Luther's Predecessors: OR AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF THE PAPISTS:  
Where was your Church before Luther?  
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kingston for George Winder, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunston's Churchyard in Fleetstreet. 1624.   

Luther's Predecessors: OR, AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF THE PAPISTS: Where was your Church before Luther?  
AMongst all those Creatures that yield an unpleasant sound, none are so clamorous and obstreperous, as Frogs, and Locusts; these by land, the other by water, saluting each passenger with an unwelcome note: the just picture and resemblance of popish Priests, and Jesuits, which certainly are the Frogs which S. john saw to come forth of the mouth of the Beast, and the false prophet; whose croaking and unwelcome noise doth nor a little trouble each Christian passenger: Amongst other harsh notes of theirs, this question hath his place: for what music can there be in it? Where was your Church before Luther? To what end is this question moved, except it be to trouble men? for, what if we could not prove, that our English Church was before Luther? must it needs follow, that the doctrine we hold is untrue? or shall the doctrine of the Church of Rome be ever the truer, because of only antiquity? what if Arrius or Nestorius could have deduced the Patrons of their opinions from Adam, should they for that have been orthodoxal? No certainly: and why not? Because the Church must be proved and allowed by the doctrine, and not the doctrine authorized by the Church, which the Papists (a people wise in their generation) well knowing, have overturned the course of nature, & will have the Scripture and all doctrine to hang upon the determination of the Church: and upon this ground it is, that they proceed to such questions as these, hoping that if they have once amazed any one with the name of the Church, and shall have driven him from title and interest to the Church before Luther's time, they shall easily make him call in question the whole frame of doctrine of the reformed Churches.  
Unto this question answers have been made, arguments alleged to prove that the doctrine of the Protestant Religion hath had his being in the world long before the days of Luther: That argument of the worthy Doctor Featly cannot by any jesuit be answered, who concludeth, that the doctrine of the reformed Churches must needs have Professors in all ages, because it is eternal: for eternity must needs have a perpetual duration without interruption.  
The argument of Induction▪ is that which better pleaseth the jesuit, but by no means will he suffer our enumeration to begin with Christ and his Apostles; for than what shifts, what cavil and tergivisations they have, may easily appear by the proceedings of the late conference betwixt D. White, and D. Featly, against Fisher, and Sweet: Wherefore, to answer a fool, according to his folly, I have endeavoured to draw the argument of Induction à posteriore, beginning with the ages next before Luther; the which is not so hard a task as commonly is imagined: But first, we must agree upon the terms of this question, Where was your Church, & c? where we must first know what is meant by your, and what by Church.  
For, if by your, they mean the Church of our Nation, that is, Where was your English reformed Church? Then are we to answer out of our own Chronicles, and so shall we be able to name the fewer in all ages, and in some ages perhaps none; not that there were none, but that the Evidences are lost: But I suppose they do not by the terms, your Church, understand a national or Provincial Church, because then must they prove, that the Church of the New Testament is tied to a place: so that where it once hath been planted, there it should continue, which is contrary to all experience: beside, had they meant so, they would have rather named Tyndall, or some other Englishman, than Luther a German. By your Church, they mean then those men in what Country soever, which confessed and maintained the same doctrine.  
Then, for the meaning of the word Church, we demand whether they mean a visible constituted Church, which might have been known by the distinction and succession of Bishops, Elders, Deacons, etc. or whether they mean generally any company of men, holding and professing those truths and doctrines which we maintain?  
For, if they will tie us to the former, I say still, the task is unequal, because the Records are wanting, but especially, because they cannot prove that the Church must always be in such manner visible: for in Elias time there were 7000. unknown to him, much more to Ahab. In the time of Christ's passion some of the Papists say, that the Church rested only in Marie; and all do usually compare the Church to the Moon, which is always lasting, but not always in the Full.  
But, if they meant the latter, namely, a company of men professing the same faith which we do; then we further propound to them two questions.  
The first is, Whether the persecuting of any defacto, do hinder the justifying of them deiure, which they must needs deny, except they will beg the question: and then, though we find such, and such, in former ages to have been condemned, yet if deiure, they ought not, and that we can justify their Tenants, we shall proceed more easily in challenging them for ours. But if they would have us to name men uncondemned, living in peace, free from persecution, they must then prove, that persecution doth take away the privilege of the Church; that those men shall not be of the Church, because persecuted: which if they go about, they must wipe out the whole infancy of the Church for the first 300. years; but they shall never be able to prove it: for the woman in Reuel. 12. was constrained to fly into the wilderness for fear of the Dragon.  
