Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

DEATH OF WYCLIFFE.
297
tiation. Had not God worked a miracle before the
enlightened eyes of this new Cornelius He, on his
side, declared that he was ready to die for the ador-
.-ible mystery.1
Wycliffe's career was now drawing to a close, and
when he was at last summoned to appear before the
Sovereign Pontiff, he could truthfully plead ill-
health. Wycliffe profaned the Holy Sacrfice up to
the end, and he was actually engaged in saying Mass
on the feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, December
29, 1384, when the fatal stroke of paralysis fell upon
him. He never recovered the use of his speech, and
expired on December 31.
Neither man, angel, nor devil can prevail against
the Church, but Wyclitfe's theories implanted law-
essness in the State, and undermined its authority.
His " poor priests," who in his scheme were to put
rich churchmen to shame, were priests only in name.
The disciples were not better than the master, who
had given up the fundamental idea of priesthood,
that of the One Sacrifice. were itinerant
preachers without Orders or Jurisdiction, and they
obeyed no man. They wore a dress, which was
"copied from the Mendicant Friars, of coarse serge,
with a cord round their waist.
As early as the year 1382, the new opinions, as
destructive to society, had been brought before Parliament.
The Lollards were levellers both in Churcl
p.
iri Kiiygbton, Can. Ley. L'lironica, cd. Twystlen, lib. v.