i III ml w-^ ^^m At -$ »U>»«iiS^ .Oy .575 . / //ill; Jxi^iL^' WRITINGS^, /^ '■ - " - lA OF ) . 1283, where the sale of William Pike, " our slave by birth, and all his family," is mentioned as a matter of course. The price was a mark, or thirteen shillind. the (piarter. In 13r)9, wheat was 1/. Gs. 8r/. ; in IfifJl, at 2s. ; and in loG3, at 15*. See Fleetwood's Chron. Preciosum. The lower classes must have suffered very much from those sudden varia- tions, and at the high prices they would be (juite imable to purchase the necessaries of life. When the difference of the value of money and of commodities is taken into calculation, a shilling in Wicklifi"s time was e(pial to a pound at the present day. State of England in the fourteenth century. 7 what was the general character of those to whom the popes and their counsellors delegated the exercise of that paramount authority they had assumed. Ignorance as to scriptural truth was of course considered by such priests as the best safeguard of their authority ; but though the church of Rome has maintained that ignorance is the mother of devotion, we know that such a source will yield only blind superstitious feelings strongly op- posed to true religion. The instruction given to the lower classes at that period, tended to harden them in ignorance and vice, while they committed their spiritual concerns entirely to the priesthood ; or if the conscience refused to be silenced in this manner, it was diverted to the practice of austerities and will- worship, equally destructive to the soul. The few virtues of that age were not christian virtues, they were founded on the romantic notions of chivalry ; faint glimmerings of light which only served to make the surrounding darkness more visible ; at best they were deceptive, leading the pilgrim from the way to real peace.* Only a small number of persons had been pre- served from the corruptions of the papacy, but they, even in the darkest times, had exercised some influence upon Europe, though subjected to the most bitter persecution. A few indivi- duals also, who were distinguished for mental powers, as Grosse- teste and Bradwardine, had borne testimony in England against the usurpations and crimes of the papacy, while others had begun to perceive that the conduct of the priesthood, when examined by the rule of scripture, was altogether antichris- tian. The circumstances already noticed should be kept in mind when we enter upon the history of Wickliff. The demoralized state of the land made it ripe for sufferings. In Israel of old, when luxury and wickedness abounded, prophets were sent to warn the people of approaching judgments, and to point out the way of salvation ; so in England, Wickliff and others were raised up to bear faithful testimony to the truth, and to denounce what must be the end of the practices which then prevailed.f * Froissart's Chronicles show this. The mixture of generosity and courtesy with licentiousness and cruelty, depictured by the chivalrous historian, will strike the reader very forcibly. t The monkish annalists, who were the English historians of those times, fully justify the sketch here given of the state of England during the fourteenth century. The English reader who may not have access to those sources of information, will find many particulars in the histories of Henry, Andrews, and Turner. The height to which the luxury and excess of the times had arrived in the days of Richard II., is thus described by HoUinshed. " There resorted daily to his coiu't above ten thousand persons, who had meat and drink there allowed them. In his kitchen were three hun- dred servitors, and every other office was furnished after the like rate. Of ladies chamberers and landerers, there were above three hundred at the least. And in gorgeous and costly apparel they exceeded all 8 Wickliff.—Life. When we recollect the state of Eno:land, and the crying evils which called for exposure and reproof, we shall be satisfied that Wickliff was not an ambitious, or a revolutionary spirit, as some have described him, but rather a prophet, as Jeremiah, "weep- ing day and night for the slain of the daughter of his people," measure, not one of them kept within the bounds of his degree. Yeo- men and grooms were clothed in silks, with cloth of grain and scarlet, over sumptuous ye may be sure for their estates. And this vanity was not only used in the court in those days, but also other people abroad in the towns and countries, had their garments cut far otherwise than had been accustomed before his days, with embroideries, rich furs, and goldsmiths' work, and ever}'' day there was devisings of new fashions, to the great hinderance and decay of the commonwealth. More- over, such were preferred to bishoprics and other ecclesiastical livings, as neither could teach nor preach, nor knew any thing of the scripture of God, but only to call ibr their tithes and dues ; so that they were most unworthy the name of bishops, being lewd and most vain per- sons disguised in bishop's apparel. Furthermore, there reigned abun- dantly the filthy sin of lechery and fornication, with abominable adul- tery, especially in the king, but most chiefly in the prelacy, whereby the whole realm, by such their evil example, was so infected, that the wrath of God was daily provoked to vengeance for the sins of the prince and his people." The " Forme of Cury," proves the excess of luxury of the table in which the court then indulged. The depraved state of the popedom is described by almost every writer, civil as well as ecclesiastical. One extract may be given from the epistles of Petrarch, who cannot be objected to as an authority on thissubject. At that time there was a schism in the papacy, which it might be supposed would oblige the pretenders to the popetlom to more than usual care, that they might not disgust their adherents, liut the state of the papal court at Avignon, about a. d. 1350, is thus described by Petrarch, and Rome was, if possible, more depraved. He says, the former city had become " a terrestrial hell, a residence of fiends and devils, a recep- tacle of all that is most wicked and abominable. There is no piety, no reverence or fear of God, no faith or charity, nothing that is holy, just, e(|uitable, or humane." He adds, " Why should I speak of truth, where not only the houses, palaces, com-ts, churches, and the thrones of popes and cardinals, but the very earth and air, appear to teem with lies! A future state, heaven, hell, and judgment, are openly tiu-ned into ridicule as childish fables. Good men have of late been treated with so much contempt and scorn, that there is not one left among them to be an object of derision." This delineation Petrarch confirms by several facts. In another place he says, " Whatever perfidy and treachery, whatever bar- l)arity and i)ride, whatever immodesty and unbridled lust you have ever heard or read of ; in a word whatever impiety and immorality either now is, or ever was scattered over all the world, you may find here, amassed in one heap." The lan}.