Select English works of John Wyclif. Vol. 3. Miscellaneous works / edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

XI. FIVE QUESTIONS ON LOVE.

[This short but highly interesting piece is a letter written by Wyclif to some unknown friend, who had put five questions to him respecting the love of God. Bale mentions it under the title of 'Ad quinque quae∣stiones;' and the Wyclif MSS. at Vienna and Prague contain several copies of a Latin version of it, the ending of which however appears to be dif∣ferent. Its authenticity can hardly be doubted. The text is founded on New Coll. 95 (Q), the only copy known to exist.]

A SPECIAL frend in God axiþ bi charite þes fyve questiouns [Questions proposed.] of a mek prest in God. First, what is love. Aftirward, where is love. Þe þridd tyme he axiþ hou God schuld medefully be loved. Þe fourþe tyme he axiþ hou a trewe man may knowe wheþer he love his God in þe fourme þat God axiþ þat a man love him. Þe fifþe tyme he axiþ, in what staat of þis lif a man may best love his God, and more medefully to come to hevene. Alle þes questiouns ben hard to telle hem trewly in Englisch, but ȝit charite dryveþ men to telle hem sumwhat in Englische, so þat men may beste white bi þis Englisch what is Goddis wille.

To þe firste questioun þat is axid seien men on þis maner; [Answered.] þat love is a maner of werk, þat comeþ of a mannis wille to wole good to loved þing; and so love is in mannis herte, and man oþer maner in lovyng [This, the reading of the only MS., appears to be corrupt. A collation of the Latin version of the tract, copies of which exist in five MSS. at Vienna, (see Shirley's Catalogue, p. 22) is much to be desired.] But to þe þrid questioun answeriþ Crist in Jones gospel. Crist seiþ,—He þat haþ my maunde∣mentis

and kepiþ hem in his lif, he is þat ilk þat loveþ me. And þus he makiþ redy love to God, þat studieþ wel Godis lawe, as þe first Psalme seiþ. As to þe fourþe questioun,—a man may wite bi himsilf wher he þenkiþ on Goddis lawe and loveþ it and kepiþ it, and þanne Crist seiþ þat he loveþ God. As anentis þe fifþe questioun,—it is knowun bi Goddis lawe, þat þer ben in þe Chirche þre statis þat God haþe ordeyned; state of prestis, and state of knyȝtis, and þe þridd is staat of comunys. And to þes þree ben þre oþere, comyn and leeful bi Goddis lawe,—state of virgyns, and state of wedloke, and þe state of widewis. State of virgyns is þe hiest, bi witnesse of Crist and seyntis in hevene. Sum state is here good for o man, and sum is good for anoþer; and God moveþ a man to his best state ȝif he lette not bi his synne.

But foure statis, of þe emperour clerkis, of munkis, of [Four states of life, now prac∣tised in the Church, are unlawful.] chanouns, and of freris, semyn perelous, and not ordeyned of God, but suffrid for mannys synne. And þerfore men schulden be war to take of þes foure statis, for oþer statis þat God haþ ordeyned bringen men bettere to blis of hevene; and he is a miche fool þat leeveþ þe bettere and chesiþ þe werse. And þus it helpiþ heere to Cristen men, to studie þe gospel in þat [Christians ought to be able to study the gospel in their native tongue.] tunge in whiche þei knowen best Cristis sentense. For our bileve techiþ us þat ech Cristen man is holdyn heere to sue Crist in maner of lyvyng, sum ferrer and sum nerrer, aftir þat God ȝyveþ him grace; and he þat sueþ Crist most nyȝe loveþ him most, and is most lovyd of God. And siþ lif and dedis of Crist, and his lore, ben in þe gospel, it is opyn to profit of men to studie þis bok, to love Crist.

But over þis axiþ þis frend of God, what wil Daviþ hadde in [In these times men must be ready to suffer death for the sake of God's law. Ps. cxvi. 16.] þes two versis þat he seiþ in þe Sauter,—and þei ben comynly known in Latyn,—O Lord, I confesse to þee þat I am þi ser∣vaunt, in bodie, soule,—and I am son of þin hand-mayden, for Y am trewe child of holy Chirche. Þou hast brokun my bondis, of synne, and bondis bi whiche my soule loveþ my flesche; to þee I schal sacre an ost of heriyng. And þus Y schal clepe inne to me þe name of þe Lord, to dwelle in me. And þes same wordis maie martris seie, þat loven so miche Goddis lawe, þat þei wole suffre peyne of deeþ, for love and

mayntenyng of þis lawe. And bettere cause of martirdom schewid God never to plese him. And siþ a man mut nedis die, and Goddis lawe haþe nowe manye enemyes, a man schulde wisely putt him forþ to suffre now þus gloriously.

War, man, lette not for synne, Prest, knyȝt, ȝemon, ne page, Ȝif ȝee wole of God have large wage:

Amen, Amen, Amen.