By the fourteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church was in desperate need of reform. Previous attempts to reform the church had achieved little success and had only resulted in more legalism and hypocrisy within the church. The papacy was once again on the decline, grappling for power with the nations of Europe. Moreover, many priests and other church leaders were corrupt and abused their authority. For those in the lower-classes, Bibles were virtually unattainable, and only priests were allowed to partake of the cup in the Lord’s Supper. These abuses within the church produced a negative reaction, and some within the church began to press for reform. Among these were John Wycliffe and John Huss. Both denounced the corruption evident within the church and pressed for a return to the authority of the Scriptures. Their efforts were met with much resistance by the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church would win for a time, but the legacy of both of these men would live on and...