2. He faid, that he would rather adore a temporal King than the wooden Crofs aforefaid.

3.

That he would rather honour the Bodies of Saints, than the true Crofs of Christ on which Chrift hung, fuppofing, that the true Crofs was before him.

4.

That a Deacon and every Priest is more obliged to preach the Word of God, than to say Matins and other canonical Hours.

5. He also faid, that he had many Days omitted Matins and the other canonical Hours, when he was in Health, because of different Occupa tions, viz. hearing Confeffions, and Study, and, that on those Days be celebrated Mafs; and faid further, that a Prieft in fuch wife occupied in Confeffions, Prayers, or Study, is not obliged to Jay Matins and other ca

nonical Hours.

6.

That if any one in foreign Parts vowed to take a Journey to the Tomb of St Thomas of Canterbury or elsewhere for obtaining any temporal Benefit, fuppofe, the Recovery of their Health, or the faving of their temporal Goods, or any thing of this Kind, he is not obliged to perform that Vow, but to distribute the Expences of it in Alms to the Poor.

7.

That he had very often changed fuch Vows by the facerdotal Authority without the Authority of the Diocefan.

8.

That after the pronouncing the facramental Words of the Body of Chrift, the Bread remains of the fame Nature which it was before, with the Body of Chrift, and does not ceafe to be Bread.

9.

That he would rather adore a Man truly confeffed and contrite, than the Crofs on which Chrift hung.

-

That he would and was obliged rather to adore a Man

truly confeffed and contrite, than any Angel of GOD.

Thefe Errors and Herefies, as they were called, Sawtre (i) abjured in Latin before the Bishop, and in English before the Clergy and People at Lynn, and did Penance.

On his being difmiffed here he went to London, where he became parochial Chaplain of St Sythe the Virgin. But he had not been long here, when he was (4) complained of to the Convocation, towards the latter End of 1400, as a Relapfe, and eight of the foregoing Articles exhibited against him, the fifth and feventh being omitted. On which he was declared a Relapfe, and fentenced to be degraded and delivered over to the fecular Arm, and was accordingly the first who felt the Severity of the bloody and cruel Act paffed this very Year 1400, whereby it was enacted, That any Perfon relapfing fhould be burnt for the Terror of others.' But the Acts of the Convocation inform us, that the honourable Men the Lord Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland, Thomas Herpyngham the King's Chamberlain, and Thomas Northbury Steward of the Houfhold, were fent on the Part of the King and fome of the Peers and Nobles of England, to intimate to the Archbishop and Bishops, &c. their Senfe of the Danger of the Errors and Herefies which now fo much abounded, and to fupplicate the Convocation to provide

(i) Ats and Monuments Vol. I. p. 671, &c. Edit. 1632. (k) It is of this which Mr Fox gives an Account in the firft Volume of his AЯs, and accordingly he recites but eight Articles.

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provide fome Remedy against (1) them. This is widely different from T. Crosby's ignorant Account, That the Clergy ufpecting Sawtre's De fign, which, he fays, muft have been to get the established Religion ⚫ reformed, or a Toleration for fuch as diffented, got the Matter wholly to be referred to them in Convocation; who foon condemned him as an obftinate Heretick, and procured a Decree from the King for his burning.

That the Lollards were not against Infant Baptifm, is plain enough from their Petition to the Parliament, printed by Dr Peter Allix, in which they thus expreffed themselves Thow fleying of Children or [EnЄ before] they ben christened ben ful finful. So Walter Brute of Hereford, a learned and zealous Follower of Dr Wiclif, reprefented the Lollards, whom he ftiles faithful Parents, as wishing with all their Hearts to have their Children baptized.

Mr Fox has been likewife reflected on by the fame ignorant and difhoneft Writer, as not fairly ftating the Lollards Principles about Bap⚫tifm, and taking no notice in his Hiftory of many among the Martyrs

as Oppoíers of Infant Baptifm, because he himself was a Pedobaptift.'. And this Reflection is not confined to Mr Fox, but extended to all the English Church Hiftorians, for want of a little more Knowledge and Candor. But Mr Fox informs us, that as touching their Articles which they, the • Lollards, did maintaine and defend, he found in the Registers fuch Society and Agreement of Doctrine to be among them, that almost in their Affertions and Articles there was no Difference, the Doctrine of one was the Doctrine of all the other: That although it is to be thought concerning these Articles, that many of them either were falfly objected against them, or not truly reported of the Notaries, according as the common Manner is of thefe Adverfaries, where the • Matter is good there to make Herefie, and of a little Occafion to • ftir up great Matter of Slander as they did before by the Articles of • (m) John Wiclif and John Hus and others moe foe in like Manner,

