formerly examined before the Bishop of Salisbury, he had not given up some books of Wickliff's, but had concealed them in an old oak tree, and afterwards brought them to London, where they were found in his possession.

THOMAS MANN was burned in the same year: he had been in trouble before the Bishop of Lincoln, among other things, for "that he believed not aright in the sacrament of extreme unction," and, submitting to the judgment of the Church, he was enjoined to wear the badge of a faggot, and not to depart from the monastery of Fredeswede at Oxford. He afterwards escaped from this confinement, and, being found at large in London without his badge, was proceeded against as a relapsed heretic. In the account of the proceedings against him, inserted in the Bishop's Register, the ceremonial of the oath administered to the witnesses was stated, which is worthy of notice, not only as a ridiculous ceremony, but as an attempt to put a spiritual meaning on a mere human invention, without authority from the word of God." They were caused to swear upon the Holy Evangelists with their three middle fingers stretched out right, and laid upon the book in sign of the Trinity, and the thumb and little finger put downwards under the book, in token of damnation of body and soul, if they did not depose the truth in the matter." Assuredly it was necessary that the meaning of these signs should be given, for the mere reading of the word of God would never have explained them, although the simplest reader of the Bible cannot remain ignorant of the meaning of "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour," or "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish."

A counsel was assigned to Mann by Dr. Hed, the Bishop's Chancellor, who, under pretence of assisting in his defence, induced him to confess a conversation which had taken place five years before, and thus to confirm the evidence of a witness against him: the keeper of the prison was also brought forward to state that the prisoner had said, that, as far as he could see, "the laws of the church were grounded upon Pilate and Caiaphas." The Register states, that he submitted to the

Church: whether this is true or not, may be doubted; but on the 29th of March, he was delivered by Dr. Hed to the Sheriff of London, with the following hypocritical sentence, or warrant: "We desire, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thy punishment on this account may be so moderate, that there be no rigour nor want of mildness, but that all may be done for the salvation and welfare of thy soul." For the welfare of his soul, all appears to have been done, though not for that of his body. The Sheriff, sitting on horseback, had the prisoner delivered to him at the back door of the Bishop's house in Paternoster Row, the Chancellor protesting to the Sheriff that he had no power to put him to death, and therefore desired the Sheriff to take him as a relapsed and condemned heretic, and see him punished, "but without death." The Sheriff, however, knew the real meaning of these words; and receiving no order for his deliverance, but the writ being issued for his execution, immediately carried him to Smithfield, and there caused him to be burned. Thus the words of the Martyr were verified; for as Caiaphas and his pharisaical associates said to Pilate," It is not lawful for us to put any man to death, but if thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend;" so they, delivering him to the magistrate, knowing that be must put him to death, pretended they were unwilling that blood should be shed!

From the evidence of one Risby, as set down in the Bishop's Register, it appeared that this Thomas Mann was one of the teachers among the Lollards, who went from place to place secretly teaching the truth. He resided at different times, for this purpose, in Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk, Middlesex, Berks, and Buckinghamshire at Newbery there appears to have been a congregation of faithful followers of Christ, who continued unknown for fifteen years, when they were betrayed by a false brother. Several of them were burnt, and the rest punished in various ways. Escaping from, thence, he, for a time, resided at Amersham, till that congregawas also dispersed. Mann, however, was again preserved, but at length was brought to the stake, in the year 1518. The same Register states, that he "confesses he hath

turned seven hundred people to his religion, for which be thanketh God."

If those that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever," and it is so declared in the word of God, then assuredly Thomas Mann now shines as a bright star in the realms of glory.

ROBERT COSIN, burned at the town of Buckingham, is recorded in the Registers of Longland, Bishop of Lincoln, to have taught Joan Norman, that she might as well drink upon the Sunday before mass, as on any other day! For among other superstitious rites of the Church of Rome, its followers are ordered not to break their fast before they receive the consecrated bread.

