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

X. OF FEIGNED CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE.

I THINK this is an early work of Wyclif's. It is certainly higher in tone and better in style than many in this volume. Especially to be noticed is the passage on p. 193, where the author, after inveighing against the heavy burden of ritual ordinances laid upon priests, returns upon himself with the warning that men must not abuse the freedom to which he exhorts them by making it an excuse for sloth, for that is the devil's snare. So, too, the complaint (p.194) that priests lead a lower life than their conscience dictates, for fear of hurting the sick conscience of their brethren, is a touch finer than is common in these polemical papers. How often may Wyclif's impetuous exhortations to revolt have been parried by such considerations as these?

The scribe who wrote the Corpus MS. (X.) made a curious blunder with this tract, as has been pointed out by Mr. Arnold, S. E. W. III. 507. Owing most likely to the displacement of some leaves in the MS. from which he copied, he transferred the last part of this tract to the end of "A Petition to the King and Parliament," while bringing the last part of the Petition to the end of this. As is often the case with him, he passed over the junction in happy unconsciousness that he was writing nonsense.

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

SUMMARY.

Contemplation (so called) is made an excuse for not preaching	p. 188
Contemplation to come in heaven after good life here	189
The devil prevents men from preaching by diverting their attention to singing in a tricky and artificial way	191
In a large choir a few sing and the rest stand dumb	192
The Ordinal of Salisbury interferes with preaching, for it burdens men with so many rites that they have no time for good works	192
Men who know better waste their time on services for fear of giving offence	194
Worldly business hinders preaching	194
Christ and his Apostles preached and did not administer alms	195

Of feyned contemplatif lif, of song, of þe ordynal of salisbury, & of bodely almes & worldly bysynesse of prestis; hou bi þes foure þe fend lettiþ hem fro prechynge of þe gospel.

[page 165] First whanne trewe men techen bi goddis lawe wit & reson þat eche prest owiþ to do his myȝt, his [and AA.] wit & his wille to preche cristis gospel, þe fend [fendis X.] blyndiþ ypocritis to excuse hem by feyned contemplatif lif, & to seie þat siþ it is þe beste & þei may not do boþe to-gidre, þei ben nedid for charite of god to leue þe prechynge of þe gospel & lyuen in contempla|cion. See nowe þe ypocrisie of þis false seiynge; crist tauȝt & dide þe beste lif for prestis, as oure feiþ techiþ, siþ he was god & myȝte not erre; but crist preched þe gospel & charged alle his apostlis & disciplis to goo & preche þe gospel to alle men: þan [Luc ix. & x.] [Mark xvi. [15.]] it is þe beste lif for prestis in þis world to preche ³& teche³ [3_3 omitted X.] þe gospel. ¶ Also god in þe olde lawe techiþ þat þe office of a [Isaiah lviii. [1.]] prophete is to schewe to þe peple here foule synnys; but eche [Ezekiel iii. 17 and xxxiii. 7.] prest is a prophete bi his ordre, as gregory seyþ vpon þe gospellis, þanne it is þe office of eche prest to preche & telle þe synnys of þe peple, & in þis manere schal eche prest be an aungel of god as holy writt seiþ. ¶ Also Crist & ion baptist [Mal. ii. [7].] leften desert & precheden þe gospel to here deþ þerfore, & þis was most charite, for ellis þei weren out of charite or peierid [Mat.iii.&iv.&v.] in charite, þat myȝte not be in hem boþe, siþ þe ton was god, & no man after crist was holyere þan baptist & he synned not for þis prechynge. ¶ Also þe holy prophete Jeromye halwid in [Jer. i. [5.]] his moder wombe myȝtte not be excused fro prechynge bi his contemplacion, but chargid of god to preche þe synnes of þe peple & suffre hard [omitted X.] peyne þerfore, & so weren alle þe pro|phetis of god. ¶ A lord, siþ crist and ion baptist & alle þe prophetis of god weren nedid bi charite to come out of desert

