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John Wycliffe

Born c. 1320s
Ipreswell, England
Died 31 December 1384 (aged about 64)
Lutterworth, England

John Wycliffe (pronounced /ˈwɪklɪf/; also spelled Wyclif, Wycliff, Wiclef, Wycliffe, Wicliffe, or Wickliffe) (mid-1320s – 31 December 1384) was an English theologian, translator and reformist. Hipswell is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Lutterworth is a Market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures Wycliffe was an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He is considered the founder of the Lollard movement, a precursor to the Protestant Reformation (for this reason, he is sometimes called "The Morning Star of the Reformation"). Lollardy was the political and religious movement of the Lollards from the mid- 14th century to the English Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time He was one of the earliest opponents of papal encroachment on secular power. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. [1]

Wycliffe was also an early agitator for translation of the Bible the Vulgate directly from the Latin into vernacular English in the year 1382, now known as the Wycliffe Bible[2]. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin, and largely the result of the labours of Jerome, who was commissioned by Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Wyclif's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of or at the instigation of John It is believed that he personally translated the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and it is possible he translated the entire New Testament, while his associates translated the Old Testament. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. [3] Wycliff's Bible appears to have been completed by 1384,[4] with additional updated versions being done by Wycliffe's assistant John Purvey and others in 1388 and 1395. Wyclif's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of or at the instigation of John John Purvey (1354–1428 was one of the leading followers of the English theologian and reformer John Wycliffe during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries [5]

Contents

Early life

Wycliffe was born in the small village of Ipreswell (modern-day Hipswell) in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England in the mid-1320s. Hipswell is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. [6] His family was long settled in Yorkshire. The family was a large one, covering considerable territory, principally centered around Wycliffe-on-Tees, about ten miles to the north of Hipswell. Wycliffe is a village on the south bank of the River Tees in the North East of England, situated a short distance to the east of Barnard Castle.

Wycliffe received his early education close to his home[7] although nothing about his life is certain. It is not known when he first came to Oxford, with which he was so closely connected until the end of his life, but he is known to have been at Oxford around 1345. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the He was influenced by Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Thomas Bradwardine, William of Occam, and Richard Fitzralph. For the Nova Scotia premier see Roger Bacon (politician. Roger Bacon, O Robert Grosseteste (c 1175 &ndash October 9, 1253) English statesman scholastic philosopher, Theologian and Bishop of Thomas Bradwardine (c 1290 &ndash 26 August 1349 often called "the Profound Doctor" was an English scholar and courtier and very briefly Archbishop of Canterbury William of Ockham (also Occam, Hockham, or any of several other spellings ˈɒkəm (c Richard FitzRalph (c 1300 &ndash 16 December, 1360) was an Archbishop of Armagh during the 14th century

Wycliffe owed much to William of Occam's work and thought. He showed interest in natural science and mathematics, but applied himself to studying theology, ecclesiastical law, and philosophy. In Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the Universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language His opponents acknowledged the keenness of his dialectic, and his writings prove he was well grounded in Roman and English law, as well as in native history. In classical Philosophy, dialectic (διαλεκτική is controversy the exchange of arguments and counter-arguments respectively advocating Propositions Roman law is the legal system of Ancient Rome. As used in the West the term commonly refers to legal developments prior to the Roman/Byzantine state's adopting English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the The history of England is similar to the history of Britain until the arrival of the Saxons

During this time there was friction between the northern (Boreales) and southern (Australes) "nations" at Oxford. A student society or student organization is an Organization, operated by Students at a University, whose membership normally consists only of Wycliffe belonged to Boreales, in which the prevailing tendency was anticurial, while the other was curial. Not less sharp was the separation over Nominalism and Realism. Nominalism is a metaphysical view in Philosophy according to which general or abstract terms and predicates exist but that either universals Contemporary philosophical realism is the belief in a Reality that is completely Ontologically independent of our conceptual schemes linguistic practices beliefs He mastered most of the techniques.

Early career

At Oxford

In 1361, he was presented by the college with the parish of Fylingham in Lincolnshire. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. For this he had to give up the leadership of Balliol, though he could continue to live at Oxford. Balliol College (ˈbeɪlɪəl founded in 1263 is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. He is said to have had rooms in the buildings of Queen's. The Queen's College, founded 1341 is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As baccalaureate at the university, he busied himself with natural science and mathematics, and as master he had the right to read in philosophy. Obtaining a bachelors degree in theology, Wycliffe pursued an avid interest in Biblical studies. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts His performance led Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, to place him at the head of Canterbury Hall in 1365, where twelve young men were preparing for the priesthood. Simon Islip (d 1366 was an English Prelate. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366 The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Canterbury College Oxford was a University of Oxford college owned and run by Christ Church Priory, Canterbury Islip had designed the foundation for secular clergy; but when he died in 1366, his successor, Simon Langham, a man of monastic training, turned the leadership of the college over to a monk. In the Catholic Church, secular clergy are religious ministers such as deacons and priests who do not belong to a religious order. Simon de Langham (1310 - 22 July 1376 was an English clergyman who was Archbishop of Canterbury and a cardinal. Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Though Wycliffe appealed to Rome, the outcome was unfavorable to him. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 This case would hardly have been thought of again had not contemporaries of Wycliffe, such as William Woodford, seen in it as the beginnings of Wycliffe's assaults upon Rome and monasticism.

