John Wycliffe is widely considered one of the medieval forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. His criticism of the practices and beliefs of the church foreshadowed those of later reformers. Wycliffe also directed a translation of the Bible into English.
The need for church reform in the fourteenth century
The fourteenth century was a very dark time for the church. Before this time, there had not been any exceptional evangelical leaders that had made any sizeable impact in England.
John Foxe, the author of Foxe’s Christian Martyrs of the World, wrote, “Christianity was in a sad state. Although everyone knew the name of Christ, few if any understood His doctrine… The Church was solely concerned with outward ceremony and human traditions. People spent their entire lives heaping up one ceremony after another in hope of salvation, not knowing it was theirs for the asking. Simple, uneducated people, who had no knowledge of Scripture, were content to know only what their pastors told them, and these pastors took care to only teach what came from Rome.”
The man God chose to ignite the spark for reformation
But in spite of this dark time, God was raising up a man to help bring the light of the truth to those who were living in darkness.
John Wycliffe was born into an English family around 1330. By the time he was sixteen, he left home to go to Oxford, where he was enrolled into Balliol College. However, the Black Death pandemic swept through Europe and England about three years later, leaving 25 million dead. This confronation with death led to Wycliffe’s conversion to Christ.
“This visitation of the Almighty sounded the trumpet like the trumpet of the judgment day in the heart of Wycliffe. Alarmed at the thoughts of eternity, the young man–for he was a mere youth–passed days and nights in his cell groaning and sighing, and calling upon God to show him the path he should follow. He found it in the holy Scriptures, and resolved to make it known to others.”1 J.H. Merled’Aubigne and S.M. Soughton, The Reformation in England, vol. 1. Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, Scotland. p. 64
Wycliffe transferred to Merton College in Oxford and graduated with a BA degree 1356. He then returned to Balliol College to resume his studies, where he became a teaching fellow and Master in the school. In 1361, he was ordained to the priesthood and began preaching in Fillingham, where he had become the rector of the parish church. He later exchanged this pastorate for one in Ludgershall, since it was closer to Oxford. It was during this time that Wycliffe received his Doctorate in Theology (1366) and Bachelor of Divinity (1369) at Oxford.
Wycliffe’s brilliance recognized
Soon after he completed his studies, Wycliffe began his career as a professor at Queen’s College, Oxford. He gained a reputation for himself as Oxford’s most brilliant and popular teacher in theology and philosophy. He also became regarded as the top theologian and philosopher in all of England and perhaps the greatest thinker in all of Europe.
It was at this time that Wycliffe began to stress that the infallible Word of God was the highest authority and surest guide in all matters. His appeal was always to the Scriptures alone. He would never cite the church authorities as carrying greater authority than the Bible. Further, Wycliffe denounced ecclesiastical corruption of church leader in high positions.
Political conditions that favored Wycliffe’s criticisms of the church
Wycliffe developed a doctrine he called “dominion“, which emphasized God’s sovereignty as the highest authority over the earth. God’s assignment of His authority was divided between secular goverment and the church. Authority over earthly property was assigned to government, and authority over spiritual matters was assigned to the church. However, God expected and required faithful service from those who had stewardship responsibility. So, if spiritual leaders, such as the pope or bishops, failed to humble themselves before God and live pure and godly lives, they forfeited their right to preside over church buildings and land.
The monarchy and nobility had longed to claim the properties of the church, which had become immensely wealthy by this time. Amazingly, the chuch owned about one-third of the land in England. So Wycliffe’s doctrinal teaching was one they could eagerly support. King Edward III agreed with Wycliffe’s doctrine of dominion. He was in need of more resources to finance a costly war between England and France. And in Rome, Pope Gregory XI had issued a burdensome tax upon the English government and church. Making matters worse, Urban V (the ruling pope in Avignon, France) demanded an overdue payment from England.
The real power behind the King of England’s throne was his younger son, John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. He sought Wycliffe’s help to persuade Parliament that payment to the pope could be refused. Wycliffe succeeded and was appointed as a Royal Commissioner. He was sent to France to represent the English crown, where he assisted in negotiating with a papal delegation concerning England’s refusal to pay tribute to the pope.
As Wycliffe’s popularity rose, his attacks against the church got stronger
After Wycliffe returned from France in 1374, the king appointed him to be rector of the parish church at Lutterworth. This appointment brought him closer to Oxford, where he continued to teach. He served in this pastorate for the remaining ten years of his life. He not only preached at Lutterworth, he also preached throughout England. His gift of preaching was recognized by many. So noteworthy was his preaching that the King of England also made him a Royal Chaplain.
Wycliffe’s criticisms of the church only got sharper. He publicly rebuked the pope’s abuse of power, insisting that the Bible is the sole criterion for establishing any doctrine. At most, he said the pope had authority over just one church in Rome. At worst, he labeled the pope the antichrist. This was the claim that caused Pope Gregory XI to condemn Wycliffe as a heretic.
In 1377, the pope issued five papal bulls against Wycliffe, which addressed nineteen theological errors from his writings. He was summoned to Rome for a formal examination. But Wycliffe refused to appear in Rome because he reaffirmed the pope had no authority to summon him. Instead, he appeared before the Archbishop at Lambeth Place in London. He began by saying:
“I profess and claim to be by the grace of God a sound (that is, a true and orthodox) Christian and while there is breath in my body I will speak forth and defend the law of it. I am ready to defend my convictions even unto death. In theses conclusions I have followed sacred Scriptures and the holy doctors, and if my conclusions can be proved to be opposed to the faith, willingly will I retract them.”
