John Wycliffe

For the Bible is the faith of the Church, and the more widely it becomes known the better it will be. Therefore since the laity should know the faith, it should be taught in whatever language is most easily understood." - John Wycliffe

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Synopsis: John Wycliffe (also spelled Wyclif) was an important Christian leader who lived from 1324 to 1384. He "lived almost 200 years before the Reformation, but his beliefs and teachings closely match those of Luther, Calvin and other Reformers. As a man ahead of his time, historians have called Wycliffe the "Morning star of the Reformation."

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Wyclif's Bible

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John Wycliffe (also spelled Wyclif) was an important Christian leader who lived from 1324 to 1384. He "lived almost 200 years before the Reformation, but his beliefs and teachings closely match those of Luther, Calvin and other Reformers. As a man ahead of his time, historians have called Wycliffe the "Morning star of the Reformation."

He criticized false teachings in the Church. In 1382 he translated an English Bible - Wyclif's Bible. This was the first new European translation in 1,000 years. He sent itinerant preachers throughout England known as the Lollards who inspired a spiritual revolution. This movement was not long-lived however, and the Church removed him from his teaching position at Oxford.

Quotes

By John Wycliffe

Those Heretics who pretend that the laity do not need to know God’s law, and that the things which priests have told them is enough, do not deserve to be listened to. For the Bible is the faith of the Church, and the more widely it becomes known the better it will be. Therefore since the laity should know the faith, it should be taught in whatever language is most easily understood.

Links

• John Wycliffe's Bible
• The History of the English Bible, Part I: From Wycliffe to King James (The Period of Challenge)
• The Morningstar of the Reformation: John Wycliffe (PDF), by Christopher Lensch

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