Great Controversy, pages 79 to 119

For Early Christian Church

Wycliffe

1. The promise to overcomers in the church of Pergamos offers them “hidden manna.” What interpretation of this phrase might be inferred from the first paragraph of the chapter on Wycliffe?
2. How did the Waldensians stand apart from other true Christians in Europe according to 79:2?
3. What battle was initiated by the protest made by Wycliffe? (80:1)
4. After reading page 80, close the book and write two or three sentences about the character of Wycliffe as a student.
5. [From the lecture, not the book]  Who was Peter Abelard? What did he have in common with his student Arnold of Brescia? In what significant way did their views or positions differ?
6. [From the lecture] What were the “canons of the church” that Wycliffe studied?
7. Note: Wycliffe loved knowledge and mastered an interdisciplinary curriculum.
8. How did Wycliffe’s knowledge of “speculative philosophy” help him?
9. What reforms was he better able to effect with his knowledge of law?
10. In school he acquired intellectual _______________ . (80:2)
11. What weakness, in the leader of a reform, may permit its foes to “cast contempt” on his views? (Wycliffe did not have this problem.)
12. From 80:3, which appears more true: A. Wycliffe discovered a copy of the scriptures and alone put together the thoughts that led to his great work.  B.  Men of learning prior to Wycliffe had worked to illuminate the Bible and Wycliffe benefited from their work.
13. How did the energy of Wycliffe in studying the scriptures compare to his energy in studying other branches of learning before he found the scriptures?
14. Memorize: “But devotion to truth could not but bring him in conflict with falsehood.”
15. Thought question: How might history have been different if God had allowed the various reformers to see where their doctrines were leading (to separation from Rome) when they began their work?
16. What demand did Wycliffe make of the priesthood (81:2). Thought question: With what authority did he make this demand?
17. What qualities of Wycliffe in 81:2 won him “general esteem.”
18. What development  prepared the people to appreciate Wycliffe’s teachings (81:2)
19. What perception regarding Wycliffe’s work that especially enraged the papists in England (81:2)?
20. [From the lecture] What kind of reform did Wycliffe first urge in his position as King’s chaplain? [From the book] What reform was it in particular?
21. [From the lecture] Explain briefly (not too briefly) the meaning of this sentence: England, in the time of Wycliffe, was funding the military of its own national enemy, France.
22. [From the lecture] Why did Wycliffe oppose the “institution”, or the creation, of the orders of friars? Why did he suggest abolishing them rather than suggest reforming them? (see 84:1)
23. How were the youth “demoralized” by the existence of the friars? (82:2) Which of the Ten Commandments was especially attacked by the friars?
24. Why did the number of students in the universities drop off as the power of the monasteries increased?
25. [From the lecture] How did the monastic orders affect the availability of literature in the universities?
26. Briefly, what papal decision resulted in a rapid increase of crime in England?
27. Entertainment-style-religion arose in England from the laziness of the monks. They did not wish to strain themselves to teach, and the men they employed knew too little of religion to teach well. This is not a question.
28. How did the friars attempt to defend themselves by the example of Jesus actually hurt their cause? (84:1)
29. What does EGW say about the character of the writings of Wycliffe in 84:2?
30. Thought question: How is it true that “in no more effectual way” could Wycliffe have undermined the authority of the papacy than the method he chose.
31. When the pope sought to silence Wycliffe, he sent three bulls. To whom were each of them addressed?
32. Old Edward III was leaning towards giving Wycliffe over to the priests. How was Wycliffe protected from this danger?
33. Gregory XI set out destroy Wycliffe. How was Wycliffe protected from this danger?
34. What event, following the death of Gregory XI, made the work of Wycliffe easier?
35. What point (87:0) did Wycliffe call the people to see that he was in agreement with the popes? (smile)
36. Wycliffe almost organized his own system of religious men. Like the friars, they traveled around England representing their beliefs. Who did they preach to in particular? (one mentioned in the text, two others in the lecture)
37. Which work did Ellen White rank as the greatest work of Wycliffe’s life?
38. When Wycliffe was near death, how did the monks interpret the meaning of his illness?
39. In 88:3 how did the transcribers and purchasers of Wycliffe’s Bible deal with the inability to have a copy made for everyone that wanted one?
40. What two foundational principles of Protestantism did Wycliffe teach?
41. What method of his succeeded in rousing the people from their “passive submission to papal dogmas”?
42. What portion of England was converted by the teachings of Wycliffe’s helpers?
43. When condemned by the king and the church, to what power did Wycliffe appeal? What was the result?
44. At the first two trials of Wycliffe he had been accompanied by friends. At the third he was not. How did God show His special presence and support of Wycliffe when earthly friends were not there? Would you characterize Wycliffe’s speech as defensive or offensive?
45. Why did Wycliffe not visit Rome when called to do so? He answered by letter to the pope. Thought question, how might this have been better for the pope’s chance at salvation than a public confrontation between he and Wycliffe?
46. What reason in 92:4 is given for why God did not allow Wycliffe to suffer martyrdom?
47. What was the effect of Wycliffe’s death on the preachers that had been under his direction? 94:3
48. The existence of the stake as means of persecution existed in England (A) only before the work of Wycliffe was completed (B) only after he had died. (Choose one)
49. How did thousands of the imprisoned Lollards purchase their freedom?
50. Wycliffe’s bones were burned, and put into a river. This is not a question.

