An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.

XXI. Law canoun contrary to God's law. Decretests. Egipcyans. Goddis law blasfemid.

An oþer poynt is þis; þat law canoun is contrary to Goddis lawe, and þat decretistis, as to þat part of wysdam þat þei haue of þe worldis wisdam, are Egipciens. And þat bi sciens of canoun holy writ is blasfemid, ȝhe God himsilf, þat is þe lawe ȝefar. And þat it were nede þis sciens as kaf for gret part to be clensid out of þe chirche. In þeis þingis I knowleche þat I haue rehersid þe seyngis of doctoris, Parisiens and oþer. Of þe wilk on seiþ þus, þe lawe to be contrary to þe gospel moraly, wan it is not wiþ it to help to þe perfeccoun of þing þat þe gospel schewiþ and biddiþ to be done, but in ani maner is þer aȝen, in ani tyme, for ani cause letting or troubling, or tarying after þe sentence of Crist, þat seiþ, he þat is not wiþ me, he is aȝens me, and he þat gedreþ not wiþ me, he sckateriþ a brod. And so, syn þe law of þe gospel is cha|rite, riȝtfulnes, trouþ, euenhed, mercy, clennes, and pes of God, were þat ani law in ani maner helpiþ not þis, but to strif and debat, to wrong, prid, and lust, and to swilk oþer, dowtles it is aȝen þe lawe of God. Goddis law is riȝt ordeynd be God alone, explanid bi Crist in word and dede, as law of þe gospel; and þus law of þe gospel is callid multitud of trewþis þat Crist haþ tawt, namli, to rewle his peple; law canoun is callid law ordeynid of prelats of þe kirk, and pronounce to constreyn rebell bi holy rewl, and it may be vnderstondyn as þei ben contrari to þe lawe of þe gospel, as are many decretal epistlis, and generaly alle þe tradicouns of þe dowing of þe kirk fro þe tyme of Constantyn; or as þey comoun to þe law of þe gospel os articlis of þe feiþ, in holy seynoȝis and counseils, for os man is þe same in cloþis and deedis, bringing in knowing, so þe sam is þe law or trowþ of þe gospel inpliȝed or opunid bi þe kirk after ward, oþer wise, but not contrari, explanit. As it semiþ bi þe feiþ þat we trowe nor þe lawe canoun takiþ not inpungning of þe law of God as to þis part, but as to þe toþer part,

is comonning mikil wiþ law cyuil, and þus it gedreþ in itsilf two lawes, and of þis commixtioun of þe vsing of þeis two lawis þus is diuersly sown gret seed of discord in þe kirk of God. Crisostom seiþ, Mannis law haþ bodily wynningis to cum, but Crist behetiþ goostly þingis to cum; at fleschly men ar ay present þingis putt befor þingis to cum, and bodili þingis to gostly þingis; þis seiþ he. And þus as þe flesche and þe spirit are contrari, so þeis twey lawis, namly, wil þe fleschly þingis lettun þe spirit. Werfor þe doctor Parisiens seiþ, Aduocatis in þer office geytun hem ay last| ing deþ; þat semiþ to be figerid in Goddis lawe; were Sichem, þat is interpretid a foul, louyd Dyna, þat is interpretid cause, by was occasioun he was slayn after. Notably is Sichem callid þe son of Emor, þat is interpretid an asse, for men hard as assis, þat miȝt not profit in oþer sciens, were wont to heer decrees and decretals. Þe loue of Goddis lawe, and þe condicouns of sciens of decres schuld streyn men fro þis office. Ofþe loue of Goddis lawe Gregor seiþ, he þat louiþ a kyng he louiþ his lawe. In þe Salme, his ee ledis asken reson of men; ee lydis þat sum tyme are opun, and sum tyme clos, tokeniþ holy writ, þat is derk to sum, and opun to sum, þat axen þo sonis men weþer þey louen God. A tokyn of Goddis luf is wan ani stodieþ gladly in holy writ; holy writ is mikil dispicid for þe sciens of decrees. Werfor scho may sey þat Sara seid to Abraam, Þu dost vneuenly aȝens me, I hau ȝeuen myn handmayd in þi bosum, and scho seing þat sche haþ conseyuid haþ me to despit; þe wench of holy writ is sciens of decrees, þat haþ holy writ to despit, for þe frut of wynning þat folowiþ þer of; and in Goddis lawe is figerid þe supprising þat þe sciens of wynning doþ in holy writ, be þe play in þe wilk Ismael oppressid Isaac; warfor as God bad bi Sara, Kast out þe wench and her son, so haply it were need þis sciens in gret part to be excludid fro þe kirk; not only is holi writ despisid bi þat sciens, and blasfemid, but God himsilf þat is þe law ȝeuar, þat semiþ figerid in Goddis

