The and we doubt not all of it was. captain was a bankrupt, nine thousand dollars worse off, at least, than he was when he said, "I expect to repent before I die." A Forwarding House.-A few years since, in a northern city, great effort was made to persuade forwarders, sailors, and boatmen to give up their Sunday occupations. Most of the forwarders readily consented. One of the firms that did not, among the largest, and supposed to be very wealthy, raised many objections, which called for much labour with them and from many individuals; but all without success. They opened their warehouse, run their steam-boats, vessels, and canal-boats on Sundays, notwithstanding all remonstrances, and that one of the firm was not in favour of it, and another was a member of a Christian church. But before the year came round, their large warehouse, with everything in it, was burnt to ashes. Their steam-boat was much damaged. During a heavy gale it is said that they lost a vessel and twenty thousand dollars worth of goods. Upon hearing this, one of them exclaimed, "It is because we break the sabbath." Everything seemed to go against them. The firm was dissolved, and two of it, we believe, became bankrupt. Nine Stage-men.-We have the names of nine stage-men, all of whom except one have pursued their occupation in the same section of country, and were often reproved for violating the sabbath, but to no apparent benefit, for they impiously refused to let their stages rest on that day. Long since they have all been bankrupted, and some of them over and over again. A few are dead; a few, it is hoped, have repented and found mercy; and a number are strolling about without character or friends, Master C.-" Could always tell what was coming the moment the text was given out." Miss D.-Used to ask her papa's visitors if they did not think the singing "horrible?" N.B. Never joined. Good-natured Mrs. E.-Lived close to the chapel. Was always twenty minutes too late. Noisy Mrs. F. and G.-Slammed the doors, coughed, and hemmed till they might be heard outside the place. Mr. and Mrs. H.-Noted for their carefulness. Generally confined to the house on collection-days. Mr. I-The greatest personage in the place. Mr. J.-Always sang on J flat. Made up for discord by loudness. Mr. K.-Crotchetty, restless, teazing. Wondered how anybody could profit. Never known to pray for his minister. Messrs. L. M. and N.-On the watch for faults. Could always say where the preacher might have done better, and were rewarded by having leanness sent into their soul. Poor Mrs. O.-Thought to be a fool by the above-named critics. Always enjoyed, and could always profit by, faithful preaching. Died very happily, and begged that in her funeral-sermon as little as possible might be said about her, and as much as possible about her Saviour. FIDO. THE BRITISH REFORMATION. Wycliffe's Labours for Reformation. BY REV. THOMAS TIMPSON. SUPERSTITION and ignorance continued to brood over England, and Europe was held in ecclesiastical bondage, for Popery had attained its highest elevation. The hierarchy was not only dominant, but terrible beyond expression. The laws of God were set aside for church canons; but no words seem so correctly to represent the evil as the following of Dr. Southey : "According to the canons, the Pope was as far above all kings as the sun is greater than the moon. He was fest ecclesiastical corruptions, he published, in 1356, his "Last Age of the Church." This work inflamed the friars with indignation against the reformer, as he so fully exposed their delinquencies; and, as Dr. Vaughan states, "To the disputes which followed much of his subsequent decision in the work of reformation is to be attributed. Irritated by the reasonings of their opponent, the Mendicants fled to the protection of the papacy, laying their complaints before the pontifical tribunal." Wycliffe, having defended the university and Balliol College against the friars, was recompensed, in 1361, with a living and the office of warden. Four years afterwards he accepted the same office, in connexion with Canterbury Hall, from Simon Islep, then archbishop. Islep was succeeded, in 1370, by Simon Langham, a patron of the friars, and Wycliffe was ejected from his wardenship. To obtain redress, he appealed to the pope; but the decision of his holiness, after a delay of four years, confirmed the proceeding of the archbishop. king of kings, and lord of lords, though he subscribed himself servant of servants. As supreme king, he might impose taxes upon all Christians; and the pope declared it was to be held as a point necessary to salvation that every human creature is subject to the Roman pontiff! That he might lawfully depose kings, was averred to be so certain a doctrine, that it could be denied only by madmen, or through the instigation of the devil. The spouse of the church was vice-God: men