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(1) This Act, it feems, was put in execution in the Kingdom of Scotland, tho' at that Time independent of England and governed by its own Laws. Thus John de Fordun in his Scotichronicon p. 1168, 1298 edit. Oxon. tells us, that James Reby an English Prefbyter of Wiclf's School, and Paul Crower a Dutch Man, were both burnt there to Ashes for Herely by the Order of Laurence de Lundons, Inquifitor of Heretical Pravity, unless it was the Law of Scotland to punish Herefy in this cruel Manner. Burning in England, before the paffing this Act, was the Punishment of Apoftacy. Bp Stilling fleet's Ecclefi. Cafes. Fordun mentions none burnt in Scotland for Heresy till 1404, Four Years after the paffing of this Act.

(m) Among the Articles of Dr Wiclif condemned by Archbp Arundel, and faid to be taken out of his Book called Trialogus, the 4th was this, that they who define or determine, that the little Children of the Faithful dying without Sacramental Baptifm shall not be faved, are in this Fools and prefumptuous: When the Doctor's own Words were, that they are Fools, &c. who of their own Knowledge or Authority determine any thing in that Matter: Or whether Infants in the Cafe of his putting fhall be faved or damned if they die unbaptized. Life of Wiclif p. 390, 391. The Council of Trent anathematized thofe who faid Baptifm was free, that is, not neceffary to Salvation; and by the Catechifm is it declared, that the Law of Baptifm is fo • prefcribed to all Men by the Lord, that unless they are born again unto God by the Grace of Baptifm, they are begotten by their Parents, whether they are Be⚫lievers or Infidels, unto everlafting Mifery and Death.' The Church of England has determined, That it is certain by GOD's Word, that Children which are baptized, dying before they commit attual Sin, are undoubtedly faved; but is quite filent con

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it feemeth, they did in the Articles of thefe Men, either miftaking that which they faid, or misunderstanding that which they meant, efpecially in these two Articles concerning Baptifme and paying of Tithes. For whereas they speaking against the ceremonial and fuperfluous Traditions then used in Baptisme as Salt, Oyl, Spittle, Taper, Light, Crifomes, exorcifing of the Water, with fuch other, accounted them as no material Thing in the holy Inftitution of Baptisme, or not effential to it, the Notaries, flanderously depraving this their Affertion, to make it more odious to the Ears of the People, fo gave out the Article, as though they fhould hold, that the Sacrament of Raptifme used in the Church by Water is but a SLIGHT MATTER and of small Effect, or a needlefs Ceremony. Againe, in fpeaking against the Christening which the Midwives ufed in private Houles, against the Opinion of fuch as think fuch Children to be damned which depart, or die before they come to their Baptifme, they are faifly reported, as though they should fay, that Chriftian People be fufficiently baptized in the (n) Blood of Chrift, and need no Water; and, that Infants be tuffi

' ci

cerning their State if they die unbaptized. Mr Fox tranfcribed from a Register of Hereford the following Words of Walter Brute of that Place A D. 1393. I greatly marvel at that Saving in the Decrees, that little Children that are not baptized fhall be tormented with eternal Fire, altho' they were born of faithful Parents who wished them with all their Hearts to have been baptized. How shall the Infant be damned that is born of faithful Parents that do not defpife but rather defire to have their Children baptized? Walden reprefented the Opinion of Wicliff's Followers to be, that the ecclefiaftical Baptifm is ufelefs to little Ones, fince they are fufficiently clean and holy being born of holy and chriftian Parents; for which they conftant y quoted the Apostle Paul's I. Epiftle to the Corinthians, " Chap. VII. Now are your Children holy? This he calls an Error hitherto unknown. Doctrinale Antiquit. Fidei &c. But if this was their Error, they would have baptized none which is contrary to Fact.

