2017
marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Of course, when we
talk about the Reformation we usually think of Martin Luther and John Calvin,
and rightly so. However, if we are going to fully understand the roots of the Reformation
then we must go back to other notable Christians who laid the groundwork for
Luther and others. One of those unsung heroes is John Wycliffe.
The
Bible stayed in the hands of the Catholic clergy until an Englishmen by the
name of John Wycliffe came along in the middle of the fourteenth century
(1330-1384). He has often been called “The Morning Star of the Reformation,”
because he was one of the first proponents for the translation of the Bible
into the common tongue.
Wycliffe
became a popular preacher in London, and he was quick to point out the
unbiblical traditions of the Catholic Church and their abuse of power. As Wycliffe
deepened his study of Scripture, he wrote more about his conflicts with
official church teaching. He wrote against the doctrine of transubstantiation,
“The bread while becoming by virtue of Christ's words the body of Christ does
not cease to be bread.” He challenged indulgences, “It is plain to me that our bishops
in granting indulgences do commonly blaspheme the wisdom of God.” He repudiated
the confessional, “Private confession was not ordered by Christ and was not
used by the apostles.” He reiterated the biblical teaching on faith: “Trust
wholly in Christ; rely altogether on his sufferings; beware of seeking to be
justified in any other way than by his righteousness.” He was also one of the
first to criticize the Pope—calling him “the Antichrist.” He said that the
bishops were like “dumb hounds that failed to bark in time of need.”
In
response, Pope Gregory XI issued five bulls (church edicts) against Wycliffe,
in which Wycliffe was accused on eighteen counts and was called “the master of
errors.” Eventually, Wycliffe was put under house arrest. However, Wycliffe
didn’t waste his imprisonment. Believing that every Christian should have
access to Scripture (only Latin translations were available at the time), he
began translating the Bible into English, with the help of his good friend John
Purvey.
In
those days before the printing press it would take a scribe working full time
for nine months to copy one Bible so it was very expensive for a common peasant
to get a Wycliffe Bible. It has been said that farmers in those days would
trade a wagon-load of hay for just the privilege of renting the Bible for
one day of reading. Families would scrimp and save for months just for the
privilege of buying a few pages of Scripture.
Of
course, the Catholic Church bitterly opposed Wycliffe’s Bible. Their official statement
read, “By this translation, the Scriptures have become vulgar, and they are
more available to lay, and even to women who can read, than they were to
learned scholars, who have a high intelligence. So the pearl of the gospel is
scattered and trodden underfoot by swine.” Wycliffe replied, “Englishmen learn
Christ’s law best in English. Moses heard God’s law in his own tongue; so did
Christ's apostles.”
Sadly,
Wycliffe died before the translation was complete, however his friend Purvey is
considered responsible for the version of the “Wycliffe” Bible we have today.
Though Wycliffe's followers (who came to be called “Lollards”) were driven
underground, they remained a persistent irritant to English Catholic
authorities until the English Reformation made their views the norm.
John
Wycliffe left quite an impression on the Church: 43 years after his death,
officials dug up his body, burned his remains, and threw the ashes into the River
Swift. Still, they couldn’t get rid of him. Wycliffe's teachings, though
suppressed, continued to spread. As a later chronicler observed, “Thus the brook
hath conveyed his ashes into Avon; Avon into Severn; Severn into the narrow
seas; and they into the main ocean. And thus the ashes of Wycliffe are the
emblem of his doctrine which now is dispersed the world over.”[1]
[1] Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, eds. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville,
TN: B&H Publishing, 2000), 211-213.
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