History of the English Bible
Lesson 2 - John Wycliffe (1328-1384) - Morningstar of the Reformation
British Christianity
An early legend claims that Joseph of Arimathea was the first to bring the Christian faith to Britian. The faith spread rapidly so that by 314 AD the British church was recognized by the Council of Arles and in 400 Patrick went from Britian to Ireland.
In the next century, however, Germanic invaders quickly replaced the altar of Christ with those of Woden and Thor. Then, in 597 Augustine of Canterbury (not the more famous Augustine of North Africa), led group of 40 monks on a mission from Pope Gregory the Great. In 602 Augustine founded Christ church, Canterbury, as his episcopal see. Roman Catholicism arrived and superimposed itself over the original British church.
This initial evangelical spirit gave way to a spirit of worldliness and a lust for political power. The British Church had come into by fervent evangelical preaching had attained enormous world weath and power but lost "something indefinably essential." The call for renewal and reformation would come from those born into the Church's early tradition - the faithful, fearless preacher.
Welcome to the 1300s!
The 1300's of John Wycliffe's world were a fascinating time, when seen from a distance.They were not a good time to have a toothache or be a Pope.
The once-mighty Catholic Church had abandoned its spiritual mission and become a rich, corrupt political state unto itself. The people and secular rulers saw this and chafed under their poverty and relative lack of power as compared to the Church.
Nations, especially France, expanded their influence and borders, often at the expense of the Church's influence. Philip the Fair, the most powerful of the medieval French kings, took umbrage at the Church's interference in French affairs. In 1303 his "henchmen" murdered Pope Boniface and in 1305 he "invited" Pope Clement to transfer the Papal court to Avignon in southern France.
This wasn't too bad a time to be an English teacher, for the English language was maturing and coming into widespread use as a national language. More and more people were learning to speak English instead of . . . French!
French? Sure - remember 1066? William the Conqueror came from Normandy. With him came soldiers, government, and the French language. French became the language of the English "upper crust." Frequently Church leaders knew only French.
"Many senior clergy," notes Alister McGrath, "spoke neither English nor Latin, but only French." In the 1400s, however, the rise of English nationalism included more and more official use of the English language, especially when the French became the "enemy."
On October 25, 1415, Henry V defeated the French at Agincourt and abandoned their language in his court. As the King speaks, so speak the people!
The Hundred Years War between England and France (1337-1453) underscored the fact that French was the language of the enemy.
Even Shakespeare got in on the act - "He can speak French; and therefore he is a traitor" (Henry VI, Part II) - thanks for finding that, Alister!
Latin, however, remained as the language of the academics and the "official" Church. In fact, the Universities more than the churches were Latin's last stand, surviving well into the mid 1500's. The scholar Erasmus (more about him later) visited Oxford and Cambridge around 1510. Here he lectured, attended seminars, and conversed with scholars even though he did not speak a word of English. Latin was the language of the scholars and clerics.
Latin or fading French - the fact was that in the 1300's official "Church" language was a foreign languge for most Englishmen.
So, here (in part) is the world of John Wycliffe -
- A corrupt Catholic Church in decline throughout Europe
- Confident kings attacking each other and the Church
- England awakening to itself as a nation
- And no dentist in sight
So Wycliffe Was a Preacher?
Nope - he was a scholar, and an impressive one at that! As Benson Bobrick writes, "Oxford became Wycliffe's life. He remained at the university as a student and teacher for some thirty-five years." Not only was he a teacher, but he was ordained to the priesthood. Even though the Church granted him a prebend (guaranteed income) he imitated the evangelical poverty of the Franciscans, going about in a long gown with naked feet and carrying a simple staff.
He wrote many scholarly works in Latin and English. Bobrick reports that "one weary Czech scribe, copying out a section, exclaimed in the margin, 'Dear God, help me to finish this work as quickly as I can.'" Geoffrey Chaucer may well have had him as a teacher at Oxford.
Wycliffe was also committed to Church reform and supported many such efforts. But he was not alone in this - when he criticized bishops for holding secular office and priests for preoccupying themselves with secular duties he was expressing a point of view that was widely held in England.
Like Luther after him, Wycliffe strongly attacked the Church for going beyond the New Testament in setting itself up as a feudal heirarchy, allowing its leaders to amass great wealth while neglecting their spiritual duties. As a leading person in one of England's great Universities, he made his views known at the highest of levels.
There's more to the story than this, of course, but finally the Pope had a cow and on May 22, 1377, issued five bulls against Wycliffe. The resulting trial was short and to the point. The English government stood squarely behind Wycliffe and he was acquited of all charges.
From this point on, with the "one exception of Mary Tudor's harsh reign, Church and state would never gain proceed against heresy under papal authority, but only (when it did) according to English Law." - Bobrick
So Where Does the English Bible fit in?
