gaining ground in the univerfity, which the arch- A. C. 1409. bifhop vifited with great pomp, accompanied by his nephew the earl of Arundel: he was met at fome distance from the city by the members of the colleges, headed by Richard Courtney the chancellor, who told the metropolitan, that they fhould be proud to entertain his grace, who, he hoped, had no other design than to fee the univerfity, as they enjoyed an immunity by a papal bull from all archiepifcopal vifitation.. Arundel was greatly offended at this addrefs, of which he complained to the king, who reprimanded the university; and an obftinate difpute enfued. At length, both parties referred their caufe to the determination of his majefty, who decided in favour of the archbishop. This award being afterwards confirmed by parliament, Arundel fent his delegates to Oxford, in order to enquire into the progrefs of Lollardifm; and the members of the university chofe twelve examiners to co-operate in this inquifition. A great number of conclufions were cenfured, and all those fufpected of favouring fuch opinions were imprifoned or put into the hands of the archbishop, who applied to the pope for a bull to confirm the cenfures which he approved; and for another, that would impower him to dig up the bones of Wickliff. The first was readily granted, but the other poftponed. In the parliament which met on the A. C. 1412. third day of November at Westminster, Sir John Tiptoft, fpeaker of the houfe of commons, fpoke with great warmth against the Lollards, as a very dangerous fect; and the houfe of lords addreffed the king in a remonftrance, importing, that they endeavoured to excite the people to deprive the prelates of their temporal poffeffions; and published, that Richard late king of England was alive: they therefore petitioned for a ftatute, ordaining, that any perfon preaching, publishing, or maintaining any doctrine,

P 3

A. C. 1412. doctrine, whereby the people might be moved to take away the temporal poffeffions of the prelates, or propagating any report of Richard's being alive, fhould be arrested, imprisoned, and obliged to find fufficient bail and mainprize, to be taken before the chancellor of England. The king granted the requeft of the lords; and this was the laft act of perfecution against the Lollards that paffed in the courfe of this reign.

Walfing.

Trial of Sir

Castle.

When Henry V. fucceeded to the throne, the John Old- Lollards expected more indulgence, as this prince feemed to be a latitudinarian in his religious principles, and was particularly connected by the ties of friendship with Sir John Oldcastle, who was their great patron. They were miferably difappointed in this hope; for Henry V. was not only bigotted to the religion in which he had been educated, but refolved to live upon good terms with the clergy, whofe affiftance he forefaw would be neceffary towards the execution of the great scheme he had projected against France. Moved by thefe confiderations, he left them in the full enjoyment. of their jurifdiction; and one of the first perfons against whom they exerted their authority, was Sir John Oldcastle, who espoused the opinions of Wickliff, which we, have already explained. He was fummoned to the ecclefiaftical court by repeated citations, to which he paid no regard: then he was apprehended, and brought before the archbishop, who declared himself ready to abfolve him, if he would recant his errors, and move for abfolution. In anfwer to this infinuation, Sir John pulled a paper from his bofom, aud delivered it to the prelate, who having perufed the contents, faid, his principles were good in the main; but there was a neceffity for his explaining himself further on tranfubftantiation, and auricular confeffion. The knight refufing to make any other declaration on

these

thefe points, but what was contained in the written A.C.1413. paper, was committed to the Tower; and next day received fome quæries from the archbishop, touching his opinion of the bread and wine in the facrament of the altar, auricular confeffion, the power of the pope, pilgrimage, and the worship of relics and images. He was defired to confider these articles, and prepare his anfwers by the twentyfeventh day of September, when the convocation would fit at Black Friars. Being brought into this affembly by Sir Robert Morley, lieutenant of the Tower, he behaved with all the indifcretion of a hot-headed enthufiaft. When the archbishop admonished him to crave the benediction of the court, he answered, Maledicam benedictionibus veftris, Curfe on your benedictions. Even after this indecent reply, the archbishop told him, that if he would defire abfolution in the common form, he fhould have it without hefitation. To this intimation he answered, that he would demand no abfolution where he had given no offence. So faying, he fell upon his knees, and in an enthufiaftic rhapfody, confeffed all his fins to God, in the hearing of the whole affembly. Being queftioned concerning the eucharift, he profeffed his belief, that, after confecration, Chrift's very body was prefent in form of bread, the fame individual body that was born of the Virgin Mary. Then he was afked, whether or not it was the material bread after confecration? and turning to the archbishop, "I be"lieve (faid he) it is Chrift's body in form of "bread. Sir, believe you not this ?" "Yes, marry, "do I!" replied the archbishop. The doctors