Between 1366 and 1372, he became a Doctor of Divinity, making use of his right to lecture upon systematic divinity, but these lectures were not the origin of his Summa. A lecture is an oral Presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject for example by a University or College Systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly rational and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs In 1368, he gave up his living at Fylingham and took over the rectory of Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire, not far from Oxford, which enabled him to retain his connection with the university. Depending on denomination, local custom and the status of the minister the Building inhabited (or formerly inhabited by the leader of a local Christian church can Ludgershall is a Village and Civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. Six years later, in 1374, he received the crown living of Lutterworth in Leicestershire, which he retained, until his death. Lutterworth is a Market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics He had already resigned as prebendary of Aust in Westbury-on-Trym. A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic Cathedral or Collegiate church and is a type of canon. Aust is a small village in South Gloucestershire, England. It is near the eastern end of the Severn Bridge, which was built in 1966 to carry the M4 Westbury-on-Trym is a Suburb in north Bristol, near the suburbs of Stoke Bishop, Westbury Park and Henbury, in the southwest of

Political career

The Reformer's entrance upon the stage of ecclesiastical politics is usually related to the question of feudal tribute to which England had been rendered liable by King John, which had remained unpaid for thirty-three years until Pope Urban V in 1365 demanded it with menaces. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death Blessed Parliament declared that neither John nor any other had the right to subject England to any foreign power. Should the pope attempt to enforce his claim by arms, he would be met with united resistance. Urban apparently recognized his mistake and dropped his claim. But there was no talk of a patriotic uprising. The tone of the pope was, in fact, not threatening, and he did not wish to draw England into the maelstrom of politics of western and southern Europe. Harsh words were bound to be heard in England, because of the close relations of the papacy with France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It is said that on this occasion Wycliffe served as theological counsel to the government, composed a polemical tract dealing with the tribute, and defended an unnamed monk over against the conduct of the government and parliament. This would place the entrance of Wycliffe into politics about 1365–66.

Wycliffe's more important participation began with the peace congress at Bruges. Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. There in 1374 negotiations were carried on between France and England, while at the same time commissioners from England dealt with papal delegates respecting the removal of ecclesiastical annoyances. Wycliffe was among these, under a decree dated July 26, 1374. The choice of a harsh opponent of the Avignon system would have broken up rather than furthered the peace negotiations. In the History of the Roman Catholic Church, the Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1377 during which seven Popes all French, resided in Avignon It seems he was designated purely as a theologian, and so considered himself, since a noted scriptural scholar was required alongside of those learned in civil and canon law. There was no need for a man of renown, or a pure advocate of state interests. His predecessor in a like case was John Owtred, a monk who formulated the statement that Saint Peter had united in his hands spiritual and temporal power – the opposite of what Wycliffe taught. In the days of the mission to Bruges Owtred still belonged to Wycliffe's circle of friends.

Wycliffe was still regarded by papal partisans as trustworthy; his opposition to the ruling conduct of the Church may have escaped notice. It was difficult to recognise him as a heretic. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief The controversies in which men engaged at Oxford were philosophical rather than purely theological or ecclesiastical-political, and the method of discussion was academic and scholastic. The kind of men with whom Wycliffe dealt included the Carmelite monk John Kyningham [8] over theological[9] or ecclesiastical-political[10] questions. Wycliffe's contest with Owtred and William Wynham (or Wyrinham or Binham) of Wallingford Priory and St Albans, the Benedictine professor of theology at Oxford, were formerly unknown, as were the earlier ones with William Wadeford. Wallingford Priory was a Benedictine priory dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Wallingford in the English county of Berkshire (now St Albans Cathedral (formerly St Albans Abbey, officially The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban) is an Anglican church at Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in When it is recalled that it was once the task of Owtred to defend the political interests of England against the demands of Avignon, one would more likely see him in agreement with Wycliffe than in opposition. But Owtred believed it sinful to say that temporal power might deprive a priest, even an unrighteous one, of his temporalities; Wycliffe regarded it as a sin to incite the pope to excommunicate laymen who had deprived clergy of their temporalities, his dictum being that a man in a state of sin had no claim upon government. Temporalities are the secular properties and possessions of the Christian Church

Wycliffe blamed Wynham for making public controversies which had hitherto been confined to the academic arena. But the controversies were fundamentally related to the opposition which found expression in Parliament against the Curia. A Curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people i Wycliffe himself tells[11] how he concluded that there was a great contrast between what the Church was and what it ought to be, and saw the necessity for reform. His ideas stress the perniciousness of the temporal rule of the clergy and its incompatibility with the teaching of Christ and the apostles, and make note of the tendencies which were evident in the measures of the "Good Parliament" of 1376-77. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The Good Parliament is the name traditionally given to the English Parliament of 1376 A long bill was introduced, with 140 headings, in which were stated the grievances caused by the aggressions of the Curia; all reservations and commissions were to be done away, the exportation of money was forbidden, and the foreign collectors were to be removed. For other uses see Bill. A bill is a proposed new law introduced within a Legislature that has not been ratified, adopted

Public declaration of his ideas

Wycliffe speaking to Lollard preachers.
Wycliffe speaking to Lollard preachers. Lollardy was the political and religious movement of the Lollards from the mid- 14th century to the English Reformation.

