Select English works of John Wyclif; edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

ON MYȜHELMASSE DAI.

[SERMON CXXI.]

Accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum.—MATT. xviii. [I.]

ÞIS gospel telliþ how Crist loveþ men þat dwellen in þis world. And we shulen take as bileeve þat Crist loveþ more vertuous men, whiche he haþ ordeynede to blisse, þan all þe men þat shal be dampned, for Crist loveþ ech þing aftir þat it is good. And þus seiþ þe storie of Matheu, how, Disciplis cam to Jesus and axiden him, who, he hopiþ, is more in þe rewme of hevene? Leeve we gramariens doutis wher 'quis putas' be two wordis or oo word, and of what part, and what is þe witt þerof; for here us þinkiþ it is o word and þis is þe witt þerof; What is þi jugement, which man is more here; for hope of Crist, þat

mai not erre, is his riȝt jugement, and þis word wantiþ noumbre and persone and witt of wordis bi hemsilf.

And Jesus tauȝte his answere in dede, for it is profitable to men; siþ whomever Crist jugiþ more is more algatis, siþ juge|ment of þe world and of men failliþ ofte. Jesus toke a litil child, in quantite and in soule, for he was litil in bodi, and þerwiþ he was meke. Rekke we not who þis man was, ne trowe we not to mennis talis þat þis was Marcial, or Joon, or anoþer apostle; for ȝif Crist wolde þat we couden þis, he wolde have tolde þis in his gospel. But kepe we us in meke|nesse þat Crist wolde put us inne. For ignorance of þis doute doiþ noon harm to Cristen men, and knowyng þerof shulde do no good to geting of þe blisse of hevene. Crist toke þis litil man, and putte him in myddil of apostlis, and seide to hem, Soþli, but ȝif ȝe ben convertid, and be maad as litil children, ȝe shal not entre into þe rewme of hevenes, for ȝour pride. For, ever as a man is more meke, evere þe betere man he is. And so, as Crist is beste man, so is he þe mekeste man. And as nouȝt mai be lowere þan centre, so noon mai be mekere þan Crist. And it is oon to suppose þat þis is þe mekeste man and þat þis man is Crist, ouþer on o manere or oþer. Alle men of þe rewme of hevene drawun to þis centre, to make þis rewme. And þis centre holdiþ up al þing, and put it in his degree. But þis centre is everywhere, and not only in oo point.

Þis word of Crist may wel be proved undirstonding sadnesse in vertues; for no man mai have ony vertue but ȝif he have mekenesse, ground of alle. And siþ no man mai come to hevene, but ȝif he be cloþid in vertues, it is open to trewe men þat no man mai come to hevene, but ȝif he have mekenes to grounde his toure up to hevene. And siþ bileve techiþ us þat holi Chirche is a bodi, and þis noble bodi is ordeyned of Crist, bi every part and joynture þerof, it semeþ to many men

þat alle þes newe ordris ben rotyn postumes, and tatered cloutis. Lord! siþ freris blamen wel tatring of mennis cloþis, how myche were it to blame tatring of þe Chirche cloutis. But þat þat þes newe ordris leeven in mannis siȝte, þei fulfillen in oure modir, þat is a betere persone. For alle þes ordris ben cloutid bi Cristis religioun wiþouten his autorite, and departid among hem silf. And it semeþ to many men þat þei ben þe charge of þe chirche, and enpeiren Cristis ordre his lawe and his ordenaunce. And þus þenken many men þat þei shulden be suspect, bifore þat þei hadden groundid her liif in Cristis lawe. And many men have conscience to forþere þes ordris, in word and in dede, bifore þat þei ben tauȝte þat Crist approveþ þes ordris; for ellis þei reversiden Crist and weren wiþ Anticrist. And so alle þes novelries, þat ben not groundid in Cristis lawe, men supposen as heresies til þat þei ben tauȝte þe contrarie. And dymes, and offringis, and defending of þis persone þat doiþ aȝens Goddis lawe, semen bi lawe of conscience to be aȝens Goddis wille, and so shulden men leeven hem. But leeve we þis matere, and trowe to Cristis word, þat whoso mekiþ him, as þis ȝong man, he is þe more in þe rewme of hevenes. And whoso takiþ sich a litil oon in þe name of Crist, he takiþ Crist; at þe leste in his membre. For we supposen þat Crist preiseþ not þe fend in þis ȝong man. And whoso slaundriþ oon of þes litil þat trowen in me, it spediþ to him þat a mylne stoon be tied in his nekke, and þat he be dreint in þe depenes of þe see. And, as Gregori seiþ, it spediþ to þis man þat he have hevy worldis charge to depe him in worldli traveile; for þanne he shulde mekelier in caas be dampned in helle þan he now shulde. Woo be to þe world of sclaundris! For it is nedeful þat slaundris comen, but neþeles woo be þat man bi whom slaundre come.