to preche to þe peple & leue here solitarie [solarie X.] preiere, hou dore we fonnyd heretikys seie þat it is betre to be stille & preie oure owen fonnyd ordynaunce þan to preche cristis gospel? Lord, what cursed spirit of lesyngis stiriþ prestis to close hem in stonys or wallis for al here lif, siþ crist comaundiþ to alle his apostlis & prestis to goo in-to alle þe world & preche þe gospel. certis þei ben opyn foolis & don pleynly aȝenst cristis gospel &, ȝif þei meyntenen þis errour, þei ben cursed of god [omitted X.] & ben perilous ypocritis & heretikis also; & siþ men ben holden heretikis þat done aȝenst þe popis lawe,³ & þe beste part of þe popis lawe³ [3_3 omitted X.] seiþ pleynly þat eche þat comeþ to presthod takiþ þe office of a bedele or criere to goo bifore domesday [page 166] to crie to þe peple here synnes & vengaunce of god, whi ben not þo prestis heretikis þat leuen to preche cristis gospel, & compelle oþere treue men to leue prechynge of þe gospel, siþ þis lawe is seynt gregoryes lawe, groundid opynly in goddis lawe & reson & charite, & oþere lawes of þe peple ben contrarie to holy writt & reson & charite for to meyntene pride & coueitise of anticristis worldly clerkis. but ypocritis allegen þe gospel, þat magdaleyne chees to hereself þe beste part whanne she saat bisiden cristis feet & herde his word; soþ [seiþ AA.] it is þat þis meke sittynge & deuout herynge of cristis wordis was best to magdeleyne, for sche hadde not office of prechynge as prestis han, siþ sche was a womman þat hadde not auctorite of goddis lawe to teche & preche opynly. but what is þis dede to prestis þat han expresse þe comaundement of god & men to preche þe gospel? where þei wolen alle be wommen in ydelnesse, & suen not ihū crist in lif & prechynge þe gospel þat he comaundiþ hym self boþe in þo olde lawe and newe. ¶ Also þis peisible [posible X.] herynge of cristis word & brennynge loue þat magdeleyne hadde was þe beste part, for it schal be ende in heuene of good lif in þis world; but in þis world [lif X.] þe beste lif for prestis is holy lif in kepynge goddis hestis & trewe prechynge of þe gospel, as crist dide &

chargid alle his prestis to do ¹þe same¹ [1_1 omitted X.] ; & þes ypocritis wenen þat here dremys & fantasies of hem-self ben contem|placion, & þat prechynge of þe gospel be actif lif, & so þei menen þat crist tok þe worse lif for þis world, & nedid alle prestis to leue þe betre & take the worse lif; & þus þes fonnyd ypocritis putten errour in ihū crist. But who ben more heretikis? ¶ Also þes blynde ypocritis alleggen þat crist biddiþ [Luke xxi. 36.] vs preie euermore, & poul biddiþ þat we preie wiþ-oute [1 Thess. v. 17.] lettynge, & þan we prestis may not preche as þei feynen falsly. but here þes ypocritis schullen wite þat crist & poul vnderstonden of preiere of holy lif, þat eche man doþ as longe as he dwelliþ in charite; & not of babelynge of lippis þat no man may euere do wiþ-outen cessynge, for ellis no man in þis world myȝte fulfille þe comaundement of crist; & þis techiþ austyn & oþere seyntis. & siþ men þat fulfillen not goddis lawe & ben out of charite ben not acceptid in here preiynge of lippis, for here preiere in lippis is abhomynable, as holy writt seiþ bi salomon, þes prestis þat prechen not þe [Prov. xxviii. 9.] gospel as crist biddiþ ben not able to preie god [omitted X.] for mercy, but disceyuen hemself & þe peple & dispisen god & stiren hym to wraþþe & vengaunce, as austyn & gregory & oþere seyntis techen; & principaly þes ypocritis þat han rentes & worldly lordischipes & parische chirchis approprid to hem, aȝenst holy writt boþe [page 167] old & newe by symonye & lesyngis on [& X.] crist & his apostelis for stynkynge gronyngys & a-bite of holynesse & for [fro X.] distroiynge of goddis ordynaunce & for singuler profession maade to foolis & in cas to fendis of helle. þes foolis schullen lerne what is actif lif & contemplatif bi goddis lawe, & þanne þei myȝtten wite þat þei han neiþer þe ton ne þe toiþer, siþ þei chargen more veyn statutis of [& X.] synful men, & in cas of [omitted X.] deuelys, þan þei chargen þe heste of god & werkis of mercy & poyntis of charite. & þe fende blyndiþ hem so moche þat þei seyn in-dede þat þei moten

neuere preie to plesynge [preisynge X.] of god, siþ þei vnablen hem self to do þe office of prestis bi goddis lawe & purposen to ende in here feyned deuocion þat is blasphemye to god.