It was in this period that Wycliffe came significantly to the fore. He was among those to whom the thought of the secularization of ecclesiastical properties in England was welcome. His protector was John of Gaunt, who was acting as ruler at this time. John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third He was no longer satisfied with his chair as the means of propagating his ideas, and soon after his return from Bruges he began to express them in tracts and longer works – his great work, the Summa theologiae, was written in support of them. Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera) from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the best the greatest In the first book, concerned with the government of God and the Ten Commandments, he attacked the temporal rule of the clergy – in temporal things the king is above the pope, and the collection of annates and indulgences is simony. The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that according to Judeo-Christian tradition were authored by God and given Annates ( Latin annatae) were the whole of the first year's profits of a Roman Catholic Benefice which were generally given to the Papal An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven Simony is the Ecclesiastical crime of paying for Holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church named after Simon Magus, who appears in the But he entered the politics of the day with his great work De civili dominio. Here he introduced those ideas by which the good parliament was governed – which involved the renunciation by the Church of temporal dominion. The items of the "long bill" appear to have been derived from his work. In this book are the strongest outcries against the Avignon system with its commissions, exactions, squandering of charities by unfit priests, and the like. To change this is the business of the State. If the clergy misuses ecclesiastical property, it must be taken away; if the king does not do this, he is remiss. The work contains 18 strongly stated theses, opposing the governing methods of the rule of the Church and the straightening out of its temporal possessions. [12] Wycliffe had set these ideas before his students at Oxford in 1376, after becoming involved in controversy with William Wadeford and others. Rather than restricting these matters to the classroom, he wanted them proclaimed more widely and wanted temporal and spiritual lords to take note. While the latter attacked him and sought ecclesiastical censure, he recommended himself to the former by his criticism of the worldly possessions of the clergy.

Conflict with the Roman Catholic Church

Wycliffe wanted to see his ideas actualized – his fundamental belief was that the Church should be poor, as in the days of the apostles. He had not yet broken with the mendicant friars, and from these John of Gaunt chose Wycliffe's defenders. While the Reformer later claimed that it was not his purpose to incite temporal lords to confiscation of the property of the Church, the real tendencies of the propositions remained unconcealed. The result of the same doctrines in Bohemia – that land which was richest in ecclesiastical foundations – was that in a short time the entire church estate was taken over and a revolution brought about in the relations of temporal holdings. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the It was in keeping with the plans of Gaunt to have a personality like Wycliffe on his side. Especially in London the Reformer's views won support; partisans of the nobility attached themselves to him, and the lower orders gladly heard his sermons. He preached in city churches, and London rang with his praises.

The first to oppose his theses were monks of those orders which held possessions, to whom his theories were dangerous. Oxford and the episcopate were later blamed by the Curia, which charged them with so neglecting their duty that the breaking of the evil fiend into the English sheepfold could be noticed in Rome before it was in England. Wycliffe was summoned before William Courtenay, Bishop of London, on 19 February 1377, in order "to explain the wonderful things which had streamed forth from his mouth". William Courtenay (c 1342 &ndash 31 July 1396 English prelate was Archbishop of Canterbury, having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of The Bishop of London is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum The exact charges are not known, as the matter did not get as far as a definite examination. Gaunt, the Earl Marshal Henry Percy, and a number of other friends accompanied Wycliffe, and four begging friars were his advocates. Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Henry Percy 1st Earl of Northumberland ( November 10, 1341 &ndash February 20, 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy 3rd Baron Percy A crowd gathered at the church, and at the entrance of the party animosities began to show, especially in an angry exchange between the bishop and the Reformer's protectors. Gaunt declared that he would humble the pride of the English clergy and their partisans, hinting at the intent to secularise the possessions of the Church. The assembly broke up and the lords departed with their protege. [13]

Most of the English clergy were irritated by this encounter, and attacks upon Wycliffe began, finding their response in the second and third books of his work dealing with civil government. These books carry a sharp polemic, hardly surprising when it is recalled that his opponents charged Wycliffe with blasphemy and scandal, pride and heresy. Polemics (pəˈlɛmɪks/ /poʊ- is the practice of disputing or controverting religious, philosophical, or political matters He appeared to have openly advised the secularization of English church property, and the dominant parties shared his conviction that the monks could better be controlled if they were relieved from the care of secular affairs.

The bitterness occasioned by this advice will be better understood when it is remembered that at that time the papacy was at war with the Florentines and was in dire straits. The demand of the Minorites that the Church should live in poverty as it did in the days of the apostles was not pleasing in such a crisis. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic It was under these conditions that Pope Gregory XI, who in January, 1377, had gone from Avignon to Rome, sent on 22 May five copies of his bull against Wycliffe, dispatching one to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the others to the Bishop of London, King Edward III, the Chancellor, and the university; among the enclosures were 18 theses of his, which were denounced as erroneous and dangerous to Church and State. See also Vicedomino de Vicedominis, a pope-elect who took the name Gregory XI. A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the The Bishop of London is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom.

The reformatory activities of Wycliffe effectively began here: all the great works, especially his Summa theologiae, are closely connected with the condemnation of his 18 theses, while the entire literary energies of his later years rest upon this foundation. The next aim of his opponents – to make him out a revolutionary in politics – failed. The situation in England resulted in damage to them; on June 21, 1377, Edward III died. His successor was Richard II, a boy, who was under the influence of John of Gaunt, his uncle. Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 So it resulted that the bull against Wycliffe did not become public till 18 December. Parliament, which met in October, came into sharp conflict with the Curia. Among the propositions which Wycliffe, at the direction of the government, worked out for parliament was one which speaks out distinctly against the exhaustion of England by the Curia.

Wycliffe tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before Parliament, and then made them public in a tract, accompanied by explanations, limitations, and interpretations. After the session of Parliament was over he was called upon to answer, and in March, 1378, he appeared at the episcopal palace at Lambeth to defend himself. A parliamentary session is a period of time where the Legislature in a Parliamentary government is sitting Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The preliminaries were not yet finished when a noisy mob gathered with the purpose of saving him; the king's mother, Joan of Kent, also took up his cause. Joan Countess of Kent ( September 29, 1328 &ndash August 7, 1385) known to history as The Fair Maid of Kent, was the first The bishops, who were divided, satisfied themselves with forbidding him to speak further on the controversy. At Oxford the vice-chancellor, following papal directions, confined the Reformer for some time in Black Hall, from which Wycliffe was released on threats from his friends; the vice-chancellor was himself confined in the same place because of his treatment of Wycliffe. A Vice-Chancellor (commonly called the VC) of a University in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, The latter then took up the usage according to which one who remained for 44 days under excommunication came under the penalties executed by the State, and wrote his De incarcerandis fedelibus, in which he demanded that it should be legal for the excommunicated to appeal to the king and his council against the excommunication; in this writing he laid open the entire case and in such a way that it was understood by the laity. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community He wrote his 33 conclusions, in Latin and English. The masses, some of the nobility, and his former protector, John of Gaunt, rallied to him. Before any further steps could be taken at Rome, Gregory XI died (1378). But Wycliffe was already engaged in one of his most important works, that dealing with what he perceived as the truth of Holy Scripture.

