, 1874-01-15

impossible. In contrast to tho mon Of tho time,
who wcro behind tho ago. It was pleasant to think
OF those who were III advance Of 1t. The lec-
tnror rcforrod to John Wycklifro as a man who
fourteenth. century. flo md his compeors wero
M oar1lgat Of what wnB coming two couturlos
after. The lecturer roforrod to IN unusual OK
cltolnont in tle Village Of Wyokffe In tho yoar
la24' wlioM MI olr wns born to tho lord of tho
nlanor. The Joy Of tint event waa turned to
sorrow IN aftor times Oh account Of tho .horcBv
Of this hcir. AZ a proof of the light iu whlci,
John Wyclsltflo'a opinions woro held by his fam
t'y, tito lecturer referred to tho fact TINT tho
hn9, fn,a;l, 3on Myckffo did not appcar In tho
!ecl'tror refctrod to tho Europoan history Of tho
ionrtoenth century,. especially to tho war be-
tweon Ei,giand M nn!@ France. It waH during tEoao
wars shnt Wyckifo entered Oxford College, nt
that tin!o tho priesthood wnH tho only position
In which u plebnian could attain rank, Tho
great intellectual contont Of the ttno was be-
twoon two claasos. tho non,inaIists and tho
cntcring college nothing wan heard Of hiA cnreer,
yot during this time WAS going OIL IN bis mind
the pcrfecting Of Gods work, tho Reformation.
Tho first uttoranco Of John Wyokliito WAS
made tinlo when two rival PoroB wore tutoring
Ruathen,as against ono another, and 1t exalted
tho Scriptures to tho throne Of thotr supremacy.
This work showed him to havo boon q Protes-
tant 900 years boforo tho reformation, and
gssino'l, him tho hostility Of all chrrchos
a' imo s avdaa d inso Se' two wore easst, st s sss
parish priests and tic paripatotio friara. At
that time all internoclne conflict was carried on
BY these two classcs,,, But whom ono man I'LL.
tllom together against lin. 1i Tloy massod thoir
forcos to crush lin, but be stood up In tho
thckest Of tho fray mud dealt ont aquaro blows
right and left. Tho lecturer lrow strong pio-
tnro Of tho immonso powers of tho o1orgy Of
tin vim nf nnn,hntf fha fnnd
OF England, and woro prof3Eate, ~rapacious, md
arrogant In tho extreme. Against this mighty
array, John Wycklltro hurled himself with tho
impotuoslty Of at, avalanche Luther led tho
his baclt, whilo Wyekliffe had not single
strong man to support him. With Wow to
itB political Importance, Edward tho Third
favored tho attack OF Wycklifro on tho power Of
tho Church, q. In n his struggle With ths Pope It
aa tho right man to strengthen hls caslgo. In
his works, John Wycklifro had shown TINT he
was an: apostle OF human liberty, as much
so In fact aa tho writer Of the words Of
s ts Dsss'a'sn sea srsas ct 1Ss2s"a'He ess "A ss
darkncsa Of tho fourteenth century he fought
for tho right Of private judgment. Tho conao-
quenco Of his boldnoas WIS TINT the Parliament
began to four tho consequences Of his nets, and
the lorntic., Tho tolls Of the Papacy were draw
ing steadily around him, aud It was. duo
to fortuitous ctrcumatancea that ho waa not
made to anffor for Lis temority. The lust grcat
work Of Wycklire WAS tho translating Of tho
Vnlgato oditiou of tho Gospels into saxon. For
flfteon years le worked at his trauslntlon, do
spite the opposition Of tho friars and before
hiB doath many copies Of tho Saxon Biblo woro
In circulation. In his conclusion tho looturor
works Of Wyckliffo Ind iu years after his bones
Ind boen buried, diaentombcd, burned, aud
carried seaward BY the lido OF tic Riyor Swift.
Considerable disappointment was caused by
the absonco Of music from tho evenings ontor-
tainmont. It appeared that Louis Falh, tho
organiet Of tho church, was not engaged to play
tho Introductory and closing piecoB, in con-
sequence Of his high chargos, md felt 80 much
hurt at the slight that ho rofuaod to give up tlo
Unitarian Church, who was engaged for tho
OCCASION.