CONANT’S "HISTORY OF ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATION."

In 1377, Wickliffe twice escaped the snares of his enemies once at St. Paul's, when summoned before the bishop of London, and again at Lambeth, where he had boldly appeared alone before a synod ; and his peaceful deliverance amid confusion and strife on both occasions reminds us of the word, "But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way." (Luke 4:30.) It was the same power that wrought in London and at Nazareth, against which all efforts of man are idle. (Ps. 2:) On the first of these occasions he was accompanied before the bishop by two powerful friends-Lancaster and Percy, magnates of the realm. This so exasperated the bishop that he rebuked them in anger, and a tumult arose, during which Wickliffe quietly withdrew. On the second occasion (at Lambeth,) the people of London became concerned about his safety, and streamed toward the place of meeting, entered the building, and burst open the door of the council-room, and demanded Wickliffe, and, in the midst of all, a royal messenger entered, and "forbad any definite sentence" by the court. Wickliffe returned peaceably to Oxford, to lecture, write, and preach against the sins of popery with more zeal than ever. The hand of God thus shielded him from his enemies, and gave him boldness to still preach the truth. We can think with what joy he must have gone on his. way through the crowded street, hearing the word of the angel of the Lord, "Fear not" (Acts 27:24), and assured afresh that man's rage could only do that which God's " counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:. 28), and no doubt joining in the prayer, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings; and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word." So at all times we can rest in the assuring word (Is. 57:17), " No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord."

Wickliffe had been one of a royal commission from England to the pope, in 1372, to remonstrate against existing evils. Like Luther on a similar occasion, he returned with a fresh impression of the corruptions of the papal system. Thus God was preparing him for the witness he was to bear. We may conclude he was not silent, since, not long .after, papal bulls against him were addressed to Oxford, to the king, to Canterbury, and London. That England had become the nurse of heresy is ascribed to " John Wickliffe, Master in Divinity-more properly Master in Error; who had proceeded to a degree of madness so detestable as not to fear to assert, dogmatize, and publicly teach opinions the most false and erroneous, contrary to the faith, and tending to the entire subversion of the church."

"Thus terrible," remarks the author, "to the kingdom of darkness is a man who gives fearless utterance to the truth."

" Contrary to the faith"!Alas ! how strong the tendency in us all to call that " contrary to the faith " which . does not please us, because subversive of error we have become attached to !If we are not willing to say, " I am wrong," we may be sure Satan has gained the mastery over us.

The parliament of England having appealed to Wickliffe for his opinion as to the pope's claim of tribute, Wickliffe's reply has the simplicity and wisdom that is always found with subjection to God's Word :-
"If thou wilt be a lord," he says to the church dignitaries " thou shalt lose thine apostleship ; or if thou wilt be an apostle, thou shalt lose thy lordship; for truly thou must depart from one of them. …. Now if it doth suffice thee to rule with the Lord, thou hast thy glory; but if we will keep what is forbidden, let us hear what He saith :' He that is greatest among you shall be as the least, and he which is highest shall be as a servant;' and, for an example, He set a child in the midst of them. So, then, this is the true form and institution of the apostle's trade':Lordship and rule is forbidden ; ministration and service commanded."

Such ministry was the shining of Scripture-light for all who were not blind. As to ministry, the office of priest was to Wickliffe simply that of one who was bound to faithfully preach the Word, and that even in spite of the prohibition of bishops ; and yet he did not quite attain to the scripture which lays upon each of us to minister according to the gift given us, and not by virtue of an "office," however truly he may have felt his own responsibility to Christ, and diligently acquitted himself to the end. Here is an eminently scriptural thought:" Every Christian should judge of the office of the clergy from what is taught in Scripture-especially in the epistles of Timothy and Titus, and should not admit the new inventions of Caesar."

"The highest service to which a man may attain on earth," he says, " is to preach the Word of God, …. and if our bishops preach not themselves, and hinder true priests from preaching, they are in the sin of the bishops who killed the Lord Jesus Christ."

