Lollardy

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Caption: : Did they impact the Reformation?

Wycliffe

Lollardy was founded by Wycliffe, a  philosopher and theologian who criticised the Catholic Church.Lollardy emerged in England in the second half of the 14th Century, and was widespread up to the beginning of the 15th century.It was considered heresy,It was a small minority of mainly peasants who were critical of the church and enraged by its corruption. It persisted in parts of Southern England, such as Buckinghamshire and other areas of the South East.

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Caption: : He is known as the ‘morning star of the reformation’

Records

Wycliffe elaborated that:The King was as much God's vicar as the Pope.This would correspond to Henry VIII's views in the future.The only record of beliefs is The Twelve Conclusions of Lollardy.In Fox's Book of Martyrs, it is evident that the Lollards survived into the 1530s

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Where else was Lollardy found?

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Buckinghamshire, as previously mentioned, was one of the areas of the South East where Lollardy was found.'Spread from universities and London’ - Derek WilsonIt was passed down through families and spread by intermarriageIt was not only the peasantry that took to it - it was  among yeoman farmers, small tradesmen and craftsmen also, all of whom may have felt bitterly against the corruption and privilege of the bishopric. 

Some examples of Lollard beliefs are: - Condemnation of pilgrimage and offerings to images - equation of the Pope as an antichrist - Placed stress on the understanding of the Bible and believed everyone should have access to a Bible in their own language.- considered Catholic Church corrupt- sceptical about the Eucharist and transubstantiation - denied idea of the special status of priesthood

Views of the Lollards

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Issues they found with the Church

1) Pluralism (having more than one parish) and absenteeism (not being present in a diocese)2) Simony (such as when HVII raised £200 for the Archbishopric of Buckinghamshire)3) Clerical misconduct, such as in the case of Richard Hunne 1514, of who it was believed was tortured to death4) Wolsey was a representative of the corruption of the Church5 ) Fundamental flaws with Catholic teachings, such as transubstantiationWilson --> 'as some of their critics confessed, many of these heretics [Lollards] knew the Bible better than their parish clergy did'

Limitations

Their views were considered heresy and some were punished for this crime.Popularity decreased after the failed Lollard uprising of 1414, many years before the reign of Henry VII or Henry VIIIBecame geographically restricted and lost intellectual coherenceThe bulk of its followers were peasants who were of little wealth or powerPriests retained support of most members of laity.Quite seditious and socialist views - would not complement the beliefs of many.

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Caption: : The burning of heretics was introduced in 1401 - Lollards placed their lives at risk

Lollards during Henry VIII's reign

To what extent were they present? 310 Lollards were recorded to have been burned in the Diocese of London 1510-1532 John Hacker, a leading Lollard in London, distributed heretical books from 1520 From 1521 he was linked with the Buckinghamshire Lollards, and his associates in London had connections with the Colchester Lollards.  There was a network forming through England

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Bishop Cuthbert of London (of who replaced Wolsey)  called Lutheranism the foster-child of Wycliffe heresy They had been linked with nobility and the crown in the past, having been protected by John of Gaunt around 1370 - 1380.The Lollards set the principle to other movements of criticising the church, and Protestant groups in later years such as the Baptists, Puritans and Quakers show a continuation of Lollard ideas

Influence of the Lollards

Historian Quotes

Elton --> Lollardy had no part in ReformationCross --> Even when Lollardy had its widest appeal, idealists never intended that the Church should be deprived of its surplus wealth for the good of the state.

Dickens --> 'The ground for humanism was prepared by Lollardism'Cross --> In some parts of England there reappeared a surprisingly vigorous strain of Lollardy