¶ Also bi song þe fend lettiþ men to studie & preche þe gospel; for siþ mannys wittis ben of certeyn mesure & myȝt, þe more þat þei ben occupied aboute siche mannus song þe lesse moten þei be sette aboute goddis lawe; for þis stiriþ men to pride & iolite & lecherie & oþere synnys, & so vnableþ hem many gatis to vnderstonde & kepe holy writt þat techeþ mekenesse, mornynge for oure synnys & oþere mennus, & stable lif & charite. & ȝit god in all þe lawe of grace chargiþ not siche song but deuocion in herte, trewe techynge & holy spekynge in tonge, & goode werkis & holy lastynge in charite & mekenesse; but mannus foly & pride stieþ vp euere more & more in þis veyn nouelrie. First men ordeyned songe of mornynge whanne þei weren in prison, for techynge of þe gospel, as ambrose & [as AA.] men seyn, to putte awey ydelnesse & to be not vnoccupied in goode manere for þe tyme; & þat songe & oure [oþere X.] acordiþ not, for oure stiriþ to iolite & pride, & here stiriþ to mornynge & to dwelle lenger in wordis of goddis lawe. Þan were matynys & masse & euen song, placebo & dirige & comendacion & matynes of oure lady ordeyned of synful men, to be songen wiþ heiȝe criynge to lette men fro þe sentence & vnderstondynge of þat þat was þus songen, & to maken men wery & vndisposid to studie goddis lawe for akyng of hedis: & of [omitted AA.] schort tyme þanne weren [omitted X.] more veyn iapis founden; deschaunt, countre note & orgon & smale brekynge, þat stiriþ veyn men to daunsynge more þan to [omitted X.] mornynge, & here-fore ben many proude & lecherous lorelis founden & dowid wiþ temperal & worldly lordischipis & gret cost. but þes foolis schulden drede þe scharpe wordis of austyn, þat seiþ: as oft as þe song likiþ me more þan doþ þe sentence þat is songen, so oft I confesse þat I synne greuously. ¶ And ȝif þes knackeris excusen hem bi song in þe olde lawe; seie þat crist, þat best kepte þe olde lawe as it schulde [page 168] be aftirward, tauȝt not ne chargid vs wiþ

sich bodely song ne ony of his apostlis, but wiþ deuocion in herte & holy lif & trewe prechynge, & þat is ynowþȝ & þe beste. but who schulde þanne charge vs wiþ more ouere þe fredom and liȝtnesse of cristis lawe? & ȝif þei seyn þat angelis heryen god bi song in heuene; seie þat we kunnen not þat song, but þei ben in ful victorie of here enemys & we ben in perilous bataile, [baitale X.] & in þe valeye of wepynge & mornynge; & oure song lettiþ vs fro betre occupacion & stiriþ vs to many grete synnes & to forȝete vs self. but oure fleschly peple haþ more lykynge in here bodely eris in sich knackynge & taterynge þan in herynge of goddis lawe, & spekynge of þe blisse of heuene, for þei wolen hire proude prestis & oþere lecherous lorelis þus to knacke notis for many markis & poundis; but þei wolen not ȝeue here almes to prestis & children to lerne & to [omitted X.] teche goddis lawe; & þus bi þis nouelrie of song is goddis lawe vnstudied & not kepte, & pride & oþere grete synnys meyntenyd. & þes fonnyd lordis & peple gessen to haue more þank of god & to [omitted X.] worschipe hym more in haldynge vp of here owen nouelries wiþ grete cost þan in lernynge & techynge & meyntenynge of his lawe & his seruauntis & his ordynaunce. but where is more disceit in feiþ, hope & charite? for whanne þer ben fourty or fyfty in a queer þre or foure proude & lecherous lorellis schullen knacke þe most deuout seruyce þat noman schal here þe sentence, & alle oþere schullen be doumbe & loken on hem as foolis. & þanne strumpatis & þeuys preisen sire iacke or hobbe & williem þe proude clerk, hou smale þei knacken here notis; & seyn þat þei seruen wel god & holy chirche, whanne þei dispisen god in his face, & letten oþere cristene men of here deuocion & compunccion, & stiren hem to worldly vanyte; & þus trewe seruyce of god is lettid & þis veyn knackynge for oure iolite & pride is preised abouen þe mone. ¶ Also þe ordynalle of salisbury lettiþ moche prechynge of þe gospel; for folis chargen þat more þan þe maundementis of god & to studie & teche cristis gospel; for ȝif a man faile in

