Vol 02 - THE HISTORY OF JOHN WICKLIFF.

THE HISTORY OF JOHN WICKLIFF.
JOHN WICKLIFF, being the public reader of Divinity in the university of Oxford, was, for the time wherein he lived, a great clerk, a deep schoolman, and no less expert in all kinds of philosophy: which does not only appear by his own writings, but also by the confession of Walden, his most bitter enemy: who writes unto pope Martin the Fifth, That he was wonderfully astonished at his most strong arguments, the places of authority which he had gathered, and the vehemency and force of his reasons." He flourished about the year of our Lord 1371, Edward the Third reigning in England. The most lamentable ignorance and darkness had overshadowed the whole earth, when this man stepped out like a valiant champion; unto whom may justly be applied that in Ecclesiasticus: Even as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon being full in her course, and as the bright beams of the sun; so does he shine and glister in the temple and church of God."
In these times, while there, seemed in a manner to be not one spark of pure doctrine remaining; Wickliff, by God's providence rose up. After he had a long time professed divinity in Oxford, perceiving the true doctrine of CHRIST to be adulterated. and defiled with so many filthy inventions, and having Ions deliberated with himself, (with secret sighs, bewailing in his mind, the general ignorance of the whole world,) he at last determined toremedy such things as he saw to be out of the way. But forasmuch as he saw, that this’dangerous meddling could not be attempted without great trouble, and that these things, which had been so long rooted in men's minds, could not be suddenly plucked away, he thought with himself this should be done by little and little wherefine taking small occasions, he opened a way to greater matters. And first he assailed his adversaries in logical and metaphysical questions of no great effect: but yet, it did not a little help him, who minded to dispute of greater matters.
By these, the way was made unto -liigher points, so• that he came at length to touch on the sacraments, and other abuses of the church: protesting openly in the schools, that it was his principal purpose, to call back the church from her idolatry. But this sore could not be touched without great grief and pain. For first, the whole order of monks and begging friars were set in a rage,, and assailed him on every side. After them the priests, and then the archbishop, took the matter in hand, being then Simon Sudbury; who, for the same cause, deprived him of his benefice, which he then had in Oxford. Notwithstanding, he continued and bare the malice of the friars, and of the archbishop, till about the year of our Lord 1377. After which, his train troubles and conflict began; of which it remains to give an account.
King Edward 3: having reigned about 51 years, after the decease of Prince Edward, his son, who departed' the year before, was so feeble, that he was utterly unable to govern the affairs of the realm. Hereupon, twelve governors were appointed by parliament, to attend the public affairs of the realm. These remained for a space about him; till afterward, they being removed, all the government of the realm, next under the king, was committed to the duke of Lancaster, the king's son. For Richard, the son of Prince Edward, lately departed, was as yet very young. This duke of Lancaster had a long time conceived a displeasure against the popish clergy, for their corrupt doctrine, joined with abominable excess of life. He sent for Wickliff, who had been deprived of his benefice. The opinions for which he was deprived were these: " That the pope had no more power to excommunicate any man than another bishop had.
That if it were given by any person to the pope to excommunicate, yet to absolve the same was as much in the power of another priest as in his." He affirmed moreover, That neither the king nor any temporal lord could give any perpetuity to the church; and that in the sacrament, he bread remained unchanged, and was not the natural body of CHRIST."
Yet, through the favor and support of the duke of Lancaster, he continued hitherto in some quiet: but about the year of our Lord 1376, the bishops still urging the archbishop, obtained an order of citation to have him brought before them. The duke, having intelligence that Wickliff was to come before the bishops, fearing that he, being but one, was too weak against such a multitude, called. four batchelors of divinity to him; and when the day appointed was come, which was Thursday, February 19, John Wickliff went, accompanied with these four friars, and with them also the duke of Lancaster, and Lord Henry Percy, lord marshal of England; the Lord Percy going before them to make room where Wickliff might come.
Thus Wickliff (through the providence of God) being sufficiently guarded, came to the place where the bishops sat; whom, by the way, they exhorted not to fear; -neither to dread the concourse of.people, whom they themselves would keep off, so that he should take no harm. When Wickliff approached to St. Paul's church in London, a vast crowd of people was gathered to hear what should be said: so that the lords (notwithstanding the power of the high marshal) could not get through without great difficulty. Then the bishop of London, seeing the stir that the lord marshal kept among the people, said, " If he had known it before, he would have stopped him from coming there." At which the duke, not a little moved, answered the bishop again, " That he would come there, though he should say nay."
