POETRY.

LINES WRITTEN IN A LADY'S BIBLE.

John xvi. 33.

How sweet, dear friend, to turn the look
That's dimmed with many a bursting tear,
Within this holy precious book,

And see that Jesus still is here.

When sorrow wrings the bleeding heart
At leaving those we hold most dear,
Jesus, who never can depart
Nor leave his people, still is here.

When sin o'erwhelms the soul with woe
And conscience throbs with guilty fear,
He, from whose wounds for ever flow
The streams of mercy, still is here.

When pangs convulse the wasting frame,
When none the sinking soul can cheer,
He who to heal our sorrows came-
The great Physician-still is here.

And when we see the opening grave,
And view prepared the silent bier;
Mighty to keep, support, and save,
The dear Redeemer still is here.

In sorrow, sin, and pain, and death
O then repress each starting tear,
See with the single eye of faith,
Thy friend, thy God, thy Saviour here.
Farewell! though distant far we stray
From friends, remember ONE is near;
ONE who shall wipe all tears away,
Oh! may'st thou ever find him here!

Rev. H. A. SIMCOE, (Penheale-Press,) Cornwall.

PERSECUTION OF WICKLIF'S FOLLOWERS. THE enmity which had been manifested to the doctrines of Wicklif in the life-time of this Reformer, fell like a storm that had been long gathering upon the heads of his followers. During the reign of Richard the II. the power of Popery was in some measure bridled by the royal power or lenity; but Henry the IV. having succeeded in usurping the throne, and having in this undertaking been assisted by Archbishop Arundel and the Clergy, this Monarch was ready to prove himself as sincere in furthering their views, as they had been in his. For this purpose a statute was then passed by the King, which required all persons to abstain from propagating the new doctrine in any way, and to deliver up all their heretical books, as the writings of Wicklif were called, upon pain of being handed over to the secular arm, or civil magistrate, which was bound to enforce the sentence of the Church, by inflicting the penalty of death upon all convicted heretics, by burning them alive.

The first victim of this diabolical law was William Sautre, parish Priest of St. Osyth, in the city of London. He was charged with no less than eight articles of heresy; but the chief question upon which

E

he was tried was the doctrine of the Sacrament. He was required to declare whether he believed, that the bread after being consecrated by the Priest remained material bread or not. To this his final answer was, that it remained very bread as it was before; though he admitted that, as a consecrated element, it was the bread of life that came down from heaven. Having thus refused to admit the doctrine of transubstantiation, Sautre was then pronounced to be fully convicted as a heretic; and that all future proceedings of this nature might be governed by an exact precedent, he was first degraded from his spiritual office by being successively stripped of all the marks of the seven orders of the Romish Clergy, i. e. from that of Priest to that of Sexton. Then, this solemn farce having been gone through, the cap of a layman was put upon his head To crown the whole of this insulting mockery, Arundel then delivered him as a secular person, to the secular Court of the High Constable and Marshal of England there present, beseeching the court to receive favourably the said William Sautre unto them thus recommitted. With this hypocritical recommendation to mercy the Romish Church always delivered over its victims to be burnt alive! and Sautre accordingly was brought to the stake to suffer martyrdom. Thus for the first time in England was seen the infernal spectacle of men performing the part of devils towards their fellow-men; snatching the firebrand of wrath from the hands of Divine justice, and in the name of religion outraging every feeling of mercy and forbearance.

Another of the victims of this reign was John Badby. One of his arguments against the Popish no

tion of the Sacrament of Christ's body, when brought before fore his accusers is worthy of being remembered. I believe,' said he, the omnipotent God in Trinity; but if every consecrated host at the altars be Christ's body, there must then be in England, 20,000 gods. Being fastened to the stake in Smithfield, he was there put to stand in an empty tub; and when the faggots

were piled around him, he was again asked, how he believed in the pix, or consecrated elements, which were shewed to him by the Prior of St. Bartholomew's, who had brought it forth with great state. To this he answered, that it was hallowed bread, and not God's body; and upon that the pile was set on fire. We give the remaining history of his martyrdom nearly in the words of Fox.-'When he felt the fire, he cried "Mercy!" (calling belike upon the Lord,) when the Prince, who was present at the execution, immediately commanded to take away the tun and quench the fire. He then asked him if he would forsake heresy, and take the faith of holy Church, which if he would do, he should have a yearly pension out of the King's treasury. But this valiant champion of Christ, neglecting the Prince's fair words, and refusing the offer of worldly promises, the Prince commanded him straight to be put again into the tun, and that he should not afterwards look for any grace or favour. But as he could be allured by no rewards, even so was he nothing at all abashed at their torments; but as a valiant soldier of Christ, he persevered invincibly till his body was reduced to ashes, and his soul rose triumphantly unto him who gave it.'

This victim was one in the humblest ranks of life; but it was the policy of the persecutors of that age to seek for individuals of higher rank who might be convicted of heresy. Accordingly the twelve inquisitors of heresy, who were appointed at Oxford in the ensuing reign to search out heretics and heretical books, represented to the King that Christ's vesture without seam could not be made whole again unless certain

* Prince Henry, afterwards Henry the V.