He held that ministry should be supported simply by voluntary contributions of the people, according to the example of the Lord and the apostles; and that the Lord taught us to seek to be profitable to men everywhere, and not to forbear to preach to a people because they are few, and our name may not in consequence be great. We should labor for God, and from Him hope for our reward. "It was ever the manner of Jesus to speak the words of God wherever He knew they might be profitable to those who heard them. Hence Christ often preached now at meat, now at supper, and indeed at whatever time it was convenient for others to hear Him."

This reformer's instructions resulted in the going forth of a band of earnest missionaries through the country, who used occasions, (according to the author,) whether, in the church-yard, the market-place, or the fair; and we thankfully conclude the work was effectual, from the opposition aroused. The archbishop of Canterbury, bishops, and doctors were gathered together in council (See Acts 4:5), and appealed to royal authority to suppress the preachers, as men ".who were perverting the nation with their heretical and seditious doctrines."

" But these devices," says the author, " were not able to break again the ' apostolic succession' thus revived by Wickliffe. When persecuted in one place, they fled to another, and continued their work ; for the Lord was with them, and kings and prelates opposed in vain. To the poor the gospel was preached. This was to the glory of God. Wickliffe was a follower of Jesus, for he loved the poor."

"The Poor Caitiff* is a collection of short pieces. *One of humble condition.* (London Religious Tract Society.) With "simplicity, humility, and sweetness he speaks to the neglected and degraded poor these heavenly words of instruction and consolation." Here are a few passages from these little messengers of peace, which also show how the Spirit of Christ in every time leads the true servant in the path of meekness and love, that he may be able to minister the same thing to others-to the lambs and sheep of the flock :-

" To any degree of true love to Jesus no soul can attain unless he be truly meek. For a proud soul seeks to have his own will, and so he shall never come to any degree of God's love. Even the lower that a soul sitteth in the valley of meekness, so many the more streams of grace and love come thereto. And if the soul be high in the hills of pride, the wind of the fiend bloweth away all manner of goodness therefrom.

" Singular love is:when all solace and comfort is closed out of the heart but the love of Jesus alone, other delight and other joy pleases not; for the sweetness of Him is so comforting and lasting, His love is so burning and gladdening, that he who is in this degree, may well feel the fire of love burning in his soul. That fire is so pleasant that no man can tell but he that feeleth it (i Pet. 1:8), and not fully he. Then the soul is Jesus loving, on Jesus thinking, and Jesus desiring; only burning in coveting of Him ; singing in Him, resting on Him. Then the thought turns to song and melody.

"God playeth with His child when He suffereth him to be tempted ; as a mother riseth from her much beloved child and hides herself, and leaves him alone, and suffers him to cry, ' Mother! Mother!' so that he looks about, cries and weeps for a time; and, at last, when the child is ready to be overset with troubles and weeping, she comes again, clasps him in her arms, kisses him, and wipes away the tears. So our Lord suffereth His loved child to be tempted and troubled for a time, and withdrawing some of His solace and full protection, to see what His child will do, and when he is about to be overcome with temptations, then He defendeth him and comforteth him by His grace."

Note again Wickliffe's love, for the poor and his persuasion that the Word alone could supply their need in his introduction to Luke.

" Therefore a poor caitiff let from preaching for a time for causes known to God writeth the gospel of Luke in English, with a short exposition of old and holy doctors, to the poor men of his nation, which know little Latin or none, and be poor of wit and worldly chattel, and not the less rich in good will to please God!" And then referring to the hypocrisy of antichrist and his disciples (the papal system) he adds, " The best armor of Christian men against this crowned chieftain with his host is the text of holy writ."

In the year 1384, he completed the translation of the whole of the Old and New Testaments, making his translation from the Latin Vulgate;-that is, the Latin version made by Jerome from the Greek and Hebrew in the fourth century.

In the same year he was called to his rest. He had completed his task. He was seized with paralysis in the Church at Lutterworth, and after a few days of unconsciousness his soul "awoke in the joy of its Lord." E.S.L.

(To be continued.)