English people reading the Wycliffe Bible by George Clausen 1927

In 1401 Parliament passed the Heresy Act which among other things made it an offence for any person who was not a priest to read the Bible and those caught doing so were burned at the stake for heresy

Wycliffe was burned at the stake but since he had been dead for 40 years his remains were exhumed so this barbaric punishment could be inflicted as a warning to others

A painting hangs in St Stephen’s Hall in the Palace of Westminster - the British Houses of Parliament misadventuresofmoppet.files.wordpress.com/200..

The object of that law was to prevent common people from discovering what was written in the Bible and reaching their own conclusions about what it meant, which might differ from the Church’s teachings

But some courageous people did not accept this law and went into the fields and read the Bible to each other as this picture shows

In 1384 John Wycliffe died having spent years translating the Bible into English and that triggered the Wycliffe rising in 1399

The right to read what you want and to think for yourself posed a direct threat to those in power - as it does today

It was the beginning of religious dissent which in turn gave rise to Protestantism Tony Benn (British Politician)

For my interview with Tony Benn see

Ideas and modern non-conformity which gave birth to progressive political ideas and inspired early socialists and reformers

The right to read what you want and to think for yourself posed a direct threat to those in power - as it does today

Having been born and brought up as a dissenter in that tradition this picture has always had a specuial meaning for me and my mother had it in her bedroom

I also have copy of it at home and draw comfort from the courage of those who risked their lives by defying the laws as the only way to enjoy freedom in which they passionately believe