Wicliffe and His Times - James Aitken Wylie

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worth further investigation. It was too humble an occupation to observe and to deduce. In the pride of his genius, man turned away from a field lying at his feet, and plunged boldly into a region where, having no data to guide him and no ground for solid footing, he could learn really nothing. From this region of vague speculation the explorer brought back only the images of his own creating, and, dressing up these fancies as facts, he passed them off as knowledge. Such was the philosophy that invited the study of Wicliffe. There was scarce enough in it to reward his labor, but he thirsted for knowledge, and giving himself to it "with his might," he soon became a master in the scholastic philosophy, and did not fear to encounter the subtlest of all the subtle disputants in the schools of Oxford. He was "famously reputed," says Fox, "for a great clerk, a deep schoolman, and no less expert in all kinds of philosophy." Walden, his bitter enemy, writing to Pope Martin V. respecting him, says that he was "wonderfully astonished" at the "vehemency and force of his reasonings," and the "places of 8
authority" with which they were fortified. To his knowledge of scholastics he added great proficiency in both the canon and civil laws. This was a branch of knowledge which stood him in more stead in after years than the other and more fashionable science. By these studies he became versed in the constitution and laws of his native country, and was fitted for taking an intelligent part in the battle which soon thereafter arose between the usurpations of the Pontiff and the rights of the crown of England. "He had an eye for the most different things," says Lechler, speaking of Wicliffe, "and took a lively interest in the most multifarious questions." But the foundation of Wicliffe's greatness was laid in a higher teaching than any that man can give. It was the illumination of his mind and the renewal of his heart by the instrumentality of the Bible that made him the Reformer – certainly, the greatest of all the Reformers who appeared before the era of Luther. Without this, he might have been remembered as an eminent scholastic of the fourteenth century, whose fame has been luminous 9
Page 1 and 2: WICLIFFE AND HIS TIMES James A. Wyl
Page 3 and 4: ival. It built for itself gorgeous
Page 5 and 6: child, who was named John. Here his
Page 7: humility was rewarded by his findin
Page 11 and 12: a single chapter of the Bible, for
Page 13 and 14: Alps it entered Northern Europe, le
Page 15 and 16: and Calvin. Wicliffe had been a wit
Page 17 and 18: "and inhabit everlasting burnings."
Page 19 and 20: een a person of noble aspect and co
Page 21 and 22: delay, in 1370, the cause was given
Page 23 and 24: all. The king had appealed to the P
Page 25 and 26: ceased to be rung; the crosses and
Page 27 and 28: they should instantly, except upon
Page 29 and 30: the independence of their country a
Page 31 and 32: contending against the evangelical
Page 33 and 34: demand the more conspicuous, was th
Page 35 and 36: ulls, and briefs were so many drain
Page 37 and 38: ishop, or other, any bull, or any o
Page 39 and 40: to benefices it was not so easy to
Page 41 and 42: These were a sort of double breast-
Page 43 and 44: A military baron is the first to ri
Page 45 and 46: should hold our land directly and a
Page 47 and 48: did was against his oath at his cor
Page 49 and 50: with so resolute a patriotism. The
Page 51 and 52: peculiar clerk," from which we infe
Page 53 and 54: would bring such an accession of pr
Page 55 and 56: Chapter 4 Wicliffe's Battle with th
Page 57 and 58: original at small occasions, thereb
Page 59 and 60:
monastery came the halt, the blind,
Page 61 and 62:
in society, not in solitude, that w
Page 63 and 64:
week except Friday. They run here a
Page 65 and 66:
devoured after plate, and such natu
Page 67 and 68:
view in the constitution of the new
Page 69 and 70:
to be. Being joined by seven discip
Page 71 and 72:
again were kings and suppliant prin
Page 73 and 74:
his conclave the idea of Francis ap
Page 75 and 76:
of Rome, but did not attest with eq
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order of monks were recluses. They
Page 79 and 80:
oth as individuals and as a body, w
Page 81 and 82:
hoards increased every day. How cam
Page 83 and 84:
established in England, where, from
Page 85 and 86:
though they would, to the great gri
Page 87 and 88:
Pope; they had been created by him,
Page 89 and 90:
it; and therefore, not content, as
Page 91 and 92:
controversy was no mere quarrel bet
Page 93 and 94:
"There is no greater heresy than fo
Page 95 and 96:
false dogma on which it was founded
Page 97 and 98:
abuses which these laws were meant
Page 99 and 100:
conveyed away, which they cannot be
Page 101 and 102:
never tied his hands by promise or
Page 103 and 104:
Wicliffe was appointed to the recto
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year he had taken the first-fruits
Page 107 and 108:
against the royal prerogative. The
Page 109 and 110:
took the matter in hand, being then
Page 111 and 112:
These doctrines were found to be of
Page 113 and 114:
erroneous conclusions, and most wic
Page 115 and 116:
first to make his way into the Chap
Page 117 and 118:
citation, like a dangerous spell wh
Page 119 and 120:
fourteenth century found it encompa
Page 121 and 122:
all the temporalities, of all the s
Page 123 and 124:
Chapter 8 Hierarchical Persecution
Page 125 and 126:
the archbishop's chapel at Lambeth.
Page 127 and 128:
than courtly, their adherence to th
Page 129 and 130:
Would it have been better that Engl
Page 131 and 132:
power of the keys," as it has been
Page 133 and 134:
as a single acre from her domains o
Page 135 and 136:
"Prelates and priests," says he, "c
Page 137 and 138:
who becomes immoral and fails to fu
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Moses. But that enactment, the Refo
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was the plan Wicliffe laid before t
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whole face of England would be chan
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land to aliens and enemies; and man
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Nor even to the men of his own time
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comprehensiveness, the courage, and
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celebrate in songs the Exodus of ea
Page 153 and 154:
Chapter 10 The Translation of the S
Page 155 and 156:
against the Reformer, died also, an
Page 157 and 158:
with the first-elected Pope, who to
Page 159 and 160:
helped to reveal to him yet more cl
Page 161 and 162:
eyes upon them, he said with a loud
Page 163 and 164:
whom were Alfric and Alfred the Gre
Page 165 and 166:
end their authors sought. They were
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which bound the souls of his countr
Page 169 and 170:
eason have later philologists assig
Page 171 and 172:
of some college, where all might co
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already traversing the length and b
Page 175 and 176:
In short, a great clamor was raised
Page 177 and 178:
Wielding the sword of the Spirit, w
Page 179 and 180:
of Rome. He had come ere this to be
Page 181 and 182:
altar, is neither Christ nor any pa
Page 183 and 184:
his expulsion from the university.
Page 185 and 186:
they show us the inner condition of
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seats, and were proceeding to busin
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from the emperor, but certainly not
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stage. This prince stood stoutly by
Page 193 and 194:
Chapter 12 Wicliffe's Appeal to Par
Page 195 and 196:
paper, which related to tithes and
Page 197 and 198:
simony, or murder, the people may b
Page 199 and 200:
Chapter 13 Wicliffe Before Convocat
Page 201 and 202:
after the manner of that scholastic
Page 203 and 204:
laid an arrest upon him. He had had
Page 205 and 206:
would have felt only assailed; as i
Page 207 and 208:
was left at liberty. "He that lovet
Page 209 and 210:
enewing the world can be ascribed b
Page 211 and 212:
deeply he saw into the constitution
Page 213 and 214:
development, by equal stages, of ou
Page 215 and 216:
taught also that every man had a ri
Page 217 and 218:
and very man; His substitution in t
Page 219 and 220:
among its ministers, gradation of r
Page 221 and 222:
teachings of prophets and apostles,
Page 223 and 224:
very heart of the darkness, telling
Page 225:
generations." Wicliffe, had he live
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Wicliffe and His Times - James Aitken Wylie

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