BOHEMIA. 44:0 claimed to represent hhn. It .s observable ^^^^^1^^% speculative error admitted is that °<>«f ^^'^S/^^.f ^uroh'con- L others relate to the doctrines which gave o tl^« ^^^^^^^^ trol over the souls and purses of the faithful, or to the abuses ari ino- from the worldly and sensual character of the clergy. I vTan essentiaUy practical reform, inspired ^- thyn^^^^^^^^ , with rare common-sense and with wonderfuUy httle exaggeration TonsidLing the magnitude of the evils which pressed so heavily "P°Th?dotmer-in question shows the Wickliffite belief to be that the popes of the period were Antichrist; all the hierai^hy, rom the po- .lown, wLe accursed by reason of their gr<.d, the. simony the r cruelty, their lust of power, and their «"1 l^^^s^ Unless tiy give sat sfaction " thai schul be depper dampned then jlrSioth.-' The pope was not to ^e obe,.d - dec^^^^^^^^ were nauo-ht, and his excommunication and that of his bishop, were o be disregarded. The indulgences so freely proffered m return for monej or for the services of crusaders in slaying Chns- S were fllsi and fraudulent. Yet the power of the keys m Sous «nds was not denied-" Certes, as holy prestis of lyvynge rcX^ge of holy writte han keyes of ^even -d be- ^^^^^^ of Jesus Crist, so viciouse prestis, unkonnynge of holy writte tui
- p d and ;ovetise, han keyes of heUe and bene vicans o Sa
thanas " Thou-h auricular confession might be useful, it was not lee ssary, for men should trust in Christ. Image-worship vvas XU and representations of the Tr-ty were forb^d^^_ ^^Hit semes that this offrynge ymages is a sotile cast of Ant L.f. nnd his clerkis for to drawe almes fro pore men. . . . Certis, t:t,:^'^Tot^^lelfe may do nouther gode nor y vel to mennis L but^thai mvehtten warme a man's body m colde if thai soules, but thai myghtte ^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^,^^ ^^^^^^ rbeT:fTrco^M do nothmg but wbat Coa o — ^^^^^ many of those customarily invoked were m hell, for^n modem ■times sinners stood a better chance of '^--?-^'-'^^^'^^l:'Z It was the same with their feast-days ; those of tbej-^sUes ^ early saints might be observed, but not the rest^ ^"^^^Zh^e to be used in diVine service, and prayer was -^^--^Xches as in church, for the churches were not holy- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ „f bene gretely poluted and cursud of God, nomely fo. selhn^c
