Ecclesiae Regimen facts for kids

An image from 1851 showing the Ecclesiae Regimen from 1395, also known as the Thirty-Seven Conclusions of the Lollards

The Ecclesiae Regimen was an important paper written long ago in England. It's also known by other names like Remonstrance or Thirty-Seven Articles against Corruptions in the Church. This document was a strong statement against problems the writers saw in the Catholic Church in England during the Late Middle Ages.

When it was first written, this paper didn't have an official title, and the people who wrote it didn't sign their names. It was a public message from a group called the Lollards. They shared it with the English parliament in 1395, right after another important paper called the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards.

What is the Ecclesiae Regimen?

The Ecclesiae Regimen is an old handwritten document in Latin. It shares ideas about how the church should be reformed. These ideas came from John Wycliffe and were further explained by his followers, the Lollards.

The main goal of this paper was to show how the Roman Catholic Church had become corrupt. It argued that the church needed big changes. Many experts believe that while the ideas came from Wycliffe, the paper itself was written by John Purvey. He was a close helper of Wycliffe, and he likely wrote it after Wycliffe died in 1384 but before 1395.

What is a Remonstrance?

The Ecclesiae Regimen was later edited and published in 1851 by a person named Josiah Forshall. He gave it the English title Remonstrance against Romish corruptions in the Church: addressed to the people and parliament of England in 1395. People often just called it Remonstrance for short. A remonstrance is a formal protest or complaint.

Where Did This Document Come From?

The known history of this old paper starts in November 1897. That's when Mr. J. J. Green bought it at a sale in London. We don't know where the document was before that time.

Today, there are three known copies of this important paper. One copy is kept at the British Museum. Another is at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. The third copy is located at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

Experts believe this medieval document was written in the late 1300s or early 1400s. It was most likely written before 1395. This is because it was mentioned in the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards. That document was posted like a placard (a public notice) on the doors of Westminster Abbey and Old St Paul's Cathedral for the 1395 English parliament. Many believe that John Purvey, Wycliffe's secretary, also wrote the later English translation of the Wycliffe Bible.

How the Document Looks

The Ecclesiae Regimen was written on two sheets of thick paper. The writing is on both sides of the paper. These sheets were stitched together much later, as the original way they were glued had worn out. The black ink used to write it has faded over time to a light brown color.

The Latin version of Ecclesiae Regimen has headings for each of its thirty-seven "Conclusions Lollardorum" (Lollard conclusions).

Images for kids

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  An image from 1851 showing the Ecclesiae Regimen from 1395, also known as the Thirty-Seven Conclusions of the Lollards