"No man is so rude a scholar but that he might learn the words of the Gospel according to his simplicity."

-John Wycliffe (1329 - 1384)

He had done so much harm and was so hated that four decades after his natural death his body was dragged from the grave and burned. His ashes were cast into the river. This was no unruly mob that took their revenge. The action was taken in 1415 by court order.

And the crime? John Wycliffe had dared to translate the Christian Bible into English. He believed that even common men should be allowed to read the Bible. Others disagreed including the Council of Constance that ordered the unusual post mortem punishment. They believed the common man, if he could indeed read, was not schooled in the "proper" interpretation of scriptures. Questions and disputes would arise regarding ecclesiastical matters and perhaps even the authority of the Church, the Crown, and the Bible.

In the medieval period, the uncollected scriptures were not available to average person in Western Europe. The Old Testament was available in Hebrew and in a Greek translation called the Septuagint, and in a Latin version called the Vulgate. The New Testament was available only in Greek and Latin. There were also other collections and versions of other "sacred" writings written in Greek and Latin that we know little of today. Consequently, educated clergy and scholars were the only ones who had access to the books of the Bible.

Other vernacular translations had been made in other countries as far back as the second century, but these were not known to most of Western Europe. The interpretation of scripture was left to those learned men who tended to support the status quo of the church and state. This attitude made the business of translating an increasingly dangerous business.

Wycliffe and his associates translated the Latin Vulgate scriptures into English. It was no small task, but the power of their work was limited to the number of hand copied versions they could make and distribute. Even so, Wycliffe was a threat, and he was brought to trial several times, but protected by friends who were in power. He died a natural death in 1384.

One hundred years after Wycliffe's body was exhumed and burned, another translator was to advance the cause. Erasmus of Rotterdam, the scholar printer, worked at Cambridge University. He was to publish a Greek New Testament, but he also was a strong and influential advocate of an English translation. Besides his own work, he was an encouragement to others who followed him.

William Tyndale, was a student of Erasmus's writing. He was appalled that the English people and even the clergy was ignorant of what the scriptures said. Tyndale also argued against strong opposition for a translation. To a learned critic, he said, "If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost." He was forced to leave England.

Tyndale went to Germany to visit Martin Luther, the German reformer. Printing was well established in Germany and the followers of Luther made good use of the new technology. In Europe, Tyndale saw the impact caused by a printed version of a common language Bible. He began printing his English new Testament in Cologne, but his critics still pursued him and they had the power of the law to use against him. He was forced to flee to Worms with the unbound press sheets.

When his work was finally completed, it was the first English translation made directly from the original Greek manuscripts. Printed copies of the Tyndale Testament were then smuggled into England and widely distributed. Church authorities began to hunt down and burn the books that they could find. They were so successful that only two copies of the original first edition survived.

Tyndale went into hiding, but was captured, and on October 6, 1536, he was strangled and burned at the stake. They had burned his books in England and now they had tracked him down and burned him in Europe. His last words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes!"

What he did not know at the time of his death was that Henry VIII had broken with Rome over his many marriages. Henry assumed the power of supreme head of the Church of England. He ordered that an English Bible be placed in every church of his realm. Part of this Bible was from Tyndale's translation. It was approved by the King and published by Miles Coverdale.

England was then flooded with Bibles from many translators and printed by many printers. Errors were abundant. King James I ordered a new "authorized" translation to be done by 54 scholars. The work was completed and printed in 1611. Their decisions directed the course of Christianity and history for centuries to come.

Tyndale's prophesy became true, now, even the plow boy could read and know what was really in the Bible.

 

Copyright © 1998 by Frank Granger

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