many taken in divers quarters, and suffered most cruel death. And many fled out of the land into Germany, Bohemia, France, Spain, Portugal, and into Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, working there many marvels against their false kingdom too long to write. In the Christmas following was sir Roger Acton, knight, master John Browne, sir John Beverley, a learned preacher, and divers others imprisoned for quarrelling with certain priests. For all men at that time could not patiently suffer their blasphemous brags.

The complaint was made unto the king of them, that they had made a great assembly in St. Giles'-field at London, purposing the destruction of the land, and the subversion of the commonwealth. As the king was thus informed, he erected a banner, saith Walden, with a cross thereupon, as the pope doth commonly by his legates, when he pretendeth to war against the Turk, and with great number of men entered the same field, where he found no such company. Yet was the complaint judged true, because the bishops had spoken it, at the information of their priests. In the mean season, the lord Cobham escaped out of the Tower of London in the night,* and fled into Wales, where he continued more than four years after.

In January following, was the before-named sir Roger Acton, master John Browne, sir John Beverley, and thirtysix more, of whom the more part were gentlemen of birth, convicted of heresy by the bishops, and condemned of treason by the temporalty, and, according to the act, were first hanged, and then burned in the said St. Giles'-field. In the same year, also, one John Claydon, a skinner, and one Richard Turming, a baker, were both hanged and burned in Smithfield by that act, besides what was done in all other quarters of England; which was no small number, if it were thoroughly known.†

*About 28th October, 1413; and on 10th January following a commission was issued out to the lord mayor of London, for apprehending him, &c. At the same time, he was indicted for treason, and in Hilary term he was outlawed for treason.

+ The Romanists objected much to the account of lord Cobham given by Bale and Fox. Harpsfield, under the name of Alan Cope, wrote representing the Lollards as rebels. Fox, in his later editions, replied very fully to these cavils and refuted them. He stated therein, that among the causes which withdrew his mind from the papists' faction, was hardly any greater than because he saw them so regardless of truth, when their own interests were concerned.

The latter imprisoning and death of lord Cobham.

In the year of our Lord 1413, died Thomas Arundel, who had been archbishop of Canterbury during many years, to the great destruction of christian belief.* Yet his prodigious tyranny died not with him, but succeeded with his office in Henry Chicheley, and in a great sort more of the spiteful spiritualty. For their malice was not yet settled against the good lord Cobham. But they confederated with the lord Powys, who was at that time a great governor in Wales, feeding him with lordly gifts and promises to accomplish their desire. He, at the last, thus monied like Judas, and outwardly pretending him great amity and favour, most cowardly and wretchedly took him, and in conclusion so sent him up to London, where he remained a month or two imprisoned again in the Tower. And, after long process, they condemned him again of heresy and treason, by the before-named act; he rendering thanks unto God that he had so appointed him to suffer for his name's sake.

And, upon the day appointed, he was brought out of the Tower, with his arms bound behind him, having a very cheerful countenance. Then was he laid upon a hurdle, as though he had been a most heinous traitor to the crown, and so drawn forth into St. Giles'-field, where they had set up a new pair of gallows. As he was come to the place of execution, and was taken from the hurdle, he fell down devoutly upon his knees, desiring Almighty God to forgive his enemies. Then stood he up, and beheld the multitude, exhorting them, in most godly manner, to follow the laws of God, written in the scriptures, and in any wise to beware of such teachers as they see contrary to Christ in their conversation and living, with many other special counsels. Then was he hanged up there by the middle in chains of iron, and so consumed alive in the fire, praising the name of God so long as his life lasted. In the end, he commended his soul into the hands of God, and so departed hence most christianly, his body being resolved into ashes.

And this was done in the year of our Lord 1418, which was the sixth year of king Henry V., the people there present showing great dolour. How the priests that time fared, blasphemed, and cursed, requiring the people not to pray

It was reported that he was attacked by his last illness when pronouncing sentence upon lord Cobham.

for him, but to judge him damned in hell, for that he departed not in the obedience of their pope, it were too long to write. This terrible kind of death, with gallows, chains, and fire, appears not very precious in the eyes of men that are carnal, no more than did the death of Christ, when he was hanged up among thieves. "The righteous seemeth to die," saith the wise man, "in the sight of them which are unwise, and their end is taken for very destruction. Ungodly fools think their lives very madness, and their passage hence without all honour. But though they suffer pain before men," saith he, "yet is their expectation full of immortality. They are accounted for the children of God, and have their just portion among the saints. As gold in the furnace doth God try his elect, and as a most pleasant burnt-offering receiveth he them to rest."

