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January 8, 1913] THE
village, almost in the center of England, with
the most picturesque surroundings in the
world. The country is more or less level, diversified
by low hills and green, smiling valleys
between. In one of these lies the little
Hamlet where John Wycliffe spent the last
years of his life. The church where he preached
still stands in the village?a Norman Gothic
building, with one huge square tower sur
I mounted with lour sharp pinnacles at each
of the corners. The parsonage that he occupied
is near the church, and the door is still
shown where his body was carried out for
burial in the chapel.
WyclifTe's labors did not cease with his settlement
at Lutterworth. He was a very busy
man till the day of his death, ten years later.
One of his labors was a translation of the Bible.
The only Bible then in use was the Latin
version. The common people could not read
I a line of it, and many priests were almost as
ignorant of its contents. To carry on the revival
which he had begun, "Wycliffe translated
the Scriptures into English. The work was
copied and circulated by the "poor priests,"
those traveling converts which he had organised
into a brotherhood while at Oxford. This
was in the year 1378?a date that ought to be
remembered by every Protestant.
It was a great work. But the cost of such
a book in manuscript?for you must remember
the printing press had not yet corne into existence?was
so large that only the rich could
buy the complete volume. Many, however,
who had no money would give a load of farm
produce for a few favorite chapters. In this
way, AVycliffe's translation was spread
throughout the country among all classes.
The great number of copies sent out is shown
by the fact that after the lapse of five hundred
years one hundred and sixty-five, more or less
complete, are still said to be preserved in
England.
At a later time, when persecution began,
men hid these precious copies, and read them
with locked doors at night, or met in the forests
to hear them expounded by preachers
who went about at the peril of their lives.
These things led Wycliffe's enemies to complain
"that common men and women who could
read were better acquainted with the Serin
r
tures than the most learned and intelligent of
the clergy."
John Wycliffe died at his beloved Lutterworth
in 1384. His remains were interred in
the church. Forty years after his death, a decree
of the church council of Constance ordered
the reformer's body to be dug up and burned.
Tradition says that the ashes of his corpse
were thrown into a brook flowing near the
parsonage of Tiiit.t.prwnrtv? ?
w ?? v. *? ) uuv VUJCVI* "CIUK
to utterly destroy and obliterate the remains
of the arch heretic, as he was termed. "This
hrook," Puller says, "did convey his ashes
into the Avon, Avon into Severn, Severn into
the narrow sea, and that into the wide ocean.
And so the ashes of Wycliffe are the emblem
of his doctrines, which are now dispersed the
world over."
There are several portraits of John Wycliffe,
and all agree in representing him as a tall,
slender man, with a scholarly, somewhat ascetic
face. He wears a full beard and usually
his hear? ia j i ?" *
tutcicu uy a cap. ne nus a large
space in the history of Protestantism, and no
one can have an adequate knowledge of the
early days of religious striving without being
acquainted with the life and works of the
"Morning Star of the Reformation."?United
Ureebyterian.
The nearer to God, the purer the atmosphere,
nnd the more healthful to the soul.
i
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PRESBYTERIAN OP THE 801
HOLY ROMANCE IN DAILY LIFE.
BY A SUBURBANITE.
Truth is stranger than fiction. The Christian
who is denied extensive travel, reading or
study is not necessarily denied the thrilling
and inspiring fascinations of the romantic in
daily life. There can be nothing more grand,
more ennobling and satisfying than the consciousness
of the fact that "In Him we live
and move and have our being." Practicing
the presence of God is an exercise as delightful
as it is Scriptural. No worldly joys can
compare with it. Works like these, apprehended
and realized, are more precious than
gold and silver or pleasure or renown: "My
presence shall go with thee," "I will guide
thee with mine eye," "It is I, be not afraid,"
jjo ! i am with you alway."
These exceeding great and precious promises
are not for any favored few. They throb
with life and comfort for the whole world
wherever the human heart is attuned to feel
its need and to catch the heavenly message.
The recent experiences of one family from the
ranks of common life will show how practical
are the promises, how real is God, and how delightful
is the daily walk with Him.
After long waiting and much prayer this
family was building a neat and comfortable
home. It was somewhat of a faith venture but
il 1 T "
ne lending seemed clear. As funds were running
low the temptation was to curtail in quality
of material and quantity of improvements.
But faith and effort combined to keep the
standard at the best. Should the house be
wired for electricity and piped for gas?one
or both or neither? This work could be done
much cheaper and better before the house was
finished, so it was decided that it should be
done. Through the kindness of a friend in
the city the material was purchased at a great
reduction and soon the work was thoroughly
-wuv "iuiuui aujr uuiltuiiueill.
