irs of this
world. Bold and noble spirits, indeed, were found in successive
periods to assert their own rights and to declare the privileges and
the duties of their fellow-creatures, and to think for themselves in a
matter which so deeply involved their own individual and eternal
welfare; whilst the bulk of mankind in Christendom not only resigned
their faith to the absolute control of the priesthood, but exacted
also from their fellow-citizens a similar surrender, on pain of losing
their share in the protection and advantages of the state. Thus had
heresy, in various nations of Europe, become synonymous with rebellion
and treason; a rejection of the determinations of the church in
matters of doctrine was identified in most men's minds with rejection
of the authority of the civil magistrate;[250] and every one who dared
to dispute the jurisdiction of Rome was regarded as a dangerous (p. 326)
innovator, and an enemy to his own country.

[Footnote 250: This view of heresy we find to have
been at a very early date propagated and encouraged
by the Pope and the See of Rome. Walsingham
records, that, three years before Richard II.'s
deposition from the throne, "the Pope wrote to him
with a prayer (orans) that he would assist the
prelates of the church in the cause of God, and of
the King himself, and of the kingdom, against the
Lollards; whom he declared to be traitors, not only
of the church, but of the throne. And he besought
him with the greatest urgency (obnixius) to condemn
those whom the prelates should have declared
heretics.--Ypod. Neust. 1396.]

That this was a state of things to be deplored by every friend of
liberty and lover of truth, is not questioned; that domination over
the consciences of men has ever been the object of the church of Rome,
and that the spirit of persecution will ever be characteristic of her
principles, is not here denied; nor are these observations made for
the purpose of softening the feelings of abhorrence with which any
persons may be disposed to view the proceedings of a persecuting
spirit in those things which concern our most momentous interests so
awfully. We refer to these historical reminiscences solely for the
purpose of forming a more