It has stood the test of time.
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God's book.
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The Bible.
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Still relevant in
today's complex world.
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It is written sharing
hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me today.
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I4m John Bradshaw and
this is It Is Written.
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In the north of England,
about half way between Leeds
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and Newcastle in North
Yorkshire, is the little
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village of Hipswell.
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It's an unremarkable place
as far as English villages go -
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bucolic, surrounded by
beautiful countryside, it4s
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slow, it4s peaceful...
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nothing you wouldn't expect
to see in an English village.
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But there's something that
sets little Hipswell apart.
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It's the home of one of the
most remarkable men in all of
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history, certainly in
terms of his contribution to
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British society and
his role in Christianity.
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In Hipswell long ago, a
fire began burning that would
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eventually burn so bright
it would illuminate all of
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England, and by
extension, the entire world.
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John Wycliffe was
born here or hereabouts.
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His family most likely
hailed from the area known as
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Wycliffe, about half an
hour north of here on the Tees
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River.
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And from this unlikely place
of origin John Wycliffe went
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on to become known as
the Morning Star of the
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Reformation - an advocate
for the rights of the people, a
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denouncer of the abuses in
the church, a defender of the
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King of England and a
fearless preacher of God's
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word.
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Wycliffe's greatest
contribution to the world is
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that he put the word of God
into the hands of the people
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- a people who didn't have
the word of God and who were
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held in
tradition and superstition.
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If you've ever held a Bible
in your hands, if you've ever
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treasured the precious
promises found in the Word of
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God, if your heart has ever
been warmed by the beauty of
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Scripture, you probably find
it hard to imagine a society
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where God's
word is not welcomed.
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But 14th Century
England was a different world.
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John Wycliffe was born in
around 1328 - that's shortly
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after the death of Marco Polo.
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The king at the time was
Edward the 3rd, who came to
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the throne when he
was just 15 years of age.
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England was locked
in some bitter disputes.
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This was just after the
time of William Wallace -
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Braveheart - and around
the time of Robert the Bruce -
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and wars with Scotland
and France raged during
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Wycliffe's early life.
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Then in the middle of the
14th Century the Black Death
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struck England, killing
somewhere between a third or
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a half of England's population.
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The peasant class at the time
were essentially slaves, and
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the influence of the
ruling church was enormous.
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The Catholic Church
essentially controlled the
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country, and by later in the
14th Century the the pope was
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receiving 5 times as much
gold from the government of
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England as was the King.
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And when it came to the
teaching of God's word...
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well the people were living
in superstition and fear, as
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priests as well as traveling
monks and friars kept the
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people in spiritual darkness.
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It was a common practice
for these monks to sell pardon
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for sins.
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As a result, they often
lived a luxurious life, fleecing
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the flock instead of teaching
the flock instead of teaching
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the flock.
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The monks were barely
less ignorant of the things of
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heaven than the people were,
and the people were kept in
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spiritual darkness.
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But out of the darkness that
was 14th Century England, God
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caused a bright light to shine.
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The Morning Star of the
Reformation brought light to
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a nation and truth to
the world - and from England,
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John Wycliffe's teachings
would shine light into the
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hearts of men
and women everywhere.
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John Wycliffe
was a revolutionary.
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And what John Wycliffe gave
the world still speaks to us
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today....
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When Wycliffe arrived here
as a student at Oxford, the
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University was
already 150 years old.
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When he came here there
were 30,000 students here.
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By the time the Black Death
had done its work, there were
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only 10,000.
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At it was while he was a
student at Oxford that John
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Wycliffe started to develop
as a champion of the word of
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God.
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John Wycliffe studied here
at Balliol College, which was
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founded in 1263.
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Five Balliol Students
have gone on to win the Nobel
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Prize - the most of any of
Oxford's colleges - as have 7
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faculty members.
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Three British Prime Ministers
studied here, including
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Edward Heath and
Harold McMillan, London's Lord
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Mayor, Boris Johnson, as well
as authors Aldous Huxley and
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Graham Greene, and -
curiously - the noted atheist
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Richard Dawkins
also studied here.
