The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 86

ecclesiastics from France, Italy, and Spain, and he had an opportunity
to look behind the scenes and gain a knowledge of many things which
would have remained hidden from him in England. He learned much
that was to give point to his after labors. In 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

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