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

CAP. V.

Here grucchiþ Antecrist, and seiþ þat by þis skyle þe pope [Answer to an objection made by the de∣fenders of the ordinary view of absolution.] hadde no power to certifie men confessid of him, þat þei beþ assoylled of Crist, for he kan nouȝt teche þis, and so schulde perriche Petris keyes, groundid in Cristis graunte. And her∣fore men seyen comunly, þat whom so ony prest assoyliþ, he is assoyled of God by vertu of þe keyes. Ne men schulle suffre no more penaunce þan þe prest enjoyneþ hem, ffor God haþ ȝeve þe prest power to deme aftir his owne wille, ffor ellis it were a needeles þing to schryve men þus to prestis. As anentis þis, me þinkiþ þat men schulde trowe þat þei beþ nouȝt assoyllid ne bounde of her synne, but in as myche as God him silf doiþ it. For siþ God is lord of alle, agens whom is synne i-do, ȝif ony man synneþ aȝens ony creature, þis lord mut ffirst for∣ȝeve his wreþe; and hit wer as unsemelyche man to forȝeve þe wreþe of God, as ȝif þe werst boy in þis rewme forȝaf þe kyngis wreþe, and specially siþ God is more overe þe pope and eche prelat her, þanne þe kynge of Ingelond is more þanne a boy; and God is neiȝe to ech soule more þanne ony man may be. And graunte in presence of þis lord, wiþouten his autorite, [of [supplied conjecturally.] ] trespace don unto him, were a foul presumpcioun. And so prestis be but servauntis to telle þe wille of God, þat God forȝeveþ þe synne, ȝif þat men beþ worþi. And þis knowynge schulde prestis have, and knowe Goddis mercy, þat ȝif men make aseeþ to God, God wole þanne assoyle hem. And errour

in þis bileve disceyveþ many men. And herby may we se,—as power ȝeve to servauntis, is noȝt wittily ȝeve, but ȝif þei kunne here office, so God geveþ noȝt to men power for to assoyle, but ȝif he ȝeve hem kunnynge þat falliþ to her office. And so it may be ofte tymes, þat prelates feyneþ hem power, al ȝif þei have no such power, ffor þei beþ unable. And siþ God mute graunte þis power as propre to him silf, and he may noȝt erre in knowynge of unable prestis, herfore men may be disceyved in hope of suche power; and herfore men schulde telle þe peple of þis power of God, and teche men to affye in þis, and noȝt in mennes power.

But wel I woot þat þis bileve wynneþ noȝt us þe peny, ne [The true doctrine is not a lucrative one, but must not therefore be abandoned.] makiþ us noȝt to be worschipid, ne þe peple soget to us; but pupplischinge of Goddis lawe schulde noȝt be lefte herfore. Bi þis may men se answere to þis resoun,—þat no pope here in erþe, but ȝif he have revelacioun, can telle men þat þei beþ as∣soylled of synne þat þei beþ schryven of, siþe he can noȝt telle þat men haveþ contricioun. And as þe popis lawe seiþ, in grauntynge of his pryvylegie he grauntiþ noȝt suche indulgence but to contrit and confessid. Ȝe, ȝif þe pope seie contrarie, or freris, or seyntis in hevene, men schulde noȝt trowe to hem in þis, siþe þei seie byside þe feiþ. And siþ no confessour in erþe kan wyte where men be contrit, but suppose bi her owne wordis þat þei seye soþe in þis, hit is open þat þes confessours wyttiþ ne bileveþ þat her confessid beþ contrit, but liȝtly sup∣pose þat þei seie soþe of hem silf, and bi þis þei suppose þat God him silf assoyliþ hem, and þanne beþ þei wel assoyled. And þei beþ Goddis bedels to telle truly his sentence, and oþir wise may þei noȝt assoyle men of here synne. And siþ þe pope seiþ þat he assoyleþ ech confessid and contrit, in þat þat he seiþ þat men beþ confessid and contrit, hit semeþ þat þe pope pre∣sumeþ to seie þat þes men haveþ contrycioun. And certis þes popis or cardinals can noȝt wyte of hem silf, wheþer þei have contrycioun, but by a liȝt hope, siþe þei knowe noȝt diference bytwixe attricioun and sufficiant contricioun [The reader of Pascal and of Boileau will here be reminded of the famous controversy concerning attrition and contrition which shook the Church of France in the seven∣teenth century, the Jesuits contend∣ing that attrition, that is, sorrow for sin out of a motive of fear, to∣gether with the sacrament of pe∣nance, was sufficient to cleanse men's souls and make them fit for heaven, while the other side urged that contrition, or sorrow for sin out of a motive of the love of God, was indispensable. He will remember that terrible sarcasm of Boileau, who makes the Almighty invite the de∣fender of the sufficiency of attrition into Paradise, with the words—

'Entrez au ciel; venez, comblé de mes louanges, Du besoin d'aimer Dieu désabuser les anges.'