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Wycliffe was a brilliant
student, and studied not only
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philosophy and civil
law, but church law as well.
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He became known as "The
Flower of Oxford" owing to
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his academic excellence.
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And it was here at Balliol
in Oxford that John Wycliffe
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began to study the Bible.
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In those days, the Word of
God was only written in the
00:05:58.93\00:06:01.90
ancient languages - and
while the uneducated masses
00:06:01.90\00:06:05.06
couldn't access or understand
the Word of God, scholars in
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some cases, could.
00:06:08.50\00:06:10.93
Wycliffe found in the Bible
clear evidence demonstrating
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that the Bible as the Word
of God and that Jesus Christ as
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the only hope for the sinner.
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He wrote these words,
"Trust wholly in Christ, rely
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altogether on His sufferings;
beware of seeking to be
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justified in any other
way than by His righteousness.
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Faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ is sufficient for
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salvation." And he
came to the conclusion that
00:06:39.53\00:06:42.86
confession to a
priest was not necessary.
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"Privy confession made to
priests is not needful," he
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wrote, "but brought in late
by the Fiend: for Christ used
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it not, nor any of His
apostles after Him." While
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early in his career at Oxford
these thoughts did not become
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issues for John Wycliffe, his
study of the Word of God soon
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set him on a collision
course with the Roman Catholic
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Church, which dominated
not only British life and
00:07:11.63\00:07:15.20
religion, but also
British politics as well.
00:07:15.20\00:07:18.16
At the time, the papacy
controlled both the church
00:07:18.16\00:07:26.20
and the state in England.
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Many church leaders were
fabulously wealthy and acted
00:07:28.23\00:07:30.93
essentially as
lords over the nation.
00:07:30.93\00:07:33.86
Growing up, Wycliffe likely
thought little of this, but
00:07:33.86\00:07:37.60
exposure to the Bible
caused him to think carefully.
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As a child what he learned
of religion wouldn't have been
00:07:42.50\00:07:45.86
much better than myths
and stories and moral lessons.
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The clergy themselves were
not generally noted for their
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piety, and Wycliffe realized
there was a serious blight on
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society that was going to
have to be confronted - the
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swarms of friars, men who
belonged to religious orders
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and depended on the charity
of the population to survive.
00:08:04.43\00:08:09.60
Now while the general
principle of the orders of
00:08:09.60\00:08:12.43
the friars doesn't seem to
be harmless enough - men who
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were devoted to living
lives of poverty and devoted to
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helping the poor - Wycliffe
realized that these men were
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a drain on society.
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They were a
corrupting influence.
00:08:21.93\00:08:24.80
They were idle, and rather
than helping anybody at all,
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they spent their time
getting and gaining and living
00:08:27.70\00:08:30.76
riotous lives.
00:08:30.76\00:08:31.93
The pope had given the
friars the authority to hear
00:08:31.93\00:08:36.26
confessions and
grant pardon for sins.
00:08:36.26\00:08:39.00
This unBiblical system
could only be corrupted - and it
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was.
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The worst sinners were
"absolved" of their sins for
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sums of money, while the
friars continued to invent
00:08:47.30\00:08:50.70
stories and legends and
tales so they could further
00:08:50.70\00:08:54.60
manipulate the ignorant masses.
00:08:54.60\00:08:57.46
This further strengthened
the hold of the ruling church.
00:08:57.46\00:09:00.06
Ignorant people can't find
answers when they don't even
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know what questions to ask.
00:09:03.13\00:09:05.26
Being told that all you had
to do to go to heaven was to
00:09:05.26\00:09:07.56
acknowledge the supremacy
of the pope, give money to the
00:09:07.56\00:09:10.43
friars and adore the saints,
didn't cause people to rely
00:09:10.43\00:09:13.86
on Jesus or be interested
in genuine conversion.
00:09:13.86\00:09:17.60
Who needed any of that
when you can buy your way into
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heaven?
