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

XXIV. OF FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY.

MR. ARNOLD thought this tract not improbably the work of Wyclif, but did not print it, because he "found it to be a remarkably dull composition and to contain not a single new idea." He may not be alone in this severe judgment; but after several fiercely polemical tracts, it is almost a relief to come upon a specimen of Wyclif's simple evangelical teaching. Even here his foes are not forgotten, and his attack on the friars, and on their teaching as to the Eucharist, marks the tract as a late one. I have very little doubt that it is authentic.

There is a curious reference in Chapter IV. to Antinomian opinions, which we should not have expected to be prevalent among Wyclif's hearers.

Copied from the MS. at New College, Oxford (Q), and collated with the Dublin MS. CC.

SUMMARY.

CHAP. I.	Men must learn about Faith, Hope and Charity	p. 347
	What Faith is, and how needful to man	347
II.	Ways in which Faith may fail	348
III.	What Hope is	349
IV.	The contraries of Hope and Faith	350
V.	Charity the wedding garment, without which no man can come to heaven	351
	Friars go contrary to all three virtues	352
VI.	The sixteen conditions of charity	353
	These are enough to bring a man to heaven	355

[page 124] Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu moritur ita opera sine fide.

iacobi 3^o.

fides sine operibus mortua est. [no text in CC.]

[Capitulum primum.]

For it is seide in holdynge of oure haly-day þat we schulde ocupie þe tyme in prechynge ²and preiynge² [2_2 omitted CC.] and deuoute herynge of þe lawe of god, and ouer þis [omitted CC.] many freris, as bastardis to goddis lawe, tellen iapes or lesyngis & leeuen þe gospel; herfore schulden men lerne of þre good [goddis CC.] vertues, þat þe gospel of poule clepiþ feiþ, hope, & charite. ffeiþ is þe ground of alle oþer vertues; & þer-fore poule clepiþ it schelde of alle [omitted CC.] cristen men. ffor amonge sixe armures noon is more nedeful. but feiþ may be taken on manye maneres. ¶ Sum tyme feiþ is clepid þe truthe þat men [we CC.] trowen, & so þer is a comune feiþ to alle cristen men. ¶ Sum tyme feiþ is clepid vertu þat maken [makiþ CC.] trewe men, & so eche trewe man haþ diuerse feiþ. and sum tyme feiþ is clepid oure trowynge in werkys. and by þes þre membris may [maist CC.] þou knowe goddis lawe þat spekiþ of feiþ on [in CC.] diuerse maneres. seynt poule clepiþ feiþ ground of goostly þingis þat men schulden hope to haue in heuen; and here men ¹⁰seen hem not, but trowen bi word of god, if þei¹⁰ [10_10 omitted CC.] seruen him treuly, to haue hem in heuen. and so specialye by feiþ ben men made trewe [page 124b] to god; and whos[o] fayliþ in feiþ he is fals to god, & tristiþ not to hijs treuthe, as heþen men don not. and herfore seith seynt poule þat cristen mennus feiþ is mene of alle here gode werkis [werlkis Q, vertues CC.] þat þei here don. ffor seyntis by feiþ discoumfiteden rewmes, ȝhe þe rewmes of þe fende; & [[Heb. xi. 33.]] þat is more maistri þan wyn rewmes of men, for enemyes ben moo & more koynte [queynt CC.] in þer dedis bi wylis of here capteyns.

