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.

XXVI. Charmis.

Þeis are oþer two poyntis. On þat charmis on no maner are leful. An oþer, þat it is supersticious to hang wordis at þe nek. As to þeis I haue seid þus; In þe law of God is þus writun, Wan [Deut. xuiij^o.] þu cumyst in to þe lond þat þi Lord God schal ȝeue þe, be war þat þu wil not folow þe abhominacoun of þe folk þat þer be, ne be þer not found in þe þat compasiþ his sone or dowter, drawing bi þe fire, ne þat askiþ ariolers, nor dremis, ne chitering of briddis, ne þat þer be wiche, ne enchaunter, þat is chermar in our spech, ne þat axe counseil of hem þat han iuel sperits, noiþer at diuinar, ne seek of dead þingis þe trowþ; for þe Lord wlatiþ of þeis þingis, and of þeis maner of felonies he schal do þeis folk a wey in þi entry; þu schalt be perfit, and wiþ out spot wiþ þi Lord God. And eft, Bow þu [Lev. xix^o.] not to þer wicchis, ne axe no þing of þer ariolers, þat ȝe be not polut be hem. ȝe schal not a wat dremis, ne diuyn bi criing of briddis, ne clip þe hed in to round, ne schaf þe hed, ne calle vp on þe dead; ȝe schal not prik ȝor flesch, ne mak to ȝow ani figeris, ne stigmes, þat are woundis. But if þey sey to ȝow, seek of Phi| [Isa. viij^o.]

toneris and of diuineris, þat gnasten wiþ þer teþ in her chauntingis, weþer not a peple schal seek visioun of her God, for þe quek and þe dead? Þerfor goþ more to þe lawe and to þe witnes, þat if þei sey not after þis woord, morow liȝt schal not be to hem. Also þus writiþ Austeyn, and is put in decrees, Feiþful prestis ammonest [Austeyn.] þe peple, þat þei wit þer wichecraftis and enchauntingis to may do no þing of remedy to ani seknes of man, ne of best, noiþer to best langering, halting, or sare, or doing to lech ani þing, but þat þei are panteris of þe wold enemye, bi wilk þe fals fend enforciþ to deceywe mankynd. If ani clerk vse þeis þingis be he degradid, and þe lewid man þat vse þeis þingis be cursid. And eft þus, A [Austeyn.] waytiþ not þeis Egipcian daies, þat we call dysmal, ne kalendis of Janiuer, in wilk sum seyingis, and comessacouns, and ȝeftis, are ȝeuyn to gidre, as in to begynning of good ȝere, ne monþis, ne tymys, ne ȝeris, ne dayes, ne course of þe sunne, ne þe mone, for ȝe þat a waytun þeis or ani oþer diuiningis, desteneys of auguris, or tenten to hem, or consenten to þe waytars vnprofitably, and wiþ out cause, he howiþ more to his dampnacoun þan to his saluacoun; or þei þat seek bi noumbre of lettres, or of þe men [moon?], and figer of nigramauncy, þe lif or deþ of þe seek, or welþ or disess to cum, or þei þat tentun to dremis writun, and falsly tytlid in Daniel's name, or canelis þat are callid of þe holy apostolis, or chitering of briddus, or sich oþer, for hous to be maad, or weddingis to be couplid, or in gedering of herbis, seiþ ani charme but þe pater noster, or þe crede, or puttiþ ani strowis wiþ figeris writun on men for any infirmite, or vp on bestis, or tenden to wiche falsnes in hailes or tempestis, þey þat trowen to swilk þingis, or gon to þe hous of hem, wite þei hem to haue brokyn þe cristun feiþ, and þe baptem, and to be paynims and apostatais, þat is goyng o bak, and to be þe enemyes of God, and greuowsly to haue incurrid his wraþ, be [but?] if þei mend bi þe penaunce of þe kirk be recounsilid; for þe apostil seiþ, Weþer het ȝe or drynk or do ani oþer þing, do all [1 Cor. x^o.]

