SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE REFORMATION IN ENGLAND
Proverbs 26:2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
The reformation in England was certainly an act of God. However, God normally uses secondary causes.
1. The Babylonian Captivity 1309-1377 (named after the Babylonian captivity of Judah)
Popes lived in Avignon from 1309-1377
This created virtually a French pope at a time when the French were England’s enemy.
Then in 1378 French Cardinals elected Clement VII in Avignon to rival Urban VI in Rome.
There were several lasting ripples:
A French pope!
A French pope and a Roman pope!
Everything far too political
And this went on far too long not settled until 1417
2. There was a growing and settled distance between Roman Catholic teaching and
practice and the Scripture.
John Wyclif 1330-1384
Oxford Theologian
Morning star of the reformation
Church of only the elect
Strong believer in grace alone / predestination - following Augustine
Bible interpreted literally and was God’s saving word to mankind
Translation of Bible into English
Bible above Popes & Prelates
Completed by Nicholas of Hereford and John Purvey
Thomas Linacre, (physician to Henry VIII, founder of Royal College of Surgeons) a devout Catholic and a
good scholar, at the end of his life read the gospels in Greek and said “either this is not the gospel or we are not
Christians!”
3. Chaucer and his age’s view of …corruption!
The dissolution of 825 religious houses in the 1530s and 1540s caused almost no
4. The English clergy were 1 / 400th of the population but owned 1 / 3rd of the land!
5. Papal taxation
6. Papal appointments of foreigners to lucrative posts in the English church
7. Priests drew incomes from parishes in which they did not reside and did not serve
8. An abusive court system
Priests were exempt from ordinary courts and the common person was abused in & by the ecclesiastical
9. Lack of even the simplest reform
Bible in English
Open Bible preaching
Simplicity of God versus mystery
Any questioning was considered heresy and even treason
10. Untrained priests!
No Bibles even in Latin , no pastoral training and priests who didn’t understand Latin either!
EXCURSUS: ON THE NATURE OF PUBLIC AND PERSONAL RELIGION
Dan. 3:1-7, 8-12, 16-18
Acts 19.23-28, 32-34, 35-41
The Nature of Personal Religion:
To Know Him
Doctrinal
To Love Him
Experimental
To Serve and Obey Him
Practical
This is the nature of personal religion – evangelical / gospel-Christianity.
Not all, or even many, forms of Christianity are like this. Many are either partially or completely a public
religion.
Characteristics of Public Religion:
1. An exercise of authority
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof
six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges,
the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image
which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all
the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set
up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
This is the pure form here!
90~ feet tall!
9~ feet wide!
An image of gold
Set up by Nebuchadnezzar
All invited (= commanded) to come!
All commanded to bow down
Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Daniel 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of
musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Daniel 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace.
2. An act of publicity
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof
six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Public religion is always:
Public
To publicize
To give publicity to the king (or someone else)
To give publicity to those who submit & those who don’t!
This really can’t be done alone or in private
3. A test of loyalty
Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, Daniel 3:5 That at
what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down
and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: Daniel 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and
worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all
kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Daniel 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the
Jews.
Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image
which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Public religion is always part of the merging of church and state, God and government.
It has public, civic functions and not just / mainly religious functions.
4. A symbol of unity / uniformity& identity
Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Daniel 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Every country struggles with and for unity.
Every country struggles against forms of diversity / disunity
No nation can be anything and everything!
USSR & Stalin:
Facts:
Many languages
Many cultures
Many ethnicities
Many histories
To bring unity:
1 religion : Russian orthodox
1 language :
Spain under Franco:
One language : Spanish
One religion : Roman Catholic
One land
One leader
Symbols become rich, meaning-laden tools to provide unity & uniformity!
This would include speeches, official functions, marriages, coronations, burials….
5. A matter of formality
Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, Daniel 3:5 That at
what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down
and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: Daniel 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and
worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
This is terribly difficult for a person from a personal religion background to understand.
No one cares about:
What you believe
How you live
If this is personal and true
This is only a public religion
Examples:
- Ted Kennedy
Acts 19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that
knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell
down from Jupiter? Acts 19:36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do
nothing rashly.