OR LIVES OF EMINENT MEN, CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF RELIGION IN ENGLAND; FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE REFORMATION TO THE REVOLUTION; SELECTED AND ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES, BY THE REV. CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, D.D. RECTOR OF LAMBETH, SURRY, AND OF SUNDRIDGE, KENT; AND IN SIX VOLUMES. VOL. I. SECOND EDITION. London: PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON, By R. and R. Gilbert, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell. BR767 W67 1818 V.I 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 reckon 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, heresies, 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, aud washed, is accused by the Roman parties of Novelty, and condemned because she refuses to run into the same excess of riot and deordination. But we cannot deserve blame who return to our ancient and first health, by preferring a new cure before an old sore. BISHOP TAYLOR. 916 |