Ron Paul Curriculum 7th Grade History Lesson 70: John Wycliffe

Ron Paul Curriculum 7th Grade History Class

Taught by Bradley Fish

Lesson 70 Essay: John Wycliffe

Written by Kryssa Lee

(These are old essays from over a year ago that I forgot to publish)

      Today when we think of the Reformation, Martin Luther comes to mind as being the one credited to started it.  However the person that really spurred the Reformation lived 200 years before Martin Luther, in the 1300s.  His name was John Wycliffe.

      Born in 1320 A.D. a village outside of Yorkshire, John Wycliffe was born.  He got a bachelor's degree in theology from Oxford University.  Afterwards, in 1374 he moved to the town of Lutterworth, where he stayed until he died.

      Wycliffe was a great preacher and teacher.  Even more memorable then that, though, is the way that he disputed many of the religious practices of his day.  He rebelled against the pope, and many religious practices that the pope supported.

      Wycliffe believed that the Holy Scriptures were the only authority over the church, and not the pope.  He also preached against indulgences, or slips of paper that the Church would sell saying that the pope had forgiven your sins.

      Of course, Wycliffe's teachings were not very well received by the pope.  Because of Wycliffe's popularity, though, even the pope decided not to have too strong a stance agains him.  Pope Gregory issued 5 bulls, or documents, against Wycliffe, but didn't altogether excommunicate him, or banish him.

      This didn't stop Wycliffe, though.  He went on to say that everyone should be able to read the Bible in their own language.  Church services and all the bibles of that time were conducted and written in Latin.  Wycliffe didn't agree with this.  The Church also felt that the Bible should be protected from everyday use.  Wycliffe didn't.

      With the help of John Purvey, a very good friend of his, Wycliffe translated the Holy Bible into the English language, but died before it was finished.  John Purvey finished it translating it, and then published it.  Because of this we have the Wycliffe Bible today.

      Wycliffe died of a stroke in 1384.  His followers, the Lollards, continued to spread his teaching.  It was 31 years after his death that the Council of Constance declared Wycliffe a heretic.  They commanded that his bones and works be burnt.  His bones were burnt and the ashes thrown into a river.  His teaching survived, until even now we can appreciate John Wycliffe, and how it was he that first brought the idea of the Reformation, for Martin Luther to finish.