lawe, wer it is red, þat þe son of a woman of Israel, þat scho bar of a man of Egipt, stroue wiþ a man of Israel and blasfemid God of Israel; þus in þe decretistis, þat are Israelitis in party, os to þe part of sciens þat þey han tane of Godis lawe, and Egipcians as to þe part þat þey haue of worldly wysdam, þei blasfemen God of Israel, wil þey calle þe lawe þat he ȝaf kafe, as vnprophitable, wen he seiþ himsilf, I þi Lord God toching þe profitable þingis; þerfor þei are raþer chaffe of wilk þe gospel seiþ, I schal brenne þe chaffe wiþ fire vnslekable; þe prophet seiþ, He þat haþ a dreme, telle it as a dreme, and he þat haþ my wordis, telle he my wordis verryli; wat is þe chaf to þe corn, seiþ þe Lord? And Austeyn seiþ, If þu folow chaf þu schalt be chaf. And Odo seiþ, Jeroboam was dampnid, for he held þe peple abak by two kalfis þat þei worschipid not God in Ierlm; þeis two kalfis are lawis and decrees, bi wilk clerkis are haldun doun, þat þey sacrificy not to God in þe siȝt of holi writ; þis seiþ he. And þus seiþ an oþer, Men occupied in mannis lawis, and putting be hend þe helful lawe of Goddis comaundmentis, schuld tak hed how in þis same þei ren in þe curse of God; for in þe Salm it is writun, Cursid be þei þat bowen doun fro þi bid| dingis. God biddiþ vs do dedis of kynd, and alle moralls are goostly dedis, or dedis of maneris bi þe lawe of maneris. And God haþ ȝeuen to vs þe newe lawe, compendiosar and more com|plet and more profitablar þan ani oþer lawe; more ful, for þer is not þat mai be put to mak it perfitar or compendiosar, for it is in a word of charite profitablar, for non oþer law profitiþ, not but in as miche as it meue to þis. And here rehersiþ Austeyn, speking of þe multitude of tradicouns of þe kirk, þat seiþ þus: Sum supprise wiþ seruil chargis our religioun þat our Lord Ihu Crist wold to be fre, in so wast halowing of sacramentis, so þat þe condicoun of Jewis is more suffurable, þat is sogetid not to mannis tradicoun, but to Goddis ordinaunce. But wat trow we þis seynt to cry þis day, if he liuid, aȝennis þe multitude of lawis of þe kirk incorporat