^uage of Baronius, the Romish annal- ist, is scarcely less strong. The depraved state of ecclesiastics in England, particularly the emissaries of Rome and the monastic orders, is delineated by Chaucer in his Canterbury tales in appalling colours. It is also described by the author of the Vision of Piers Plowman, and A. D. 1324.] His birth. 9 hearins: the voice of the Lord, " Shall I not visit for these things ? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ?" One deeply impressed by such feelings could not be indifferent to the office appointed him to discharge, nor should he be judged by estimates of what appear to be the duties of a minister of the gospel in our own times. We may consider England at that period, as in many respects resembhng Judah in the days of the son of Hilkiah. Like him, WicklifF was called from the priest- hood of the land, to bear testimony as a prophet before kings and rulers, and like him, was unavoidably implicated in the poli- tical events of the times. And though visitations were not sent upon England to the same extent as those inflicted upon Judah, yet the painful scenes exhibited in the civil wars of the succeed- ing century, show that famine and the sword came upon the land, and that the people were punished for the fruit of their doings. We should ever remember that national crimes will brino: down national judgments. Warnings are sent previously to desolations, but when the voice of the Lord, speaking by his faithful ministers, is disregarded, execution will assuredly follow. It was so in the period referred to. The wickedness and profli- gacy of England in the fourteenth century were extreme, the awful and certain consequences were plainly exhibited by Wick- hff and his associates ; many, there is good reason to believe, sought the things which concerned their peace, but the nation at large persisted in evil courses, and persecuted to death the wit- nesses of the truth. The calamities which followed have been but feebly depictured in the pages of history ; the particulars of in- dividual suffering are forgotten amidst details of martial enter- prise. May England not forget the innumerable mercies she has since then received, may the warnings of faithful ministers of Christ not again be despised, and may our national sins never again arise to such a height as to bring national judgments upon our country ! John Wickliff* was born about the year 1324, at a village of the same name, a few miles from the town of Richmond in others, but the various decrees issued by the higher ecclesiastical autho- rities respecting the life and manners of the clergy, are sufficient and indisputable evidence. Many of these may be found in the third vo- lume of Wilkins's Concilia. They seem wholly to have failed in effect- ing any moral improvement, which is not surprising when we consider the sources from which they emanated. The gross docti-inal errors inculcated by the church of Home, even after the days of Wickliff; are explicitly asserted in the proceedings against his followers. * The name of the reformer has been spelled in sixteen different ways. Wiclif is adopted by Lewis and Baber, and is used in the oldest document in which the name appears — his appointment to the em- bassy to the pope in 1374. Wycliffe is adopted by Vaughan, and ap- pears to be the most correct. W ickliff" is used in the present work as the most popular form. In those times orthography was but little at- tended to ; in proper names especially it was much neglected. B 3 10 TFickUff.—Life. [a. d. 1344. Yorkshire, where his ancestors had resided from the time of the Conquest. The family were respectable, and possessed consi™ derable property, but continued the advocates of those super- stitions which their relative earnestly laboured to remove. It is probable, that in consequence of the change in his views he was estranged from his own family. Under feelings of this nature he would be led to use the language of one of his tracts, in which speakino; of the errors into which worldly minded parents often fall, he says, " With much travail and cost they get great riches, and estates, and benefices for their children, and often to their greater damnation ; but they incline not to get for their children the goods of grace and virtuous life. Nor will they suffer them to retain these goods, as they are freely proffered to them of God ; but hinder it as much as they may ; saying, if a child yield himself to meekness and poverty, and flee cove- tousness and pride, from a dread of sin, and to please God, — that he shall never become a man, never cost them a penny, and they curse him because he livelh well, and will teach other men the will of God to save their souls ! For by so doing, the child getteth many enemies to his elders, and they say that he slandereth all their noble kindred who were ever held to be true men and worshipful."