least by their science, the parte of Lucifer, not being able or at the lest not daring, for the seade of that man of sin whiche is sowen in their hartes, or for some seruile or bonde feyre for the losse of their temporallities, stand to the defēce of the pouertie of the Gospell.

MarginaliaWickliffe dimissed.These wer the chief cūclusions, which Wickleffe at that present exhibited vnto the Bushops, the whiche being eyther not thorowly red, or at the least not well vnderstande, (I cannot tell by what meanes (sodenly they waxed very meke & gentel, and graunted him free libertie to depart. MarginaliaA schisme betwene the Romish and the French Pope.By and by after this, died Pope Gregory, whose death was not alitell happy to Wickliffe, for immediatly after his decease there fell a greate dissencion, betwene the Romish & the french pope, the whiche schisme, cōtinued almost by the space of. xxx yeres, not without great sorow vnto eche parties, and distruction of men. Aboute the same time, also about iii. yeres after, there fell a cruel dissention in Englang, betwene the commō peopell and the nobilitie, the whiche did not a litell disturbe and trouble the cōmon welthe. MarginaliaSimon the Archebishop behedded.In this tumulte, Simon of Sudbery Archebishop of Cāterbury, was taken by the rusticall and rude people, and was beheded, in whose place after, succeded William Courteine, whiche was no les diligent, then his predesessor had ben before him, in doing his diligence, to route oute heritickes, Notwithstanding, in the meane season Wickeliffes seckte increased priuilie, and dayly grewe to greater force, vntill the time that one MarginaliaBarton Chaunceler of Oxforde.William Barton vice Chaunceller of Oxford, aboute the yeare of our Lorde MCCClxxx. had the hole rule of that vniuersitie, who calling together, eyght monastical docters, and foure other, with the consent of the rest of his affinitie, putting the common seale of the vniuersitie vnto certain writinges, MarginaliaAnd edicte against the Wicklithistes.he set forthe an edicte, declaring vnto euery man, & threatninge them vnder a greuous penaltie, that no man be so hardie, hereafter to associate them selues, with any of Wickliffes fautors or fauourers, and vnto Wicklife him selfe, he threatned greater excommunication, & furder imprisonmēt, and all his fautors, vnles that they after. iii. dayes canonicall admonition or warning, or as they call it peremptorye, doo repente and amende. The which thing when Wickliffe vnderstode, albeit that he saw nothing in the coūsellers commaundement, whiche (as he sayd) could infring or breke of his former minde or purpose, yet he chose rather to leaue the Pope and al the clergy, and to appele vnto the kinges maiestie, but the Duke of Lancaster cōming betwene forbad him that he should not herafter, attempt or beginne any suche matters, but rather submit him selfe, vnto the censure and iudgement of his ordinary, whereby Wickleffe being beset with troubles and vexations, as it were in the midest of the waues, he was forced once againe to make confession of his doctrine, in the whiche his con-fession, as occasion serued, for to auoyde the rigoure of thinges, he aunswered with intrecate wordes, & a gentelier kinde of phrace, or speche, þ^t therby, eyther he did mittegate & asswage the rigor of his enemies or elles delude and mocke them. The nexte yere after which was. M.CCClxxxii. by the commaundement of William Archbishop of Canterburye, ther was a conuocation holden at Londō, whereas Iohn Wickliffe was also commaunded to be present. Here it is not to be passed ouer, the great miracle of Gods deuine admonition or warning:  

for when as Tharchebishop and Suffragants, with the other docters of diuinitie, and Lawiers with a greate company of babling Friers, and religious persones wer gathered together to consult, as touching Iohn Wickliffes bokes, and that hole secte: MarginaliaAn earthe quake what time Wickliffe was examyned.when as they were gathered together at the gre friers in London, to begin their busines, vpon Saincte Donstons day after diner, about two of the clock the very hower and instante that they shoulde go forward with their busines, a wonderful and terrible earthquake fell, thorow out all Englād where vpon, diuers of the Suffrigantes being fered by the straunge and wonderful demonstration, douting what it shoulde meane, thought it good to leaue of frō their determinate purpose: But the archbishop (as chefe captaine of that army, more rash and bolde then wise) interpreting the chaunce which had hapned, clene contrary to another meaning or purpose, did confirme and strengthen their heartes & minds, whiche were almoste daunted with feare, stoutly to procede and go forwarde in their attempted enterprise. Who then discorsing Wickleffes Articles, not according vnto the sacred Canons of the holy scripture, but by their owne priuate affections, and mennes traditions, pronounced and gaue sentence, that some of them were symply and playnly heretycall, other some halfe erronious, others irreligious, som sedicious and not consonant to the Churche of Rome, wherof herafter, God willing, we will speake more, when as we come to entreate of his xlv. articles whiche wer condemned in the Sinod. the erthquake afore saide, there hapned   another straunge and wonderfull chaunce, sent by God, and no les to be marked then the other, if it be trew that was reported by I. Hus his enemies. These enemies of his amongst other principal pointes of his accusatiō, obiected & layd this to his charge, at the councell of Constance, that he shoulde say openly vnto the people, as touching Wickliffe, MarginaliaA straunge wonder to be noted.that at what time, as a greate number of religious men and docters, were gathered together in a certayne Church, to dispute a gainst Wickliffe, sodenly the dore of the Churche was broken open, with lightning in suche sorte, that hys enemies hardly escaped without hurte. This thing albeit that it were obiected against Hus, by hys

[Back to Top]