and extriuagaunt, wat aȝen batails, aȝen reseruacouns, aȝen furst frutis, and oþer spolingis of goodis of þe kirk; I trow he schuld sey, þis reprouid Crist to þe phariseis, wiþ more ȝhe ful of raneyn. And þis seiþ an oþer, þat þe sciens of aduoketis is detestable semiþ bi þis, þat in many þings it is contrari to þe law of God. For þe law seiþ, þat it is leful to þeis þat maken couenaunt to gidre, to disseile eiþer oþer, wil þei passe not þe midil of iuste price; but Goddis law seiþ, þu schal do no þing ȝeuelfuly to þi neȝbor in his nedis to be releuid, and þat no man bigyle his broþer in no caas. Efter þe lawe to him þat brekiþ seiþ, to him þat brekiþ feiþ, feiþ schal be brokun to him; þe gospel aȝen þis biddiþ do wel to þin enemy. Eft an oþer witti in þat sam law seiþ þus: It is to see how now lawis of þe seculer clerkis are contrari to holy writ, and to hold lawis of seyntis, and general counseils of hold holy clerkis. First in this. Þo gospel biddiþ al men ȝeld to þe emperor þingis þat are his, and to God þo þingis þat are Goddis, and Crist obeyed to princes of þe world vndirgoing þe dede; and so ded þe apostlis and seyntis. But now new law techiþ þat no prest nor clerk ow to soget to no seculer lord. Þe secound. Crist payid tribut for him and for Petre, and Ambrose acordiþ þat feldis of þe kirk pay tribut. But nowe newe lawe techiþ þat wiþ out consent of þe bischop of Rome þei schal pay no tributis nor taliagis. Þe þrid. Crist seiþ in þe gospel to his disciplis, þe kyngs of folk lorden vp on hem, and þei þat vsun power upon hem are callid ȝefars of benefices, but ȝe not so; but he þat wil a mong ȝow be þe more, be he as þe minister. And Austeyn, Gregor, Ciprian, Jerom, and Isidir, kennen, as is put in þe law, þat it perteniþ to seculer princes to punisch þeis þat synnen opunly. But nowe clerkis bi þer new lawis chalungen to hem þat only it perteniþ to hem to punisch symony, heresy, vsur, auoutry, and periury. Þe fourt. Þe apostil seiþ, we hauing fode and hyling hald vs payed. And bi þe sawis of Jerom, Ambrose, and Bernard, clerkis how to be content of

liflod, and haue al þingis in comyn. But now bi new lawis, clerkis propriun to hemsilf temporal þingis as seclereis, and not only to liflod and hyling, but to lust and worldly hynes. Werfor it folowiþ, þat oiþer þeis seyntis bar fals wittnes, or þat swilk lawis, bi wilk þis maner of hauing is defendir, ar contrari to hem, and to holy writ; or ellis þat clerkis now are fals witnes aȝen þer lawis, and þefis, and refars, and fals intrewsars. Þe fifth. Þe apostil seiþ, no man halding bi kniȝthed to God, inpliȝeþ him to worldly bisines; and doctors a cordyn, as is put in þe law. But now al most is no worldly bysines þat ministres of þe auter are not inplied in, as is opun in þer dedis; werof it folowiþ þat þei lif contrari to holy writ, and to þe decrees of hold fadres; and if þei haue ani law defending hem in þis, þan is þe law contrari as þer lif is; if þey haue not, þan þei lif vnlawfuly in þis. Þe sixst. Þe apostil seiþ, no man tak honor to him, but if he be callid of God. And after þe decrees of senctis, as is opun in canoun, as it schal be ȝeuen to him þat is callid and forsakiþ, so it schal be naytid him þat offreþ himsilf. But now new lawis kennen þat he þat most offriþ him, and most persewiþ wiþ ȝeftis of hand, tunge, or seruise, he schal be preferrid to þe holiar and abler, bi vertu of a ded bulle. Þe seuynt. God biddiþ þu schalt not do þeft, nor coueyt þe goodis of þi neiȝbor, but ȝeld to ilk man þat is his; and of þe de| crees of seyntis, if þu haue foundun ani þing and not restorid it, þu hast reft it. And eft, synnis are so mykil þe greuowsar as þey hold and schuld lengar bynd. But now new lawis kennyn prescrip|coun, þat if ani be in possessioun of oþer mennis þingis by a cercle of ȝeris, he schal ioi it as his oune, as is brokyn of Goddis bidding mak riȝt. Þe heyt. Crist biddiþ in þe gospel to his vicar, turn þe swerd in to þe scheþ; and wordis of doctors and decrees acordyn þat prestis how not to vse þe bodily swerd wiþ þer oune hand, and mani peynis are enioinid in new lawis for breking of þis. But þis not aȝenstonding, þei han founden a new ordinaunce and indul|gencis

