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Chapter 7 Dawns Early Light Pre-Reformation A Ray of Hope Although the pure Gospel existed throughout the dark ages it was widely suppressed. Ecclesiastical Rome fought the free circulation of Scripture because that the simple reasoning of the Bible did not support its manmade decrees. Nevertheless, God had foreseen a day of victory. The nations that were in darkness would receive God's Word of deliverance. With the release of the Scripture the mighty River of God again broke upon the earth. Thus, whosoever will may hear the Gospel and drink of the water of life freely. The gift of prophecy was strong in the days before the Reformation. God's servants foresaw that a wonderful thing was about to transpire. In this chapter each of the reformers shall be seen to exercise the prophetic gifts of foretelling. Almost all prophesied of the coming Reformation except for John Wyclif.20 Satan particularly hates this gift because it demonstrates God's present involvement in our lives. The Fall of Babylon Fox tells of Hildegardis, (1146) who prophesied of the ruin of Catholic Rome, and against the begging friars. She said, "In these days shall arise a senseless people, proud, greedy, without faith, and subtle, the which shall eat the sins of the people...(These began selling licenses to sin) When their wickedness and deceit shall be found out, then shall their gifts cease...(People stopped supporting the Roman Church.) Then shall the people cry out upon them: Woe be unto you, ye miserable children of sorrow, the world hath seduced you..." 21 In addition to prophecy, Hildegardis also gave "concerts in the Spirit" while singing in other tongues. 22 ---------------------- 20 Isaiah 48:5 "I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them." John 13:19 "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he." 21 Acts and monuments, John Fox, v. 1, pp. 294 - 5 22 Pentecost in Church History, http://www.azstarnet.com/~jsbarta/ch_hist.html 10/24/98 A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts, -- George H. Williams and Edith Waldvogel, in The Charismatic Movement, ed. by Michael P. Hamilton, p. 70 ___________________________ Hildegardis foresaw the coming Reformation and the wide sale of indulgences that would soon contribute to the undoing of Rome. She understood that Christ's salvation was a gift above, for Jesus and no other man stands before God as our mediator. The Word of God was about to open the eyes of many throughout the world. The Holy Spirit of prophecy was beginning to move afresh! Morning Star of the Reformation John Wycliffe (1324-1384) was a Catholic Priest, university teacher, and a righteous man. While reading the Scripture he discovered the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. This view was in contrast to salvation through any other man or church. 23 He was the first to translate the Scripture into the common English of his day. Under his guidance, young preachers called Lollards went out to share the Good News. They proclaimed Christ while calling men to repent and love God. Ultimately, half of England was converted. An enemy said that in his time, "If two were seen walking together, one would be a Lollard." --------------------------- 23. Wycliffe's Path To Heaven By knowledge of the trinity through steadfast faith, By true keeping of God's commandments and By perfect and endless charity." The English Works of Wycliffe, --Matthew's page 264 _________________________________ During Wycliffe's ministry his increasing age and trials advanced into sickness. The unrighteous friars scurried to his bedside. They pretended to wish him "health and restoration from his distemper." However, they soon changed their speech. "You have death on your lips. Be touched by your faults and retract all that you have said to our injury." Wycliffe calmly let them finish, then, asked his servant to raise him a little on his pillow. He was feeble and found it hard to support himself. Fixing his eyes on them he prophesied, "I shall not die but live and again declare the evil deeds of the friars." They rushed out of the room in astonishment and confusion. When Wycliffe recovered, he set about the work of translating the Bible into English. The zeal of the bishops to stop the Scriptures only promoted their sale. Afterward, when Wycliffe's teachings spread, it was a common practice to fasten these Scriptures to the necks of the condemned heretics and burn them together. Just as Paul's and Silas prompted great shakings though their prison song, Wycliffe's life moved the footstool of God. On one occasion the Black Friars met to condemn his writing and teaching. However, about two o'clock, when they were finishing, God sent a wonderful and terrible earthquake that shook all of England. The officials at the Council of Constance bore witness to a similar occasion in which the door of the church was suddenly broken open by lightning and Wycliffe's judges barely escaped bodily harm.24 Although Wycliffe did not normally exercised the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, he gives us some priceless counsel concerning the place of miracles in the life of the believer. In his day the Roman Church was exercising many