Two men, one English and the other Bohemian, pre-dated the Reformation by a hundred years. Although they lived in countries many miles from each other and never met, the ideas of the Englishman travelled across Europe to Bohemia having a great effect. It is not possible for us to understand the problems of Europe at that time, because most of the social, political and economic reforms they sought have been completely achieved. But at the time the mixture of the power of the Church and State meant that people were economically, politically and religiously oppressed. When Wycliffe began to speak in England it was not just against the religious teaching of the Church of Rome. Initially, he directed his criticism against the social and political problems. But it was inevitable that he became outspoken about the corruption of the Church and its teaching.

Wycliffe was born (circa) 1324 (or 1328), at Hipswell near Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was educated at Balliol College and in 1372, Wycliffe received the Degree of Doctor of Theology. In 1373 he received the (rich) living of Lutterworth in Leicestershire.

In 1380 he began to send out his "poor priests", men who were usually laymen and laid great importance on the Bible and preaching. Wycliffe also took the momentous step of beginning to attack Transubstantiation. An Oxford council of religious doctors condemned his teaching on the ‘Blessed Eucharist’ and later an ecclesiastical court at Blackfriars came out against the Wycliffe twenty-four propositions.

He eventually agreed to stop preaching and stayed at Lutterworth writing in Latin and English. In his enforced silence these writings were to do the greatest work. He was reputed, by contemporaries to have translated the whole of the Bible and two "Wyclifite" versions are in existence. The follwing example is taken from a text published after his death in (c.1395)

THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

“CAP 1

1 Poul, the seruaunt of Jhesu Crist, clepid an apostle, departid in to the gospel of God;

2 which he hadde bihote tofore bi his profetis in holi scripturis of his sone,

3 which is maad to hym of the seed of Dauid bi the flesch,

4 and he was bifor ordeyned the sone of God in vertu, bi the spirit of halewyng of the ayenrisyng of deed men, of Jhesu Crist oure Lord,

5 bi whom we han resseyued grace and the office of apostle, to obeie to the feith in alle folkis for his name,

6 among whiche ye ben also clepid of Jhesu Crist,

7 to alle that ben at Rome, derlyngis of God, and clepid hooli, grace to you, and pees of God oure fadir, and of the Lord Jhesu Crist.”

Wycliffe resembled the Protestant Reformers in his insistence on the Bible as the rule of faith, in the importance attributed to preaching, and in his sacramental doctrine which was similar to that

later to be taught by Luther. The doctrine of justification by faith does not, however, occur in Wycliffe's theological system. He died at Lutterworth, Leicestershire on 31 Dec., 1384. In 1415 the Church ordered his remains to be taken up and cast out. This was done in 1428 when they were thrown into the river.

His immediate impact in England was not very significant. His real spiritual inheritor was John Huss, and it was through Bohemia, if at all, that he is connected with the Reformation.

John Huss: was born in (circa) 1369 at Hussenitz, a village in Bohemia,– and died the martyrs death in Germany in 1415.

After Huss became a bachelor of divinity, he was chosen pastor of the Church of Bethlehem, in Prague, and dean and rector of the university. He became conspicuous for his preaching. Nearly all his ideas came from reading Wycliffe and as such the views were a transplant from England to Bohemia.

His lectures were a restatement of the ideas of Wycliffe. He became immensely popular and had as many as 3,000 hearers on Sunday. The views of Wycliffe as explained by Huss were no more popular among the Church and State leaders of Prague than they had been in England. Eventually he was summoned to Germany to explain himself and his views. Once there he was arrested. The only outcome was death.

Burning of John Huss on July 6, 1415.

The bishops stripped him of his priestly garments, degraded him, put a paper mitre on his head, on which was painted devils, with this inscription, "A ringleader of heretics." Which when he saw, he said: "My Lord Jesus Christ, for my sake, did wear a crown of thorns; why should not I then, for His sake, again wear this light crown, be it ever so ignominious? Truly I will do it, and that willingly." When it was set upon his head, the bishop said: "Now we commit thy soul unto the devil." "But I," said John Huss, lifting his eyes towards the heaven, "do commend into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus Christ! my spirit which Thou has redeemed."

When the faggots were piled up to his very neck, the duke of Bavaria was so officious as to desire him to abjure. "No, (said Huss;) I never preached any doctrine of an evil tendency; and what I taught with my lips I now seal with my blood."

Then he said to his executioners, “You are now going to burn a goose, (the name of Huss means goose in the Bohemian language), but in a century you will have a swan whom you can neither roast nor boil."

(Martin Luther whose coats of arms was a swan, proved to be the swan who came exactly 100 years later!)

When the chain was put about him at the stake, he said, with a smiling countenance, "My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain than this for my sake, and why then should I be ashamed of this rusty one?"

When flames were then put to the faggots, Huss sung a hymn with so loud and cheerful a voice that he was heard through all the cracklings of the combustibles, and the noise of the multitude.

Afterwards the ashes were gathered and thrown into the Rhine with the intention that not the least remnant of the man should be left upon the earth.

Despite the uncivilised behaviour by the Church authorities towards Wycliffe and Huss after their deaths, the names and work of these men has continued to be remembered. The names of the great of the time who killed them have been forgotten.

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