had said, "He would not worship the cross on which Christ suffered, but only Christ that suffered upon the cross; that every Priest and Deacon is more bound to preach the word of God, than to say particular services at the canonical hours; and that after the pronouncing of the sacramental words of the body of Christ, the bread remaineth of the same nature that it was before, neither doth it cease to be bread.

A few days were allowed him to answer these accusations; when he appeared and delivered his reply, in which he fully explained his views; and being required by the Archbishop to renounce his opinions, he refused to do so. He was then examined more particularly respecting the Sacrament of the Altar; and continuing to defend the doctrines he had advanced on that subject, he was condemned as an heretic.

Sentence was then pronounced against him; a copy is here inserted, because the reader may be curious to see the sentence under which the first English Martyr in this cause, suffered death; it also shews the awful manner in which these persecutors profaued the name of the Most High.

"In the name of God, Amen. We, Thomas, by the grace of God, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of England, and Legate of the See Apostolical, by the authority of God Almighty, and blessed St. Peter and Paul, and of Holy Church, and by our own authority, sitting for tribunal or Chief Judge, having God alone before our eyes, by the counsel and consent of the whole Clergy, our fellow brethren and suffragans, assistants to us in this. present council provincial, by this, our sentence definitive, do pronounce, decree, and declare by these presents, thee William Sawtree, otherwise called Chawtrey, Parish Priest pretensed, personally appearing before us, in and upon the crimé of Heresie, judicially and lawfully convict as an Heretic, and as an Heretic to be punished."

The council was adjourned for a few days, when the record of the former process against Sawtree by the Bishop of Norwich was brought forward, and he was again called to say whether he still affirmed that "in the Sacrament of the Altar, after the consecration made by the Priest, there remaineth material bread;" and as

he refused to recant, the proceedings against him were continued, sentence of degradation was passed upon him, and after the form and ceremony usual upon such occasions in the Church of Rome, he was degraded from the priesthood on the 26th of February, and committed to the custody of the High Constable and Marshal of England, with the phrase used upon these occasions, "requesting the said court that they will receive favourably the said William Sawtree, thus committed unto them."

The real intention of this hypocritical expression was soon manifested. The Bishops urged the King to cause the sentence to be executed, and a writ was issued on the same day, directed to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London, purporting to be the decree of the King" against a certain new sprung up heretic," commanding them to cause the said William, in some public or open place within the liberties of the city, (the cause being published unto the people,) to be put into the fire, and there in the same fire really to be burned, to the great horror of his offence, and the manifest example of other Christians."

This sentence was carried into execution without loss of time; and thus Henry the Fourth was the first English King that caused Christ's saints to be burned for standing against the Pope; and William Sawtree was the first who suffered in this cause in England, as appears by the public Registers and other documents of authority.

It too frequently happens that when a good law has been enacted, it is speedily suffered to fall into disuse; such was not the case with this bloody statute. The Romish

Prelates were too eager to use the power thus given them, to suffer it to sleep. Accordingly, they were diligent in carrying the penalties into execution; and as Fox expresses himself, "it cost many a Christian man his life."

We may also observe, that this law was especially enacted for the purpose of destroying the first attempts at Reformation: it was not a plan already in force, nor an old law of our land new revived; but it was adopting the bloody practice which had prevailed on the Continent during the two preceding centuries, when the Church of Rome first openly declared war against the saints of the Most High. About the year 1200, Dominic and his followers were appointed inquisitors, and authorized to commit to the flames

those whom they deemed heretics; thus adopting the plans of the Heathen persecutors, Dioclesian and others, and like them attempting to blot out the name of Christ from the earth. Fox observes, although the laws of the Heathens differ in form from the statute just mentioned; yet, in the ends proposed, and the cruelties by which they were enforced, there is no difference between them; and they must be referred to the same author or original doer. "For the same Satan which then wrought his uttermost against Christ, now also doth what he can, and seeks to spill the blood of the saints." When our ancestors were freed from these bloody laws, after suffering under them for nearly one hundred and fifty years, we cannot wonder that they should endeavour to strengthen and secure themselves against their persecutors, and also to protect their posterity from the renewal of these scenes, by various penal statutes.