his ordynale men holden þat grete synne & reprouen hym þer|of faste, but ȝif a preste breke þe hestis of god men chargen þat litel or nouȝt; & so ȝif prestis seyn here matynes, masse & euensong aftir salisbury vsse, þei hem self & oþere men demen it is ynowȝ, þouȝ þei neiþer preche ne teche þe hestis of god & þe gospel. & þus þei wenen þat it is ynowȝ to fulfille synful mennus ordynaunce & to leue þe riȝtfulleste ordynaunce of god þat he chargid prestis to performe. but, lord, what was prestis office ordeyned bi god bifore þat salisbury vss was maad of proude prestis, coueitous, lecherous [page 169] & dronkelewe? where god þat dampneþ alle ydelnesse chargid [chargen X.] hem not at þe full wiþ þe beste occupacion for hem self & oþere men? hou doren synful folis chargen cristis prestis wiþ so moche nouelrie, & euermore cloute more to, þat þei may not frely do goddis ordynaunce? for þe iewis in þe olde lawe haden not so manye seremonyes of sacrifices ordeyned bi god as prestis han now riȝttis & reulis maade of synful men. And ȝit þe olde lawe in þes charious customes mosten nedes cesse for fredom of cristis gospel; but þis fredom is more don awei bi þis nouelrie þan bi customes of þe olde lawe; & þus many grete axen where a prest may wiþ-outen dedly synne seie his masse wiþ-outen matynys; & þei demen it dedly synne, a prest to fulfille þe ordynaunce of god in his fredom wiþ-oute nouelrie of synful men, þat lettiþ prestis fro þe betre occupacion, as ȝif þei demen it dedly synne to leue þe worse þing [teching AA.] & take þe betre whanne þei may not do boþe to-gidre. & þus, lord, þin owen ordynaunce þat þou madist for þi prestis is holden errour & distroied for þe fonnyd nouelrie of synful foolis, & in cas of fendis in helle. ¶ But here men moste be war þat vnder colour of þis fredom þei ben betre occupied in þe lawe of god to studie & teche it, & not slouȝ ne ydel in ouermoche sleep & vanyte & oþer synnes, for þat is þe fendis panter. ¶ See now þe blyndnesse of þes foolis; þei seyn þat a prest may be excused fro seiynge of masse þat god comaundid him self

to þe substance þer-of, so þat he here on. But he schal not be excused but ȝif he seie matynes & euensong him self þat synful men han ordeyned, & þus þei chargen more here owene fyndynge þan cristis comaundement. A lord, ȝif alle þe studie & traueile þat men han now abowte salisbury vss wiþ multitude of [& X.] newe costy portos, antifeners, graielis, & alle oþere bokis weren turned in-to makynge of biblis & in studiynge & techynge þer-of, hou moche schulde goddis lawe be forþered & knowen & kept, & now in so moche it is hyndrid, vnstudied & vnkept. lord, hou schulden riche men ben excused þat costen so moche in grete schapellis & costy bokis of mannus ordynaunce for fame & nobleie of þe world, & wolen not spende so moche aboute bokis of goddis lawe & for to studie hem & teche hem, siþ þis were wiþ-oute com|parison betre on alle siddis & lyȝttere & sykerere. but ȝit men þat knowen þe fredom of goddis ordynaunce for prestis to be þe beste wiþ grete sorow of herte seyn here matynes, masse & euensong, whanne þei schulden ellis be betre occupied, last þei sclaundren þe sike conscience of here breþeren þat ȝit knowen not goddis lawe. god brynge þes prestis to þe fredom to studie holy writt, & lyue þer-after, & teche it oþer men frely, & to preie as long and as moche as god meueþ [page 170] hem þer-to, & ellis turne to oþere medeful werkis, as crist & his apostlis diden; & þat þei ben not constreyned to blabre alle day wiþ tonge & grete criynge, as pies & iaies, þing þat þei knowen not & to peiere here owen soule for defaute of wis deuocion & charite.