þingis in þe name of our Lord Ihu Crist, in wam we lifin, are sterid, and ben. Þeis sawis and sich oþer like are trowþ endles, and bidun to us to be kepid wiþ out dispensacoun boþ of God and of þe kirk; as þe decre seiþ, þat þow no þing of iuel be schewid to [Decre.] be in swilk þingis, neuerþeles ȝet þei are defendid of þe kirk to feiþful men, þat þei go not aȝen vnder þe spice of diuining to þe wold worschipping of idols. And þus þei are bidun to vs to kepe þat we how not to rette þeis þingis in to God til vs, noiþer þis to cause in vs goostly vertues ne maners, noiþer þei may ȝeue til vs grace ne hele, but if we kepe Cristis biddingis; ne þei may not harme vs, if we do his biddingis, for non aduersite schal noy vs, if wickidnes lord not in vs. And if we do his biddingis, al þingis schal obey to vs, os þei are maad to serue vs, and to be soget and boner to vs, and we how not to vse þeis on ani maner, not but as God biddiþ, and counseiliþ vs; þerfor þis semiþ helful, if ani be vexid wiþ seeknes, or greuid wiþ vniust neiȝbor, or on ani oþer seid greuid in ani maner, þat he say wiþ Job to God, How many [Job. xiij^o.] wickidnes haue I and synnis, schewe me my felownies and my defaultis, þat I wit wat me lackiþ, and þat I mend my sarow, and haue mend þe þingis þat I haue misdon, oþer be vnkunning, or infirmite, or be maleyce, and tak þeis disessis for mending and mercy of God, and mikil less þan I haue deseruid; and tak þan swilk medicynis os God haþ maad, and bidun, and desseyue not veynly himsilf, ne incur not more indignacoun, for it is certeyn þat God haþ don many veniaunce for þeis felownies, and al are writun to our disciplin, correccoun, and warning. And who þat nediþ ani wisdam, or help for ani þing, axe of God, as seynt Jame [Jac. i^o.] seiþ, and al þat is spedful schal plentiuowsly be ȝeuun to him. But neuerþeles, as comyn spech techiþ vs, and Goddis lawe, and clerkis charmis are callid in diuers maner. And þeis þingis may be vsid in syndre maner, þerfor it semiþ to me spedy to clere sum wat þis maner; þerfor I suppose her, þat charmis and enchaunt|mentis

for bidun þat þe it are þat are brout in bi fendis curst, and bi stering of fendis, aȝen þe bidding of God, and also be mannis vanite and foly, wiþ out ground of God Almiȝti, and in wilk men trystun of help wiþ outun him, and oftun aȝen as ȝeþun and vn|feiþful don; þus we callid charmers þo þat wil bi þer curst haue a þing þow it plece not God. And þis schewiþ what is a charme, weþer it be charme maad or writun, or þe wirking of þe charmar. And enchauntors are þoo þat in callun fendis to ken hem þingis, or to telle hem þingis be for, or to help hem, weþer þei do it bi preyor, or bi sacrifice offrid to hem, or bi ani oþer vnleful maner. And swilk we callen phitoners. Also ariolers þoo þat maken placis to here God, or wenun to bow God to do for þe place, as Balaam þat sowt to curse þe peple aȝen Goddis bidding: and wan he miȝt not curse hem in o place, he sout to curse hem in a noþer, and went þat God wold haue bowed tul hem. And ruspiceris are þoo þat loken to horis or tymis, are goddis or oþer gouernoris, or wen þat þei may bowe God to do þing in on houre, þat he wil not do in an oþer. An augurreris we calle þoo þat tentun to þe garring and fliyng of briddus, as if þei brout good or harme, or God be led oþer wise þer bi, to do oþer wyse þan as is iust, and good, and merciful, and trewe. And dremridars we calle þoo þat tentun to dremis, os if þey drem bi original and principal cause of God; or iuil or good bi led bi þe drem to do veynly, or vniustly, or to be chongid. Nigramauncers are þei þat bi figeris or markyngis vp on þe dead body of best or of man, þus enforciþ to geit wityng, or to wirk, or þus to bow God. And on þis maner God forbediþ to clep þe hed in to round, or to schaf þe berd, or to mak þus ani figeris on þe dead, os to geit ani þing þer by, but if God wel, or ellis to bow him or chong him þer bi; þus we callen þe magis, þoo þat calculun bi þe sternis þingis to cum, wening as þei were Goddis gouernours, chef of þis world, or ellis þat God may be chaungid, and led bi hem. And þus are callid geomanceris, þat werkun bi

