lived and died well, who appearing told him they were sent messengers from God to foretel, that because the great ones of England, dukes, lords, bishops, and abbots, were not ministers of God, but of the devil, God had delivered the land to their enemies; and when he desired, that he might reveal this vision, to the end they might repent, it was answered, they neither will repent, neither will God pardon them: at this relation others trembling, Stigand the simonious archbishop, whom Edward much to blame had suffered many years to sit primate in the church, is said to have laughed, as at the feverish dream of a doting old man; but the event proved it true.

HAROLD, son of Earl Godwin.

seamen he found, willing or unwilling; where he burnt many villages, and slew many of the inhabitants; but Edwin the Mercian duke, and Morcar his brother, the Northumbrian earl, with their forces on either side, soon drove him out of the country. Who thence betook him to Malcolm the Scottish king, and with him abode the whole summer. About the same time duke William sending embassadors to admonish Harold of his promise and oath, to assist him in his plea to the kingdom, he made answer, that by the death of his daughter betrothed to him on that condition, he was absolved of his oath ; or not dead, he could not take her now an outlandish woman, without consent of the realm; that it was presumptuously done, and not to be persisted in, if without consent or knowledge of the states, he had sworn away the right of the kingdom; that what he swore was to gain his liberty, being in a manner then his prisoner; that it was unreasonable in the duke, to require or expect of him the foregoing of a kingdom, conferred upon him with universal favour and acclamation of the people. To this flat denial he added contempt, sending the messengers back, saith Matthew Paris, on maimed horses. The duke, thus contemptuously put off, addresses himself to the pope, setting forth the justice of his cause; which Harold, whether through haughtiness of mind, or distrust, or that the ways to Rome were stopped, sought not to do. Duke William, besides the promise and oath of Harold, al

HAROLD, whether by King Edward a little before his death ordained successor to the crown, as Simeon of Durham and others affirm; or by the prevalence of bis faction, excluding Edgar the right heir, grandchild to Edmund Ironside, as Malmsbury and Huntingdon agree; no sooner was the funeral of King Edward ended, but on the same day was elected and crowned king: and no sooner placed in the throne, but began to frame himself by all manner of compliances to gain affection, endeavoured to make good laws, repealed bad, became a great patron to church and churchmen, courteous and affable to all reputed good, a hater of evildoers, charged all his officers to punish thieves, rob-leged that King Edward, by the advice of Seward, bers, and all disturbers of the peace, while he himself by sea and land laboured in the defence of his country: so good an actor is ambition. In the mean while a blazing star, seven mornings together, about the end of April was seen to stream terribly, not only over England, but other parts of the world; foretelling here, as was thought, the great changes approaching: plainliest prognosticated by Elmer, a monk of Malmsbury, who could not foresee, when time was, the breaking of his own legs for soaring too high. He in his youth strangely aspiring, had made and fitted wings to his hands and feet; with these on the top of a tower, spread out to gather air, he flew more than a furlong; but the wind being too high, came fluttering down, to the maiming of all his limbs; yet so conceited of his art, that he attributed the cause of his fall to the want of a tail, as birds have, which he forgot to make to his hinder parts. This story, though seeming otherwise too light in the midst of a sad narration, yet for the strangeness thereof, I thought worthy enough the placing, as I found it placed in my author. But to digress no farther: Tosti the king's brother coming from Flanders, full of envy at his younger brother's advancement to the crown, resolved what he might to trouble his reign; forcing therefore them of Wight Isle to contribution, he sailed thence to Sandwich, committing piracies on the coast between. Harold, then residing at London, with a great number of ships drawn together, and of horse troops by land, prepares in person for Sandwich: whereof Tosti having notice directs his course with sixty ships towards Lindsey, taking with him all the

Godwin himself, and Stigand the archbishop, had given him the right of succession, and had sent him the son and nephew of Godwin, pledges of the gift: the pope sent to duke William, after this demonstration of his right, a consecrated banner. Whereupon he having with great care and choice got an army of tall and stout soldiers, under captains of great skill and mature age, came in August to the port of St. Valerie. Meanwhile Harold from London comes to Sandwich, there expecting his navy; which also coming, he sails to the Isle of Wight; and having heard of duke William's preparations and readiness to invade him, kept good watch on the coast, and foot forces every where in fit places to guard the shore. But ere the middle of September, provision failing when it was most needed, both fleet and army return home. When on a sudden, Harold Harvager king of Norway, with a navy of more than five hundred great ships, e (others lessen them by two hundred, others augment them to a thousand,) appears at the mouth of Tine; to whom earl Tosti with his ships came as was agreed between them; whence both uniting set sail with all speed, and entered the river Humber. Thence turning into Ouse, as far as Rical, landed, and won York by assault. At these tidings Harold with all his power hastes thitherward; but ere his coming, Edwin and Morcar at Fulford by York, on the north side of Ouse, about the feast of St. Matthew had given them battle; successfully at first, but overborn at length with numbers; and forced to turn their backs, more of them perished in the river, than in the fight. The Norwegians taking with them