The second is, What those doctrines are, which we must prove, those whom we seek for to have held: for, if they mean the fundamental points of Religion, contained in the Creed for matters of faith, in the Decalogue for matter of practice, and in the Lord's Prayer for matter of prayer, they themselves shall be our spokesmen, for they and we hold these in common; but if they mean those points of doctrine wherein we descent from the present Church of Rome (which they must do if they understand themselves in the question) than we further desire to know whether they will not allow us to challenge those for ours, who held the most, and mainest, for which they suffered as well as we; although (perhaps) in some other points they dissented from us in our general Tenants: for, if they will allow us only such, who both in doctrine and discipline did in all points agree, they are too narrow for any dispute; beside, they must prove that there hath been always such an unity of words and doctrine, that in no point the professors have or may descent, and yet remain members of the Church: a task that will never fadge well, especially with them in their mutinous multitude and rabble of religious orders; yea, let them then call to mind how weakly Harding hath defended his answer of Bishop jewels challenge; or, let them answer Perkins Problem, and prove where their Church was before the Trent Council; for it will as much trouble them to name a company of men in all points professing the Trent faith, as us, to find a company of men professing in all points the doctrine of the reformed religion: But if they give us liberty to make challenge to them, who in the most and greatest points have agreed with us (which is but reasonable) then in the next place we desire to grow to a point, and agree upon the main points of difference betwixt us and them: All which in general do concern either the offices of Christ, or the fruits of his office, the which by their doctrine are overthrown.  
For first, the kingly office of Christ is overthrown by the supremacy of the Pope, which draweth with it the pride of the Clergy, and exaltation of them above the temporal power.  
Secondly, the Prophetical office is overthrown by their silencing the Scripture, and by giving such liberty to the Church, yea, and to the Pope, to frame articles of faith.  
Thirdly, the Priestly office is overthrown in the work of satisfaction, by Merits, Indulgences, Purgatory, etc. In the work of Application, by their abuses thrust into the Sacraments, especially Transubstantiation, real Presence, Exorcisms, etc. & by their false sacraments, which were never appointed by Christ, as means of application. In the work of Intercession, by Angels, Saints, Images, whom they have made their mediators of intercession.  
Lastly, the fruits of Christ's office, redounding to us by the mediation of Christ, is our justification before God, which doctrine they have laboured to overthrow.  
Now to the point, this our task we are to show forth the names of such men, who have consented with us in the opposition of the Supremacy, exemption of the Clergy from Civil jurisdiction, in the authority of the Scriptures, and in the communicating of them to the people, in condemning Merits, Indulgences, Purgatory, Transubstantiation, real presence, intercession of Saints, and Angels, Image worship, Pilgrimage; in the doctrine of our free justification by faith, and such other points, which are controverted betwixt us, and the Church of Rome. And this we will do first in the instance of our own▪ Countrymen, and then proceed to others.  
Know all men therefore by these presents, that about the year of Grace 1370. in the time of Edward the third, King of England, at what time all the world was in most desperate and vile estate, and that lamentable ignorance and darkness of God's truth, had overshaddowed the Church most; john Wickliff, who almost 200. years before Luther, by the especial providence of God, was raised up here in England, to detect more fully and amply, the poison of the Pope's doctrine, and to purge Religion from those dregs and filthiness, with which it was defiled; a Professor of Divinity was he in Oxford, a man of note in his time, and of famous memory in the ages following: For after he had begun to publish some conclusions touching the Doctrine of the Sacrament, and other abuses of the Church, (which boil and sore could not be touched, without the great pain and grief of the world) he was much infested with the Monks and Friars, who like Hornets, did assail the good man on every side: After them, the Priests took the matter in hand, and Simon Sudbery, Archbishop, deprived him of his Benefice in Oxford; yet by the friendly and favourable assistance of john of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Henry Percy, Earl Marshal, (being also befriended of the King, who had heretofore made use of him in an Ambassage) he bore out the malice of the Friars, and of the Archbishop, all the days of Edward the third, and of Pope Vrban; who being busied in suppressing his adversary, Clement the seventh, could not spare any time to deal with Wickliff: and so it came to pass, by God's providence, that the truth began to take some place and root in men's hearts.  
Afterward in the beginning of Richard the 2. and of Gregory the eleventh, his adversaries espied their time, and incensed the Pope against him, who sendeth forth his Bull to the University of Oxford, and an Epistle to the King, with diverse Letters to the Bishops, dated all 11. kal. of june, in the seventh year of his Pontificality 1378. By which it appeareth, that Wicklife was a man of note, and that these things were not done in a corner, but that his preaching had taken effect: So that the Bishops had need of the Popes own help to suppress him and his abettors; the which although they attempted, yet could they not bring to pass: his commendation testified by the University is this: That he behaved himself as a stout Champion of the Faith, neither was he convict of any heresy: and God forbid (saith the Testimonial) that our Prelates should have condemned a man of such honesty, of heresy.  
His books were many, and spread abroad, not only throughout England, but also by occasion of Queen Anne, wife to Richard the second, sister to Wenceslaus King of Bohemia, carried into Bohemia, whence john Husse learned the beginnings of his knowledge. Thus was this man a most worthy instrument in the Church of God, like a bright Star shining far and near.  
Now for his conclusions which are recorded for his; they are many, & gathered by his adversaries, and therefore if in all points they sound not so well as we could desire, yet certainly we may believe that they were not so bad as some of them are delivered.  
