Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/73

 to refer to a couple more attempts on the part of Englishmen, before the Reformation, to cast off the power of the Popes of Rome.

The first of these attempts was headed by Simon de Montfort, and the other by the great John Wycliffe.

The country was so roused up by the papal impositions, that in the year 1258 the barons again determined to make a stand for liberty. There was a civil war. At the head on the one side was De Montfort, and the king on the other side to light the cause of the Pope. Simon de Montfort called a Parliament together at Westminster, and he was well supported by the clergy, and this shows whether the Church was papal then. Thirteen Bishops, four deans, sixty-five abbots, and thirty-five priors, all attended this Parliament. In 1264 De Montfort, having gathered a great army around him, met the king's forces at Lewes. He defeated them, and took the king and his son prisoners. He now, in everything except the name, was king of England. But the other party had a turn in their affairs. On August 24th, 1165, De Montfort was met in battle by the young Prince Edward, and both he and his son were slain. Thus the national cause for a while was lost again. The Pope became more triumphant than ever.

Edward I., however, on coming to the throne continued Simon de Montfort's work. Following his example, he called together a Parliament, 1295, where the clergy were represented, and in which the nation could air their grievances and legislate accordingly. It was at first called to raise money for the king's wars, but it also led to a series of oppositions to the Pope's power. Petitions were presented