PETER

See also:

• PETER PAYNE (c. 138o-1455)

PAYNE (c. 138o-1455)  , English Lollard and Taborite, the son of a Frenchman by an English wife, was born at Houghon-the-Hill near Grantham, about 1380 . He was educated at Oxford, where he adopted Lollard opinions, and had graduated as a master of arts before the 6th of October 1406, when he was concerned in the irregular proceedings through which a letter declaring the sympathy of the university was addressed to the Bohemian reformers . From 1410 to 1414 Payne was principal of St Edmund Hall, and during these years was engaged in controversy with Thomas Netter of Walden, the Carmelite defender of Catholic doctrine . In 1414 he was compelled to leave Oxford and taught for a time in London . Ultimately 76 11 . Ahe had to flee from England, and took refuge in Bohemia, where he was received by the university of Prague on the 13th of February 1417, and soon became a leader of the reformers . He joined the sect of the " Orphans," and had a prominent part in the discussions and conferences of the ten years from 1420 to 1430 . When the Bohemians agreed to send representatives to the Council of Basel, Payne was naturally chosen to be one of their delegates . He arrived at Basel, on the 4th of January 1433, and his unyielding temper and bitter words probably did much to prevent a settlement . The Bohemians left Basel in April . The party of the nobles, who had been ready to make terms, were attacked in the Diet at Prague, by the Orphans and Taborites . Next year the dispute led to open war .

The nobles were victorious at Lipau on the 29th of May 1434, and it was reported in England that Payne was killed . When soon afterwards the

majority of the Orphans joined the moderate party, Payne allied himself with the more extreme Taborites . Nevertheless his reputation was so great that he was accepted as an arbitrator in doctrinal disputes amongst the reformers . In February 1437 the pope desired the emperor Sigismund to send Payne to be tried for heresy at Basel . Payne had to leave his pastorate at Saas, and took refuge with Peter Chelcicky, the Bohemian author . Two years later he was captured and imprisoned at Gutenstein, but was ransomed by his Taborite friends . Payne took part in the conferences of the Bohemian parties in 1443-1444, and again in 1452 . He died at Prague in 1455 . He was a learned and eloquent controversialist, and a faithful adherent to Wycliffe's doctrine . Payne was also known as Clerk at Oxford, as Peter English in Bohemia, and as Freyng, after his French father, and Hough from his birth place .