We find that in a Convention at London 1382. May 17. they proceeded to the condemnation of his articles, some as heretical, some as erroneous: The which also were afterward presented to the Council of Constance, with diverse others to the number of 45. in all, and by the same Council condemned; the which for brevity sake I have collected unto their several heads.  
1. Touching the supremacy, he held that it is not necessary to salvation, to believe that the Church of Rome is supreme head of all Churches: That the Church of Rome is the Synagogue of Satan; Neither is the Pope immediately the Vicar of Christ, nor his Apostles, and that the Excommunication of the Pope and his Prelates is not to be feared, because it is the censure of Antichrist.  
2. Concerning religious orders (which are the tail of Antichrist) he taught, That those holy men, as Francis, Dominick, Benedict, &c▪ which have instituted private religions whatsoever they be, in so doing, have grievously offended; And such who do found Monasteries, do offend and sin; so all such who enter into such religions, are thereby unable to keep the commandments of God, as also to attain to the Kingdom of heaven, except they return from the same: yea, that religious men being in their private religion, are not of the Christian Religion, but are members of the Devil.  
3. Concerning the Authority of the Church, his doctrine was, that whatsoever the Pope and his Cardinals can deduce clearly out of the Scriptures, that only is to be believed, or to be done at their admonition; and that whatsoever else they command, is to be condemned as heretical; As for the decretals of the Pope, they are Apocrypha, and seduce men from the faith of Christ; and the Clergy that study them, are fools.  
4. As touching preaching and hearing the Word, which is the execution of Christ's Prophetical Office, he taught; That it is lawful for any man either Priest or Deacon, to preach the Word of God, without the authority of the Apostolic Sea, or any other of his Catholics; and that all such, who do leave preaching or hearing the Word, for fear of their excommunication, they are already excommunicated, and in the Day of judgement, shallbe counted traitors against God.  
5. He opposed also the selling of Prayers, Pardons, Indulgences, and such Popish trash, by which the satisfaction of Christ is weakened; affirming, that it was but a folly to believe the Pope's Pardons. Item, that all such, as be hired for temporal living to pray for other, do offend and sin in Simony.  
6. In the doctrine of the Sacraments, which are the instruments of Christ, to apply to us the work of his satisfaction, he laboureth much to reform the abuses.  
1. In Baptism, he found fault with their doctrine of necessity; teaching, that they which do affirm, that the infants of the faithful departing without the Sacrament of Baptism, are not saved, are presumptuous and fools in so affirming.  
2. In the Supper of the Lord, he opposed the real presence, and transubstantiation, teaching, that Christ is not really in the Sacrament of the Altar, in his proper and corporal person, but only figuratively; That without all doubt it is a figurative speech to say, This is my body. Item, that the substance of material bread and wine, even bread in his own substance, doth remain in the Sacrament of the Altar, and ceaseth not to be bread still. That the Accidents do not remain without the Subject in the same Sacrament, after the consecration. So also he taught; That it is not found, or established by the Gospel, that Christ did ordain Mass.  
3. As for the other five, which we count bastard-sacraments, some he did doubt of, as, Extreme Unction: for this is one article, if corporal unction, or anneyling, were a Sacrament as it is feigned to be, Christ and his Apostles would not have left the ordinance thereof untouched. So also for Shrift: if a man be duly and truly contrite and penitent, all outward confession is superfluous and unprofitable.  
Other Sacraments he complained of, as being abused; hallowing of Churches, (saith he) confirmation of children, and the Sacrament of Orders, be reserved to the Pope and Bishops only, for the respect of temporal lucre. So also concerning Matrimony, he held, that the causes of divorcement, of consanguinity, or affinity, be not founded in the Scripture, but are only the ordinances of men, and humane inventions.  
7. Lastly, concerning the power of the Keys, and the Church's censures, his positions are; That no Prelate ought to excommunicate any man, except he know him first to be excommunicate of God: and that he that doth excommunicate any other man, is thereby himself either an heretic, or excommunicate. Item, that a Prelate excommunicating any man of the Clergy, which hath appealed to the King, or to the Council, is thereby himself a traitor to the King and Realm.  
This in effect is the sum of his doctrine, wherein howsoever there may be, some few small slips, or harsh phrases, yet no pernicious errors, much less, damnable heresy; but for the substance, it is sound and good, and agreeable to the Canon of the World. Wherefore, howsoever the Synod of London, and the Council of Constance, have agreed to condemn these Articles and his Books, yea, & his bones also to the fire (41. years after his death) yet since de iure they ought not so to have done, and that we are able to justify his doctrine, we are bold to challenge him as a fit instance to answer the question proposed; and do conclude, that our Church had a being, and the doctrine of the reformed Churches had professors, long before the days of Luther.  
