John Wycliffe wrote much on the evils in the church. One treatise consists of 43 chapters critiquing the clergy.* Wycliffe focused particularly on the fact that the clergy were not caring for souls by preaching, but were guilty in other ways of doing great harm to the souls of men. His criticisms reveal that the situation seemed to be almost as desperate in Wycliffe’s day as in Luther’s times, some 150 years later. A few excerpts are given below. Importance of Preaching In the first chapter Wycliffe shows that our Lord and His apostles were devoted to the work of...
