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Prothro B-281

Title

Subject

Bible Middle English - Wycliffe

Description

The first widely circulated English version of the Bible, translated from St. Jerome's Latin by followers of John Wycliffe, was outlawed in 1408 by Archbishop Thomas Arundel of Canterbury. Arundel's council ruled that the use of unauthorized vernacular Bible translations propagated "heresy and error." Consequently, the Church prohibited translation of the Bible into English under the severe penalty of excommunication, while the use of Wycliffite translations was subject to fines and imprisonment.

Creator

Wycliffe, John, –1384.

Source

Prothro B-281. [Middle English New Testament. Wycliffite Version]. Illuminated manuscript on vellum. [England, c. 1400–25.]

Publisher

Bridwell Library Special Collections

Date

ca. 1400–1425

Rights

Please cite Bridwell Library Special Collections, SMU, as the source of this file. A high-resolution version of this file may be obtained by contacting Special Collections (bridsc@smu.edu).

Relation

EarlyEngland

Format

Displayed as .jpg

Language

Type

Illuminated vellum manuscript Bible

Collection

"Heresy and Error": The Ecclesiastical Censorship of Books, 1400–1800

Citation

Wycliffe, John, –1384., “Prothro B-281,” Bridwell Library Special Collections Exhibitions, accessed January 17, 2026, https://bridwell.omeka.net/items/show/1942.