II. Wyclif: Death—Unconscious Sleep, Not Anguish in Purgatory

JOHN WYCLIF (c. 1324-1384), acclaimed “the Morning Star of the Reformation,” was a star of first magnitude, shining in solitary splendor amid the early gray dawn of the increasing evangelical light. He was unquestionably the most influential religious personage of the fourteenth century. First a student at Oxford, then long a teacher there, he was chaplain to the king and adviser to Parliament. And to him we owe our first Bible in English. His sound scholarship and wide scope of training was acknowledged by all. And he was versed not only in scholastic philosophy and the canons of the church but in civil law, as well. Here the records are reliable and clear.CFF2 50.3

Picture 1: Wyclif, Pomponatius
Left: John Wyclif (d. 1384), Morning Star of the Reformation—Death an Unconscious Sleep Till Resurrection.
Right: Petrus Pomponatius (d. 1524), Italian Phlisopher—Precipitates Crisis Over Immortalitiy Issue.
Page 51CFF2 51

Wyclif’s knowledge of philosophy enabled him to expose its errors with devastating logic. And his skill in civil and ecclesiastical law prepared him to champion not only religious liberty for all but the civil rights of the crown, and to deny the papal claim of authority over civil rulers. Understanding the tactics of the schoolmen, he was in a position to counter them through his learning and to command the respect of foe, as well as friend. His championship of neglected and forgotten truths consequently compelled a hearing by the leading minds of the nation. Enemies could not cast contempt upon the causes he championed and the positions he espoused by charging either ignorance or weakness. He was acknowledged by all as an intellectual giant.CFF2 51.1

At the university Wyclif had been strangely drawn toward Sacred Scripture. Dissatisfied with his meager knowledge of the Word, he entered upon Bible study with characteristic thoroughness. There he found a glorious revelation of Christ, with salvation for men in Him, and only in Him. Wyclif did not at first see the significance of his studies or sense the inevitable conclusions to which they would lead. But this much was clear: Rome had incontrovertibly forsaken the Word for tradition.CFF2 52.1

And he saw, further, that the errors of Rome were in basic conflict with the Bible. He felt impelled to accuse the priesthood of withholding the Scriptures from the people, and to demand their rightful restoration. True religion, he contended, is a personal relationship between the individual and God, and should be free from the control of the priests. Repudiation of papal error was inevitable.CFF2 52.2

Wyclif lived a crowded life. In 1361 he was master of Balliol College and lecturer on Scripture, resigning to become vicar of Fillingham. In 1365 he was warder of Canterbury Hall, and in 1368 rector of Ludgershall. In 1372 he received the degree of Doctor of Theology. He had already begun openly to censure the corruptions of the Roman Church and to advocate pure doctrine and soul freedom. Because of his ability as a teacher and his eloquence as a preacher, his influence grew. And his remarkable knowledge of Scripture, together with the clarity of his reasoning and teaching and his exemplary life and personal integrity, won the confidence of the populace. But it also stirred the anger of the priesthood.CFF2 52.3