History of Bible-Believing Christianity IV
Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
Mid-Week Teaching Service
Wycliffe - The Father of the Reformation
Introduction: John Wycliffe was born in 1324 - at the time when the papacy had passed its peak.
After Wycliffe began to preach against the papacy, disaster after disaster came upon it. When Wycliffe came on the scene, there was only one "world power" - the pope. Though the power of the papacy had waned since the 11th Century, he was still the most powerful person in Europe. By the end of Wycliffe's ministry, there were three other great powers - Spain, France and England. These three powers kept papal power in check, and provided "breathing space" for the growth of the Protestant Reformation.
Elijah, John the Baptist and Wycliffe: Whenever God ushers in a new age, he raises an unusual man to wake His people up. Wycliffe resembled Elijah (the forerunner of the Prophetic age) and John the Baptist (the forerunner of the New Testament age) in many ways. Like them, he was austere, incorruptible, fearless and uncompromising. His preaching, like that of Elijah and John, was powerful and fearless. There was none like him in the corrupted era in which he lived. He was without human teacher, friend or co-laborer.
The Father of the Modern Era: Many historians agree that Wycliffe was the forerunner of the Modern Era - of enlightenment, reason and science. His attacks on the papacy and superstitions of Romanism paved the way for the end of the Dark Ages and the introduction of the Modern Era. His translation of the Latin Bible (which few understood) into English - was the instrument that displaced superstition with truth.
Religion in Wycliffe's time: Most priests had never read a single chapter of the Bible. In fact, most parish priests were illiterate. Most of them did not even know the Ten Commandments. They performed rituals and memorized Latin prayers (which no one understood - therefore, it did not matter if they spoke correctly or not). The people were taught to worship nothing other than what they saw with their eyes.
The Bible was considered to be too simple for the more intellectual priests - and only the less intellectual church scholars (called biblicists) read bits of the Bible. The intellectual priests (called "men of the sentences") regarded it below their dignity to read the "simple" Bible. Instead they studied the writings of church scholars (eg. Aquinas, Scotus).
England prior to Wycliffe's time: About a century prior to Wycliffe's birth, King John tussled with the pope over the issue of sovereignty, ie, who should be the sovereign, the king or the pope.
At this time, England was filled with Roman priests who lived off the labors of the English people. The tax paid to the pope was five times more than that paid to the king. A third of England belonged to the pope. In reality, the English were "slaves" of the pope in their own land.
The English suffered ultimate humiliation when the papal legate (representative) kicked the king's crown that the king had at his feet in subjection. This provoked the English to frame the Magna Carta (ie, Great Charter) in 1215.
The Magna Carta declared the liberty of the English people from the pope in temporal matters. Rome could not sit idly and watch her revenues disappear - because a worldly organization such as Rome could not continue without huge revenues. So the pope immediately launched an anathema (papal curse) against these English "rebels." England prospered greatly after the Magna Carta.
Wycliffe stands against the pope: When another pope made a demand for temporal sovereignty against the king, Wycliffe became the chief defender against the papal claim of temporal and spiritual sovereignty over England. He was at this time head of one of the colleges at Oxford University. This was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Wycliffe's theology: Though Wycliffe had no one who taught him the truths of the Bible and though he was surrounded by Romanist superstitions, he clearly understood the Gospel - and saw that it was totally irreconcilable with that of Romanism. He knew that to follow one, was to repudiate the other. His clear understanding of Scripture was undoubtedly from the Holy Spirit.
Wycliffe's battle with the friars: Besides his great battle against papal supremacy, Wycliffe's other major battle was with the mendicant (begging) friars. There were many monastic orders all over England (and Europe) and the numerous mendicant friars were parasites on the people.
These monasteries had begun innocently as places of refuge for refugees. However, as the "spiritual reputations" of these monasteries increased, rich patrons donated generously (to earn "indulgences") and these monasteries became very rich (though the individual monks could not own property personally). Abbots equaled princes in wealth and exceeded them in pride!
The vast wealth of the monastic orders, led to worldliness and corruption. And most monasteries were filled with lazy men seeking free food and lodging, or ambitious men seeking a fortune. Furthermore, wealth and idleness bred all kinds of immorality and corruption. It would have been a miracle if it were otherwise because these monasteries violated the scriptural principle that the world is God's school of training - where we learn self-denial, patience, love and generosity. We are to shine as lights in the world, and not to hide from it.
Orders of friars: The older orders (eg. Benedictines, Augustinians) were reclusive (ie, lived in monasteries). Later orders (eg. Franciscans, Dominicans) traveled freely.
The Franciscan order was founded by Francis of Assisi in 1215. They were the brown-robed monks.
The Dominican order was founded by Dominic in 1218. They were the "black friars" who went about preaching to heretics (ie, to Protestants). They were later put in charge of the Inquisition.