(n) By this feems to be meant, that the invifible and heavenly Thing of Baptifm is the Binod of Chrift: That as Water watheth away the Filth of the Body, fo the Blood of Chrift cleanfeth us from the Guilt and Pollution of Sin. Mr Collier, from Harpsfield, els us, that whereas we are affured by our Saviour, that except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD, Wiclif was fo fingular as to affirm, that by thefe Words we are not to understand material Water, but only the Water which flowed from our Saviour's Side in Conjunction with the Baptifm of the Spirit.' Dr Wiclif's own Words are, Dialog. Lib. IV. Cap. 12, Et fic ulterius quantum ad fidem Scripturæ Joannis III. Nifi quis ren tus fuerit &c. probabiliter dici poteft, quod Chriftus loquitur de Aqua quæ fluxit de fuo Lstere, et de Baptifmo tertio, quia certum videtur, quod Homo martyrisatus pro Chrifte, licet non irroretur Aqua baptifmatis noviter, eft falvandus. Ideo videtur probabile ad illum fenfum negativum Chrifti intelligere, fcilicet, quod Nemo poteft introire in Regnum Cælorum, nifi baptifmate Aquæ effluxa de Latere Chrifti, et Baptifmate Flaminis baptifetur cum Trinitas non poffet falvare Laptos ad Beatitudinem acceptando, nifi Perfona fecunda et tertia purgent. Et ita Chriftus Subtilitate et Brevitate Miraculi, docuit primum Baptifmum in iftis verbis evangeliçis obferveri. Non enim licet Fidelibus, fupponendo Baptifmum Flaminis, Baptifmum Fluminis omnino relinquere, fed neceffe eft, data Opportunitate Circumftantiæ, ipfum accipere. He had obferved before of thefe Words of Chrift to Nicodemus, that ex tanta Autoritate Fidei Sc.ipturæ funt fideles generaliter baptifati. If I understand aright Dr Wiclif's Words, his Opinion was, that to fuch as fuffered Martyrdom without being baptized, their want of Water Baptifm was fupplied by the Water which iffued out of Chriff's Side on the Crofs in Conjunction with the Baptifm of the Spirit. And this might be a Singularity for ought I know. But this feems fomewhat different from the learned and ingenious Mr Collier's Reprefentation of the Doctor, that he thought, that by the Word Water, John III, 5 he did not understand material Water, but only the Water which flowed from our Saviour's Side, &c.

ciently baptized if their Parents be baptized before them.' Or, as it is expreffed in the Register of W. Gray Bifhop of Ely 1457.

• That

a Child born of Parents baptized has no need of Baptifm, nor ought to be baptized; fince the Baptifm of the Parents is fufficient for them.' By which they feem only to have meant, that their Baptism was not fo abfolutely neceffary, that they fhould be thus irregularly baptized by Midwives, they being the Seed of the Faithful, and Heirs of the Promises, and confequently would not be damned, but rather had a Title to Salvation, tho' they could not be duly and lawfully baptized. Dr Wiclif's Words concerning the Baptifm of Infants and the Manwer of miniftring Baptifm are plain and eafy to be understood by any one of common Senfe and Understanding. We think, fays he, without any doubting, that Infants rightly baptized with Water are baptized with the third Baptifm, that of the Spirit, fince they have the baptifmal Grace,' the Forgiveness of Sin, or are called to a State of Salvation: It matters not whether they are fo baptized, are (0) dipped or plunged once or thrice, or have Water poured on their Heads, but we are to do according to the Cuftom of the Place where • we live.' He plainly afferts, that whofoever is rightly baptized, Baptifm blots out whatever Sin it finds in the Perfon baptized; but if the Baptifm of the Spirit be wanting, however there be the Baptifm of the Church and of Blood or of Martyrdom, Baptifm does ⚫ not profit to the Salvation of the Soul.' But, to fhew, that there is no Remedy provided against Obitinacy, it is ftill urged, by one who feems to have never feen Dr Wiclif's Dialogues, nor to be able to read them, 1. that by Dr Wiclif's own Books, the Fact of his approving Infant Baptifm &c. feems doubtful. 2. That it is not eafy to know what Dr Wiclif's Opinions were: When it was long fince obferved by the learned Dr Peter Allix in his Remarks upon the Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of the antient Churches of the Albigenfes, that it was no

difficult Matter for Dr Tho. James to justify Dr Wiclif against the • horrid (p) Calumnies of Walden by confulting his Manufcript Works which are to be found in several Libraries in England' Had Fuller and Collier acted thus ingenuously and not taken his Opinions from t Walden and Harpsfield they would have given a truer Account of them. 3. That Thomas Walden and Jofeph Vicecomes have declared Wiclif an Anabaptift. And, that John for William Wodford oppofed 18 of his 'Errors, one of which ftruck at Infant Baptifm. But I can't find that Walden declared Wiclif an Anabaptift; Vicecomes indeed does, and fo he calls (9) Luther, Calvin and Beza to his own Shame and Reproach. The Article oppofed by William Wodford he reprefents not as striking at Infant Baptifm but at the abfolute Neceffity of Baptifm to Salvation:

Or

(0) Wirlif ufes the Word irroretur, bedewed, for Baptifm.
(P) He thus reckoned the threefold Baptifm: 1 of Water, 2 of Blood,3 of the Spirit.
Mentitur Waldenfis de Wiclefo. Epifc. Andrews.

