Wycliffe criticized the Church for veering away from the word of the Bible. He argued that there was no justification in the scriptures for many of the ideas they promoted—such as attending Mass, repenting for one’s sins, praying to saints and buying indulgences. Wycliffe claimed that the clergy were not required to mediate laypeople’s relationship with God; rather, the Bible was the only reliable guide to how they should conduct themselves. People should study the Holy Book—in the vernacular if they didn’t speak Latin—and decide for themselves what God’s message was. Wycliffe played a
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