00:09:20.63\00:09:21.73
Now John Wycliffe wasn't the
first to notice or to protest
00:09:21.73\00:09:25.06
the corruptions of the
friars, but he would be the
00:09:25.06\00:09:28.13
one to do the most to curb
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their excesses.
00:09:38.26\00:09:44.26
Music Wycliffe understood
that what the people needed
00:09:47.43\00:09:54.30
was the word of God.
00:09:54.30\00:09:55.30
This was the one thing
that could free them from the
00:09:55.30\00:09:58.03
tyranny of the friars.
00:09:58.03\00:09:59.20
It would liberate them from
popes and from purgatory and
00:09:59.20\00:10:02.86
from purchase for pardon.
00:10:02.86\00:10:05.10
But how in the world could
he get the word of God into the
00:10:05.10\00:10:07.23
hands of the people?
00:10:07.23\00:10:08.23
Wycliffe knew what the Bible
meant when it said in Psalm
00:10:08.23\00:10:11.63
119:130, "The entrance of
Your words gives light; It
00:10:11.63\00:10:17.40
gives understanding." What
the people needed was God's
00:10:17.40\00:10:20.90
word.
00:10:20.90\00:10:21.90
The one thing that not
even money couldn't buy.
00:10:21.90\00:10:25.30
So John Wyycliffe took
the word of God to the people.
00:10:25.30\00:10:30.03
He preached to them publicly
in places such as St Paul's
00:10:30.03\00:10:34.86
Cross, in the church out
here in St Paul's Cathedral in
00:10:34.86\00:10:38.03
London.
00:10:38.03\00:10:39.03
Now this is not the same
St Paul's as stood when John
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Wycliffe was here - this
is the new model, designed by
00:10:42.23\00:10:45.80
Sir Christopher Wren and
rebuilt after the Great Fire
00:10:45.80\00:10:48.86
of London in 1666.
00:10:48.86\00:10:50.83
But it was here in the church
yard at St. Paul4s Cathedral,
00:10:50.83\00:10:55.10
at St. Paul4s Cross,
that John Wycliffe publicly
00:10:55.10\00:10:58.33
preached God4s Word.
00:10:58.33\00:10:59.36
A plaque commemorates the
very spot that he stood and
00:10:59.36\00:11:03.10
preached.
00:11:03.10\00:11:04.10
His preaching had a dramatic
effect on those who heard.
00:11:04.10\00:11:07.50
It wasn't the pointless
prattle of the friars, it was
00:11:07.50\00:11:11.36
the pure word of God.
00:11:11.36\00:11:13.30
Those who listened knew
that they were listening to
00:11:13.30\00:11:16.80
something of divine origin.
00:11:16.80\00:11:18.50
But how would the Bible get
into the hands of the people?
00:11:18.50\00:11:21.73
Wycliffe had an idea.
00:11:21.73\00:11:23.80
It was a bold idea.
00:11:23.80\00:11:25.73
It was an idea that
would change England forever.
00:11:25.73\00:11:33.86
In Matthew 4:4 the Word of
God says "It is written 'Man
00:11:33.86\00:11:37.70
shall not live by bread
alone but by every word that
00:11:37.70\00:11:41.43
proceeds out of the mouth
of God'." Every Word is a one
00:11:41.43\00:11:45.30
minute Bible-based
daily devotional presented by
00:11:45.30\00:11:48.20
Pastor John Bradshaw and
designed especially for busy
00:11:48.20\00:11:52.06
people like you.
00:11:52.06\00:11:53.50
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch it
00:11:53.50\00:11:58.33
on-line everyday on our
website itiswritten.com.
00:11:58.33\00:12:01.33
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:12:01.33\00:12:04.23
Watch Every Word.
00:12:04.23\00:12:05.23
You'll be glad you did.
00:12:05.23\00:12:07.83
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:12:07.83\00:12:09.93
I4m John Bradshaw and today,
we're looking at the life and
00:12:09.93\00:12:13.03
the ministry and the message
of John Wycliffe, the Morning
00:12:13.03\00:12:16.43
Star of the Reformation -
the man who brought the Bible to
00:12:16.43\00:12:19.56
the people of England.