But go to, let us go on, and see what other can be named; one Swallow maketh no Summer, nor one professor a Church. True: and therefore except we can draw down the profession of this doctrine successively from Wickliff, to the days of Luther, let us lose all this labour: wherefore we are to know, that both together with Wickliff, and after him, arose a multitude in the Church of England, maintaining the same doctrine, and spreading it abroad among the people, labouring with might and main to defend it. Such were Lau. Redman, Master of Arts, Dau. Sawtree, Divine, john Aschwarby, Vicar of S. Mary's Church in Oxford, William jones, an excellent youngman well learned, Th. Brightwell, Will. Haulam a Civilian, Ralph Grenhurst, Io. Scut, Ph. Norrice, who being excommunicate by Pope Eugenius the fourth, appealed to a general Council; Peter Pain, Lord Cobham, with diverse others, whose names are mentioned in the King's writ, sent to the Sheriff of Northampton, given at the Manor of Langly, March 8. in the 12. of Richard the second: so also, for confirmation of their multitudes, the words of the Statute made Anno 5. of Richard 2.  
About this time W. Courtny Archbishop, being in his Visitation at Leicester, convented diverse before him, as Dexter, Tailor, Wagstaffe, Scrivener, Smith, Henry, Parchmeanar, Goldsmith; these, with other more, were accused to the Archbishop, for holding the opinion of the sacrament of the Altar, auricular confession, and other sacraments, contrary to that which the Church of Rome did teach: The which persons, because being cited they came not in, were solemnly accursed as heretics with bell, book, and candle; yea, and by the same Archbishop was the whole Town of Leicester interdicted, so long as any of these excommunicate persons should remain in it. There was also one Matilda an Anchoress accused of the same opinions: all this happened in 1387. in the 10. year of Richard 2. About the same time Peter Pateshall an Austen Friar, having obtained leave of the Pope to change his coat and religion, hearing the doctrine of Wickliff, and others of the same sort, began to preach openly, and to detect the vices of his Covent, preaching in London, & by the Londoners graciously entertained and upheld against the turbulent Friars, who sought to molest him. Thus by the preaching of Wickliff, and others, the Gospel began to fructify and spread abroad in London, and other places of the Realm, and more would have done, had not the Prelates set themselves so forcibly with might and main to gainstand the course thereof.  
1389. William Swinderby a worthy defender of the faith, with Wickliff, was accused to the Bishop of Lincoln, of certain Articles, both untruely collected and cruelly exhibited against him by the Friars, & by their vehemency was urged to revoke: afterward he removing into the Diocese of Hereford, was there also molested and troubled under john Tresnant Bishop of Hereford, upon the same Articles; the which Articles as they were given in by the Friars, and how answered by Swinderby in his protestation, hangeth upon record, and out of the Registers in the same old English in which it was written, is by M. Fox transcribed into his History of the Church: By the reading of which protestation, we may note a notable piece of knavery in his accusers, viz. not to deliver his assertions faithfully, as he did deliver them, but as they supposed to make him most odious in the defence of them; and by that we may well guess, that these points in Wickliff, which seem rough and harsh, met with such unhandsome workmen. The process against this Swinderby, his declaration upon certain conclusions touching the Sacrament of the Altar, Confession, Indulgences, and touching Antichrist, his appeal to the King, his letter to the Parliament, do sufficiently confirm his worth and sufficiency in the cause.  
1391. Walter Brute a man of sufficient learning, though no Priest, was convented before the Bishop of Worcester, and accused of the same Articles with Swinderbies': admirable it is to read his story, especially in it, his learned declarations concerning Antichrist, the Pope's usurped power, the power of the Keys, free justification by faith only, auricular confession, absolution, the matter of the Sacrament, Transubstantiation, Idolatry, Exorcising, priestly blessing, buying and selling of prayers, and other Romish dregs, the lawful use of an oath; in which he also proveth that the City of Rome is Babylon. What could he have done more in our cause, had he lived since Luther? Out of his declarations may be taken a sufficient Commentary and Exposition of those Articles, which as they are ascribed unto Wickliff, seem something harsh. Furthermore, the Bull of Pope Boniface the 9 dated the 15. Kal. Oct. in the 6. year of his Popedom, directed to King Richard the 2. and to the Bishop of Hereford, doth confess, that these Christians whom the common people called Lollards, did daily grow and increase, and prevail against their Diocesans, for which cause the Pope stirreth up the King against them, who thereupon directed forth a commission to the Bishops, to proceed with greater authority against William Swinderby, Stephen Bell, Walter Brute, and others of the same opinions: By which means the growth of the Gospel was nipped, and a little kept in, but afterward it broke forth with more effectualness, as may appear by the book of conclusions exhibited to the Parliament holden at London, in the 18. of Richard the 2.  
