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

ÞE FYFÞE SONDAI GOSPEL AFTER EESTIR.

[SERMON LI.]

Amen, Amen, dico vobis, si quid petieritis.—JOHN xvi. [23.]

CRIST telliþ in þis gospel hou his disciplis shulden be helpid by vertue of her preier, whan he was styed in to hevene. And first he seiþ a general word, and takiþ boþe his kyndis to witnes, þat, ȝif þei axen ouȝt þe Fadir of hevene in his name, he shal ȝyve it hem. But, as Crist seiþ, unto þat tyme his disciplis axiden not in his name, and herfor aftirward shulden þei axen þat þere joie were ful, and þei shulden take. Al þe hardnesse of þis mater is to cunne perfitly to axe in Cristis name, for he shal have þat axiþ þus. But siþ oure Jesus is treuþe and helþe of men þat trowun in him, þat man axiþ in Cristis name, þat axiþ in treuþe his soule helþe. Crist is moost lord of al, and þerfore he wole have dispit, but ȝif men axen him a greet þing; ffor ellis his lordship and þat axing acorden not to his name. And so, ȝif þou wilt axe in Cristis name, axe þe blisse þat evere shal laste; and siþ Crist is treuþe and resoun, loke þi axinge be resonable, and þan maist þou be sure to have þe þing þat þou axist þus. And herfore Crist in þis gospel biddiþ us to axe oure ful joie, and þan shal we have it, if þat we axen it in resoun; for no man haþ but half joie, but ȝif he be ful of blisse. And þis greet lord wole not be axid but þis blisse, or menes þerto; and ȝif man axe þus in resoun þat he be worþi to have it, he shal have it wiþouten doute whan best tyme were þat he hadde it; and he shal have on þe best manere þe þing þat he axiþ þus.

And herfore þe seven axingis þat Crist techiþ in þe Pater noster meneþ [So in B; menen, E, C; moveþ, A.] þis forme of axinge; and algatis to axe in charite; and þerfore men þat lyven in werre ben unable to have þer axinge: but þei axen þer owne dampnynge in þe fifte peticioun, for þer þei axen þat God forȝyve hem þer dettis þat þei owen to hym, riȝt as þei forȝyven men þat ben dettours unto hem. And

here we shal undirstonde þat ech man is dettour to God, and ech man owiþ to eche oþer to do him good in charite. And so failynge to love God of al þin herte and alle þi wille, þou rennest in grete dette boþe aȝens God and man. And so in þis fifte axing þes men þat werren now-a-daies, axen him as þei wolden mene,—forȝyve us for we ben even wiþ þee, or ellis take venjaunce in ire of us, as we taken vengeaunce of oure bre|þeren. And þis is noo good praier, but more axinge of Goddis venjaunce; and for þis cause many men ben unherd in þer praier, and turned in to more yvel for þere unskilful praier. And siche men weren better to leve þan to preien on sich maner. For many men preien for venjaunce and for worldis prosperite, and in þe ire of God he ȝyveþ hem þat þei axen; but it were beter to hem to preye not þus, ne to have þes þingis. And þus men of contrarie londis preien God in grete pro|cessiouns; and for unworþinesse of her preier hem were beter to sitten at home. And, for men witen not for what þing þei shulden preie God in siche causis, þerfore good lyvynge pro|fitiþ more, and þe Holy Goost axiþ þan for hem. And who ever stere [stireþ, E.] men to yvel lyfe, ȝif [alȝif, E.] þei ben freris þat crien heye, God heereþ hem not to good, but raþer to take venjaunce on hem. For Crist seiþ, þat not ech man þat seiþ to him Lord, Lord, shal come in to þe blis of hevene, but he þat eendiþ in riȝt lyf, for he preieþ in þe name of þe Trinite. And þus Ȝebedeus sones preieden for good, but in yvel manere. And so algatis ryȝt lyf is þe beste in mannis preier, for siche lyfe preieþ beter to God þan hie voicis of ypocritis.

And after seiþ Crist to his apostlis, þat þes þingis he seide bifore to hem in proverbis and mystily; but now is come tyme whan he shal not speke þus unto hem in proverbis, but apertly of his Fadir he shal telle hem as best is. In þat daie shal Cristen men axe in Cristis name unto þer blisse. And now he seiþ unto hem þat he shal preie his Fadir of [for, E.] hem, for þei shal be mateer to Crist and make his rewme. Wherfore he preieþ, þat þe Fadir love þes apostlis and oþer men þat suen him, for þei loveden Jesus Crist and trowiden þat he cam fro God; ȝhe, þat Crist bi his manhede

came of God in his godhede. Crist cam fro þe Fadir and cam in to þe world, and now whan Crist haþ done his message, he forsakiþ aȝen þe world, and goiþ bi manhede to his Fadir. And Cristis disciplis seiden to him, Lo, now þou spekist opynly, and þou seist now noo proverbe; and þerfore we witen wele þat þou knowist alle þingis, and it is to þe no nede þat ony man axe þe ouȝt, for þou wost bifore þe axinge, what men shulde axen and what þingis leve. In þis we trowen þat þou come fro God as his owne sone.

And þis bileve is ground to men to have of God what þat hem nediþ, and to wite what is best to hem, al ȝif it displese to þe world. But, as men þat ben in feveris desire not þat were best for hem, so men here in synne coveiten not best þing for hem. For þe world seide þat þe apostlis weren foolis and forsaken of God, and so it wolde seie todaie of men þat lyveden lyke to hem, for worldis joie and eerþely good plesiþ to hem, wiþ meenes þerto, and þei saveron [saveren, E.] not hevenly good ne riȝt suyng after Crist. And þis jugement now in þe world is open witnesse aȝens men, þat þei be not hoole in soule, but turned amys to worldely þingis. For as a mouþ of a syke man distempered fro good mete, moveþ him for to coveite þingis contrarie to his helþe, so it is of mannis soule þat savoureþ not Goddis lawe. And as wanting of appetit is a signe dedly to man, so wanting of Goddis witt is signe of his secounde deeþ. And jugement þat now regneþ of worldely prosperite is token of men þat þei ben foolis and saveren not of Goddis lawe. For þe world seiþ comounly þat ȝif a man have worldely blisse and þe world leiȝe [joye, C.] to him in killynge of his enemyes, þan God loveþ him and doiþ miraclis for his sake. But, Lord! where is oure bileve þat we shulde trowe in love of God, þat it stondiþ not in þis but raþer hate of God! And, as Gregori seiþ [I have been unable to verify this reference.] , as a bole þat shal be kild goiþ in corn at his wille, and is not pyned [So in B; pynyd, E; pynde, C; A has pyndid.] ne traveilid wiþ oþer beestis; so a lyme of þe fend is left fro þe grace of God, to figure his dampnacioun, and suffrid

to do myche harme here, to large his peyne aftirward. We shulden leve þes sensible signes and take ensample of holy men, as of Crist and of his apostlis; hou þei hadden not her blisse here. But here Crist ordeynede peynes and hate of þe world and pursuyng to men þat he moost lovede, to teche us þat come after hem. And þus signes of paciens and pursuynge in þis erþe shulde be tokens of Goddis love and not signes of Antecrist.