þe ȝerþ. And idromauncers, þat þus wirkun bi þe watir. Ayero|mauncers þat wirkun bi þe eyre. Piromauncers þat wirkun bi þe fire. And spices are content vnder þeis maney, as doctors declarun wel; Austeyn, Gregor, Basil, and Isidor, Crisostom, Lincoln, and oþer. And holy writ in many places dampniþ þeis þingis. And þus sortilegers þat settun þer curst finaly in þe cauil, and wenun þat þis lediþ or bowiþ ani þing finali to profit ende. And þus Austeyn [Austeyn.] seiþ, þat þer are þowsand spices of veyn supersticoun, þat is, þing veynly ordeynid, and veynly vsid, and veynly þat men atristun in, and all silk þingis are forbidun ȝe in þis, þat þu schalt not tak his name in veyn. And syn God haþ forfendid þeis þingis, and holi doctoris boþ and þe kirk, as is oft declarid, it is veyn and supersti|coun, and þe kind of idolatrie to vse such þingis aȝen þus mani biddingis, autoritees, witnes and counseilis, be for þat man may proue bi holy writ, and wittnes of seyntis, for þis is soþ, þat is not contrari to himsilf, ne holy writt contrary to itsilf, ne feiþful doc|toris contrary her to, þat seyn to us how þeis þingis are iuel. And if men sey þat swilk þingis are spedeful, for God haþ ȝeuun vertu in herbe, in word, and in ston, and men seen oft at ee þat swilk þingis help, it is soþ þat God haþ ȝeuen vertu in all þingis, þat he haþ maad and ordeynid how þei schal be vsid, and in to wat ende. And so how ilk man to vse hem as he ordeyniþ, but not aȝen his ordinauns, ne wiþ out. And so þis ȝeuiþ not proue, þat þei profit hangid a bout þe nek; bi for þei men fyndun writun and bidun. And þan men seyn swilk þingis help; þis is no certeyn wiþ outen bettar proue, or grounde; for as doctors declarun wel, sum tyme men wen to see a þing wan þei see it not, os is schewid bi jogulors, dremers, and rafars. And sum tyme man is holpun bi treyst þat he haþ in o þing, or bi dred entrid, and not bi þat þing as phisek techiþ and experiens. And sum tyme men wenun to be helpid, whan he is mikile more hendrid. And wan þe fend haþ men in daunger, sum tyme he deseiuiþ hem tul þey do him sacrifice, and

þan he cessiþ to harme hem, or fendiþ hem ouer wyl. And þus þei are seid to help. But wan þis is lokid feiþfuly, þey are wel more hendrid þan helpid, wyl þei are brout in to mis trowþ, and hopiþ to haue helpe wiþ out God. As þe decre declariþ wel: And [Decre.] if þei sey it be semiþ bi holy writ þat enchauntmentis are good, for þe Salm seiþ þus, Synnars are alienid fro þe wombe, þei haue errid [Salm. luii^o.] fro þe wombe, þei spek fals þingis; wodnes to hem vp on þe simi|litude of þe serpent, os of def heddir stuppend her ȝeris, þat he here not þe voyce of þe enchaunter, and of þe venyn maker, en|chaunting wisly. To þis we sey þat God bi his ensaumpel re|prouiþ synnars þat stoppun her ȝeris, and wil not here his word, ne cast out þe wold venyn, and be helid, and reseyue vertu to ȝele oþer. It folowiþ not of þis, wiþ out more ground, þat he approuiþ her charm forbydun. For in holy writ he enformiþ men and prestis bi similitudis, and ȝet he forbediþ men to vse hem; as he seiþ, þe oxe knowiþ his weldar, and þe as þe crib of his lord; leding vs bi [Isa. i^o.] hem to know our God, and reprouing vs if we know him not. And neuerþeles be biddiþ vs, Wel ȝe not be maad as hors or mule; in [Salm. xxxi^o.] wam is not vnderstonding. And þe apostil seiþ, Wil ȝe not be [1 Cor. xiu^o.] maad barnes in wit, but in malice be ȝe litil. Þerfor seek ȝe a pleynar ground, þat wil stable þeis charmis, þat men usen amis. But God for his endles mercy kepe fro þe malice of þer charmis, and charmers, and coniurars, wichis, sortilegeris, and oþer þat are put in þe general sentens and cursing of þe kirk, fro all þat wirkun bi fendis curst, or veynli wiþ out God, and to wickid ende, and namly fro hem þat enforcen to charme in to iuel dedis, or not to obey to Cristis gospel, ne to þe teching of þe apostlis, and prophetis, and feiþful doctors. Ne þat we schuld know it, ne lif þer after, seying þat we may not understond it, ne þe holy doctoris þat han expound it, wilk þe kirk haþ canoniȝid, but wil led us after oþer dremis, and her ymaginacouns, blouing veynly wiþ fleschli wit, tul þei hold not Crist þe hed, ne go after him, ne sett in him þer