1395. Touching the abuses of the Church, Popish priesthood, single life of Priests, the feigned miracle of Transubstantiation, Exorcisms, and Priestly blessings, Masses for the dead, Pilgrimages, and oblations to Relics and Images, Confession, Nuns and Widows vowing single life, in all which, a reformation was desired in the said Bill, the copy whereof is to be seen in Archivis Regijs: so also the Kings dealing with certain of his Lords, as namely, Richard Sturie, Lewis Clifford, Tho. Latimer, Io. Montacute, etc. whom he did sharply rebuke and threaten terribly, for that he heard them to be favourers of that side. Add to this the complaints of the Bishops against the Londoners, occasioned by another brawl; but certainly the main matter was, because the Londoners were favourers of Wickliff's doctrine, as in the story of S. Albon is to be seen, upon which occasion the King removed the Courts and Terms to be kept at York, to the great decay of the City, which happened An. 1393. All these things laid together, do plainly and demonstratively tell us, that there was more than one or two known to be infected, else what need such ado with Letters, Epistles, Bulls, Mandates, Commissions to root out the proceeding of a few. No doubt therefore but there were many worthy witnesses and confessors of the truth of the Gospel.  
1400. After the deposing of Richard 2. when Henry 4. had gotten the Crown, the next year he called a Parliament, in which one W. Sawtree, a good man, and faithful Priest, inflamed with the zeal of true Religion, required he might be heard for the commodity of the whole Realm. But the matter being smelled out by the Bishops, they obtained that it might be referred to the Convocation; before whom being convented & examined of diverse▪ Articles of Religion, agreeable to Wickliff's doctrine, for that he stood constantly in the defence of the truth, was by them condemned, degraded, and lastly burned. And this was the first Martyr that suffered for Religion, since the renewing of it by Wickliff: for howsoever the Bishops had obtained the Statute de comburendo, in the days of Rich. 2. yet in all his time none suffered death for that cause. But when Henry 4. came to the Crown, he willing to keep in with the Clergy, which in those days was a strong faction, put the Statute in execution, first upon this Sawtree, and after him followed many more, some whereof are recorded, but certainly the names of many are lost and forgotten. See the words of the Statute made in the second year of Henry the fourth, mentioning a good company of such Preachers, whom that age called heretical.  
1407. The story of William Thorpe is famous, written by his own hand, containing his accusation and examination before Archbishop Arundel; his answer, his commendation of Wickliff, and defence of his doctrine, he taught against the Sacrament of the Altar, Mass, Images, Pilgrimages, pride of Priest, confession, etc. A constant Professor he was of the Truth, and questionless continued to the end, howsoever his end is unknown: in all likelihood he died in prison. The like end befell to john Ashton, another of Wickliff's followers, who for the same Doctrine of the Sacrament, was condemned by the Bishops, and because he would not recant, was committed to perpetual prison, wherein the good man continued until his death. Somewhat before Thorps' trouble, happened the trouble of john Purvey, who, as Waldensis writeth, was the Library of the Lollards, and a gloss upon Wickliff. This Purvey, together with Harford, a Doct. of Divinity, were grievously tormented and punished in the Castle of Saltwood, at length recanted at Paul's Cross, afterward, again he was imprisoned under Archbishop Chichely, in the year 1421. his Articles which he taught, were touching transubstantiation, confession, Power of the keys, vows of chastity, the charge of Priests; he said that Innocent the third, and the 600. Bishops, and all the rest of the Clergy which in the Council of Lateran determined the doctrine of transubstantiation and confession, were fools and blockheads, seducers of the people, Heretics, and blasphemers: he wrote diverse books, as touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, of penance, orders, the power of the Keys, the preaching of the Gospel, of marriages, vows, possessions, correction of the Clergy, of the laws and decrees of the Church, of the state and condition of the Pope and Clergy.  
1409. john Badly first, molested and condemned by the Bishop of Worcester, was afterwards accused before Archbishop Arundel, and other his Assistants, for being unsound in the doctrine of the Sacrament, as denying the real presence, and transubstantiation: and being demanded whether he would renounce and forsake his opinions, and adhere to the Doctrine of the Catholic Church, he confessed, That he had both said and maintained the same, and would adhere and stand to these his opinions, and while he lived, would never retract the same; for which he was condemned, and in Smithfield burned.  
After this, the Prelates not contenting themselves with this, that now they had the power of the secular arm to assist them in the punishment of Heretics, and having a King to their mind, ready to serve their turn in all points, at the Parliament then held, procured the Statute ex Officio, the sequel whereof cost many a man his life: at the same time also came forth diverse constitutions of Archbishop Arundel, forbidding to preach or teach any thing contrary to the Determination of the Church in the points of the Sacrament of the Altar, Matrimony Confession, or other Sacraments, or other Articles of faith. Item, that no Schoolmasters should, in teaching the Sciences, intermingle any thing concerning the Sacraments, contrary to the determination of the Church. That none of Wickliff's books should be read, those only excepted which the University of Oxford had allowed. Item, That none should translate any Text of Scripture into English. Item, That diligent inquisition should be made by every Provost, Principal, and Master of every College in Oxford, among the Scholars, for persons defamed of heresy. Now let all men judge, whether these constitutions given at Oxford in this manner, do not plainly declare, that there was a great company of these men who professed and taught such points, which these constitutions did condemn. Again, is it any wonder, that after such strength and force, such policy and practices used to supplant the doctrine of Wickliff, and his followers, it should be almost extinguished? The Bishops and Clergy having the King on their side, armed with Laws, Statutes, Punishments, Imprisonments, Fire, Faggot, Sword, and the like, what wonder is it, if they bear all before them? Is it equal to challenge us to show forth our Church, to require a visibility of it, when these who are our adversaries, having the sword in their hand, did labour so abundantly to suppress the memorial of them? And yet by the goodness of God it came to pass, as may appear by the Registers, that those persons whom they condemned and detested as Heretics, calling them Lollards, did increase daily in diverse countries, especially at London, in Lincolne-shire, Norfolk, Hereford, Shrewsbury, and in Calais, and other quarters, in the Province of Canterbury, with whom Archbishop Arundel had much ado, as by his Registers doth appear.  
