doctrine and Christian polity began again to assert themselves, and to claim their divine rights. Meantime all along down the dark and dismal ages, wherever and whenever a pure Gospel was preached, the seeds of the Congregationalism of Christ and His Apostles were sown, and although rooted out and destroyed by its enemies with relentless vigor, traces of it may be found by the careful student, here and there all along the records of the past. The two witnesses of the Apocalypse have borne their testimony from the beginning to the end. From Pentecost to Puritan the Church, that grew up out of the Scriptures only, was Congregational.

Our present purpose is with the beginnings, or as some might say the ante-beginnings of English, and so of American, Congregationalism, embracing a period of two hundred and fifty years prior to the days of Robinson and the Mayflower, the times of Wycliffe and the Lollards, of the Gospellers and Bible men, of the Sectaries and Separatists. If there be any one man, more than any other man, who may be called the father, the founder, of English, and so of American, Congregationalism, that man is John Wycliffe; and in this jubilee memorial year, two hundred and fifty years after the planting of a pilgrim polity upon this continent, it may not be amiss to go back two hundred and fifty years more, and find the original modern starting point, and planting man, five hundred years ago. John Wycliffe, Warden of Baliol College, and Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, born in 1324, and dying in 1387 at Lutterworth, was one of those radicals that went to the root of things, and one of those conservatives, that, the radical truth once found, clung to it, and proclaimed it, through weal and woe. He loved the truth and he sought its source. He went to the Bible as the source of light for light. He loved the Bible, and the God and Saviour of the Bible, and under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, he studied the Word, and became bold in the utterance of the truths to him revealed. He was one of those remarkable men, whom God, in His wisdom and goodness, now and then raised up as beacon lights to lighten the world, in its days of utter

darkness. men.

He loved the Church of Christ, and the souls of

He loved the people, and the people heard him gladly. He strove to do what a priestly hierarchy had never tried to do. He translated the Bible into the vulgar tongue, and disseminated it as widely as lay in his power. He wrote and scattered far and wide tracts and truths for the people. He organized and instructed, and sent out, companies of preachers to teach the people, charging them not to neglect the "uplandish towns and villages." He sought and found that very seed corn of a Gospel polity, of which we have spoken, and he planted it broadly up and down through the English realm. The soil was good, the seed divine.

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He taught that "The temple of God is the congregation of men living religiously. * Christian men taught of God's law, call holy Church the congregation of just men for whom Jesus shed His blood. The faithful should themselves search out, or discover, the sense of the faith, by having Scripture in a language which they know and understand. Since, according to the faith which the Apostle teaches, all Christians must stand before the judgment seat of Christ,and be answerable to Him for all the goods He has entrusted them, it is necessary that the faithful should know what these goods are, and the uses of them; for as answer by a prelate or attorney will not then avail, but every one must answer in his own person. * * * One thing I confidently assert, that in the primitive church, or the time of Paul, two orders were held sufficient, those of priests ( presbyters) and deacons. No less certain am I, that in the time of Paul presbyter and bishop were the same. That profound theologian Jerome attests the same facts. For there were not then the distinctions of Pope and Cardinals, patriarchs and archbishops, bishops, archdeacons, officials and deacons, with other officers and religious bodies without number or rule. As to all the disputes which have arisen about these functionaries, I shall say nothing. It is enough for me that according to Scripture the presbyters and the deacons retain that office and standing which Christ appointed them, because I am convinced that Cæsarian pride has introduced these orders and gradations. If they had been necessary to the Church, Christ and His Apostles would not have held their peace about them. But the office of the clergy the Catholic may best learn from Scripture. Nor must he on pain of incurring serious guilt allow admission to Cæsarian innovations. Three kinds" * defenders of

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(composing the church), "first simple laborers, second *

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the ordinances; but last and highest are the priests of Christ, who rightly preach His Gospel. * Go and preach, it is the sublimest work. The highest service to which man can attain on earth is to preach the Word of God. * * Some time was when the same was bishop and priest,

and each priest of Christ was called indifferently priest and bishop." And in a "complaint which he made to King and Parliament," he asks "That all persons of what kin, private sect, or singular religion, made of sinful men, may freely without any letting or bodily pain leave that private rule or religion founded of sinful men, and stably hold the rule of Jesus Christ taken and giv n by Christ to His Apostles. Christ's rule is enough and able for all men to live on."

