But

tences of his learning are damned as they well worthie are. as touching Philip of Rampington, that was first canon, and after abbat of Leicester, which is now bishop of Lincolne; I tell thee, that the day is commen, for which he fasted the eeven. For neither hee holdeth now, nor will hold, the learning that hee taught, when hee was a canon of Leicester. For no bishop of this land pursueth now more sharpely them that hold thy way, then he doth.

And I said, Sir, full many men and women wondereth upon him, and speaketh him mikle shame, and holdeth him for a cursed enemie of the truth.

And the archbishop said to me, Wherfore tariest thou me thus here with such fables, wilt thou shortly (as I have said to thee) submit thee to me or no?

And I said, Sir, I tell you at one word; I dare not for the dread of God submit me to you, after the tenor and sentence that yee have above rehearsed to me.

And thus as if hee had been wroth, hee said to one of his clerks, Fetch hither quickly, the certification that came to me from Shrewesburie under the bailiffes seale, witnessing the errors and heresies, which this losell hath venumously sowne there.

Then hastilie the clerke tooke out and laid forth on a cupbord, divers roles and writings, among which there was a little one, which the clerke delivered to the archbishop. And by and by the archbishop read this roll containing this sentence.

"The third Sunday after Easter, the yeere of our Lord 1407, William Thorpe came unto the towne of Shrewesburie, and through leave granted unto him to preach, he said openly in S. Chad's church in his sermon.

That the sacrament of the altar, after the consecration, was materiall bread;

And that images should in no wise be worshipped.

And that men should not go on pilgrimages.

And that priests have no title to tithes.

And that it is not lawfull for to sweare in any wise."

And when the archbishop had read thus this roll, he rolled it up againe, and said to me, Is this wholesome learning to be among the people?

and on them they proceeded to censure and punish, even unto death, in virtue of the mere principle of the authority of the church, and that church the pope or the church of Rome, without any sufficient regard whether their articles were grounded in Scripture, or in only undeniable reason.

And I said to him, Sir, I am both ashamed on their behalfe, and right sorrowfull for them that have certified you these things thus untruely; for I preached never, nor taught thus, privily nor apertly.

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And the archbishop said to me, I will give credence to these worshipfull men which have written to me, and witnessed under their seales there among them. Though now thou deniest this, weenest thou that I shall give credence to thee? Thou losell, hast troubled the worshipfull communaltie of Shrewesburie, so that the bailiffes and communaltie of that towne have written to me, praying me that am archbishop of Canturbury primat and chancellor of England, that I will vouchsafe to grant them, that if thou shalt be made (as thou art worthie) to suffer open jouresse for thine heresies, that thou may have thy jouresse openly there among them so that all they whom thou and such other losels have there perverted, may through feare of thy deed be reconciled againe to the unitie of holie church. And also they that stand in true faith of holie church, may through thy deed be more established therein. And as if this asking well pleased the archbishop, he said, By my thrift, this heartie prayer, and fervent request, shall be thought on.

But certainlie, nother the prayer of the men of Shrewesburie, nor the manasing of the archbishop made mee any thing afraid. But in rehearsing of this malice, and in the hearing of it, my heart greatly rejoiced, and yet doth. I thanke God for the grace that I then thought, and yet thinke shall come to all the church of God here thorow, by the speciall mercifull doing of the Lord. And as having no dread of the malice of tyrants, by trusting steadfastlie in the helpe of the Lord, with full purpose for to knowledge the soothfastnesse, and to stand thereby after my cunning and power, I said to the archbishop, Sir, if the truth of Gods word might now be accepted as it should be, I doubt not to prove by likelie evidence, that they that are famed to be out of the faith of holie church in Shrewesbury, and in other places also, are in the true faith of holy church. For as their words sound, and their works shew to mans judgment (dreading and loving faithfully God) their will, their desire, their love and their busines are most set to dread to offend God, and to love for to please him 5 Open jouresse.] There seems some difficulty about this word "jouresse;" but I apprehend it means abjuration:"-that Thorpe should be carried to Shrewsbury, there openly to abjure. The Latin edition (p. 84) uses the term παλινῳδεῖν.

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in true and faithfull keeping of his commandements. And again, they that are said to be in the faith of holie church in Shrewesburie and in other places, by open evidence of their proud, envious, malicious, covetous, and other foule words and workes, neither know, nor have will to know, nor to occupie their wits truelie and effectuouslie in the right faith of holie church. Wherefore all these, nor none that follow their manners, shall any time come verily in the faith of holy church, except they inforce them more truely to come in the way which now they despise. For these men and women that are now called faithfull and holden just, nother know, nor will exercise themselfe to knowe (of faithfulnesse) one commandement of God.

And thus full many men and women now, and speciallie men that are named to be principal lims of holy church, stir God to great wrath, and deserve his curse for that they call or hold them just men, which are ful unjust, as their vitious words, their great customable swearing, and their slanderous and shamefull works shew openly and witnesse. And therefore such vitious men and unjust in their owne confusion, call them unjust men and women, which after their power and cunning busie themselves to live justly after the commandement of God. And where sir, ye say, that I have distroubled the communaltie of Shrewesburie, and many other men and women with my teaching, if it thus bee, it is not to bee wondered of wise men, since all the communaltie of the citie of Jerusalem was distroubled of Christ's owne person, that was very God and man, and the most prudent preacher that ever was or shall be. And also all the synagogue of Nazareth was mooved against Christ, and so full filled with ire towards him for his preaching, that the men of the synagogue rose up and cast Christ out of their citie, and led him up to the top of a mountaine for to cast him downe there headlong. Also accordingly hereto, the Lord witnesseth by Moses, that he shall put dissension betwixt his people, and the people that contrarieth and pursueth his people. Who sir is he, that shall preach the truth of Gods word to the unfaithful people, and shall let the soothfastnesse of the gospell, and the prophecie of God Almightie to be fulfilled?

