Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

writings of Huss. Promises and threats were now redoubled upon him, till, at last, he read aloud an ample recantation of all the opinions that he had recently entertained, and declared himself in every article a firm believer with the church of Rome."

But with a heavy heart he retired from the council; chains were removed from his body, but his mind was corroded by chains of his conscience, and his soul was burthened with a load, till then unknown to it. Hitherto, the light of an approving conscience had cheered the gloom of his dungeon, but now all was dark to him both without and within.

But in this night of his moral despair, the dayspring from on high was again permitted to visit him, and the penitent was once more enabled to seek assistance from his God. Jerome had long been apprized that he was to be brought to a second trial, upon some new evidence which had appeared; and this was his only consolation in the midst of his painful penitence. At length the moment so ardently desired by him arrived; and, rejoicing at an opportunity of publicly retracting his errors, and deploring his unworthy falsehood, he eagerly obeyed the summons to appear before the council in the year 1416. There after delivering an oration, which was, it is said, a model of pathetic eloquence, he ended by declaring before the whole assembly, "that, though the fear of death, and the prevalence of human infirmity, had induced him to retract those opinions with his lips which had drawn on him the anger and vengeance of the council, yet they were then and still the opinions near and dear to his heart, and that he solemnly declared they were opinions in which he alone believed, and for which he was ready, and even glad to die." "It was expected," says Poggé the Florentine, who was present at his examination, " that he would have retracted his errors; or, at least, have apologized for them; but he plainly declared that he had nothing to retract." After launching forth into the most eloqueut encomiums on Huss, declaring him to be a wise and holy man, and lamenting his unjust and cruel death, he avowed that he had armed himself with a firm resolution to follow the steps of that blessed martyr, and suffer with constancy whatever the malice of his enemies should inflict; and he was mercifully enabled to keep his resolution.

When brought to the stake, and when the wood was beginning to blaze, he sang a hymn, which he continued with great fervency, till the fury of the fire scorching him, he was heard to cry out, " Ο Lord God! have mercy on me!" and a little afterwards, "thou knowest," he cried, "how I have loved thy truth;" and he continued to exhibit a spectacle of intense suffering, made bearable by as intense devotion, till the vital spark was in mercy permitted to expire; and the contrite, but then triumphant, spirit was allowed to return unto the God who gave it.

THOMAS BILNEY, the next on my list, " was brought up from a child (says Fox, in his Acts and Monuments) in the University of Cambridge, profiting in all kind of liberal sciences even unto the profession of both laws. But, at the last, having gotten a better school-master, even the Holy Spirit of Christ enduing his heart by privie inspiration with the knowledge of better and more wholesome things, he came unto this point, that forsaking the knowledge of man's lawes he con verted his studie to those things which tended more unto godlinesse, than gainfulnesse. At the last, Bilney forsaking the universitie, went into many places teaching and preaching, being associate with Thomas Arthur, which accompanied him from the universitie. The authoritie of Thomas Wolsey, Cardinall of York, at that time was greate in England, but his temper and pride much greater, which did evidently declare unto all wise men the maifest vanitie, not only of his life, but also of all the Bishops and clergie; whereupon, Bilney with other good men, marvelling at the incredible insolence of the clergie, which they could no longer suffer or abide, began to shake and reprove this excessive pompe, and also to pluck at the authority of the Bishop of Rome."

It therefore became necessary that the Cardinal should rouse himself and look about him. A chapter being held at Westminster for the occasion Thomas Bilney, with his friends, Thomas Arthur and Hugh Latimer, were brought before them. Gilpin says, "That, as Bilney was considered as the Heresiarch, the rigour of the court was chiefly levelled against him. The principal persons at this time concerned in Ecclesiastical affaires besides Cardinal Wolsey, were Warham, Arch-. bishop of Canterbury, and Tunstall, Bishop of London." The latter was of all the prelates of these times the most deservedly esteemed, he was not influenced by the spirit of popery, and had just notions of the mild genius of Christianity;" but, every deposition against Bilney was enlarged upon with such unrelenting bitterness, that Tunstall, though the president of the court, despaired of being able to soften by his influence the enraged proceedings of his colleagues. And, when the process came to an end, "Bilney, de

66

as

claring himself what they called an obstinate heretic, was found guilty." Tunstall now proved the kindness of his heart. He could not come forward in Bilney's favour by a judicial interference, but he laboured to save him by all means in his power. "He first set his friends upon him to persuade him to recant, and when that would not do, he joined his entreaties to theirs; had patience with him day after day, and begged he would not oblige him, contrary to his inclinations, to treat him with severity."

66

The man whom fear was not able to move was not proof against the language of affectionate persuasion. Bilney could not withstand the winning rhetoric of Tunstall, though he withstood the menaces of Warham." He therefore recanted, bore a fagot on his shoulders, in the Cathedral church of Paul, bareheaded, according to the custom of the times. and was dismissed with Latimer and the others who had met with milder treatment and easier terms."

The liberated heretics as they were called, returned directly to Cambridge, where they were received with open arms by their friends; but in the midst of this joy, Bilney kept aloof, bearing on his countenance the marks of internal suffering and incessant gloom. "He received the congratulations of his officious friends with confusion and blushes;" he had sinned against his God, therefore he could neither be gratified nor cheered by the affection of any earthly being. In short, his mind at length preying on itself, nearly disturbed his reason, and his friends dared not allow him to be left alone either by night or day. They tried to comfort him; but they tried in vain; and when they endeavoured to sooth him by certain texts in Scripture, " it was as though a man would run him

through with a sword." In the agonies of his despair he uttered pathetic and eager accusati ons. o his friends, of Tunstall, and above all, of himself. At length, his violence having had its course, it subsided, by degrees, into a state of profound melancholy. In this state he continued from the year 1629 to 1631, "reading much, avoiding company; and, in all respects, preserving the severity of an ascetic."

It is interesting to observe in how many different ways our soul's adversary deals with us, in order to allure us to perdition; and he is never so successful as when he can make the proffered sin assume the appearance of what is amiable. This seems to have been the case with the selfjudged Bilney. To the fear of death, and the menaces of Warham, we are told that he opposed a resolution and an integrity which could not be overcome; but the gentle entreaties of affection, and the tender, persuasive eloquence of Tunstall, had power to conquer his love of truth, and make the pleadings of conscience vain; while he probaly looked upon his yielding as a proof of affectionate gratitude, and that, not to consider the feelings of those who loved him, would have been offensive, and ungrateful hardness of heart.

But, whatever were his motives to sin, that sin was indeed visited with remorse as unquestionable as it was efficacious; and it is pleasant to turn from the contemplation of Bilney's frailty, to that of its exemplary and courted expiation.

The consequences of this salutary period of sorrow and seclusion was, that after having, for some time, thrown out hints that he was meditating an extraordinary design; after saying that he was almost prepared, that he would shortly go up to Jerusalem, and that God must be glorified in him;

« ÎnapoiContinuă »