¹& þus seyntis han wrouȝt faire & iust dedis,¹ [1_1 omitted Q.] for noman may laste in harde lif for god but if he haue feiþ, bi whiche he lastiþ so; ne noman may serue blis of god but if he haue feiþ, bi whiche he seruiþ it; and schortly noman synniþ aȝenus god but if [omitted Q.] he fayle in feiþ, þat groundiþ goddis werkis. ¶ as if þou haddist a lettre þat þi kynge sent þee seelid wiþ hijs priuey seele, & worschipid þee myche & hiȝt þee greet eritage to be at [omitted Q.] hijs retenu & serue hym treuly, þou woldest don of þin hoode and kisse hijs seel for hope of rewarde. god is miche more þan any lord of erthe; he sent a lettre to man by moyses hijs messangere, þat is more worþ þan any pope or cardynal. hijs lettre is hijs mawndementis, & grace in moyses soule is hijs priue seel, better þen eny kyngis signe. ¶ hijs seruice is liȝt & hijs eritage is myche, for it is þe blis of heuen lastynge ⁴wiþ-outen ende,⁴ [4_4 for euere CC.] and here-of schulden men not fayle wiþ-outen greet forfeture. take [Q. inserts we.] hed to mennus feiþ how bisily þei traueylen for godes & worschip of þe worlde, & leeue traueyle to god, & þou mayst wel see þat feiþ feiliþ hem.

Capitulum 2^m.

1^o. But in þre maneres may mennus feiþ fayle. Sum faylen in feiþ for defaute of it; as [of KK.] men þat trowen not to god þat he wil reward hem of þe blis of heuen for her trewe seruice. 2^o. ¶ sum men faylen in feiþ, for it is so þynne, & ⁷eke liȝt⁷ [7_7 eeþ CC.] to perische wiþ dart by sauȝt of þin enemye; as men þat ben assaylid by her flesche or by þe world, or in lustis or in peynes ȝyuen it vp to [omitted Q.] sone, for litil trist þat þei han in mede of her lord. and herfore crist often tymes reprouyde hys apostlis for litilnesse of her feiþ, whan þei fayleden to trist on hym. 3^o. ¶ and sum [summen CC.] faylen in

here feiþ þat han her scheld holid, [holde Q.] & by spere of here enemye þei ben often kylde; & ben suche men þat trowen many trowþes, & in sum [page 125] þei faylen as men out of here feiþ; for as he þat byndiþ hym to kepe goddis hestis mut kepe hem alle, as seynt Iames seiþ, so he þat byndiþ him to feiþ of hijs [[James ii. 10.]] god, mut kepe it al hoole stifly & in ordre. ffor if þi schelde were at þi backe, þou myȝtist sone be kilde. for þe fendes of helle trowen alle þat we trowen, but hem failen charite to bynde her schelde in ordre, & herfore ben þei dampned by [for CC.] her defourmed scheeld. ¶ & herfore schulden we trowe alle þe lawe of god, & trowe þat it is trewe by euery part of it; [þer-of CC.] for if þou trowe myche of it, & trowist þat sum is fals, by þis hoole of þi schelde art þou deed to god; ¶ as freris þat trowen many articlis of þe [omitted Q.] treuthe & faylen in þe treuþe of þe sacrid hoost, schal be dampnyd herfore But if þei turne aȝen & trowe in wordes of crist, þat seiþ: "þis is my bodye." but nowe freris trowen noþer þat þis oost is brede ne þe [omitted CC.] bodye of crist, ne neþer of þis may be; but crist seiþ surely: [soþli CC.] "þis breed is my bodye." but hou ar þei not heretikis þat trowen aȝen crist here? ¶ and þus eueryche man haþ a maner of feiþ, syn eche man trowiþ þat god & [in Q.] alle þingis ben, but hijs feiþ is rente in particuler erroures þat trowiþ fals of þe feiþ, by any part of it. and so oure good god byndiþ vs not to euermore trowen & specyaly eche article of þe treuþe, for sum ben so sutil þat first in blis of heuen seyntis schulen knowe hem þat now g[e]neraly trowen hem. for if þou trowist in þi god, þat trowþe wil suffice þee; but noman trowiþ in god but he þat loueþ him & hopeþ by his good lif to haue ⁸þe blis of heuen.⁸ [8_8 blisse of god CC.]

[Capitulum 3^m.]