* In those days, next to the danger and reproach of being a heretic, and closely approaching thereto, was the being accounted a friend or relative of one suspected of heresy. All the memorial which remains of the history of WicklifF's youth, is, that his parents designed their son for the church, and his mind was early directed to the requisite studies. He was en- tered at Queen's college, Oxford, an institution then recently founded, from whence he soon removed to Merton college, the most distinguished in the university at that period, when the number of scholars had recently been estimated to amount to thirty thousand. Wickliff's attention appears rather to have been directed to the studies suitable for his profession, than to general literature. As Fuller observes, " The fruitful soil of his * MS. On weil(k'(l men, their wives and children. See " The Life and Opinions of Jolni de Wvclitfe, illustrated principally from his unpub- lished manuscripts, by Kohert Vaughan." Vol. I. p. 223. A work which supplies a more complete personal history of the reformer and his writings than any which preceded it. By the author's permission consi- derable use of his vahia])le selections has been made in compiling the present brief sketch. The life of Wiclif by Lewis is well kiujwn, and deservedly esteemed for the patient industry of the writer, and the valuable materials he has collected. It is, however, to be regretted that he did not give a more full account of Wicklifl's doctrinal jjicces. Mr. Vaugbun has done much to supply this deficiency. Considerable assist- ance has also bien derived from liabei's valuable sketch of Wick- lifl's life prefixed to his edition of the reformer's new testament. Knyghton, Fox, Ilollinshed, and other early chroniclers also have been referred to. A. D. 1350.] His early studies. 11 natural abilities he industriously improved by acquired learn- ing. He was not only skilled in the fashionable arts of that age, and m that abstruse, crabbed divinity, all. whose fruit is thorns, but he was also well versed in the scriptures ; a rare accomplishment in those days." Dr. James enumerates various writers, by whom he considers Wickliff to have been grounded in the 'truth. He doubtless learned much from the fathers, and was considerably indebted to Grosseteste and Bradwardine ; but his writings show that his religious principles were mainly drawn from the bible.* His perusal of the scriptures and the fathers rendered him dissatisfied with the scholastic divinity of that age, while the knowledge of canon and civil law then requisite for a divine, enabled him to discern many of the errors of popery. His writings also show him to have been well acquainted with the laws of his own country. The four fathers of the Latin church, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, and Gregory, are continually quoted by him, so as to show his intimate acquaintance with their writings. Augustine, in particular, he seems to have va- lued next to the scriptures. It will not be forgotten that Luther derived much instruction from the writings of that father. The acknowledged ability of WicklifF as a scholar, led his adversa- ries to accuse him of evil designs rather than of ignorance, while his friends gave him the title of the evangelic doctor. Even Knighton states that he was second to none in philosophy. Wicklift\s mind must have received deep impressions from an awful visitation of Providence which occurred in the middle of the fourteenth century. Europe was shaken by a succession of earthquakes; shortly after, it was ravaged by a pestilence, the effects of which were more rapid and extensive, than at this day we can easily conceive. More than half the people of this and other lands were swept away ; the alarmed survivors reckoned the mortality far higher.f That Wicklirt" was deeply impressed by this awful event, appears by his frequent references thereto, when he is sounding an alarm to a care- less and profane generation. Under "a strong feeling that the end of the world approached, he wrote his first publication, a small treatise, entitled " The last Age of the Church," in which he describes the corruptions which then pervaded the whole ecclesiastical state, as the main cause of that chastisement which Europe had so lately felt. Early and deep impressions of * See, The History of the Church of Christ, Vol. III., for some ac- count of Grosseteste and Bradwardine. f Knighton says, that before this plague a curate might have been hired for four or five marks a year, or for two marks and his board ,• but after it, scarcely any could be found who would accept of a living of twenty marks a year. Archbishop Islip interfered, and forbad any curate to claim an advance of more than one mark yearly. Stow ob- serves upon this Umitation, that it induced many priests to turn robbers ! 12 jrickliff.—Life. [a. d. 1357. this nature, evidently tended much to strensjthen and to prepare the reformer for the arduous course he was shortly called to pursue. That his mind had been led to look to the only true ground of support, is evident from a passa2:e in this tract, where- in he speaks of Christ Jesus as having " entered into holy things, that is into holy church, ])y holy living and holy teaching ; and with his blood he dehvered man's nature; as Zechariah writeth in his ninth chapter. Thou verily, with the blood of witness, or of thy testament, hast led out from the ])it, them that were bound. So when we were sinful, and the children of wrath. God's Son came out of heaven, and praying his Father for his enemies, he died for us. Then, much rather shall we be saved, now we are made righteous through his blood." Thus we find Wickliff in his thirty-second year, respected for his scholastic acquirements, deeply impressed with the import- ance of divine truth, awakened to a sense of the divine judg- ments, enabled already to break through the bands of supersti- tion, and in possession of that hope which alone can affurd refuge for a guilty sinner. We shall now see how these prepara- tions fitted him for the contest, and led him to the encounter in whicii he was called to engage. The first circumstance which summoned WicklifFto this con- flict was a controversy with the mendicant friars. Some of them had settled at Oxford in 1221, where they attracted much notice by their professed freedom from the avarice of the monastic fraternities in general, and by their activity as preachers. They introduced many of the opinions afterwards adopted by the reformers, for a time saying much in opposition to the papal authority, and in support of the authority of the bible. But their errors and encroaching spirit soon appeared, so that Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln, who for some years had favoured the friars, at length deeply censured their conduct. Their zeal to proselyte youths at the universities to their orders, called forth vigorous opposition from Fitzraf, archl)ishop of Armagh, who, in a petition to the pope in 1357, affirmed that the students of Oxford were reduced on this account to six thousand, not more than a fifth of their former number.