1413. Henry the fourth being dead, succeeded Henry the fifth, crowned on Passion Sunday, presently after began a Parliament to be called and holden after Easter, at Westminster; at which time also was holden a Synod at London under Archbishop Arundel: The chief cause of assembling thereof, was, to repress the growing of the Gospel; and especially to withstand the noble and worthy Lord Cobham, who was then noted to be a principal favourer, receiver, and maintainer of them, whom the Clergy called Lollards, especially in the diocese of London, Hereford, and Rochester, setting them up to preach, whom the Bishops had not licenced: he was also accused to be far otherwise in the belief of the Sacraments of the Altar, of Penance, of Pilgrimage, Image-worship, and of ecclesiastical power, than the holy Church of Rome had taught for many years before; his examination, confession, and declaration of his Christian belief, his godly answers, and reasons, his constancy in the truth is worth the reading. Finally, he was also condemned, and committed to the Tower, out of which he made an escape, peradventure not without the help of Sir Roger Acton, who himself, whatsoever he was otherwise, certain it is that he was always of a contrary mind and opinion to the Romish Bishops and Clergy, for which he was greatly hated of them: his friendly help to the Lord Cobham, is thought to have been the cause why he was apprehended, and brought into trouble; and in the end came to his death, some three years before the Lord Cohbam; and with him I. Browne, and I. Boverly a preacher, suffered the same kind of death in S. Giles fields, with other more, to the number of 36. as the stories do report: all which are said to have been hanged and burned in the month of january 1413. The which death also the Lord Cobham suffered some four years after his escape, being betrayed and brought in by the Lord Powes, either for the hatred of the religion, and true Doctrine of jesus Christ, or else for greediness of the reward promised by the King to them that could bring in the Lord Cobham alive or dead: for being thus taken, he was adjudged to be hanged upon the new gallows in S. Giles field, and burned hanging: for you must know that the Prelates (the better to suppress this doctrine) had gotten an Act passed, which condemned the Lollards and followers of Wickliff, decreeing, that they should be accounted as traitors to the King and Realm, and so should suffer double punishment, viz. to be burnt as heretics, and hanged as traitors to the King; testified by Polydore Virgil, and by Waldensis.  
1415. After Th. Arundel, succeeded Archbishop Chichely, before whom was convented john Claydon, who for the space of 20. years before had been suspected of Lollardy; He was accused to have diverse books in English, out of which his Adversaries collected 15. Articles, which they condemned as heretical and erroneous; for which cause he was condemned, and shortly after, together with Rich. Turning, burned in Smithfield. Shortly after, the Archbishop, with the rest of the Clergy, made other constitutions against the Lollards: After the setting forth of which constitutions, great inquisition followed in England, and many good men, whose hearts began to favour the Gospel, were brought to much vexation and trouble, and caused outwardly to abjure. Thus while Christ had the inward hearts of men, Antichrist would needs possess the outward body, and make them sing his song: In the number of whom were I. Tailor, W. james, I. Dwerfe, john jourdly, M. Roberts, Parson of Hegly, W. Henry, I. Gall, Bart. Cornmonger, N. Hooper, Th. Granter; so also Ralph Mongin Priest, was condemned to perpetual prison. After this followed the Recantation of Ric. Monk, and of Edmund Frith, besides many more recorded in the same Register, who likewise for their faith and Religion were much vexed and troubled. The names of 16. are set down in the process of the Archbishop, directed forth against the same persons, whereof some whole households, both men and women, were driven to forsake their houses & towns for danger of persecution: yea, so cruelly was the Romish Clergy bend against them, and so grieved to see the poor flock of Christ to multiply, that Henry Chichely stirred up the Pope against them; alleging that there were so many infected with the doctrine of Wickliff and Husse here in England, that without force of an army they could not be suppressed.  
