The following post is an essay on the bold stand of John Wycliffe. It’s essentially a historical analysis on the smallest sightings of Reformative Thought. I also have a personal note at the end of the essay. Check it out:
John Wycliffe is one of the most famous Christian individuals of the mid-fourteenth century medieval times, particularly because of his bold stand against the doctrinal policies and traditions of the powerful Catholic Church. Indeed, the Catholic Church not only maintained a dominant role in the society’s religious sphere, but also was heavily involved in virtually every level of society’s social and political roles—from the communal and state level, to even the out workings of the national scale. Nonetheless, despite the church’s overarching dominance, John Wycliffe, a university professor and scholar of the “Sacred Scriptures”, boldly challenged the Catholic doctrines concerning communion, hierarchy, excommunication, and alms before Pope Gregory XI. And while Catholics fully utilized executions and punishments to those who didn’t comply with their authority, rules, and doctrine, the influence of Wycliffe’s biblical convictions against Catholic dogma nevertheless trickled down through the generations.
One of the reasons Wycliffe was targeted by the Catholic Church was not as much related to the fact that his biblical expository contrasted Catholic doctrine, but because many people—indeed, even the most mature Catholics—were becoming increasingly convinced that his interpretation was true while the Catholic doctrine was unorthodox. In fact, Pope Gregory XI testified against Wycliffe, saying that “many men illustrious for their exact knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, mature in the gravity of their character, conspicuous in devotion, defenders of the Catholic Church—[he has] polluted the faithful of Christ by sprinkling them with these doctrines, and led them away from the right paths of the aforesaid faith to the brink of perdition” (1). Accordingly, because of Wycliffe’s great influence in the scholastic, collegiate setting and the religious spheres as well, the Catholic Church proceeded to denounce the university where he taught by threatening that it will cut off “all the favors, indulgences, and privileges granted” if Wycliffe is not removed and arrested (1). This is in fact, one example of how the Catholic Church was entangled within other spheres of life—not exclusively religious—and how they demonstrated control, dominance, and authority over such matters (1).
One of the main ideas that Wycliffe advocated against the Catholic doctrine was that the sacraments of bread and wine for communion retained no transubstantial properties whatsoever. He simply stated that the “material substance of bread and wine remains after consecration” because “Christ…is in his proper corporeal presence” (2). In addition, Wycliffe also attacked the hierarchy established within the Catholic church and concluded that it was a main reason for moral and doctrinal corruption of the church. He especially challenged the Catholic stratus of men who claimed to possess authority in spiritual matters. For instance, he says “no prelate ought to excommunicate any one unless he first knows that the man is excommunicated by God” (2). Another point cites, “that special prayers applied to one person by prelates or religious persons, are of no more value to the same person than general prayers for others in a like position are to him” (2). In these two passages, it is clear that Wycliffe is arguing that the position of man is ultimately made void in light of God—and especially since all people are caught in their sin. Therefore, there exists no leeway for any individual to hierarchically assume a greater position than another because sin equates all people before a holy God. In fact, Wycliffe further reinforces this idea by saying, “to assert that no one is a civil lord, no one is a bishop, no one is a prelate, so long as he is in mortal sin” (3). Moreover, Wycliffe also exposes the system of alms and tithe and how it is not being adequately, biblically used in the way that God intends it to be (18., 23., 24.).
Wycliffe’s bold, daring stance against the Catholic Church proves to be very significant because it seemed to send a message regarding the importance of the message that Wycliffe discovered—one that ultimately suggested the unorthodox teachings of the Catholic Church, which would hence, threaten the foundations of its sociopolitical stakes and potentially send it toppling to the ground. Indeed, it is interesting to note that Martin Luther and the momentous 95 theses were soon to follow in Wycliffe’s footsteps nearly 200 years later concerning the same issues. It is also interesting to observe how the rippling effect of reformative thought started as a small wake with Wycliffe, only to expand its radius and amass momentum over time into the many regions across Europe.
Personal Note
Isn’t it cool how God was moving then? Amidst the intense hardship, these leaders of the faith were even more intensely hard-pressed for truth–and thus, were willing to suffer whatever so that the invaluable truth of God’s Word might be known. Their heart shows us 1) The great value of truth in God’s Word 2) Leadership to the next generations–to do whatever it takes so that they might come to share in the treasure that we found–even if it costs us our lives–because it is more valuable than our lives in the first place.
