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

II PARS BLASPHEMIAE.

Þo secounde blaspheme grounden þes freris, for þei feynen [II. Blasphem∣ous doctrine concerning begging. The writer distin∣guishes between lawful and unlawful begging.] falsely beggynge in Crist; and hereby þei peyren þo Chirche, and spoylen þo pore puple. Þei supposen sothely þat Crist was pore, for Seynt Poule seis þat Crist was made boþe pore and nedy, for þo luf of mon. And þis we graunten hom, and more þerto, þat Crist was a beggar, as þo Salme seis. Bot, for [Ps. ixix. 29.] to knowe fraudes and falsenesse of freris, moste we knowe what is beggyng, and maner of beggynge. No creature beggis bot mon-kynde one; ne nevere shulde have begged bot for his owne synne. And so begges a mon, þat askes purely, for Gods luf, helpe of any þing to releve him of his wreechidnes. And by dyversite of þingis þat we beggen of, and by maner of beggyng, may we knowe kyndes of beggynge. Everiche mon is nedid to begge of his God, for we asken of hym oure iche dayes bred, and in þat we begge of hym, as Austyn beres wittenes [S. Aug. Serm. No. LVIII. (ed. Paris, 1685).] . Bot speke we of beggyng of mon and beggyng of

temporal godes; and so somme beggen of men in worde, and somme beggen in dede. And of þoo þat beggen [in] worde, somme seyn treuly and expressely hor owne myscheffe, for to be releved as þei shulde be, and such beggynge is algatis of synne of þo puple. And somme cryen by worde aftir temporal godes in yvel maner, aftir more þen þei schulde have; and suche willeful beggynge lackes groundynge of resoun. Ffor of Crist I rede not þat evere he beggid in worde, ne he myȝt not begge more þen hym nedid. Sothely in þo olde lawe was beggynge forbeden [The reference is to Deut. xv. 4; see p. 371, note ^a.] , for hit gos oute of kynde more þen is nede; siþ bestis by kynde taken hor fode, ich one by hymself, als myche as hym nedes. And if him wante strenght, by tendernesse of ȝouthede, kynde hafs taught þo first beste to norische his owne issue. In elde þei bisye hom noȝt, siþ hor soule lastis not aftir. And so iche mon schulde, by þo wey of kynde, take þat hym nedes of temporal godes; and if hym wantid witte in kyndely power, he schulde be releved by men þat God sendes more. And so, sith beggynge is unkyndely to bestis, myche more to mon þat God lufs more, ffor God haves gyven a mon bothe powere and witte, for to begge not, bot if he be nedid by un∣kyndenesse of mon. And herfore men wischen þat yvel mot he spede þat begges on þis wyse, bot if he have nede; for slouthe of coveytouse men, þat shulden gif bifore, and helpe þo pore men, is cause of þis beggynge, or elles slouthe in covetyse of þese stronge beggers. And þus forbedes Gods lawe þat any mon be begger. And as God haves gyven men tole, to begge þus in nede, so haves he gyven men power to helpe homself as bestis; and he þat mysuses þis powere reversis Gods ordy∣naunse. And herfore techis Austyn munkes to travel; and so algatis hit is synne a mon to begge þus; for if he willefuly begge, and haves no nede, he is a schrewid begger, reproved of God. If he be nedid to begge for synne of his neghtbore, defaute is in his neghtbore, al þof he be clene; and so suche beggynge moste smake synne, ouþer in hym þat begges, or in hym þat first schulde helpe hym. Here may we se þat Crist begged not þus, siþ he had no nede, but evere was occupied in oþer better

werkes; and of Crist lerned Seynt Poule to travel wiþ his hondis, and flewȝh suche beggynge, in hym and his folowers.

