ed in the
House of Lords.]

[Sidenote: Rejected by the Commons at Wycliffe's petition.]

So long as Wycliffe lived, his own lofty character was a guarantee for
the conduct of his immediate disciples; and although his favour had far
declined, a party in the state remained attached to him, with sufficient
influence to prevent the adoption of extreme measures against the "poor
priests." In the year following the insurrection, an act was passed for
their repression in the House of Lords, and was sent down by the king to
the Commons. They were spoken of as "evil persons," going from place to
place in defiance of the bishops, preaching in the open air to great
congregations at markets and fairs, "exciting the people," "engendering
discord between the estates of the realm." The ordinaries had no power
to silence them, and had therefore desired that commissions should be
issued to the sheriffs of the various counties, to arrest all such
persons, and confine them, until they would "justify themselves" in the
ecclesiastical courts.[22] Wycliffe petitioned against the bill, and it
was rejected; not so much perhaps out of tenderness for the reformer, as
because the Lower House was excited by the controversy with the pope;
and being doubtfully disposed towards the clergy, was reluctant to
subject the people to a more stringent spiritual control.

[Sidenote: Wycliffe's position, however, declines. He makes his
submission,]

[Sidenote: And dies Dec. 31, 1384.]

But Wycliffe himself meanwhile had received a clear intimation of his
own declining position. His opposition to the church authorities, and
his efforts at reinvigorating the faith of the country, had led him into
doubtful statements on the nature of the eucharist; he had entangled
himself in dubious metaphysics on a subject on which no middle course is
really possible; and being summoned to answer for his language before a
synod in London, he had thrown himself again for protection on the Duke
of Lancaster. The duke (not unnaturally under the circumstances)
declined to encourage what he could neither approve nor understand;[23]
and Wycliffe, by his great patron's advice, submitted. He read a
confession of faith before the bishops, which was held satisfactory; he
was forbidden, however, to preach again in Oxford, and retired to his
living of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire, where two years later he died.

[Sidenote: Wycliffe's followers continue unmolested till the revoluti