HOpe is þe secounde vertu þat god himself axiþ, & is ful diuerse fro feiþ þat we han spokun of. ffor feiþ is of þingus þat was & ben & schul be, but hope is al only of þinges þat

ben to come. as we trowen þat god made þe world of nouȝt, & we trowen þat crist is now bodily in heuen, & schal euermore be after þe ¹day of¹ [1_1 omitted CC.] dom. ¶ also feiþ is boþe of gode þing & euyl, boþe of him þat haþ feiþ & of oþer creaturis, but hope is al only of hym þat haþ hope and only of good þinge in þe blis of heuen. as we trowen þat many men schul [page 125b] be dampned in helle, & þat many oþur schul be saued in heuen; but noþur we hopen þis damp|nacion ne þis saluacion, for we hopen al only þat towchiþ oure owne blis. and so trowthe of cristen men puttiþ hem owte of dowte, & makiþ hem so surely trowe [thorowe Q.] here bileue, þat þei schulden stonde for þis treuþe, to deeþ of here bodye. ¶ but so it is not of hope if we looken wel, as neþer we witen ne we trowe now to be sauyd, & ȝhit we hopen it wiþ-outen ony dowte. and so hope is werke of soule bi-neþe oure bileue, & so by-nethe knowynge but a-bouen doutinge. and so hope of erþely þinge is not vertu of hope, but comunely it smacchiþ synne, for it lettiþ hope of heuen. and so it is all diuerse to hope and to trowe; but þis is a sutil mater to clerkis for to knowe, but comune ³sentence here-of³ [3_3 speche CC.] sufficiþ to oþure men.

Capitulum 4^m.

[B]vt siþ [omitted CC.] philosopheres seyn þat contraries han oon lore, feiþ and hope techen vs to knowe contraries of hem. ffeiþ haþ in fidelite contrarie to him, and hope haþ desperacion as his contrarie. and as feiþ is ground of alle oþur vertues, so in-fidelite is ground of alle oþur synnes. ¶ and herfor [[John xvi. 8.]] seiþ crist þat god schal reproue þe worlde first of þis synne, for it groundiþ alle oþere. [Q inserts for.] wan-hope of men is a greet synne, for noman is dampned wiþ-outen þis wanhope. for he þat lastiþ in þis [hys Q.] synne to his lyues ende, and haþe no sorowe

of hijs synne ne hope to haue forȝyu[n]es, he synneþ aȝen þe holy goost; þat neuer schal be forȝifen him, noþer in þis worlde ne in þe toþur, as crist him silf seiþ. and many þer [[Matt. xii. 31.]] ben þat synnen in þis synne longe bifore þei dien. ¶ but þanne it lastiþ euere, as eche man þat god knowiþ to be dampned in helle, beriþ euere-lastinge synne aȝen þe holy gost; for as þe holy gost is þe laste persone of god, after whom comeþ noon oþur, so it is of þis synne. ffor no [page 126] man may synne after þis last [omitted Q.] synne. ¶ and so by two weyes fallen men in despeyre. 1^o. Sum for þei trowen not in þe mercy of god; & þes ben cayms childire & seyn her synne is more þan her dissert is to serue blis or ellis goddis mercy. 2^o. and sum synnen in dispeyre aȝenus riȝtwisnes [riȝtfulnesse CC.] of god; as þes þat seyn in her lif: "late me synne ynowe, for god wole neuere lese þat he haþ [omitted Q.] dere bouȝt." and so alle þat schul ben dampned ben euere more in synnyng aȝen þe holy gost, & euere in despeyringe. ¶ as if a man drof continuely in-to þe erþe a stake, til he were in dispeire þat he myȝt drawe it vp. þe stake is þe synne hardud in mannus hert; þe malle þat he driueþ it wiþ is newe rehersynge of synne; and suche at þe ende of her lif lacken power & grace to trist in helpe of þer god and hope to be sauyd.

[Capitulum 5^m.]

