No man is to be credited for his mere authority's sake, unless he can show Scripture for the maintenance of his opinion.
Interpretation
Authority must be backed by evidence or reasoning, not just by one's position.
This quote emphasizes the importance of providing justification or evidence for one's beliefs or opinions, rather than relying solely on one's authority or position. John Wycliffe suggests that credible arguments should be rooted in foundational texts or principles, encouraging critical thinking and accountability in discussions of opinion.
In practice
During a debate about religion, this quote could be used to emphasize the need for scriptural backing of beliefs.
We should know that faith is a gift of God, and that it may not be given to men, except it be graciously. Thus, indeed, all the good which we have is of God; and accordingly, when God rewardeth a good work of man, he crowneth his own gift.
The New Testament is of full authority and open to the understanding of simple men as to the points most needful to salvation.
By the law of Christ, every man is bound to love his neighbour as himself; but every servant is a neighbour of every civil lord; therefore every civil lord must love any of his servants as himself; but by natural instinct, every lord abhors slavery; therefore, by the law of charity, he is bound not to impose slavery on any brother in Christ.
The higher the hill, the stronger the wind: so the loftier the life, the stronger the enemy's temptations.
The gospel alone is sufficient to rule the lives of Christians everywhere - any additional rules made to govern men's conduct added nothing to the perfection already found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I shall not die, but live; and again declare the evil deeds of the friars.
Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party
I should very much like to remain in the darkness of not having been analyzed.
It's hardly possible to overstate the value, in the present state of human improvement, of placing human beings in contact with other persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of thought and action unlike those with which they are familiar. Such communication has always been... one of the primary sources of progress.
With disdain I will throw my gauntlet full in the fact of the world and see the collapse of this pygmy giant. Then will I wander god-like and victorious through the ruins of the world. And giving my words an active force, I will feel equal to the Creator.
Civilization is a progress from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity toward a definite, coherent heterogeneity.
The separation of state and church must be complemented by the separation of state and science, that most recent, most aggressive, and most dogmatic religious institution.
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