Bot, for Seynt Petre expownes þo prophete, þat Judas pur∣sued [In what sense Christ begged.] Crist, mon nedy and begger, hit were for to witte hou [Acts i. 16.] Crist was a begger. Ffor hit semes þat Crist beggid, not onely in his membres, bot in his owne persone, as he was pore and nedy; and so þo moste honeste beggyng ordeyned of God, and likeste to þo state of innocense, acordid to Crist; and þat he seide in dede defaute that he was inne, and asked not in worde helpe for his myschef, not by almes of mon ne pleynynge to hom. And þis seyinge in dede, wiþouten Cristis bisynes, was þo beggynge þat þo Psalme puttes to Crist. Bot as in byinge of a hors, mon byes hym not to bye þo heer of þis hors, ne none oþer lymme, so Crist bisyed hym not for þis bodily almes, bot for to worschip his Fadir, and profite to þo puple. And ne were Gods lawe, þis speche were ful straunge, ffor men speken comynly of beggynge by mowthe, not by mevynge of voyce, bot by expresse wordes; and þus menen men þat seyn þat Crist begged not.

And siþ freris beggen on þis wyse by autorite of Crist, hit [The begging of the friars is of a totally differ∣ent kind.] semes þat þei conseyven þat Crist begge þus. Bot Seynt Richart of Armawhe proves on feir maner, þat were an heresye to putt upon Crist suche maner of beggynge, and mayntene hit stifly. For feyth nedes us to trowe, þat al þat Crist did, he did hit on þo beste maner wiþouten defaute; bot what nede of pro∣fite shulde mefe þis Lord, for to begge þus wiþouten any cause? Nede drof him not þerto, siþ Crist hungred nevere bot when he chees to hungre so, and ȝif ensaumple of penaunce. Bot Lord! what profit were hit Crist to begge þus, siþ he myght mefe men to gif hym when hym nedid, wiþouten any bisynes of askyng of hom? And sith þis were algatis þo better to Crist and to þo puple, what shulde mefe þo blasphemes to lye þus on Crist? Also, siþ Crist did ever more þo beste, what shulde mefe hym to ocupye his mouthe wiþ suche beggynge? Certis, siþ Crist ches to be unchargeaunte to þo puple, ne gif non occasioun of ava∣rise to oþer, þei shulden fle þis doynge, and occupye hom bet∣ter,—specially siþ he forfended to begge in his lawe. Also, siþ freris seyn þat beggynge groundes hom, and puttes hom in hyer

degre of al þis Chirche, why wolde not Crist byfore þo comynge of freris teche þis beggynge, to profite of his spouse? Hit semes þat he shulde not bid, to lousyng of þo fende. Bot, as Seynt Hildegar seis in hir prophesye, þis beggynge abode þis peri∣louse tyme, when fals ypocritis disseyven þo puple [St. Hildegardis was abbess of the convent of St. Robert on the Nahe near Bingen. She lived to the age of 82, dying in the year 1180. The passage here alluded to is probably contained in the Eleventh Vision of the third book of Scivias, the name which she gave to the book of her Visions; for this par∣ticular vision deals with the state of things existing in the Church in her own time, and to exist after her death. But the work not being in∣dexed, I have been unable to light on the passage. See the Liber 3 virorum et 3 virginum, Paris, 1513.] . Also, siþ þo gospel is ful of dedes of Crist, and sufficyent in treuthe to governe Cristis Churche, if þis beggynge of freris were taken of Cristis lif, sumwhere in þo gospel shulde hit be groundid. Bot þo gospel leves hit, þat holdes al treuthe. And so þo blas∣pheme freris, to grounde hor ordir, putten Crist out of state of innocense, and putten folie in his werkes, siþ he wrot unwarly. Mony fayre resoun makis þis holy bishop to convicte in þis fals∣nesse of freris.