At last, after much pressing, they forced their way through, and came to our Lady's chapel, where the dukes and barons were sitting with the archbishops and bishops. Before whom John Wickliff,, according to custom, stood to know what should be laid against him. But the lord Percy bid him sit down, saying, " That he had many things to answer to." The bishop of London, enraged at those words, said, He should not sit there. Neither was it according to law or reason, that he, who was cited to appear before his ordinary, should sit down during the time of his answer. Upon these words, a fire began to kindle between them: insomuch, that the whole multitude began to be set on a hurry.
The duke took the lord Percy's part. To whom the bishop returned not only as good as he brought, but far excelled him in this art of scolding. The duke fell to plain threatening; menacing the bishop, "That he would bring down the pride, not only of him, but also of all the prelacy of England." The Londoners heard him, and being set in a rage, they cried out, " They would not suffer their bishop to be abused; but would rather lose their lives." Thus the council was dissolved before nine o'clock. And the duke, with the lord Percy, went to the parliament; where the same day, a bill was put up in the name of the king, that the city of London should no more be governed by a mayor, but by a captain, as in times past. Which bill being read, John Philpot, burgess for the city, stood up, and said to them, who read the bill, " That it was never seen so before;" adding, " that the mayor would never suffer any such thing."
The day following, the Londoners assembled themselves in a council, to consider upon the bill, and also concerning the injuries done to their bishop. While they were busy in consultation, there came in the lord Fitz-Walter, declaring, he could not but inform them, " That the lord marshal, Henry Percy, had one in custody, whether with their knowledge or without, he could not tell: this he could tell, that the lord marshal was not allowed any prison in his house, within the liberties of the city." These words of the lord Fitz-Walter were no sooner spoken, but the citizens, in all haste, running to theirweapons, went straight to the house of the lord Percy, where, breaking up the gates, they took out the,prisoner by violence, and burned the stocks wherein he sat, in the midst of London. Then was the lord Percy sought for, whom they would doubtless have slain, if they could have found him. All corners and privy chambers were searched; beds and hangings torn asunder.
But the lord Percy, as it pleased GOD, was then with the duke, whom one John Yper the same day had invited to dinner. The Londoners, not finding him at home, and supposing he was with the duke at the Savoy, turned their forces thither, running as fast as they could to the duke's house, where they were also disappointed. Mean while, one of the duke's men came running to him and to the lord Percy, declaring what was done. The duke, without any further tarrying, took boat with the lord Percy, and went by water to Kingston, where the princess, with Richard, the young prince, then lay. He there declared the whole matter to the princess. To whom she promised, that such an order should be taken, as should be to his content. Neither would the rage of the people have ceased thus, had not the bishop of London, leaving his dinner, come to them at the Savoy, and putting them in remembrance of the solemn time of Lent, persuaded them to be quiet.
After this, the princess sent to London three knights, Sir Albred Lewer, Sir Simon Burle, and Sir Lewis Clifford, to entreat the citizens to be reconciled to the duke. The Londoners answered, " That they, for the honor of the princess, would obey, and do what she required with all reverence." The duke then caused the chief of them to be brought before the king; who were rebuked for their misdemeanor by the lord chamberlain, in the presence of the king, archbishops, bishops, and other states of the realm. In conclusion: the Londoners were compelled, at length, at the public charges of the city, to make a great taper of wax, which, with the duke's arms set upon it, should be brought in solemn procession to the church of St. Paul, there to burn continually before the image of our Lady. - And thus the duke and the Londoners were reconciled; and the same reconcilement publicly declared in the church of Westminster.
But no sooner was king Edward dead, than the bishops, seeing the duke, with the lord Percy, remain in their private houses, thought this the time to have some advantage against John Wickliff, who hitherto had some rest and quiet. Out of whose sermons they collected the following articles: " The holy Eucharist, after the consecration, is not the very body of CHRIST. The church of Rome is not the head of all churches: nor had Peter any more power than any other apostle. The lords temporal may lawfully take away their temporalities from the churchmen offending. That the Gospel is sufficient to rule the life of every Christian man, without any other rule. That neither the pope, nor any other prelate of the church, ought to have prisons wherein to punish transgressors." Besides these, divers other conclusions were afterwards gathered out of his writings and preachings by the bishops, which they diligently sent to pope Gregory at Rome; where the said articles being read, were condemned as heretical and erroneous.