false and bazaar miracles and thus, leading men to idolatrous worship. Wycliffe acknowledged the reality of these miracles but said that God's law had to remain uppermost! Wycliffe said, "We should understand that signs often come from the devil, because of mans first sin. So, as Saint Paul says, the Devil has power to transform himself into an angel of light. Thus, it is a false man that says to place as much faith in signs as in God's law. . . We stand established in our faith, for that may never fail." 25 --------------------------------- 24 Foxe's Book of Martyrs, --John Fox, Whitaker House, 1981, p. 62 25 The English Works of Wyclif Hitherto Unprinted, F.D. Matthews, 1880. p. 289 ______________________ In today's world there are bad Lawyers, Judges, Salesmen, Clergy, and etc. We accept this fact and understand there are also people in these position that are upright. Miracles, including all the gifts of the spirit are no different. Jesus told us that many false prophets would arise. In the Old Testament there were also many false prophets. Nevertheless, since Jesus gave us the real working of his Spirit we should not refuse his true gifts. Our yardstick of discernment is found in the doctrines Scripture! If we refuse the real operation of God's Spirit because of our fear and unbelief, we have denied Christ and his Gospel and we are no better than those that perform false miracles. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) A Swan Shall Sing, Bohemian Prophets Some of Wycliffe's students hand copied his writings and took them into Bohemia. There, the priest John Huss (1369-1415) read Wycliffe and embraced the Gospel of salvation. Huss spoke out against the sinful lives of the clergy and the other false practices. Consequently, he was judged before the Counsel of Constance and burned. During his trial he gave a remarkable prophecy. "This day you roast a goose; but an hundred years hence you shall hear a swan sing, that you shall not roast."26 Huss further testified of his prophetic dreams that were later fulfilled. John Huss' burning sparked a mighty fire. His name meant goose and has given us the saying, "Your goose is cooked!" Huss was roasted as he sang from Mark 10:47. The Council's verdict was so unjust that a 30 year war finally resulted. One hundred years after Huss' death another priest wrote, "In God's name and calling, I will tread upon the lion and adder, and trample the young lion and dragon under foot. This shall commence during my life, and be accomplished after my death. St. John Huss prophesied of me, writing out of prison to Bohemia: 'Now shall they roast a goose, but an hundred years hence shall they hear a swan sing, that they shall be forced to endure. So must it be, God willing."27 This priest was the singing reformer Martin Luther! --------------------------------- 26. The Suppressed Evidence, Thomas Boys, 1830, p 73. From Arnold's Kirchen und Ketzer History, Frankford 1699 Th. I. b. xv. c.v.p. 420 27 Suppressed Evidence, p 74 _________________________________ Huss' message did not die in the flame. During the next one hundred years the Gospel spread. Huss' followers became the original "Bohemians" (non-conformist) of Bohemia. Their leaders were sometimes called the bearded ones and were unaffectionately called the Anabaptists. The Evangelical awakening during those interim years prepared the way for Luther and the prophesied Reformation. Another Bohemian foresaw the revival that was coming. This was Pious Janowsky. "On his deathbed he consoled his friends by the hope of better times. 'The fury of the enemies of the truth,' said he, 'has now the ascendant. But this will not always be so: for there will arise a people without display, without sword, and without power, whom they will not be able to resist.' He added, that there would be but one of them, who would see that happy time; and the Brethren observe, that in fact an individual, named Wenceslas, attained so great an age, that, sixty years after, he saw the church of the Brethren formed, and became one of its members. Janowsky died in 1394." 28 A Precise Prophecy (1486) Luther's contemporary Melancthon retold the story of a persecuted Franciscan monk called John Hilten. His peers imprisoned him because he spoke against their sins. He died about 30 years before the Reformation. Melancthon inspected Hilten's manuscripts, which prophesied things that were already fulfilled and some that were yet to come. We are told that during Hilten's final days he was quite sick and was brought before the superior of the convent. The superior, burning with holier-than-thou hatred, began to reprove him harshly for his teaching because it might destroy their way of life. Hilten sighed and groaned while replying, "For Christ's sake I patiently submitted to these reproaches; for that indeed I have neither written nor taught any thing which could over throw monarchism, but have merely denounced some notorious abuses." He prophesied, "There shall come another, in the year of our Lord 1516, who shall destroy you; nor against him will you be able to stand." 29 ----------------------- 28 ibid, p. 76, and Boast's Histoire de L'Eglise des Freres, Geneva, 1831 vol. 1, p. 33 29 ibid., p. 88 _______________________________ |