JOHN BADBY is the next Martyr that engages our attention; he was of a humbler rank in life; a taylor by trade. Although he did not suffer till some years after Sawtree, we may state the particulars in this place, as the principal accusation against him appears to have been very similar. On Sunday, March 1, 1409, he was brought before Arundel, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, with other Lords and Bishops, and accused of maintaining. that," after the sacramental words spoken by the Priests to make the body of Christ, the material bread doth remain upon the Altar as in the beginning; neither is it turned into the very body of Christ after the sacramental words spoken by the Priests." To which it was added, that he had further said, "It was impossible that any Priest should make the body of Christ, and that he never could believe it, unless he saw manifestly the body of Christ in the hands of the Priest; and that when Christ sat at supper with his disciples, he had not his body in his hand to distribute to his disciples, but spoke figuratively, as he had done at other times." These opinions he formerly maintained before the Bishop of Worcester; and having been pronounced a heretic, he was sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who examined him closely, and endeavoured, by arguments and exhortations, to change his opinions. Among other things it is related, that "the said Archbishop

said and affirmed there openly to the said John that he would, (if he would live according to the doctrine of Christ,) gage (or pledge) his soul for him at the judgment day!"

The articles were again read, and Badby was called upon to reply to them. He did not shrink from bearing a faithful testimony; and, among other things, he stated his firm belief, "That after the consecration at the altar there remaineth material bread, and the same bread which was before; notwithstanding," said he, "it was a sign or sacrament of the living God." Furthermore, he said, "That he would believe the omnipotent God in Trinity, which they had accused him of denying; and said moreover, that if every host, being consecrated at the Altar, were the Lord's body, then there would be 20,000 gods in England."

After much time spent in discussion, Badby was committed to close custody till the 15th of March; and on that day was again called before the Bishops and the tem poral Lords assembled in St. Paul's, and again questioned upon the accusations against him; but he still held and defended the opinions he had maintained, and said that while he lived he would never retract the same. The Archbishop, finding him thus resolute, and that what he said appeared in some degree to affect others, proceeded to pronounce sentence against him as a heretic, and delivered him over to the temporal Lords then present, using the hypocritical form of desiring that they would not put him to death for his offence."

"

This sentence being passed on Badby in the morning, the King's writ for his execution was sent down in the afternoon of the same day; and he was immediately led to Smithfield; and there being placed in an empty barrel, was bound with iron chains, fastened to a stake, and dry wood was put about him.

While he was thus standing in the barrel, the Prince of Wales (afterwards Henry V.) came to the spot, and admonished Badby to recant his opinions, adding threatenings if he persisted in his heresies; also Courtney, the Chancellor of Oxford, preached a sermon, in which he set forth the faith of the Church of Rome.

While this was passing, the Prior of St. Bartholomew's in Smithfield brought, with much solemnity, the Sacrament

of the Host, carried in procession with twelve torches; and showed the consecrated bread to the poor man fastened to the stake, demanding of him what he believed it to be. He answered, "That he knew well it was hallowed bread, and not God's body;" upon which the fire was immediately kindled. When he felt the flames, he cried, "Mercy," (most probably as offering a prayer.) The Prince hearing this, ordered the fire to be quenched; which being done,' he asked Badby if he would now forsake heresy, and turn to' the faith of the Holy Church; promising that if he would' do so, he should have a reward; and a yearly stipend out of the King's treasury, as much as he could require.

Here, indeed, was a tempting proposal on the one hand, a painful and immediate death on the other; and not only pardon and deliverance, but also an ample supply for all his future wants! But this valiant champion of Christ, neglecting the Prince's fair words, as also contemning all men's devices, refused the offer of worldly promises, being. no doubt more vehemently inflamed with the Spirit of God than with any earthly desire. Wherefore, as he continued unmoved, the Prince commanded him straight to be put again into the barrel, and that he should not look for any grace or favour. But as he was not allured by their rewards, even so he was nothing abashed at their torments, but persevered immovable to the end; not without great and most cruel battle, but with much greater triumph of victory, the Spirit of Christ enabling him to subdue the fury, rage, and power of the world."

Thus died John Badby; and when we contrast the Martyr and the Prince, we cannot but mark how superior this poor artificer appears to the conqueror of Agincourt. We may, for a moment, be dazzled by the glare of Henry's victories, but surely we cannot glory in a Prince who could act in the manner just related.

The reader will observe, that both Sawtree and Badby were condemned and burned as heretics, because they would not believe in the Popish doctrine of Transubstantiation. It is the more important to notice this, as "the Laity's Directory" for 1824 (which is an annual publication, containing various, lists of chapels and schools, and other information intended for Roman Catholics) contains an address respecting the sacrament of the Eucharist from a Roman Catholic Pre