John Wycliffe and the Lollards

Protestant

Origins of the Faith

John Wycliffe and the Lollards, sometimes referenced as the Lollard movement, were part of the early Reformation and a precursor to the Protestant Reformation. Calls for reform rooted from the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church and the clergy. Throughout the Middle Ages, many argued that the Church had become too wealthy and powerful and urged monasteries, convents, bishoprics, and the papacy to give up their property and focus on service to the poor. They were very wealthy and possessed a great amount of land despite the popular belief that the Church should be poor. The pope was also interfering with the state's affairs, influencing secular powers. Even in the Avignon papacy of France, there were commissions and the squandering of money by unfit priests. The Protestant faith originated from the problems of the Church and was accepted as reformers gained support and continued to spread the Protestant ideas throughout Europe.

Beliefs of the Faith

The beliefs of Wycliffe often coincided with those of Martin Luther who would catalyze the reformation two centuries later. Wycliffe believed in the separation of Church and State, the redistribution of ecclesiastical properties, and rejected the church hierarchy. His views on the wealth of the Church endangered its land and revenue, but gained support from the English nobility and crown. Similar to the Protestant reformers like Luther, Wycliffe declared that the only way to salvation was the Bible unlike the Catholic belief of faith and good works. Furthermore, he proclaimed that the Bible was the sole source of religious authority, renouncing transubstantiation, effectiveness of mass, and the rituals, rites, and ceremonies. This would later become a central belief to the Protestants who rejected Catholic teachings about the sacraments but believed that only baptism and the Eucharist have scriptural support. As well as arguing against the church hierarchy, Wycliffe declared that there is only one universal church and that the pope had no spiritual authority. Finally, he was a also a proponent of preaching in English, rather than Latin and also made the first translation of the Bible.

Locations

"Lollardry in England and Scotland"

The Protestant Reformation in Europe

Protestant -

The name originally given to Lutherans, which came to mean all non-Catholic Western Christian groups.

John Wycliffe and the Lollards garnered interest and support all throughout England from the partisans as well as the lower class.

The Protestant Reformation itself had swept through the majority of Europe, influencing Denmark-Norway, Germany, England, France, Sweden, and eastern Europe. The states of the Holy Roman Empire were the first places to accept the Protestant Reformation.

Political Issues

In 1365, Pope Urban V in Rome claimed the feudal tribute which was supposed to be paid and demanded financial support from England who was trying to raise money for a possible French attack. Wycliffe advised his local lord, John of Gaunt, to tell Parliament not to comply. He argued that the church was already too wealthy despite the belief that the Church should be poor. He stated that the local English authorities should keep the taxes. Although these opinions caused Wycliffe to be charged of heresy and taken to London, it increased the protests against the wealthy Church: taxes were sent to the Church, monasteries were rich, and revenue was collected from the offices. Eventually, Parliament refused to comply with the claim and refused to subject to any foreign powers. Later, the Pope dropped his claim. Furthermore, along with clerical ignorance and immortality, offices in the church were being sold or given

as political favors.

Precursor

Reformation

John Wycliffe

and the Lollards

Roles of John Wycliffe and the Lollards

During the 1300's, one of the major heresies led by John Wycliffe in England began. He was a philosopher, theologian, preacher, and teacher at Oxford.Wycliffe believed that the Bible should be available to everyone and took part in the first English translation of the Bible in the common language. The Lollards were the poor preachers and successive followers of Wycliffe who continued to spread his ideas while preaching in English, rather than Latin. Wycliffe and Lollards mainly had an impact on England. They spread various ideas like the focus of Scripture, rejection of sacraments, redistribution of ecclesiastical properties, and objection to the church hierarchy. They were also supporters of the separation of Church and state. Popular and supported by many Englishmen as well as the nobility, Wycliffe and the Lollards were able to initiate a reform of the Church in England. Although Wycliffe died before the Church could act against him, the Lollards continued his works. A century later, his beliefs would become the central convictions of the English Protestant Reformation. John Wycliffe was one of the most influential figures of the reformation who set a precedent for future reformers like Martin Luther to follow.

Reformation

John Wycliffe

and the Lollards

to

the

Protestant

[1320-1384]