vote of a Coun∣cil (if that will help the matter) in a Case almost to the same effect—Quicunque sub Ordinatione Presbyterii vel Episcopatûs, mortali Crimine se dixerint esse pollutos à supradictis Ordinationibus submovendos esse Censuimus:

Whoever coming under Ordina∣tion of the Presbytery or Eiscopacy, shall be polluted with mortal Sin, we think it fit, That such be removed from those Orders, saith the Synod of Valentia, held under Damascus,

cap. 4. It must be remembred, that Wickliff lived in a most cor∣rupt Age, when the Clergy were so seared in Impiety, that it required sharp Launcings, and good store of Vinegar to make them sensible. It was only their abuses he inveigh'd against so tartly, for elsewhere he reproves those that would not obey their lawful Prelates; and in his Book of the verity of the Scripture, he thus explains his meaning: Nomen non facit Episcopum sed vita, &c.

It is not the Name, but the Life that makes a Bi∣shop. If a Man have the Name of a Prelate, and does not answer the reason thereof in sincerity of Doctrine, and inte∣grity of Life, but live scandalously in open Sin, he is but a Nomine-tenus Sacerdos, A Bishop or Priest in Name, not in

Truth.

Yet still Wickliff did not deny, but that such an ones Ministerial Acts were valid; for so in the same Treatise, p. 138. he saith—

Unless the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by Grace, Christ cannot be his Saviour; Nec sine falsitate dicit verba Sacramentalia, Nor can he pronounce the Sacra∣mental words without Lying; Licet prosint Capacibus, The notwithstanding they are available so far, that the worthy Receiver is thereby nothing hinder'd from partaking of the Grace signified.

Obj. 3. They pretend, that Wickliff maintain'd, That it was not lawful for any Ecclesiastical persons to have any Temporal Pos∣sessions, or property in any thing.

Answ. This is falsly imputed to him; he only tax'd the Abuses of the Revenues given to so many Abbies, Priories, and Mo∣nasteries, tending only to Superstition, and the keeping so many Drones in idleness: And therefore he was of opinion, That our Kings might dispossess them thereof, and give them Genti facienti Justitiam, to good and godly Uses. The Poverty he exhorted to, was no other than that which St. Paul recommends, viz. Having Food and Rayment, therewith to be content. He did not debar Ministers from actual having, but from Covetous affe∣cting the things of this World, which are to be Renounc'd (saith he) Per Cogitationem & Affectum, in the Mind and the Affections.

Obj. 4. They charge him with asserting, That God ought to obey the Devil.

Answ. This is so senseless and improbable a Slander, that no Man in his Wits can believe it. And on the quite contrary, Wickliff in his Commentary on Psal. 112. Expresly affirms, That the Devil can do nothing without God's permission.

Obj. 5. Well, but if they cannot fix Blasphemy upon him, they will charge him with Treason. This is a frequent Strata∣gem of the Devils and his Instruments—If thou suffer this Man, thou art not Cesar's Friend, said the Jews of old; not that they cared for Cesar, but only to gratifie their own Revenge. Thus

the Papists charge Wickliff as a Teacher of Sedition, and an oppo∣ser of Magistrates; and that if a Civil Magistrate be in a mortal Sin, he is no longer to be obey'd.

Answ. There is much craft and malice, but very little truth and no reason for this Slander. Wickliff indeed, in several of his Works, admonisheth the King (and all other inferiour Offi∣cers and Magistrates) that he beareth not the Sword in vain, nor hath his Office for nought, but to discharge well and truly the part and Office of a King, by seeing wholsom Laws duly executed, and Justice impartially administer'd: And tells him, That if he be defective in such his Duty, by suffering the Sword of Justice to rust in its Scabard, and his People to perish for want of good Governance, then he is not properly and truly a King, that is, in effect and operation, for so the words must necessarily be understood, being spoken by way of Exhortation. But otherwise, so far was Wickliff from mutinying himself, or per∣suading others to any act that was Rebellious, that never any Man in those times did so stoutly assert the King's Supremacy in all Causes, and over all Persons, as well Ecclesiastical as Civil, against all usurped foreign Jurisdiction, for which (amongst many others) he gives this reason: That otherwise our Soveraign should not be King over all England, but Regulus parvae partis, a petty▪ Governour of some small parts of the Realm.—Nor does any thing, tending to countenance Rebellion, appear in any of his Works that are extant. But the Friars and proud Clergy having an inveterate spleen against Wickliff, and there happening to fall out about the same time a grievous Insurre∣ction of the Commons under Wat Tyler; occasioned chiefly upon a civil score, about Taxes, Commons, and Servitude, but much augmented by one John Ball a Priest, (and one of Baal's Priests too for ought I know, for he does not at all appear to be any of Wickliff's Followers) therefore, in spight to Wickliff, they cast the odium of that Frantic Tumult upon him and his Doctrine.