In the year 1378, being the first year of king Richard 11. pope Gregory, taking his time, after the death of king Edward, sent his bull, directed to the university of Oxford, rebuking them sharply for suffering the doctrine of John Wickliff to take root so long. When this bull came to their hands, the proctors and masters of the university, joining together in consultation, stood long in doubt, whether to receive or reject it. Beside this bull, Gregory directed his letters to the archbishop of Canterbury and to the bishop of London, strictly enjoining them to cause the said John Wickliff to be apprehended, and cast into prison; and that the king and the nobles of England should be admonished by them, not to give any credit to the said John Wickliff, or to his doctrine. ire wrote also to the king to the same effect.
From these letters the bishops took no little heart, fully determining with themselves, that no person, high or low, should hinder them; neither would they be moved by the entreaty of any man, nor by any threatenings. The day of examination being come, a certain person of the prince's court, named Lewis Clifford, entering in among the bishops, commanded them, that they should not proceed with any definitive sentence against John Wickliff. With which words they were all so amazed, that they became speechless, having not one word to say. And thus, by the wondrous work of GOD, John Wickliff escaped the second time out of the bishop's hands, only being charged and commanded, that he should not teach any such doctrine any more.
This good man, being escaped with this charge, notwithstanding ceased not to proceed in his godly purpose, laboring and profiting still in the church as he had began. Unto whom also (as it happened by the providence of God) this was a great help, that in the same year pope Gregory, the stirrer up of all this trouble against Min, died. After whom ensued such a schism in Rome, between two popes, and others succeeding after them, one striving against another, as endured 39 years, until the time of the council of Constance.
It would require an Iliad to comprehend, in order, all the circumstances and tragical parts of this schism; what trouble in the whole church; what parties in every country; what apprehending and imprisoning of priests and prelates; what shedding of blood followed thereupon. Otho, duke of Brunswick, was taken and murdered. Joan, his wife, queen of Jerusalem and Sicilia, who before had sent to pope Urban, beside other gifts at his coronation, 40,OOO ducats in pure gold, was after, by the said Urban, committed to prison, and there strangled. Cardinals were racked, and miserably tormented to death on gibbets; several battles were fought between the two popes, in one whereof 50OO were slain on one side. Five cardinals were beheaded together, after long torments. The bishop of Aquilonensis, being suspected of pope Urban, for not riding faster with him, was, by his command, slain, and cut to pieces. All which things, with divers other acts of horrible cruelty beside, happened in the time of this schism.
About three years after, Simon, of Sudbury, archbishop of Canterbury, was beheaded. In whose place succeeded William Courtney, who was no less diligent than his predecessor, to root out heretics. NotwithstandingWickliff's sect daily increased, till William Barton, vice-chancellor of Oxford, about the year of our Lord 1380, had the rule of that university; who, calling together eight doctors and four others, set forth an edict, under a grievous penalty, that no man should hereafter associate with any of Wickliff's favorers. And unto Wickliff himself, and all his followers, he threatened the greater excommunication, and further imprisonment, if, after three days admonition or warning, they did not repent and amend. When Wickliff understood this, forsaking the pope and all the clergy, he thought to appeal to the king: but the duke of Lancaster coming between, forbad him, and commanded him to his ordinary. Whereby Wickliff, -being, as it were, in the midst of the waves, was forced once more to make confession of his doctrine; in which he qualified his assertions after such a Inanner, that he assuaged the rigour of his enemies.
Here the great providence of God is not to be passed over. When the archbishop and his suffragans, with other doctors of divinity and lawyers, and a great company of friars were assembled, to consult touching John Wickliff's books, and that whole sect, at the Grey-Friars, in London, upon St. Dunstan's day, about two o'clock, the very hour they should have gone forward with their business, a wonderful and terrible earthquake happened throughout all England: whereupon divers of the suflragans, doubting what it should mean, thought good to leave off. But the archbishop strengthened their hearts, which were almost daunted, to proceed in their enterprise. They then discoursing of Wickliff's articles, (not according to Scripture, but after their own private affections and traditions,) gave sentence, that some of them were plainly heretical, others erroneous, and not consonant to the church of Rome.
