HISTORY OF THE LIFE and SUFFERINGS Of the Reverend and Learned John Wicliffe, D. D. Warden of CANTERBURY HALL, Together with a Collection of Papers By JOHN LEWIS, A. M. Minifter of Te feek to kill me, a Man that hath told you the LONDON: Printed for ROBERT KNAPLOCK, at the Bishops- 210. n. 4/3. THE PREFA C E. I T's the ufual Practice of the Men of this World, who hate the Light, and will not come unto it, to defame the Perfons and blacken the Characters of those who tell them the Truth. Inftances of the Juftness of this Observation we have too many in all Countries and Ages: But as flagrant an one as any, is what has been lately given us here at Home by a pretended Presbyter of the Church of England. This Man propofes to furnish the English Reader with a Hiftory of the pretended Reformers. He begins with John Wicliffe, John Hus, and Jerom of Prague, and affures his Readers, That when Wicliffe (who, it seems, 'ftands moft in the Man's Way) is dispatch'ed, the World fhall be obliged with a farther 'Account of fome more Reformers; that 'they are under the Curfe of the Amalekites; not even an Agag fhall be fpared.' To execute this doughty Undertaking, he has, as he tells us, made English from the French Original, the Hiftory of the Herefie of John Wicliffe, c. but, for what Reason he knows A 2 beft, し beft, he is not fo kind as to let his Reader know who wrote this Hiftory. Whether he knew the Name of Varillas, which is infamous among even the Papists themselves for his want of even common Honesty, would difcredit his Performance,or whatever Reason he had for it, he wifely drops his Author's Name. But had he himself had any Knowledge of the English Hiftory, he muft furely have been afhamed to have been the Tranflator of a Writer, who writes in fo open Defiance of E. T. p. 5.it: For thus he tells us very gravely, That Peter-pence was a Tribute exacted yearly upon every Chimney in the Kingdom: That before the Conqueft the Laws of England were not Written-Laws, but conveyed down by the Tradition of the Magiftrates; that the Priviledges of Parliament are an Ufurpation upon the Royal Authority: That the Election to Bishopricks, here in England, in Wicliffe's Time, abfo lutely depended on the Voices of the Chapters, tho' the Court of Rome did often intervene.' It's no wonder that a Writer who could blunder at this rate, fhould tell us, That Thomas Arundel (who he fays ' elsewhere was Arch-bishop of Canterbury P. 13. P. 18. P. 4. P. 33. 1386, ten Years before he was fo) anathematized Wicliffe, &c. in a Council at CanP. 20, 22.terbury 1377. That Wicliffe was cited by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London to appear before them almost a Year before K. Edward III's Death: That the Pope's Schedule of 19 Conclufions held by Wicliffe was a Scroll of three Errors which he had advanced: That W'icliffe was P. 20. P. 29. 4. defirous defirous to fucceed Sudbury the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and that the Ministers of the Court of Rome oppofed his Election: That P. 27. 'the Rebellious Boors were the Followers of Wicliffe: That John Ball went to seek out P. 25, Wicliffe, who received him with open Arms, ' and after two or three Conferences gave ' him leave to preach his Doctrine; And that Wicliffe recanted before a Council held by Arch-bifhop Courtney at London 1382.' It can be no Surprize to any one to find a Writer, who is fo full of perpetual Impostures, calling Places and Perfons by wrong Names, as Leicester, Lancafter; Swinderby, Windarby; Wodford, Winchfort, unless these be the Éfcapes of the Tranflator, who calls William Wodford, John Woodford. But as grofs a Falsehood as any is what this fabulous and romantick Writer fays of the learned Sir Henry P. 35 Spelman, the Collector of our English Councils. Having afferted, that Wicliffe being brought before his proper Judges, Arch-bifhop Courtney, &c. at London 1382, abjured all he had taught contrary to their Sentiments, without exception; he adds, That that Piece [the 'Form of Abjuration] had yet been to be found in its Place among the Acts of the Council, if the English Compiler too paffionate for the Glory of his Nation, &c. had not un'dertaken to fupprefs it, and to place in its < ftead a Confeffion of Faith, which, properly fpeaking, is nothing more than a pure cunning Difcourfe, fmoothing over the Er'rors of Widliffe. For proof of this, he refers p. 58. to one Wingeon, whom he elsewhere calls Hift. de l'HeVingeon and Vington, a Writer whom no body refie, p. 42. A 3 ever Hift. du Wic. |