five hundred hostages out of York, and leaving there | enemies: them discovered, such the duke causing to one hundred and fifty of their own, retired to their be led about, and after well filled with meat and drink, ships. But the fifth day after, King Harold with a sent back. They not otherwise brought word, that the great and well-appointed army coming to York, and duke's army were most of them priests; for they saw at Stamford bridge, or Battle bridge on Darwent, astheir faces all over shaven; the English then using to sailing the Norwegians, after much bloodshed on both let grow on their upper lip large mustachios, as did sides, cut off the greatest part of them, with Harvager anciently the Britons. The king laughing answered, their king, and Tosti his own brother. But Olave the that they were not priests, but valiant and hardy solking's son, and Paul earl of Orkney, left with many diers. Therefore said Girtha his brother, a youth of soldiers to guard the ships, surrendering themselves noble courage and understanding above his age, "Forwith hostages, and oath given never to return as ene- bear thou thyself to fight, who art obnoxious to duke mies, he suffered freely to depart with twenty ships, William by oath, let us unsworn undergo the hazard and the small remnant of their army. One man of of battle, who may justly fight in the defence of our the Norwegians is not to be forgotten, who with incre- country; thou, reserved to fitter time, mayst either dible valour keeping the bridge a long hour against reunite us flying, or revenge us dead." The king not the whole English army, with his single resistance hearkening to this, lest it might seem to argue fear in delayed their victory; and scorning offered life, till in him or a bad cause, with like resolution rejected the the end no man daring to grapple with him, either offers of duke William sent to him by a monk before dreaded as too strong, or contemned as one desperate, the battle, with this only answer hastily delivered, he was at length shot dead with an arrow; and by his "Let God judge between us." The offers were these, fall opened the passage of pursuit to a complete victory. that Harold would either lay down the sceptre, or hold Wherewith Harold lifted up in mind, and forgetting it of him, or try his title with him by single combat in now his former shows of popularity, defrauded his sol- sight of both armies, or refer it to the pope. These rediers their due and well-deserved share of the spoils. jected, both sides prepared to fight the next morning, While these things passed in Northumberland, duke the English from singing and drinking all night, the William lay still at St. Valerie; his ships were ready, Normans from confession of their sins, and communion but the wind served not for many days; which put the of the host. The English were in a strait disadvantasoldiery into much discouragement and murmur, geous place, so that many, discouraged with their ill taking this for an unlucky sign of their success; at last ordering, scarce having room where to stand, slipped the wind came favourable, the duke first under sail away before the onset, the rest in close order, with their awaited the rest at anchor, till all coming forth, the battleaxes and shields, made an impenetrable squadron: whole fleet of nine hundred ships with a prosperous the king himself with his brothers on foot stood by the gale arrived at Hastings. At his going out of the boat royal standard, wherein the figure of a man fighting by a slip falling on his hands, to correct the omen, a was inwoven with gold and precious stones. The soldier standing by said aloud, that their duke had Norman foot, most bowmen, made the foremost front, taken possession of England. Landed, he restrained on either side wings of horse somewhat behind. The his army from waste and spoil, saying that they ought duke arming, and his corslet given him on the wrong to spare what was their own. But these things are side, said pleasantly, "The strength of my dukedom related of Alexander and Cæsar, and I doubt thence will be turned now into a kingdom." Then the whole borrowed by the monks to inlay their story. The army singing the song of Rowland, the remembrance duke for fifteen days after landing kept his men quiet of whose exploits might hearten them, imploring lastly within the camp, having taken the castle of Hastings, divine help, the battle began; and was fought sorely or built a fortress there. Harold secure the while, and on either side but the main body of English foot by proud of his new victory, thought all his enemies now no means would be broken, till the duke, causing his under foot: but sitting jollily at dinner, news is brought men to feigu flight, drew them out with desire of pur him that duke William of Normandy with a great suit into open disorder, then turned suddenly upon multitude of horse and foot, slingers and archers, be- them so routed by themselves, which wrought their sides other choice auxiliaries which he had hired in overthrow; yet so they died not unmanfully, but turning France, was arrived at Pevensey. Harold, who had oft upon their enemies, by the advantage of an upper expected him all the summer, but not so late in the ground, beat them down by heaps, and filled up a great year as now it was, for it was October, with his forces ditch with their carcasses. Thus hung the victory much diminished after two sore conflicts, and the de- wavering on either side from the third hour of day to parting of many others from him discontented, in great evening; when Harold having maintained the fight haste marches to London. Thence not tarrying for with unspeakable courage and personal valour, shot supplies, which were on their way towards him, hurries into the head with an arrow, fell at length, and left into Sussex, (for he was always in haste since the day his soldiers without heart longer to withstand the unof his coronation,) and ere the third part of his army wearied enemy. With Harold fell also his two brocould be well put in order, finds the duke about nine thers, Leofwin and Girtha, with them greatest part of miles from Hastings, and now drawing nigh, sent spies the English nobility. His body lying dead a knight or before him to survey the strength and number of his soldier wounding on the thigh, was by the duke pre

