Select English works of John Wyclif. Vol. 2. Sermons on the ferial Gospels and Sunday epistles ; Treatises / edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

ÞE NYNTENÞE SONDAI [AFTIR TRINITE].

[SERMON XLIX.]

Renovamini spiritu mentis.—

EPH. iv. [23.]

POUL telliþ in þis epistle how men shulden amende þer lyf, and how þat þei shulden serve God boþe generali and speciali. And Poul biddiþ þus first; Be ȝe newid in spirit of ȝoure mynde. And to undirstonde þes wordis, undirstonding of þree wordis is nedeful. First, what is a mannis mynde; aftir, what is þe spirit of þis mynde; and aftir, how man shulde be newed aȝen in spirit of þis mynde. No drede þis mynde of man is þe sub∣stance of his lyfe, þat is, a spirit lyke an angel, þat ever shal be in blisse or peyne. And bi resoun þat he may knowe him∣silf, þis substaunce is clepid mynde. And so þe secounde word, of þe spirit, haþ many wittis, and þis is one 3; þat 4 þe propre

acte of þis spirit, bi whiche he saveriþ many þingis, oþir hevenly þingis or worldli þingis, is clepid a spirit in þis place. And þus man is made newe aȝen in þe spirit of his mynde, whan his soule haþ good savour of hevenli þingis as he shulde. For in tyme of grace of men, whan þei weren baptisid of Crist or ellis bi grace confermed of him, þei saveriden þanne hevenli þingis; and if þei saveriden þes aȝen, þei ben renewid 1 in þis spirit. And þis is a good preier to bidde for men þat þus han fallun.

And þus biddiþ Poul aftir, þat men shulden cloþe þe newe man þat is born aftir God in riȝt hoolynesse and truþe. Poul clepiþ þe newe man þe substaunce of mannis soule, in as moch as it is newid, to lyve aftir Goddis ordenaunce; and so þe good lyf of man is þe cloþing þat Poul biddiþ. But, for men mai not have þis cloþing, but ȝif two þingis worchen þerto,—þe grace of God is þe first, and þat oþer, mannis werk,—þerfore seiþ Poul aftir, þat þis man is made of nouȝt, aftir ymage and licnesse of God. For þe þingis of his soule ben clene peintid wiþ vertues, and þis is aftir þe Trinite, as Poul meneþ aftir bi þre wordis, in riȝtwisnes and holynes and treuþe shal al þis be done. Riȝt∣wisnes þat mai not folde answeriþ to þe Fadir of hevene, and to þe power of þe soule, þat Austin clepid mannis mynde. Holynes þat is so stable answeriþ to þe secounde persone, and to resoun of mannis soule, þat is þe secounde þing þerof; for no þing is more resonable þan to quemely serve God. Þe þridde word, þat is treuþe, answeriþ to þe þridde persone; for trewli shulde man love 2 God, even wiþ þe knowyng of him.

And for þis þing put ȝe awey lesingis, and speke ȝe treuþe ech wiþ his neiȝbore, for we ben ech membre to oþir. Alle þes þree seid vertues ben treuþis in a maner, siþ þei ben evenhed 3 to Goddis witt, and þat is treuþe, as clerkis seien. And herfore, siþ God hatiþ lesingis moost of alle oþer þingis, we shulden put awey lesingis, and kepe treuþe in al oure lif. And love shulde move men to þis þreuþe, siþ ech man shulde be oþiris membre. Ech man shulde come to blisse and be membre of holy Chirche, and so ech man shulde goostli do to oþir þe office of ech membre. And to þis witt seien seintis, þat ech membre

of holy Chirche is transformed in to Crist, for love and werk þat he haþ.

And þus, as Poul biddiþ aftir, Men shulden be wrooþ and not synne, for men shulden hate mennis synnes, and love þer kynde and þer vertues. And þus was Crist wraþful, but þe sunne felde not on his wraþþe. And þus shulden Cristen men be wraþ, and kepen þre þingis in þer wraþþe. First, þat þer wraþ shulde not longe last, and herfore biddiþ Poul, þat þe sunne go not doun upon þer wraþþe, for þan it were to longe lastinge. Þe secounde witt of Poulis wordis biddiþ, þat þe sunne of riȝtwisnesse go not doun fro man bi grace, for sich wraþe þat he haþ. And so þe þridde witt of Poulis wordis biddiþ, þat man shulde not be wroþ, but for þe more liȝt of love, þat shulde shyne fast in his soule. And wel were him þat hadde þis lore þat Poul meneþ in þes 1 short wordis. And for as myche as a man haþ love quenchid in his soule, þe fend comeþ in instede of love, and bringiþ in synne wiþ him. Þerfore seiþ Poul aftir, Nyle ȝe ȝyve stede to þe devel, but holde ȝour love ever hool, and þat shal ever holde þe fend out. And herfore biddiþ Poul aftir, þat he þat stole, stele he not more, but more worche he wiþ his hondis þat þing þat is good, þat he have whereof to ȝyve men þat suffren nede. And þis lore þat Poul techiþ is usid to litil of freris and oþer. For þan þes strong men shulden traveile, and not þus begge and gabbe on Crist; and þan þei shulden ȝyve to nedy men þat Crist haþ put in his prisoun.

Notes

• The apostle urges his con∣verts to be renewed in spirit,
• 3

  So in E; A reads but þis is þat oon.
• 4

  So E; om. A.
• 1

  reneulid, E.
• putting on the new man of holiness and truth,
• 2

  serve, E.
• ceasing to lie one to another
• 3

  evenyd, E.
• and keeping anger under control.
• 1

  So E; A has þis.