The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.

XVII. HOW ANTICHRIST AND HIS CLERKS TRAVAIL TO DESTROY HOLY WRIT.

THIS tract should be compared with a short fly-leaf printed by Mr. Arnold, S. E. W. III. 186.

I cannot pretend to any sure judgment as to the authorship, but there is nothing in it at variance with Wyclif's teaching. It seems to have been written when the controversy with the poor priests had been carried on some time, and when they found it necessary to justify their constant appeals to God's law (Talem enim habebant terminum in omnibus suis dictis, semper prætendendo legem Dei; Goddis lawe, Knighton 2664.) It is possible that the need of such a justification would be soon felt even among the popular preachers, as it must certainly have been discovered very early in the schools. We need not, therefore, assign a very late date to this composition.

Copied from the Corpus MS. X. and collated with the Dublin MS. AA.

SUMMARY.

CHAP. I.	As Christ ordained four Gospels, so Satan has four devices to set men's authority above that of the Gospel. These devices are specially used by friars for the glory of their orders	p. 255
II.	The first false pretence is that the Church is of more authority than the Gospel, since it decreed which gospels should be received	256
III.	The second, that Austin says he would not believe the Gospel, unless the Church told him	258
	Austin's meaning is misrepresented	258
	Duty of maintaining the truth	259
IV.	The third, that men only know the Gospel by the Church	259
	The true ground of faith is Christ himself	260
V.	The fourth, that men believe the Gospel without knowing why	260
	Faith is given by God; its power	261

Hou anticrist & his clerkis traueilen to distroie holy writt & to make cristene men vnstable in þe feiþ & to sette here ground in deuelis of helle.

Capitulum primum.

As houre lord ihū crist ordeynede to make his gospel sadly knowen & meyntened aȝenst heretikis & men out of bileue bi writtynge of his foure euaungelistis, so þe deuel sathanas castiþ bi anticrist & his worldly false clerkis to distroie holy [page 210] writt & cristene mennus bileue bi foure cursed weies or fals resons. ¶Þe first, þat þe chirche is of more auctorite & more credence þan is ony gospel. ¶ Þe secunde, þat austyn seiþ þat he wolde not bileue to þe gospel but ȝif þe chirche tauȝte hym so. ¶Þe þride, þat no man now on lyue wote whiche is þe gospel but ȝif it be bi approuynge of þe chirche. ¶ Þe fourþe, ȝif men seyn þat þei bileuen þat þis is þe gospel of matheu or ion, þei axen, whi bileuest þou þat þis is þe gospel; as who seiþ, þer is no cause but for þe chirche confermeþ it & techeþ so. Þes foure euydences & many moo makiþ þe fend to blynde men in bileue, þat þei schulden not knowe whiche is synne, which is vertu, which is treuþe, which is falsnesse, which is good, which is euyl, & which is goddis heste, & which is lesynge of þe fend for to brynge alle men blyndly to helle. & þes newe religious & principaly freris prechen þes euydences & sowen hem among lewid men ¹in contres to stoppe pore prestis & lewid men,¹ [1_1 omitted X.] þat þei ben not hardy to speke of þe gospel & holy writt & goddis comaundementis & ioies of heuene & of [omitted X.] synnes & peynes of purgatorie & of helle, lest þei stiren men to rise out of synnys for drede of peynes, & to lyfe in vertuous lif for to haue þe blisse of heuene. & þis disceit in bileue is maad & coniected of þes cursed pharisees for to magnyfie here newe feyned ordres, founden of synful men, not only wiþ cristis clene religion but

more þan it or ony part of holy writt; & for [herfore X.] þei willen not be conuyct of here pride & ypocrisie & forsake here coueitise & lustis of here bely & here propre wille. Þerfore þei wilen raþere renne to helle fullire, [fulbere AA.] & drawe alle men after hem heedly bi distroiynge of cristene feiþ, þan to come to cristis clene religion wiþ fredam of þe gospel þat is ordeyned of god of endeles wisdom wiþ-outen errour of ony synful man; for þei mosten þan knoweleche here falsenesse & ypocrisie, bi þe whiche þei disceyueden cristene men fro þe bigyngne of here nouelries til þis tyme. but luciferis pride & coueitise of worldly muk & of heiȝ astatis and [of X.] worldly worschipe may not suffre þis mekenes, as men dreden ful sore, for old enuye of sathanas & hard rotynge in synne.

Capitulum 2^m.

