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

XI. THE PATERNOSTER.

THIS tract should be compared with that printed by Mr. Arnold (S. E. W. III. 98), to which it has many points of likeness.

It is not improbable that Wyclif should have written more than one tract in explanation and praise of the Lord's Prayer, since he was never tired of opposing its excellence to the vanity of the church prayers of his day. There is nothing here which enables us to fix either date or author|ship with certainty, but I take the tract to be genuine from its close connexion with that which follows, as to which I have scarcely any doubt.

The tract is found only in X. from which it has been copied.

SUMMARY.

The prayer is taken by petitions, each of which is explained, and to each is assigned some special virtue. Finally comes a praise of the prayer and of Christ's goodness in giving it to us.

Þis his þe pater noster.

[page 172] Oure fadir þat art in heuenes, halwid be þi name. þi reume or kyngdom come to þe. be þi wille don in herþe as it is doun in heuene. Ȝeue to vs to-day oure eche dayes bred. & forȝeue to vs oure dettis, þat is oure synnys, as we forȝeuen to oure dettouris, þat is to men þat han synned in vs. & lede vs not in-to temptacion, but delyuere vs from euyl. amen, so be it. Whanne we seyn, oure fadir þat art in heuenes, we ben tauȝt to loue eche oþere as breþren of o fadir & o modir bodily, & moche more, siþ god is oure fadir þat made vs of nouȝt; & we ben tauȝt to lyuen in mekenesse eche to oþer, & to desire heuenly þingis, as vertues & holy lif, & don alle oure dedis preuyly & apert for þe honour of god & þe blisse of heuene; & so oure lif owiþ to be in heuenys be holy desir & lastynge. & þus at þe bigynnynge we moten be meke & in charite to alle men, boþe cristene & heþene, & frendis & enemyes, & ellis we ben not worþi to preie þis pater noster. whanne we seyn, halwid be þi name, we preien þat we ben maad holy & stable in vertues bi þe holy name of god & his grace & his vertue; þat we ben holy bi grace as oure fadir god is holy of hym self. in þis word we axen deuoutly sadnesse of feiþ, wiþ-oute whiche feiþ we may not plese god; & we preien þat alle manere of pride, boþe in þouȝt & spekynge & dede & alle manere berynge & counte|naunce, be putt awey fro vs, for suche pride makiþ men luciferis children; & þat alle manere verrey mekenessis be grounded in vs aȝenst þis pride, for verrey mekenesse makiþ vs goddis children. ¶ whanne we seyn þi kyngdom or reume come to þe, we preien þat alle men & wommen lyuynge in þis world þat schullen be sauyd, & alle þat ben departed come [page 173] to þe Blisse of Heuene as soone as god wole, to see þere oure blissed spouse ihū crist, & haue endeles ioie wiþ him & his angelis & seyntis. for alle angelis & men & wommen þat schullen be sauyd ben goddis kyngdom & holy chirche; &

oure lord ihū is kyng of þis reume & heed of þis holy chirche; & alle þo þat schullen be dampnyd in helle ben deuelis chirche or synagoge, & þe deuel is here false prince & kyng, but raþere her tiraunt. & here we axen trewe hope & lastynge to haue þe blisse of heuene, be mercy of oure god & bi oure goode lif & endynge in perfit charite. in þis word we preien þat alle cursed enuye & hate be putt awey from vs, & þat alle brennynge charite to god & oure euene cristene be so sadly rotyd in vs þat it faile neuere in þis lif for no þing þat may be. ¶ Whanne we seyn, þei wille be don in erþe riȝt as it is in heuene, we preien þat we don þe wille of god wiþ-outen any errour & wiþ-outen any cessynge, as blissed aungelis don euere in heuene, & þat we don þis wille of god wiþ riȝt fulle vnderstondynge, & wiþ grete desir & ioie & likynge, & not wiþ heuynesse & grucchynge. ¶ In þis word we axen þat in alle þingis oure wille be confermed to goddis wille, þat no þing may departe oure wille & oure loue fro god, þat is endeles good & riȝtful. ¶ And here we preien algatis to geten þe heȝe vertue of charite, with-outen whiche alle oþere þingis ben not worþi to vs to brynge vs to heuene. & here we preien þat god kepe vs fro wickid coueitise of worldly goodis, þat we offenden not goddis comaundementis ne good conscience, neiþer for wynnynge ne holdynge forþ of worldly goodis; for he þat bi brekynge of goddis hestis, as bi false sweryngis, false mesures or weiȝtis, or ony sleiȝtte, getiþ or holdiþ his neiȝeboris goodis, doþ not goddis wille, but is þef & traitour of god & his neiȝeboris bi goddis lawe. ¶ Whanne we seyn, ȝeue vs to-day oure eche dayes breed, we preien for nedeful sustenaunce of oure body, & for to haue vnderstondynge & kepynge of goddis word, & namely of his hestis þat ben gostly sustenaunce of oure soule, & þat we han þis sustenaunce trewely geten, not by raueyne ne extorsion ne falsnesse, but þat it be spendid in seruyce of god & his drede; & þat we þanken mekely oure god for alle his grace & ȝiftis þat he ȝeueþ vs of his grete goodnesse. ¶ In þis word we preien to haue þe vertue of prudence to knowe whiche

