Pioneer Christian Monthly - July, 1976

Men Who Did Not Hide Their Light
Rev. Harvey Van Farowe

Many Christians do not become famous but they do help to "change the world". The last two articles in this series were about the well known John Wyclif and John Huss.

This article is about three men who are not well known today but who did not "hide" their light. These three also were reformers in their time, though living well before the Reformation. They lived in the 1400's and were from Germany and The Netherlands. At least two of them, and probably all three, had a marked influence upon Martin Luther.

I will start with John Pupper or John of Goch who lived from 1400-1475. He was from North-. western Germany, from the small village of Goch along the Rhine river. He was a priest but dared to differ with common priestly belief of the time. He was convinced of the supreme authority of the Scriptures, saying, "only the Bible has irrefragable (undeniable) authority".

Church leaders, even the greater ones can err and only as they are in conformity with the Scriptures are they to be followed. He also rejected the idea that only monks can live a really victorious life, believing this was a possibility for any Christian. He also rejoiced in justification by faith alone. A footnote in Schaff's church history relates that one historian gives nine points in which John of Goch believed as the Reformers later did, a remarkable fact considering when he lived, yet not so remarkable considering his high esteem of the Scriptures. Somehow, perhaps because he was a rather quiet personality and stressed much God's love, he wasn't tried for heresy as John Huss had been.

Such was not the case of another pre-reformer, John of Wesel. John of Wesel was born in 14110, ten years later than John of Goch. He too was from Germany and was a teacher and professor at the University of Erfurt and later in Basel. He was also a preacher of distinction in Mainz and in Worms.

John of Wesel influenced his much more famous fellow German, Luther. He taught and was later tried for teaching that the Bible was the sole "trustworthy source of authority" plus other teachings unacceptable at that time. He believed that the names of the elect cannot be put out of God's book by an edict of a pope. He spoke out against the granting of indulgences, the priestly forgiveness of temporal sin by the payment of money. He declared that a pope cannot pardon sin where God has not pardoned it.

John of Wesel also became subject to the wrath of church leaders for opposing pilgrimages and the idea that priests might not marry and for saying to those who had taken religious vows, "not religion but God's grace saves". He further departed from tradition and ecclesiastical favor by alleging that one could eat meat on days when this was forbidden by the clergy. "If you are hungry, eat" and "you may eat a good capon on Friday," he said.

This early reformer, however, was not strong under severe trial. In fact he reminds me of Simon Peter who seemed so courageous at times but who later denied the Lord. It is true that John of Wesel was elderly when he came under formal trial. He stood leaning on his staff as he faced the austere tribunal. But he recanted, agreeing to abide "by mother church and the teachings of the doctors".

He was not a Paul who must have also been weakened in body by the time of his final trial or a Stephen or a John Huss who were "faithful unto death" by stoning and the stake.

The books of John of Wesel were burnt but even this and his retractions did not keep the authorities from imprisoning him for life. He was made a prisoner in a convent in Mainz and he eventually died there. Perhaps, like Peter, as he had time to think and pray in prison, he became sincerely sorry for his lack of courage under trial, perhaps he wept tears of repentance. One would believe that God who had started such "a good work" in him would bring it to a good completion and that Christ who forgave Peter also forgave him.

The third of these pre-reformers was one who was from The Netherlands, Wessel Gansvoort or Gansfort from the village of Gansfort or Goesevort in Groningen. He was born in 1420. Attending school in Zwolle he met 'here Thomas I Kempis, the famous author of "The Imitation of Christ" which according to the Encyclopedia Americana "has been translated into every language in Christendom". However, a report has it that once when Thomas met Gansvoort he pointed him to the virgin Mary but Gansvoort replied, "Father why did you not rather point me to Christ who calls the heavy-laden to Himself?"

Gansvoort had a great thirst for knowledge and truth and studied also in Cologne, in Heidelberg, and in Paris. He studied Hebrew and Greek. At one time as a mature man he was bothered by doubts but came through them to a solid faith in Jesus Christ, declaring, "that he knew nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified". He too believed that the Scriptures are the deciding authority in religion and that church leaders can "err". He was vitally interested in the sacraments and he taught that the sacraments are not of themselves" effective means of grace but that keen spiritual desire and true faith and love for Christ are needful to bring out their effectiveness. He said that a priest "can contribute nothing to the power of the sacrament" although he did not reject the mass. But he stressed the importance -of "spiritual eating", a reminder that we too as we celebrate Holy Communion are not to "cleave with our hearts unto the external bread and wine, but lift them up on high in heaven, where Christ Jesus is our Advocate, at the right hand of his Heavenly Father .

Wessel Gansvoort lived his last years with the Brother of the Common Life. He died in 478 and is buried at Groningen, the place of his birth. His last words are a testimony to his faith, "I know no one save Jesus, the Crucified". Some years later, in 1522, a Dutch lawyer, Von Hoen, along with others, sent Martin Luther some of Gansvoort's writings. Luther was blessed and encouraged by them and wrote, "if I had read Wessel earlier, my enemies might have said that Luther drew everything from Wessel, so well do our two minds agree". He also wrote, in Schaff's words, "that as Elijah of old, so he had felt him-self to be the only one left of the prophets of God but he had found out that God had also had his prophets in secret like Wessel".

Thanks be to God for his prophets and people, both renowned and lesser known, who have not or do not "hide" their light under some sort of "bushel". They are and will be a greater blessing than they thought.

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