Bot siþ freris were heretikes and blasphemes in Crist, bot if [The friars say that Christ begged water of the Sama∣ritan woman; it would be well if they begged nothing else.] þei groundid þis beggynge in lawe of þo gospel, þei bisien hom ful faste to seke hom a grounde. Þo first and þo myghtiest resoun of freris to prove beggyng in Crist, stondes in þis; Crist askid þo womman watir to drinke, and ȝitte he was an alien, for he was a Samaritan; myche more wolde he be homely to his owne kyn. Bot here þo blynde blasphemes mosten lerne hor logik. Ffor lewid men wot wel, þat hit sues not, þof þo Lord aske of his owne þinge þat hym nedes, þen he moste begge þat þing of his servaunt. And so, if Crist bad þo wom∣mon gif hym a drinke, neverþoles he beggid not þis drinke of þo wommon. And wolde God þat soche freris beggid noȝt bot water, or elles oþer elementis, þate by kynde shulden be comyne! And, for freris may not feyne oþer drinke bot water of þo welle þat Crist shulde aske, þei feyne falsely þat Crist asked watir to drinke. Bot hit is not semely þat he wolde þen drinke watir, siþ he sende his disciplis to towne to bye meete, and a fastynge mon lufs litel suche drinke. Also þo

gospel telles not þat Crist askid water, ne þat he dranke water when þat hit was drawen. And so it semes þat feynyng of freris expownes þis gospel as heretikes done. Bot hit is more semely, siþ þo welle was depe, and Crist loved þo womman in shewynge of myraclis, þat he shulde make þis water by myracle springe up, and sithen drinke þerof if he had nede. And herfore olde sentence is acordyng wiþ þo gospel, þat Crist spake here of spiritual eetynge and drinkynge; for when his disciplis bad him eete, he seyde he had mete to eete þat þei knewen not. And so when þis wommon by devocioun of feyth ȝaf Crist hir hert, þen he dranke wiþ hir. Lord, wheþer God begge of mon when he askes his wille, or Crist beggid of þis wommon when he mevid hir hert, and gaf hir water of lif, and filled hir for evere!

Bot ȝitte þo freris fablen of beggynge of Crist, and seyn he [They also say that He begged of Zaccheus; but He rather commanded him.] beggid of ȝachee boþe meete and house. Bot here þo ydiotes faylen in discrevynge of beggynge. Ffor if a bayle aske rent to þo lord, he begges not þis rent of þo lordis tenaunte. Ne if a mon aske his dette of anoþer, he begges not þis of hym, for dyversite of titel. Miche more Crist, þat was boþe God and mon, and had by state of innocense lord [an error probably for lordship.] of al þis worlde, þof he asked of his owne, as a lord shulde, þinges of his ser∣vauntis þat he had myster of and nede, he beggid not, bot nedid his servauntis thorw mercy. And lefe loke þo wordes þat Crist seyde to Zachee, wheþer þei sowned beggynge or lordship in Crist. Zachee, hyinge cum doune of þo tre, for I mot þis day dwelle in þin house. A riche mon wolde þenke spyte of a begger, þat bad him hastily cum doune fro a sight þat hym liked, and seide þat he moste herberow þis begger; ffor suche a mon wolde sey sone to suche a begger,—Begger, ȝitte myghtes þou aske wheþer þat I wolde. Bot þo gospel techis þat Crist did mercy unto þis riche mon, and begged not of hym.

Ȝitte þo foles blabur to prove þat Crist beggid, siþ he sende [Replies to other similar arguments of the friars.] his disciplis to Jerusalem, to fett him an asse and hir foole for to ryde on. Bot þis blyndenesse of þo blasphemes gos þo same waye, ffor þei blabur heresye þat God asked not. And

