these representatives from the papal court he read the true character and aims of the hierarchy . He returned to England to repeat his former teachings more openly and with greater zeal , declaring that covetousness , pride , and deception were the gods of Rome .
In one of his tracts he said , speaking of the pope and his collectors : " They draw out of our land poor men ' s livelihood , and many thousand marks , by the year , of the king ' s money , for sacraments and spiritual things , that is cursed heresy of simony , and maketh all Christendom assent and maintain this heresy . And certes though our realm had a huge hill of gold , and never other man took thereof but only this proud worldly priest ' s collector , by process of time this hill must be spended ; for he taketh ever money out of our land , and sendeth nought again but God ' s curse for his simony ." -John Lewis , History of the Life and Sufferings of J . Wiclif , page 37 . Soon after his return to England , Wycliffe received from the king the appointment to the rectory of Lutterworth . This was an assurance that the monarch at least had not been displeased by his plain speaking . Wycliffe ' s influence was felt in shaping the action of the court , as well as in molding the belief of the nation .
The papal thunders were soon hurled against him . Three bulls were dispatched to England , --to the university , to the king , and to the prelates , --all commanding immediate and decisive measures to silence the teacher of heresy . ( Augustus Neander , General History of the Christian Religion and Church , period 6 , sec . 2 , pt . 1 , par . 8 . See also Appendix .) Before the arrival of the bulls , however , the bishops , in their zeal , had summoned Wycliffe before them for trial . But two of the most powerful princes in the kingdom accompanied him to the tribunal ; and the people , surrounding the building and rushing in , so intimidated the judges that the proceedings were for the time suspended , and he was allowed to go his way in peace . A little later , Edward III , whom in his old age the prelates were seeking to influence against the Reformer , died , and Wycliffe ' s former protector became regent of the kingdom .
But the arrival of the papal bulls laid upon all England a peremptory command for the arrest and imprisonment of the heretic . These measures pointed directly to the stake . It appeared certain that Wycliffe must soon fall a prey to the vengeance of Rome . But He who declared to one of old , " Fear not : . . . I am thy shield " ( Genesis 15:1 ), again stretched out His hand to protect His servant . Death came , not to the Reformer , but to the pontiff who had decreed his destruction . Gregory XI died , and the ecclesiastics who had assembled for Wycliffe ' s trial , dispersed . God ' s providence still further overruled events to give opportunity for the growth of the Reformation . The death of Gregory was followed by the election of two rival popes . Two conflicting powers , each professedly infallible , now claimed obedience . ( See Appendix notes for pages 50 and 86 .) Each called upon the faithful to assist him in making
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