See we now hou þei bryngen in þe first cursed ground, þat þe chirche is of more autorite & credence þan is þe gospel. Þei seyn þat nychodeme & many moo writen þe gospellis of cristis lif & his techynge, & þe chirche putte hem awey & approued þes foure gospellis of matheu, mark, luk & ion. Þan þe chirche myȝte as wel haue putt out þes foure & approued þe toþere gospelleris; siþ it was in free wille & power of þe [page 211] chirche to reproue & dampne whiche þei wolden & approue & accepte whiche hem lykede; & þerfore men schulden bileue more to þe chirche þan to [omitted AA.] ony [our X.] gospel. ¶First þes fercastynge heretikis vnderstonden bi þe chirche þe pope of rome & his cardynalis, & þe multitude of worldly clerkis assentynge to his symonye & worldly lordischipe aboue alle kyngis & emperours of þis world; for ellis it were not to here purpos to magnyfye þe chirche as þei now don. Þanne trewe men seyn þat þe clergie þat first was kunnynge & holy of lif was stirid bi þe holy gost to take þes gospellis & charge not cristene peple wiþ mo; siþ þes ben ynowe &

profitable [perfyt AA.] at þe fulle, & ben figured in many prophecies of goddis lawe; & þes foure witnessis weren acceptid of þe holy gost to þis writynge for many skillis þat we may not telle now; but certes þe chirche myȝtte not haue putt awey þes gospellis & acceptid þe oþere. for þan it hadde don aȝenst þe dom of god & aȝenst þe treuþe of ihū crist & aȝenst charite of þe holy gost, for to putte awey þes witnesses þat knewen more of goddis preuyte & weren holiere of lif, & to take witnessis not so kunnynge of goddis dom ne so holy of lif ne so meke ne so stable in feiþ & in loue of ihū crist. but þes sotil heretikis traueilen nyȝt & day to ensaumple þe multitude of worldly clerkis, þat ben ful of symonye, pride, coueitise, glotonye, lecherie & oþere synnes, aboue ihū crist & his gospel, for to haue here worldly lif, pride & lustis meyntened, þat no man schulde lette hem in here worldly glorie ne dis|trurble hem of here lustis, þouȝ þei neuere so foule lien of [on AA.] god & sclaundren his peple. for þei wolen make here cursed lif & heresies to be gospel & bileue of cristene men; but where ben more cursed traitouris to god & his lawe & more perilous & false prophetis to cristene peple? for god com|aundiþ [Rev. xxii. 18.] vp peyne of his grete curs & deep dampnynge in helle þat no man schal wiþ-drawe fro his lawe ony poynt of treuþe, ne adde þer-to ony nouelrie þat is not approued of þe trinyte, & ihū crist seiþ þat his gospel is euerlastynge testament. But þei wolen for-don it wiþ a stynkynge blast of anticristis cursed mouþ. lord, hou doren cristene men meyntene siche heretikis, aȝenst goddis techynge & pees of cristene peple? siche weiward heretikis ben ful vnable to reule prelatis & lordis & comyns in schrifte, in prechynge & preynge & oþere poyntis of here soule helþe, for þei disceyuen hem in feiþ & good lif, for to haue here owene pride & coueitise & lustis born vp, & so drawen alle men to helle þat ben reulid bi suche false confessours, false prechours & false conseilours.

Capitulum 3^m.

See now þe secunde wheel in þis deuelis wayn; þei bere vpon austyn þat he seiþ þus, [page 212a] þat he wolde not bileue to þe gospel but ȝif þe chirche seide it. so trewe men answeren þus: suppose [suppo X.] þat austyn seiþ þis word, he seide to þis entente, þat but ȝif crist, heuyd of holy chirche, & seyntis in heuene & þe apostlis of crist, þat ben holy chirche, seiden & approueden þis gospel, ellis he wolde not bileue þer-to; & þis vnderstondynge is ful trewe & resonable & accordynge to þe lettere of austyn. but þei vnderstonden þus, but ȝif þe multitude of cursed worldly clerkis approue þis for þe gospel, ellis austyn wolde not bileue to þe gospel of ihū crist; & siþ austyn was & is so gret a doctour of holy chirche, no man schulde bileue to þe gospel but ȝif þe chirche of þes prelatis confermen þat þis is þe gospel of crist. Þanne [ȝan X.] ȝif þe multitude of anticristis clerkis approuen not þe gospel ne treuþe of holy writt, no man schulde holde [olde X.] þe gospel ne ony comaundement of god, ne meyntene ony treuþe aȝenst anti|crist & his worldely prelatis. but what heresie myȝtte soonere distroie cristene mennus bileue? & god forbede þat austyn were in þis [omitted X.] perilous heresie, or ony cristene man. Þer-fore it is cursed lesynge to sclaund[r]e seynt austin wiþ þis cursed errour, to [omitted X.] coloure here owene false vnderstondynge & heresie bi þis holy doctour. for bi þis cursed wheel, ȝif anticristis clerkis dampne cristene mennus feiþ & þe comaundementis of god & poyntis of charite, & bryngen in here owen weiward lawis to holden vp here pride & coueitise, & to curse men for þei don werkis of charite, men moten vp peyne of dampnacion receyue here cursed dedis as bileue, & forsake þe gospel of ihū crist, & take fendis lesyngis in stede of goddis lore; & moo cursednesse to distroie cristene feiþ þan wole sue of þis cursed vnderstondynge may no man ne fend ymagyne til þe day of dom. Þerfore cristen men [omitted X.] schulden stonde to þe deþ

