As this is the last of the present series, I thought that as it was approaching Christmas I would offer you a Christmas bonus by recalling with you TWO events that occurred in the life of the Church "This Month Long Ago".

The reason I have taken the two events together is on account of them having both occurred on Christmas Day ? the 25th December. On Christmas Day, 1384, John Wycliff, the great Bible translator and forerunner of the Protestant Reformation, died in his vicarage in Lutterworth, in England. And on Christmas Day 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock having crossed the Atlantic in their little ship, the "Mayflower", in search of religious liberty.

Let us look at the Protestant Reformation in two ways. If we view the whole scene in the light of the old Olympic Games of ancient Greece, which were officially commenced when a runner, bearing a lighted torch entered the arena and lit the fire that was to burn throughout all the events, then, we have a picture of Martin Luther and John Calvin. They blazed into the religious world of their day with the light of the Gospel truth that was to burn like a beacon throughout the world. But, as the torch of the old Olympic runners was lit by some lone runner away back in the hills of Greece, so, there had to fall on some man's shoulders the task of lighting the Reformation torch and travelling the first hazardous miles of the Reformation road. The man who lit the torch and passed it on to others was John Wycliff.

Again, picture the full, glorious sky of Reformation daylight, when the Sun of God's Truth was shining brightly from the Luthers and the Calivns. But, again, look away to the dark night when popish superstition shrouded the religious world in darkness, and you will realise that the world doesn't move from midnight to midday without the morning first coming. For this reason, John Wycliff has been named - and well named - "The Morning Star of the Reformation".

Wycliff lived at a time when England was completely dominated by the Roman religion of his day: but, as few people knew nothing of the Bible or the religion of the Bible, there was little dissention and Rome ruled supreme. Wycliff was no different from many others, and, on reaching the age for deciding on a career, chose the Church and began his studies. He studied at Oxford University, and was simply one of the care-free bunch of students with little burden as far as true heart-religion goes. However, there occurred in England an event that was to scar the land. The "Black Death" plague began to stalk the land, killing off thousands as it went, and Wycliff began to think on eternal issues. He was driven to his Latin Bible and soon the whole Romish system was revealed to him as altogether corrupt in the light of God's Word.

At first, Wycliff set out to right the abuses that Rome was laying on his beloved country. Soon, however, he was driven to set his eyes on ever greater reforms, and God gave him the insight to see the two greatest weapons that Rome and the Devil feared, and fear most - the Bible in the language of the people, and devoted preachers to spread the good news of the gospel.

Rome hated these moves, and although Christmas Day 1384, was the day of Wycliff's death, his body was not permitted to remain at rest. On decree from the Council of Constance, Wycliff's body was disinterred, burned, and the remains thrown into a river.

It has been said that "a great deal of the religious trouble of England can be laid at the door of that headstrong woman, Elizabeth 1." Most "non-conformists" would agree with this, as it was Elizabeth's intention that the Church of the Reformation was to abide under her jurisdiction. However, just as the Lord had used persecution to spread His work and Word in the past, so He was to do in the days following the Reformation. "The Church of England was never really reformed" is a common saying; but, whether we agree with this or not, we must agree that the facts tell us that it was apparently not reformed ENOUGH for some of the brethren in its ranks.

Within the Church of England, following the Reformation, there were the Puritans, whose intention it was to re-form the Church and make her pure - hence Puritan. Many, however, were of a different opinion, and these separated themselves, becoming known as Separatists. In those days no man set up a religious society without knowing the full brunt of the authorities, and the Separatists suffered so much under Elizabeth that many of the decided to sail for other fields. This resulted in the voyage of the "Mayflower", which was to be used of God for the establishment of a solid religion in the homes and churches of New England. On Christmas Day 1621 - almost a year after setting sail - the Pilgrim Fathers arrived at their destination.

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This Page Title – Forerunners to the Reformation - This Month Long Ago The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 45 – placed on line November 2003 Wicket Gate contact address – Mr Cliff Westcombe cw@wicketgate.co.uk If you wish to be notified when each new edition goes on line please send an e-mail to the above address Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk Labelled with ICRA