When the question of plumbing came up,
prayer, as usual, was the natural resort. A
providential advertisement in the daily paper,
the missing of a train on a Saturday halfholiday
leading to the answering of the advertisement
in person, the buying up by the city
of new buildings richly furnished but never
rented, which were being wrecked to make
way for new subways, were connecting links
and gracious providences which led to the pur- 1
chasing of costly material at about half price.
Simultnnpnn#lw tVlo nrnVilam nf
-j wmw ^/i vuxvui v/i aiuuc.
Once more the city friend was the medium of J
securing the very best hot-water heating plant
at the lowest possible cost. 1
Again, a watchman was needed, and no one 1
was in sight who could be relied upon. At
this juncture an aged colporteur friend came
along to stay over night. The need was mentioned
and arrangements were at once made
that the Christian worker should make dailv
detours from this center, board at the home, i
sleep in the new house and receive a fair com- (
penBation. A little later a stone wall was to ,
he laid; one estimate was exorbitant and the
other, at less than half, could not be carried (
out when needed on account of other work.
The colporteur was glad to fit in here and earn
a little extra money at his trade for a few days.
TTn oIoa ?i 1 * 1,1 *
?.v, o.ow tuiuuteereu to miiK trie two cows for
the same price as the overbearing colored man
who for months had taken advantage of the ^
fact that no one else had seemed available for 1
the place. !
Many other recent daily occurrences similar !
to these could he mentioned in the case of this
family, but one more will suffice: A daughter
had just been sent to college to join her sister, '<
a senior, both volunteers for the foreign field;
D T H r 5
this was an act of faith. Her support was not
in sight. But the step had long been a matter
of family prayer. Works had also been in evidence,
for the dear girl had given up her vacation
to study for a university scholarship examination.
Prayer attended this effort
through the entire summer and especially
through the time of the examination. Faith
and works have just been rewarded. A dispatch
states that the cash scholarship of $400
has been won. A jubilee service was held in
the home as always after these frequent answers
to family prayer. "What a blessed daily
romance in religious things! How real, safe,
satisfying, wholesome, profitable, God-honoring!
Would not this kind of family life solve the
child-training problem, the divorce problem,
the servant problem, the ministerial and missionary
problem, the church and every other
problem having its roots in the divinely appointed
home?
This is no far-fetched or imnrnpHnnKio ;ii?o
lllUO"
tration. It but faintly hints at the natural,
Scriptural life that should be manifested in
every family. Only so can the Christian
"idealize the real and realize the ideal."?N. Y.
Observer.
ROMAN CATHOLICISM.
(Continued from page 3.)
Roman Catholicism, swayed her ruling scepter
over these vast domains, bv keenimr b??r cmhionto
in ignorance iand superstition. To convince
yourself that these statements are true, you need
only to look at the Mexicans, as they come to
us; illiterate, ignorant, uncouth and almost
helpless. (All Cabholic Mexicans.) Such is the
fruit of Roman Catholicism. And Scripture
says, by their fruits ye shall know them.
Now for a brief moment let us consider ourselves,
as to our duty, and what we are accomnlishincr
Wp wVir? on^? i;k??i.?- '
4 iieanil ana
prosperity and all the educational advantages.
How come all these beauties and benefits to be
ours? Rightly did Horace Greely declare: "It
is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a
Bible reading people; for the principles of the
Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.
We have light, coming to us through the Word
of God. The great mission of our Church is,
jo to lift the torch light of the gospel of Jesus
Christ that men and women, everywhere shall
he drawn into his folds; because of the radiance
and brilliancy emanating from the face of Jesus
Christ men shall become enamored with the
simplicity ana trnth of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, and thus enable them as free moral beings,
with the stamp of divine intelligence upon
Ihem, to elect Jesus Christ, as their own personal
Saviour. Tie said: 'If 1 be lifted up, I
will draw all men unto me.' "
There are various ways wherewith Christ and
his Ohnrnh mh B n *'
_ ... ..... vv tituu LIJJ. ituiuan Vvainonlism
with the aid of her missions, for centuries
succeeded in keeping her subjects in ignorance
and superstition. These missions literally formed
a chain of prelatical power; and these mi*
sions are now mere ruins, which once blazoned
with papal authority. (Sic transit gloria
mundi.)
Therefore, knowing who we are and what we
have, we should awaken to the great fact, that
us the missions once were the stronghold of
mperstition, they should be replaced with institutions
of learning, whcro boys and girls may
learn to know and appreciate the real value of
life, thus becoming useful to their oountry and
#n honor and glory to God.
Gatesville, Texas.