* In lcfi(>6, a par- liamentary enactment ordered that none of the orders should receive any youth under the age of eighteen ; also that no bull should be procured by the friars against the universities. Si- milar disputes then prevailed in the university of Pans. The * In his tract of Clerks Possessioners, Wickliff complains that " Friars draw children from Christ's religion into their private order, hy hypocrisy, lyings, and stealing." He charges them with stealing chil- dren from their parents througli inducing them to enter their orders, by re- presenting that men of their order would never come to hell, and would have higher degree of bliss in heaven than any other. For an account of Fitzraf, or Armachanus, as he was usually called, see Fox, who gives a nummary of his arguments against the friars. A. D. 1360.] His controversy with the mendicaiit friars. 13 objections alleged against the mendicants, as stated by Wickliff, ma\^ be thus summed up : — they represented a life inertly con- templative, as preferable to one spent in active attention to christian duties; they were defective in morals when discharging their office of confessors ; while itinerating in the offices they assumed, they persecuted all such as they detected really " travelling to sow God's word among the people ;" to these may be added a full proportion of every error and vice which has been charged on the corrupt clergy of Rome. Nor did WickUtf merely expose and seek to correct these fruits of error ; he showed that they proceeded from the unscriptural nature of the institutions, which evidently were opposed to those precepts of the bible, which they professed to regard. Against these mendicants, Wicklitf wrote several tracts, entitled Of the property of Christ; Agamst able Beggary; and of Idleness in Beggary * The vices of the friars led him to consider more fully the vices of the Romish priesthood. The approval which the conduct of Wicklitf, in opposing the mendicants, received from the university, appears from his be- ing chosen v\^denof BajujiJ college in lc561. In the same year he was presenfed Dy mscoUege to the living of Fillingham, in Lincolnshire, which he afterwards exchanged for Ludgershall, in Wiltshire. In 1365 he was appointed warden of Canterbury hall, by Simon de Islip, the founder, then primate of England. In the instrument appointing WickUff to this office, Islip states him to be a person on whose fidehty, circumspection, and industry he confided, one on whom he had fixed for that place for the honesty of his life, his laudable conversation, and know- ledge of letters. Islip dying shortly after, WickUff was dis- placed by Langham, his successor, who had been a monk, from whose decision he appealed to the pope. The integrity and courage of Wickliff are manifest from the boldness with which he continued to oppose the mendicants, both personally and by his writings, during the time his appeal was under consideration. Another circumstance now occurred which assisted to call Wickhfl' into public notice. This was the decision of the Eng- lish parliament in 1365, to resist the claim of pope Urban V. who attempted the revival of an animal payment of a thousand marks,t as a tribute, or feudal acknowledgment, that the king- doms of England and Ireland were held at the pleasure of the popes. His claim was founded upon the surrender of the crown by king John to pope Innocent III. The payment had been dis- continued for thirty- three years, and the recent victories of * In his writings Wickliff sometimes speaks of the houses of the friars as Cairn's castles, (Cain was then so spelt,) alluding to the ini- tial letters of the four mendicant orders, the Carmelites, Augustines, Jacobites, and Minorites. They were commonly called the White, Black, Austin, and Grey friars. •f A mark is 13^. 4d. 14 Wickliff.—Life. [a. d. 1365. Cressy and Poictiers, with their results, had so far strengthened the power of England, that the present demands by the pontiff, of the arrears, with the continuance of the tribute, upon pain of the papal censure, were unanimously rejected by the king and parhament. The reader must recollect that this was not a question bearing only upon the immediate point in dispute ; the grand subject of papal supremacy was involved therein, and the refusal to listen to the mandate of the pope necessarily tended to abridge the general influence of the clergy. A measure of this description was almost unknown in the history of Europe at that day. Such claims were not lightly relinquished by the papacy, and shortly after this decision of the parliament, a monk wrote indt-fenceof the papal usurpations, assertmg that the sovereignty of England was forfeited by withholding the tri- bute, and that the cleriry, whether as individuals or as a general body, were exempted from all jurisdiction of the civil power, a claim which had already excited considerable discussions in the precedmg reigns. Wicklift" was personally called upon by this writer to prove, if he were able, the fallacy of these opinions ; nor should it be forgotten that this work did not proceed from any of the mendicant orders, but from one of those monks who were directly opposed to them. Thus it is evident that Wick- liff 's former conduct was rightly estimated, as proceedino- not from one who merely opposed the mendicants, as such, but from one who would oppose the leading errors of the church of Rome, under whatever gui>>e they might appear. In Wickliff's reply, wherein he has jn-eserved the argu- ments of the monk, he styles himself one of the royal chap- lains. He combats the assumptions of the church of Rome, confirming his sentiments by giving the substance of several speeches delivered by certain of the lay nobility in the recent debate relative to the claims of the pontitr". We need not enter into the contents of this tract f;;rther than to quote the following declaration attributed to one of the sj)eakers, that, " Christ is the supreme Lord, while the pope is a man, and lialjle to mortal sin, and who while in mortal sin, according to divines, is unfitted for dominion." The extent to which such a principle miuht be applied, is evident from the well-known wicked lives of Ihe pontilfs, which had led to the monstrous asser- tion of Romish divines, that the pope, tliough gudty of the most heinous sins, still was to be obeyed and respected in his man- dates ; even those which concerned religion.