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His preachers, called, with their followers, Lollards, went out and gathered Congregations all over the land, until it was said, "they got over to their sect the greater part of the kingdom," and "they all had one manner of speech, and wonderfully agreed in opinion." In 1389 Archbishop Courtney proceeded against a congregation in Liecester. In 1390 a congregation met in a cottage in a desert wood in Hereford, and another in a chapel in Newton. William Swinderby preached in 1391, and Walter Brute in 1393. In 1396 William Dynor promises not to teach the doctrine of the Lollards. In 1399 schools were ordered to be closed, and all copies of Wycliffe's writings to be destroyed. William Sawtree was burned in 1401. In 1407 William Thorpe was examined before Archbishop Arundel. Thorpe avowed he had learned thirty years before of John Wycliffe "how the church of Christ hath been, and yet should be ruled and governed," and said he, "I will submit me only to the rule and government of those whom, after my knowledge, I may perceive to be members of the holy church." Thorpe died in prison. In 1408 came the trial of Sir John Oldcastle, the good Lord Cobham, who was burned in 1413. His testimony was:

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"He that followeth Peter most righteously in pure living is next unto him in succession. Moreover though priests and deacons for preach. ing God's Word, and for ministering the sacraments, with provision for the poor, be grounded in God's law, yet have these other sects no manner of ground thereof so far as I have read. * * * And as for that virtuous man John Wycliffe, whose judgment ye so highly disdain, I shall say here for my part, that before I knew that despised doctrine of his, I never abstained from sin; but since I learned therein to fear my Lord God, it hath otherwise (I trust) been with me. So much grace could I never find in all your glorious instructions."

Sir John Oldcastle has been much belied in history; but his is the next great footmark in the Reformation, after Wycliffe. He paid liberally for copying and circulating the writings of Wycliffe, and sent out many preachers to instruct the people in the land. He was a true knight of the true cross, and a martyr to the faith of Christ. Bishop Bale (Bishop of Ossory) nearly one hundred and fifty years after zealously vindicated his character, saying of him, "After he had thoroughly tasted the Christian doctrine of John Wycliffe and of his disciples, and perceived their living agreeably to the same, he abhorred all the superstitious ceremonies of the proud Romish Church. From thenceforth he brought all things to the touchstone of God's word. He tried all matters by the Scriptures, and so proved these spirits whether they were of God or nay." He was slain in 1413.

About this time Sir John Beverly, a preacher, and Mr. John Brown, and Sir Roger Acton, with thirty-six more, suffered for the same faith. In 1422 William Taylor, and in 1430 Richard Wick, priests, suffered as Wycliffites; and in 1440 the Duchess of Gloucester, with others who had been for a long time followers of Wycliffe, was imprisoned. In 1473 John Goose, and in 1494 Joan Broughton, a lady of rank, 80 years of age, and "thirty Lollards of Kye" (one congregation), were slain. Thomas Man, Richard Cosin, and others were faithful evangelists and preachers, who went about to break the bread of life to scattered churches. About 1500, a society was formed at Newbury, which had continued together fifteen years; and at Amersham another goodly company had continued in that way and teaching twenty-three years, and so remained until 1530 or nearly. Man turned seven hundred people to his doctrine, and was burned in 1519. In 1506 William Tylesworth of Amersham was burnt. In 1511 Agnes Greville suffered, who had been converted to the views of Wycliffe in the reign of Edward IV., say about 1460. In 1517 John Brewster of Castle-Hedingham, and James Brewster of Colchester, in Essex; and in 1519 seven Gospellers, together suffered. John Stillman, who was charged with

having heard and read Wycliffe's books for twenty years, and who declared he had always believed them, was condemned. Alice Collins was charged with repeating Scripture at Conventicles (church meetings) in Burford; and Agnes Ashford, who taught poor men the Gospel, was forbid by six bishops to teach it even to her children. Father Hacker, who was a zealous evangelist from 1520 for half a dozen years, and Thomas Philips, a reader and teacher, gathered congregations in London and vicinity.

Wycliffe taught that, "What man teacheth any truth of God, take that meekly with great thanks." And a Romish writer says, "Both men and women commenced teachers of the Gospel in their mother tongue." Few could read, and as many as could committed to memory portions of God's word. The only Christian instruction the poor people had, would seem to be such as was furnished among the Congregational churches of the Lollards. Bishop Peacock about 1450 calls them Bible men, or known men, and says: "They willed all priests to be in one degree, and none of them above other of them; and they willed that under priests be deacons, and no more orders, states, or degrees in the clergy at all.”

And a visitation by the vicar-general in 1527 revealed the existence of many small societies of devout persons, recognized by each other as Brothers in Christ, or known men. A general term was Gospellers, as applied to them, and this seemed to have been used quite universally.

We have now reached a point where another broad footmark appears in the track down the path of time. John Wycliffe and his Bible are to be succeeded by William Tyndale and his Testament and Pentateuch.

William Tyndale was born about 1477. He became a preacher and fled to Germany in 1524. He took with him Wycliffe's book, and Thorp's examination, both which he print n 1525 he printed the New Testament, and afterwards various works for the people.

He says: "So now thou seest that in the kingdom of Christ and in His church or congregation, and in His councils, the ruler is the Scripture,