00:12:19.56\00:12:21.16
Wycliffe realized that the
Bible could be powerful, not
00:12:21.16\00:12:24.16
only in the life of the
individual but in a society,
00:12:24.16\00:12:27.96
and also in an entire nation.
00:12:27.96\00:12:30.06
After becoming the Master
at Balliol College in Oxford,
00:12:30.06\00:12:36.73
Wycliffe pursued
his theological studies,
00:12:36.73\00:12:40.06
eventually becoming
a Doctor of Divinity.
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.60
And not only was
he relentless in his
00:12:42.60\00:12:45.26
condemnation of the practices
of the mendicant friars,
00:12:45.26\00:12:47.80
Wycliffe believed
strongly that the church had no
00:12:47.80\00:12:51.16
business receiving
tribute money from a sovereign
00:12:51.16\00:12:53.60
government.
00:12:53.60\00:12:54.60
In the year1365, Pope Urban
the 5th demanded that England
00:12:54.60\00:13:00.33
submit entirely to the
authority of the Church of
00:13:00.33\00:13:03.03
Rome - which would be an
admission that the pope was
00:13:03.03\00:13:11.20
the legitimate
sovereign of England.
00:13:11.20\00:13:15.30
John Wycliffe was strenuous
in his opposition to the
00:13:15.30\00:13:18.23
Roman Church exercising
power over the English crown.
00:13:18.23\00:13:21.10
Add to that his Bible
teachings that collided with
00:13:21.10\00:13:24.50
the doctrines of the Catholic
Church, and Wycliffe became
00:13:24.50\00:13:27.60
to be viewed as more than
a thorn in the flesh of the
00:13:27.60\00:13:30.50
Church of Rome - by the
time he became the rector of the
00:13:30.50\00:13:33.53
church in Lutterworth,
Wycliffe was considered to be
00:13:33.53\00:13:36.43
a heretic.
00:13:36.43\00:13:37.43
Which was not surprising -
after all, Wycliffe had begun
00:13:37.43\00:13:43.10
to teach that the pope of
Rome was the antichrist of
00:13:43.10\00:13:49.63
the Bible.
00:13:49.63\00:13:50.80
He even claimed the
pope was the man of sin in 2
00:13:50.80\00:13:57.93
Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:13:57.93\00:14:00.60
[Music] Things have changed
a little since John Wycliffe
00:14:00.60\00:14:02.90
came here to petition
Parliament to remove all of
00:14:02.90\00:14:05.16
the wealth of the church
and bring it under the power of
00:14:05.16\00:14:07.86
the Crown.
00:14:07.86\00:14:09.86
The Parliament Buildings you
see today weren't here in the
00:14:11.43\00:14:14.36
14th Century.
00:14:14.36\00:14:15.36
The Palace of Westminster -
as Parliament is known - was
00:14:15.36\00:14:19.16
built in the 19th Century.
00:14:19.16\00:14:21.16
Big Ben is just
over 150 years old.
00:14:22.93\00:14:27.60
Westminster Abbey was
standing when Wycliffe came
00:14:27.60\00:14:30.06
here to Parliament - in fact,
Richard the 2nd, the king who
00:14:30.06\00:14:33.90
was reigning when Wycliffe
died, is buried in there but
00:14:33.90\00:14:37.73
there was no Buckingham
Palace, or much that you'd
00:14:37.73\00:14:41.06
recognize in London today.
00:14:41.06\00:14:42.80
It was a very different place.
00:14:42.80\00:14:45.96
In 1377 John Wycliffe came
here to this area to address
00:14:45.96\00:14:50.46
the Parliament with regard
to the pope's claims to have
00:14:50.46\00:14:53.23
authority over England.
00:14:53.23\00:14:54.46
John Wycliffe lead the
movement to turn back the
00:14:54.46\00:14:59.56
demands of Rome, and in fact
he called upon Parliament to
00:14:59.56\00:15:05.86
reform the relationship
between church and state.
