WICLIFFE: HIS BIRTH AND EDUCATION

Chapter 1 WICLIFFE: HIS BIRTH AND EDUCATION

The Principle and the Rite — Rapid Growth of the One — Slow Progress and ultimate Triumph of the Other — England — Wicliffe — His Birthplace — His Education — Goes to Oxford — Enters Merton College — Its Fame — The Evangelical Bradwardine — His Renown — Pioneers the Way for Wicliffe — The Philosophy of those Days — Wicliffe's Eminence as a Scholastic — Studies also the Canon and Civil Laws — His Conversion — Theological Studies — The Black Death — Ravages Greece, Italy, etc. — Enters England — Its awful Desolations — Its Impression on Wicliffe — Stands Face to Face with Eternal Death — Taught not to Fear the Death of the Body.

Chapter 2 WICLIFFE, AND THE POPE'S ENCROACHMENTS ON ENGLAND

Personal Appearance of Wicliffe — His Academic Career — Bachelor of Theology — Lectures on the Bible — England Quarrels with the Pope — Wicliffe Defends the King's Prerogative — Innocent III. — The Pope Appoints to the See of Canterbury — King John Resists — England Smitten with Interdict — Terrors of the Sentence — The Pope Deposes the King — Invites the French King to Conquer England — John becomes the Pope's Vassal — The Barons extort Magna Charta — The Pope Excommunicates the Barons — Annuls the Charter — The Courage of the Barons Saves England — Demand of Urban V. — Growth of England — National Opposition to Papal Usurpations — Papal Abuses — Statutes of Provisors and Praemunire.

Chapter 3 WICLIFFE'S BATTLE WITH ROME FOR ENGLAND'S INDEPENDENCE

Impatience of the King and the Nation — Assembling of Lords and Commons — Shall England Bow to Rome? — The Debate — The Pope's Claim Unanimously Repudiated — England on the Road to Protestantism — Wicliffe's Influence — Wicliffe Attacked by an Anonymous Monk — His Reply — Vindicates the Nation's Independence — A Momentous Issue — A Greater Victory than Crecy — His Appeal to Rome Lost — Begins to be regarded as the Centre of a New Age.

Chapter 4 WICLIFFE'S BATTLE WITH THE MENDICANT FRIARS

Wicliffe's Mental Conflicts — Rise of the Monastic Orders — Fascinating Pictures of Monks and Monasteries — Early Corruption of the Orders — Testimony of Contemporary Witnesses — The New Monastic Orders — Reason for their Institution — St. Francis — His Early Life — His Appearance before Innocent III. — Commission to Found an Order — Rapid Increase of the Franciscans — St. Dominic — His Character — Founds the Dominicans — Preaching Missionaries and Inquisitors — Constitution of the New Orders — The Old and New Monks Compared — Their Vow of Poverty — How Evaded — Their Garb — Their Vast Wealth — Palatial Edifices — Their Frightful Degeneracy — Their Swarms Overspread England — Their Illegal Practices — The Battle against them Begun by Armachanus — He Complains against them to the Pope — His Complaint Disregarded — He Dies.

Chapter 5 THE FRIARS VERSUS THE GOSPEL IN ENGLAND

The Joy of the Friars — Wicliffe Resumes the Battle — Demands the Abolition of the Orders — The Arrogance of the Friars — Their Luxury — Their Covetousness — Their Oppression of the Poor — The Agitation in England — Questions touching the Gospel raised thereby — Is it from the Friar or from Christ that Pardon is to be had? — Were Christ and the Apostles Mendicants? — Wicliffe's Tractate, Objections to Friars — It launches him on his Career as a Reformer — Preaches in this Tractate the Gospel to England — Attack on the Power of the Keys — No Pardon but from God — Salvation without Money.

Chapter 6 THE BATTLE OF THE PARLIAMENT WITH THE POPE

Resume of Political Progress — Foreign Ecclesiastics appointed to English Benefices — Statutes of Provisors and Praemunire meant to put an End to the Abuse — The Practice still Continued — Instances — Royal Commissioners sent to Treat with the Pope concerning this Abuse — Wicliffe chosen one of the Commissioners — The Negotiation a Failure — Nevertheless of Benefit to Wicliffe by the Insight it gave him into the Papacy — Arnold Garnier — The "Good Parliament" — Its Battle with the Pope — A Greater Victory than Crecy — Wicliffe waxes Bolder — Rage of the Monks.