The sharper the strife became, the more Wycliffe had recourse to his translation of Scripture as the basis of all Christian doctrinal opinion, and expressly tried to prove this to be the only norm for Christian faith. In order to refute his opponents, he wrote the book in which he endeavored to show that Holy Scripture contains all truth and, being from God, is the only authority. He referred to the conditions under which the condemnation of his 18 theses was brought about; and the same may be said of his books dealing with the Church, the office of king, and the power of the pope – all completed within the space of two years (1378-79). To Wycliffe, the Church is the totality of those who are predestined to blessedness. Predestination (also linked with Foreknowledge) is a religious concept which involves the relationship between God and His creation It includes the Church triumphant in heaven, those in purgatory, and the Church militant or men on earth. The Christian Church, or Church Universal, is traditionally divided into the Church Militant ( Ecclesia Militans) comprising Christians Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification No one who is eternally lost has part in it. There is one universal Church, and outside of it there is no salvation. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Its head is Christ. No pope may say that he is the head, for he can not say that he is elect or even a member of the Church.

Statement regarding royal power

It would be a mistake to assume that Wycliffe's doctrine of the Church – which made so great an impression upon Jan Hus, who adopted it literally and fully – was occasioned by the western schism (1378–1429). Jan Hus ( (ˈjan ˈɦus alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c The Great Schism of Western Christianity or Papal Schism (also known as the Western Schism) was a split within the Roman Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417 The principles of the doctrine were already embodied in his De civili dominio. The contents of the book dealing with the Church are closely connected with the decision respecting the 18 theses. The attacks on Pope Gregory XI grow ever more extreme. Wycliffe's stand with respect to the ideal of poverty became continually firmer, as well as his position with regard to the temporal rule of the clergy. Closely related to this attitude was his book De officio regis, the content of which was foreshadowed in his 33 conclusions: One should be instructed with reference to the obligations which lie in regard to the kingdom in order to see how the two powers, royal and ecclesiastical, may support each other in harmony in the body corporate of the Church. The royal power, Wycliffe taught, is consecrated through the testimony of Holy Scripture and the Fathers. Christ and the apostles rendered tribute to the emperor. It is a sin to oppose the power of the king, which is derived immediately from God. Subjects, above all the clergy, should pay him dutiful tribute. The honors which attach to temporal power hark back to the king; those which belong to precedence in the priestly office, to the priest. The king must apply his power with wisdom, his laws are to be in unison with those of God. From God laws derive their authority, including those which royalty has over the clergy. If one of the clergy neglects his office, he is a traitor to the king who calls him to answer for it. It follows from this that the king has an "evangelical" control. Those in the service of the Church must have regard for the laws of the State. In confirmation of this fundamental principle the archbishops in England make sworn submission to the king and receive their temporalities. The king is to protect his vassals against damage to their possessions; in case the clergy through their misuse of the temporalities cause injury, the king must offer protection. When the king turns over temporalities to the clergy, he places them under his jurisdiction, from which later pronouncements of the popes cannot release them. If the clergy relies on papal pronouncements, it must be subjected to obedience to the king.

This book, like those that preceded and followed, was concerned with the reform of the Church, in which the temporal arm was to have an influential part. Especially interesting is the teaching which Wycliffe addressed to the king on the protection of his theologians. This did not mean theology in its modern sense, but knowledge of the Bible. Since the law must be in agreement with Scripture, knowledge of theology is necessary to the strengthening of the kingdom; therefore the king has theologians in his entourage to stand at his side as he exercises power. It is their duty to explain Scripture according to the rule of reason and in conformity with the witness of the saints; also to proclaim the law of the king and to protect his welfare and that of his kingdom.

Wycliffe and the papacy

The books and tracts of Wycliffe's last six years include continual attacks upon the papacy and the entire hierarchy of his times. Each year they focus more and more, and at the last, the pope and the Antichrist seem to him practically equivalent concepts. For other uses see Antichrist (disambiguation In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist or anti-Christ means a person office Yet there are passages which are moderate in tone; G. V. Lechler identifies three stages in Wycliffe's relations with the papacy. Gotthard Victor Lechler ( April 18, 1811 &ndash December 26, 1888) German Lutheran theologian, was born at The first step, which carried him to the outbreak of the schism, involves moderate recognition of the papal primacy; the second, which carried him to 1381, is marked by an estrangement from the papacy; and the third shows him in sharp contest. The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" The primacy of the Roman Pontiff is the apostolic authority of the Pope ( Bishop of Rome) from the Holy See, over the several churches However, Wycliffe reached no valuation of the papacy before the outbreak of the schism different from his later appraisal. If in his last years he identified the papacy with antichristianity, the dispensability of this papacy was strong in his mind before the schism. It was this very man who laboured to bring about the recognition of Urban VI (1378–1389), which appears to contradict his former attitude and to demand an explanation. Pope Urban VI (c 1318 &ndash October 15, 1389) born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389