* * BeUarmine goes farther, he says, " Though the pope should err in enjoiniui; vices, and prohibiting virtues, yet would the church be bound to believe the vices to be virtues, and the virtues vices, if it would avoid sinning against its own conscience." De Funtif. iv. 5, One of the popes says, " The pope, who represents on earth not mere man, but true God, has a hea\ enly power ; and therefore changes the natiae of things. — Nor is there any one that can say unto him, \Vhy A. D. 1366. J Resistance to the papal claims. 15 The treatise concludes with a view of the future, taken by Wickliff, which has long since been fulfilled. " If I mistake not, the day will come in which all exactions shall cease, before the pope will prove such a condition to be reasonable and honest." Who now in England ventures to assert that the temporal au- thority of the pope is supreme ? or that his ecclesiastics are exempted from the laws of God and their country ? yet such doc- trines were openly maintained in those ages, and still are asserted in some parts of Europe ! The parliament in 1366 also directed regulations to be observed by which the power and influence of the mendicants were limited. In the part taken by the univer- sity of Oxford, during these proceedings, Wickliff doubtless was concerned, and the attention given to his arguments on these subjects, which then so deeply agitated the public mind, must have brought his opinions concerning the scriptures, and other points more immediately connected with divine truths, into general notice. Thus attention was called to those doctrines which he now began publicly to advocate. One circumstance which promoted this opposition to the papal claims, was the national animosity then existing between England and France. For many of the popes being natives of France, evinced their partiality for their own country, in which they then resided, on all occasions. All these concurring circumstances led Ed- ward III. to pursue a line of conduct, which certainly charac- terises him as a promoter of the reformation, at least as to its outward concerns. John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, claims notice as con- spicuous among the court and family of the British monarch, for the countenance and support he afforded to Wickliff. Under his influence an attempt appears to have been made in 1371, by authority of parliament, to exclude ecclesiastics from all offices of state.* Wickliff, in his writings, has so fully shown his deep sense of the necessity for the clergy being exclusively devoted to the duties of their spiritual functions, that we cannot doubt of his intimate connexion with the prince from whom such a proposition originated. The views of Wickliff as to the proper method of discharging the office of minister to the church, will appear by the following extract from one of his early pieces, entitled " A short rule of Ufe." He says, " If thou art a priest, and by name a curate, live thou a holy life. Pass other men in holy prayer, holy desire, and holy speaking ; in dost thou so ? For he can dispense laws ; he can make justice in- justice by altering and amending laws, and he has a fulness of power." Innocent III. Gloss. A contemporary of Wickliff openly maintained that the pope was incapable of mortal sin ! * Almost every office of importance or profit was filled by eccle- siastics, from that of lord chancellor, to the surveyor of the king's buildings, and the superintendent of his wardrobe. About this time the chancellor was bishop of YAj ; the two latter offices were filled by the parsons of OLuidle and Harwich. 16 Wickliff.—Lifc. [a. d. 1370. counsellino: and teachins; the truth. Ever keep the command- ments of God, and let his gospel and his praises be ever in thy mouth. Ever despise sin, that men may be drawn therefrom, and that thy deeds may be so far rightful, that no man shall blame them with reason. Let thy open life be thus a true book, in which the soldier and the layman may learn how to serve God, and keep his commandments. For the example of a good life, if it be open and continued, striketh rude men much more than open preaching with the word alone. And waste not thy <:oods in great feasts for rich men, but live a frugal life on poor men's alms and goods. Have both meat, and drink, and clothiniT, but the remnant give truly to the poor; to those who have freely wrought, but who now may not labour from feebleness and sickness ; and thus shalt thou be a true priest both to God and toman." These are sentiments which remind us of the early ages of the church, and Wicklitr' was not one who set furthpreceptsforothers, which he did not practise him- self. This and similar passages will be found in the following pages. Nor was he less earnest to enforce due respect for the ministers of religion, as will appear from the following Extract. *' Thy second father is thy spiritual father, who has special care of thy soul, and thus shalt thou worship (reverence) him. Thou shalt love him especially before other men, and obey his teaching as far as he teaches God's will. And help accordmg to thy power, that he have a reasonable sustenance when he doeth well his office. And if he fail in his office, by giving evil ex- ample, and in ceasing from teaching God's law, thou art bound to have great sorrow on that account, and to tell meekly and charitably his default, to him, between thee and him alone."