“4. Every man being in grace justifying', hath not onely right unto, but also for his time hath indeed all the good things of God.

“5. A man can but only ministratoriouslie give any temporall or continuall gift, either to his naturall son, or to his son by imitation 3.

believe, that Jesus Christ shall "come again from heaven, to judge the quick and the dead," and that no human right can hinder the coming of Christ to the last judgment; hence it follows, that no power of Peter and his successors, or of any other earthly potentate, can be maintained in any sense which shall be inconsistent with that grand event and doctrine; and when further, according to the Scriptures, all human polity shall be at an end.-Hence he affirms, that his drift was, by these "three first conclusions, to impress on worldly men the faith of Christ, that they be not drowned in the sea of a world which passes away with the lust thereof,” p. 69. "Tres ergo primæ conclusiones imprimunt mundialibus fidem Christi, ne submergantur in pelago seculi transeuntis cum concupiscentia ejus," p. 383. The fourth, he adds, was "to draw men to love the Lord, who has loved us to the gift and grant of so many and so great true riches." "Et quarta allicit hominem ad amorem Domini, qui dilexit nos ad tot veras divitias," p. 383. And the enjoyments of these he limits (with St. Augustine) to the next world. "The truth promises this to those Christians who enter into his joy. The right of the communion of saints, in their own country, is founded on the universality of the good things of God."-Lewis, p. 61, 62.

2 In grace justifying.] This conclusion, which the pope wished to fix upon Wickliffe, is designed to express the doctrine which, in subsequent times, made a much greater figure in the church; namely, that dominion is founded in grace. But Lewis assures us, that this was no tenet of Wickliffe's. History, p. 115-117. p. 342. See also Lewis's Brief History of Anabaptism, p. 20. A.D. 1738; and Fox's Acts, p. 398. "The papists do impute this opinion to Wickliffe and Hus, and their followers; and condemn the opinion, and them for it as heretics, as saying that dominium fundatur in gratia: which is a manifest calumny, and no just or proved accusation; as might be proved out of Hus's printed works, and from several manuscript works of Wickliffe in Bodley's Library. But they bring these lying accusations against them, that they may have some pretence to destroy and murder them." The above is from the text of " Several miscellaneous and weighty Cases of Conscience, 1692," 8vo., by the very learned Dr. Thomas Barlow, bishop of Lincoln, who had himself been many years librarian of the Bodleian. The remainder of the Case is a very interesting and learned argument, to show that the obnoxious tenet was, in truth, maintained and acted upon, to a fearful degree, by the Roman Catholics themselves.

3 By imitation.] That no human being can give, except only ministerially, "is plain," says W., " from hence, that every man ought to acknowledge himself in all his works an humble minister of God, as is evident from Scripture: let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ. Nay, Christ himself so

"6. If God be, the temporall lords may lawfully and meretoriouslie take away the riches from the church when they doe offend habitualiter.

5

"7. We know that Christs vicar cannot, neither is able by his buls, neither by his owne will and consent, neither by the consent of his college, neither to make able or disable any man ®.

"8. A man cannot be excommunicated to his hurt or undoing, except he be first and principally excommunicate by himselfe.

"9. No man ought, but in Gods cause alone, to excommunicat, suspend, or forbid, or otherwise to proceed to revenge by any ecclesiasticall censure.

"Let not

ministered, and taught his apostles so to minister." Lewis, p. 62. his vicar therefore be ashamed to execute the ministry of the church; since he is, or ought to be, the servant of the servants of God.”—Ibid. p. 69. “Non ergo erubescat ejus vicarius fungi ministerio ecclesiæ, cum sit, vel esse debet, servus servorum Domini," p. 383.

Offend habitualiter.] "Yet I said that it is not lawful to do this but by the authority of the church, in case of the defection of the spiritual president; and when an ecclesiastic shall need to be corrected, by those who are worthy of such a trust."-Lewis, p. 70. "Dixi tamen quod hoc non licet facere nisi auctoritate ecclesiæ in defectu spiritualis præpositi; et in casu quo ecclesiasticus corripiendus fuerit a fide dignis," p. 384. "But God forbid that it should be believed it was my meaning that secular lords may lawfully take away the goods of fortune from a delinquent church, when and howsoever they please; but that they may only do it by the authority of the church, in cases and form limited by law,” p. 62.