were commanded to bow at his name as at the name of Christ; the proudest sovereigns waited on him as menials, led his horse by the bridle, and held his stirrup while he alighted; and there were ambassadors who prostrated themselves before him, saying, O thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us!' The advocates of the papal power proclaimed that he could change the nature of things, and make injustice justice. Nor was it possible that he should be amenable to any secular power, for he had been called God by Constantine, and God was not to be judged by man. Under God, the salvation of all the faithful depended Wycliffe could expect neither favour on him, and the commentators even nor justice from the pope, as he had gave him the blasphemous appellation engaged in controversy with him; for, of Our Lord God the Pope!"" in 1365, pope Urban v, having deThis shocking usurpation of the hier-manded from Edward III. the annual archy, predicted in the holy Scriptures, payment of a thousand marks, as an was supported by hosts of friars, espe- acknowledgment for the sovereignty of cially those of the Franciscan and Do- England and Ireland, as had been minican orders, who, in their preach- agreed to by king John, Parliament ing, demanded submission from the decided that John's act, when degraded whole community to the pontifical laws by the pope and his dreadful interdict, and decrees. But their hated power was repugnant to the constitution of was shaken to its foundation when Dr. England. A daring monk, however, John Wycliffe arose in England. He vindicated the pope's claim; and thus was an extraordinary man, and zealous Wycliffe, as "the king's peculiar clerk," for the pure doctrine of Christ, worthy was called forth, answering the base of the title commonly given to him, production, appealing to the Scriptures "The Morning Star of the Reforma- against "the canon law." He even tion." Idared to declare that the pope was liable to mortal sin, and, consequently, might forfeit his ecclesiastical authority. These sentiments astonished his opponents, striking the supporters of the papacy with terror; " and it is certain," as Vaughan states, "that in England the doctrine respecting the alleged consequence of mortal sin obtained in Wycliffe its first advocate." John Wycliffe was born AD. 1324, and studied at Merton College, Oxford, in 1340, nine years before the death of Dr. Bradwardine. He seems to have enjoyed the personal instructions and example of that "profound doctor." Influenced by so great an authority, he devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures; and, shocked at the mani Although Wycliffe was thus deprived of his wardenship, he was a gainer, for he was made "professor of divinity." Vaughan remarks, "His elevation to the chair of theology in the leading university of the kingdom opened an important field for the diffusion of his opinions, and rendered the year 1372 a memorable period in his history." Other controversies now engaged the mind of Wycliffe, on subjects which greatly perplexed the government, and these must be noticed. Disputes had been carried on for two centuries between the successors of our first William and the Roman pontiffs, to determine the limits of the monarchical and pontifical power, with respect to the persons and property of the English clergy and people. That feudal homage, which was spurned by the proud Conqueror, was extorted by the pope from the weakness of king John; and from that period the pontiffs frequently assert that their will is above all law, whether affecting the church or the state. Hence, while our monarchs were readily absolved from their vows with respect to Magna Charta, the emoluments of the English hierarchy were conferred with shameless profusion on the creatures of the papal court. "It was in the sixteenth year of Edward the Third that the recently elected pontiff, Clement VI., declared the next two vacancies in the Anglican church, amounting to the annual value of two thousand marks, to be, by provision, the property of two among his cardinals." Edward complained to the pope, as Collier states, "that the custom of provisors had transferred the property designed for the support of religion to the hands of men who neither dwelt in the country nor understood its language, and who were alike unable and unwilling to discharge the duties of their office." Papal usurpation was too deeply rooted for the resisting power of the monarch of England, and, according to Dr. Vaughan, "the redress of these grievances was demanded in vain. Hence it devolved on the king and parliament, in the year 1350, to attempt the protection of the country from the system of relentless fraud by the celebrated statute against provision;' and, three years later by another enactment, equally known by the name of 'premunire.' The first declared the collation to any