* In 1370, the papal court decided against the continuance of Wicklitf in the wardenship of Canterbury- hall. It was de- creed that the inmates should all be monks, notwithstanding the express declarations of the founder, and the terms of the royal license to the contrary. The royal sanction to this sentence was obtained two years afterwards. Among the means em- ployed by his opponents, bribery appears lo have been the principal. Wickliff was neither surprised nor troubled by this decision ; he does not refer to it in any part of his writings, nor was any imputation cast upon him thereby. In 1373 VVicklitt' was admitted to the degree of doctor in divi- nity. As this rank was at thattime unfrequent, and conferred a c msiderable degree of influence, it must have facilitated the diffusion of the doctrines he advocated throughout the kingdom. Many of his scholastic pieces doubtless were lectures delivered * Vaughan observes upon this extract ; " If WyciiflFe ever sanctioned aay less mild or scriptural methods oi reform, it was 1)ecause the state ot' the malady was i'cmnd to require a severer treatment.'' In his tracts, For the Order of Priesthood, and the Utiice of Curates, VVicklitt' eaters very fully into this subject. A. D. 1373.] His lectures as Professor of Divinity. 17 by him as professor of divinity, to which office he was ap- pointed in 1372. His early En^ish writings also show both the doctrinal views, and the religious feelings with which he proceeded in his new office. He was skilful in the use of the artificial logic then in vogue, and by accustoming his hearers to enter into logical and metaphysical distinctions, he taught them to exercise their minds upon inquiries, which he gradually directed to more important subjects than those usually intro- duced into such lectures. Among these early pieces, the Exposition of the Decalogue, now in the Cotton library, may be included.* As this exposi- tion differs from that which will be found in the present volume, a brief extract or two may be given. Enforcing love to God by keeping his commands, Wickliff says, " Have a remembrance of the goodness of God, how he made thee in his own likeness, and how Jesus Christ, both God and man, died so painful a death upon the cross, to buy man's soul out of hell, even with his own heart's blood, and to bring it to the bliss of heaven." He admonishes that the sabbath not only commemorates the work of creation, but also the resurrection of Christ, and the gift of the Spirit, adding, *' Bethink thee heartily of the won- derful kindness of God, who was so high and so worshipful in heaven, that he should come down so low and be born of the maiden, and become our brother, to buy us again by his hard passion, from our thraldom to Satan." After describing the sufferings of Christ, he adds, " All this he did and suffered of his own kindness, without any sin of himself, that he might deliver us from sin and pain, and bring us to everlasting bliss. Thou shouldest also think constantly, how, when he had made thee of nought, thou hadst forsaken him, and all his kmdness, through sin, and hadst taken thee to Satan and his service, world without end, had not Christ, God and man, suffered this hard death to save us. And thus, see the great kindness, and all other goodness, which God hath shown for thee, and thereby learn thy own great unkindness ; and thus thou shalt see that man is the most fallen of creatures, and the unkindest of all creatures that ever God made ! It should be full, sweet, and dehghtful to us to think thus on this great kindness, and this great love of Jesus Christ!" Mr. Vaughan observes of this exposition, " We find Wyclifie zealously inculcating the lessons of inspiration, on the fall of man and the consequent depravity of human nature ; on the excellence and perpetual obligation of the moral law ; on the exclusive dependence of every child of Adam on the atonement of Christ for the remission of his sins ; and for victory over temptation, and the possession of holiness, on the aids of divine grace. It appears also that these momentous tenets were very far from being regarded by Wyc- lilfe with the coldness of mere speculation." * See Vaughan's Life of WicklifF, vol.i. p. 303. 18 WicMiff.—Life. [a. d. 1375. The aid which the lal)ours of Wickliff received from the dis- putes then existinij between the popes and the English govern- ment, has been already noticed ; these differences were again renewed in 1373, on the subject of " provisors." The papal see had been accustomed to grant anticipated vacancies in the English church among its foreign dependents, by which mi- nisters were appointed who were neither able nor willing to discharge the duties of their office. Various legal enactments had been previously made to meet these encroachments, and a law was passed whereby the election of bishops was rendered entirely independent of the papal sanction. Tn the year 1360, during the pestilence, seven English bishop- rics had become vacant, all of which were filled by aliens, under papal provisions, and the result of inquiry in 1376, showed that a very large number of the English benefices were in the hands of foreigners. An embassy was despatched to the continent in 1 374, to remonstrate with the papal see on this subject, and WicklifF was one of the delegates. Bruges was the place appointed for meeting the commissioners of the papal see ; the proceedings, as usual in all matters of a similar nature, were protracted by every species of evasion; they continued nearly two years, while the concessions obtained were few and unsatisfactory. Wick- liff saw enough during his visit to the continent, to satisfy him more fully of the antichristian character of the papacy. He returned from this treaty, like Cranmer and Luther from Rome, more than ever convinced of the necessity of a thorough reformation in ecclesiastical affairs. He now styled the pope, " antichrist, the proud, worldly priest of Rome, the most cursed of clippers and purse kervers." We find strong ex- pressions in his subsequent writings, but when we refer to the corruptions of the church of Rome, and to the treatment Wick- liff received from the Romish ecclesiastics, it may truly be said, *• Was there not a cause ?" The public attention was now awakened to the intolerable exactions of the popedom. A parliamentary