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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 About this season, there rose in the vniuersitie of Oxenford a learned man Iohn Wiclife, Thom. Walsi. Iohn Wiclife. borne in the north parts, who being a secular preest, and a stu|dent in diuinitie, began to propone certeine conclu|sions greatlie contrarie to the doctrine of the church in those daies established, speciallie he argued a|gainst moonks, and other men of religion that inioi|ed great riches, and large possessions. There were diuerse that gaue good eare to him, insomuch that sundrie learned men of that vniuersitie preached and set foorth the doctrine that he taught. ¶Amongst other articles which they held, these were the cheefe and principall.

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  • 1 That the sacrament of the altar,The chéefest articles prea|ched by Wic|life. after con|secration, was not the bodie of Christ, but a figure thereof.
  • 2 That the church of Rome was no more head of the vniuersall church than any one other, nor more authoritie was giuen by Christ vnto Peter, than to anie other of the apostles, and that the pope had no more power in the keies of the church than anie other préest whatsoeuer.
  • 3 That temporall lords might both lawfullie and meritoriouslie take the temporall goods and re|uenues from the church, if it offended; and if anie temporall lord knew the church to offend, he was bound vnder paine of damnation to take from it the temporalties.
  • 4 That the gospell is sufficient in this life to di|rect by rule euerie christian man.
  • 5 That all other rules of saints, vnder the ob|seruing whereof diuers religious doo liue, ad no more perfection to the gospell, than washing ouer with lime dooth the wall.
  • 6 That the pope, nor anie other prelat of the church, ought to haue anie prisons wherein to punish offendors.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 These and manie other opinions did these men hold and mainteine, and diuerse lords and great men EEBO page image 412 of the land fauoured their cause. But when these con|clusions were brought before the pope, he condem|ned the number of 23 of those articles as vaine and hereticall, directing his buls to the archbishop of Canturburie, and to the bishop of London, that they should cause the said Wiclife to be apprehended, and examined vpon the said conclusions, which they did in presence of the duke of Lancaster, and the lord Per|cie, and hearing his declaration, commanded him to silence, and in no wise to deale with those matters from thencefoorth,Wiclife & his felowes main|teined by cer|teine lords. so that for a time, both he and his fellowes kept silence: but after at the contemplati|on of diuerse of the temporall lords, they preached and set foorth their doctrine againe.

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