The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-28
WYCLIF's PREACHERS.
The Old Tteformer's Institution of a Band of
Poor Simple Priests.

The Old Reformer's Institution of a Band of
Poor Simple Priests.
A. ". Ward. in January Harper.
How highly he valued the influence of the
spoken word, and how anXiousy he sought to
bring 1t home to the people, is best shown by his
institution of poor or simple priests. Possibly,
as has been remarked what was in interested
quarters resented and resisted as an endeavor
both to supplant the existing mendicant orders
and to ignore the authority of the Pope, might
under different circumstances have resulted in
the establishment of a mendicant order,
and in the beginning of a new Catholic revival.
At the same time theTT5 must have been a com
bative element in Wyclif's priests, even before
HE S~n attitude had become one of absolute re-
volt They seem to have gone forth
Leicester (which is not far from IIut
terworth), clad in long garments of red
woolen barefooted, and staff in hand. Their
mission was to teach simple truths in simple
words, declaring Gods law in church or chapel
when admitted to a pulpit, otherwise in the
churchyard or public streets and places They
must have tired the patience out of many
honest priest anxious to do his duty by his par
ishoners," like Chaucers Poor Parson of
Town, into the picture of whom Chaucer is sup
posed to have introduced feature of the Wy
clifite itinerant Fettered, so far as we know, by
no rules or restrictions, Wyclifs mission men
may have often had little to distinguish
them from the mendicant friars but the
voluntary nature of their daily seif-de-
NAL Like the friars, they no doubt often
became the confidential friends of the lowly,
sharing their sympathies, and very likely groan-
ing with them over their grievances These
wandering preachers must have become less
and less amenable to control more especially
when lin imitation, perhaps, of the example pre-
viously set by the Waldenses) even laymen were
allowed to take part in the labors of the mission.
No wonder that in the end the attempt was made
lin May, 1882 by Archbishop Courtenay to
extinguish the itineFaHts! Fhe Lords consented
to his proposal, but the Commons hesitated;
and it was necessary to resort to an audacious
maneuvre for giving statutory power to a royal
ordinance which had been obtained against the
preachers.
This institution of Wyclifs connects itself with
some of the most important efforts of his late
career. From many points of view his transla-
ton of the Bible formed an indispensable COM
plement of his previous activity, but it was,
above all, an invaluable aid to his endeavor to
make the truth, in its unadorned and undisguised
simplicity, known throughout the land. He had
long been specially distinguished by his exposi-
ton of Holy Scripture at Oxford where academ-
ical enthusiasm had bestowed on him the title of
Doctor Evangelieas. But the translation of the
Bible into English was undertaken by Wyciffor
the people at large, which at this time with
out any version of the Scripture ineligible to
1t. The work was accomplished by him and his
Oxford helpers by the year 1882; and whatever
may have been the influence of his labor upon
Wyclif himself, their result cannot hut have
heiped 10 incline his followers toward the primer
pie by which he was afterward content to abide:
that the Bible is the solitary and sufficient rule
Oh faith, and that this rule is to be interpreted
with the help of God alone.
Again, Wyclifs interest in his itinerant preach
ers must have intensified his hostility toward
the existing monastic orders, more especially the
mendieants. 1t still remains an open question
when this hostility first publicly declared itself
nor will it be possible to decide the point TILL in
course of time, all writings of Wyelif have been
made accessible and their dates have been ascer-
tanned.