] , þat God acceptiþ

for synne. And so it semeþ þat þes wordis smachen presump∣cioun, and beþ noȝt groundid in þe lawe of God. And so sum men þenkiþ, þat al þis sacrament is noȝt fully groundid in al holy wryt but in general wordis, and special beþ unknowen; and herfore men schulde noȝt graunte special þat þei knowe noȝt. And her may men se þat Petris keyes schulde noȝt perriche, but be furbusched and clensid of þe rust of heresie, and blasphemye of confessouris schulde be leyd adoun, and þis were profyt to our Chirche and hatynge of blasfeme con∣fessours. For in her absoluciouns fayliþ comunly Petris keyes, and þei feyne ofte to assoylle, and þei assoyle noȝt.

And herfore many prestis þat drediþ hem ffor to lye seieþ [corrected; siþþe, AA.] [The practice of conscien∣tious con∣fessors.] noȝt, I assoylle þee, but, God of hevene assoille þee; and ȝif þei seie þat þei assoyle, þei speke by reputacioun, and nouȝt bi wytynge ne bi trowynge, ffor God chargiþ hem noȝt herto. And so þis confessioun þat is maad to man, haþ ofte tyme be varied in varyinge of þe Chirche. For first men confessid to God and to þe comun peple, and þis confessioun was used in tyme of apostlis. Siþ men were confessid more specially to prestis, and maad hem juges and counseilers of here synful lijf. But at þe þridde tyme, siþ þe fend was losed, ordeyned pope Innocent a lawe of confessioun [The law enforcing private con∣fession, which was established at the fourth Council of the Lateran in 1213.] , þat ech man of discrecioun schulde ones in þe ȝeere pryvyly be confessid of his propre prest, and addede myche to þis lawe þat he kowde noȝt grounde. And al ȝif þis popis ordeynaunce do myche good to many men, neþeles many men þenken þat it harmeþ þe Chirche. Hit doiþ many men good, for schame and drede of here schrifte drawiþ hem fro many synnes, and makiþ hem drede so aftir. And so [corrected; in AA.] þis

sacrament is nedful to synful men, but not so nedful as is con∣fessioun maad to God, for þat is evere nedeful ȝif God schal assoylle men. Þe harme þat comeþ of þis schrifte is ful gret in þe Chirche; ffor many prestis, boþe more and lasse, blasfemeþ in here power, and failliþ in þe keye of kunnynge in þis feyned absolucioun, and falliþ in heresie, prestis and her sogettis, but ȝif prestis purge þe keye of here kunnynge, and stondiþ in boundis of bileve. But þis [is] [supplied conjecturally.] open heresie þat men taken of þis sacrament, þat men þat beþ confessid schal suffre evene þat peyne þat her prest enjoyneþ hem, howevere þei haveþ synned. Þe prest haþ no wite to taxe evene þe peyne aftir þe synne þat þe men haþ do aȝens God, for no man in erþe, ne aungel in hevene, but ȝif God telle him specially, can taxe such a pen∣aunce. And herfore bookis seyen þat penaunce is arbitrarie, now more and now lasse, after þat prestis lykyn. So ofte tyme sum prestis for þe lasse synne enjoyneþ more penaunce, and sum for þe more synne lasse penaunce; but how evere þei en∣joyneþ, God þe hiȝe juge, agenst whom men synneþ, taxeþ evene þe penaunce, þat prestis knowiþ nouȝt, as þei knowiþ noȝt grevousnes of synne. But it semeþ generally, þat men þat schal be saved haveþ penaunce ordeyned of God, in þis liif and in purgatorie, þat þe prest haþ no wytt ne power to enjoyne men. And so men þat schal be dampned beþ noȝt fullyche assoylled of synnes þat þei han be schryfen of, ffor þei schal come aȝen. And þei faille in alle her dedis þat þei do to God, and so þei haveþ noȝt contritcioun as men ordeyned to blisse, ffor þes men bi her grace semeþ noȝt þus dedelyche. But what pope or confessour wot ho haþ suche synnes? And herfore [þei] [Id.] blasfemen, assoillynge of peyne and gilt; and so many men schryveþ hem ofte in veyn to her confessours; and cause of þis vanytee beþ prestis or confessid. But schryve þee to God and laste in contrycioun, and God may noȝt faille ne he wole assoylle þee.