[illegible text] the which there is no saluation) by your great [illegible text] and slouthe, will suffer wylde cockle, not onely to grow vp amōg the pure wheate of the florishing fielde of your Vniuersitie, but also to waxe more strong & choke the corne. Neither haue ye any care (as we are enformed) to extirpe and plucke the same vp by the rootes, to the great blemyshing of your renowmed name, the perill of your soules, the contempt of the Church of Rome, and to the great decay of the auncient fayth. And further (which greueth vs) the encrease of that filthy weed was more sharply rebuked and iudged of in Rome, then in England where it sprang. Wherfore let there be meanes sought by the helpe of the faythful, to roote out the same.MarginaliaThe pope complayning of Iohn Wickliffe. Greuously it is come to our eares, that one Iohn Wickliffe, parsō of Lutterworth in Lincolne dioces, a professor of diuinitie (would God he were not rather a maister of errours) is run into a kynde of detestable wickednes, not onely and openly publishyng, but also vomitting out of the filthy dungeon of hys brest, diuers professions, false and erroneous conclusions, & most wicked and damnable heresies. Wherby he might defile the faythfull sort, and bring them from the right pathe, headlong into the way of perdition, ouerthrow the state of the Church, and vtterly subuert the secular policy. Of which hys mischeuous heresies,MarginaliaMarsilius Patavuinus, Ioan. de Ganduno, noted. some seeme to agree (onely certayne names and termes chaunged) wyth the peruerse opinions, and vnlearned doctrine of Marcilius of Padua, and Iohn of Gandune, of vnworthy memorye: whose bookes were vtterly abolyshed in the realme of England, by our predecessor of happy memory Iohn. xxii. Which kingdome doth not onely florish in power, and aboundaunce of faculties, but is much more glorious and shyning in purenes of fayth: Accustomed alwayes to bring forth men excellently learned in the true knowledge of the holy Scriptures, rype in grauitie of maners, men notable in deuocion, and defenders of the Catholique fayth. Wherfore we will and commaunde you by our writyng Apostolicall, in the name of your obedience, and vpon payne of priuacion of our fauour, indulgences and priuilegies graunted vnto you and your vniuersitie, from the sayd see Apostolicall: that hereafter ye suffer not those pestilent heresies, those subtile and false conclusions and propositions, misconstruing the right sense of fayth and good workes (how soeuer they terme it, or what curious implication of wordes so euer they vse) any longer to be disputed of, or brought in question: Least if it be not wythstood at the first, and plucked vp by the rootes, it myght perhaps be to late hereafter to prepare medicine when a greater number is infected wyth that contagion.MarginaliaHere the wilde bull striketh. And further, that ye apprehend immediatly or cause to be apprehended the sayd Iohn Wickliffe, and delyuer him to be deteyned in the safe custody of our welbeloued brethrē the Archbyshop of Canterbury, and the byshop of London or eyther of them. And if you shall finde any gaynesayers, corrupted wyth the sayd doctrine (which God forbid) in your sayd vniuersitie wythin your iurisdiction, that shall obstinately stand in the sayd errours: that then in lyke maner ye apprehend them, and commit them to safe custody, and otherwise to do in this case as it shall appertayne vnto you: So as by your carefull proceedinges herein, your negligence past concernyng the premisses, may now fully be supplyed & recompensed wyth present diligence. Wherby you shall not onely purchase vnto you the fauour and beneuolence of the seat Apostolicall, but also great rewarde and merite of almighty God.

Yeuen at Rome at S. Maries the grea
ter. xi. Kalen. of Iune, and in the seuēth
yeare of our consecration.

MarginaliaSimon Sudbury Archb. of Cant. W. Courtney Byshop of London. ¶ Beside thys Bull sent to the vniuersitie of Oxford, the sayd Pope Gregory directed moreouer his letters the same tyme, to the Archb. of Cant. Simon Sudbury: and to the Byshop of London named William Courtney, with the conclusions of Iohn Wickliffe therin inclosed, cōmaunding them, by vertue of those hys letters Apostolicall, and straitly inioyning them to cause the sayd Iohn Wickliffe to be apprehended, and cast in prison: And that the kyng and the nobles of England should be admonyshed by them, not to geue any credite to the sayd Iohn Wickliffe, or to his doctrine in any wise, &c.MarginaliaThree sundry letters of the pope to one person, about one matter. ¶ Beside this bill or bull of the Pope, sent vnto the Archbyshop of Cant. and to the Byshop of London, bearing the date. 11. Kalend. Iuni. and the 7. yeare of the raigne of the Pope: I finde moreouer in the sayd story, two other letters of the Pope concernyng the same matter, but differing in forme, sent vnto the same Byshops, and all bearing the same date both of the day, yeare, and moneth of þ^e reigne of the sayd pope Gregory. Wherby it is to be supposed, that the Pope eyther was very exquisite and sollicitous about the matter, to haue Wickliffe to be apprehþ^tded which wrot 3. diuers letters to one person, and all in one day, about one busines: or els that he did suspect the bearers therof, the scruple wherof I leaue to the iudgement of the reader.