"But after the death of the delinquent, let it return to the successor." "Post mortem vero clerici ad successorem revertatur," p. 387.

We know that.] Between this and the preceding conclusion, there stands in Sudbury's Register (Wilkins, vol. iii. p. 123) another article, which perhaps was by mistake left out in Fox's transcript. It is as follows, according to Lewis's translation:

"VII. Whether the church be in such a state or not is not my business to examine, but the business of temporal lords; who, if they find it in such a state, are to act boldly, and on the penalty of damnation to take away its temporalities."-Lewis's History, p. 43.

6 Disable any man.] "This article," says W., "is plain from the principles of the Catholic faith. For it behoves our Lord in every operation to maintain the primacy: therefore, as in every qualifying of a subject, it is first required that the subject to be qualified be meet and worthy; so in every disqualification there is first required a deserving from some demerit of the person to be disqualified: and, by consequence, such a qualifying or disqualifying is not made purely by the ministry of the vicar of Christ, but from above; from elsewhere, or from some other."-Lewis, p. 63. Compare also p. 70 and p. 384.

“10. A curse or excommunication do not simply bind, but in case it be pronounced and given out against the adversary of Gods law.

"11. There is no power given by any example, either by Christ or by his apostle, to excommunicate any subject, especially for denying of any temporalities, but rather contrariwise 1.

"12. The disciples of Christ, have no power to exact by any civil authoritie, temporalties by censuresR.

13. It is not possible by the absolute power of God, that if the pope, or any other Christian doe pretend by any meanes to bind or to loose, that thereby he doth so bind and loose".

"14. We ought to beleeve that the vicar of Christ, doth at such times onely bind and loose, when as he worketh conformablie by the law and ordinance of Christ.

"15. This ought universally to bee beleeved, that every priest * rightly and duly ordered, according unto the law of grace, hath

7 But rather contrariwise.] "This article is proved hence; from what Christ teacheth, that the honour of God, and the profit of the Church, is to be preferred before any personal interest, or the denial of temporal things.— And the second part (contrariwise) is proved by that of Luke ix., where he forbade his disciples, who desired fire to come down from heaven, to excommunicate unbelievers who unjustly detained from Christ and his disciples their goods. Ye know not, says he, what spirit ye are of. From whence the Catholic conclusion is that it is not lawful for the vicar of Christ to excommunicate his neighbour, unless on account of love, with which he is to be more affected than with all the temporalities of this world."—Lewis, p. 72. Compare p. 386 and p. 64.

s By censures.] "This is plain from Scripture, Luke xxii. where Christ forbade his disciples to reign civilly, or to exercise any temporal dominion ; the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, but ye shall not be so. . . . We add to this twelfth conclusion, notwithstanding, that temporalities may be exacted by ecclesiastical censures, accessione; in vindication of God.”— Lewis, p. 64. Compare p. 386, and p. 72, 3.

9 So bind and loose.] "The opposite of this would destroy the whole catholic faith; since it imports no less than blasphemy, to suppose any one to usurp such an absolute power of the Lord's. I add to this 13th conclusion, that I do not intend by it to derogate from the power of the pope, or of any other prelate of the church; but do allow that they may, in virtue of the Head, bind and loose; only, that it cannot be that the pope or any other prelate shall pretend that he binds or looses at any rate (or just as he lists)."-Lewis, p. 64, 5. Compare also p. 73, and p. 386, 7.

1 That every priest.] "This is proved from hence, that the powers of orders are equal in all Christian priests, as is declared by Hugo, chap. 2. De Sacramentis."-Lewis, p. 73 and p. 387.

power according to his vocation, whereby he may minister the sacraments, and consequently absolve any man confessing his fault, being contrite and penitent for the same.

"16. It is lawful for kings (in causes licensed by the law) to take away the temporalties from the spiritualtie, sinning habitualiter, that is, which continue in the custome of sin, and will not amend.