And the archbishop said to me, It followeth of these thy words, that thou and such other thinkest, that yee doe right wel for to preach and teach as yee doe, without authoritie of any bishop".

• Without authoritie of any bishop.] Among the celebrated constitutions of archbishop Arundel, agreed upon in a convocation holden at Oxford in

For you presume, that the Lord hath chosen you only for to preach, as faithfull disciples and speciall followers of Christ.

And I said, Sir, by authoritie of God's law, and also of saints and doctors I am learned to deeme, that it is every priests office. and dutie' for to preach busily, freely and truely the word of God.

the year 1407, and promulgated a second time by a convocation at St. Paul's, London, in the year following; it was enacted, in further prosecution of a law passed in parliament, A.D. 1400, "That no clerk, secular or regular, unless authorised by law, or special privilege, should preach to the people or clergy in Latin, or in the vulgar tongue, within a church, or without, unless he be first examined by the diocesan, and being found qualified both in manners and learning, be sent by him to preach to some certain parish or parishes, as to the same ordinary shall seem expedient." Wilkins's Concil. iii. p. 306 and 315. The words "law or special privilege" were designed to protect the powers granted by the see of Rome to the respective orders of friars; but these, not being always treated with due honour by the secular clergy, were more amply confirmed to them by a declaration published by the archbishop in the year 1409 (Wilkins, iii. p. 324); and thus, while the parochial clergy were subject to very severe but reasonable restrictions, the mendicant orders had liberty to preach where, and when, and how, they pleased. And as Thorpe said in another work, "Heremites and pardoners, ankerers, and strange beggars, are licensed and admitted of prelats and priests, for to beguile the people with flatterings and leasings slanderously, against all good reason and true beliefe, and so to increase divers vices in themselves, and also among all them that accept them, or consent to them." Thorpe's Testament in Fox's Acts, p. 499, 500.

7 Office and dutie.] Yes: No doubt. But it is also equally true, that the church or the state has a right to limit and controul the exercise of this office in any particular case. Therefore the law, this constitution of Arundel, was a just and necessary one. The unhappiness was (as will often fall out in human affairs), that the application and exercise of it fell into bad hands, and for bad purposes, against good. And undoubtedly it was grievously hard, that they who by Scripture and reason, and all other legitimate arguments, saw clearly where the truth and where the error lay; that themselves were right, and the other party wrong, would not propound their knowledge, nor speak at all, except on conditions which stipulated for its previous abandonment and extinction. They would gladly enough have had the bishop's license, but, as Thorpe says just below, "we know well, that this cannot be, unless we oblige ourselves, not to pass the bounds and terms, which ye, sir, or other bishops, will limit to us." And here again, the condition doubtless was just and necessary. No government can be sustained on any other principles. And, I may observe, that Wickliffe himself appears to have held the doctrine which we are maintaining. For highly as he insisted on the obligation of the ordination vows, to preach and minister in the sanctuary, he taught, according to a passage in Lewis (p. 65. 1820), that "though the priestly power is not more or less sufficient in its essence: still the powers of

For no doubt every priest should propose first in his soule, and covet to take the order of priesthood chiefly for to make knowne to the people the word of God, after his cunning and power; approving his words ever to be true by his vertuous workes: and for this intent we suppose that bishops and other prelats of holy church, should chieflie take and use their prelacie, and for the same cause bishops should give to priests their orders. For bishops should accept no man to priesthood, except that he had good wil and full purpose, and were wel disposed and wel learned to preach. Wherefore sir, by bidding of Christ, and by the example of his most holy living, and also by the witnessing of his holie apostles and prophets, wee are bound under full great paine, to exercise us after our cunning and power (as every priest is likewise charged of God) to fulfill duly the office of priesthood. We presume not here of our selves for to bee esteemed, (neither in our owne reputation nor in none other mans) faithfull disciples, and speciall followers of Christ. But sir, as I said to you before, wee deeme this, by authoritie chiefly of Gods word, that it is the chiefe dutie of every priest, to busie him faithfullie to make the law of God knowne to his people; and so to commune the commandements of God charitablie, how that we may best, where, when, and to whom that ever we may and for the wil and businesse that we owe of due debt, to do justlie our office, through the stirring and speciall helpe (as we trust) of God, hoping stedfastlie in his mercie, wee desire to be the faithfull disciples of Christ, and we pray this gratious Lord for his holie name, that he make us able to please him with devout prayers, and charitable priestly works, that we may obtaine of him to follow him thankefully.

And the archbishop said to me, Leaud lozel, whereto makest

inferior priests are, at times, reasonably restrained, and at other times are relaxed."

Meanwhile, so far as concerns the church of England herself, whether in her legislative or executive capacity, our consolation must be, that she has long relinquished all claim to be an infallible church: and as in her 19th Article, she maintains that the churches of Rome, Jerusalem, and Antioch, had erred, so she may, or rather must, now looking back, confess of herself, that under Arundel's primacy, she abused her lawful authority, and erred grievously in many matters of controversy, "not only in ceremonies, but also in matters of faith."

Upon the whole, then, much of Thorpe's reasoning here, and in what follows for some pages, is a mistake of the question.