(1) -Joannem Wicle vum Lib. 4. Trialog. Cap. 2. Martinum Lutherum lib. adverfus Cochlaum et de adoratione Sacramenti ad Waldenfes. Thomam Monetarium apud Bullinger um adv. Anabaptiftas. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. Calvinum lib 4. Inftitut. Cap. 16. et defenf. 2 contra Weftphalium et Bezam de coena Domini cont. Weftphalium Cap. 36. Omnes portenta et monftra Chriftianæ Reipublicæ. Jofephi Vicecomitis Obfervationes Ecclefiafticæ impreffa Mediolani, A. D. *M.DCXV. Lib. II. Cap. I.

Or the Opinion, that Parvuli fine Baptismo facramentali decedentes pro perpetuo perire.— -Non funt de numero falvandorum,eft de fide Ecclefiae, quod tales Infantes æternaliter erunt damnati. Lastly, it is urged, that Dr Wiclif might, after he had wrote his Books of Dialogues, be of another Mind in the Point of Infant Baptism, and write against it in fome of his Books which were burnt. But in the four th of thefe Books, he mentions the Court, or Council of the Earthquake, as he calls it, held by Archbp Courtney at the preaching Friers in London in May 1382, and he died in December 1384. Can any one in his Senfes fuppofe, that the Dr fhould fo late in Life alter his Opinions, much less write against them? To which, I add, that his Books, and very probably, all he ever wrote, are ftill preserved in Print and M. S. in our publick Libraries &c.

But, as a yet further Proof, if there needed any, that Dr Wiclif and his Followers were not Anabaptifts, it is certain, that the English Puritans, who highly reverenced Dr Wiclif's Memory and his Writings, ftrenuously oppofed Anabaptifm. Thus the learned Thomas Cartwright told Dr Whitgift. It is more, faid he, than I thought could have happened unto you once to admitte into your Minde, this Opinion • of Anabaptifme of your Brethren, which have alwayes had it in as great Deteftation as yourfelfe, preached against it as much as yourselfe, bated of the Followers and Favourers of it as much as yourfelfe.' For it feems, it was then the known Character of this Sect as well as it is now, to revile the Minifters of the Word, and much more bitterly to invey against them, if they withstood their Errors, than against the Papifts. See a Book entituled, An Antidote against Anabaptifm, &c. by John Reading, B. D. p. 8, 9. Edit. 1654. Vanity of childish Baptifm Part I, II. by A. Riter. cum multis aliis quos nunc perfcribere longum eft.

Some Account of JOHN SMITH, the firft English Anabaptist Teacher at Leyden in Holland.

Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.

NE of both thefe Names was educated in the University of Cambridge, and afterwards beneficed fomewhere near Mr Artbur Hildersham, having taken the Degree of Mafter of Arts. But, favouring the People then called Puritans, in 1584, when the great Subfcription, as it was called, was urged, he refufed to fubfcribe but with this Addition (a) fo far forth as they, the Articles, are agreeable to the Word of GOD. In 1585, he preached ad Clerum at St Mary's, and attempted to vindicate the Doctrine then newly broached by the Puritans, of keeping the Chriftian Sabbath according to the Law and Practice of the Jews. He likewife fell in with the Opinion of the Puritan Ana

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(4) Written on the Back of a Leaf of a Copy of the 39 Articles printed by Chriftopher Barker 1586: I Thomas Row do here fubf ribe to this Booke of Articles of Religion according to the Equity of a Statute made Anno Eliz. reg. 13.

At Leeck, March 8. 1593

By me Thomas Row. Fgo Ro. Adie ante Admiffionem meam ad Officium Lectoris divinarum Precum in Ecclefia parochiali de Colledwith," his Articulis volens fubfcripfi ultimo Die Martii 1598. Robertus Adie.