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Top 10 Facts about John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe was an English scholastic, philosopher, theologian, biblical translator, reformer, Catholic priest, and professor at the University of Oxford. During the 14th century, he was an influential figure within the Catholic priesthood. He was considered an important predecessor to Protestantism. John advocated for the translation of the Bible into the common vernacular language. The version is now known as Wycliffe’s Bible, it is debated that he may have translated the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. 

Many believe that he may have translated the entire New Testament. It is assumed that his associates translated the Old Testament. His followers adopted many of the beliefs attributed to John, they questioned the veneration of saints, monasticism, requiem masses, transubstantiation, monasticism, and the Papacy. 

John was characterized as the evening star of scholasticism and as the morning star of the English Reformation. His writings in Latin greatly influenced the philosophy and teaching of the Czech reformer Jan Hus.

Read more about the Protestantism spread to the world here.

1. The Genesis of His Career

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He received his early education close to his home, the time at which he first went to Oxford hasn’t been recorded but he is known to have been at Oxford in 1345. Many believe that he was at Oxford during the St. Scholastica Day riot. Archbishop Thomas Bradwrdine had a great impact on young John’s life and views and is still referred to by John later in life as his mentor.

2. He Lectured at Various University

John completed his arts degree at Merton College as a junior in 1356. In the same year, he produced a small trial treatise. His studies led him to the idea that the end of the 14th century would be the end of the world. John believed that it was an indictment of unworthy clergy. His opinion on those who replaced the clergy was uneducated and generally disreputable. 

In 1361, John was the Master of Balliol College. In the same year, he was presented by the college to the parish of Fillingham in Lincolnshire, which he visited rarely during long vacations from Oxford. John gave up the leadership of Balliol College, he is said to have had rooms in the buildings of The Queen’s College. He was granted a prebend at Aust in Westbury-on-Trym in 1362. 

In 1365, his performance led Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was placed at Canterbury Hall, where twelve young men were preparing for the priesthood. In December, Islip appointed John as warden. However, when Islip died the following year, his successor Simon, who was a man of monastic training, turned the leadership of the college over to a monk.  In 1368, he took over the rectory of Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire which enabled him to retain his connection with the university. He went on to translate the Bible into English.

3. He was a Clergy yet Involved in Politics

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He entered the political scene with his great work De civil dominion which drew arguments from the works of Richard FitzRalph. His ideas on lordship and church wealth caused his first official condemnation in 1377. John argued that the church had fallen into sin that it should give up all its properties and that the clergy should be in complete poverty.

John knew the tendency of high offices of state should be held by clerics. He was resented by many of the nobles who had their own reasons for wanting to maintain wealth and power.

4. John had many Conflict With Church Leaders

In May 1377, Pope Gregory XI sent five copies of a bull against John. One of the copies was to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other others were to the Bishop of London, King Edward III, the Chancellor, and the university. The action was a desperate attempt of putting pressure on King Edward to make peace with France.

King Edward III died on the 21 June 1377 and the bull against didn’t reach England before December. John was asked to give the King’s council his opinion on the matter. However, back at Oxford the Vice-Chancellor confined John for some time in Black Hall. His friends were able to obtain his release. Sir Lewis Clifford, n the name of the queen mother Joan of Kent, forbade the bishops to proceed with the sentence of John Wycliffe.

Read about another great man who had a conflict with Church Leaders here.

5. John’s Writings were Unique

John wrote his De Incarcerandis Fedelibus demanding that it should be legal for the excommunicated to appeal to the king and his council. In the writing, he wrote his 33 conclusions in Latin and English. He laid open the entire case and wrote it in a way that was understood by the laity.

John’s stand on the ideal of poverty became continually firmer and his temporal rule of the clergy. The writings were related to his book De officio regis and its content foreshadowed his 33 conclusions. The book was concerned with the reform of the church and his involvement in the influential part of the church. From 1380, he devoted himself to his writings that argued his rejection of transubstantiation.

6. There was an Anti-John Synod by other Church Leaders

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John was asked to limit his attacks on the wealth of the church and he was granted the support of part of the clergy and aristocracy. His view cost him the support of John of Gaunt and many others. However, after all the back and forth between John and the church came the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. The revolt was sparked in part by John’s preaching carried throughout the realm by “poor priests” who were appointed by John.

Even though John disapproved of the revolt, some of his disciples justified the killing of Simon Sudbury who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

7. John’s Declaration of Heresy was Critical 

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Before his death, he argued for scriptures as the authoritative center of Christianity. He claimed that the papacy was unhistorical and irredeemably corrupt ways. He believed that the moral unworthiness of priests invalidated their office and sacraments.

8.  John had Various Unique Works

John’s belief that scripture was the only authoritative reliable guide to the truth about God. He became involved in the efforts to translate the Bible into English. There is no doubt that his initiative to ensure the success of the project was due to his leadership skills.

It has been identified that John was the one who translated the New Testament which was smoother and clearer and more readable that the Old Testament which was written by his friend Nicholas of Hereford.

Read more about the bible here.

9. His Doctrines

John regarded the scriptures as the only reliable guide to the truth about God and maintained that all Christians should rely on the Bible. His preaching expressed a strong belief in predestination that enable him to declare an invisible church of the elect.

John believed that the Church was the totality of those who are predestined to blessedness. That there was one universal church and outside of it there was no salvation.

Read more about church doctrine here.

10. He Died while in the Â鶹APPh Church on Holy Innocent Day 

John died in Lutterworth while he was saying Mass in the parish church on Holy Innocents’ Day on 28 December 1384. He suffered a stroke and died a few days later. 

After his death, the council decreed that John’s works should be burned and his bodily removed from consecrated ground. The decree was confirmed by Pope Martin V and was carried out in 1428. His corpse was exhumed and burned and the ashes were cast into the River Swift which flows through Lutterworth.

In 1407, paintings representing John are from a later period. In the images, he appears wasted and physically weak.