Wycliffe's influence was never greater than at the moment when pope and antipope sent their ambassadors to England in order to gain recognition for themselves. In the ambassadors' presence, he delivered an opinion before Parliament that showed, in an important ecclesiastical political question (the matter of the right of asylum in Westminster Abbey), a position that was to the liking of the State. Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient Judicial notion under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church How Wycliffe came to be active in the interest of Urban is seen in passages in his latest writings, in which he expressed himself in regard to the papacy in a favorable sense. On the other hand he states that it is not necessary to go either to Rome or to Avignon in order to seek a decision from the pope, since the triune God is everywhere. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Our pope is Christ. It seems clear that Wycliffe was an opponent of that papacy which had developed since Constantine. He taught that the Church can continue to exist even though it have no visible leader; but there can be no damage when the Church possesses a leader of the right kind. To distinguish between what the pope should be, if one is necessary, and the pope as he appeared in Wycliffe's day was the purpose of his book on the power of the pope. The Church militant, Wycliffe taught, needs a head – but one whom God gives the Church. The elector [cardinal] can only make someone a pope if the choice relates to one who is elect [of God]. But that is not always the case. It may be that the elector is himself not predestined and chooses one who is in the same case – a veritable Antichrist. One must regard as a true pope one who in teaching and life most nearly follows Jesus and Saint Peter. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

Attack on monasticism

His teachings concerning the danger attaching to the secularizing of the Church put Wycliffe into line with the mendicant orders, since in 1377 Minorites were his defenders. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic In the last chapters of his De civili dominio, there are traces of a rift. When he stated that "the case of the orders which hold property is that of them all", the mendicant orders turned against him; and from that time Wycliffe began a struggle which continued till his death.

This battle against what he saw as an imperialised papacy and its supporters, the "sects," as he called the monastic orders, takes up a large space not only in his later works as the Trialogus, Dialogus, Opus evangelicum, and in his sermons, but also in a series of sharp tracts and polemical productions in Latin and English (of which those issued in his later years have been collected as "Polemical Writings"). In these he teaches that the Church needs no new sects; sufficient for it now is the religion of Christ which sufficed in the first three centuries of its existence. The monastic orders are bodies which are not supported by the Bible, and must be abolished together with their possessions. Such teaching, particularly in sermons, had one immediate effect – a serious rising of the people. The monks were deprived of alms and were bidden to apply themselves to manual labor. Manual labour (or manual labor) is physical work done with the hands especially in an unskilled job such as fruit and vegetable picking road building or any These teachings had more important results upon the orders and their possessions in Bohemia, where the instructions of the "Evangelical master" were followed to the letter in such a way that the noble foundations and practically the whole of the property of the Church were sacrificed. But the result was not as Wycliffe wanted it in England – the property fell not to the State but to the barons of the land. The scope of the conflict in England widened; it no longer involved the mendicant monks alone, but took in the entire hierarchy. An element of the contest appears in Wycliffe's doctrine of the Lord's Supper. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those

Relation to the English Bible

National honor seemed to require an English translation, since members of the nobility possessed the Bible in French. Portions of the Bible had been translated into English as early as the seventh century under the auspices of the Catholic Church. While Wycliffe is credited, it is not possible exactly to define his part in the translation – which was based on the Vulgate – there is no doubt that it was his initiative, and that the success of the project was due to his leadership. The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin, and largely the result of the labours of Jerome, who was commissioned by From him comes the translation of the New Testament, which was smoother, clearer, and more readable than the rendering of the Old Testament by his friend Nicholas of Hereford. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. The whole was revised by Wycliffe's younger contemporary John Purvey in 1388. John Purvey (1354–1428 was one of the leading followers of the English theologian and reformer John Wycliffe during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries Thus the mass of the people came into possession of the Bible (thanks to early innovations in printing and more traditional bookmaking workshops); but the cry of his opponents may be heard: "The jewel of the clergy has become the toy of the laity".

In spite of the zeal with which the hierarchy sought to destroy it due to what they saw as mistranslations and erroneous commentary, there still exist about 150 manuscripts, complete or partial, containing the translation in its revised form. From this, one may easily infer how widely diffused it was in the fifteenth century. For this reason the Wycliffites in England were often designated by their opponents as "Bible men". Just as Luther's version had great influence upon the German language, so Wycliffe's, by reason of its clarity, beauty, and strength, influenced the English language as the King James Version was later to do. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of

Wycliffe's Bible, as it came to be known, was widely distributed throughout England. Wyclif's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of or at the instigation of John The Church denounced it due to the many errors in translation.

Activity as a preacher

Wycliffe aimed to do away with the existing hierarchy and replace it with the "poor priests" who lived in poverty, were bound by no vows, had received no formal consecration, and preached the Gospel to the people. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament These itinerant preachers spread the teachings of Wycliffe. Two by two they went, barefoot, wearing long dark-red robes and carrying a staff in the hand, the latter having symbolic reference to their pastoral calling, and passed from place to place preaching the sovereignty of God. The bull of Gregory XI impressed upon them the name of Lollards, intended as an opprobrious epithet, but it became, to them, a name of honour. Lollardy was the political and religious movement of the Lollards from the mid- 14th century to the English Reformation. Even in Wycliffe's time the "Lollards" had reached wide circles in England and preached "God's law, without which no one could be justified. "

Anti-Wycliffe synod

In the summer of 1381 Wycliffe formulated his doctrine of the Lord's Supper in twelve short sentences, and made it a duty to advocate it everywhere. Then the English hierarchy proceeded against him. The chancellor of the University of Oxford had some of the declarations pronounced heretical. When this fact was announced to Wycliffe, he declared that no one could change his convictions. He then appealed – not to the pope nor to the ecclesiastical authorities of the land, but to the king. He published his great confession upon the subject and also a second writing in English intended for the common people. His pronouncements were no longer limited to the classroom, they spread to the masses. "Every second man that you meet," writes a contemporary, "is a Lollard. "

