VII. proving. The confessors intended, are chiefly CHAP. the mendicants, for they had nearly engrossed that function to themselves; the merchants, are the conductors of our infant commerce, but who, it would seem had already begun to diffuse the evils of their traffic along with his benefits; and the lawyers adverted to, are principally those entrusted with the power of the spiritual courts. posses But at this period, it was in a treatise called, of clerks "Of Clerks Possessioners," that the reformer sioners. mainly attempted his exposure of the irreligion, which in his view, had resulted to so great a degree, from the opulence, and the secular jurisdiction of the clergy. This work consists of forty chapters, and from its notices of the wrongs inflicted on certain preachers of the gospel, "be 66 cause they live poorly and justly, and go "about teaching God's word," and also of some other topics of controversy, its date must be subsequent to 1382. From its contents, we may farther conclude, that it had appeared before the close of the year following. Each chapter, is devoted to an investigation of some feature, in the general corruption of the church. But the leading subjects of complaint are, that the ample revenues which are known to be "poor men's goods,” rather than the property of the clergy, should be so commonly spent by that order in luxurious living, and in carelessness of the wants which often oppressed the members of their flock; and that while the wealth of ecclesiastics served thus to ensnare them to modes of life which were forbidden, the nature 11 Ibid. VOL. II. VII. CHAP. of their jurisdiction, and of the offices to which they were frequently raised, should be such as of necessity to divert their attention from spiritual things. It is stated also, that the affluence, and the secular power of the clergy, had every where become the most potent engines of oppression; crushing every man who should dare to attempt a separation between the doctrines of christianity, and the dreams of superstition. If the christian priesthood be ever again employed "in studying and teaching of holy writ, "in devotion, and prayer, in thinking, and hea 66 venly sweetness," the preliminary steps, it is contended, must be to diminish the force of temptation, by a reduction of their revenue, and by releasing them from the bonds of all secular employment. Neither Christ, nor his apostles, could be induced to unite the office of the secular and of the spiritual steward; and hence, it is contended, that unless the churchmen of the age can prove themselves to be superior in capacity to the Head of the church, and the witnesses of his resurrection, the effect of the existing order of things must be pernicious. His prayer in conclusion is, that "Almighty God would stir up his priests, "lords, and commons, to detect the hypocrisy, heresy, and treason of antichrist's worldly clerks; and to know, and maintain the rightful "ordinance of God, and the profit and freedom "of the gospel." 66 66 But while these, and similar compositions,-all produced about this period,-bespoke the growing zeal with which the rector of Lutterworth continued to prosecute his plans of reform, a test was VII. Rise of sade the cru applied to the popular feeling in England, which CHAP. discovers, that his principles, though widely disseminated, had hitherto acquired but a limited ascendancy over the mind of his countrymen. The reader will remember the schism, which at this moment divided the papacy. France acknowledged the authority of Clement, who had fixed his residence at Avignon: and England was at the head of that portion of Christendom, which recognised the claims of Urban.12 These pontiffs had employed their spiritual weapons against each other, and against their respective partisans with the most boisterous freedom: but the last arrow, on either side, had been spent in vain. It was now resolved, to ascertain the effect of an alliance, between the elements of this world and the terrors of the next; and to produce a military crusade non pope against the Avignon pontiff and his adherents, every species of indulgence, which had been granted for the purpose of propelling the western nations toward the holy sepulchre was resorted to. As the hostilities thus devised, were to be considered as the effort of the church, it was the determination of the pope to reserve the principal command to an ecclesiastic; and this doubtful honor was conferred on Spencer, the bishop of Norwich, a prelate who had already given decisive evidence of his passion for military adventure. In 1877,13 an incident occurred, which betrayed his contempt of the civil power, as compared with that against the Avig 12 See chap. i. The story of this enterprize is minutely and amusingly told by Froissart. Vol. vi. c. 51–65. 13 Fox. Acts, &c. VII. CHAP. of his own order; but his vanity proved so offensive to the populace of the town in which it was displayed, as to have endangered his life. His rough treatment in that instance, was probably the means of encreasing his christian abhorrence of that class of society, which he had scornfully described as the ribald multitude; for during the insurrection of the commons in 1382, while the government was strangely inactive, Spencer was at the head of his vassals, and the tranquillity of his diocese is attributed to his vigilance. His name, also, occurs in the list of the prelates who sat in judgment on Wycliffe at Oxford; and his memorable controversy with Epringham, a disciple of our reformer, and a magistrate of Norwich, has placed his hatred of the lollards beyond dispute. The bull with which he was entrusted, vested him with extraordinary powers. The laity adhering to the antipope, and all who should in any manner favor them, were not only senteneed to lose every worldly office and possession, but to be slain with the sword. With respect to the clergy who had become parties to the schism, he was instructed to exert his whole power with a view to deprive them of every cure, honor, and emolument; and it was left to his discretion, to insist on the presence of the most privileged members of the hierarchy, in the camp of the crusaders. Against all who should presume to oppose the discharge of this commission, though possessing regal dignity, the prelate was to launch the anathemas of the church; while, to such as 14 14 Wals. Hist. ubi supra. VII. should enlist themselves in aid of this sacred CHAP. purpose, though dying before the struggle should commence; and to such as should contribute in the smallest degree of their property with the same view; the remission of all trespasses was certainly secured, together with every immunity conceded to such "as go to fight for the holy land."15 66 To render this measure, as little objectionable as possible to the english court and parliament; it was suggested by the pontiff, that to meet its expenses, a tenth should be raised from the revenues of the clergy; and that every thing obtained from the laity should be strictly voluntary, and bear the name of alms. Such, however, was the zeal of Urban, that more than thirty bulls were despatched to England on this subject; and the conduct of the the english prelates in rendering these documents the ground of inflammatory appeals from the pulpit, supplied an example which the inferior clergy would not be slow to imitate.16 "All who should "die at this time," observes Froissart, "and who "had given their money, were absolved from every fault, and by the tenure of the bull, 66 happy were they who could now die, in order to "obtain so noble an absolution." It was the arrangement of the pope, that France and Spain should be invaded at the same moment; the expedition against the latter kingdom being entrusted to the duke of Lancaster, in virtue of his claim as king of Castile, and perhaps, with the hope of detaching him more completely from the rank of the |