Chapter 7 PERSECUTION OF WICLIFFE BY THE POPE AND THE HIERARCHY

Wicliffe's Writings Examined — His Teaching submitted to the Pope — Three Bulls issued against him — Cited to appear before the Bishop of London — John of Gaunt Accompanies him — Portrait of Wicliffe before his Judges — Tumult — Altercation between Duke of Lancaster and Bishop of London — The Mob Rushes in — The Court Broken up — Death of Edward III. — Meeting of Parliament — Wicliffe Summoned to its Councils — Question touching the Papal Revenue from English Sees submitted to him — Its Solution — England coming out of the House of Bondage.

Chapter 8 HIERARCHICAL PERSECUTION OF WICLIFFE RESUMED

Arrival of the Three Bulls — Wicliffe's Anti-Papal Policy — Entirely Subversive of Romanism — New Citation — Appears before the Bishops at Lambeth — The Crowd — Its Reverent Behavior to Wicliffe — Message from the Queen — Dowager to the Court — Dismay of the Bishops — They abruptly Terminate the Sitting — English Tumults in the Fourteenth Century compared with French Revolutions in the Nineteenth — Substance of Wicliffe's Defense — The Binding and Loosing Power.

Chapter 9 WICLIFFE'S VIEWS ON CHURCH PROPERTY AND CHURCH REFORM

An Eternal Inheritance — Overgrown Riches — Mortmain — Its Ruinous Effects — These Pictured and Denounced by Wicliffe — His Doctrine touching Ecclesiastical Property — Tithes — Novelty of his Views — His Plan of Reform — How he Proposed to Carry it out — Rome a Market — Wicliffe's Independence and Courage — His Plan substantially Proposed in Parliament after his Death — Advance of England — Her Exodus from the Prison-house — Sublimity of the Spectacle — Ode of Celebration.

Chapter 10 THE TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES, OR THE ENGLISH BIBLE.

Peril of Wicliffe — Death of Gregory XI. — Death of Edward III. — Consequent Safety of Wicliffe — Schism in the Papal Chair — Division in Christendom — Which is the True Pope? — A Papal Thunderstorm — Wicliffe Retires to Lutterworth — His Views still Enlarging — Supreme Authority of Scripture — Sickness, and Interview with the Friars — Resolves to Translate the Bible — Early Translations — Bede, etc. — Wicliffe's Translation — Its Beauty — The Day of the Reformation has fairly Broken — Transcription and Publication - Impression produced — Right to Read the Bible — Denounced by the Priests -Defended by Wicliffe - Transformation accomplished on England.

Chapter 11 WICLIFFE AND TRANSUBSTANTIATION

Wicliffe Old – Continues the War – Attacks Transubstantiation – History of the Dogma – Wicliffe's Doctrine on the Eucharist – Condemned by the University Court – Wicliffe Appeals to the King and Parliament, and Retires to Lutterworth – The Insurrection of Wat Tyler – The Primate Sudbury Beheaded – Courtenay elected Primate – He cites Wicliffe before him – The Synod at Blackfriars – An Earthquake – The Primate reassures the Terrified Bishops – Wicliffe's Doctrine on the Eucharist Condemned – The Primate gains over the King – The First Persecuting Edict – Wicliffe's Friends fall away.

Chapter 12 WICLIFFE'S APPEAL TO PARLIAMENT.

Parliament meets – Wicliffe appears, and demands a Sweeping Reform – His Propositions touching the Monastic Orders – The Church's Temporalities – Transubstantiation – His growing Boldness – His Views find an echo in Parliament – The Persecuting Edict Repealed.

Chapter 13 WICLIFFE BEFORE CONVOCATION IN PERSON, AND BEFORE THE ROMAN CURIA BY LETTER

Convocation at Oxford — Wicliffe cited — Arraigned on the Question of Transubstantiation — Wicliffe Maintains and Reiterates the Teaching of his whole Life — He Arraigns his Judges — They are Dismayed — Wicliffe Retires Unmolested — Returns to Lutterworth — Cited by Urban VI. to Rome — Unable to go — Sends a Letter — A Faithful Admonition — Scene in the Vatican — Christ's and Antichrist's Portraits.

Chapter 14 WICLIFFE'S LAST DAYS

Anticipation of a Violent Death — Wonderfully Shielded by Events — Struck with Palsy — Dies December 31st, 1384 — Estimate of his Position and Work — Completeness of his Scheme of Reform — The Father of the Reformation — The Founder of England's Liberties.

Chapter 15 WICLIFFE'S THEOLOGICAL AND CHURCH SYSTEM

His Theology drawn from the Bible solely — His Teaching embraced the Following Doctrines: The Fall — Man's Inability — Did not formulate his Views into a System — His "Postils" — His Views on Church Order and Government — Apostolic Arrangements his Model — His Personal Piety — Lechler's Estimate of him as a Reformer.