John Wycliffe
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authority, and to accept with unquestioning reverence the established
teachings and customs of a thousand years; but he turned away from
all these to listen to God’s holy word. This was the authority which
he urged the people to acknowledge. Instead of the church speaking
through the pope, he declared the only true authority to be the voice
of God speaking through His word. And he taught not only that the
Bible is a perfect revelation of God’s will, but that the Holy Spirit is
its only interpreter, and that every man is, by the study of its teachings,
to learn his duty for himself. Thus he turned the minds of men from
the pope and the Church of Rome to the word of God.
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Wycliffe was one of the greatest of the Reformers. In breadth of
intellect, in clearness of thought, in firmness to maintain the truth,
and in boldness to defend it, he was equaled by few who came after
him. Purity of life, unwearying diligence in study and in labor, incor-
ruptible integrity, and Christlike love and faithfulness in his ministry,
characterized the first of the Reformers. And this notwithstanding the
intellectual darkness and moral corruption of the age from which he
emerged.
The character of Wycliffe is a testimony to the educating, trans-
forming power of the Holy Scriptures. It was the Bible that made him
what he was. The effort to grasp the great truths of revelation imparts
freshness and vigor to all the faculties. It expands the mind, sharpens
the perceptions, and ripens the judgment. The study of the Bible will
ennoble every thought, feeling, and aspiration as no other study can. It
gives stability of purpose, patience, courage, and fortitude; it refines
the character and sanctifies the soul. An earnest, reverent study of the
Scriptures, bringing the mind of the student in direct contact with the
infinite mind, would give to the world men of stronger and more active
intellect, as well as of nobler principle, than has ever resulted from
the ablest training that human philosophy affords. “The entrance of
Thy words,” says the psalmist, “giveth light; it giveth understanding.”
Psalm 119:130
.
The doctrines which had been taught by Wycliffe continued for
a time to spread; his followers, known as Wycliffites and Lollards,
not only traversed England, but scattered to other lands, carrying the
knowledge of the gospel. Now that their leader was removed, the
preachers labored with even greater zeal than before, and multitudes
flocked to listen to their teachings. Some of the nobility, and even