William Swynderby (sometimes spelled Swinderby) and Walter Brute were active exponents of Lollard beliefs in the last 20 years of the 14th Century. Swynderby was burned at the stake for his faith in 1401 at Smithfield, London. G. M. Trevelyan, while not entirely sympathetic, gives a glimpse of the views of Brute and Swynderby on … Continue reading Persecution of the Lollards
Lollards
John Wycliffe, as seen by Geoffrey Chaucer
In 1367, when John Wycliffe taught at Canterbury Hall, Oxford, one of his students was Geoffrey Chaucer. These two men had a great influence on the development of the English language. In later years, John Wycliffe produced the first translation of the Bible into the English language, and Chaucer produced the first literary work … Continue reading John Wycliffe, as seen by Geoffrey Chaucer
Lollard Conclusions, 1394
1. That when the the Church of England began to go mad after temporalities, like its great stepmother the Roman Church, and churches were authorized to by appropriation in divers places, faith, hope, and charity began to flee from our Church.... 2. That our usual priesthood which began in Rome, pretended to be of power … Continue reading Lollard Conclusions, 1394
The bishops condemned by God
It is the tendency of British historians to consider religious movements in England to be largely independent in origin. Lollardy is a case in point. Despite its similarities to the Waldensian movement on the continent, it is generally seen as the result of the teaching of John Wycliffe. I have no desire to diminish in … Continue reading The bishops condemned by God
English Christianity – Part 2
INFLUENCE OF WYCLIFFE IN BOHEMIA - HUSSITES The writings of John Wycliffe reached as far as Bohemia, where they were adopted, at least in part, by Jan Hus. Hus was appointed rector of the University of Prague in 1401 and chaplain of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague in 1402. Hus preached in the Czech language and … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 2
English Christianity – Part 1
PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY The exact time when the Christian faith first reached the British Isles is lost in the mists of time. Traditions that the Apostle Paul or Joseph of Arimathea first brought the Gospel to England seem somewhat dubious, but cannot be proved or disproved at this distance in time. There is evidence, though, that … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 1
Flatlander Faith 