In consequence of this, the archbishop delivered his letters patent to the chancellor of Oxford, part of which ran thus: "We will and command you, that, in the church of our blessed Lady, in Oxford, upon those days in which the sermon is usually made, as also in the schools of the said university, upon those days in which the lectures are read, ye publish the heretical and erroneous conclusions of John Wickliff. And that you peremptorily forbid any one hereafter to hold, teach, and preach, or defend the heresies and errors above said, or any of them; or that any admit to preach, hear, or hearken unto John Wickliff, Nicholas Herford, Philip Reppington, John Ashton, or Lawrence Redman, which are notoriously suspected of heresy, or any other whatsoever, so suspected; o;that they, either privately or publicly, aid, or favor them, or any of them; but that they avoid them as a serpent. And furthermore we command, that ye diligently inquire after all their favorers, and cause to be inquired throughout all the halls of the university. And that, when you have intelligence of their names, ye compel all and every of them to abjure their outrages by ecclesiastical censures, and other pains canonical whatsoever, under pain of the greater curse, which, against all and singular the rebellious in this behalf, we pronounce.
The archbishop, not yet content, solicited the king, by all means possible, to join the power of his temporal sword. For hitherto the clergy had not authority, by any public law or statute of this land, to proceed unto death against any person whatsoever, in case of religion. The king being but young, partly induced by suit of the archbishop, partly for fear of the bishops, was content to join his private assent to the setting down of an ordinance which was the very first law that is to be found, made against religion and the professors thereof, bearing the name of an act made in the parliament held at Westminster 5, Rich. 2: where, among sundry other statutes, yet remaining in the printed books of statutes, this is to be found, cap. 5, et ultimo,
" Item, Forasmuch as it is openly known that there be divers evil persons within this realm, going from town to town, under dissimulation of great holiness, and without the license of the ordinaries of the places, or other sufficient authority, preaching daily, not only in churches and church-yards, but also in markets, fairs, and other open places, where a great congregation of people is, divers sermons, containing heresies, and notorious errors; it is ordained and assented in this present parliament, That the king's commissions be directed to the sheriffs, and other ministers of our sovereign Lord the king, to arrest all such preachers, and also their fautors, maintainers, and abettors, and to hold them in arrest and strong prison, till they will justify themselves according to the law and reason of holy church."
Immediately upon the publishing of this, commissions were made, under the great seal of England, directed to the archbishop and his suffragans, being parties in the case, authorizing them (without either the words or reasonable meaning of the said statute,) to imprison whom they would in their own houses, or where else they pleased. But at a parliament summoned and holder at Westminster, the sixth year of the said king, among sundry petitions made to the king by his commons, there is one in this form, Article 52." Item, Prayen the commons, That whereas an estatute was made the last parliament in these words, `It is ordained in this present parliament, that commissions from the king be directed to the sheriffs, and other ministers of the king, to arrest all such preachers and their fauters, maintainers, and abettors; and them, to detain in strong prison, until they will justify themselves according to reason and law of holy church: the which was never agreed nor granted by the commons; but whatsoever was moved therein was without their assent;-that the said statute be therefore disannulled.
For it is not in any wise their meaning that either themselves, or such as shall succeed them, shall be further justified, or bound by the prelates, than were their ancestors in former times. Whereunto is answered, Il plaist a l'roy; 1:e. The king is pleased."
But tough hereby that unjust law was repealed, yet this act of repeal was never published, nor ever since printed with the rest of the statutes of that parliament. And the said repeal being concealed, like commissions were made from time to time, by virtue of the said bas tard-statute, against the professors of the truth, as well during all the reign of this king as ever since. And now the king himself wrote his letters patents to the archbishop, giving hire and his suffragans authority "To arrest and imprison, either in their own prisons, or any other, all and every such person or persons as shall, either privily or openly, preach and maintain the afore said conclusions, so condemned; and the said persons, so imprisoned there, at their pleasures to detain, till such time as they shall repent them of such heretical pravities."
At the same time he directed letters patent to the vice-chancellor of Oxford, wherein were these words, "Henceforth you shall find any that believe, favor, or defend any of the aforesaid heresies or errors, or which shall receive into their houses Mr. John Wickliff, Mr. Nicholas Herford, Mr. Philip Reppington, or Mr. John Ashton; or that shall presume to communicate with any of them, or to defend or favor any of such favorers, receivers, communicants, and defenders, within seven days after the same shall appear unto you, you shall banish and expel them from the university and town of Oxford. We command, furthermore, that throughout all the halls of the university ye cause diligently to be searched and inquired out of hand, if any man have any book or tract of the edition or compiling of the aforesaid Mr. J. Wickliff, or N. Herford; and that wheresoever ye shall find any such hook or tract, ye cause the same to be arrested or taken, and unto the aforesaid archbishop, within one month, (without correction, corruption, or mutation whatsoever,) word for word, and sentence for sentence, to be brought and presented."
