Proof of Sincerity and good Earneft, Hypocrify and Pretence will feldom ftand the fiery Tryal. These Qualities may fhine till they are examin'd, but bring them to the Touchstone and they are easily discover❜d. See the Principles of those who were deem'd Hereticks in the Reign of Henry IV. Col. Eccl. Hift. Vol. 1. Page 619.

WILLIAM THORPE'S CHARACTER.

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HE next Perfon we find profecuted for Herefy (and the first we meet with in the State Tryals) was William Thorpe Prieft, 8 Henry IV. 1407. As to this Gentleman's Character, Mr. Collier obferves that his Treatife, call'd Thorpe's Teftament, is a violent Invective against the Hierarchy, and discovers a great deal of Heat, Ignorance, and Enthusiasm. He falls blindly upon the whole Order, without Referve or Exception; he infifts mainly upon reforming the Church to Apoftolical Poverty, would have the Bishops and Priefts work for their Livings, and when they were paft their Labour, to fubfift upon the Charity of the People. He addreffes all Kings and Emperors, Lords and Ladies, to reduce the Clergy to a State of Beggary and Dependence. In fhort, he endeavours to raise the Government upon the Church, preffes deftructive Expedients, charges the People to for fake the publick Communion; and pretends to foretel, that unlefs the Clergy are thus harrafs'd and renoune'd, they'll draw down the Judgments of Heaven upon the Kingdom, and the Nation will be deftroy'd with Peftilence and Famine. His Reason for exhorting the People to defert the Communion of the then Church, is founded upon the Misbehaviour of the Clergy; but this Ground is clearly indefenfible. To argue in this manner, is to make the Validity of the SacraC 2

ments

ments depend upon the Qualifications of the Prieft, and not upon the Inftitution of our Saviour, which Doctrine is a Contradiction to Catholick Belief, and exprefly condemn'd in the 26th Article of the Church of England.

Notwithstanding he was convicted even by his own Confeffion, and had been an active Lollard for twenty Years, he fuffer'd no other Punishment than Imprisonment. Col. 625.

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HE next Perfon profecuted capitally for He

refy was Sir John Oldcastle (call'd by Courtesy, Lord Cobham,in his Wife's Right.) This Gentleman being convicted of Herefy, as it was call'd in thofe Days, the Archbishop waited upon the King, and gave him an Account of the Proceedings against him, and mov'd his Majefty that the Execution might be refpited for 50 Days, which was readily granted, the King, as well as the Archbishop, being extreamly defirous to preferve Sir John Oldcastle. Col. 634:

Sir John, before the 50 Days expir'd, made his Efcape out of the Tower, and endeavour'd to fecure himself by making an Infurrection. To this purpofe he wrote Letters to his Friends, te engage their Party, and make them ready for the Field; and he had, in all likelihood, furpriz'd the King, and overturn'd the Government, if the Confpiracy had not been difcover'd.

The King being appriz'd of the Danger, on the fixth of January 1414, remov'd from Eltham to his Palace at Westminster; but without any Ap pearance of an Alarm, the Rebels were juft upon the Execution of their Design, being drawn to gether by Sir John Acton Kt. John Brown Efq and John Beverly a Prieft, in Ficket-field, on the backlide of St. Giles's; hither they came in the

dead

dead of Night, expecting to join their General Sir John Oldcastle.

The King came into the Field before Day, where feveral of the Rebels, mistaking their Party, fell in with the King's Forces; and it being demanded whither they were going, they anfwer'd, to my Lord Cobham. The King, to prevent their getting together, had order'd the City Gates to be fhut and guarded, without which Précaution 'tis thought the Londoners would have reinforc'd their Party to a very formidable. Body; but being difappointed of this Succour they foon difpers'd, and feveral of them were kill'd or taken Prifoners. And the King fet a thousand Marks upon Sir John Oldcastle's Head, with a Promise of great Privileges to any Town that should deliver him up. (Also an Indictment of High Treafon was found against Sir John in the King's-Bench, for confpiring the Death of the King, the Subversion of the establish'd Religion and Government, and levying War, whereupon he was outlaw'd.)

