PUBLICATIONS OF THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, CHILDREN'S BOOKS. The Committee having, at considerable Expense, improved this Series, by superior Embellishments and Paper, beg to request the attention of their Friends to the following New and Emproved Series, WITH MANY CUTS, Peculiarly adapted for Rewards in Sunday or other Schools. At 9d. each to Subscribers, 1s. to Non-Subscribers. Red Sheep. The Dairyman's Daughter. The Reward Book, Parts I. to VIII. The Young Cottager. At 2s. 6d. per Dozen to Subscribers, 3s. 4d. to Non-Subscribers. Newton's Letters. | History of John Wise. The History of Joseph. At 2s. per Dozea to Subscribers, 2s. 8d. to Non-Subscribers. The History of Samuel. Cabin Boy's Companion. History of Africaner. Threepenny Books-at Is. 6d. per Dozen to Subscribers, 2s. to Non-Subs. History of English Bible. Watchmaker and his Family. Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego. Two-penny Books-at 1s. per Dozen Abdallah, the Merchant of Bagdad Memoirs of Bowyer Smith. History of Honest Roger. The Poacher's Daughter. Mercy to Animals. Penny Books-at 8d. per Dozen to Subscribers, 10d. to Non-Subs. The Image Boys. Poor Joseph. History of James Covey, Goodness of Providence. Life of William Kelly. The Happy Negro. The Happy Morn in Verse. The Young Fisherman. Irish Girl. John of the Score. Elizabeth Loveless. Present to Sunday School Children. Little Susan and her Lamb. The Vine. On the Lord's Prayer. Folly of Finery. Eyes and no Eyes. THE LOLLARDS; Or some Account of the Witnesses for the Truth in PART III. Dissolute conduct of the Ecclesiastics.-Contests respecting the Claims of the Clergy for exemption from the usual course of Law.-Murder of Richard Hunne. Reformation in Germany.- Preachers among 、 the Lollards.-Thomas Mann, and others.- Seven Martyrs burned in one Fire, at Coventry, for teaching their Children the Ten Commandments in English. Persecutions in the Diocese of Lincoln.-Doctrines of the Lollards.-Penances inflicted on those who abjured. - Discontent at these Persecutions, and at the encroachments of the Clergy.-King Henry's Book against Luther.- Persecutions in the Diocese of London.—John Tyball.—Unfounded Accusations of the Papists against Fox's Acts and Monuments. Ar the commencement of the sixteenth century, the dissolute lives of the ecclesiastics, particularly of the Monks and Friars, gave much offence to the laity; who were provoked to see the wealth bestowed upon the church by their pious ancestors, thus shamefully misused. The Pope had interfered; and, by his command, monitory letters were sent to the different ecclesiastical establishments; but these vices were too deeply rooted to be overcome by an admonition, and the evils rather increased than abated. Disputes prevailed among the Clergy relative to several points connected with their power and interests; also between the Franciscans and Dominicans, respecting the Virgin Mary, the Franciscans maintaining that she was born free from original sin. This point was warmly debated for several years in England, as well as in other countries: at length the Pope, in direct opposition to the Scriptures, decreed that the Virgin Mary was, in this respect, different from the other descendants of Adam; and all who denied it were declared to be heretics. Another subject of controversy arose. For several centuries the Clergy had claimed that all who were connected with the Church should be exempted from the usual course of law, whatever crimes they might commit, and only be liable to trial before their own superiors, who were thought to be, in general, too lenient towards criminals [Lollards, Part 3.] C (Entered at Stationers' Hall.) belonging to their own number. It was not unfrequently the case, that persons who had committed great crimes procured admission into holy orders, and were then considered as freed from all accusations, for offences pre"viously committed. The Laity had, for a length of time, complained much of this exemption; and in the year 1512 an act of parliament was passed, which, while it exempted Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, from the power of the civil courts, even in cases of murder and robbery, subjected Sub-Deacons, Clerks, and other inferior officers of the church, to be tried by laymen, like other subjects, and to be punished, if found guilty. Strange to say, the pulpits rang with declamations against this act, and the Abbot of Winchelcomb declared publicly, in a sermon, that all persons who assented to that act had incurred the censures of the Church: he also published a book to prove, that the persons of the lower, as well as of the higher orders of Ecclesiastics, were sacred, and could not be tried by the laity for any crimes. The Houses of Lords and Commons, indignant at this attempt of the Clergy to free themselves from the restraints of law, and from punishment for the greatest crimes, petitioned the King to compel them to submit. The matter was debated before the King (Henry the Eighth) in council. Dr. Standish, a Friar, one of the King's spiritual council, opposed the Abbot, and urged that Ecclesiastics should be liable to punishment for their crimes; his arguments made a considerable impression upon the council, and the Bishops were requested to command the Abbot to retract his assertions. This they refused to do, stating that what he had advanced was their own opinion, and the doctrine of Holy Church. At this time a circumstance occurred, which increased this animosity between the Clergy and the Laity, and also caused the matter just mentioned to be more warmly debated. One Richard Hunne, a respectable citizen and merchant taylor in London, had a child at nurse at Whitechapel, who died when about five weeks old, and the Priest of that parish claimed a mortuary, or fee, from the father; this he refused to pay, considering that it was an unlawful claim. The Priest cited Hunne to appear in the Legate's Court; and he, by advice of his |