The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-28

him, saying: Lord gif thou volt, thou maist
make me clene And Jhesus holdynge forthe
the handle, touchide hymn, saying, L wole; be
thou maad clene, And anoon the lepre Of
hymn was clensid." To be sure, different por
lions of the Bible hal been translated at diff
ferent times before Wyclif but it was Wye
entire people This version was conn leted in
1882, and no other translation was attempted
for nearly century and half. 1t had much
influence upon the succeeding versions, in
Guiding our own, or the King James's version,
made in 1GlI.
Wyclif was eminently fitted for the great
work which fell to his lot. An industrious
priest, scholarly and combative leader at
Oxford, Tire center Of English learning; the
leader of an order Of 'p2or' or simple
priests, as they styled themselves, who had
preached his doctrines, obnoxious to Gregory
VI, throughout the kingdom, he was sup
ported by the chancellor and many of the Of
fcers of Oxford University, and, indeed, by a
great part of the English nation. He came
ripe to the great work, man born for his
time, and his translation, accomplished by
himself and his Oxford helpers-particularl
Hereford, who is believed to have translated
most of the Old Testament-was only fitting
complement to his previous activity.
But Wyclif did not look upon his transla-
ton as a mere piece of literary work. 1t was
simply the keystone to the arch of his life.
With the Bible in the hands of the English
peasantry, converted to his view that the
Scripture text alone is the solitary and suf
fcient rule of faith, to be interpreted by each
with his own reason and the help
of God, Wychf knew that his life
long endeavor to make the unadorned
and simple teachings of the Scriptures
the rule of life and practice irrespective of
popes and priestcraft, could not fall to the
ground or die with the Wycliftes. His life
was stormy one, and it seemed a marvel
that he missed the stake and died a peaceful
DEATH But such was the case. Five hun
bred years ago to-day he was struck down
while conducting mass in the church which
he never fo1sook, AID which it was his life
work to reform. His remains were left in
peace for thirteen years when in consequence
Of the anathema pronounced by the Council Of
Constance, his bones were torn from their
| grave, reduced to ashes, and cast into the
Swift. tributary of the Avon, as a prelimi-
rome of Prague. Thomas Fuller compares
the spread of Wyclif's doctrine to the disper-
sion of his ashes in his simple but eloquent
way: 'This river took them into the Avon,
Avon into the Severn, Severn into the mar
row seas-they into the main ocean, and thus
the ashes of Wyclif are the embems of his
doctrine, which is now dispersed all the
world over" 1t is rare that great
reformer and Protestant lives to see the out
come of his work, but SO great was the power
of Wyclif and his simple priests that before
his death his enemies complained 'that man
could not meet two persons on the road but
one was a Wyclifte.' Wyclf is remembered
to-day as good and great man, standing far
ahead of his time for freedom of religious
opinion. He was an unquailing foe of popish
tyranny, an industrious preacher of gospel
truth in the rude but ripening dialect of the
common people. He will always be known to
the simple and unlearned as the translator of
the Bible rather than as dsputant and oppo-
snent Of the special doctrines of the church of
Rome; and while his hundreds of sermons and
pamphlets are locked up in Vienna, awaiting
an English editor and translator the New
Testament, which he translated with his own
mind and hand, is the most common, the
cheapest and at the same time the dearest
book in every English-speaking household