John Wycliffe: scholar, translator, martyr
John Wycliffe (c. 1328 – December 31, 1384) was an English Scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached anticlerical and biblically-centred reforms. The Lollard movement, was a precursor to the Protestant Reformation (for this reason, Wycliffe is sometimes called "The Morning Star of the Reformation"). He was one of the earliest opponents of papal authority influencing secular power.
John Wycliffe and his associates were the first to translate the entire Bible from Latin into English.
Wycliffe believed that the only way for men to learn that they could have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ -- and apart from ecclesiastical authority -- was to provide them with the Bible in their own language. Wycliffe and his associates completed the New Testament in about 1380 and the Old Testament in 1382.
John showed interest in, and studied
history
natural science
theology
ecclesiastical law
philosophy
Roman and English law
The Lollards, a somewhat rambunctious lot who were English dissenters against Rome and saw eye-to-eye with Wycliffe's tracts and teachings, were organized by Wycliffe, starting at Oxford and expanding out into the countryside. Wycliffe's 1390 edition of his translation which was less literal and more refined and readable became known as the Lollard's Bible.
England at this time was Catholic because of the Norman invasion. More details of the invasions and battle can be seen here. Further details of the Anglo-French wars, covering over eight hundred years, are covered here and demonstrate why England vascillated between Roman Catholic and Protestant loyalties.
The Archbishop of Canterbury in 1407, Thomas Arundel, banned anyone from translating the Bible on their own initiative and authority into English! Henry Knighton put it this way:
Wycliffe translated it from Latin into the English-not the angelic!-language. As a result, what was previously known only by learned clerics and those of good understanding has become common, and available to the laity-in fact, even to women who can read. As a result, the pearls of the Gospel have been scattered before swine.
The efforts of Wycliffe opened the proverbial Pandora's box, and it is no surprise that the response was not only swift in his day but consistent thereafter. The Archbishop of Canterbury also took the second step to ban the reading in private or public of any such English translation
The issue was sensitive well into the 16th century when John Colet, then Dean of St. Paul's cathedral, was suspended in 1513 from his post for translating the Lord's Prayer into English. The Pope was so infuriated by Wycliffe's teachings and his translation of the Bible into English that, 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!
For more in-depth coverage of the topic, see here.
Bede