Furthermore beside these letters written to the Vniuersitie, and to the bishops, he directeth also an other Epistle bearyng the same date vnto K. Edward (as one of my stories sayth) but as an other sayth, to king Richard, which soundeth more neare to the truth, forasmuch as in the 7. yeare of Pope Gregory the xi. which was the yeare of our Lord. 1378. K. Edward was not aliue. The copy of his letters to the king here followeth.

VNto hys welbeloued sonne in Christ, Richard the most noble kyng of England health. &c.

The kyngdome of England which the most hyghest hath put vnder your power and gouernaunce, being so famous and renowmed in valiancy and strength, so aboundant and flowing in all kynde of wealth and riches: but much more glorious resplendent and shyning through the brightnes and clearenes of all godlynes and fayth: hath accustomed alwayes to bring forth mē endued wyth the true knowledge and vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures, graue in yeares, feruent in deuotion, and defenders of the catholicke fayth: The which haue not only directed and instructed their owne people thorow their holsome doctrine and preceptes into the true pathe of Gods commaundementes, but also as we haue heard by the report and information of many credible persons (to our great griefe and hart sorow) that Iohn Wickliffe parson of Lutterworth, in the dioces of Lincolne, professor of diuinitie (I would to God he were no author of heresie) to be fallen into such a detestable and abhominable madnes: that he hath propounded & set forth diuers and sundry conclusions full of errours and conteining most manifest heresie, the which doe tende vtterly to subuert and ouerthrow the state of the whole Church. Of the which, some of them (albeit vnder coloured phrase and speche) seeme to smell and sauour of peruerse opinions, and the foolishe doctrine of condemned memory of Marsilius of Padua, and Iohn of Ganduno, whose bookes were by Pope Iohn the 22. our predecessor, a man of most happy memory reproued and condemned. &c.

¶ Hetherto gentle reader, thou hast heard how Wickliffe was accused by the Bishop. Now you shall also heare the Popes mighty reasons and argumentes, by the which he did confute hym to the kyng. It foloweth.

MarginaliaHere is prisoning, but no teaching. Therfore, for so much as our reuerend brethrē the archbyshop of Canterbury, and the Byshop of London haue receiued a speciall commaundement from vs by our authoritie, to apprehend and commit the forenamed Iohn Wickliffe vnto prison, and to transporte hys confession vnto vs: If they shall seeme in the prosecution of thys their busines to lacke your fauour or helpe, we require and most earnestly desire your maiesty euen as your most noble predecessors haue alwayes bene most earnest louers of the Catholicke fayth (whose case or quarell in thys matter, is chiefly handled) that you would vouchsafe euen for the reuerence of God, and the fayth aforesayd, and also of the Apostolicke seat, and of our person, that you wyll wyth your helpe and fauour, assist the sayd Archbyshop and all other that shall goe about to execute the sayd busines. Wherby besides the prayse of men, you shall obtayne a heauenly rewarde and great fauour, and good will at our hand, and of the sea aforesayd. Dated at Rome at S. Mary the greater, the 11. Kal. of Iune, in the 7. yeare of our byshoprike.  

Commentary     Close

i.e. 22 May 1377.

The Articles included in the Popes letters which he sent to the Bishops, & to the kyng, agaynst Wickliffe, were these as in order do follow.

¶ The conclusions of Iohn Wickliffe, exhibited in the conuocation of certayne bishops at Lamheth.  

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These conclusions of Wiclif are taken from Arundel 7; see Historia Anglicana, ed. H. T. Riley, Rolls Society 28, 2 vols.(London, 1863-4), I, pp. 353-5. Foxe's version of them is accurate.

ALl the whole race of mankynde here on earth beside Christ, hath no power simply, to ordayne that Peter &