THE LOLLARDS:

Or some Account of the Witnesses for the Truth in
England, between the Years 1400 & 1546.

PART II.

Lord Cobham escapes from the Tower.-A small company of the Lollards meet in St. Giles's Fields, and are taken Prisoners, condemned, and executed.-Apprehension und Execution of Lord Cobham.-Claydon.- Taylor.- Florence. White.-Persecutions in Norfolk.-Wickliff's Bones burned,- Bishop Peacock.--John Goose. Canons of Archbishop Neville.-Tylsworth burned at Amersham, his daughter compelled to set fire to the Pile.- Chase, and others.Progress of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation.-Invention of Printing.-Commencement of the Reign of Henry the Eighth.John Brown.-Agnes Greville.-Opposition to the Scriptures.Sweeting, and Brewster.

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The Martyrdom of William Tylsworth, A. D. 1506. His own daughter was compelled to set fire to the pile.t

THE history of Lord Cobham, after his condemnation, may be briefly related. Although his enemies sentenced him to die, they hesitated as to putting him to death immediately; for he was a popular character; and, as one of their own historians relates, 66 a man of integrity, dearly beloved by the King." These concurring circumstances induced them to delay his public execution for a few weeks: meanwhile, they circulated slanderous reports respecting his character, affirming, [Lollards, Part 2, 2d Edit.]

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among other things, that he had recanted, and publish. ing a form of Abjuration, which they said he had signed; upon which Lord Cobham caused another paper to be posted up, contradicting these false assertions.

Whatever caused the delay, it gave him an opportunity for escape; and availing himself of a dark night, he fled into Wales, where he remained for four years.

was

The persecution against the Lollards at this time was very severe; and, a proclamation being issued to forbid their assemblies, they no longer dared to meet openly for their devotions; but, like the primitive Christians, they met in small companies; and often in the dead of the night. St. Giles's Fields, then a thicket or copse, a place of frequent resort on these occasions; and a company assembled there on the night of the 6th of January, 1414. The enemies of the Lollards artfully availed themselves of this opportunity to excite the King's anger against them still more severely; and repairing to him at Eltham, they informed him that Lord Cobham was then in St. Giles's Fields, at the head of twenty thousand of his followers, with an intention of destroying his persecutors, seizing the King's person, and making himself governor of the realm.

Henry was never wanting in personal bravery: he armed the soldiers about his palace, and instantly marched to the place. He attacked the Lollards who were assembled, killing about twenty, and taking sixty prisoners he then pressed forwards, thinking he had only met with an advanced guard, but found that he had routed the whole army.

Strange to say! Popish historians have endeavoured to raise a story upon this slight foundation, and have accused the Lollards of rebellion. But whoever peruses the evidence which Fox has adduced, and fairly examines the complete investigation of the subject which he has given, will be fully satisfied; and, with all impartial historians, will consider the story as a gross fiction. It does not even appear that Lord: Cobham was present: however, in the inflamed state in which the mind of the King then was, this charge served as a new ground of accusation; a Bill of Attainder was passed against him, and a reward of a thousand marks

offered for his apprehension, with the further boon of a perpetual exemption from taxes to the town whose inhabitants should secure him. The prisoners, to the number of thirty-six, including Sir Roger Acton, and Beverley, one of their preachers, were hanged and burnt, near the spot where they were taken.

Towards the end of the year 1417, Lord Cobham was apprehended by Lord Powis, and sent as a prisoner to London. His death was not long delayed: he was dragged upon a hurdle with insult and barbarity, to St. Giles's Fields, and there hung alive in chains upon a gallows; and a fire being kindled beneath, he was burned slowly to death.

Of his last moments we have not the exact particulars. There is, however, good ground for believing that he was enabled to resign himself patiently to the will of God, and to derive comfort and support from the Sacred Scriptures; it is also said that he suffered this painful and ignominous death "with the utmost bravery and most triumphant joy, exhorting the people to follow the instructions which God had given them in the Scriptures, and to disclaim those false teachers whose lives and conversation were so contrary to Christ and bi religion.'