1422. Henry 5. being dead, his Son Henry 6. a child of nine months old succeeded; In the first year of whose reign was W. Taylor accused, convicted, condemned, & afterward in Smithfield with Christian constancy, after long imprisonment did consummate his martyrdom. Others there were that professed the same truth, but for fear durst not be so bold; so that it appeareth by the Registers of Norwich in that Diocese within the space of 3. years, viz. from 1428. to 1431. about the number of 120. men and women were examined, and much vexed for the profession of the Christian faith; of whom three suffered death, viz. Father Abraham of Colchester, W. White, and I. Waddon, Priests; the rest sustained such cruel penance as pleased the Bishop & his Chancellor to lay upon them, which howsoever, through the hard dealing of the times, they were constrained to recant, and many of them to abjure their opinions, yet their good will to the truth is manifest: and it is fit to preserve the memory of their names, if it be but to stop the mouth of such malignant adversaries, who following blind affection rather than true knowledge of times and antiquities, through ignorance blame they know not what, accusing the true doctrine of the Gospel to be novelty, and the Preachers thereof to be Novelists, whereas this doctrine lacking none antiquity, hath from time to time burst forth, and prevailed in many places, though in the most through tyranny it hath been suppressed, as by these good men of Norfolk & Suffolk may appear, who if they had had the liberty which we have, and authority to back them, it would have well appeared how old this doctrine is, so that all men would have acknowledged, that this our Church was long before Luther.  
1430. Shortly after the solemn Coronation of Hen. 6. which was in the 8. year of his reign, was Richard Hovedon, a Londoner, crowned with martyrdom. The next year Th. Bagly a Priest, and Paul Craw a Bohemian, both valiant defenders of Wickliff's doctrine, were condemned and burned. Not long after, about the year 1439. which was the 18. of Henry 6. was Ri. Wiche burned for heresy, as than they counted it. So much the more famous was his martyrdom, because the fame was, that before his death he spoke as prophesying, that the Postern of the Tower should sink, which came to pass; upon which he was counted an holy man. Many came to the place where he was burnt, and there made their oblations, till by the commandment of the King they were forbid, and some punished.  
After Chichely, in the See of Canterbury succeeded Stafford, Kempe, and then Burscher, in whose time fell out the trouble of Reynold Peacock, Bishop of Chichester, who after the death of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, his Patron, was molested by the Archbishop in the year 1457. because he taught against the real presence, the infallibility of the Counsels, the local dissension into hell: That the Church may err in matter of faith: That the literal sense of the Scripture is only to be held: He was at length enforced to give way; for, what with blustering threats to terrify him, as also with fair promises to allure him, they left no stone unrolled, till they brought him to recantation at Paul's cross, where also his books were burnt, yet for all this, himself (belike he was suspected) was kept in his own house during his natural life.  
1473. King Henry 6. being deposed, Edward 4. got the Crown; In the time of whose reign, a godly and constant servant of Christ, named john Goose, alias Husse, was unjustly condemned and burnt at the Tower hill.  
1485. Henry 7. coming to the Crown, mention is made in the Registers of Coventry and Lichfield, of 9 persons persecuted in that Diocese, whose names are set down to be I. Blomston, Rich. Hegham, Robert Crowther, I. Smith, Rob. Browne, Th. Butler, I. Falkes. R. Hilman. The heresies, of which they were accused, were, for opposing Pilgrimages, Images, Merits, Purgatory, Shrift, Transubstantiation, and the like.  
After these, in the ninth year of Henry 7. was burned an old woman of 80. years, loan Boughton by name, who held eight of Wickliff's opinions so stiffly, that all the Doctors in London could not turn her: she was burned in Smithfield shortly after in Anno 1497. Some for fear recanted at Paul's Cross, and in the next year, an old man and a Priest, and one Babram were burned. 1506. William Tilsworth was burned for his Religion in Amersham, at which time, joan Clarke the said Tilsworths' daughter, was constrained to put fire to her Father, at whose burning, about 60. other were enjoined to bear faggots, of whom diverse were commanded to bear and wear faggots at Lincoln the space of 7. years after, some at one time, some at another. A little after was Father Roberts a Miller of Missenden burned at Buckingham, and 20. other bare faggots, and did penance. About 2. or 3. years after, at Amersham was burned Th. Barnard, & la. Mordon in one fire, and Father Rogers, and Father Reeve was burned in the cheek. So also was W. Littlepage, and 30. more were burned in the right cheek, and bare faggots at the same time. The manner of their burning in the cheek was this: Their necks being tied fast to a post with towels, and their hands holden that they might not stir, they were marked with a hot iron; The cause of those men's trouble was, because they talked against superstition, and idolatry, and were desirous to hear and read the holy Scriptures.  
Thomas Chase condemned by the Bishop of Lincoln, William Smith, and cast into prison, was there murdered, and after slandered to have made away himself. Thomas Norrice for the profession of Christ's Gospel was burned at Norwich 1507. Elizabeth Samson accused to speak against Pilgrimages, adoration of Images, and against the Sacrament of the Altar, was compelled to abjure before William Horsey, Chancellor at London 1508. Laurence Guest, two years in prison at Salisbury, was afterward put to death for his religion: so also was there martyred another poor woman, whose death so greedily sought by the Chancellor Whittington, was presently revenged by the enraged Bul, which running through the press of people, came to the Chancellor, and gored him thorough with his horns, carrying his guts along the streets, to the great admiration and wonder of all them that saw it.  
