A Sharp Detector of Error
Wycliffe was a sharp detector of error and struck fearlessly against abuses that Rome approved. While chaplain for the king, he took a bold stand against payment of tribute that the pope claimed from the English king. Papal claims of authority over secular rulers were contrary to both reason and revelation. The demands of the pope had stirred up resentment, and Wycliffe's teachings influenced the leading minds of the nation. The king and the nobles united in refusing to pay the tribute.LF 38.1
Begging friars swarmed over England, eroding the greatness and prosperity of the nation. The monks’ lives of idleness and beggary were not only a drain on the resources of the people, they brought contempt on useful labor. Youth were demoralized and corrupted. Many were persuaded to devote themselves to a monastic life not only without the consent of their parents, but even without their knowledge and against their commands. By this “monstrous inhumanity,” as Luther later called it, “savoring more of the wolf and the tyrant than of the Christian and the man,” the hearts of children were steeled against their parents.1Barnas Sears, The Life of Luther, pages 70, 69.LF 38.2
The monks deceived even students in the universities and got them to join their orders. Once caught in the snare, it was impossible to break free. Many parents refused to send their sons to the universities. The schools declined, and ignorance prevailed.LF 38.3
The pope had empowered these monks to hear confessions and grant pardon—a source of great evil. The friars, eager for money, were so ready to grant forgiveness that criminals turned to them, and the worst vices rapidly increased. Gifts that should have helped the sick and the poor went to the monks. The wealth of the friars was constantly increasing, and their magnificent buildings and luxurious tables made the growing poverty of the nation more obvious. Yet the friars continued to keep their hold on the superstitious people and led them to believe that all religious duty consisted of acknowledging the supremacy of the pope, adoring the saints, and making gifts to the monks. This was enough to secure a place in heaven!LF 38.4
Wycliffe, with clear insight, struck at the root of the evil, declaring that the system itself was false and should be abolished. His efforts awakened discussion and inquiry. Many began to question whether they should not seek pardon from God rather than from the pope of Rome (see Appendix). “The monks and priests of Rome,” they said, “are eating us away like a cancer. God must deliver us, or the people will perish.”2J. H. Merle D'Aubigné, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, book 17, chapter 7. Begging monks claimed they were following the Savior's example, saying that Jesus and His disciples had been supported by the gifts of the people. This claim led many to the Bible to learn the truth for themselves.LF 38.5
Wycliffe began to write and publish tracts against the friars, to call the people to the teachings of the Bible and its Author. There was no more effective way that he could have used to overthrow that mammoth system that the pope had erected, in which millions were held captive.LF 38.6
To defend the rights of the English crown against the encroachments of Rome, Wycliffe was appointed a royal ambassador to the Netherlands. Here he came into contact with churchmen from France, Italy, and Spain, and had opportunity to look behind the scenes and learn many things that had been hidden from him in England. In these representatives from the papal court he read the true character of the church's leadership. He returned to England to repeat his earlier teachings with greater zeal, declaring that pride and deception were the gods of Rome.LF 39.1
After Wycliffe returned to England, the king appointed him to the rectory of Lutterworth. This assured him that his plain speaking had not displeased the king. Wycliffe's influence helped to mold the belief of the nation.LF 39.2
The pope was soon hurling thunders against him, dispatching three edicts (“bulls”) that commanded immediate action to silence the teacher of “heresy.”3Augustus Neander, General History of the Christian Religion and Church, period 6, section 2, part 1, paragraph 8. See also Appendix.LF 39.3
The arrival of the papal bulls put all England under a command to imprison the heretic (see Appendix). It appeared certain that Wycliffe must soon fall to Rome's vengeance. But the same God who declared to Abram, “Do not be afraid.... I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1), stretched out His hand to protect His servant. Death came, not to the Reformer, but to the pope who had ordered his destruction.LF 39.4
The death of Gregory XI was followed by the election of two rival popes (see Appendix). Each called for the faithful to make war on the other, enforcing his demands by terrible curses against his enemies and promises of rewards in heaven for his supporters. The rival factions had all they could do to attack each other, and for a while Wycliffe had rest.LF 39.5
This division, with all the strife and corruption it caused, prepared the way for the Reformation by letting people see what the papacy really was. Wycliffe called the people to consider whether these two popes were not speaking the truth in condemning each other as the antichrist.LF 39.6
Determined to have the light carried to every part of England, Wycliffe organized a group of preachers—simple, devout men who loved the truth and wanted to spread it. These men, teaching in market places, in the streets of the great cities, and in country lanes, went looking for the old, the sick, and the poor, and opened to them the good news of God's grace.LF 39.7
At Oxford, Wycliffe preached the Word of God at the university. He received the title of “the Gospel Doctor.” But the greatest work of his life was to be the translation of the Scriptures into English, so that everyone in England could read the wonderful works of God.LF 39.8