In the midst of this commotion came the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Although Wycliffe disapproved of the revolt, he was blamed. Yet his friend and protector John of Gaunt was the most hated by the rebels, and where Wycliffe's influence was greatest the uprising found the least support. While in general the aim of the revolt was against the spiritual nobility, this came about because they were nobles, not because they were churchmen. Wycliffe's old enemy William Courtenay, now Archbishop of Canterbury, called in 1382 an ecclesiastical assembly of notables at London. William Courtenay (c 1342 &ndash 31 July 1396 English prelate was Archbishop of Canterbury, having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of During the consultations on 21 May an earthquake occurred; the participants were terrified and wished to break up the assembly, but Courtenay declared the earthquake a favorable sign which meant the purification of the earth from erroneous doctrine, and the result of the "Earthquake Synod" was assured. The Earthquake Synod took place on May 21, 1382 in London England, in the area of Blackfriars.

Of the 24 propositions attributed to Wycliffe without mentioning his name, ten were declared heretical and fourteen erroneous. The former had reference to the transformation in the sacrament, the latter to matters of church order and institutions. It was forbidden from that time to hold these opinions or to advance them in sermons or in academic discussions. All persons disregarding this order were to be subject to prosecution. To accomplish this the help of the State was necessary; but the Commons rejected the bill. The king, however, had a decree issued which permitted the arrest of those in error. The citadel of the reformatory movement was Oxford, where Wycliffe's most active helpers were; these were laid under the ban and summoned to recant, and Nicholas of Hereford went to Rome to appeal. In similar fashion the poor priests were hindered in their work.

On 18 November, 1382, Wycliffe was summoned before a synod at Oxford; he appeared, though apparently broken in body in consequence of a stroke, but nevertheless determined. He still commanded the favour of the court and of Parliament, to which he addressed a memorial. He was neither excommunicated then, nor deprived of his living.

Last days

He returned to Lutterworth, and sent out tracts against the monks and Urban VI, since the latter, contrary to the hopes of Wycliffe, had not turned out to be a reforming or "true" pope, but had involved in mischievous conflicts. Lutterworth is a Market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The crusade in Flanders aroused the Reformer's biting scorn, while his sermons became fuller-voiced and dealt with what he saw as the imperfections of the Church. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The literary achievements of Wycliffe's last days, such as the Trialogus, stand at the peak of the knowledge of his day. His last work, the Opus evangelicum, the last part of which he named in characteristic fashion "Of Antichrist", remained uncompleted. While he was hearing mass in the parish church on Holy Innocents' Day, 28 December, 1384, he was again stricken with apoplexy and died on the last day of the year. For the painting by Peter Paul Rubens see " Massacre of the Innocents (Rubens " Shortly after his death, the great Hussite movement arose and spread through Western Europe. The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus or John Huss (c

Burning Wycliffe's bones, from John Foxe's book (1563)
Burning Wycliffe's bones, from John Foxe's book (1563)

The Council of Constance declared Wycliffe (on 4 May 1415) a stiff-necked heretic and under the ban of the Church. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Constance is the 16th Ecumenical council. It was decreed that his books be burned and his remains be exhumed. The latter did not happen till twelve years afterward, when at the command of Pope Martin V they were dug up, burned, and the ashes cast into the River Swift that flows through Lutterworth. Pope Martin V (c 1368 &ndash February 20, 1431) born Odo (or This is the most final of all posthumous attacks on John Wycliffe, but previous attempts had been made before the Council of Constance. The Anti-Wycliffite Statute of 1401 defamed Wycliffe's name and also extended to persecute Wycliffe's remaining followers. The "Constitutions of Oxford" of 1408 took aim at reclaiming authority in all ecclesiastical matters, specifically naming John Wycliffe in a ban on certain writings and noting that translation of Scripture into English is a crime punishable by charges of heresy.

None of Wycliffe's contemporaries left a complete picture of his person, his life, and his activities. The pictures representing him are from a later period. One must be content with certain scattered expressions found in the history of the trial by William Thorpe (1407). See also William Homan Thorpe, the ethologist William Thorpe, putative author of The Testimony of William Thorpe, may have been a It appears that Wycliffe was spare of body, indeed of wasted appearance, and not strong physically. He was of unblemished walk in life, says Thorpe, and was regarded affectionately by people of rank, who often consorted with him, took down his sayings, and clung to him. "I indeed clove to none closer than to him, the wisest and most blessed of all men whom I have ever found. From him one could learn in truth what the Church of Christ is and how it should be ruled and led. " Hus wished that his soul might be wherever that of Wycliffe was found.

One may not say that Wycliffe was a comfortable opponent to meet. Thomas Netter highly esteemed John Kynyngham in that he "so bravely offered himself to the biting speech of the heretic and to words that stung as being without the religion of Christ". Thomas Netter (c 1375 &ndash 2 November[[ 430]] was an English theologian and controversialist Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief But this example of Netter is not well chosen, since the tone of Wycliffe toward Kynyngham is that of a junior toward an elder whom one respects, and he handled other opponents in similar fashion. But when he turned upon them his roughest side, as for example in his sermons, polemical writings and tracts, he met the attacks with a tone that could not be styled friendly.

John Wycliffe died December 31, 1384. In spite of all the action taken against him, he had never been excommunicated; therefore,he was buried on consecrated ground. In 1428 his bones were torn from the grave in Lutterworth churchyard by the English bishop at the command of the Pope, burned to ashes,thrown into the river Swift, and from there they were carried from brook to river, river to ocean.