and remissiouns, if þei sle cristun men wiþ þer oune handis. Þe nynt. Þe apostil seiþ, þe bischop be howuiþ to haue good wit|nes of þeis þat are wiþ out; and Jerom techiþ þat in chesing of þe prestis requiriþ þe assent of þe peple. But now bi new lawis þe peple schal not wit þer of. Þe tente. It is seid to prelatis, ȝe are liȝt of þe world, and eft, snybbe þe synnar be for alle; and after þe decrees of seyntis, and of þe kirk, he þat correctiþ not, schal be gilty as he þat ded þe dede. But now lawis ȝeuen leef to tak money for gret synnis, and þat non schal let hem to contune in synne for þat feynid correccoun. Þe elleuynt. It is seid to prestis, Frely ȝe han tan, frely ȝeuiþ; and to þis acordiþ mani decres of þe kirk, and doctors, wiþ mani peynis. But now are found new constitucouns of procuracies and customis and oþer expensis, so þat noiþer sacrament, nor benefice, nor ministry, is ȝeuun nor tan frely after Cristis bidding; but oueral goþ symonie priualy or apert. Þe twelft. Þe prophet seiþ to prelatis, Crie, cese not, hie þi voyce as a troump, and schew to my peple þer synnis; cursid be he þat forbediþ his suerd fro blod, þat is his tong, and his traueyl fro correccoun of synne; and doctors cordyn, and hold decres. But now new law kenniþ priuilegies and exempcouns fro iust correccouns of faiþful prelatis and curatis, so þat þey may not reise Sathanas out of his nest, nor hele þe seek. Vp on þis Lincoln crieþ out opon þe pope and seiþ, þat prelatis may not be excusid, no but þei happily wil lay al þe synne on þe pope. xiij. Þe Lord biddiþe kepe matrimony vndefoylid, and do non aduowtry; but now new lawis kennen þat þe man and þe woman han bi twex hem drawen to gidre verray matrimony, þat if þe man after tret wiþ a noþer woman, and lye bi her, if þe first woman may not proue her contract, þan þe secound schal be his wif, bi resoun of avowter, and he schal be cursid but if he tak to her as to his wif. And ȝet schal be enioynid bi þe law, in þe sacrament of schrift, vnder þe peyn of dedly synne, to tak þe first and touch

not þe secound; experiens of dede prouiþ þat it is þus, and þus him be howuiþ to be cursid, but if he tak boþe, and cursid if he tak oiþer þe ton or þe toþer. Þe fourtent. God biddiþ þu shalt not sey fals witnes aȝen þi neyȝbor, nor lye, nor forsuere þe, nor deme vniustly, nor aȝen sey þe trowþ in no maner; and mani lawis of þe kirk and sawis of doctors de|claryn þis, and enioynen mani peynis for þe trespassors her of. But now clerkis practisyn bi þer new lawis þat a iuge schal witnes bi his dome, þat an oþer mannis þing is myn, and aȝenword myn a oþer mannis, for þe fals witnes of two or of þre aȝen þe trowþ, and if [? ȝif] þe sentens to sle þe innocent and curse þe giltles, ȝa þow he wit þat it is fals. Also if a man be falsly accusid bi two witnessis, if he deney it þat he is accusid of, and graunt þe soþ, þan he schal be condempnid þer of as gilty. Þe xvj. [xv]. Goddis law biddiþ help þe supprissid, jugiþ to þe fadirles, defendiþ þe wydow, and how temporal lordis ow to þole no wrong be don; and mani doctors and lawis and resoun acordyn to þis. But now crien clerkis bi þer new lawis, þat if a man be cursid fourty dayes, þow he be cursid wrongly, and þat þan temporal lordis schal, bi þe bischops signifying or bidding, put him in to prisoun, til he suget him to þer dome, þow it be vniust. Þe xvij. [xvj]. If þat a man wed in to wif in þe face of þe kirk a cosyn of his, þe wilk God forbediþ him to towch, and after þis cosynage is knowen to him, but it may not be known formably bi proue after þe court of plete, ȝef þe woman after axe þe fleschly det, þow it be aȝen þe bidding of God to pay it, he schal be cursid, but if he tret her as his wif. And if he do it, he brekiþ þe bidding of God, and in þis cas he schal not be cursid bi her dome, or ellis he schal dwel cursid þe daies of his lif, efter þe process of þe new decretal wiþ Jon Andrewe. And þis inconuenient mai not be voydid w^t mani moo oþer. Þe xviij. [xvij]. Þe apostil seiþ, Ilk þing þat is not of þe feiþ is synne. And þe lawe acordiþ, þat he þat doþ aȝen

