, proposed to apply a large
sum, collected for the use of the pope to that purpose. The question was
submitted to the decision of Wickliffe. The bishops, however, supported
by the papal authority, insisted upon bringing Wickliffe to trial, and
he was actually undergoing examination at Lambeth, when, from the
riotous behaviour of the populace without, and awed by the command of
sir Lewis Clifford, a gentleman of the court, that they should not
proceed to any definitive sentence, they terminated the whole affair in
a prohibition to Wickliffe, not to preach those doctrines which were
obnoxious to the pope; but this was laughed at by our reformer, who,
going about barefoot, and in a long frieze gown, preached more
vehemently than before.

In the year 1378, a contest arose between two popes, Urban VI. and
Clement VII. which was the lawful pope, and true vicegerent of God. This
was a favourable period for the exertion of Wickliffe's talents: he soon
produced a tract against popery, which was eagerly read by all sorts of
people.

About the end of the year, Wickliffe was seized with a violent disorder,
which it was feared might prove fatal. The begging friars, accompanied
by four of the most eminent citizens of Oxford, gained admittance to his
bed-chamber, and begged of him to retract, for his soul's sake, the
unjust things he had asserted of their order. Wickliffe surprised at the
solemn message, raised himself in his bed, and with a stern countenance
replied, "I shall not die, but live to declare the evil deeds of the
friars."

When Wickliffe recovered, he set about a most important work, the
translation of the bible into English. Before this work appeared, he
published a tract, wherein he showed the necessity of it. The zeal of
the bishops to suppress the scriptures, greatly promoted its sale, and
they who were not able to purchase copies, procured transcripts of
particular gospels or epistles. Afterward, when Lollardy increased, and
the flames kindled, it was a common practice to fasten about the neck of
the condemned heretic such of these scraps of scripture as were found in
his possession, which generally shared his fate.

Immediately after this transaction, Wickliffe ventured a step further,
and affected the doctrine of transubstantiation. This strange opinion
was invented by Paschade Radbert, and asserted with amazing boldness.
Wickliffe, in his lecture before the university of Oxford, 1381,
attacked this doctrine,