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CHAP. said college, and who were to nominate the person so elected and admitted to the Prior and Chapter of Christ Church Canterbury, who were to present the same person to the Ordinary to be instituted and admitted to this church, according to a composition made between the said Prior and Chapter, and the executors of Sir Richard and the Wardens of the Mystery of Mercers aforesaid. Mr. Pecock was accordingly presented to this church by the said Prior and Chapter, July 19 this year. In the instrument of his presentation he is styled Bachelor of the Sacred Page, and Master of the college in the church of St. Michael in Riola in London.

10. It seems as if after this, Mr. Pecock was promoted in the diocese of St. David's in his own country, since in the Pope's bull of provision of Mr. Pecock to the bishopric of St. Asaph, he is styled a Presbyter or Priest of the diocese of St. David's; unless this only relates to his being a native of that part of the country, as I have hinted already. This seems plain, that if Mr. Pecock was promoted in this diocese, it was to some benefice compatible with his mastership, &c. since of that he seems to have been possessed at the time of his advancement to the bishopric of St. Asaph, as will be seen by and by.

11. By the account given us of Mr. Pecock's activeness in writing and publishing, it should seem as if about this time he applied himself to study the controversy betwixt the Church and the dissenting Lollards, since we are assured that for above twenty years he was thus employed. Whether he was led to this by the nature of his promotion, and a sincere desire to satisfy the doubts and remove the scruples of his dissenting parishioners of St. Michael's in Riola; or for what other reason he applied himself to these studies, it seems as if the foundation of all his future De Script. troubles and misfortunes was laid in them. Leland tells us he was not careful enough in his interpretation of Scripture, to follow the approved opinion of the Orthodox, but would make use of his own sense and judgment, by which

Brit. &c.

p. 458.

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means he fell into error. But in order to form a judgment CHAP. of Mr. Pecock's conduct, it will not be improper to observe, that

Wiclif,

12. Dr. Wiclif dying at Lutterworth, h Dec. 31, 1384, his followers were soon after distinguished, or rather reproached, by the nickname of Lollards, and very much harassed and persecuted. But notwithstanding this, and the death and loss of several of their great friends, they were not at all disheartened, but on the contrary their opinions Life of Dr. so much prevailed, and the numbers of those who em- chap. x. braced them were so increased in several parts of the kingdom, that Knighton assures us, if two persons were met De Event. Angliæ, travelling on the road, it was much if one of them was not coll. 2666. a Wiclifite, and, that this sect was very much honoured and respected. They themselves, in the papers which M. Parkeri about this time they put on the church-doors and other public places, boasted of their being a body of a hundred thousand men at least; which occasioned the following reflection, made afterwards by Sir Thomas More, that English Works, p. this noising, as he termed it, that the realm was full of 915. coll. 2. heretics was an artifice of theirs to embolden their party, and intimidate the Catholics; but now things were taking

Inquisitores dicunt, quod dicta ecclesia de Lutterworth incepit vacare ultimo die Decemb. ultimo preteriti 1384 per mortem Johannis Wycliff ultimi rectoris ejusdem. Reg. Bokyngham, &c.

i Our Canonist Lyndwood tells us, that this made word was derived from the Latin lolium, which signifies cockle; because as that weed is a great damage to the wheat [infelix lolium Georg.] among which it grows; so the Lollards, their enemies said, corrupted and spoiled the well-meaning faithful among whom they were conversant. To this derivation of the word or name, our poet Chaucer alludes in the following words:

This Loller here woll preche us somewhat,

Antiq.

He wolde sowin some difficultè,

1

Or spring in some cokkle in our clene corne.

* sprinkle.

Squire's Prologue.

Others derive the name from one Walter Lolhard, a German. Beausobre Dissert. sur Adamites, &c. Others again from Lullard, or Lollards, the praises of God, a sect so named, which was dispersed through Brabant. Picteti Oratio, p. 29.

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Hom. on

See Knigh

ton de

Event. and

Wiclif.

