Lollard Heresy Trials 1428-31

[SOURCE: NORWICH HERESY TRIALS 1428-31 

Edited for the Royal Historical Society by Norman P. Tanner, 1977] 

In 1428 significant steps to crush the followers of John Wickliffe, pejoratively called ‘Lollards,’ (derived from the Latin noun lolium, which translates as ‘tares’), began with the digging up and burning of Wickliffe’s bones which were scattered in a nearby stream. Considered dangerous heretics because they followed the Word of God alone, adherents of ‘Lollardy’ (signifying ‘heresy’) were hunted down, imprisoned and placed on trial for breaking the precepts instituted by the Roman Church. 

The following list comprises the many ‘heresies’ they held, including that of naming the Pope of Rome the prophetical Antichrist. Furthermore, they understood the sign of the cross to be the fulfillment of the mark of the Beast. 

It should be noted this English branch of biblical Christianity was only one of many such European branches, (called by various names), whom the Lord raised up over the centuries and who valiantly opposed the Roman Catholic Church while testifying to the truth of Christ, even to the death. 

Included among the adherents of Lollardy were Catholic priests, artisans, such as shoemakers, tailors, skinners, carpenters, millers, and butchers, as well as the servants of the wealthy Thomas Mone, who used his mansion as a meeting place for teaching, study and worship. 

Lollard beliefs were consistent in condemning the Catholic faith and practices later condemned by the Protestant Reformers and Puritans. The seven sacraments of the Roman Church were superstitious and useless. In other words, biblical truth was known and defended for centuries before it was published abroad in the days of Luther. Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit leading His people into all truth was, and is, effectual. 

• They denied the ritual of infant baptism with its unbiblical practices, such as making the sign of the cross which allegedly ‘blesses’ the baby, placing salt in its mouth, the exorcising of demons, etc. Nor is it necessary to salvation. They understood water baptism as the means utilized to enter into fellowship with the Catholic Church, which they detested as antichrist. In their view the quintessential baptism was that of the Spirit, in Christ’s blood, which placed the recipient into the Body of Christ. And that baptism was of God, not man. 

• Confirmation, whereby the recipient was given the sign of the cross on the forehead with oil by the bishop, was considered worthless because it is only the Holy Spirit who strengthens, giving the desire and wisdom to understand the Word of God. 

• Confession to a priest was worthless. Neither is man obligated to do the penance prescribed. Priests have no power to remit the sins of others, let alone their own sins of avarice and licentiousness. Only God can forgive sin. Neither are indulgences of any value in remitting sin. 

Margery Baxter professed, “the Bishop of Norwich and his ministers are members of the devil who spread the false indulgences given them by the Pope” and are nothing less than “damnable idolatry.” 

• Marriage performed by a priest is unnecessary. Mutual professed love is what binds the couple, not the rituals and vows of Catholicism. 

• They held the priesthood of all believers. In fact, they believed every good and faithful Christian person who ‘lives well in charity’ is a priest, unlike the lewd, proud, false Christians who bear the title, ’priest.’ 

Edmund Archer professed, “Every good Christian man is a good priest, and has as much power as a priest of any Holy Orders, be he a Bishop of a Pope.” 

• They denied the doctrine of Transubstantiation. It is God who made the human priest, not the human priest who made God. Besides, God is eternal and has always existed. 

John Skylly confessed, “I held and affirmed that no priest has the power to make Christ’s body in the form of bread in the sacrament of the altar and that after the sacramental words are said by the priest at Mass there remains pure material bread on the altar.” 

• They denied the veneration of images, crucifixes and relics, calling it idolatry. A crucifix is no more holy than the gallows upon which men are hanged. A shrine simply holds the bones of the dead. 

• They denied prayers to Our Lady and the saints for many so-called Catholic ‘saints’ were not in Heaven but were simply declared so by the decree of men. Prayers are to be directed to God only. 