for meyntenynge of cristis gospel, & trewe vnderstondynge þer-of geten bi holy lif & gret studie, & not sette here feiþ ne triste in synful prelatis & here cursed clerkis, ne in here vnderstondynge of holy writt, for þei ben vnable wiþ þis worldly lif ful of pride, coueitise, glotonye & ydelnesse, as [& X.] haukynge & huntynge, & pleiynge at þe chees & tablis, & riot & daunsynge, & festis makynge, dronkenesse & lecherie, to perceyue þe treuþe of holy writt & heiȝe preuytees of god. for crist seiþ in þe gospel þat þe fadir of heuene hidiþ þes [Matt. xi. 25.] treuþes fro worldly wise men & queynte, & schewiþ hem to meke men as weren cristis disciplis. & þe wise man seiþ þat [Prov. ix. 10.] þe wisdom schal not entre in-to an euyl willid man, for þe drede of god is bigynnynge & plente of wisdom, & þei han not þis drede; þan þei han not þis wisdom. Þerfore it is luciferis pride, & passeþ it, to constreyne men to take vnder|stondynge of holy writt after þe witt & dom of siche worldly [page 212b] clerkis, þat ben enemys of crist & his lawe & his seruauntis, for þei ben blynde in goddis lawe & good lif, & leden blynde men to helle, as crist seiþ in þe gospel; for in steed of keies of heuene, þat ben kunnynge of holy writt & power to distroie synne & saue cristene soulis bi trewe techynge & good ensaumple, þei han ignoraunce of goddis lawe, & no wil [wel X.] to studie & lyue þer-aftir, but kunnynge & practisynge in here owene wickede lawis for pride & coueitise, & feynen hem power of tirauntrie to stoppe treue men fro prechynge of þe gospel, & ȝif þei prechen aȝenst here wille to curse hem & prisone hem & brenne hem [omitted AA.] ; & certis þes ben keies of helle.

Capitulum 4^m.

See now þe þridde wheel of sathanas chaar. Þes cautelous clerkis & religious of lucifer seyn þat no man wot whiche is the gospel but bi approuynge & confermynge of þe chirche. but trewe men seyn þat to here vnderstondynge þis is ful of

falsed; for cristene men ben certeyn of bileue, bi gracious ȝifte of ihū crist, þat þis treuþe tauȝt bi crist & his apostlis is þe gospel, þouȝ alle anticristis clerkis crien neuere so faste þe contrarie vp peyne of curs & prisonynge & brennynge. & þis bileue is not groundid on þe pope & his cardinalis, for þanne it moste faile & ben vndon, as þei failen & ben sumtyme distroied, but on ihū crist, god & man, & on þe holy trinyte; & so it may neuere faile but in defaute of him þat schulde loue god & serue him & faileþ in þes two poyntis, for almyȝtty god & his treuþes ben foundement of cristene mennus feiþ. And as poul seiþ, foundement may no man sette biside þat [l Cor. iii. 11.] þat is sette, þat is ihū crist. Þerfore þouȝ anticrist & alle þes [his X.] worldly clerkis ben biried depe in helle for here cursed symonye, pride, & coueitise & oþere synnys, ȝit cristene feiþ faileþ not; for þei ben not ground þer-of but ihū crist is ground þer-of. for he is oure god & oure beste maistre, euere redy to teche trewe men alle þinge þat is profitable & nedful to here soulis; & he may not faile in þis techynge but for vnablete of him þat schulde resceyue þis techynge.

Capitulum 5^m.