siþ þere is no beggynge of soche comyne bestis, þo freris shulden schame to forge suche beggynge; specialy siþ þo Lord bad his disciplis, þat if ony mon seide owght unto hom, þei [corrected; þe, W.] schulden sey þat þo Lord had myster of hom. Þei schulden lerne, þat name of Lord, taken by hymself, sygnifies God, Lord of all lordes. And, for hit were to streyte to lordship of Crist to be a special lord of Jude or Jerusalem, þerfore he bad þat þei schulde calle him Lorde. Bot ȝitte þo freris casten out oþer blynde resouns, þat Crist beggid a house, to eete inne his maundye, ffor, as þo gospel seis, he had none of his owne, and so he toke almes bothe of men and of wymmen; why schulde we not sey þat ne Crist was a begger? Bot here we seyn to freris, as þo Psalme seis, þat Crist was to geder bothe riche and pore, and herfore he ordeyned þo apostils to sey þat he was Lord of alle lordes; and ȝitte had he myster. And so Crist was moste pore mon þat evere was oute, and þerto most riche mon, and also moste curteyse. And so in al his povert he beggid not by voyce, bot meved folk to gif him, for more mede of hom. And so, þof Crist toke bodily almes, nevereþoles he gaf better ageyne gostily almes, and beggid nevere on þis maner þat þo freris feynen. And so he bad, as verrey Lord, to go to þo cyte, and sey to sum myghty mon by þis token, þat, Þo mayster seis, I make Paske wiþ ȝe. And at þis lordely worde of þis maister, þis burgeys of þo cyte schewed hom a grett house strewid. Lord, wheþer þis menes beggynge of Crist! Bot þes blynde blasphemes con not depart beggynge fro povert, for boþe acorden sumwhat.

Bot se we wheþer þes newe sectis seyn soþ upon Crist, þat [They profess to imitate Christ in life, but falsely.] þei suen hym in lif bifore alle oþer men; bot hit semes nay. Ffirst, when þei sey þat þei ben pore as Crist, þo fend hafs clothid hom in a cope to bringe in more deceyte. Certis þei have feele rentis, bot Crist had nevere one. Crist was her∣berowid in symple houses of oþer comyne men; þese freris have in propur [As their own.] houses of coste. Crist þat was al wyse had bot twelve disciplis; þese founed freris rekken nevere how

mony þei have. And, for Crist chees his disciplis, and gedrid hom of mony, þo freris steelen lesse childer wiþoute discre∣cioun; herfore þei have Scarioths moo þen apostils. Bot loke how þese freris kepen þo lawe of þo gospel. Crist wolde þat nowþer he ne his were chargeaunt to þo puple; þese freris loken how myche þei may gete of godes of þo comynes, to carye to hor castel. Ffor by þis entent þei make hom a cyte, as Caym, to carye to. Bot ouþer Seynt Poule seide fals of [Gen. iv. 17.] propurtees of charite, þat hit sekes not his owne gode, but godes of comynes, or elles þese freris reversen þo rewles of charite.

I rede not þat Crist wiþ alle his apostlis toke more of þo [Christ gave to the people more than He received from them; the friars take all, and give nothing.] comynnes þen he gaf ageyne. Ffor in his two feestis þat he maked by myracle, he fed þo puple in als myche as he and his apostils token of þo puple; and spiritual giftes þat Crist ȝaf þo puple was wiþouten mesure better þen hor ȝiftes. If freris, in more spense of housyng and mete, in clothyng, in juwels, chargen more þo puple þen Crist wiþ his apostils, how suen þei Crist in þis maner of lyvynge? And so hit were al one to grounde soche ordiris of beggers, and grounde Anticristis clerkis and blasphemes of Crist. Ow! siþ Seynt Richarde, bishop of Armawh, proves ageyne freris by mony feyre resouns þat þei faylen opunly fro Cristis religion; and harmen þo Chirche and þo comynes bothe; how ben oure bishops and freris now knyttid togedir, bot as Herowde and Pilate were made fals frendes? And þis knotte lastid not, for hit was yvel groundid in hate of Crist, and of his lawe; so hit semes here. And harmyng of þo puple may we sone se; siþ heven lokes lesse to fruyt of þo erthe, monnes strength is lesse, here lyve is shortere, þo tyme is lesse sesounable, and charite withdrawen. What shulde mefe Anticrist to double þo rentis of þo pore puple in suche yvel tyme? Ffor byfore þat freris comen by cautel of þo fende, þo puple gaf no more rente for so myche to hor lordes. And al þinge acountid, þei gyven nowe to þo ordiris wel nyhe als myche as þei did to hor lordes. And so frutis of worldes godes faylen in þo grounde. And siþ yvel partynge of soche godes is cause of discencioun, þo fende hafs caste þis snare for to bryge men, ffor charite is exiled, and envye is kyndelid. And þis semes þo caste of þo fende of helle, þat he

schal destrye lordes and hor tenauntes, and leve none in þo world bot Anticrist clerkes. And so, in þis þat freris ben chargeaunt to þo puple, þei suen hor mayster Anticrist, and not Jesus Crist.

