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

XXXII. [LETTER TO POPE URBAN.]

[There can be little doubt that the original of this letter was written in Latin, in the form preserved by Walden in the Fasciculi Zizaniorum, p. 341, and to be seen in a number of MSS. now at Vienna. The English version, as preserved in two MSS. (one at the Bodleian, the other at New College), is a heightened and amplified composition; probably it was prepared by Wyclif's followers chiefly with a view to home consumption. The differences between the two versions are indicated in the notes.

Of the authenticity of the letter there can be no doubt. Walden, in the Fasciculi, introduces it with the heading, 'Copia cujusdam literae magistri Johannis Wyclyff missae Papae Urbano VI. ad excusationem de non veniendo sibi ad citationem suam, A.D. MCCCLXXXIV.' It was written there∣fore in 1384, the last year of Wyclif's life, when he was affected by paralysis, and incapable of making the long journey to which the Pope invited him.

The text is founded on the Bodleian (647), collated with the New College MS. (W and Q in this edition). The latter I believe to be a copy of the former, so far at least as this letter is concerned.]

I HAVE joy fully to telle to alle treue men þo bileve þat I holde, and algatis to þo pope; for I suppose þat if my fayth be riȝtful and gyven of God, þo pope wil gladly [om. Q.] conferme hit; and if my fayth be errour, þo pope wil wisely amende hit.

I suppose over þis, þat þo gospel of Crist be hert of þo corps of Gods lawe [be herte of Goddis lawe, Q.] ; ffor I byleve þat Jesus Crist, þat gaf in his owne persoun þis gospel, is verrey God and verrey mon, and be þis hert [om. Q.] passes alle oþer lawes.

I suppose over þis þat þo pope be moste oblischid to þo keping of þo gospel among alle men þat lyven here; for þo

pope is hyeste vicar þat Crist has here in erthe. Ffor more∣nesse of Cristis vicar is not mesurid by worldly morenesse, bot bi þis, þat þis vicar sues more Crist by virtuous lyvyng [in vertuous lif, Q.] ; for þus techis þo gospel, þat þis is þo sentence of Crist.

And of þis gospel I take as byleve, þat Crist, for tyme þat he walkid here, was moste pore mon of alle, boþe in spirit and in havyng; for Crist seis þat he had noȝt for to reste his hed on. [Matt. viii. 20.] And Poule seis þat he was made nedy for our love [In Walden's Latin version only the references to these texts are given. The two sentences which follow are not in Walden; probably they were inserted by the disciple who trans∣lated the letter. They are also omitted both by Lewis and Dr. Vaughan, although they are found in both the extant copies of the English version.] . And [2 Cor. viii. 9.] more pore myȝt no mon be, nouþer bodily ne in spirit. And þus Crist putte fro hym al maner of worldly lordschip. Ffor þo gospel of Jon telliþ þat when þei wold have made Crist kyng, he fled and hid hym fro hem, for he wold non such worldly hynesse.

And over þis I take as byleve, þat no mon schuld sue þo pope, ne no [any, Q.] seynt þat now is in heven, bot in als myche as he sues Crist. For Jon and James errid when þei coveytid worldly hynesse; and Petir and Poule synned also when þei denyed and blasphemed in Crist; bot men schuld not sue hom in þis, for þen þei wente fro Jesus Crist [Lewis, who is followed by Dr. Vaughan, cuts down this long sen∣tence to—'for James and John errid, and Peter and Powl sinned.'] . Off [And, Q.] þis I take as hool∣some counseil, þat þo pope leeve his worldly lordschip to worldly lordis, as Crist gaf hom,—and move spedely alle his clerkis to do so. For þus did Crist, and tauȝt þus his disciplis, til þo fende had blyndid þis world. And hit semes to sum men, þat clerkis þat dwellen lastandly in þis error ageyns Gods lawe, and flees to sue Crist in þis, ben open heretikes, and hor fautours ben partyneris [This sentence is not in the Latin; it is also omitted by Lewis and Dr. Vaughan.] .

And if I erre in þis sentense, I will mekely be amendid, ȝhe, by þo deth, if hit be skilful, for þat I hope were gude to me. And if I myȝt travel in myn owne persoun, I wold wiþ gode

wille go to þo pope. Bot God [supplied from Q; om. W.] has nedid me to þo contrarye, and tauȝt me more obeche to God þen to mon [From this point to the end the English version bears only a distant resemblance to the Latin.] . And I sup∣pose of oure pope þat he wil not be Anticrist, and reversen Crist in þis wirkynge, to þo contrarie of Cristis wille; for if he summone ageyns resoun, by him or by any of his, and pursue þis unskilful summonyng, he is an open Anticrist. And merciful entent excusid not Peter, þat ne Crist cleped hym Sathanas; so blynde entent and wicked counseil excuses not þo pope here; bot if he aske of trew prestis þat þei travel more þan þei may, he is not excusid by resoun of God þat ne he is Anticrist. For oure byleve techis us, þat oure blessid God suffris us not to be temptid more þan we may; how schulde a mon aske such servyce? And þerfore preye we to God for oure pope Urban þo sex [sixte, Q.] , þat his olde holy entent be not quenchid by his enemyes. And Crist þat may not lye seis, þat þo enemyes of a mon ben specialy his homely meyneȝ; and þis is soth of men and fendis.