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
Wycliffe
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