• They denied the value of religious paintings in churches, instead preferring to pay for their destruction, rather than their painting. 

• They insisted giving alms to the poor was of more value than the almsgiving of expensive pilgrimages or the paying of tithes which benefitted the priests. 

• They denied mandatory fasting on Friday as the precept of men, having no commandment from God. 

• They believed Sunday and feast-days no holier than other days. 

• Burial in Church grounds has no more merit to Christian people than burial in meadows or wild fields. 

• Anointing the dying with literal oil by a bishop is but a vain and preposterous practice having no value whatsoever. 

• They neither feared nor respected the authority of the Catholic clergy or Pope to curse and excommunicate. 

• They rebuked the superstitious ringing of bells in religious ceremonies which have no power to exorcise demons. 

• Water or bread was no more holy after a priest’s ‘blessing’ by the signing of the cross, no matter the conjuring and incantations of magical spells spoken or sung. Exorcisms and hallowings made in the church are the very practice of necromancy rather than holy theology. 

• The proud and lecherous nature of priests was well known and cause for horror and ridicule, demanding awareness by all its citizens. 

• Fruitful marriage has more merit than unfruitful celibacy practiced by hypocritical priests and nuns. 

• Disobeying the traditions, laws and precepts as instituted by the Roman Catholic Church was no sin. 

• The true church of God was invisible, consisting of only the congregation of the saved who were good Christians, existing in homes of all believers, not in visible institutional constructs. 

John Godsell, parchment maker, professed, “All material churches are but synagogues. They are not to be revered because God hears prayers said in the fields as well as prayers said in such a synagogue.” 

Below are a few quotes by Lollards on trial regarding their view of the Antichrist and his mark: 

John Skylly of Flyxton professed: “I held and affirmed and taught that the pope of Rome is Antichrist, and bishops and other prelates are disciples of Antichrist, and that the pope hath no power to bind or loose.” 

John Godesell professed, “the Pope is Antichrist, and the head of the dragon mentioned in Scriptures and the bishops and other prelates of the Church are followers of Antichrist, the mendicant orders the tail of the dragon.” 

John Reve of Becles professed: “The pope of Rome is Antichrist and hath no power of God to bind nor to lose as Peter had, for he followeth not Peter’s holy conversation and living.” 

Mrs. Hawise Moone professed: “The pope of Rome is father Antichrist, and false in all his working, and hath no power of God more than any other lewd man, unless he be more holy in living. Neither does the pope hath the power to make bishops, priests, nor any other [religious] orders. He that is called the pope of Rome is no pope, but a false extortioner and deceiver of the people…..The so-called ‘priests’ who celebrate Mass are no priests, but they be lecherous and covetous men and false deceivers of the people with their subtle teaching and preaching, singing and reading who shamelessly burden the people to their own profit, that they may sustain their pride, lechery, sloth and all other vices. They are always making new laws and new ordinances that they may curse and kill all those who oppose their wicked living.” 

John Skylan of Bergh professed: “There was never a pope after the death of Peter. He that is called pope of Rome is father Antichrist, false and cursed in all his working, falsely and subtly under the pretense of holiness deceiving the people to gain wealth…..All persons of the [Roman] Church, from the highest to the lowest, and all their teaching and preaching, whose goal is to enslave, are false, cursed and lies. Their priests are ordained that they may beguile and deceive the people to gain wealth, in addition to maintaining their pride, sloth and lechery.” 

William Hardy of Mundham professed: “No worship nor reverence is due any images of the crucifix, neither of Our Lady St. Mary, or any other saint, for the sign of the cross is the sign of Antichrist. There is no more reverence owed the cross than owed the gallows upon which men are hanged.” 

Edmund Archer of Lodne professed: “I held, believed and affirmed that no manner of worship should be made any images of the crucifix, Our Lady St. Mary, or any other saint, especially to images of Christ’s cross, for every such cross is the sign and token [read ‘mark’] of Antichrist.” 

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