remonstrance in 1376 states, that the taxes paid to the pope yearly out of England, were five times the amount paid to the king ; also that the richest prince in Christendom had not the fourth part of the income received by the pope out of England. These calcula- tions might well call forth the emphatic expression contained in the same document, " that God had committed his sheep to the pope to be pastured, and not to be shorn or shaven." In November 1375, Wickliff was presented by the king to a prebend in the colles:iate church of Westbury, and shortly after to the rectory of Lutterworth in Leicestershire, at that time in the royal gift by the minority of lord de Ferrars, the patron. He was speedily called to take a still more prominent part in public affairs. At that period a severe political struggle existed between the duke of Lancaster and the leading ecclesiastics, among A. D. 1377.] His appearance before the Prelates. 19 whom Courtney, bishop of London, and Wykehara of Win- chester, were most distinijuished. The particulars need not here be detailed ; it is sufficient to say that the transactions were complicated. It is only to the unbounded influence of the Romish priesthood over the consciences of men, that we can attribute the popular excitement against the reformer and his friends, which the prelates succeeded in raising. It is, perhaps, less easy to explain how the parliament, which assembled in 1376 and 1377, should have been opposed both to the encroachments of the papacy and to the administration of the duke of Lan- caster. The clergy were evidently displeased at proceedings against some of their number, and at this period, for the first time, we find them adverting to the doctrines of Wickliff, as calling for official interference. This doubtless was intended as an attack both upon the doctrines of the reformer, and the power of his patron. In the convocation which met in February 1377,* Wickliff was cited to appear before his ecclesiastical superiors, to answer certain charges brought against him for holding and publishing erroneous and heretical doctrines. A day was ap- pointed for hearing his defence, and the scene which ensued is thus described by Fox from the chronicle of St. Albans. " When the day assigned to the said Wickliff to appear was come, which day was Thursday, the 19th of February,f John Wickliff went, accompanied with the duke of Lancaster, also four friars appointed by the duke, the better to ensure Wick- liff's safety, and lord Henry Percy, lord marshal of England ; lord Percy going before to make room and way where Wickliff should come. " Thus Wickliff, through the providence of God, being suffi- ciently guarded, was coming to the place where the bishops sat. By the way they animated and exhorted him not to fear nor shrink a whit at the company of the bishops there present, who were all unlearned, said they, in respect of him, — for so pro- ceed the words of my author, whom I follow in this narration ; neither should he dread the concourse of the people, whom they would themselves assist and defend, in such sort thtament. The scenes of slaughter, cruelty, and proflii^acy, occasioned by this papal schism, are lated Ijy historians. The danc^er incurred byWickhff in his proceedings, now was greater than ever, but he pursued his course with stedfastness to the last. "The lan2:uage of his conduct" has been well described, as being to this effect ; " To live, and to be silent is with me impossible — the guilt of such treason against the Lord of heaven is more to be dreaded than many deaths. Let the blow therefore fall. Enough I know of the men whom I op- pose, of the times on which I am thrown, and of the mysteri- ous providence which relates to our sinful race, to expect that the stroke will ere long descend. But my purpose is unalter- able, I wait its coming."* The stroke, however, was stayed ; the duke of Lancaster was still considered as the patron of Wicklitt', the popes were oc- cupied by their mutual contests, the political distractions of England absorbed the attention of all the leading characters, a,nd Wickliff was permitted to pass the short remainder of his days without interruption from the hand of violence. He had also a constant patroness in Anne of Bohemia, queen of Richard IL, who was eminent for her piety and blameless con- duct. For two years previously to his decease, Wickliff was paralytic, and had the assistance of a curate named Purvey, who partook of his master's sentiments, but he continued him- self to officiate. It is said that he was engaged in distributing the bread of the Lord's supper, when seized with the last and fatal attack of paralysis. He was at once deprived of con- sciousness and the power of speech. After a brief struggle, his spirit left the earth, and found a joyful refuge in another and a better world. He was taken ill on the 29th, and died on the 31st of December, \Z^A. Wickliff was buried in peace, but in the year 1415 the council of Constance ordered his remains to be disinterred, and cast forth from consecrated ijround. This was not enforced till 1428, when by command of the pope, forty-four years after his in- terment, his bones were digged up, and burned to ashes, which were then cast into the brook hard by. Fox observes, " And so was he resolved into three elements, earth, fire, and water ; they ihinking thereby to abolish both the name and doctrine oif Wicklitt' for ever. Not much unlike to the example of the old pharisees and sepulchre knights, who, when they had brougiit the Lord to the grave, thought to make him sure never to rise again. Bat these and all others must know, that as there is no council against the Lord ; so there is no keeping down of verity, but it will spring and come out of dust and ashes, as appeared right well in this man. For though they digged up his body, burned his bones, and drowned his ashes, yet the word of God and truth of his doctrine, with the fruit and success * Vaughan ii. p. 257. His writings. 