Besides these letters, the young king, moved by the importunity of the archbishop, sent another special letter to the vice-chancellor and proctors of Oxford; wherein. he strictly enjoined them to make a general inquisition through the whole university, as well for the aforesaid John Wickliff, Nicholas Herford, Philip Reppington, and John Ashton, as for all whom they knew or judged to be suspected of that doctrine, or to be maintainers, receivers, and defenders of the aforesaid persons; to the intent that they, being so apprehended, might, within seven clays, be expelled the university. This commandment being received, Nicholas Herford and Philip Reppington. (being privily warned by the vice-chancellor,) conveyed themselves out of sight, and fled to the duke of Lancaster for succor and help; but the duke, whether for fear, or for what cause else I cannot say, in the end forsook his clients. Being repulsed by the duke, they went to the archbishop, and on the 23d day of October, in the year 1352, Rcppington was reconciled to him; and also by him general letter was released, and admitted to his scholastical acts in the university; and so was also John Ashton.
In the mean time, the king sent his mandate to the archbishop, to have a convocation of the clergy summoned against the next parliament, which should begin the 1Sth day of November. The archbishop likewise directed his. letters monitory (as the manner is,) to Robert Braybroke, bishop of London, to give the same admonition to all his suffragans, and other of the clergy within his province, for the assembling of the convocation aforesaid; which being done, the convocation was kept in the monastery of Frideswide, in Oxford. The archbishop, with the other bishops there sitting, declared one cause of their present assembly was, to repress heresies, which lately began to spring up in the realm, and to correct other excesses in the church.
During the time of this convocation, Nicholas Herford did not appear, and therefore had the sentence of excommunication. Against which he appealed, from the archbishop to the king and his council. The archbishop would not admit it, but caused him to be apprehended, and thrown into prison. Notwithstanding, he escaped out of prison, and returned again to his former exercise and preaching, as he did before. Whereupon the archbishop, thundering out his bolts of excommunication against him, sent to all pastors and ministers, willing them in all churches to divulge the said excommuunication; and gave special charge to all and singular of the laity to beware that their simplicity were not deceived by his doctrine.
Mean while, it is not certainly known what became of John Wickliff. However, it is not to be doubted that he was alive, wheresoever he was, as may appear by his letter written to Pope Urban the Sixth, about this time. The copy of which here followeth.
"VERILY I do rejoice to declare unto every man the faith which I hold, and especially unto the bishop of Rome; the which, if it be found true, he will most willingly confirm; or, if it be erroneous, amend the Same.
First, I suppose that the gospel of CHRIST is the whole body of God's law. Again, I do give and hold the bishop of Rome, as the vicar of CHRIST on earth, to be bound, most of all other men, unto that law of the gospel. For the greatness amongst CHRIST's disciples did not consist in worldly dignity, but in the exact following of CHRIST in his life and manners; whereupon I gather out of the heart of the law of the Lord, that CHRIST, for the time of his pilgrimage here, was a most poor man, casting off all worldly rule and honor.-Hereby I gather, that no man ought to follow the pope himself, or any of the holy men, but in such points as he has followed the Lord JESUS CHRIST. For Peter and the sons of Zebedee, by desiring worldly honor, contrary to the following CHRIST's steps, did offend; and therefore in those errors they are not to be followed.
"Hereof I gather, that the pope ought to leave unto the secular power all temporal dominion and rule, and thereunto effectually to move and exhort his whole clergy; for so did CHRIST and his apostles. Wherefore, if I have erred in any of these points, I will most humbly submit myself unto correction; and if I could labor, according to my will or desire, in my own person, I would surely present myself before the bishop of Rome; but the Lord has otherwise visited me to the contrary, and has taught me rather to obey God than men. Wherefore let us pray unto our God that he - will so stir tip our Pope Urban the Sixth, as he began, that he, with his clergy, may follow the Lord JESUS CHRIST in life and manners; and that they may teach the people effectually that they likewise may faithfully follow them in the same. And let us specially pray that our pope may be preserved from all evil counsel, which we know evil and envious men of his household would give bun And seeing the Lord will not suffer us to be tempted above our power, much less will he require of any creature to do that thing which they are not able; forasmuch as that is the plain manner of antiCHRIST."