John Wycliffe, Protestatio
The effort to bring God’s Word to the English people
From August 1380 through the summer of 1381, Wycliffe was busy making plans for a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate to the English language. He apparently believed that the Bible was necessary to replace the discredited authority of the church and to make God’s Word available to everyone who could read. This conviction, allied to the belief in the effectiveness of preaching, led to the formation of an order of Poor Treachers, later to be called Lollards (“mumblers”) by its detractors.
The translation project was undoubtedly Wycliffe’s initiative and its success was due to his leadership. He apparently translated the New Testament, and his friend Nicholas of Hereford worked on the Old Testament. Wycliffe’s younger contemporary, John Purvey revised the whole in 1388.
False accusations that turned the tide
Wycliffe was quickly becoming a controversial figure due to his open opposition to the pope. The monarchy and the university thought Wycliffe had gone too far in his assault upon the teachings of Rome. Nonetheless, Wycliffe held firmly to his beliefs and refused to compromise his biblical convictions.
In 1381, the discontent of the laboring classes erupted in the Peasant’s Rebellion. Wycliffe was not a significant cause of the rebellion, but there’s no doubt where his sympathies lay. He had a constant affection for the deserving poor. Archbishop Simon of Susbury was murdered in the revolt, and his successor, William Courtenay, made his move against Wycliffe at the synod held at Blackfriars, London, in 1382. Wycliffe’s followers at Oxford capitulated, and all his writings were banned.
Wycliffe suffered a stroke that year, but continued to write until he died from a second stroke in December 1384.
A lasting legacy
John Wycliffe has become know in reformation circles as the “Morning Star of the Reformation.” He was surely one of the most powerful forerunners of what we now know as the Reformation. He had a deep concern about corruption he saw in the church, including the distortion of biblical teaching as well the unholy lifestyle that was so evident. Therefore he wrote, spoke, and encouraged others to preach about the authentic message of Scripture.
Above all, Wycliffe was a man of the Bible. His passion was to see it translated into English, so that the Bible might be read and understood by everybody. He was instrumental in the development of a translation of the Bible in English, thus making it accessible to laypeople.
His work continued to impact the church long after he died. The Lollards, whom Wycliffe organized and inspired, carried on the work of completing the translation of the Bible into English and preaching the gospel. Their impact was felt all the way up to the sixteenth century English Reformation.
Wycliffe’s writings also had an affect on the national reform movement that had begun in Bohemia (modern-day Czechoslovakia). John Huss, who confessed himself to be a disciple of Wycliffe, was also concerned about the corruption of the church hierarchy. He was willing to challenge its authority, and he paid for his stance with his life. Later, the great reformer Martin Luther referred to himself as a Hussite.
Reflections on the life of John Wycliffe
Effective ministry often begins with development of one’s natural abilities
Our personal ministry is most effective when we further develop the natural gifts God gives us.
Wycliffe was naturally bright as a child. Not satisfied with earning just a single degree from any college, he pursued advanced studies in theology at Oxford and earned his doctorate at the age of 39. This qualified him to teach others, including other teachers, at the most prominent school in England. Without these credentials, Wycliffe and his biblical views would not have become widely known in England.
God may use very dire circumstances to bring us to a point of humble submission
God often uses difficult times in our lives to focus our attention on our desperate need to be in a right relationship with Him.
The fear of dying from the Black Death before knowing he was right with God led Wycliffe to spend his days and nights alone in his cell groaning and sighing, and calling upon God to show him the right path. The acute awareness of his need led to an encounter with God, resulting in his conversion to Christ.
God tests the faith of His people to strengthen them for the challenges ahead
Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. As we face the good times with gratitude and the hard times with dependence upon God, our faith grows stronger. This leads to greater effectiveness for the kingdom of God.
Wycliffe was not afraid to speak biblical truth to those in authority over him. He was a man who lived by his principles regardless of his circumstances. At the peak of his popularity, he was willing to serve his country, in its relationship with the church, as he was called upon to do. But when the pope summoned him to Rome, he refused to go because he knew the pope had no legitimate authority over him. And when he lost favor with government and academic leaders, he pursued his conviction that the people desperately needed a Bible in their own language.
Some of our greatest accomplishments can come in times of seeming defeat
God’s power is most often revealed in our times of weakness. Faithfully following God in times of weakness gives God the glory for what only He can do.
When Wycliffe’s doctrinal differences with the church became too serious for the authorities to manage, they began withdrawing their protective support over him. Wycliffe was forced to withdraw from his teaching and public duties. But God wasn’t done with him yet. Convinced that England needed the Bible translated into the English language, Wycliffe used the seclusion at his parish to begin the translation project and organize a group of followers to preach the gospel message to the common people. This was probably the greatest achievement of Wycliffe’s life, but it required a dramatic shift in his previous duties to pursue it.
Standing firm in the face of persecution
We may all face persecution for one reason or another. Of course it’s better if we suffer for doing what is right. The apostle Peter writes that those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19). If we wilt under the pressure of adversity, what does that say about our faith in God? Having confidence that God will bring about every good purpose of His in His own way and time should give us the hope we need to remain steady in the darkest of days. You can be sure others are watching how you respond. Make it a good testimony of your faith.
If you’re in doubt about your relationship with Christ, please visit my blog: How to Begin Your Life Over Again. And click here, if you would like to view excellent YouTube presentations on the Gospel.
Sources:
Lawson, Steven J. The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe. Ligonier Ministries, Sanford, FL. 2021, pages 1-20
Sinclair Ferguson. In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History. Ligonier Ministries, Sanford, FL. 2018, pages 145-149.
John D. Woodbridge, Editor. Great Leaders of the Christian Church. Moody Press, Chicago, IL. 1988. Pages 173-177.
John Wycliffe – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wycliffe
John Wycliff – English theologian – https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Wycliffe
References
- 1J.H. Merled’Aubigne and S.M. Soughton, The Reformation in England, vol. 1. Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, Scotland. p. 64