conciens biggiþ to helle. And þis not aȝenstonding þen schal man do þing aȝen his consciens, and curse him but if he obey, and þis is contrari in itsilf and to God boþe, þan þei sey þat a man schal raþer þole þer sentence þan do aȝen his consciens; but war profit wer þat if God curse al þat þei curse, for þan God schuld curse þis man. And it is iuel seid to bid man lett not to his wil for þe curse of God. After þey sey þat wat þing þo bindiþ in ȝerþ or þe kirk, it schal be confermid in heuen; and ȝet þei sey þey ȝef mani sentens þat bindun not anenst God. Þe xix. [xviii.] Eft þe apostil biddiþ men stond, and not be holden aȝen wiþ þe ȝok of seruage, for law bringiþ no man to profit, not but þat þing þat is maad opun in þe lawe, but he þat sekiþ to be iustified in þe law is fallen fro Crist, for man be howuiþ be iustified of þe feiþ and grace and goodnes of Crist; in þis þat he frely and wilfully trowiþ in to Cristis teching, and felliþ his bidding. But now men seyn hem iust, if þey do þe law after þer wit; an þow þat þei do þing þat is aȝen Crist, and aȝen consciens, þe law schal excuse him, and is inow for him. Also þe pope seiþ in his lawe, þat þer are two lawis, as law of þe spirit, and law maad of men; and who þat is led be þe law of þe spirit is fre, and is not worþi þat he be dreuen vnder maad lawe, and þerfor go he fre bi oure autorite. But now are men lettid oftun bi maad lawis, rewlis, and constitucouns, to wirk after þe spirit, or to do þe merciful dedis or riȝtfulnes frely, bi autorite of Crist; þis is oft prouid many tymys bi deed, os boþ in religious, and oþer, wen it is not leful to hem to do þe dedis of mercy, noiþer bodily, nor gostly, if þer ouer man bid hem be stille, and lefe alle þeis or ani oþer lawis, rewl, or customis, wat euer þei be, wan þei ar not wiþ þo gospel in ani maner substauns formid or vsyng in to perfeccoun of fredum of þe gospel, but are in ani maner, ani tyme, for ani þing, letting, or trobling, or tarieng any þing þat gospel biddiþ, or counseyliþ to be don; in þis þei are aȝen Goddis law, and aȝenis God, aftur þe sentence of Crist befor seid, He þat is not wiþ me, he is aȝen me.

Notes

• Parisiens.
• Matt. xij^o.
• Crisostom.
• Parisiens.
• Gregor.
• Salme x^o.
• Gen. xuj^o.
• Gen. xxj^o.
• Lev. xxiu^o.
• Isa. xluiij^o.
• Matt. iij^o.
• Jer. xxiii^o.
• Austeyn.
• Odo.
• An other.
• Salm. cxuiij^o.
• Austeyn.
• An other.
• An other.
• Matt.xxij^o.
• Ambrose.
• Luc. xxij^o.
• Austeyn. Gregor. Ciprian. Jerom. Isidor.
• 1 Tim. uj^o.
• Jerom. Ambrose. Bernard.
• 2 Tim. ij^o.
• Heb. v^o.
• Exod. xx^o.
• Joh. xuiij^o.
• 1 Tim. iij^o.
• Jerom.
• Matt. u^o.
• Matt. x^o.
• Isa. luiij^o.
• Lincoln.
• Ro. xiu^o.
• Gal. v^o.