Thus much Mr. John Wickliff wrote to Pope Urban. But he was so hot in his wars against Clement, the French pope, his adversary, that he had no leisure to attend to Wickliff's matters. By means of this schismatical war, Wickliff had some rest; who returning again within a short space, either from his banishment, or from some other place, where he was secretly kept, repaired to his parish of Lutterworth, and there quietly departing this life, slept in peace in the Lord in the beginning of the year 1384.
Wickliff had written several works, which were burnt at Oxford in the year of our Lord 1410, the Abbot of Shrewsbury being then commissary, and sent to oversee that matter. And not only in England, but in Bohemia likewise, the books of the said Wickliff were set on fire by Subincus, archbishop of Prague, who made diligent inquisition for them, and burned them. The number of volumes which he is said to have burned, most excellently written, and richly adorned with bosses of gold and rich coverings, (as Eneas Silvius writes,) were about two hundred.
After these things, thus declared, let us now adjoin the testimonial of the university of Oxford, concerning John Wickliff: cc Unto all and singular the children of our holy mother the church, to whom this present letter shall come, the vice-chancellor of the university of Oxford, with the whole congregation of the masters, wish perpetual health in the Lord. Forasmuch as it is not commonly seen that the acts and monuments of valiant men, nor the praise of good men, should be passed over with perpetual silence, but that the true report should continually spread abroad the same in strange and far distant places, both for the witness of the same, and example of others: Hereupon the special good will and care which we hear unto John Wickliff, some time child of this our university, and professor of divinity, moving and stirring our minds (as his manners and conditions required no less,) with one mind, voice and testimony, we do witness all his conditions and donigs, throughout, his whole life, to have been most sincere and commendable; whose honest manners and conditions, and profoundness of learning, we desire more earnestly to be known unto all, for that we understand the ripeness of his conversation, his diligent labors and travels, to tend to the praise of GOD, the help and safeguard of others, and the profit of the church.
"Wherefore we signify unto you by these presents,. that his conversation (even from his youth upward unto the time of his death,) was so praiseworthy and honest, that never at any time was there any note or spot of suspicion noised of him. But in his answering, reading, preaching and determining, he behaved himself laudably, and as a valiant champion of the faith; vanquishing by the force of the Scriptures, all such who blasphemed and slandered CHRIST's religion. Neither was this doctor convict of any heresy, either burned of our prelates after hisburial. God forbid that our prelates should have condemned a man of such honesty for an heretick, who, amongst all the rest of the university, had written in logic, philosophy, divinity, morality, and the speculative arts, without peer. All which we desire to testify, to the intent that the fame and renown of the said doctor may be the more evident amongst them unto whose hands these present letters shall come.
"In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters testimonial to he sealed with our common seal. Dated at Oxford in our congregation-house, the,first dcry of October, in the year of our Lord 1406.
Nevertheless, by virtue of the decree of the council of Constance, his bones were taken up and burnt, forty years after his death.
Let us now proceed to the rest, who either in his time, or after his time, springing out of the same university, and raised up as it were out of his ashes, were partakers of the same persecution. In the number of whom was William Swinderby, Walter Brute, John Purvey, Richard \Vibe, M'iiliatn Thorpe, and Reynold Peacock. To the Son and other favorers of Wickliff in England, we may add also the Bohemians; forasmuch as the doctrine of Wickliff, coming from England, took root also in that country. The occasion was this: There chanced at that time to be at Oxford, a certain student of Bohemia, one of a wealthy house, and of a noble stock. Returning home from the University of Oxford to the University of Prague, he -carried with him certain of Wickliff's books, De Civili.lure et Divino, De Ecclesia, De questionibus variis contra Clerurn. At the same time, a nobleman in the city of Prague had founded and built a church, finding in it two preachers to preach every day, hoth holyday and working-day, to the people. Of which two preachers, John Hus was one; a man of great knowledge, of a pregnant wit, and excellently favored for his worthy life. John Hus, being familiar with this young man, took such pleasure and profit in reading these books of Wickliff; that he not only began to defend this author openly in the schools, but also in his sermons; commending him for an holy and heavenly Inan; wishing himself, when he should die, to be there where the soul of Wickliff was.
Thus much briefly concerning the favorers of John Wickliff in general. Now let us particularly prosecute the histories of the said persons, beginning with the valiant champions, William Swinderby and Walter Brute.