OR

LIVES OF EMINENT MEN,

CONNECTED WITH THE

HISTORY OF RELIGION IN ENGLAND;

FROM THE

COMMENCEMENT OF THE REFORMATION

TO THB

REVOLUTION;

SELECTED AND ILLUSTRATED WITK

NOTES,

BY THE

REV. CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, D.D.

AND

RECTOR OF LAMBETU, SURRY, AND OF SUNDRIDGE, KENT;
FORMERLY DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO HIS GRACE THE

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

IN SIX VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

....................

SECOND EDITION.

London :
PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON,

NO. 62, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD ;
By R. and R. Gilbert, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell.

BR767

W67

1818
vil

1

When the keepers of the field slept, and the enemy had sown tares, and they had choked the wheat, and almost destroyed it: when the world complained of the infinite errors in the Church, and being oppressed by a violent power, durst not complain so much as they had cause; and when they who had cause to complain, were yet themselves very much abased, and did not complain in all they might; when divers excellent persons, St. Bernard, Clemangis, Grosthead, Marsilius, and Pope Adrian himself, with many others, not to seckon Wickliffe, Hus, Hierome of Prague, the Bohemians, and the poor men of Lyons whom they called Hereticks, and confuted with fire and sword; when almost all Christian Princes did complain heavily of the corrupt state of the Church, and of Religion, and no remedy could be had, but the very intended remedy made things much worse : then it was that divers Christian kingdoms, and particularly the Church of England, being ashamed of the errors, superstitions, beresies, and impieties which had deturpated the face of the Church, looked into the glass of Scripture and pure Antiquity, and washed away those stains, with which time, and inadvertency, and tyranny had besmeared her; and, being thus cleansed, and washed, is accused by the Roman parties of Novelty, and condemned because she refuses to run into the same excess of riot and deordivation. cannot deserve blame who return to our ancient and first bealth, by preferring a new cure before an old sore.

BISHOP TAYLOR.

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