Also bysynesse of worldly occupacion of prestis lettiþ prechynge of þe gospel, for þei ben so besy þer [omitted X.] aboute & namely in herte, þat þei þenken litel on goddis lawe & han no sauour þer-to. ¶ And seyn þat þei don þus for hospitalite & to releue pore men wiþ dedis of charite; but, hou euere men speken, it his for here owen coueitise, & lustful lif in mete & drynk & precious cloþis, & for name of þe world in fedynge of riche men, & litel or nouȝt comeþ frely

to pore men þat han most nede. But þes prestis schulden sue crist in manere of lif & trewe techynge; but crist lefte sich occupacion, and his apostlis also, & weren betre occupied in [Acts vi. [2].] holy preiere & trewe techynge of þe gospel; & þis determi|nacion & ful sentence was ȝouen of alle þe apostlis to-gidre whanne þei hadden resceyued þe plenteuous ȝiftis of þe holy gost. Lord! where þes worldly prestis ben wisere þan ben alle þe apostlis of crist? it semeth þat þei ben or ellis ¹þei ben¹ [1_1 omitted X.] fooles. also crist wolde not take þe kyngdom whan þe puple wolde haue maad him kyng, as iones gospel telleþ; but if it [John vi. [15].] haade be a prestis [apostlis AA.] office to dele aboute þus bodily [bodi X.] almes, Crist þat coude best haue do þis office wolde haue take þes temperal goodis to dele hem among poeuere men; but he wolde not do þus, but fley and took no man of þe aposteles wiþ him, so faste he hiede. lord, where worldly prestis kunnen bettere don þis partinge of worldly goodis þan [of X.] ihū crist? And ȝif þei seyn þat crist fedde þe puple in desert with bodily almes manye þousand, as þe gospel saiþ; þat dide crist by miracle to shewe his godhede and to teche prestes houȝ þei schulden fede gostly cristene men by goddis word; for so dide cristis aposteles and hadde not where-of to do bodily almes, whan þei miȝten haue had tresour and iuelis y-nowe of kynggis & lordis. Also peter saiþ in dedis of [Acts iii. 6.] apostlis to a pore man þat to him neiþer was gold ne siluer, and ȝit he performede wel þe office of a trewe prest; but oure prestis ben so bysye aboute worldly occupacioun þat þei semen bettere bailyues or reues þan gostly prestis of ihū crist. For what man is so bysy aboute marchaundise and oþere worldly doyngis as ben preostes, þat shulden ben lyȝt of heuenly lif to alle men abouten hem? but certes þei shulde be as bysy aboute studyinge of goddys lawe and holy preyer, not of famulorum but of holy desires and clene meditacioun of god, and trewe techinge of þe gospel, as ben laboreris aboute worldly labour for here sustenaunce; and muche more bysie

ȝif þei miȝten, for þey ben more holden for to lyue wel and ȝeue [omitted X.] ensaumple of holi lif to þe puple & trewe techinge of holy writ þanne þe people is holden to ȝyue hem dymes or offringis or ony bodily almes; and þerfore prestis shulde not leue ensaumple of good lif & studyinge of holi writ & trewe techinge þer-of ²for no² [2_2 ne X.] bodily almes, ne for worldly goodis, ne for sauynge of here bodily lif. and as crist sauede þe world by writynge & techinge of foure Euaungelistis, so þe fend casteþ to dampne þe world and prestis for lettynge to preche þe gospel by þes foure; by feyned contemplacioun, by song, by salisbury vse, & by worldly bysynes of prestis. God for his mercy styre þes prestis to preche þe gospel in word, in lif, and bewar of sathanas disceitis. Amen.