then interpofing, defired to know if he thought any part of the bread remained after confecration; and, he replied it is both Chrift's body and bread. This was the rock upon which he fplit; for, notwithftanding his explanation, fupported by texts of fcripture,

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A.C. 1413. fcripture, they declared the opinion heretical; and, when he challenged them to prove it herefy, they appealed to the determination of holy-church. Sir John, being warmed in his own defence, treated the doctors with contempt; and would not even allow the church to be holy, fince the had been infected with the poifon of wordly poffeffions. Doctor Walden, a noted theologift of those times, undertook to confute Oldcaftle by argument, and the difpute was inflamed to the moft bitter altercation; but very little to the purpose was faid on either fide Sir John compared them to Annas and Caiphas, who fate in judgment upon Chrift, and afterwards on his apoftles. "The bishops of Rome (faid he) were formerly pious martyrs; but, "fince they were infected with the poifon of worldly poffeffion, they have depofed, poifoned, curfed, and affaffinated one another; they have filled the "whole earth with cruelty and mischief. Chrift "was meek and merciful; the pope is proud, tyrannous; Chrift was poor and compaffionate, the 86 pope is rich, arrogant, and a barbarous man

Rymer.
Walfing
Elinham.

Council of Conftance

66

flayer. Rome is the very neft of Antichrift, "from whence come all his difciples: prelates, "priefts, and monks, are the body, and their "fhaven friars the tail, which covereth his most

filthy part." Such obloquy could not fail to exafperate the affembly, which being unanimous in finding him guilty, the archbishop pronounced the fentence of condemnation; and, though he made his escape from the Tower, he was afterwards apprehended, and fuffered death both as a traitor and heretic, by being hanged and burned at Tyburn.

Upon the death of Alexander V. Balthafar declares the Coffa was chofen his fucceffor, under the name of papacy va- John XXIII. and convoked a general council at Conftance, with the confent of the emperor Sigif

cant.

mund;

mund; whofe aim was not only to abolish the A. C. 14141 fchifms which ftill continued in the church, but also to root out the herefy of Wickliff, which had by this time made great progrefs in Bohemia, by the teaching and preaching of John Hufs, and Jerome of Prague. When the council met on the fixteenth day of November, the officers and fervants of the affemby were equally elected out of the five nations of which it was compofed, namely, English, Italians, French, Spaniards, and Germans. They agreed to range the fathers of the council under thefe five nations; and that the pleurality of voices fhould determine all matters propofed. On the twenty-eighth day of November, John Hufs arrived at Conftance; and, tho' he pleaded the fafe-conduct of the emperor, was ⚫ arrested by order of the pope, who told him he had never granted a fafe-conduct, and was not bound by that of the emperor. On the twenty third day. of December the emperor appeared in council, which proceeded to business, and after much debate, it was found absolutely neceffary towards the re-establishment of peace and union in the church, that not only the antipopes, Gregory and Benedict, fhould be divefted of all authority, but even John XXIII. fhould abdicate his papal dignity, This laft, confcious of many enormities in his own conduct, for which he dreaded profecution, feemingly agreed to the propofal. The emperor was fo pleased with his compliance, that he took off his crown, and kiffed the pope's feet; and all the members of the council promifed to fupport him against his two rivals, fhould they refufe to follow his example. John's confent was the effect of dif fimulation. On pretence of going to Nice, that he and Benedict might make their renunciation together, he wanted to escape from Conftance, that he might put an end to the council, Sigifmund fufpe&ting