The 16th-Century Protestant Reformation The Forerunners of the Reformation The Protestant Reformation and teach the Word of to the poor. Since then, was not a sudden uprising God. Some of them can be he followed Christ. without any antecedent. traced as far back as the Prior to Martin Luther’s 12th and 13th century. Around 1170, recognising nailing of his 95 theses that the Word of God on 31st October 1517, the ought to be the basis of his Lord had already been The Waldenses faith and practice, Peter working in the hearts and One such group was Waldo started employing minds of men and women the Waldenses which men to translate the all over Europe – people was severely persecuted Bible. Nine years later, whom the Lord would use by the Roman Catholic he gathered a group of to pave the way for the church. In spite of this, the men and women who Protestant Reformation. Waldensians stood firm had the desire to bring They were the forerunners on the truth for the cause the truth of the Bible to of the Reformation. of Christ and the Gospel. others. The members of They stood so steadfastly this group were named Throughout history, God that one writer said, “They preserved a remnant who must be amongst the most the Waldensians after remained faithful to Him faithful of all the dissenters their leader. This group and His Word. As in the in the Middle Ages.”1 would take up the task of days of Elijah when God translating, teaching and preserved seven thousand The Waldensian movement preaching the Word of God. men in Israel who did was founded by Peter not bow to Baal (cf. 1 Waldo (†1218), the son of Initially, the Waldensians Kings 19:18), God kept a rich merchant who lived followed some Roman a remnant in the Dark in Lyons, France. Waldo Catholic teachings. They Ages that preceded the existed like a religious 16th-century Reformation. was troubled because he order of the Roman church Though, in those days, the gained his wealth through under the authority of Roman Catholic church usury and he saw the with its false brand of worldliness in his own life. the pope. They observed Christianity was spreading He asked his priest for the the Catholic sacraments throughout the world, best way to get to God and followed their church God preserved remnant and he was told to sell all system. However, as they groups and individuals that he had, give to the continually and constantly who separated themselves poor and follow Christ. studied the Word of God, from the apostate church Peter Waldo listened to the they soon saw the errors of and continued to study priest and gave everything the Roman Catholic church. Bible Witness 7 The 16th-Century Protestant Reformation In obedience to God’s centuries. So vehement named after the town of Word, they started to was the hatred of the Albi in southern France reject the doctrines of Roman church against the where they originated. The Catholicism. It was later Waldensians that Pope Cathars had its beginning recorded of them “that Alexander III commanded in northern Europe around they did not believe in the the bishop of Lyons to 1140 before they shifted doctrines of the church of exterminate them “from south and established Rome. That they made no the face of the earth”3. themselves in northern offerings or prayers for the Italy and Languedoc. By dead. That they did not In order to escape 1200, with the support and go to Mass. That they did persecution, the protection they received not confess, and receive Waldensians fled to the from the French nobles, absolution. That they did Piedmont Valleys for refuge. they became a powerful not believe in purgatory, or These valleys still remain group. In their opposition pay money to get the souls today as a testimony of to the Roman church, of their friends out of it.”2 their endurance of the most this was said of them, horrible persecution for “It was the Albigensians The Waldensians believed not renouncing their faith that aroused the greatest and were convinced in Christ. In 1655, God used anxiety and hostility from that the preached Word Oliver Cromwell to deliver the Catholic church.”4 of God (and not the them from persecution sacraments) was necessary – this after more than Little is known about the for salvation. They saw 400 years of cruelty and doctrines and practices of the need for all of God’s oppression from the the Albigenses. Because of people to have the Word Roman Catholic church. the ferocious persecution of God. They translated unleashed upon them, the Scriptures into the It was indeed a mighty many of their writings vernacular language of the act of God’s providence were destroyed. They people so that everyone that even during the Dark have often been charged might read and preach Ages of the church, there with teaching the heresies