00:15:05.86\00:15:09.83
And that was truly historic.
00:15:09.83\00:15:12.63
Wycliffe told Parliament
that the national resources were
00:15:12.63\00:15:15.93
for the nation, and not for
a foreign power like the church
00:15:15.93\00:15:19.20
of Rome.
00:15:19.20\00:15:20.40
He said that Rome was wealthy
enough already, and that if
00:15:20.40\00:15:23.16
anyone should be entitled
to the type of taxes that Rome
00:15:23.16\00:15:26.43
was demanding, it ought
be the government and not the
00:15:26.43\00:15:29.13
church.
00:15:29.13\00:15:30.20
Especially at a time that
England was trying to finance
00:15:30.20\00:15:33.16
a war very
expensive war against France.
00:15:33.16\00:15:35.46
And Wycliff believed that
the people really needed to be
00:15:35.46\00:15:39.83
able to read and study and
interpret the Scriptures for
00:15:39.83\00:15:43.26
themselves.
00:15:43.26\00:15:45.33
But how were they ever
going to be able to do that?
00:15:45.33\00:15:49.10
[Music]??????
Wycliffe incurred the
00:15:50.73\00:16:07.23
wrath of the church.
00:16:07.23\00:16:08.36
He had been teaching that
the friars were a blight on
00:16:08.36\00:16:11.00
society.
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.00
He taught and wrote that
priests had no authority to
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.53
forgive sins.
00:16:14.53\00:16:15.80
And he was strenuously
opposed to the sale of
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.96
indulgences, when people
would buy forgiveness, when
00:16:17.96\00:16:21.96
the monks would
sell the pardon of God.
00:16:21.96\00:16:26.36
""It is plain to me
that our prelates in granting
00:16:26.36\00:16:29.16
indulgences do commonly
blaspheme the wisdom of God,"
00:16:29.16\00:16:32.93
he said.
00:16:32.93\00:16:33.93
Related to this he said,
"Private confession ... was not
00:16:33.93\00:16:37.80
ordered by Christ and was
not used by the apostles."
00:16:37.80\00:16:41.53
He taught that the mass
was blasphemous and that the
00:16:41.53\00:16:45.43
eucharist - the communion
wafer - was not really the
00:16:45.43\00:16:48.50
actual body of Jesus.
00:16:48.50\00:16:50.66
The Roman Catholic Church
taught - teaches - that when
00:16:50.66\00:16:53.70
the bread and wine are
consecrated they become the
00:16:53.70\00:16:56.03
true body and the
true blood of Jesus.
00:16:56.03\00:16:58.90
Wycliffe's
understanding was different.
00:16:58.90\00:17:02.26
"The bread while becoming
by virtue of Christ's words the
00:17:02.26\00:17:05.80
body of Christ does not
cease to be bread," he stated.
00:17:05.80\00:17:09.76
And Rome was not happy.
00:17:09.76\00:17:12.80
In fact, even some of
Wycliffe's defenders urged
00:17:12.80\00:17:16.23
him to turn down the volume,
but by now he was committed
00:17:16.23\00:17:20.06
to speaking against
what he believed to be the
00:17:20.06\00:17:22.73
inconsistencies of the church.
00:17:22.73\00:17:25.00
Wycliffe was eventually
kicked out of Oxford - which
00:17:25.00\00:17:32.53
had been pressured by the
church to have nothing to do
00:17:32.53\00:17:34.93
with him.
00:17:34.93\00:17:36.03
After speaking to Parliament,
he was summoned to a church
00:17:36.03\00:17:39.00
trial here at Lambeth Palace
- the official residence of
00:17:39.00\00:17:43.13
the Archbishop of Canterbury
and just across the river
00:17:43.13\00:17:46.26
from Parliament buildings-
but his enemies were unable
00:17:46.26\00:17:49.70
to silence him.
00:17:49.70\00:17:50.70
The Morning Star would
continue to shine for truth.