1509. H. 7. having finished his course, after him followed H. 8. in whose days happened much stir and contention about religion, as in the History of the Church doth appear: In the Regist. of Fitz-Iames, B. of London, are contained the names of diverse, to the number of 40. persecuted in the Diocese of London, between the year 1509. and 1527. of whom, some, after they had showed their weakness in recanting, did afterwards return to their former profession, and cleaving fast to it, were for it martyred, as W. Sweeting, & I. Bruster burned in Smithfield 1511. & I. Browne burned in Ashford, about the 4. year of H. 8. about which time also fell out the trouble of Rich. Hun, whom after his death they condemned of Heresy.  
But now the numbers of Confessors and Martyrs arise to such multitudes, that a long discourse, and a large treatise would hardly suffice to set them down; wherefore I pass over the story of I. Stilman, Tho. Man, Rob. Cousin, Chri. Shoemaker, Martyrs; As also diverse Confessors, to the number of 35. abjured about the year 1520. for speaking against worshipping of Saints, Pilgrimage, Invocation of the Virgin, the Sacrament of the Lords body, and for having books in English, as the 4. Evangelists, the Epistles of Paul, Peter, and james, the Book of the Revelation, a Book of Antichrist, of the 10. Commandments, and Wickliff's Wicket, Books no doubt wonderfully stuffed with heresies, & doctrine unmeet for Christians to know, and understand. Oh the subtlety of those Romish Foxes! How many men and women were persecuted in the Diocese of Lincoln, under Bishop Longland, anno 1521. for opposing, or not consenting to the Romish doctrine of pilgrimage, Image-worship, Transubstantiation, real presence. Their arguments they collected out of the Scripture, the Shepherd's Calendar, Wickliff's Wicket, and such other books as they had amongst them, and notwithstanding they had not with them any learned man to ground them in the doctrine, yet they conferring together, did convert one another, the Lords hand working among them marvellously. After the great abjuration which was under Bishop Smith, they were termed amongst themselves Known men, or just fast men; not much unlike to the present name of Protestants: Amongst whom, to see their travels, their earnest seeking, burning zeal, their readings, watchings, sweet assemblies, love, and concord, godly living, faithful meaning, may make us, now in these our days of free profession, to be ashamed.  
From all which duly considered, we may easily gather, what would have been the number of Professors, had the world looked friendly upon them; For if when the Temporal Magistrate took hand with the Ecclesiastical to suppress them, and root them out; if when all men of note and learning, either for hope of preferment, or fear of trouble, turned their studies otherways; if when the Scripture, and English books were forbidden; if when books were so rare, and dear, and so hard to come by (as before the Science of printing was invented they were) if notwithstanding all these hindrances, the Truth of God did so multiply amongst them, what would it have done, had they had multitude of books, or those cheap, the Scripture in English, had they had learned men to guide them, had they lived in a peaceable time, had they had the Magistrate either for them, or at least not against them: for why was the increase of the Gospel in Bohemia by the preaching of I. hus, more remarkable and further spread, than here in England, but that the Magistrate with his sword was not so severe against them? Whence was it that Luther prevailed more than Wickliff, but that he had a supporter (the Duke of Saxony) which Wickliff wanted? Amongst us at this day, do we not all know, that Arminianism would have more prevailed, and infected further than yet it doth, if the King's Majesty were either for it, or not against it?  
Wherefore all men may easily see, that they are much deceived, who condemn this our doctrine of novelty, and insultingly demand, Where was your Church before Luther?  
To whom we answer out of this demonstration hitherto made, That ever since the days of Wickliff, almost 200. years before Luther, the doctrine of the reformed Churches, that is, those points wherein they differ from the church of Rome, and in which the reformation doth consist, these points (I say) were held and professed: for whence came those persecutions? or who were they that thus were persecuted? If of the same profession with them, than is their cruelty unreasonable, to persecute their own fraternity: if they were otherwise; how then is the doctrine of the reformed Churches so new, or the Professors thereof so lately start up, as our adversaries pretend they be? But this is the fruit of ignorance and carelessness to read the Histories of the Church, and the records of antiquity heretofore: For than might men easily see, that the Church of England hath not wanted multitudes of well-disposed hearts; howsoever the public authority then lacked, to maintain the open preaching of the Gospel.  
Now whilst our adversaries bethink themselves what to say to this part of the Induction, concerning the estate of the Church in our own country of England, in the ages next before Luther, I will pass over into Germany, and see what success the Gospel had there, especially in Bohemia, by the preaching of john Husse and others, who lived in the same age with Wickliff: Afterwards will I proceed to prosecute the argument of the Induction, by the demonstration of History in the ages before Wickliff, and hus, if it shall be thought convenient.  
FINIS.