edral, and even while engaged
in the mass;[19] the contagion of the growing anarchy seems to have
touched even Wycliffe himself, and touched him in a point most deeply
dangerous.

[Sidenote: Tendencies to anabaptism.]

[Sidenote: Theory of the tenure of property.]

[Sidenote: Wat Tyler's insurrection.]

[Sidenote: A mischievous comment on Wycliffe's teaching.]

His theory of property, and his study of the character of Christ, had
led him to the near confines of Anabaptism. Expanding his views upon the
estates of the church into an axiom, he taught that "charters of
perpetual inheritance were impossible;" "that God could not give men
civil possessions for ever;"[20] "that property was founded in grace,
and derived from God;" and "seeing that forfeiture was the punishment of
treason, and all sin was treason against God, the sinner must
consequently forfeit his right to what he held of God." These
propositions were nakedly true, as we shall most of us allow; but God
has his own methods of enforcing extreme principles; and human
legislation may only meddle with them at its peril. The theory as an
abstraction could be represented as applying equally to the laity as to
the clergy, and the new teaching received a practical comment in 1381,
in the invasion of London by Wat, the tyler of Dartford, and 100,000
men, who were to level all ranks, put down the church, and establish
universal liberty.[21] Two priests accompanied the insurgents, not
Wycliffe's followers, but the licentious counterfeits of them, who trod
inevitably in their footsteps, and were as inevitably countenanced by
their doctrines. The insurrection was attended with the bloodshed,
destruction, and ferocity natural to such outbreaks. The Archbishop of
Canterbury and many gentlemen were murdered; and a great part of London
sacked and burnt. It would be absurd to attribute this disaster to
Wycliffe, nor was there any desire to hold him responsible for it; but
it is equally certain that the doctrines which he had taught were
incompatible, at that particular time, with an effective repression of
the spirit which had caused the explosion. It is equally certain that he
had brought discredit on his nobler efforts by ambiguous language on a
subject of the utmost difficulty, and had taught the wiser and better
portion of the people to confound heterodoxy of opinion with sedition,
anarchy, and disorder.

[Sidenote: Measure for the repression of the poor priests pass