Analysis of Primary Source Extracts
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Extract from Henry Knighton’s Chronicon On Events in 1348-9.
This document is a form of a chronicle Written by Henry Knighton. Henry accounts for the events that occurred in England in 1348-1349 as a result of the Black Death plague. His account gives a vivid picture of the religious outcomes and reforms; thus, the plague brought a catastrophe in the ecclesiastic. The epidemic left desolation where the loss of life was considerable. There was great controversy about the plague cause, and most believed it was God’s vengeance on his people as a result of their sinful acts. On hearing about the sudden and unheard devastating epidemic in England, the scot gathered in Selkirk forest intending to invade the Kingdom of England, but their intentions were met with horror. In a short while, about 5000 people on the voyage perished from this plague. The left people composed some feeble and strong men prepared to return home, but in their journey back, the English men attacked them from the rear and slew a more significant number.
The plague wiped several clerics leading to a scarcity of priests. Almost everywhere, churches were left without divine offices, masses, martins, sacraments, and vespers. It, therefore, became expensive to obtain a Chaplain to serve a multitude. The price rose exponentially due to the plague, and the current prices were ranged 10-20 marks from the ordinary 5 or 4 marks or even two marks. Henry’s chronology helps give the church life during the plague, where the church suffered greatly from this dead’s not only the cleric but also the congregation. The epidermic also brought a financial crisis in the church, and quick ways to curb this deficit were significantly required.
Extract from The “Twelve Conclusion of the Lollards, 1395.
The Twelve Conclusion of the Lollards is a religious text from the Lollard movement, a proto-Protestant Christian movement in the mid-14th until the 16th century English Reformation. The manuscript showed the readers how corrupt the Roman Catholic Church was and the need for reforms.
The Fourth conclusion that asserts the concept of Transubstantiation led men into idolatry. The teaching of the catholic church, the wine turns into blood and the bread the body of Christ. This change remains a mystery. How the wine turns into blood and bread turns into the body of Christ surpasses the understanding of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Fifth conclusion brings the concept of exorcism, causing an entity to swear an oath or other rituals and hallowing of wine, bread, altars, and vestments carried out by the priest areas sort of witchcraft and should be excluded in the Christian theology. These practices such as oath and rituals are considered unholy and should therefore be banished from the church.
The dead player, which asserts a belief in the dead’s resurrection, often offers a prayer on behalf of the death by preferring one by name more than others is not generous since it excludes all the other blessed dead from being prayed. If these dead prayers are to be conducted, they should pray for all in general since we are all God being, and we will all be judged accordingly when the day comes.
According to the eighth conclusion, the practice of people going to unknown or foreign places to search about an expanded or new meaning about self, other or nature. The veneration of relics consisting of physical remains of saints or venerated persons is ineffectual for spiritual merit and is a form of worst idolatry.