Berton, William

, an eminent divine of the fourteenth century, and doctor in that faculty, flourished about the year 1381, in the reign of Richard II. and was some | time chancellor of the university of Oxford. He is chiefly remarkable for his opposition to the doctrines of Wickliff: for, by virtue of his office, as governor of the university, he appointed twelve censors, six of the order of mendicants, and six seculars, consisting of divines and lawyers, to examine Wickliff’s opinions who accordingly declared him an heretic. He wrote likewise several pieces upon the subject of Wickliff’s pretended heresy particularly “Determinations against Wickliff; a treatise concerning his just condemnation” and another “against the Articles extracted from his writings.” Bale and Pits give him very different characters, according to their principles. ¹