Arundel died in February, 1414, and was succeeded in his See by Henry Chichely, who continued Archbishop of Canterbury till April, 1443. He was a more violent persecutor than his predecessor: by his influence, a law was passed in 1415, enacting that the Chancellor, the Judges, Justices, Mayors, Sheriffs, and all other Magistrates, should, on admission to their offices, take an oath that they would do every thing in their power to extirpate the Lollards out of the kingdom, and assist the ecclesiastical authorities in persecuting these followers of Christ; and thus, by banishment, forced abjurations, and the flames, the vestiges of godliness were, for a time, almost effaced throughout the land.

The accounts of those who suffered are very imperfect; but from the Registries of the Bishops, and other documents, they appear to have been numerous; and their sufferings were severe. Surely, we ought to be thankful that we live in different times!

JOHN CLAYDON, a Furrier, was carried before the Archbishop in the year 1415, and accused of heresy. The chief ground of accusation against him was, that having formerly been imprisoned as a heretic, and having abjured his opinions, he was found to have in his possession a book called "The Lanthorn of Light," which pointed out various errors of the Church of Rome. The book had been written at his expence, (printing was not then invented,) and three of his servants were examined to prove that although he could not read himself, he had delighted to hear it read by others, and said" that many things he had heard from this book were profitable, good, and healthful to his soul." He was burned in Smithfield with Richard Turming, a Baker.

In the year 1416, Archbishop Chichely issued a man-. date, which appears in the Records of that period, directing that three persons in every parish should be examined twice every year upon oath, and required to inform against any persons whom they knew, or understood, to frequent private conventicles, or differ in their life or manners from the common conversation of Catholic men, or have any suspected books in the English language, that process might be made against them;" and if not sentenced to be burned, they were to be kept in prison until the next convocation of the Clergy.

The names of many individuals of all ranks are recorded, who appear to have suffered under this persecution several gave way to these severities, and abjured, while others "accepted not of deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection."

But not

withstanding their sufferings, there does not appear any just ground for imputing to the Lollards a departure from the injunction of the Apostle, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers," so far as concerned the things of this world.

In 1422, died Henry V. The reader will have seen that he was not only distinguished by the false glare of splendour reflected upon him as a hero and a conqueror, but that his name stands recorded as one who joined in wearing out the saints of the Most High."

Henry the Sixth, who succeeded to the throne, was an infant, and full power continued in the hands of the

persecutors. In the first year of his reign was burned WILLIAM TAYLOR, a Priest in the diocese of Canterbury, for having taught what was called heresy, at Bristol; the substance of which appears to have been, that he had said, God alone is to be adored, and that saints are not to be worshipped. He was, however, allowed to offer an explanation, and at that time only condemned to perpetual imprisonment. Upon further consideration, even this sentence was about to be recalled, when some writings which had passed between him and another Priest named Smith, were put into the hands of the Bishop of Worcester, and he was again brought into trouble; although he had only asserted, "That every petition and prayer, for any supernatural gift, ought to be directed to God alone, and not to any creature." Taylor was, at last, referred to the four orders of Friars for examination, and by them he was convicted of heresy for the above doctrine, and for having held that "to pray to any creature is to commit idolatry;" that is, for asserting a maxim which is the peculiar distinction between true religion and idolatry. He was then degraded acording to the usual form, by taking from him in succession the Cup and Paten, the Gospels and the Tunicle, the Epistles, the Cruet which held the oil for extreme unction, the Candlestick, the Book of Exorcisms against evil spirits, the Church Door Key, and the Surplice his hair was then cut so as to destroy the tonsure or manner in which it is usually worn by Priests; and all this mummery having been performed, he was committed to the flames!

In the year 1424, we find John Florence, a Turner, residing in Norfolk, accused of holding heretical opinions against the Pope, and the worship of images. He was brought before the Chancellor of the diocese ; but submitting himself to the authority of the Church, was allowed to escape, upon performing penance, and being disciplined with a rod before all the people for three Sundays in the Cathedral at Norwich, and three other Sundays in bis parish church at Shelton. As a part of this punishment, he had to walk in a procession bare-headed, bare-footed, and bare-necked, in a canvas shirt and canvas breeches, carrying a taper.