00:17:50.70\00:17:54.33
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Our toll-free number again
is 1-800-992-2219 and our web
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address: www.hislegacy.com He
00:18:44.00\00:18:50.00
returned here to his
parish in Lutterworth.
00:18:52.30\00:18:55.16
His 'poor priests' -
the Lollards - were sent by
00:18:55.16\00:18:58.60
Wycliffe to preach the gospel
all over England, and truth
00:18:58.60\00:19:02.33
began to flourish where error
and superstition had been so
00:19:02.33\00:19:06.03
powerful.
00:19:06.03\00:19:07.40
Wycliff not only preached
but he wrote prodigiously in an
00:19:07.40\00:19:11.70
effort to share the Word of
God and its liberating power
00:19:11.70\00:19:15.00
with as many people as possible.
00:19:15.00\00:19:18.00
[Music] From this now
very historic building John
00:19:26.36\00:19:29.90
Wycliffe
ministered to the world.
00:19:29.90\00:19:32.40
His influence was felt,
obviously, here in England,
00:19:32.40\00:19:35.43
but it was Wycliffe's ideas
that influenced another great
00:19:35.43\00:19:38.60
early reformer, John
Huss, in what is now the Czech
00:19:38.60\00:19:41.96
Republic.
00:19:41.96\00:19:43.96
The Queen of England, in
Wycliffe's later years, was
00:19:45.33\00:19:48.13
Anne of Bohemia, which
is where Huss was from.
00:19:48.13\00:19:52.33
Oxford students from Bohemia
took Wycliffe's ideas back to
00:19:52.33\00:19:55.66
their homeland, where they
were shared by Huss and had a
00:19:55.66\00:19:59.46
major impact in Europe.
00:19:59.46\00:20:00.70
But Wycliffe's work
was suddenly stopped.
00:20:00.70\00:20:05.23
Just short of his 60th
birthday John Wycliff came
00:20:05.23\00:20:08.03
down with an illness
that appeared as though it was
00:20:08.03\00:20:10.46
going to take his life.
00:20:10.46\00:20:12.60
The monks were jubilant.
00:20:12.60\00:20:14.73
They came here to Lutterworth
and they gathered around
00:20:14.73\00:20:17.40
Wycliffe's -- what
they thought was Wycliffe's
00:20:17.40\00:20:19.46
deathbed, and they said to
him, "You have death on your
00:20:19.46\00:20:23.56
lips.
00:20:23.56\00:20:24.86
Retract now in our presence
all the things that you have
00:20:24.86\00:20:28.20
said to our hurt." Wycliffe
raised himself up from his
00:20:28.20\00:20:32.63
bed and he said, "I shall
not die, but live; and again
00:20:32.63\00:20:39.23
declare the evil deeds of
the friars." The monks hurried
00:20:39.23\00:20:43.56
out, and Wycliffe recovered
and went to work on the
00:20:43.56\00:20:46.53
project that would have
the greatest influence of
00:20:46.53\00:20:48.90
anything that he had
ever done in England.
00:20:48.90\00:20:51.33
With the help of some close
friends, John Wycliffe went
00:20:51.33\00:20:54.40
to work on translating
the Bible into the language of
00:20:54.40\00:20:57.83
the day.
00:20:57.83\00:20:58.83
The one who had been known
as the 'Gospel Doctor" committed
00:20:58.83\00:21:02.13
himself to sharing that
gospel with as many people as
00:21:02.13\00:21:05.16
he possibly could.
00:21:05.16\00:21:07.00
John Wycliffe's dream
was that everybody in England
00:21:07.00\00:21:11.00
would have the opportunity
to read the Scriptures in their
00:21:11.00\00:21:14.50
own language.
00:21:14.50\00:21:16.50
Still a couple of hundred of
years before the invention of
00:21:18.73\00:21:21.26
the printing press, it was
here in Lutterworth that John
00:21:21.26\00:21:24.73
Wycliffe translated the Bible
from the Latin into English.
00:21:24.73\00:21:29.10
The Scriptures were
copied slowly by hand.
