The Praier and Complaynte of the Ploweman unto Christe facts for kids

The Praier and Complaynte of the Ploweman unto Christe is a short book written a long time ago, likely between the late 1300s and early 1400s. It's only 14 pages long and was first printed around 1531. This book is like a strong, argumentative prayer. It shares ideas from a group called the Lollards, who wanted to change the Christian church.

The story is told by a simple farmer, a "ploughman." He speaks for ordinary people who understand the Bible and the Ten Commandments. He criticizes the powerful church leaders of his time. The book uses the idea of shepherds and sheep to talk about church leaders and their followers. It questions things like confession (telling your sins to a priest), indulgences (paying money to reduce punishment for sins), purgatory (a place where souls go after death to be purified), tithing (giving a part of your income to the church), and celibacy (priests not marrying). Later, in the 1500s, this book became very important for people who started the Protestant Reformation, a big movement to change Christianity.

The Story of the Plowman's Prayer

The Plowman's Prayer was probably first written by hand, as a manuscript, in the late 1300s or early 1400s. However, none of these original handwritten copies still exist today.

First Printed Copies

The book was first printed by a Protestant printer named Martinus de Keyser in a city called Antwerp around 1531. Soon after, another Protestant printer, Thomas Godfray, printed it in London around 1532. The first printed versions included a note "To the Reader." This note wrongly claimed the Prayer was written much earlier, around 1300.

Who Else Mentioned It?

A writer named John Bale included the Prayer in his list of important books in 1557. Later, John Foxe put the full text of the Prayer in his famous book, Acts and Monuments, in 1570. Foxe said he didn't change the old language because it made the book seem more real and important. He also added notes to explain difficult words and ideas that matched Protestant views against the Roman Catholic Church.

Who Wrote the Plowman's Prayer?

For a long time, people weren't sure who wrote the Plowman's Prayer. In 1662, a historian named Thomas Fuller thought it might have been written by "Robert Langland." This was the person people believed wrote another famous poem called Piers Plowman.

The "W.T." Mystery

The introduction to the printed version of the Prayer is signed "W.T." Some people, like Parker, thought this meant William Tyndale wrote it. Tyndale was a very important figure in the Protestant movement. However, others, like Anthea Hume, believe it might have been George Joye. Tyndale was in Antwerp when the book was first printed there, and he had connections with the printer, so it's possible he was involved.

Why the Prayer Was Controversial

The Plowman's Prayer caused a lot of arguments because it questioned some of the main beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church.

Attacks on the Prayer

Thomas More (1478–1535), a famous English lawyer and writer, probably talked about the Prayer when he criticized the "Ploughmans Prayour" in his own book in 1532. In 1546, the Prayer was officially banned in England. It was listed among other forbidden books by writers like John Frith, William Tyndale, and John Wycliffe, who were all seen as challenging the church.

Old Ideas, New Meanings

The "W.T." introduction to the printed Prayer said that the Protestant reformers were like Christ. It claimed both were criticized for being "new," but they were actually teaching old, true ideas. This made the Prayer seem like an old English text that supported Protestant teachings. The ideas in the Prayer were similar to other reformist books, such as Rede Me and Be Nott Wrothe.

Criticizing Power

"W.T." also argued that rich and powerful people were often selfish. He believed that only poor, ordinary people could truly understand the Bible. Some of these criticisms were even aimed at the king and other rulers. For example, "W.T." clearly spoke out against the killing of Archbishop John Fisher. The king had Fisher executed in 1535 because Fisher refused to accept the Oath of Supremacy, which would have made the king, not the Pope, the head of the church in England. Some historians, like Helen White, think the Prayer had very strong ideas about who should own property.

See also

• Piers Plowman Tradition