dignity or benefice in a manner opposed to the rights of the king, the chapters, or its patrons, to be void, subjecting the parties concerned in every such offence to fine and imprisonment, and prohibiting appeal beyond the court of the sovereign. The second statute was directed against the growing custom of transferring questions in relation to property from the decision of English courts to the rejudgment of the pontiffs; exposing all such offenders in future to heavy fines, and to imprisonment at the king's will. The rigorous enforceof the latter provision was highly beneficial;" but the former was of little avail. Archbishop Langham instituted an inquiry, in 1867, respecting pluralities in his province, when it was found, as Dr. Fuller states, "that some clerks had no less than twenty benefices and dignities by papal provisions, with the privilege over and above to increase their number as far as their interest would reach." In 1373, the English parliament renewed their complaints of these provisions, as increasingly oppressive; and some unsatisfactory concessions were made by pope Gregory XI. But inquiry being made as to the number of alien benefices in the church in England, delegates were chosen by the parliament to convey once more their remonstrances to the pontiff. Wycliffe's name stands second in this commission, who spent two years over this business at Bruges, where the duke of Lancaster was ambassador from the court of England; but very little good resulted from the protracted conferences with the papal diplomatists. However, Wycliffe learned by this means the iniquity of the papacy, though he was not permitted to take a view of the seat of ecclesiastical corruption at Rome or Avignon. Yet he was convinced by the system of intrigue which he witnessed that the elevation of the pope served only to diffuse more widely the pestilence of an evil example, surpassing everything in worldliness and avarice. which the English brokers buying here have." These enormities being published to the nation, the spirit of Wycliffe became more zealous as a reformer, and he was rewarded for his public services by the prebend of Aust, in Westbury, and with the rectory of Lutterworth; and now he directly attacked the papacy, publicly declaring that the pope had no right to exercise authority in foreign states, and that he was that "man of sin," that "son of perdition," predicted by the apostle Paul, impiously "sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God," 2 Thess. ii. 3-7. In proof of his assertions, which were spread by his disciples, many of whom were itinerant preachers, he constantly appealed to the Scriptures. Efforts so bold and determined provoked the pope and his agents, and they accused Wycliffe of heresy. Sudbury, archbishop of Canterbury, and Courtney, bishop of London, were required to arrest and imprison him; but the duke of Lancaster, regent of the kingdom for his father, afforded him protection. Sudbury summoned him, therefore, to appear before himself and Courtney at St. Paul's, London. Wy Wycliffe laboured in diffusing scriptural knowledge, calling men to seek their salvation, and denouncing the enormities of the Mendicant Friars, as the chief supporters of the popedom. And the cupidity of that power will appear in a still stronger light from the statements of a petition to parliament, in 1376, presented by Sir Robert Cotton. It declares that the taxes paid to the court of Rome for ecclesiastical dignities amounted to five times more than those obtained by the king from the whole produce of the realm! "For some one bishopric, or other dignity, the pope receives, by way of translation and death, three, four, or five several taxes; and while for money the brokers of that sinful city (Rome) promote many caitiffs, being altogether unlearned and unworthy, to a thousand marks yearly, the learned and worthy can hardly obtain twenty marks, whereby learning decayeth. Aliens," the petitioners say, "and enemies to this land, who never saw, nor care to see, their parishioners, have those livings, whereby they despise God's service, and convey away the treasure of the realm, and are worse than Jews or Saracens. Lay patrons, perceiving the simony and covetousness of the pope, do thereby learn to sell their benefices to mere brutes, no other-cliffe obeyed, accompanied by his prowise than Christ was sold to the Jews." By these means the pontiff was said to derive a revenue from England alone exceeding that of any prince in Christendom. It is stated, also, that the pope's collector "keepeth a house in London, with clerks and officers thereto belonging, as if it were one of the king's solemn courts, transporting yearly to the pope twenty thousand marks, and most commonly more. That cardinals and other aliens remaining at the court of Rome, whereof one cardinal is dean of York, another of Salisbury, another