none wyse be trowes and telles that this Sacrament may on No. VIII. Dr. Wiclif's Letter of Excuse to Pope Urban VI. I HAVE joyfully to telle alle trew men the bileve that I hold, 2 Ipse Wycliff in 4. libro Trialogi sui ter dampnati capitulo 36. prædictum concilium contra eum celebratum A. D. 1380. Londoniis vocat Bibl Bod. a always. Concilium Terræmotus. Gascoigne Dict. Theo. MS. b great ness. the Gospel among all men that liven here. For the Pope is highest vicar that Christ has here in erth. For b moreness of Christ's vicars is not measured by worldly moreness, bot c follows. by this, that this vicar sues more Christ by vertuous living : for thus teches the Gospel, That this is the sentence of Christ and of his Gospel I take as bileve; that Christ for time that he walked here was most poore mon of alle both in spirit and in d haveing; for Christ says that he had noht for to rest his hede on. And over this I take as bileve, that d possessions. no mon schulde sue the Pope, ne no saint that now is in e as much. hevene, bot in e alsmyche as he sued Christ for James and John errid, and Peter and Powl sinned. Of this I take as holesome counseile, that the Pope leeve his worldly lordschip to worldly lords, as Christ gaf him, and move speedily all his Clerks to do so: for thus did Christ, and taught thus his disciplis, till the fende had blynded this world. And if I erre in this sentence I will mekely be amendid, hif by the death, hif it be skilful, for that I hope were gode to me. And if I might traveile in my own persoun, I wolde with God's will go to the Pope. Bot [Christ] has nedid me to the contrary, and taught me more obeishe to God than to mon. And I suppose of our Pope that he will not be Antichrist, and reverse Christ in this wirking to the contrary of Christ's wille. For if he summons ageyns resoun by him or any of his, and pursue this unskilful summoning, he is an open Antichrist. And merciful entent excusid not Petir that ne Christ clepid him Sathanas: so blynd entent and wicked conseil excuses not the Pope here, bot if he aske of trewe Prestis that they traveile more than they may, 'tis not excused by resoun of God that ne he is Antichrist. For our bileve techis us that our blessid God suffrys us not to be temptyd more than we may; how schuld a mon aske such service? And therefore pray we to God for our Pope Urban the h Sex that his old holy entent be not quenchid by his enemys. And Christ that may not lye seis that the enemyes of a mon be i family. especially his homelye i meinth, and this is k soth of men and fendis. g called. h sixth. k truth. INDEX. ALBIGENSES, origin of the name, i. 142. Their sufferings, 144-152. But very Amour, St. his controversy with the mendicant orders, ii. 176-179. Anglican Church, authority of the english monarchs in relation to it, subsequent Appellant Jurisdiction, unknown in the primitive church, i. 11, 12. Its progress Armachanus, his dispute with the mendicants, i. 251. Becket, his controversy with Henry II. i. 171-176. Bernard, St. his disputes with the sectaries of his time, i. 127. Bohemia, sketch of its early religious history, ii. 159–163. Bradwardine, notice of him, i. 186, 187. Bruges, character of that city in the fourteenth century, i. 322, 323. Wycliffe Celibacy of the Clergy, how established, i. 37–41. Enforced by Hildebrand, 88. Christianity, doctrines peculiar to it, i. 99–101. Its favorable influence on the Christian dispensation, its peculiarities, i. 2, 3. Church, ancient import of that word, i. 5. Claude of Turin, notice of him, i. 125. His doctrines survive him, 126. Cologne, character and doctrine of the martyrs who suffered there in the twelfth Commerce, its state in England, and its influence on the constitution and society, Councils, ecclesiastical, their origin and injurious effects, i. 12-14. Edmund, St. notice of him, i. 185. Edward III. his character and that of his court, i, 282–287. English Constitution, effect of commerce upon it, i. 198-200, and of the wars English people, their degraded state with respect to christianity, at the com- Feudal system, i. 194, 195. Geoffry Chaucer embraced many of the doctrines of Wycliffe, ii. 169–191. Gerard, account of him and his followers, i. 181-183. Gregory the Great, his character, i. 71-77. Grossteste, notice of him, i. 169–171. Henry II., his controversy with Becket, ii. 171–176. Henry the founder of the Henricians, i. 131, 132. Hierarchy, its state previous to the age of Constantine, i. 14, 15, and in the Images, the worship of them, how introduced, i. 56, 57. Investitures, the controversy respecting them, i. 88–90. Insurrection of the commons in 1381. A narrative of its causes and effects, John of Gaunt, his early history, and his connexion with Wycliffe, i. 287-289. Jurisdiction, ecclesiastical, its secular character, and how assumed, i. 16–23. La Nobla Leyczon, contents of that interesting document, i. 129–131. Learning, its state in England before the conquest, i. 200, 201. Its revival, 201 Longland, notice of his poetry, ii. 181, 182. Mendicants, their rise and character, i. 49–51. Importance of Wycliffe's con- Monachism, its origin, causes which favored its diffusion and the evils attending Paganism of Greece and Rome, i. 93, 94, and of the Northern Nations, 94. Papacy, its early advances and progress to the year 600, i. 63–71. Sketch of Parliament, novel measure of that convened in 1371, i. 290–292. Proceedings Paulicians, their character and history, i. 111-118. Their dispersion, and con- Paulinus, his primitive doctrine and zeal, i. 124. Persecution, its inefficacy during the middle ages, i. 109, 110. Its history, ii. Pestilence, melancholy effects of that in 1348, i. 238–240. Peter Lombard, character of his theology, i. 188. Poetry, its influence on the reformation of the church, ii. 172-174. Preaching, its history, ii. 20, 21. Wycliffe's sentiments concerning it, 10-20. Religion necessary to political security, i. 92, 93. Roman de la Rose, character of that poem, ii, 174–176. Sacred Scriptures, history of attempts towards translating them into the Ian- Scholastic Philosophy, its good and evil influence, i. 206–211. Studies of youth in the fourteenth century, i. 226, 227. • Transubstantiation, history of that doctrine, i. 58-60. Opposed by the Wal- Waldenses, origin of the name, i. 141. The character of the Waldenses, Wycliffe, his birth, i. 217. Enquiry respecting its place and his family con- |