f Camd.

P Malms.

h Sim. Dun.

OF

TRUE RELIGION, HERESY, SCHISM, TOLERATION;

AND WHAT BEST MEANS MAY BE USED

AGAINST THE GROWTH OF POPERY.

[FIRST PUBLISHED 1673.]

It is unknown to no man, who knows aught of con- | larly the church of England in her thirty-nine articles, cernment among us, that the increase of popery is at this day no small trouble and offence to greatest part of the nation; and the rejoicing of all good men that it is so the more their rejoicing, that God hath given a heart to the people, to remember still their great and happy deliverance from popish thraldom, and to esteem so highly the precious benefit of his gospel, so freely and so peaceably enjoyed among them. Since therefore some have already in public with many considerable arguments exhorted the people, to beware the growth of this Romish weed; I thought it no less than a common duty, to lend my hand, how unable soever, to so good a purpose. I will not now enter into the labyrinth of councils and fathers, an entangled wood, which the papists love to fight in, not with hope of victory, but to obscure the shame of an open overthrow: which yet in that kind of combat, many heretofore, and one of late, hath eminently given them. And such manner of dispute with them to learned men is useful and very commendable. But I shall insist now on what is plainer to common apprehension, and what I have to say, without longer introduction.

True religion is the true worship and service of God, learnt and believed from the word of God only. No man or angel can know how God would be worshipped and served, unless God reveal it: he hath revealed and taught it us in the Holy Scriptures by inspired ministers, and in the gospel by his own Son and his apostles, with strictest command, to reject all other traditions or additions whatsoever. According to that of St. Paul," Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema, or accursed." And Deut. iv. 2: "Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish aught from it." Rev. xxii. 18, 19: "If any man shall add, &c. If any man shall take away from the words," &c. With good and religious reason therefore all protestant churches with one consent, and particu

artic. 6th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and elsewhere, maintain these two points, as the main principles of true religion; that the rule of true religion is the word of God only and that their faith ought not to be an implicit faith, that is to believe, though as the church believes, against or without express authority of Scripture. And if all protestants, as universally as they hold these two principles, so attentively and religiously would observe them, they would avoid and cut off many debates and contentions, schisms and persecutions, which too oft have been among them, and more firmly unite against the common adversary. For hence it directly follows, that no true protestant can persecute, or not tolerate, his fellow-protestant, though dissenting from him in some opinions, but he must flatly deny and renounce these two his own main principles, whereon true religion is founded; while he compels his brother from that which he believes as the manifest word of God, to an implicit faith (which he himself condemns) to the endangering of his brother's soul, whether by rash belief, or outward conformity: for "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin."

I will now as briefly shew what is false religion or heresy, which will be done as easily: for of contraries the definitions must needs be contrary. Heresy therefore is a religion taken up and believed from the traditions of men, and additions to the word of God. Whence also it follows clearly, that of all known sects, or pretended religions, at this day in christendom, popery is the only or the greatest heresy: and he who is so forward to brand all others for heretics, the obstinate papist, the only heretic. Hence one of their own famous writers found just cause to style the Romish church" Mother of errour, school of heresy." And whereas the papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholic, it is a mere contradiction, one of the pope's bulls, as if he should say, universal particular, a catholic schismatic. For catholic in Greek signifies universal: and the christian church was so called, as consisting of