CHAP. another turn to the Wiclifites great prejudice. Not only their great advocate Dr. Wiclif, but the Queen and Queen mother, who had done them many favours, were dead. The Duke of Lancaster, Dr. Wiclif's great friend and patron, had left the kingdom to take possession of the principality of Guienne. Of the k knights, who, Dr. Wiclif said, "favered Mat. xi. MS.❝ much the Gospel, and had wille to rede in Englishe the "Gospel of Christ's life," and who protected and defended Life of Dr. the Wiclifites against the insults and forcible attempts of their zealous enemies, some were dead, and others overawed by the King's authority, and fear of his displeasure : for now the King himself, to support the steps he had taken towards looseness and arbitrary power, made his court to, and tried to ingratiate himself with the Clergy and Religious, whose influence and power was now so great on account of the vast estate of which they were possessed, that they were a body of men formidable to even the crown itself. This he did by expressing a very flaming zeal against the Wiclifites, who, he knew, were hated by the Religious, &c. and persecuting those who favoured and encouraged their condemned opinions, which he suffered himself to be persuaded were very much to the prejudice of his royal state and dignity, and contributing to the disturbance of the peace and quiet of his realm.

Parker's Antiq. Vita

Courtney, 1896.

13. As the fautors of Dr. Wiclif's tenets were so numerous, so they had now actually separated themselves from the communion of the established Church, and had not only religious assemblies of their own appointing, but

k 1. Sir Lewis Clifford, a younger son of Sir Roger de Clifford of Hert and Hertness in the bishopric of Durham, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, died about 1404. 2. Sir John Peccke or Peche, son and heir of Sir John Peche, Knight, Warden of the Cinque Ports, and governor of Corfe Castle in Dorsetshire, died 1386. 3. Sir William Nevyle died 1367. 4. And Sir John Montacute, 1388. 5. Sir Richard Story, or Stury, was compelled by the King to retract or recant the opinions of Wiclif. See Dugdale's Baronage, vol. i. ii.

-qui militari cingulo am

Isti erant hujus secte promotores strenuissimibiebant ne a recte credentibus aliquid opprobrii aut dampni propter eorum prophanam doctrinam sortirentur. Knighton de Event.

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schools which they held and exercised for the education CHAP. and instruction of their youth in their own principles. One cannot, I think, well doubt of there being some of these unlawful conventicles, as they were called, in the city of London, where Mr. Pecock was now settled; and which might probably give him, who was of an active temper, occasion to study the controversy betwixt the Church and these dissenters from it, and to use his endeavours to satisfy them of the unreasonableness of their separation. However this be, it is plain he very carefully considered their objections, and was very particular in answering them, and vindicating the conforming Bishops and Clergy from their aspersions and reflections. But of this we shall see more in the next chapter.

Newcourt, Repert. vol. i. p. 493.

CHAP. II.

Of Mr. Pecock's being promoted to the bishopric of St.
Asaph, his taking the degree of Doctor of Divinity,

the reflections made on it, his preaching at St. Paul's
Cross, &c.

A. D. 1444. 1. IN the beginning of the year 1444, Mr. Pecock was promoted to the bishopric of St. Asaph, in his own country, vacant by the translation of a John Lowe, the former Bishop, to the see of Rochester. By this promotion he vacated his mastership of Whitington College, since I find John Eyburhall, S. T. P. admitted to it July 4, 1444. Pope Eugene's bull of provision of Mr. Pecock to this bishopric is dated April 22 this year; and in it he is said to be Master of Arts, and Bachelor in Divinity, and to have b testimonials worthy of credit, of his knowledge of letters, purity of life, honesty of manners, a provident circumspection of both spirituals and temporals, and other virtuous endowments; which was what was required to be certified in order to any one's being promoted to the episcopacy.

2. By what favour or interest Mr. Pecock gained this

a Of this Bishop Lowe the following character is given by John Bury, in his dedication to the Archbishop, prefixed to his answer to our Bishop's Repressour, &c. Adest utique vobis ille reverendus in Christo dominus meus dominus Roffensis stabilis columpna in templo Domini, vir Benjamin, vir genuinus, ab adolescentia sua utraque manu ut dextra utens, qui nec sic instetit scripturis, ut humanitatis in se studia aliquando vacasse credantur, nec sic humanas literas amplexatus est quin semper eas divinis exegerit subservire.

b Cui de literarum scientia, vite munditia, honestate morum, spiritualium et temporalium provida circumspectione, aliisque virtutum donis fide digna testimonia perhibentur, &c. Reg. Stafford Cant. fol. 15.

< These are therefore to publish and declare- -what election we have, viz. That well knowing-to be a provident and discreet person-in managing both spirituals and temporals very circumspect and knowing, &c. Form of publishing the election of a Bishop.

Accordingly in the oath which the Bishops took to the Pope, was this clause, "Possessiones ad mensam meam episcopalem pertinentes non vendam, neque "donabo, neque impignorabo, neque de novo infeudabo, neque alio modo ali"enabo, inconsulto Romano Pontifice." Vita Henrici Chichle.

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