sustenaunce is nedeful & resonable to vs, & what we owen to do þerfore to god, & in what mesure we schullen take it, to putte awey alle manere glotonye & dronkenesse & coriouste & wast of metis & drynkis; for þis glotonye & dronkenesse makiþ men to loue more here bely & here golet þan god almyȝtty; [page 174] for þei maken here wombe here false god, as seynt poul seiþ. Whanne we seyn, & for-ȝeue vs oure dettis, þat [Phil. iii.19] is oure synnes, as we forȝeuen to houre dettouris, þat is to men þat han trespassed aȝenst vs, we [MS. he.] preien þat god haue mercy on vs as we han mercy on hem þat han wraþþid vs. certis ȝif we han no mercy on hem þat trespassen aȝenst vs, we preien god aȝenst oure owene heed þat he dampne vs for oure synnys. but here men moten forȝeue þe rancour, hate & euyl wille of here herte to here neiȝeboris, but þei may lawefully pursue worldly dette, so þat þei do þis bi iuste menes, & kepe pacience & charite; & ȝif men ben pore & iust of lif & wolden fayn paie, & traueile bisily þerfore in treuþe, & ben not wastouris of here litil good, þanne þis preiere wole þat siche [MS. whiche.] pore ben not prisonyd ne peyned, but bi pacience & mercy suffer til þei may paie. In þis word [MS. world.] we preien to haue þe vertue of riȝtwisnesse to putten out vnresonable wraþþe & vengaunce, & holden vs sadde in verrey mercy & pacience aȝenst malencolie & puttynge awey of reson, so þat reson & mercy reule welle alle oure stiryngis of herte & speche & doynge. Whanne we seyn, & ne lede vs not in-to temptacion, we preien þat god suffre vs not bi wiþdrawynge of his grace & helpe be ouercomen in tempta|tions of þe deuyl, of þe world, & of þe fleschly lustis or foule delectacions. for it is profitable to be temptid & wiþ-stonde þe temptacions bi helpe of god & his angelis, for þere is oure mede & ioie restorid; but it is euyl to ben ouercomen in þis temptacion, & þat schal not be but be oure owene necligence & slouȝte & fals likynge in synne. þerfore in þis word we preien to haue þe vertue of gostly strengþe, to be strong bi

helpe of þe holy gost aȝenst alle temptacions, & þat we ben not hardid in synne, but þat we waken in holy preieris & good occupacion, & haue saad mynde of þe schortnesse of lykynge in synne, & on þe bittre peynes of purgatorie & helle; & ȝif we wolen, bi þis mynde & occupacion siþ goddis grace & helpe is redy, we schullen ouercomen alle oure temptacions & gete oure corone in heuene wiþ-outen ende. ¶ Whanne we seyn, but delyuere vs fro euyl, we preien þat god delyuere vs from alle euyl of synne & peyne boþe of body & soule in þis lif & in purgatorie [Scored through in MS.] & namely fro peyne of helle, & þat we falle not in-to dispeir of goddis mercy for olde rotynge & custome in synne. In þis word we preien to haue þe vertue of temperaunce, to take so worldly goodis & myrþe þat we forȝeten not god in heuenly blisse, & þat we tempere so þe stiryngis of oure fleisch þat we delen not fleischly wiþ ony woman but ȝif it be in verrey & laweful [page 175] matrimonye; & in drede of god, & not as bestis wiþ-outen reson, þat ben alle seit abouten here lustis & forȝeten god & alle his werkis. for þe archangel raphael tauȝte tobie þat þe deuyl haþ power [Tobit. vi. 17.] ouer siche men þat þus defoulen þe ordre of matrimonye & don al for here lustis & forȝeten god & his drede & don as bestis wiþ-oute discrecion. ¶ God delyuere vs from alle euyl of synne preuy & apert, & namely fro endurynge in synne & dispeir of goddis mercy, & fro bodely werris & vengaunce & peynes, boþe in þis lif & purgatorie & helle; & graunt vs bi riȝt feiþ trewe & perfit charite to gete heuenely blisse. so be it ihū for þi grete mercy. ¶ Certis þis pater noster passiþ alle oþere preieris in auctorite, in sotilte & profit boþe of soule & body. It is of most auctorite; for oure lord ihū crist, god & man, made it & comaundid cristene men to seie it; but oþere preieris ben made bi men, & enclosen noon oþer sentence þan doþ þis pater noster, but ȝif it be errour. þerfore as ihū crist is more worþi þan oþere synful men, so þis pater noster is of more auctorite þan is preiere maad of oþere men, þouȝ here preiere be good. þis pater noster is more sotil þan

oþere preieris; for it is maad of endeles wisdom & charite of crist, & encloseþ alle þinkyngis þat ben nedful boþe for body & soule in þis world & þe toþer; & oure lord ihū made it in schorte wordis & moche witt, for men schulden not be heuy ne excusen hem fro kunnynge & seiynge þer-of. it is of most profit, for ȝif a man seie it wel he ne schal faile no þing þat is nedful & profitable for bodily lif & vertuous, to brynge men to heuene & haue blisse in body & soule wiþ-outen ende. lord, hou moche ben þei to blame þat bisien hem aboute preieris maade of synful men & leuen þis pater noster þat is best & most hesy of alle, & comprehendiþ alle goodis for body & soule. blissed be þis endeles goode lord, þat of his endeles wisdom & charite tauȝte þis schorte preiere. Amen.