Þe fourþe whel of belialis carte is þis: ȝif cristene men seyn þei knowen bi bileue þat þis is cristis gospel, þes malicious heretikis axen whi þei bileuen þat þis is gospel. but trewe men axen of hem aȝenward whi þei bileuen þat god is god; & ȝif þei tellen a good sufficient cause, telle we þe same cause whi we bileuen þat þis is cristis gospel. but þes heretikis wolden haue þis cause: for þes prelatis techen þat þis is cristis gospel; & þanne [omitted X.] þei wolden haue of þis cause alle here false purpos, þat what euere þes prelatis techen opynly & meyntenen stedfastly, were of as gret autorite or more þan is cristis gospel; [page 212c] & so þei wolden distroie holy writt & cristene feiþ, & meyntenen þat what-euere þei don were no synne. but cristene men taken here feiþ of god bi his

gracious ȝifte, whanne he ȝeueþ to hem knowynge & vnder|stondynge of treuþes nedful for to saue mennus soulis bi, & grace to assente in here herte to suche treuþes; & þis men clepen feiþ. & of þis feiþ cristene men ben more certeyn þan ony man is of ony [only X.] worldly þing bi ony bodily witt; & þer|fore crist reproueþ most defaute of bileue, boþe in þe iewis & in his disciplis, & þerfore cristis apostlis preieden [preiseden X.] most to haue stabilnesse in feiþ; for it is unpossible þat ony man plese god wiþ-outen feiþ, & so crist preide principaly þat þe feiþ of petir & oþere disciplis schulden not faile endeles; & goddis lawe telliþ hou bi feiþ seyntis wrouȝten alle here grete wondris & meruailis þat þei diden. & ȝif anticrist seie here þat eche man may [omitted X.] feyne þat he haþ riȝt feiþ & goode vnderstondynge of holy writt ȝouyn of god whanne he is in errour, late a man seke in alle þingis trewely þe honour of god & lyue iustly to god & man, & þanne god wole not faile to him in ony þing þat is nedful to hym, neiþer in feiþ ne vnderstondynge ne in answere aȝenst his enemyes. & for feiþ is scheld of cristene men aȝenst alle temptacions of þe fend & ground of alle vertues, þerfore sathanas ordeyned þes newe sectis to be so manye & haue name of kunnynge & holynesse bifore alle oþere, & groundiþ in hem pride, enuye, coueitise, glotonye, lecherie & ypocrisie to walwe among þe peple & stire hem bi word & ensaumple to be vnstable in þe feiþ; & stireþ heiȝe worldly prelatis to be fauourable to hem & meyntenen hem in þis ypocrisie to coloure here owene synne þer-bi, & to lette treue men to preche pleynly & frely cristis gospel & þe hestis of god for sauynge of mannus soule. & here-bi & [bi] many moo disceitis schulden cristene men knowe how þes newe religious ben false prophetis & cursed sectis, of whiche crist & his apostlis prophecieden bifore, & tauȝten men to knowe hem bi here werkis, [clerkis AA.] þat ben ypocrisie, coueitise & meyn|tenynge of synne bi fals prechynge, flaterynge, fals conseilynge & sclaunderynge of trewe men, [omitted X.] & makynge [maken X.] men siker of

gostly helpe bi fals letteris of fraternyte & many oþere nouel|ries brouȝt vp bi ypocrisie & coueitise. & as ion þe euaungelist [2 John 10.] comaundiþ, cristene men schulden not resceyue hem in-to here houses ne seie to hem, heil. & poul biddiþ þat men schulden [2 Thess. iii. 14.] not comune wiþ hem, þat þei ben confoundid & schamed of here false heresie & turne to cristis clene religion wiþ-outen errour of synful mennus tradicions. God almyȝtty strengþe his litil flok [folk X.] aȝenst þes foure whelis of sathanas chaar, aȝenst [page 213] anticristis clerkis & helperis, & make hem stronge in riȝtful feiþ, hope & charite, to seke trewely þe worschipe of ihū crist & sauynge of mennus soulis; to dispise anticristis bost & feyned power; & wilfully & ioiefully suffre peyne & reproue [reprof AA.] in þe world for þe name [þanne AA.] of ihū & his gospel, to ȝeue sade ensaumple to oþere for to folowe & conquere þe heiȝe blisse of heuene bi glorious martirdom as oþere seyntis diden bifore. Ihū for þin endeles myȝt, endeles wisdom, endeles goodnesse & charite, graunte to vs synful wrecchis þis bone. Amen.