John Wycliffe—A man whose fame unknowingly overshadowed an unknown Christian

I must admit this paragraph caught me off guard in Wycliffe’s latest biography.

She writes,

“No work in English which can be attributed with certainty to Wycliffe survives, nor is there evidence that he actively got the work of translating the Bible into English under way or was even directly involved in it.”

Really? This man, who is known as the “morning star of the Reformation” and is bestowed the immortal honor of translating the Bible into the English language.

So my question is, “Then why is Wycliffe highly regarded in the annals of church history?”

For what I can gather there is one reason. The zealous words of John Foxe. 

He wrote,

“When Wickliffe recovered, he set about a most important work, the translation of the Bible into English. Before this work appeared, he published a tract, wherein he showed the necessity of it. The zeal of the bishops to suppress the Scriptures greatly promoted its sale, and they who were not able to purchase copies, procured transcripts of particular Gospels or Epistles. Afterward, when Lollardy increased, and the flames kindled, it was a common practice to fasten about the neck of the condemned heretic such of these scraps of Scripture as were found in his possession, which generally shared his fate.”

Now I am not accusing Foxe of “lacking historical integrity”, but it seems that the proof of original sources are absent.

She continues,

“It is far from certain that Wycliffe translated a single word of the Bible into English as a contribution to the endeavor which produced the first versions, and there is scant evidence in the authentic writings of the last years that he was thinking along these lines at all.”

So who wrote or edited or even directed the construction of the first English bible? It seems to fall on an unknown Christian, whose name is John Purvey.

“Knighton, writing within a few years of the event, has a good deal to say about John Purvey. He describes him as a chaplain, of simple mien, unassuming and hard-working and assiduous in winning people’s hearts, with a face older than his years. It is upon Knighton’s authority that the story rests that Purvey was Wycliffe’s companion at Lutterworth (where Wycliffe spent the final years of his life). His precise role at Lutterworth, the nature of his relationship with Wycliffe, the capacity in which he served him in these last years remains as obscure as the question of whether he was there at all.”

And yet, it is here where the common, unknown Christian can be encouraged.

TO THE JOHN PURVEY’S OF THE WORLD:  

The smile of God is more satisfying than then the applause of men or the beautiful voices of a myriad of angels.

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I have become quite enamored by the works of C.S. Lewis. My favorite so far is The Great Divorce. To illustrate this point I want to share with you an excerpt from his book.  

The context is a conversation of someone contemplating going into the hills (i.e. going into Heaven). Yet this individual wants to meet and hobnob with important, distinguished, famous people, since that is what is deemed important on Earth.

Ghost: “But surely in the case of distinguished people, you’d hear?

Inhabitant of Heaven: “But they aren’t distinguished—no more than anyone else. Don’t you understand? The Glory flows into everyone, and back from everyone: like light and mirrors. But the light’s the thing.”

Ghost: “Do you mean there are no famous men?”

Inhabitant of Heaven: “They are all famous. They are all known, remembered, recognized by the only Mind that can give a perfect judgment.”

So, John Purvey is famous in Heaven.

Now that I think about it……I guess this means the mom who raises a severely autistic child, who sacrificed her life for the one who may never “leave and cleave” or even enjoy the kiss of a beautiful woman, according to the picture of Lewis, if she trusts if the blood of Jesus, then she is famous in the halls of Heaven.

I guess the verbally abused wife of an angry tyrant, who is told by family and friend to pursue a divorce and yet, submitting to scripture, prays fervently for this wretched soul, according to Lewis, she is famous in the halls of Heaven.

Numerous other souls will be silent in the pages of human history, but famous to the One who created them, sustained them and finally granted to them the joys of eternal rest.

Thanks, John Purvey for reminding me that the smile of God, though often hidden, is the only expression worth living for.