Ok - we're getting to it! Remember the situation - England is breaking away from French cultural and linguistic domination. The people are gaining a sense of themselves as Englishmen, a vigorous and separate nation. They resent the Catholic Church's overreaching rule, wealth, and political power.
Now along comes this leading scholar who takes on the religious authorties, runs with the Papal Bulls, and comes away unscathed. When J. Wycliffe talks, people listen.
And what does J. Wycliffe say? Only that the true Church should be subject to the Word of God as revealed in the Bible. The only way to be sure that the Church was, in fact, obedient, was to make Scriptures available to everyone directly.
If people read the Bible for themselves, they would see how different the existing church was from the simplicity of Jesus and His disciples. They would surely demand reform.
So, by the beginning of 1380, Wycliffe involved himself in the preparation of the first English Bible, a translation of the Vulgate into English. There's no real evidence that he did any translating, but he led the effort.
Now - how would you describe this project?
- Something based on national pride?
- A major effort at church reformation?
- A demonstration of pride in the English language?
How about "all of the above"?
The first translation was done under the direction of Nicholas Hereford sometime between 1380 and 1382. The early version was an interesting and at times strange blend of several dialects of English and of Latin syntax. The result was too awkward for practical use.
John Purvey, Wycliffe's personal secretary, undertook a revision which was much easier to read and use. Based on some translations it's clear that Wycliffe had a gift for translation and good English. Yet Purvey was the one who did most of what we call the "Wycliffe" translation.
Consider this translation of Luke 5:1-8 (from Bobrick)
Christ stood by the river of Gennesaret . . . and fishers came down to wash therein their nets; and Christ went up into a boat that was Simon's, and prayed him to move it a little from the land, and he sat in it and taught the people out of the boat. And when Christ ceased to speak, he said to Simon, Lead the boat into the high sea, and let out your net to taking of fish. And Simon answering said to him, Commander, all the night travailing took we naught; but in thy word shall I loose the net. And when they had done this, they took a plenteous multitude of fish, and their net was broken. But they beckoned to their fellows that were in the other boat, to come and help them; and they came and filled both boats of fish, so that both were well nigh sunk. And when Peter had seen this wonder, he fell down to Jesus' knee, and said, Lord, go from me for I am a sinful man.
Not bad, considering it came from Latin into a language that was in the process of forming.
He Did This By Himself?
No way! By this time he had also rejected the standard Catholic interpretation of the Eucharist (Lord's Supper). Today we call this "transsubstantiation." Very simplistically it's the idea that the substance of the wafer and wine become the actual substance of the body and blood of Jesus. He never gave a rigorous definition of his own view, but clearly rejected the Church's view.
Around 1377 he began organizing and training what amounted to a new religious order of itinerant preachers to spread his teaching around England. Many of these were his fellow Oxford scholars. Dressed in simple garb, these "poor priests" found a ready audience for their message. Later they were called "Lollards". They called themselves "Christian Brethren" or "true men."
Initially the Church left them alone, but in 1381 a great Peasants' Revolt shook the entire nation.
Peasant's Revolt?
Yep - a spontaneous uprising against oppressive taxes and aggressive tax collectors. Led by John Ball, a country priest, the rebels actually invaded London, burning palaces and mansions, and executing some nobility. They even beheaded the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Eventually, of course, King Richard II and his soldiers won the day, more through treachery than anything else. Although Wycliffe was not a social revolutionary and upheld the power of the state, he and his followers were blamed for inciting the uprising. He wasn't arrested, but he was banned from Oxford and withdrew to his original parish of Lutterworth.
In 1382 Wycliffe suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. On December 28, 1384, he collapsed and died on the last day of the year. A few days later he was buried in the parish church yard.
And That's That?
Almost. The Peasants' Revolt united Church and State against the evangelical preaching of Wycliffe. Although he died at home, many of his followers were arrested. Some were tortured into recanting, others were executed. Many copies of his writings, including English Bibles, were burned. These fires were nothing compared to the flame he lit in England.
The Catholic Church added an interesting footnote to Wycliffe's work. In 1414 the Council of Constance convened to settle, among other things, who was really the true Pope. They finally completed their work in 1418, but before disbanding they condemned Wycliffe as a heretic. They ordered his bones exhumed and removed from consecrated ground. In 1428 his remains were disinterred and burned
...on a little arched bridge that spanned the river Swift (a tributary of the Avon), and his calcined ashes cast into the stream. From thence the prophecy arose:
The Avon to the Severn runs,
The Severn to the sea,
And Wycliffe's dust shall spread abroad,
Wide as the waters be.
Any wonder why Bobrick entitled his book "Wide as the Waters"?
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