Wycliffe
John Wycliffe (1320-1384) "The Morning star of the Reformation" born of Saxon
blood in Hipswell, England. He entered Balliol College as a student and later
became master. He was soon esteemed the ablest member of the faculty and having
become a doctor of theology he was given appointment by the king to the rectory
of Lutterworth.
Soon he began to speak as a religious reformer, preaching in Oxford and London
against the pope's secular sovereignty and publicizing his ideas by tracts and
leaflets. In 1377 the pope condemned Wycliffe's writings. But Wycliffe had
strong support from the people, the scholars, and the nobles of England. He
provided England with a new and "pure" Gospel, establishing the Bible as the only
source of truth and stating that the clergy were not to rule, but to serve the
people. He also denounced the doctrines of transubstantiation and purgatory and
many others. He raised up preachers from the students at Oxford known as "the
Lollards" and spent most of his time writing and translating.
He died in 1384 having "lit a fire which shall never be put out." The Catholic
Church ordered his books burned and his body exhumed and burned.
Nevertheless, about 150 copies of Wycliffe's version have survived, but only
one is complete.