[Þ]E þridde vertu of god is loue or [& Q.] charite, and it haþ two braunchis, as loue of god & loue of man. & beste mene to kepe þis loue were man forto lerne & loue forto kepe two tables of goddis lawes, [hestis CC.] for bi þes & ellis not kepiþ man him in charite. and þis vertu cloþis man at domus-day wiþ bride-cloþis, & þis cloþe may neuere be lost in þis world ne in þe toþure. ffor noman may come to heuene but he haue þis cloþinge, ne no man may haue þis clothe, but if he come to heuen; & so men þat schulen be dampned han but

feyned charite. But lyue wele after goddis lawe & hope to haue þis [CC. inserts last.] loue, for no man schal knowe ne trowe to haue it but if god wole telle him priueyly. ¶ and so freris, þat louen more her habite þat þei han ordeyned hem þan þe cloþe of charite þat god haþ schapen his sones, ben yuel disposid to haue þis [þe Q.] cloþe of charite; Siþ þer loue is turned amys to charge more here habite, to lesyn it or leeuen it, to cloþe þer|wiþ þer bodye, þan to lese þis charite to cloþe þer-wiþ þer soule; for often þei lese charite in presens of man, but if þei losten þis habite þus, as þei falsly feynen, þei were opyn apostates and losten þe luf of god, for as þei feynen falsly god [page 126b] loueþ more þis cloþinge þan cloþinge of þer soule wiþ þis cloþe of charite; and þis is open heresie by many kyn skylles. but here men douten comunly where men schuld loue þes heretikys, but it is no drede þat ne men schulde loue þer kynde & hate þe same kynde in þat þat þei ben so yuel, and so þe persones bi hem-silf schulden be loued in charite, & here synnes by hemsilf schulden men hate for goddis loue. [sake CC.] ffor he is not frend to crist þat loueþ þus hijs enemye; and þus he is frend to þe frere þat hatiþ þus his synne & worchiþ to distrie it & purge him þer-fro. ¶ and þis moueþ manye men to speke of þre heresies þat many freres be smyttid inne, & contrarien þes þre [omitted Q.] vertues. ffor who myȝt more contrarie feiþ þan sey þat crist seiþ fals whan he seiþ þat "þis brede is myn owne bodye," for þis may neþer be [omitted Q.] brede ne þe bodi of crist, but it is accident or nouȝt, as freres feynen falsly. & þus þei chesen hem a place to falsen crist in hijs visage, and ierom wiþ oþur seyntis þat tellen þis wit of crist. ffreres seyn priueyly þat þei spake here eresie, siþen anticrist þer mayster seiþ euen þe contrarie. ¶ þe secounde vertu of þes þre ⁶many freres reuersen,⁶ [6_6 moueþ freres to reuersen Q.] for crist tauȝt in hijs lawe þat men schulde not begge, but holde euen his ordre, & þei schulde come to heuen; þes [þe Q.] freres seyn þe contrarie, & grownden

hem an ordre of þer wilful beggyng, bi men þat han no nede; and herbi schulde men hope to sitt hye in heuen, for, as þei lien falsly, crist beggid [CC. inserts 'not.'] þus. ¶ þe þridde of þes vertues is contraried bi freres, siþen it is no charite to falsly passe crist. for crist seiþ to hijs cosyns þat by hijs manhed he had [[Matt. xx. 23.]] no power to ȝyue hem leue to sit on hijs riȝt [omitted CC.] side, but to þe godhed in hijs fadure is propred þis power; but freres seyn opunly by letteres of here fraternite þat þei ȝyuen þer breþeren leue to haue part of þer blis; and þis myȝt þei not do but if þei ȝouen men leue to sitt on þe riȝt hond of crist as if þei passed him. & þis sownes not charite but luciferes pride.

[Capitulum 6^m.]

