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Thomas Bradwardineing?" But Peter did not find it convenient to hear him, and continuedto sleep; and. in consequence, the Pelagian heresy, in itsgrossest and most injurious forms. prevailed generally over thewhole church in the beginning of the sixteenth century.35Even so, it is worth exploring the possibility that God usedBradwardine in a different way, namely, to assist others later inhistory when God determined to reform His church. The firstinstance of such possible influence is on John WycHf. Wyclif(c.1329-1384) was a theologian and scholar ofOxford, in MertonCollege, as Bradwardine had been. Many church historians pointtothe influence ofBradwardine on this laterpre-reformer. Topladyis representative, writing that Bradwardine "was in some sense,Dr. Wicliffs spiritual father: for it was the perusal ofBradwardine'swriting, which next to the Holy Scriptures, opened the protoreformer'seyes to discover the genuine doctrine of faith andjustification."36Oberman is more cautious. While noting that Wyclifhimselfreveals that he had a high regard for Bradwardine when he refers35 Cunningham, William. Historical Theologv (Edinburgh: TheBanner of Truth Trust. 1979) vol. 1, pp. 467-477.36 Toplady. Works, p. 106. Lewis Sergent. in his work. John Wyclif:Last of/he Schoo/men andfirst ofthe English Reformers (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1892), p. 69, writes that Bradwardine's "teachingcommended itselfnot a little to the men ofhis day, and Wyclifwas deeplyimbued with it.~· He goes so far as to say that "There is clearly a sensein which Bradwardine was a forerunner ofthe Calvinists. or ratheroftheearly English predestinarians.II K. B. McFarlane, John Wycliffe and theBeginnings of English Nonconformity (New York: The MacmillanCompany, 1953) maintains that the two precursors to whom Wyclif"wasmost indebted [were] Bradwardine and FitzRalph" (p.12). He avers that"Wyclifwas indebted to the 'Profound Doctor' Thomas Bradwardine forhis predestinarianism, ... though ... he gave his borrowings a characteristictwist of his own" (p. 30). Later he says that Wyclif "was anuncompromising predestinarian. He derived his grisly creed from ThomasBradwardine ... and-with important differences-from their commonmaster, Augustine" (po 92).November, 200 I 25