Wycliffe's doctrines

John Wycliffe at work in his study
John Wycliffe at work in his study

Wycliffe's first encounter with the official Church of his time was prompted by his zeal in the interests of the State. His first tracts and greater works of ecclesiastical-political content defended the privileges of the State, and from these sources developed a strife out of which the next phases could hardly be determined. One who studies these books in the order of their production with reference to their inner content finds a direct development with a strong reformatory tendency. This was not originally doctrinal; when it later took up matters of dogma, as in the teaching concerning transubstantiation, the purpose was the return to original simplicity in the government of the Church. Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence. But it would have been against the diplomatic practice of the time to have sent to the peace congress at Bruges, in which the Curia had an essential part, a participant who had become known at home by his allegedly heretical teaching.

Since it was from dealing with ecclesiastical-political questions that Wycliffe turned to reformatory activities, the former have a large part in his reformatory writings. While he took his start in affairs of church policy from the English legislation which was passed in the times of Edward I, he declined the connection into which his contemporaries brought it under the lead of Occam. Indeed, he distinctly disavows taking his conclusions from Okham, and avers that he draws them from Scripture, and that they were supported by the Doctors of the Church. So that dependence upon earlier schismatic parties in the Church, which he never mentions in his writings (as though he had never derived anything from them), is counterindicated, and attention is directed to the true sources in Scripture, to which he added the collections of canons of the Church. Wycliffe would have had nothing to gain by professing indebtedness to "heretical" parties or to opponents of the papacy. His reference to Scripture and orthodox Fathers as authorities is what might have been expected. So far as his polemics accord with those of earlier antagonists of the papacy, it is fair to assume that he was not ignorant of them and was influenced by them. The Bible alone was authoritative and, according to his own conviction and that of his disciples, was fully sufficient for the government of this world (De sufficientia legis Christi). Out of it he drew his comprehensive statements in support of his reformatory views – after intense study and many spiritual conflicts. He tells that as a beginner he was desperate to comprehend the passages dealing with the activities of the divine Word, until by the grace of God he was able to gather the right sense of Scripture, which he then understood. In Christianity, divine Grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to Salvation — irrespective of actions But that was not a light task. Without knowledge of the Bible there can be no peace in the life of the Church or of society, and outside of it there is no real and abiding good; it is the one authority for the faith.

These teachings Wycliffe promulgated in his great work on the truth of Scripture, and in other greater and lesser writings. For him the Bible was the fundamental source of Christianity which is binding on all men. Wycliffe was called "Doctor evangelicus" by his English and Bohemian followers. Of all the reformers who preceded Martin Luther, Wycliffe put most emphasis on Scripture: "Even though there were a hundred popes and though every mendicant monk were a cardinal, they would be entitled to confidence only insofar as they accorded with the Bible. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer " Therefore in this early period it was Wycliffe who recognized and formulated one of the two great formal principles of the Reformation-- the unique authority of the Bible for the belief and life of the Christian. In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium

It is not enough realized that, well before Luther, Wycliffe also recognized the other great Reformation doctrine, that of justification by faith, though not in fully worked out form as Luther achieved. Sola fide ( Latin: by Faith alone also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith is a doctrine that distinguishes most In Christ stilling the Storm he wrote: "If a man believe in Christ, and make a point of his belief, then the promise that God hath made to come into the land of light shall be given by virtue of Christ, to all men that make this the chief matter. "

Basal positions in philosophy

Wycliffe earned his great repute as a philosopher at an early date. Henry Knighton says that in philosophy he was second to none, and in scholastic discipline incomparable. (Disambiguation you may be looking for Arthur Henry Knighton-Hammond, the English artist If this pronouncement seems hardly justified, now that Wycliffe's writings are in print, it must be borne in mind that not all his philosophical works are extant. If Wycliffe was in philosophy the superior of his contemporaries and had no equal in scholastic discipline, he belongs with the series of great scholastic philosophers and theologians in which England in the Middle Ages was so rich – with Alexander of Hales, Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus, Occam and Bradwardine. Alexander Hales (also Halensis, Alensis, Halesius, Alesius; called Doctor Irrefragabilis and Theologorum Monarcha) was a For the Nova Scotia premier see Roger Bacon (politician. Roger Bacon, O There was a period in his life when he devoted himself exclusively to scholastic philosophy: "when I was still a logician," he used later to say. The first "heresy" which "he cast forth into the world" rests as much upon philosophical as upon theological grounds.

In Plato, knowledge of whom came to Wycliffe through Saint Augustine, he saw traces of a knowledge of the Trinity, and he championed the doctrine of ideas as against Aristotle. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He said that Democritus, Plato, Augustine, and Grosseteste far outranked Aristotle. Democritus ( Greek:) was a pre-Socratic Greek Materialist Philosopher (born at Abdera in Thrace ca Robert Grosseteste (c 1175 &ndash October 9, 1253) English statesman scholastic philosopher, Theologian and Bishop of In Aristotle he missed the provision for the immortality of the soul, and in his ethics the tendency toward the eternal. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life He was a close follower of Augustine, so much so that he was called "John of Augustine" by his pupils. In some of his teachings, as in De annihilatione, the influence of Thomas Aquinas can be detected. So far as his relations to the philosophers of the Middle Ages are concerned, he held to realism as opposed to the nominalism advanced by Occam, although in questions that had to do with ecclesiastical politics he was related to Occam and indeed went beyond him. Medieval philosophy is the Philosophy of Europe and the Middle East in the era now known as Medieval or the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from Nominalism is a metaphysical view in Philosophy according to which general or abstract terms and predicates exist but that either universals His views are based upon the conviction of the reality of the universal, and he employed realism in order to avoid dogmatic difficulties.

