Bye Paths in Baptist History JJ Goadby Part 6 The Lollards

Jim Curran January 28, 2020

Bye Paths in Baptist History JJ Goadby Part 6 The Lollards

(As a note the term Lollards was like Anabaptist a term that was applied from the outside. Initially it referred to any “heretic” (as the Catholics defined it) in general. The name was actually applied earlier than Wycliffe in the Netherlands as early as the start of the 14th century so not all can be traced to Wycliffe as is often claimed. Not all Lollards were of the same doctrinal stance. There has been much debate through the years as to how close Wycliffe was to our positions. The Lollard movement was mainly underground but we do have some writings preserved. However we do not have anything that could be considered a “doctrinal statement.” The Twelve Conclusions points out many of the sinful and corrupt practices present in the Roman/English church of that time and so shows some of their doctrinal stances but it is not comprehensive and does not give us a lot of their doctrine.)

Baptist opinions were held by many of The Lollards. It should be remembered that the Panlicians, the Waldenses, the Picards, and the Paterines, were all sometimes designated by this general name. Whatever the origin of the name itself, it has never been questioned that great numbers of the Lollards held Baptist sentiments. It is stated by some early historians that about thirty years after the cruel treatment of Gerard and his companions, Henry the Second so far changed his policy as to permit a company of Waldenses to settle peacefully in Kent, as tenants of the Manor of Darenth, and that in the reign of Edward the Third, colonies of Lollards came into the county of Norfolk. Mosheim affirms that Peter Lollard himself visited this country in the early part of the fourteenth century, and contemporary historians speak of the wide prevalence of Lollard’s opinions in England, even before the time of John Wycliflfe. There is little doubt that they prepared the way for the general diffusion of that great Reformer’s opinions. What Wycliffe’s Opinions on Baptism were, it is now needful very briefly to state. Taking some passages by themselves, it would not be difficult to claim Wycliflfe as a holder, in part, of Baptist opinions. “How necessary the sacrament of Baptism is to the believer,” says Wycliflfe, “may be seen by the words of Christ to Nicodemus, ‘ Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And such, accordingly, is the authority from Scripture on which believers are customarily baptized.” Again, “Chrism and other such ceremonies are not to be used in baptism.” Still further, “Baptism doth not confer, but only signify, grace which was given before.” Another passage declares, ‘^that those are fools and presumptuous which affirm such infants not to be saved which die without baptism, and that all sins were abolished in baptism.” But on this last point Wycliflfe contra- diets himself, since, in another place, when speaking about a child dying unbaptized, he says, “I hold my peace as one dumb, . . . because it doth not seem to me clear whether such an infant would be saved or lost.” His bitter opponent, Walsingham, speaks in no choice language about his opinions. “That most damnable heretic, John Wycliffe,” says Walsingham, “re-assumed the cursed opinions of Berengar, which was, as you have heard, to deny infant baptism and transubstantiation.” Walden, who wrote bitterly against the Reformer, terms him “one of the seven heads that rose up out of the bottomless pit, for denying infant baptism, that heresy of the Lollards, of whom he is so great a ringleader.” But whatever his enemies’ opinions of him, these are his own words in his Triologues: “On account of the words of the last chapter in Matthew, our church introduces believers who answer for the infant which has not yet arrived at years of discretion.” In another place he thus writes: “Nor is it of moment whether the baptized be immersed once, or thrice, or whether the water be poured upon his head. But the ceremony must be performed according to the usage of the place, and is as legitimate one way as another. For it is certain, that bodily baptism or washing is of little avail, unless there goes with it the washing of the mind by the Holy Ghost from original or actual sin; for herein is a fundamental article of belief, that whenever a man is duly baptized, baptism destroys whatever sin was found in the man.” There is still a third opinion expressed about children dying unbaptized. ” I think it probable that Christ might, without any such washing, spiritually baptize, and by consequence save infants.” Again, on the validity of baptism, he writes: “When an infidel baptizes a child, not supposing that baptism to be of any avail for his salvation, we are not to regard such a baptism as serviceable to the baptized. Yet we believe that where any old woman or despised person duly baptizes with water, God completes the baptism of the Spirit along with the words of the sacrament.” It will be seen, from these various quotations, that Wycliffe’s mind was not entirely free from Popish errors on the subject of baptism; but the half-truths he uttered set other men thinking; and, by the aid of the New Testament, which Wycliffe put into their hands, many of his followers openly avowed distinct Baptist opinions. Especially was this the case with The Bible-men. East Anglia, Middlesex, Kent, Hereford, and the Midland Counties, were the chief centres of their influence. Like Beren-gar, they refused to take their children to the church to be baptized. At Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, where they were numerous during the later half of the Fourteenth Century, they were commonly known by the people as Just-fast-men, and Known-men, on account of their fidelity to each other during the fierce persecutions they had to suffer. “The heretics and Lollards of Wycliffe’s opinions were at first permitted to preach abroad boldly, to gather conventicles unto them, to keep schools in men’s houses, to write books, to complete treatises, and write ballads; to teach privately in angles and comers, as in woods, pastures, meadows, groves, and caves in the ground ; ‘* the monks attributing their eloquence and ready skill as disputants to the direct help of the devil. The whole country was leavened with Wycliffe’s opinions, and the opinions of the ‘ Bible-men ; and the storm of clerical rage that presently burst over them, while it “rooted out” some of these “evil weeds and offendicles, planted by the new and danmable Lollardie,” as the persecuting priests were pleased to call them, still left many disciples untouched by its fury.

(As a note probably the most prominent man among the Lollards besides Wycliffe was Sir John Oldcastle who was burned alive for his faith)

Joseph Jackson Goadby. Bye-paths in Baptist history (Kindle Locations 330-376).

Jim Curran Here is a link to an article of the trial of Sir John Oldcastle, the most prominent of the Lollards- It was occasioned by the discovery of some of his books in Paternoster Row. (as a note none of these books are known to exist one more example of the Catholic destruction af anything they considered heretic) https://www.alarichall.org.uk/teaching/Oldcastle.htm