[page 127] Bvt siþ cloþinge of þis loue is myche loued of god, & more worþe to man þan al þis worldes richessis, man schuld ful bisily knowe propirtees of þis loue. but poule, þat was rauesched vnto þe þrid heuen, & herde derne wordes of god, [[2 Cor. xii. 2.]] þat ben not here leful vs forto speke, telliþ sixtene propirtes [[1 Cor. xiii. 4.]] þat suen þis charite. þe first is þat charite is patient of wronges. for al oure charite mut be ensaumpled of crist; but crist was so patient, as seynt petre seiþ, þat whan he was [[1 Peter ii. 23.]] mys-said he cursid not aȝen, ne when he suffrid wronges he manassid not aȝen. O what charite haþ he to suffre wronge for cristis loue þat wol not suffre a liȝt word, but ȝeld a worse aȝen? ¶ þe secounde propirte is þis: þat charite is benyngne. for it is not ynow to suffre, for so don þefis, but do good in soule aȝenus yuel suffrid; for þat is good loue of þe fire of charite, & is clepid benignite by propirte of word. and here-fore clerkis seyn þat þer ben þree lawes; þe first is lawe of oure good [omitted Q.] god to do good for yuyl; þe toþure is lawe of þe worlde, to do good for good & yuel for yuel, as mannus maner is; þe þrid is þe deuelis lawe, to do yuel for good, & þis is maner of men whan þei ben turned to deuelis. þe

þrid propirte þat sueþ þis secounde is þat charite haþe noon enuye to noon kyn þinge, for it loueþ wel god & alle goddis creatures. ¶ þe fourþe propirte þat sueþ of þis riche vertu is þat charite wiþ-outen forþe wirchiþ not schrewidly for as þis first ȝock bigynniþ wiþ paciens, & siþen goiþ into worchinge of a mannus soule, so mut þis oþur ȝoc forsake yuel wiþ-inne, & ¹also wiþ-oute¹ [1_1 siþ yuel dede wiþoute CC.] bi ordre of god. þe fyueþ maner of charite stondeþ in þis, þat it bolneþ not wiþ pride, syn it is þus patient. & þe sixte sueþ here-of, þat it coueitiþ not worldly worschip; for al worschipe of charite sche puttiþ oonly [hoolly CC.] in god. þe seueþ condicion þat sueþ þis [in Q.] charite is þat it sekiþ not propre godes to hir silf, but sekiþ worschip to god & profyte to his chirche. ¶ þe eyȝt propirte of charite stondiþ in þis, þat charite wrathiþ þer [omitted Q.] not al if it suffre wronge, and þerfore it is liȝt to men to stande with pees & charite. þe neynt propirte of charite is deppere þan þes oþere, þat it þenkiþ not yuel, for siche þouȝt turneþ to yuel; as iob maad couenaunt to þenke not on a virgyne. ¶ þe [page 127b] tenteþ propirte þat suiþ þis vertu of charite is þat sche ioyethe not of wickidnesse, as aungelus in heuen ioyen of payn of fendis but not of here wickidnesse. & þer-fore þis condicion sueþ after charite, þat it ioyeþ wiþ god of trowþe þat he loueþ. ¶ þe twelþe condicion þat sueþ þis charite is þat sche takeþ mekely what euere þing þat comeþ hir to. þe þrittente condicioun stondiþ in þis, þat charite trowiþ al þat euere god seiþ; and siþ no þinge is good but þat god seiþ, charite trowiþ alle good þing, [omitted Q.] ȝhe profyte of synnes. ffor men þat dreden god, if þei fallen in synne, þei ben more ware þat þei synnen not eft, [ofte Q.] & þanken more god of hijs gracious helpe, & alle medeful dedis haue þei part off. ¶ þe fourteneþ condicion þat sueþ after charite stondiþ in þis poynt, þat sche hopiþ alle þinge turneþ to good of goddis childur þat dreden him in loue. þe fiftente condicion

þat sueþ þis charite is þat sche susteyneþ wiþ wille alle harmes þat comeþ, ȝhe [ȝhit Q.] sche is not discounfortid if goddis helpe bidiþ longe. ¶ and so þe laste condicion þat sueþ þis blessid vertu is þat sche falliþ neuer doun, but lastiþ forþe for euere in þis world & in þe toþure, as loue of god failiþ not. & if a man knewe [koude CC.] no more of goddis lawe but þise sixtene condicions & bisyede him to kepe hem, he myȝt liȝtly come to heuen & wite who went amys. [only in CC.]

Expliciunt ffeiþ hope & charite.