The uni-divine existence in the Trinity is the real universal of the three Persons, and in the Eucharist the ever-real presence of Christ justifies the deliverance that complete reality is compatible with the spatial division of the existence. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The center of Wycliffe's philosophical system is formed by the doctrine of the prior existence in the thought of God of all things and events. This involves the definiteness of things and especially their number, so that neither their infinity, infinite extension, nor infinite divisibility can be assumed. The concept of infinite divisibility arises in different ways in Philosophy, Physics, Economics, Order theory (a branch of mathematics and Space consists of a number of points of space determined from eternity, and time of exactly such a number of moments, and the number of these is known only to the divine spirit. Geometrical figures consist of arranged series of points, and enlargement or diminution of these figures rests upon the addition or subtraction of points. Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Because the existence of these points of space as such, that is, as truly indivisible unities, has its basis in the fact that the points are one with the bodies that fill them; because, therefore, all possible space is coincident with the physical world (as in Wycliffe's system, in general, reality and possibility correspond), there can as little be a vacuum as bounding surfaces that are common to different bodies. The assumption of such surfaces impinges, according to Wycliffe, upon the contradictory principle as does the conception of a truly continuous transition of one condition into another.

Wycliffe's doctrine of atoms connects itself, therefore, with the doctrine of the composition of time from real moments, but is distinguished by the denial of interspaces as assumed in other systems. History See also Atomic theory, Atomism The concept that matter is composed of discrete units and cannot be divided into arbitrarily tiny From the identity of space and the physical world, and the circular motion of the heavens, Wycliffe deduces the spherical form of the universe. "Globose" redirects here See also Globose nucleus. A sphere (from Greek σφαίρα - sphaira, "globe

Attitude toward speculation

Wycliffe's fundamental principle of the preexistence in thought of all reality involves the most serious obstacle to freedom of the will; the philosopher could assist himself only by the formula that the free will of man was something predetermined of God. The question of free will He demanded strict dialectical training as the means of distinguishing the true from the false, and asserted that logic (or the syllogism) furthered the knowledge of catholic verities; ignorance of logic was the reason why men misunderstood Scripture, since men overlooked the connection – the distinction between idea and appearance. A syllogism, or logical appeal, (συλλογισμός &mdash "conclusion" "inference" (usually the categorical syllogism) is a kind of Wycliffe was not merely conscious of the distinction between theology and philosophy, but his sense of reality led him to pass by scholastic questions. He left aside philosophical discussions which seemed to have no significance for the religious consciousness and those which pertained purely to scholasticism: "we concern ourselves with the verities that are, and leave aside the errors which arise from speculation on matters which are not. Scholasticism was the dominant form of theology and philosophy in the Latin West in the Middle Ages, particularly in the 12th 13th and 14th centuries "

See also

The Bible in English
Old English (pre-1066)
Middle English (1066-1500)
Early Modern English (1500-1800)
Modern Christian (1800-)
Modern Jewish (1853-)
Miscellaneous
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References

  1. ^ The Reader's Encyclopedia, Volume Two - page 1105, Thomas Y. Wycliffe College is an Anglican Church of Canada seminary at the University of Toronto. This article is about the University of Toronto's St George Campus Tyndale redirects here For the English family see Tyndall. For other uses see Tyndale (disambiguation. Wycliffe College is a co-educational independent school located near Stroud Gloucestershire, England. Middle English Bible translations (1066-1500 covers the age of Middle English - it was not a fertile time for Bible Translations but saw the first major Jan Hus ( (ˈjan ˈɦus alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c Crowell Company publisher, New York 1965, Second Edition, Library of Congress Card No. 65-12510.
  2. ^ Steinmetz, Sol (2008). Semantic Antics. New York: Random House Reference. ISBN 0375426124.  
  3. ^ Sir Frederic G. Kenyon in the article "English Versions" from the Dictionary of the Bible edited by James Hastings, published by Charles Scribner's Sons of New York in 1909. Sir Frederic George Kenyon GBE KCB TD FBA FSA ( 15 January 1863 &ndash 23 August 1952) was James Hastings (1852-1922 was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and religious scholar Sir Frederic G. Kenyon says: "Exactly how much of it was done by his own hand is uncertain. "
  4. ^ English versions of the Bible
  5. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia Versions of the Bible
  6. ^ He has conventionally been given a birth date of 1324 but Hudson and Kenny state only records "suggest he was born in the mid-1320s" (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).
  7. ^ Dallmann, W. John Wiclif. Concordia Theological Quarterly XI. St. Louis: 1907. p. 41
  8. ^ Cunningham; cf. Fasciculi Zizaniorum, p. 3, London, 1858
  9. ^ (utrum Christus esset humanitas)
  10. ^ (De dominatione civili; De dotatione ecclesiae)
  11. ^ Sermones, iii. 199
  12. ^ DNB, lxiii. 208-209.
  13. ^ An excellent account of this dispute between the bishop and the protectors of Wycliffe is given in the Chronicon Angliae, the gist of which is quoted in DNB, lxiii. 206-207.

Sources

Further reading

External links


Persondata
NAME Wycliffe, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES John Wyclif; John Wycliff; John Wickliffe
SHORT DESCRIPTION English theologian and early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Wycliffe is credited as the first person to give a complete translation of the Bible into English (called Wyclif's Bible)
DATE OF BIRTH c. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Wyclif's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of or at the instigation of John 1320s
PLACE OF BIRTH Ipreswell, England
DATE OF DEATH 31 December 1384
PLACE OF DEATH Lutterworth, England
Hipswell is a village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Lutterworth is a Market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.
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