The story of our Christianity; an account of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times . is not the lettering ofhis name, but his opinions, his writings, and their influence, that made an erain religious history. His spirit was mainly practical and political, for whichreason some severe theologians, as Mr. Milner, have found in him not muchthat deserves the peculiar attention of godly persons, and could not con-scientiously join with the popular cry in ranking him among the highestworthies of the Church. He retained a few notions now generally discarded,such a
The story of our Christianity; an account of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times . is not the lettering ofhis name, but his opinions, his writings, and their influence, that made an erain religious history. His spirit was mainly practical and political, for whichreason some severe theologians, as Mr. Milner, have found in him not muchthat deserves the peculiar attention of godly persons, and could not con-scientiously join with the popular cry in ranking him among the highestworthies of the Church. He retained a few notions now generally discarded,such as a partial belief in purgatory, so that rigid Protestants find him notquite up to their standard. He thought little—perhaps too little—of somepoints of order and discipline still retained by many, and therefore he doesnot satisfy thoroughgoing churchmen. But if we allow for the fact that hedied a hundred years before Luther was born, we shall find it remarkableenough that he anticipated in most matters not only the opinions of the menwho changed the religion of half Europe, but those which prevail to-day. (233). 234 THE STORY OF OUR CHRISTIANITY. John Wiclif was born in Yorkshire about 1324, and became famous at theUniversity of Oxford for learning, and for qualities then somewhat less highly-esteemed, eloquence and courage. His first book, The Last Age of theChurch, appeared in 1356, and attacked the covetousness of the papal years later, when Urban V. demanded the arrears of a large tribute whichKing John had promised to the pope in 1213, but which had not been paidin a long time, Edward III. referred the question to Parliament, and it wasmuch disputed, many of the clergy taking the popes side : Wiclif now dis-tinguished himself by maintaining that no monarch could pledge the revenuesof England without consent of Parliament. He fully shared the general dis-gust felt toward the begging friars. He disapproved the wealth and temporal power gained by the Church, a
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