Huss and Jerome

1. EGW traces the gospel in Bohemia to the ninth century. This was the same century that the Paulicians were banished from the east.
2. Which pope banished preaching in the Bohemian tongue?
3. What reason did the pope give for doing so?
4. What two groups of Christians were so persecuted that they fled to Bohemia after the time of Gregory VII?
5. In what sense was Huss an orphan? What did his mother do for him when she left him at school? How did he get the money needed for his tuition?
6. What evidence is given of the sincerity of Huss’ Catholicism in 98:2?
7. Huss became the rector of the university of Prague where he had been a charity scholar. What is a rector?
8. How did Huss’ appointment to the Bethlehem chapel prepare him to be an instrument of Reform?
9. What was the object of Huss’ first preaching assault? (i.e., what did he attack in his sermons at Bethlehem, 99:1)
10. Know the details of the story from 99:2 to 100:2. (We discussed these in lectures).
11. How did the pope respond to the request of the leaders of Bohemia that Huss be allowed to attend his trial by deputy?
12. Understand interdict. 101:1
13. How did Huss respond to the interdict placed on Prague—in words? In actions? 101:2, 102:2, 104:1
14. Memorize 2 Corinthians 13:8. Know the reference.
15. When Huss faced a serious case of cognitive dissidence, he refused to throw out uncomfortable facts. He looked for someway to harmonize truths that appeared to contradict each other. Understand this.
16. Be prepared to write a short essay (5 point) on the relation of Huss to Jerome.
17. Why, according to 103:1, does God not reveal all the truth to his workers at once? How would they react?
18. EXTRA CREDIT:  Read Pogius the Papists (if you can find it).
19. EXTRA CREDIT:  Know the story of the two Pope John XXIII’s
20. What were the two chief goals of the emperor Sigismund in calling the Council of Constance?
21. What evidence is there that Huss expected to die when he voluntarily set foot for Constance?
22. When facing the prospect of a martyr’s death, what past practices in his own life did Huss regret? 105:2-106:0
23. Which made the greatest accusations of wrong doing against the pope John XXIII—Huss or the Council of Constance?
24. Know the basics of the dream that Huss had while awaiting execution. 108:1.
25. [From the lecture] How did the blush of Sigismund (108:3) benefit Luther some decades later?
26. What was the last human activity of Huss and Jerome?
27. Why did Jerome end up in Constance when he was not summoned there for trial?
28. Why was Jerome not burned quickly, as Huss had been?
29. The Devil plays dirty. He waited until Jerome was most discouraged, depressed, sick, and weak and friendless before bringing his greatest temptation. Know this is the Devil’s normal plan.
30. The Devil plays dirty. He calls for us to compromise some little point of truth that we can rationalize away as not so important as the problems we will have from being faithful. Then he leads us to believe we have gone too far. Know that this is what he did with Jerome and that this is what he normally does.
31. What was it that astonished the enemies of Jerome when he made his final defense?
32. Examine 116:6. Was Jerome speaking the truth? Think about this for a minute.
33. Notice who raised up Ziska to defend the Bohemians. Does God support defensive war? Be prepared to discuss.
34. How did Satan finally overthrow the Bohemians? Be prepared to write a short essay on this. Know that Procopius, the second defender of Bohemia, died in internal strife.
35. Under what conditions did the Moravian Brethren separate and form a new organization? How did they feel about other organizations that were not part of their own but held the same views? 119:2
36. [From the lecture] Know the brief story of Zinzendorf and the impact of the very very small Moravian church on Christian history.

The End.