Anno 1414, the Statute was made against the Lollards, the Preamble whereof recites, That whereas they had caufed great Infurrections, and attempted to deftroy the Religion and Government establish'd, all Officers and Magiftrates fhould take an Oath to fupprefs all Herefies and Errors, commonly call'd Lollardies: And that all Perfons convict of Herelies fhould forfeit their * Goods and Chattels, and Fee-fimple Lands. And that Juftices of Affize, and Juftices of Peace, should have Power to enquire of fuch Herefies, and award a Capias to the Sheriff for apprchending them; provided that Perfons indicted of Herefy fhould be deliver'd to their respective Ordinaries within ten Days after they fhould be arrested,

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arrefted, to be acquit or convią by the Laws of holy Church. Col. 639.

Anno 1415, The Lollards began to ftir again, and were fo hardy as to menace the King, the Church and the Government; and Sir John Oldcaftle having receiv'd Advice that the King was embark'd for France, fent a threatning Meffage to the Lord Abergavenny; who thereupon order'd 5000 Archers and Men at Arms to rendezvous at his Castle of Hanley in Worcestershire. Sir John Oldcastle, finding that the Lord Abergavenny was fo well provided, and understanding that the King was not yet gone, and that the Earl of Cambridge, the Lords Scroop and Grey, who had form'd a Confpiracy against his Majefty, were executed, defifted from his Enterprize, and abfconded again; but a Priest, and some others of his Party, had the ill Fortune to be taken by the Lord Abergavenny; and being ftrictly examin'd, difcover'd the Place where Sir John Oldcastle had laid up Arms, and Money, to fupport the intended Infurrection. This Provifion for the War was hid between two clofe Walls, contriv'd for that purpofe; and amongst other things was found Sir John's Standard, upon which the confecrated Elements were curiously wrought; there were also the Crofs of our Saviour, the Scourges, the Lance and Nails, all which were work'd in the Colours, to draw in the People and increase his Party.

Anno 1417, Sir John Oldcastle was near being furpriz'd in the Neighbourhood of St. Albans, at a Farm-house belonging to the Abbot of that Town; for the Abbot being inform'd Sir John lay conceal'd at one of his Tenants, fent fome of his Servants, in the Night, to befer the House, and tho they miss'd of Sir John they feiz'd fome of the principal Men of his Party; they found alfo feyeral religious Books adorn'd with Pain

tings

tings, which the Lollards efteeming fuperftitious, had cut off the Heads of the Figures, and they had alfo eras'd the Names of the Saints out of the Litanies; and there were found alfo (as Walfingham fays) fome fcandalous Papers in Difhonour of the bleffed Virgin: These Books were fent over to the King into Normandy, and by him return'd to the Archbishop.

Upon this Occafion the Lollards were loudly declaim'd against at St. Paul's Crofs, and a tragical Representation made of the Matter; and not long after Sir John Oldcastle was taken in Powis Lands in Wales. He ftood upon his Defence, fought thofe who came to apprehend him, and refus'd to furrender his Perfon till he was wounded and difabled.

Sir John Oldcastle having been outlaw'd, upon an Indictment for High Treafon (as abovemention'd) for that he, with divers others call'd Lollards, to the Number of Twenty Thoufand, had affembled themselves at St. Giles's in the Fields, levy'd War, and confpir'd the Death of the King, and the Subverfion of the Religion and Government establish'd; and ftanding alfo excommunicated for Herefy, he was brought before the Parliament on the 18th of December 1417; and it being demanded what he had to fay why Execution fhould not be awarded against him according to Law, he run out into a Difcourfe foreign to the Matter, concerning the Mercy of God, &c. whereupon the Chief Juftice requiring him to answer directly, if he had any thing to object against the Legality of the Procefs; he reply'd, he could not own them for his Judges, as long as his Sovereign Lord King Richard was living in Scotland. Upon this Anfwer a Rule was made for his Execution, viz. That he fhould be carried back to the Tower, and from thence drawn through London to the new Gallows

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