00:21:29.10\00:21:32.23
There were some people
who were able to buy an entire
00:21:32.23\00:21:34.23
copy of the Bible while
others were able to secure
00:21:34.23\00:21:36.86
just a portion.
00:21:36.86\00:21:38.73
But John Wycliffe's
dream was being realized.
00:21:38.73\00:21:41.30
The Word of God was making
its way into the hands of the
00:21:41.30\00:21:44.93
people.
00:21:44.93\00:21:46.56
It was still going to be some
years before laws were passed
00:21:46.56\00:21:49.53
banning the production of
or the possession of the Bible
00:21:49.53\00:21:53.33
and the Scriptures
was distributed widely.
00:21:53.33\00:21:56.66
While England was fighting
battles on various fronts,
00:21:56.66\00:22:00.36
one of the greatest victories
in her history was realized
00:22:00.36\00:22:04.20
when the Word of God was
translated and made available
00:22:04.20\00:22:08.13
in the English language
to the people of England.
00:22:08.13\00:22:11.76
Long after John Wycliffe was
dead the establishment church
00:22:11.76\00:22:16.00
had to reckon with a
force that was far more powerful
00:22:16.00\00:22:19.53
than he ever was.
00:22:19.53\00:22:21.80
"The entrance of
your word gives light.
00:22:21.80\00:22:25.40
It gives understanding."
00:22:25.40\00:22:27.50
People began to learn the
great principles of Scripture
00:22:27.50\00:22:30.83
- "Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every
00:22:30.83\00:22:34.53
word that proceeds from
the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4.
00:22:34.53\00:22:37.66
"All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God,"
00:22:37.66\00:22:41.60
2 Timothy 3:16.
00:22:41.60\00:22:44.16
[Music] Principles that are
00:22:46.33\00:23:07.66
the foundation of Biblical
Christianity were heard by
00:23:07.66\00:23:10.53
the masses for the
first time throughout England.
00:23:10.53\00:23:13.83
While it is true not all
of John Wycliffe's teachings
00:23:13.83\00:23:16.13
were perfect, and while
the Reformation wouldn't take
00:23:16.13\00:23:18.76
hold for some time
yet, the foundation for the
00:23:18.76\00:23:21.83
Reformation was laid in
England and throughout Europe
00:23:21.83\00:23:25.60
by John Wycliffe, the
Morning Star of the reformation.
00:23:25.60\00:23:29.56
And here in St. Mary's Church
where John Wycliffe was the
00:23:29.56\00:23:32.33
pastor many hundreds of
years ago, in the pews of this
00:23:32.33\00:23:36.16
church today are English
language Bibles and anybody
00:23:36.16\00:23:40.46
who picks up one of these
Bibles and leafs through its
00:23:40.46\00:23:42.66
pages owes a great debt
to John Wycliffe without whom
00:23:42.66\00:23:48.26
Biblical Christianity
and Christianity itself would
00:23:48.26\00:23:51.50
have unfolded in a
rather different fashion.
00:23:51.50\00:23:55.20
At his third trial, John
Wycliffe met his accusers
00:23:55.20\00:23:57.93
with these words: "With
whom, think you, are you
00:23:57.93\00:24:02.66
contending?
00:24:02.66\00:24:04.00
With an old man on
the brink of the grave?
00:24:04.00\00:24:06.93
No!
00:24:06.93\00:24:07.93
-- he said -- with Truth--
with Truth that is stronger
00:24:07.93\00:24:12.23
than you, and
will overcome you."
00:24:12.23\00:24:16.60
[Music] John Wycliffe died of
00:24:17.40\00:24:32.63
natural causes at about the
age of 66, in the year 1384.
00:24:32.63\00:24:36.90
At the Council of Constance
in Germany the early 1400s -
00:24:36.90\00:24:42.43
the papacy decreed that
Wycliffe's remains should be
00:24:42.43\00:24:45.76
exhumed and his bones burnt,
00:24:45.76\00:24:48.73
and his ashes were then
cast into the River Swift near
00:24:50.73\00:24:57.50
Lutterworth.
