There was a time in England when people met secretly to read the Bible.  In early fifteenth century England little groups of people met together; perhaps in woods or fields, or in someone's home, or an out-of-the-way place, or at night.  A law had been passed forbidding the reading of the Bible in English.  "It is heresy" said the church, "those caught must be punished".  Still the Bible was read and copied out, and still people risked their lives to hear the gospel in their own language.

What was it that made the Dark Ages dark?  It was because the Bible had been neglected.  In England men and women lived and died without ever seeing a Bible in their lifetime.  The church had drifted farther and farther away from the gospel.  It was very rich, proud and powerful; even kings lived in fear of the pope and his church, but it was a church without a Bible.  It was like a lighthouse without a light!

In those days people were taught to go to the priest for forgiveness of sins.  They prayed to images of Mary or the saints.  They went on long pilgrimages to try and please God and gain merit.  They worshipped relics - perhaps St Thomas of Canterbury's boots or his shirt.  Perhaps St Edmund's toe-nails or St Anne's comb, and many other foolish things, but they knew no better.

In 1382, John Wycliffe, a faithful man of God, translated the first ever Bible into English from Jerome's Latin version.  Handwritten copies began to circulate and soon people were saying "The church doesn't teach as this Book teaches; both could not be right!"

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17.  Many did hear; and they made a great discovery, that many things taught them by the priests and friars was not in the Bible at all!

Soon the followers of Wycliffe or Lollards as they were called began to increase.  Many were ordinary humble people, weavers and webbers, graziers and corndealers who had come to love the Saviour.

"Only burn a few, and we shall soon silence the rest!"  Everywhere priests and monks were searching for Lollards.  In 1401 a wicked and cruel Act was passed for the burning of those the church said were "heretics".  The first man to die was a William Sawtree; originally a parish priest in London, he was burnt at Smithfield, February 1401, because he said he would not worship the cross, but only a Christ who died on the cross.

In the early fifteenth century a knight and soldier and friend of the King made no secret of his beliefs.  He was Sir John Oldcastle, afterwards known as Lord Cobham.  Just a few miles from Rochester in Kent stood Cooling Castle.  This was his home.  Many times he had Lollard preachers staying with him.  Sometimes he went to their open-air meetings in armour, with sword in hand, ready to protect them if necessary.  He spent large sums of money having Wycliffe's books copied and circulated, not only in England, but abroad.  Before too long these things came to the notice of the clergy.

Archbishop Arundel went to the King and complained.  King Henry V sent for Lord Cobham and tried to persuade him to give up his religious views and obey the church, but he could not be persuaded.

On 23rd September 1413, Lord Cobham was brought before the Archbishop in the chapter-house of St Paul's.  "We must believe what the holy church of Rome teaches" he said to Lord Cobham, who replied he could not believe in what was opposite to Scripture!  The following Monday, 25th September, a large and noisy crowd of priests and bishops, friars and indulgence-sellers (those who sold pardons for sin) packed the large hall of the Dominican convent, Ludgate Hill.

"If you confess and submit we shall give you absolution" the Archbishop said.  Lord Cobham fell down on his knees and lifting up his hands said, "I will not confess to you, but I will confess all my many sins to God; only God can forgive sins".

"Holy church says we must honour relics and images of saints, what do you say?"  Lord Cobham replied that the church had made a good deal of money out of relics and images, but God had forbidden the worship of these things; it was idolatry!

The questioning continued, till at length the whole assembly of priests and people stood up as the Archbishop read out the sentence of death.  "You may condemn my body, but you cannot harm my soul" said Lord Cobham.

He was led back to the Tower, but he managed to escape and he fled to Wales where he was safely hidden for four years.  Everywhere the King's troops hunted for him.  The King offered a large reward to anyone who would bring him in - dead or alive.

In 1417 he was tracked down and betrayed by Lord Powis.  The brave old knight put up a struggle, but was eventually overpowered and brought back to London on a  horse litter and taken again to the Tower.

On 14th December 1417 he was brought before Parliament and found guilty of heresy.  He was put on a hurdle (used as a sledge to take criminals to their execution) and drawn through the streets of London to St Gile's Fields where he was suspended by chains over a fire and cruelly burned to death.

The persecution of the Lollards continued for many years, until Reformation times when the Bible would be freely available for all to read.  Many men and women were put to death, often after being cruelly tortured.  Many were imprisoned in the Lollard's Tower, Lambeth Palace, London, the residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury.  These Lollards were put to death for the testimony of Jesus.

In 1519 six men and a widow were burned to death in Coventry for teaching their children the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in English - four were shoemakers, one a hosier and one a glover.

We do not have to gather together secretly in England today to read the Scriptures and worship God "in spirit and in truth" John 4:24.  Such freedom we enjoy today cost our Protestant forefathers their lives.