The more hard the passage is, the more glorious shall they appear in the latter resurrection. Not that the afflic tions of this life are worthy of such a glory, but that it is God's heavenly pleasure so to reward them. Never are the judgments and ways of men like unto the judgments and ways of God, but contrary evermore, unless they be taught of him. "In the latter time," saith the Lord unto Daniel, "shall many be chosen, proved, and purified by fire; yet shall the ungodly live wickedly still, and have no understanding, that is, of faith." By an angel from heaven was John earnestly commanded to write, that Blessed are the dead, which hence depart in the Lord. Right dear, saith David, in the sight of God is the death of his true servants. Thus resteth this valiant christian knight, sir John Oldcastle, under the altar of God, which is Jesus Christ, among that godly company, which in the kingdom of patience suffered great tribulation, with the death of their bodies, for his faithful word and testimony; abiding there with them the fulfilling of their whole number, and the full restoration of his elect. The which He grant in effect, at his time appointed, who is one God eternal. Amen.

THE WORSHIP OF SAINTS AND IMAGES, AND PILGRIMAGE.

DURING the examinations of Thorpe and lord Cobham, considerable discussion arose respecting the worship of images, the adoration of the cross and pilgrimages. As the reader will have seen, these idolatrous practices were boldly defended, and although much ingenious sophistry

has been resorted to by modern Romanists, their church still maintains these abominations, asserting that image worship has been customary from the times of the apostles; thus it is constituted a point for historical inquiry. The texts from holy writ and the apocryphal books, with the passages from the fathers adduced by the church of Rome, have been fully examined by protestant writers, who have shown that there is no historical evidence in support of image worship earlier than the time of Constantine, when many corruptions had crept into the church. The practice of the church of Rome is as decidedly idolatrous now, as in the fifteenth century. In books of devotion printed by authority for the use of English papists, we find the same prayers to saints, and "Hail Mary, lady and mistress of the world, to whom all power has been given, both in heaven and earth." The Breviary still contains direct prayers to the cross, one will suffice, "Hail, O cross, our only hope in this season of the passion, increase righteousness to the pious, and grant pardon to the guilty." (Brev. Rom. temp. Qudrages.) The worship of Mary and other saints must not be considered as a trifling error, Luther has stated the fatal consequences in forcible terms, that, like many others, he was induced to look upon Christ as an angry judge, while he regarded Mary as the throne of grace. See History of the Church of Christ, vol. vi. ch. iii.

The principle upon which pilgrimages are founded, is shown by Lewis (life of Pecock) in a quotation from Peter de Mediano, who states that to the virgin a privilege is granted of being present, physically and really, in certain of her images-that in them she might receive adoration from faithful worshippers. Upon this principle, one block of wood or stone is deemed preferable to another; one chapel is crowded with riches, and its priests enjoy every luxury, while another shrine remains in obscurity, the image in rags, waited upon by povertystricken attendants, until some deep laid fraud or unexpected occurrence, raises it to fame and wealth. Hence the eagerness of Romish priests even now, in a part of the British isles, to advocate pilgrimages.

The shrine of the virgin, at Walsingham in Norfolk, is often referred to in the preceding examinations; the licentious practices common among its votaries, are recorded by writers of those times. Erasmus in the following century, describes it minutely with all its paraphernalia of relics and mysteries, the nodding image, the virgin's milk, &c. ; he copies the prayers then offered up to the senseless block! Erasmus also mentions the abundance of pieces of the cross; he says, that enough to load a ship might be collected, "yet our Lord bore the whole cross when entire!" Lewis has also described the manner in which the adoration of the cross was then practised, " men coming to it in lowest wise," creeping on their knees, and kissing it in the devoutest manner. One of the most celebrated till the time of the Reformation, was the rood of Northern, a crucifix at the north door of St. Paul's cathedral; to this offerings were abundantly made, men swore by it, and made pilgrimages to it. But the pilgrimages to the shrine of Thomas à Becket were the most frequented, and the offerings made there the most considerable. The annual amount in one year, was a sum equal to ten thousand pounds at the present day, while not a penny was offered at a shrine in the same cathedral dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, and only an inconsiderable sum to that of the virgin. In another year the offerings to this rebellious prelate were equal to twenty thousand pounds of our money!

THE

LANTERN OF LIGHT,

Written about the year 1400,

NOW PUBLISHED FROM EARLY MANUSCRIPTS.

Take ye of our gracious God this little treatise that here is offered, which is called a Lantern of Light, for ye shall see these things thereby :

CHAP. I. Of a Prologue.

II. Of a Petition.

III. What is Antichrist in general.

IV. What is Antichrist in special with his three parties.
V. What is Antichrist in special, with five conditions.
VI. What is the Church belonging to God, with her names,
likenesses, and conditions.

VII. What the material Church, with her ornaments.
VIII. Of good and evil coming to the material Church.
IX. Of discretion to know the good from the evil.

X. How the good of the second Church accords with the good
of the first.

XI. Of joy in tribulation.

XII. Of the Fiend's deceits, by which he pursueth in his members, the keepers of God's commands.

XIII. What is the Fiend's church, with her properties.

The Lantern of Light was printed by Robert Redman, but without date-he printed from A. D. 1523 to A. D. 1540. The type shows it to have been among the early books of the Reformation. It is now one of the scarcest of that period. A copy was obtained for the present collection, but as the printed work contains some additions probably made when preparing for the press, it was thought desirable to follow the original manuscripts which contain the work in the form circulated among the Lollards, excepting in the correction of a few errors.