Slandre is wrong dede, þat makiþ man falle in synne. And þis falliþ boþe in worldli men and oþer, and speciali in ypocritis of þes newe religiouns; for þei done woo to oþer ordris, and jugement of oþir men for her ypocrisie makiþ many men be sclandrid. For novelries in oure lawe maken errours in juge|ment, and so þei harmen þe Chirche boþe in soule and bodi. Crist biddiþ aftirward, Ȝif þi hond or þi foot sclaundir þee, kitte it of, and caste it fro þee. Here men seien soþli, þat bi her bodili lymes ben undirstonden mennis workes and mennis affeccions; and þes ben kittid fro men whanne þe vertue of þeir soule wantiþ sich workes, and occasioun to do þus. It is beter to þee to be here feble or crokid, and, wiþ þis, come to hevenli liif, þan to have here þes lymes and after be sent to helle. Þis word is ful dredeful to men þat wolen here be greet, and have many servantis, or many of her ordre, and after, for parting of her synne, ben dampned to helle. And þus was Joon Baptiste wiþouten hondis or feete here, and so he was myȝty in hevene for his symple meeknesse. And to þis entent seiþ Crist, Ȝif þin iȝe sclaundre þee, pyke it out, and caste it fro þee. Bi þis iȝe we undirstonden yvel siȝte of a mannis eye; as leecherous and coveitous have ofte wickid iȝen. Caste awei þes wickide workis, and turne þee to medeful siȝte. And ȝif þou be a greet maistir, as bishop or erchedekene, and þou have a wickide servaunt þat turneþ þee to coveitise, putte him out of his office and remeeve him fer awey. It is betere to þee to come wiþ oon iȝe to þe liif, þan here have two iȝen and after be sent to þe fier of helle, as it is betere to men to lyve here a simple liif, and come after to hevene for mekenesse of þe herte, þan after myche myrþe here be dampned in helle.

Be ȝe war þat ȝe dispise not oon þat is litil here; for soþli I seie to ȝou, þat her aungels seen evere þe face of my Fadir which is in hevene. Alȝif men seien comunli þat ech man haþ two aungels, a good and an yvel, to do him good and traveile him,

neþeles men þat shal be saaf have algatis blessid angels which in al her worching seen evere God clereli, for God is everywhere, and seeþ syche gode werkis. And þis meeveþ many men to dispise not þes pore men and of simple state here; for we witen not how God loveþ hem. And among evidence þat shulde meeve men to mekenes, bileve of þis gospel shulde meeve men to flee dispite. For ȝif a man were ayre aparant of Englond or of France, many men wolden do him worship for þis worldli titil; myche more ȝif a man be eire of þe blisse of hevene. And apparaunce of þis heritage is more licli to trewe men, bi good lyf of men after þe lawe of Crist, þan apparaunce of worldli lordship bi dissence of heritage. And so wickid liif of men makiþ hem serve þe fendis children; as it is seid þat a bishop haþ a þousand iȝen to noie, but he haþ not half an iȝe to profit after Goddis lawe. And þus many men supposen þat þes ben blynde fendis children. For many men have molworpis izen, þat þinken evere of worldli goodis, and þes ben no good lederis to teche men þe weie to hevene.

Notes

• De Lyra mentions no such doubts, and it is difficult to realize the state of mind of that 'gramarien,' who should speculate on the possi|bility of 'quis putas' being one word. Both Wycliffite versions translate, 'Who, gessist thou.'
• as, E.
• St. Jerome, in his commentary on this passage, is silent respecting the identity of the little child. But Petrus Comestor in the Historia Scholastica (cap. xc.), and Nicholas de Lyra, both give the tradition referred to in the text, namely, that this little child grew up to be a certain St. Marcialis, who was sent into Gaul by St. Peter, and preached the faith to the people of the Li|mousin.
• putteþ, E.
• grete charge, E.
• dreynt, E.
• Commenting on this passage of St. Matthew in his Moralia (lib. vi. § 57) St. Gregory says that by the sea we must understand this world, —by the mill-stone, worldly busi|ness,—and that there are some who, forsaking the common life of the world, and betaking themselves to spiritual contemplation, not only go astray themselves, but mislead the little ones of Christ. 'Qui ergo unum de minimis scandalizat, melius illi fuerat, alligata collo mola asina|ria, in mare projici; quia nimirum perversae menti expeditius esse po|tuisset, ut occupata mundo terrena negotia ageret, quam per contem|plationis studia ad multorum per|niciem vacaret.'
• So E; her, A.
• The words must not be taken literally, for no such astounding legend was even afloat concerning John the Baptist or his martyrdom, so far at least as I can discover,— but simply as meaning, 'in this sense John the Baptist, after he was thrown into prison, was helpless and re|sourceless, reaping thereby a greater reward in heaven.'
• So E; A reads seen wiþ siche workes, which makes no sense.
• So E; om. A.
• heyr apparaunt, E.
• moldwarpis or mollis, E.