СНАР. Perplexity of his judges. But far as Wycliffe's confessions must have been from affording satisfaction to his judges, it is easy to conceive that no little difficulty would be felt in adjusting the measures to be adopted concerning him. It was known that he had acquired no mean place in the affections of the people, and that many of the learned and of the powerful had shown themselves disposed to venerate his character. But from this period, and by virtue of letters obtained from the king, his connexion with Oxford was dissolved." This, quarto pages, and written after this 46 we our faith, that the white thing and understanding holy writ hath brought "in this heresy." Again, on 1 Thessalonians, iv. "Would God that men "took heed to the speech of Paul "in this place, both to hold virtues "and to flee heresies, for both are "needful to men. Then men should "hear God's word gladly, and despise fables, and err not in the sacred "host, but grant that it is both things, "both bread and God's body." Thus also in the discourse on the tenth chapter in the 1st Corinthians, noticing the evangelical meaning given by the apostle to the rock of the wilderness, as a figure of Christ, he exclaims, "And would God that heretics, in the "matter of the sacred host, under"stood these subtle words to the "intent of the Holy Ghost, then "should they not fear to grant that "this bread is God's body." 14 Fox, Acts, &c. 1 IV. however, was not until the seeds of his doctrine CHAP. had been sown there with such profusion as to defy every subsequent effort to remove them. The reformer now retired to Lutterworth, and to effect a wider diffusion of his principles, by means of his writings, he there laboured with an industry which seems to have increased with his years and infirmities.15 to appear pontiff. It is about this period that Wycliffe was sum- He is cited moned by Urban to appear at Rome, and to before the answer before the chair of St. Peter, on the matters imputed to him.1 His sufferings from paralysis, rendered his taking such a journey impracticable; and had it been otherwise, it would have been no part of wisdom to have exposed himself to a conflict even less equal than that which he had been called to encounter nearer home. When the venerable Grossteste ventured to publish his opposition to a particular branch of papal corruption, he chose an indirect method of conveying his reproof." "If we except the "sins of Lucifer and Antichrist," he observes, there is not, nor can there be, a greater crime, 66 nor any thing more opposed to the doctrine "of the gospel, or more odious and abominable "in the sight of Jesus Christ, than to desolate "and destroy the souls of men by depriving them CHAP. " of the ministry, and the spiritual aid of their IV. 66 66 pastors. It is impossible, therefore, that the holy apostolic see, which has received its power from the Lord Jesus Christ for edification and "not for destruction, can be guilty of such a "crime, or any thing approaching to it, so hateful "to God, so injurious to man. This would be a "most manifest corruption of its authority, the "forfeiture of all its glory, and the means of plunging it into the pains of hell." The bishop of Lincoln, however, well knew that the sins which he so forcibly condemns, were the daily practice of the pontiffs. Wycliffe, who was not unacquainted with the memorable remonstrance of this prelate, appears to have made it the model of his own address to the same power, but glances more widely at the features of its degeneracy, speaks with more plainness of the necessity of reformation, and also as to the principles which His reply. should lead to it. He begins his letter by observing, "I have joyfully to tell the belief which "I hold, and always to the pope. For I suppose, “that if my faith be right and given of God, the pope will gladly preserve it, and that if my "faith be error, the pope will wisely amend it.” From this introduction he proceeds to declare his faith in the supreme authority of the scriptures, and his determination to follow the pontiff himself, only as he shall be found to follow the Author of the gospel. Describing "the gospel "of Christ" as a "part of the body of God's law," he thus proceeds. "For I believe that "Jesus Christ, who gave in his own person this 'gospel, is very God, and very man, and that 66 66 66 IV. for this reason it passes all other laws. I sup- CHAP. pose over this that the pope is most obliged to "the keeping of the gospel, among all men who “here live, for the pope is the highest vicar that "Christ has here on earth. But the greatness of Christ's vicars is not measured by worldly greatness, but by this, that this same vicar follows Christ most in virtuous living, for thus teaches the gospel. That this is the judgment "of Christ and his apostles, I take as a part of 66 66 faith, since Christ, during the time that he "walked here, was the most poor of all men "both in spirit and in possession, for Christ says, "that he had no where for to rest his head. "And beside this, I take as a part of faith, that "no man should follow the pope, no, nor any "saint that is now in heaven, but inasmuch as "he followed Christ; for James and John erred, "and Peter and Paul sinned." If this language could not fail to offend, the following statement would be equally unwelcome. This," he observes, "I take as wholesome counsel, that the pope should leave his worldly lordship to worldly lords, as Christ enjoins him; and that "he should speedily move all his clerks to do so, "for thus did Christ, and taught his disciples thus, until the fiend had blinded this world." He concludes with his usual expression of willingness to retract his opinions, should they be proved erroneous; and by stating, that as the providence of the Redeemer was plainly opposed to his visiting Rome, he trusts the pontiff will not shew himself to be indeed Antichrist, by insisting on a compliance with his pleasure on that point. 66 66 66 CHAPTER V. STATE OF THE REFORMED DOCTRINE ON THE CONTINENT DURING THE AGE OF CHAP. State of the WHILE the English reformer was thus employed in diffusing the principles of spiritual reformed freedom through this once vassal kingdom, the doctrine on descendants of the Vaudois and Albigenses had the age of visibly increased in many parts of the continent. nent during Wycliffe. The secrecy to which their opinions and practices had been consigned, as affording their only hope of security from the return of persecution, was less cautiously observed; and their names occur, in consequence, with greater frequency in the bulls of the pontiffs, and in the decress of clerical assemblies. We find them variously scattered through Germany, France, and Italy itself; and traces of them are observable in Poland, in Spain, in Bohemia, and along the farthest shores of the Adriatic. But in every locality the same vicissitudes attended them. In many instances, the profits which arose from the confiscation of their property, appears to have supplied the principal motive to persecution; in some it resulted from |