Þo secounde waye þat þei go fro Crist and his lawe is wed∣dyng [Nor do they imitate Christ in their inordi∣nate attach∣ment to their several Orders.] of hor newe ordiris, and dyversen fro Cristis lawe. Men may opunly se hou freris tellen more by hor newe ordir and hor ordynaunse, þen þei do by Cristis lawe, or profit of his Chirche. Ffor þis þei suen scharplyer, and punyschen herfore; and þis privey horedame makes myche harme. As Crist biddes, undertake thryes oure broþer, and at þo fourt tyme forsake hom as hethen men. Bot þese private ordiris bidden al þo con∣trarye; for he þat sues þis gospel is holdun sclaunderer of his breþeren, destroyer of hor house, and of hor newe religioun. Ffor oft sithe he shulde telle apertely þo fautes of his brether, and oft fle hom as cursed men þat his reule ageyne-seis. Ffor oft his gode brethere ben putt into prisoun, and moste schrewis of oþer have leve to go aboute, and use frely hor malice as procuratoures of þo fende. And sith hit is al one to luf a lord and his lawe, ofte tyme þei luf more hor ordir þen Crist. And in mony caas fredom of þo gospel moste be forsaken for hor newe tradiciouns.

Bot ȝitte þo blasphemes blaburen ageyne þis sentense, þat [When they ground their right to alms on the spiritual services they render, they prove too much.] bothe resoun and holy writte acorden togeder, þat whoso edifyes þo puple shal lif on þo puple; bot siþ freris in lif and worde edifyen moste þo puple, hit semes þei schulde first take almes of þo puple. Bot wayte we whydir þo blasphemes drawen. Þis resoun meenes þat no maner of comynes schulde gif tem∣poral godes to lordis or persouns, bifore þo freris were served of þat at þei craven. Bot hit were al one to holde upon þis sentense, and destrye þo ordiris þat Crist made, and mayntene his enemyes. And þus bigan Anticrist to reverse Crist, not mending defautes þat were in Cristis ordir, bot makyng newe ordiris and sectis, as he wolde passe Crist. Bot feyth and kynde techis us, þat ordir of Crist is better, and þat he ordeyned his Chirche as beste wolde be, nouþer to myche ne to litel, bot in gode mesure. Bot þo bastarde braunchis of þo newe ordiris spronge in wiþoute auctorite of God. Ow! what wise mon

wolde make a hye house, and putte tymbre bynethe, and stoories aboven? or elles above more hevye þinge þen þo foundement wolde bere? Þo foundement of þo Chirche ben comyners and laboreres; bot if moo ordiris and sectis ben clotirde on hom þen schulde by resoun hele hom wiþ charite, defaute is in ordy∣naunce of maker of þo Chirche. And so soth hit is, if freris travel more to profite of þo Chirche þen oþer men done, þei schulden upon resoun be susteyned of þat Chirche, if þei come to þis werke by autorite of God. Bot Seynt Poule techis þat soche schulde not be heyve to þo puple þat þei techen, bot lyve on litel, as foules. Bot þese raveyners robben þo puple, and done not hor devere. And so resoun wolde aske þat noumbre of prestis schulden stonde in mesure, and travel in hor offis; and if þei were ydel, or elles to monye, withdrawe of hor sus∣tynaunce, and spende on oþer maner þo tresor of God, and not norische his enemyes. Bot howevere þese blasphemes bosten þat þei travel more to profite of þo Chirche þen done oþer prestis, one þinge men knowen, þat sith þei comen in hafs þo Chirche payred in everiche membre.