ground; but can sey þat wordis of holy writt, and þat are canoniȝed of al holy kirk, soundun not wel, and wel lede vs bi a kirk þat þey seyn erriþ oft, and disseyuiþ and is deseyuid, begiliþ and is bigilid. God Almiȝty kepe vs fro þe malice of þer charmis, and fro þer supersticiositeis, vanites, errors, and desseytis; þat we noþer be disseyuid bi hem, ne disseue oþer men, ne bow not fro Crist tul a noþer, ne hold gospel oþer þan is; for þer is non oþer. And comfort he vs in þe power of his vertu, and in himsilf; and cloþ he vs in his armor, þat we may aȝenstond þe sautis of þe fend; for [Eph. ui^o.] to vs is no wrestling aȝen þe flesch and þe blud; but aȝen princis and powers, aȝen reulers of þis world, of þeis merknes, aȝen gostlynes of wrechidnes, in heuenly þingis; þerfor tak we þe armor of God, þat we ma aȝenstond in iuel day, and stand perfit in all þingis; gird þe lendis in trowþ, cloþid þe habarioun of rit|fulnes, þe feet schod in þe making redy of Cristis gospel of pes, taking þe scheld of þe feiþ, in þe wilk we may sleckun all þe firun dartis of the enemy. And þe helm of hel, and þe swerd of þe Spirit, þat is þe word of God; in ilk tyme preying, and biseking in spirit, and wakyng þer in ilk tyme, þat we may wet how it is to lif, and to answere to ilk, and to ȝeue resoun of þat feiþ and hop þat is in vs. Þus be comfortid in þe Lord. For now is no wrest|ling to vs aȝen flesch and blud, noiþer to do fleschly batayl, noiþer to sle mennis bodies, nor ȝet to stryfe for fleschly þingis, þat are but after þe flesch. Our wrestling is not only, ne principaly, aȝen þeis þingis, but aȝen princis and powers, rewlars of þis world of þeis merknes, þei are not only fendis and swilk wickid speritis, but þei are also wickid men þat ledun þis world in blindnes, and error, and foli, and malice, and lettun hem to know Crist, and behetun hem grace, wan þey mak hem sikir, ne wit not for þei schal haue it. Wyl þei hemsilf lyuen in þer corrupcoun, wot not how þei may mak hemsilf sikir; þey are rewlars of þe world of þeis derknes, for þei hiȝt men assoyling, wan þei wit not if it be, and þey led

boþ himsilf and þeis þat þey assoyl in blindnes, and desseyue boþ. And þus wan þei condemp vniustly a iust man on many sidis, þei led men in blindnes, and þus wan þei erre are desseyuid and dis|seiuen, all þis is in mirknes. And ȝet þey deny to men þe undir|stonding of þe gospel, and seyn men may not undirstond it, and þei graunt þat þei undirstond it not, and þei wel bi deneris. And þus þey may not deme but þat þei lede þis world in mirknes. But it is scham to hem to sey þus, þat ere kirk erriþ, sin he and his kirk is o persone, and also if þe kirk err, men may be in dout of her dedis, wan scho erriþ, and wan not; and were it vnsikir to trow to her canoniȝing, approuing, or afferming, or autoriȝing bifor þat þei proue hem bi sikirar ground; þerfor as God ordeynid men to strif aȝen þeis princis, þat all be drifun in to þe seruice of Crist, and groundid and formid bi him. And oþer goostly þingis of schrewdnes in heuenly þingis, þat are þei þat feynun in ypocrisy and color þingis þat þei tak and understond misser, as boþ holy mennis lif, and oþer vertuous werkis, þat men mis vndirstonden now, and turnen al in to pride and coueteys, and vndir lustis. And þus turnen sacramentis þat are gostly þingis, for gostly þing don, vse þei more in fleschlynes þan in to gostlynes, as in to couey|teis of þe flesch and þe world. Aȝen þeis þingis bihoue men to wrestil in þo maner, as Crist himsilf ded and his apostlis. And þerfor it behouiþ to tak þe armor of Crist, and gird our lindis in his trowþ, þat our affeccoun and al our lif and wark be led bi him, for he is þe first trowþ. And þan we be cloþid þe habarioun of riȝtwisnes, to held to ilk man, þat we howe bi his lawe to frend and fo, to suffreyn and suget, and þat we deme non man, but as God biddiþ; for who is he þat seiþ þis þing schal be don, and þe Lord comaund not, but Balaam seid he miȝt not spek, but þat þe Lord [Num. xxiii^o.] put in his mouþ, and þerfor wan he wold haue cursid hem in anger, he blessid hem; and mak ȝor feet to be shod in arayng of þe gospel of pees, þat al our wark and our wille be to mak pees; and [Eph. vi^o.]

take we þe helme of ȝele, þat is good hope, and þe swerd of þe Spirit, þat is Goddis worde, boþ to strik wiþ, and to vndirnem misdoars, and to defend hem of. But if þei sei may we not vndir|stond, appily þei wot not, for God may ȝeue vndirstonding to wam he will. And if þei suppose hem to han, and of God, so may God delen it til an oþer, and þerfor may þe first wit if þei sey þei haue not, þan are þe foolis to deme men. And þan dar I wel sey, þei vndirstond not þeis men, þat þei wet weþer þei sey wel or iuel. If þei sei we can not, or we vndirstond amis, pray we hem, for Ihu sak, to enform us, bi þe trowþ of holy writt, and trowþ brout out bi resoun, þat may not fayle, and bi sensible trowþ, and be we euer more redy to be mendid bi þe trouþ of Crist, for we are not so sikir þat we be wiþ out faut, error, and vnkunning. Þerfor þat we may cum out, and cum to þe knowing of trowþ, and lif þer after, euer pray we to Ihu Crist.