thanks for the refernce: “Pilgrim Church” by E.H. Broadbent. I found the link - http://thepilgrimchurch.com/
Yes, I am aware the John Wycliffe, Jon Hus & the Lollards (followers of Wycliffe) ... many - like Martin Luther, at first - considered themselves Catholics, but wanted reform and indeed the church needed it.
I know I’m stirring things up here, but it seems very “cult” like to think the church was totally screwed up till the Protestants came along. Many of God people have identified themselves as Catholics - especially during the Middle Ages.
We Protestants have not done so well ourselves ... the Salem Witch Trials, Henry VIII (where he divorced or beheaded 4 of his wives), the schisms, some extreme Puritanical ideas which seem so goofy, the televanglists gimmicks to fleece their audiences, ... we’ve done the types of things we point our fingers at the Catholics for doing.
I appreciate that the Catholic church kept Christianity alive the first 1500 years. And I see they have reformed themselves and encourage their followers to read the Bible daily for themselves.
IIRC Henry VIII did in only two of his six wives.
The Catholic church persecuted many, many groups of independent Christians before the Reformation.
That’s the thesis of “Pilgrim Church”.
In all fairness re the Salem Witch Trials. It was also Puritans who put an end to the trials because some prominent clergy of the day saw the accusations as nonsense that defamed godly people and had no warrant under Scripture.
I am Catholic but think that Puritans are very misunderstood and have an undeserved reputation for being sour faced zealots who saw the devil under every bed.