But indeed as Wickliff was a person of extraordinary Learning and Piety, so that in substance he held and taught the very same Doctrines as are at this day maintained by the Church of England, is demonstrated by the Learned Dr. James, Oxford Library∣keeper, in his Book, Intituled—An Apology for John Wickliff,

shewing his Conformity with the now Church of England, &c. Printed Anno 1608.

However to the end the vulgar Reader may better judge of this reverend man and his Works; I shall here produce some few passages out of two of his Books, Printed by the said James from the Original Manuscripts, remaining one in Bennet Colledge Cambridge, the other in the Publick Library at Oxford. The English being excusable considering 'twas wrote above 300 years agoe in his complaint to King Richard the Second, and his Parliament. Article 2. He hath these words—

Nothing ought to be damned as errour and false, but if it favour errour or unrightewiseness against Gods Law.

And Article 4. He prays.

That Christ's teaching O be∣leave of the Sacrament of his own Body, that is plainly tawght by Christ and his Apostles, in Gospels and Pistles mayen be tawght openlie in Churches of Christen People, and the contrary teaching and false beleave is brought up by cursed Hypocrits and worldlie Priests unkunning in Gods Law, which say they are Apostles of Christ but are Fools.

And he concludes that Article with these words—

As Christ saved the wordle by writing and teaching of foure Evangelists, so the Fiend casteth to Damme the wordle and Priests, for letting to Preach the Gospel by these four; by fayned Contemplation, by Songs, by Salisbury use, and by worldly business of Priests.

And in his Treatise against the Orders of Friars, Ca. 4. runs thus:

Friars sayen, that if a man be once professed to their Re∣ligion, he may never leave it, and be saved, though he be never so unable thereto; for al time of his life, and they wil nede him to live in such a state ever more, to which God makes him ever unable, and so nede him to be damned. Alas, out on such heresie that Mans Ordinance is holden stronger than is the Ordinance of God. For if a man enter into the newe Religion against mans ordinance, he maie lawfully forsake it; but if he enter against Gods Ordinance, when God makes him unable thereto, he shall not be suffered by Antichrist's power to leave it. And if this reason were wel declared, sith no man wote which man is able to this new Religion by Gods dome, and which is not able, no man should be constrained

to hold forth this new sect, and thus this new Religion maie not last, but if it be by this Blasphemie to constraine a man unable by Gods dome to hold this new sect, and suffer him not to come to freedome of Christs Order. And Chapter the 4th. Friars saien, if a man bee professed to there holie Order, hee shal not Preach freelie and generallie, the Gospel of Christian men without en licence of his Soveraign, for virtue of obedi∣ence be his Soveraign never so cursed man of life and un∣cunning of Gods Law and enimie to Christian men souls, and in case a foule Devil of Hel; thowgh this man professed have receaved of God never so much cuninge of Gods Law, and power, and wil, to work after this cuninge; and so this man shall needes be damned for misspending of Gods treasure. For sith Gods Law saies, that hee is out of Charity that helps not his Brother with bodilie Almes, if he maie in his nede, much more is he out of Charity, that helpes not his Brothers soule, with teaching of Gods Law, when hee sees him runne to Hel, yea by ••gnorance. And thus to magnifie and maintaine their rotten sects, they neden men by Hypocrisie, falseteach∣ing, and strong paines, to break Gods heasts and leese Charity. Out on this false heresie and tyrantrie of Antichrist, that men be neded strangely to keep more his Lawes and obaye more to them then to Christ's Commandements ever rightful.

And Page 17. Thus—

As Christ saved the wordle by writing and teaching of foure Evangelists, so the Fiend casteth to Damme the wordle and Priests for letting to Preach the Gospel by these foure; by fained Contemplation, by Songs, by Salisbury use, and by wordly buysiness of Priests.