In the accusation of CHRISTOPHER SHOOMAKER, burned at Newbery, we find it stated, that he came to the house of John Say, and, "after other talk, read to him out of a book (probably the Gospels) the words which Christ spake to his disciples; and that coming thus to his house four times, at every time he read something out of the sam book," teaching him, that the sacrifice of the mass "remained in substance bread, bearing the remembrance of Christ."

In 1519, SEVEN MARTYRS were burned in one fire at Coventry. They were, Hatches, a shoemaker, Archer, Hawkins, and Bond, of the same trade, Wrigsham, a glover, and Lansdale, a hosier, with a widow named Smith. They were apprehended upon Ash Wednesday, on an accusation of having taught their children and servants the Lord's Prayer and ten commandments in English, and were sent to Maxtock Abbey, six miles distant, while their children were taken to the monastery of the Grey Friars in Coventry. Friar Stafford, the Warden, examined them respecting the instruction they had received from their fathers, and charged them, if they wished to avoid the death their parents would suffer, never again to meddle with the Lord's Prayer, the creed, or the ten commandments in English!

Upon Palm Sunday, the fathers of these children were brought back to Coventry; and the six men were condemned to be burned, but the widow Smith was set at liberty. It was evening, and Simon Mourton, the

Bishop's Summer, offered to see her home. As he was leading her by the arm, he felt a scroll of paper within her sleeve." Yea," said he, "what have you here?" So saying, he took it from her, and found it was the Commandments, Belief, and Lord's Prayer, written down in English. "Ah," said he, it is so, as good come now as another time," and carried her back to the Bishop, by whom she was immediately condemned. They were all burned together on the 4th of April, in the Little Park.

As soon as they were put to death, the Sheriff went to their houses, and seized all the property he found, leaving their wives and children entirely destitute. This horrid cruelty caused many to murmur, which induced the Bishop to circulate a report that they were not burned for having the Lord's Prayer, &c. in English, but because they ate meat on Fridays, and fast days!

One of their companions, named Robert Selkeb, escaped; but was taken two years afterwards, and brought back to Coventry, and the next day (in January, 1521) committed to the flames.

Fox adds, "The witnesses of this history be yet alive, which both saw them, and knew them; of whom one is by name Mother Hall, dwelling now at Bagington, two miles from Coventry. By whom also this is testified, that they, above all others in Coventry, pretended most shew of worship and devotion at the holding up of the

Sacrament, whether to colour the matter or no, is not known. This is certain, that in godliness of life they differed from all the rest of the city." While we lament that fear induced them outwardly to conform to errors they denied, yet this circumstance shews still more strongly the cruelty of their persecutors, since they could not accuse them of any outward disrespect to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Rome.

The records of the diocese of Lincoln, about the years 1520 and 1521, shew that as the light of the Gospel began to appear more plainly, and the number of professors increased, the persecutions of the Bishops were more violent. This increase of knowledge was evidently, under the divine blessing, the fruit of the activity of the teachers among the Lollards, such as Mann, whom we have just mentioned; and was undoubtedly quite independent of the light which appeared on the Continent, although books from thence began to come over about this time, as has been already noticed.

Although the public preaching of the word was not then allowed, yet the number of the disciples was very great, and their zeal certainly may well make us ashamed of our indifference in the cause of Christ. We find them sitting up all night, reading, and hearing the word; and purchasing books at high prices, although comparatively poor, giving equal to eight and ten pounds of our money for little treatises, which now may be bought for a shilling. One gave a load of hay for a few chapters of the Epistles of St. Paul: Fox well observes, "To see their travails, their earnest seeking, their ardent zeal, their reading, their watching, their sweet assemblies, their love and concord, their godly living, their faithful marrying with the faithful, may make us now, in these our days of free profession, to blush for shame." If such a sentence was true two hundred and fifty years ago, surely it is not less so at the present day.

Neither were these confessors accused of a great variety of opinions; all the charges against them may be summed up under four principal heads; and these, more or less, enter into every accusation. They opposed pilgrimages, adoration of the Virgin and the Saints, the