Archbishop Chichely in 1416, all prove the prevalence of gatherings of God's people secretly for worship and conference. The last directs a judicial inquiry to be made in every parish for "secret conventicles," as well as for suspected books in the English language. The first proposition of Lollardism condemned by Archbishop Warham, in 1530, is indicative of the true character of the movement, and denotes the fountain of its energy, for it is, that "Faith ownlee doth justify us."

If the

pre

-Reformation darkness had been at any time total, it could not have been dispersed as it was by home instrumentality.

In the year 1414, the University of Oxford presented to the King certain articles for the reformation of the Church. The monarch was one whom Shakspeare describes in the eulogistic strains of the priesthood, but whom the poor Lollards prayed for from another standpoint.

"Hear him but reason in divinity,

And, all-admiring, with an inward wish,
You would desire the king were made
A prelate."

The University articles display the reflex influence of the rising evangelism on the Establishment. The 29th runs as follows:-" Whereas according to the doctrine of our Saviour, all who have the cure of souls ought to feed the flock of Christ with the food of salutary doctrine, and to drive the wolves from the sheep by the barking of holy preaching; yet some are promoted in the kingdom of England who are eutirely ignorant of the language of

the country, and are therefore dumb, and unable to instruct their parishioners; it seems expedient that no person should hold a benefice in any country unless he understands the vulgar language of that country."

The existence of vital godliness flourishing like the first flowers of spring under inclement skies, is also proved by a work entitled "The Ploughman's Prayer," first printed by Tyndale, but written and circulated long before his time. There is a plaintive tone about this interesting production that rather tells of apprehended than actual violence. No mention is made of Wycliffe or any other person, but the sentiments are given as though they were the thoughts of many hearts. The burthen of the song is the sinfulness of the times, and the perversion of those who should be teachers. The invocation at the commencement, at once shows, that faith in Christ was the ruling principle in the writer's heart. "More need was there never to cry to Christ for help than now.' The substitutions of the Church of Rome for the life-giving food of the Gospel were never more powerfully or pithily exposed than in this tract. It is written in earnest, evangelical, forcible language. It concludes by a prayer: "Therefore, we lewd men prayen Thee that Thou wilt send us shepheardes of Thine own that willen feed Thy flocke in Thy lesewe (meadow), and goe before therselfe, and so written Thy lawe in our harts, that from the least to the most all they may knowen Thee." "And, Lord, geue us Thy poore sheepe patience and strength to suffer for Thy law the cruelnes of the mischievous wolues. And, Lord, as Thou hast promised, shorten these dayes.

Lord, we axen this now, for more need was there neuer !"

In the "Creed of Piers Ploughman," written during the Wycliffite agitation, the doctrine is far more antagonistic to Rome than in the "Vision" before referred to. The scope of this poem, like the former, shows the prevalence of very general religious excitement.

The great social problem of those days, the extinction of serfdom, had come to the surface of things. Though it had received some checks from the excesses which led to. the death of Wat Tyler, yet it had been well discussed, and had come to be considered as a matter which must be handled at all cost, and would not brook long delay.

There was much individual thought: in the multitude of cogitations the question of questions, "What shall I do to be saved?" was frequently heard. The lethargy was passing away.

A broadside of Caxton's printing was discovered in 1859, between the leaves of a book in Lord Spencer's library. It contains a prayer, comprising an invocation of Christ as a Divine Saviour, God incarnate; a petition for forgiveness through His blood, and for obedience in His love. The intercessory offices of the Virgin are barely acknowledged, whilst sole reliance on the work of our Lord is reiterated with much fervour.*

The complaint of the clergy, presented to Henry the Fifth in 1413, is, "The Heretikes and Lollards of Wicleue's opinion were suffered to preach abrode, so boldly to gather conuenticles unto them, to keep scoles in men's * See "Athenæum," Dec. 24, 1859.

houses, to make bokes, compyle treatises, and write ballets; to teach privately in angles and corners, as in wodes, fields, medowes, pastours, groves, and in caues of the ground." * A truly graphic account, giving plain testimony concerning the great evangelical ante-Reformation movement then pervading the masses of English society.

About five years after the second Smithfield tragedy, a London tradesman, John Clayden, a currier, suffered death in the same place, for having evangelical books in his house, and evangelical sympathies in his heart. The good man was accused of reading the condemned books, especially one called "The Lantern of Light:" he confessed that he could not read, but "he had heard the fourth part thereof read of one John Tuller," and that "he had great affection for the book from a sermon that was written there." It is a touching picture presented to us by this illiterate man, ignoble on earth, but noble in heaven, groping for divine wisdom as for hidden treasure, finding it in a MS. sermon, and then having the same fairly written on parchment in English, and carefully "bound in red leather," promulgating its truths judiciously, suffering imprisonment, and, ultimately, meekly submitting to martyrdom.

The depositions of the persecutors of Lollardism furnish many glimpses of the dawning light which was beginning to be reflected from the lowliest portion of English society they also serve to show the connexion between the love of truth and the desire for education.

* "State Trials," folio, vol. i., p. 48.

Thus we read that the wife of an artisan in Martham, in the diocese of Norwich, had, in her anxiety to do good, requested one of her neighbours (from whom the information was extorted) that she "and Jean her maid" would come secretly in the night to her chamber, to hear her husband read the law of Christ unto them, "which law was written in a book that her husband was wont to read to her by night."

From the deposition of a wretched informer named Wright, we gather-"Item, That Anise, wife of Thomas Moore, is of the same sect, and favoured them and receiveth them often; and also the daughter of Thomas Moore is partly of the same sect, and can read English.” "Item, That Nicholas Belward, son of John Belward, dwelling in the parish of Southelmham, is one of the same sect, and hath a New Testament which he bought in London for four marks and forty pence, and taught the said William Wright and Margery his wife; and wrought with them continually by the space of one year, and studied diligently upon the said New Testament."

The history of the Church largely illustrates the mode of God's moral government of man. We see the highest ends worked out by feeble instrumentality, and often left incomplete, when a slight interference might apparently have been an incomparable improvement or acceleration. But man's freedom is to be preserved at all cost; miracle is excluded; the wearisome battle must be fought by the appointed combatants, and by them alone. So, individually, the stores of Divine knowledge cannot be unlocked by any man for his brother. Every one must for