of Lincoln, another archdeacon of Canterbury, another of Durham, another archdeacon of Suffolk, and another archdeacon of York, another prebendary of Thane and Nassingdon, another prebendary of York, in the diocese of York, have divers other, the best dignities in England, and have sent over yearly unto them twenty thousand marks over and above that tector, the duke of Lancaster, and lord Percy, the earl-marshal; but being commanded by the bishop of London to stand during his trial, the earl-marshal insisted on his having a seat, when a fierce altercation arose between the prelates and nobles. Wycliffe was then cited before the bishops at Lambeth, where they were forbidden to condemn him by a peremptory message from the queen-mother. Two anti-popes contending at this time, no infallible commission could be obtained against the daring reformer. He improved his leisure by various writings, especially against the abominations of the friars, the absurdities of transubstantiation, and the impositions of the ruling prelates: he wrote a treatise on the "Truth of the Scriptures;" and he translated both the Old and the New Testament into the English language. But for a review of his valuable writings, and the more complete details of his life and writings, we must refer to and bishops were all one; but afterhis memoirs by Dr. Vaughan. In 1382 Wycliffe withdrew to his pastoral charge at Lutterworth, where "our great reformer," as Dr. Southey remarks, "undaunted in his retirement, and faithful to the last, still wielded his pen; and when Urban VI. endeavoured to raise men and money here for a crusade against the rival pope, he wrote against the wickedness of exciting war upon a dispute between two false priests, insisting that the pope was plainly antichrist." Pope Urban summoned him to Rome, to answer for his offence; but the palsy rendered him incapable of the journey; and a second attack, which seized him in his church, proved fatal, December 31, 1384. Thus this man of God escaped the honours of martyrdom, while he left a reputation which has commanded universal admiration from the patriot, the scholar, and the Christian. wards the emperor divided them, and made bishops lords, and priests their servants; and this was the cause of envy, and quenched much charity; for the ordinances of Christ are founded in meekness, in unity and charity, and contempt of riches and high estate." Wycliffe uses the term priest as the same with presbyter; and he says further, "I boldly assert one thing, viz., that in the primitive church, or in the time of Paul, two orders of the clergy were sufficient, that is, a priest and a deacon. In like manner I affirm, that in the time of Paul presbyter and bishop were names of the same office. This appears from the third chapter of the first epistle to Timothy, and in the first chapter of the epistle to Titus. And the same is testified by that profound theologian Jerome." "From the faith of the Scriptures, it seems to me to be sufficient that there should be Wycliffe entertained all those doc- presbyters and deacons holding that trines which are esteemed evangelical state and office which Christ has imregarding the way of salvation by Jesus posed on them, since it appears certain Christ; but to our readers it will be that these degrees and orders have their interesting to learn his sentiments con- origin in the pride of Cæsar. If, incerning some ecclesiastical points. He deed, they were necessary, to the was not what is called a "Churchman." church, Christ and his apostles would His were not the modern "Church not have been silent respecting them, principles," but those of Congregational as those impiously pretend who magNonconformists. As to what Churchmen call "orders," or "holy orders," "Before his day," Dr. Vaughan remarks," many vigorous efforts had been made to check the despotism of the рарасу, but the claims of the national hierarchies had been in general regarded as sacred. To our reformer, however, these gradations of office in the church appeared to be unauthorized and injurious." The origin of clerical distinctions he thus gives:"By the ordinance of Christ priests nify the papal laws above the throne of Christ. Every catholic should judge of this office of the clergy from what is taught in the Scriptures, especially in the epistles to Timothy and Titus. Nor ought he to admit the new inventions of Cæsar." These opinions, so truly scriptural, are worthy of the man who is rightly denominated “THE MORNING STAR OF THE REFORMATION!” “THE FATHER :- OF BRITISH NONCONFORMITY!" The Letter Box. THE HIERARCHY OF ENGLAND. | some contradictory spirits abroad who To the Editor of the Somerset County Herald. SIR,-AS would interrupt the fair desire of the government to make some progress in educating the dependent portion of the population, and who would by their contumacious folly perpetuate igno |