00:24:57.50\00:25:01.30
A writer later
penned these words.
00:25:01.30\00:25:05.40
"Thus the brook hath conveyed
his ashes into Avon; Avon
00:25:05.40\00:25:09.73
into Severn; Severn into
the narrow seas; and they into
00:25:09.73\00:25:15.16
the main ocean.
00:25:15.16\00:25:16.16
And thus the ashes of
Wycliffe are the emblem of
00:25:16.16\00:25:19.80
his doctrine which now is
dispersed the world over."
00:25:19.80\00:25:24.66
One man dedicated to the
proposition that the Word of
00:25:24.66\00:25:30.76
God could make the
difference in a person's life.
00:25:30.76\00:25:35.33
John Wycliffe was a man who
experienced the power of the
00:25:35.33\00:25:38.53
Word of God.
00:25:38.53\00:25:39.90
He experienced it in his
life and he saw what the Word of
00:25:39.90\00:25:43.66
God could do in
the life of others.
00:25:43.66\00:25:46.66
You know, I'd like to
offer you the opportunity to
00:25:46.66\00:25:49.13
experience God's
Word in your life.
00:25:49.13\00:25:51.76
Friend, what are you
doing about the Word of God?
00:25:51.76\00:25:55.03
Does the Word of God own you?
00:25:55.03\00:25:56.66
Has it impacted you?
00:25:56.66\00:25:58.60
Has it set you free like
the thousands and the millions
00:25:58.60\00:26:02.53
who are set free through
the Word of God by the work of
00:26:02.53\00:26:05.93
John Wycliffe and
those who followed after him?
00:26:05.93\00:26:08.76
I want to offer you today a
little book called Promise of
00:26:08.76\00:26:12.30
Power, promises from the
Word of God given to us by God
00:26:12.30\00:26:16.30
specifically that we might
experience the power of the
00:26:16.30\00:26:19.76
Word of God in our lives.
00:26:19.76\00:26:21.13
Contact us at It Is
Written and I will send to your
00:26:21.13\00:26:24.23
address in North
America, Promises of Power.
00:26:24.23\00:26:26.80
You can call or write or
come to our website and download
00:26:26.80\00:26:32.23
Promises of Power.
00:26:32.23\00:26:33.30
I would like you to have
this book so you can experience
00:26:33.30\00:26:37.10
what John Wycliffe
experienced and what the many
00:26:37.10\00:26:41.30
experienced through
what John Wycliffe had done.
00:26:41.30\00:26:44.83
I'd like to pray for you
today that God's word would
00:26:44.83\00:26:50.70
truly bring his presence
and his power into your life.
00:26:50.70\00:26:56.06
Let me pray.
00:26:56.06\00:26:57.80
Father in heaven, at this
almost sacred spot, where the
00:26:57.80\00:27:04.10
ashes of one of your
faithful reformers, one of your
00:27:04.10\00:27:07.16
faithful servants were
cast, at this spot I pray.
00:27:07.16\00:27:12.00
I pray that we would
experience the power of your
00:27:12.00\00:27:15.83
Word.
00:27:15.83\00:27:16.83
I pray that the Word of
God and its great promises, the
00:27:16.83\00:27:21.20
great principles of Scripture
would be the foundation upon
00:27:21.20\00:27:24.10
which our lives are based.
00:27:24.10\00:27:26.43
I pray that we can experience
in our lives reformation,
00:27:26.43\00:27:29.16
that which comes through
the power and the presence of
00:27:29.16\00:27:32.76
your Word and through Jesus
Christ living his life in us.
00:27:32.76\00:27:37.36
Let that be so I pray, and
I thank you, in Jesus' name,
00:27:37.36\00:27:42.93
amen.
00:27:42.93\00:27:45.33
[Music] Thanks
for joining me today.
00:27:45.33\00:27:51.30
Until next time remember,
It is written, man shall not
00:27:51.30\00:27:56.63
live by bread alone but by
every word that proceeds from
00:27:56.63\00:28:01.83
the mouth of God.
00:28:01.83\00:28:02.83