How blessidful were þo Chirche to renne aftir Crist, if it were [Had Christians only been con∣tent with the law and teach∣ing of Christ, no prelates, monks, canons, nor friars would have been needed;] onely payed of þo ordynaunce of hym, and broght up no newe lawes, ne no newe sectis, bot amendid mysdoeris by Cristis owne lawe, and bringe hom ageyne to þo lyve þat Crist hymself ordeyned! And þen þo dowynge of þo emperoure had nouþer comen in, ne his prelatis had not blasphemed þus ageynes Gods lawe, ne þese private religiouse schulde nouþer on þis wyse have stourblid Cristis Chirche, ne pervertid his ordir. Ffor chaunouns, munkes, and freris schulden noȝt þen have stonden in sted, bot few pore prestis schulde have sufficid to þo Chirche by pure Cristis lawe. Bot here cryes Anticrist þat by þis blaspheme holy Chirche schulde perishe, and Crist be un∣worshipped; ȝe, and seintes in heven, patrouns of þo ordiris, schulden be sclaundrid of hor moste gloriouse werkes. Bot wolde God þat Anticrist wolde gedir his wittes, and witte þat hit were better to hye Cristis ordenaunce, þen ordynaunce of Benett or Domynik or Fraunces. Ffor we owe to trowe þat Crist myght not fayle, nouþer in ordenaunce ne lawe sufficient for his Chirche; and whosoevere reverses þis sentense blasphemes

in Crist. Here may we se þat þei take fals, for þus þo Chirche schulde be saved and Crist more worshippid, þo fendes host owvercomen, and Cristendome confortid. Ffor multitude of cowardes harmes Cristis batel, ffor þei knowen nowþer his armes, ne his feghtyng. As aneyntis þo patrouns schulde we wil trowe, [not that the founders of Orders were not holy men;] þat þei did not poynt devyse as oure Jesus did; and herfore erroure in secte of hom brynges men to more. Ne bere not to hevye þat þo seyntis errid. Ffor Seynt Jon seis þat if we seyn we synnen not, we deceyve oureself, and passen oute of treuthe. And so, siþ þoo seyntis diden not þo beste in foundyng of þoo ordiris, bot synned venyaly, hit were a gret folye to sue hom in þis erroure, and leve þo ordynaunce of Crist þat may not be amendid. And herfore Poul durste not, ne none oþer apostil, founde newe sectis bysyde þo ordir of Crist. Bot þre þinges of þis sentence may we suppose, þat þei keppid þo ordiris better þen þei nowe ben, so þat þes newe ordiris ben ofte newe made. Also þo seyntis wolde not þat hor sect were weddid wiþ hor tradiciouns, and laft Cristis lawe. And þo þridde we supposen, þat þo seyntis sorowed in tyme of hor deth, ffor alle soche erroures. And so, for oþer godes þat þei did ofte, suppose we þat þei ben nowe in heven, and so we dampnen not þo seyntis, but putt Crist byfore.

Lord, siþ Poule presumed not to founde [corrected; founded, W.] soche sectis, why [but they erred in founding new sects, and their followers now, departing from their rules, get deeper into error.] schulde foles and ydiotes take þis upon hom? Specialy siþ folye were to one unwyse to take a flok of Gods folke, þat lastid bot for his lif; myche more an ydiot schulde not gif a reule to alle his sect, lastynge for evere, whiche reule were not expressid in Gods lawe. And so þes sectis sclaunderen hor owne patrouns, amendynge hor defautes, and passynge fro hor ordiris. And so al þof þese newe ordiris profiten to Cristis Chirche, neverþoles not so myche as fendes in helle. Ffor þei made meryte of Crist, and mony oþer merytis, byfore þat freris comen. And so, if þei wil be purgid, turne þei to Cristis ordire, and þen thar hom not aske confermynge of þo pope.