"17. Whether they be temporall lords, or any other men whatsoever they be, which have endowed any church with temporalties; it is lawful for them to take away the same temporalties, as it were by way of medicine, for to avoide sin3, notwithstanding

2 Sinning habitualiter.] What shall we think of a case such as the following? Henry III. passing into Wales in the year 1264, and visiting Hereford, finds there, as we learn from his own letter of remonstrance addressed to the bishop, "to his great grief, a church destitute of a pastor's comfort; as having neither bishop nor official, vicar nor dean, to exercise any spiritual function and dutie in the same."-Was not this a 66 delinquent church” indeed? And are we to wonder that the monarch should go on to injoin the bishop, and the other members of that body, all other pleas and engagements set aside, to return thither with all speed, personally to execute the pastoral charge committed to them? So, in default thereof, are we to wonder, that he should proceed to threaten, "if you have not a care to doe this, we will whollie take into our owne hands all the temporal goods, and whatsoever else doth belong unto the baronie of the same church; which goods, for spiritual exercise therein, it is certain our progenitors, of a godlie devotion, did bestowe thereupon. And such goods we will seize upon; and will suffer no longer, that he shall reape temporal things, which feareth not unreverentlie to withdraw and keep back the spiritual things, whereunto by office and dutie he is bound." Fox's Acts, p. 305.

3 For to avoide sin.] "This is proved from hence; that the condition, by itself consequent to the donation of the goods of the church is, that God may be honoured, and the church edified. Which condition, if it be wanting, and the opposite be found in its room, it is plain (patet) that the title of the donation is lost, and by consequence, that the Lord, who is the giver of the alms, ought to rectify the error.-And excommunication ought not to hinder the doing of justice; because, if so, the clerk, by excommunication, in way of reparation might get the whole world."-Lewis, p. 75. Compare p. 388.

"We add to this 17th article. God forbid that by these words, occasion should be given to the temporal lords, to take away the goods of fortune to the detriment of the church."-Lewis, p. 66.

Of the whole body of these articles he declares, at the opening of one of his two papers of explanation, "I understand the conclusions according to the sense of scripture and the holy doctors, and the manner of speaking used by them; which verse I am ready to explain, and if it be proved that the conclusions are contrary to the faith, I am willing very readily to retract

any excommunication or other ecclesiastical censure, forsomuch as they are not given but under a condition'.

"18. An ecclesiasticall minister, and also the bishop of Rome may lawfully be rebuked of his subjects, and, for the profit of the church, be accused either of the clergie or of the laity."

These letters, with the articles inclosed, being thus received from the pope, the bishops tooke no little heart, thinking and fully determining with themselves, and that in open profession before their provinciall councill, that all respects of feare or favour set apart, no person neither high nor low, should let them, neither would they be seduced by the intreatie of any man, nor by any threatnings or rewards, but that in this cause they would execute most strict and rigid justice; yea albeit present danger of life should follow thereupon.-But these so fierce brags, and stout promises, with the subtill practises of these bishops, which thought them so sure before, the Lord (against whom no determination of mans counsell can prevaile) by a small occasion, did lightly confound and overthrow. For the day of the examination being come, a certaine personage of the princes court, and yet of no great noble birth, named Lewes Clifford, entring in among the bishops, commanded them that they should not proceed with any diffinitive sentence against John Wickliffe. With which words all they were so amazed and their combes so cut,

them." Lewis, p. 60. And at the close of the other copy, it is added, “ Hæ sunt conclusiones quas vult etiam usque ad mortem defendere, ut per hoe valeat mores ecclesiæ reformare,” p. 389.

♦ Under a condition.] "And as anentis” (concerning) “taking away of temporalities: I say thus, that it is lawful to kings, to princes, to dukes, and to lords of the world, to take away from popes, from cardinals, from bishops, prelates, and possessioners in the church, their temporalities, and their almes, that they have given them upon condition that they shoulden serve God the better, when they verily seene that their giving and taking beene contrarie to the law of God, contrarie to Christ's living, and his apostles." Process against W. Swinderby. Fox, p. 434. See also Kennet's Case of Impropriations, p. 114-15.

5 Rigid justice.] Strictam rigidamque justitiam. Latin edit

Did lightly.] Did easily confound. Thus, Whytford's Pype of Perfection, fol. 76. "In suche thyngs as the subjects done knowe well ben directely agaynest the rule of theyr profession, shulde they nat lyghtly and gladly obey: lyhtely, I mean, without deliberation and gladly, for self-pleasure or commoditie."

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