from it. Consequently, was a remnant who still of Manichaeanism and their opposition to the saw the truths of Scripture dualism. However, this Roman church and their so clearly. They were so accusation has not been insistence on preaching the convicted by the Word of verified even till today. Word of God stirred up God that no amount of These charges of heresies the wrath of that church. persecutions would cause were often invented by them to deny their faith. their Roman persecutors to This resulted in the discredit their teachings. Inquisition, which was a cruel and severe The Albigenses Archbishop Ussher said persecution campaign Another group that fiercely of them that the charge against the Waldenses opposed the Roman church “of Manichaeanism on – one of the most was the Cathars. This the Albigensian sect is ruthless persecutions in group is more commonly evidently false”. William history which lasted for known as the Albigenses, Jones, a church historian, 8 Bible Witness The 16th-Century Protestant Reformation concurred. He wrote “… John Wycliffe and friars, and warned that the general body of Wycliffe was known as the people against the the Albigenses received the the Morning Star of the deceptions of the Roman doctrines of Peter Waldo Reformation. He was born church. He condemned the – that these doctrines in Ipreswell, Yorkshire, teachings of indulgences, had no connection with and lived from 1324 to transubstantiation, and Manichaeanism – and 28th December 1384. the false ideas behind that the Waldenses and He studied theology and pilgrimages and papal Albigenses were two ecclesiastical law at Oxford. infallibility. He was the branches of the same For the early part of his first to call the pope sect, inhabiting different life, Wycliffe was mainly “Antichrist”. Some of countries, each deriving an Oxford schoolman. Wycliffe’s accusations its appellation from against the pope were its local residence”5. Wycliffe’s public career directed at “his usurpation, coincided with the time his infallibility, his pride, his 6 If the Albigenses had the during which nationalistic avarice, and his tyranny” . same doctrinal stand as anti-papal sentiments and the Waldenses, it was no anti-ecclesiasticism were Church historian Philip Schaff says, “His assault wonder it brought great brewing among the English may be summarized under displeasure to the Roman people. This dissention was five heads: the nature of church. Thus it prompted due to their reluctance the church, the papacy, the the church to organise the in having papal taxation priesthood, the doctrine Albigensian Crusade to get brought to England. This of transubstantiation and rid of all the Albigensians greatly influenced Wycliffe’s views on papal authority. the use of the Scriptures.”7 by force. This crusade Wycliffe further taught brought great bloodshed. From 1374, he had become that Christ, and not the In the process of getting rid more active in religious pope, is the head of the of the Albigensians, they reform in which he rose church; the Bible, and also destroyed France. to stand against the pope. not the pope, is the sole Wycliffe sought to remove authority of life and truth; The Albigensians shocked the Roman church’s and that the church should the Roman church, for immoral clergymen, follow the example of the the latter was reminded confiscate ecclesiastical New Testament church. that there were people property and refute her who dared to oppose the false teachings. 1378 Through sermons, tracts, church in order to stand marked the year in which pamphlets and other for what they believed in. he inaugurated himself writings which were penned There were other groups as a doctrinal reformer. with much conviction and such as the Lollards and passion, Wycliffe reached the Hussites which were Wycliffe introduced many the hearts of the people founded later, under the theological and practical in his bid to break down influence of John Wycliffe reforms. He preached priestly pretensions. He and John Huss respectively. against the pope, bishops also exalted preaching and Bible Witness 9 The 16th-Century Protestant Reformation attempted to bring the Bohemia. He studied at Wycliffe’s. He preached pure Gospel to the people. Prague where he earned against indulgences; he Around 1380, Wycliffe several degrees. In 1400, taught that the church was began a movement against he was ordained priest, not the Roman church, the friars. He trained “poor and the following year, he but the universal body of priests” – also known as was appointed preacher of believers; Christ, and not the Lollards – from Oxford the Bethlehem Church in the pope, was the head of graduates and laymen, Prague and later became the church; people should and sent them forth as the Dean of Philosophy.