35 thereof, they could not burn, which yet to this day, for the most part of his articles, do remain, notwithstandins^ the transitory body and bones of the man was thus consumed and dispersed." Some farther observations on this treatment of the remains of this illustrious reformer, with a brief account of his princi- pal followers, and a sketch of the measures progressively adopted for the suppression of the truths he had advocated, will be found in another part of the present work. His writings and the doctrines he taught now claim our attention. Writings of IVickliff. Soon after the decease of WicklifF, an English prelate stated that the writings of the reformer were as voluminous as those of Augustine. Those which are still extant, would make several large volumes, and embrace a great number and variety of subjects. Bale, who wrote a century and a half subse- quent to Wickliff's death, states that he had seen more than a hundred and My of his works, partly in Latin and partly in English, and that he had ascertained the titles of more than a hundred others. Many of the latter, however, most probably, were only different names for pieces which Bale had seen, for amongst the manuscripts yet existing, the same piece is some- times designated by more than one title. Lewis has transcribed Bale's catalogue, noticing the pieces he was acquainted with, and adding others which increased the list to near three hundred. The catalogue given by Baber is more correct; it is drawn up with much care from a personal examination of many of the works of Wickhff, and contains about one hundred and eighty articles. But the list of Wickliff's writings most useful to the general reader, has been compiled by Vaughan, w^ho with much personal labour examined the writings of the reformer yet in existence, and made himself better acquainted with their contents than any other person appears to have done during the last four centu- ries. It is not difficult to ascertain that the principal works at- tributed to Wicldiff are his genuine productions. Many are expressly mentioned in public documents intended to suppress his opinions, while others possess sufncient internal evidence. Printing had not then been discovered, copies could only be increased by the slow process of writing, while his enemies were indefatigable in their endeavours to destroy them, yet the copies were so numerous and so much valued, that nearly the whole of his writings are still extant — a sufficient proof, if any w^ere wanting, that the doctrines he taught were widely diffused and highly valued. Nor was this confined to England ; copies are also found in public libraries on the continent, and Subinco Lepus, bishop of Prague, burned more than two hundred volumes, many of which were richly adorned, the property of 36 TFicUiff.—Life. persons of the higher classes in Bohemia. It also appears that the 2;reater part of the writings of Wickliff that have not come down to us, treated of philosophical or scholastic subjects, which would be little prized except by the students of that pe- riod, while the copies of Wickliff's writings which remain, seem to have been preserved by the laity. Many of these are large volumes which could not have been written without much labour and cost. We may suppose they were prepared under the direction of some of his powerful supporters, while their plain appearance, contrasted wi;h that of many of the highly adorned volumes written at that period, shows that the contents formed the chief value in the estimation of their possessors, nor do they seem to have been the workmanship of the religious establishments of that day. In one of Wickhtf's homilies, he complains of the endeavours of the clergy to prevent the circu- lation of the English scriptures, and adds, " But one comfort is of knights, that they savour (esteem) much the gospel, and have will to read in English the gospel of Christ's life." Another, and even more interesting class of the Wickliff manuscripts, are the little books written with much less elegance, but which evidently were designed for the solace and instruction of souls, thirstmg in secret for the waters of life. The tattered and well used appearance of many of these little volumes, is an indispu- table testimony to the correctness of the allegations in the bishop's registers of the next two centuries, as to the manner in which these "pestiient books" were read by the followers of the truth, tih, by the invention of printing, copious supplies of other religious tracts were brought forward. Wicklitf's principal work, the translation of the scriptures, has been already noticed. Copies of the whole or of detached portions are found in several public, and in some private libra- ries. A very beautiful and perfect specimen is preserved in the royal library in the British Museum, (Bib. Reg. I. c. viii.) The new testament has been printed, in 1731 and 1810, but being a literal reprint, in the original orthography, it is only calculated for libraries. Specimens of this version will be found at p. 45. As a work for popular use, Wickliff's translation now is of course wholly superseded by later versions.* The Trialogus is the work next in importance. It contains a series of dialogues between three persons, characterised as Alethia or Truth, Pseudis or Falsehood, and Phronesis or Wisdom. Truth represents a sound divine and states questions, Falsehood urges the objections of an unbehever, Wisdom de- cides as a subtle theologian. This work probably contains the substance of Wickliff's divinity lectures, with considerable ad- ditions. It embraces almost every doctrine connected with the theology of that day, treated however in the scholastic form then universal. Although very unattractive to modern readers, * A prospectus for the printing of Wieklifl's version of the old tes- tament has lately been issued. His writings. 37 it was then doubtless a useful and important work. As Turner observes, " It was the respected academician, reasoning with the ideas of the reformer."' It is evident that Wickliff wTote this w^ork under a decided impression that his efforts for the truth were likely to be crowned with martyrdom. It was printed in 1524. Copies are rare, for this work was actively sought for by the Romanists, and destroyed. A specimen will be found in a subsequent page. The following remark of Baber is but too ap- plicable to the method in which this work is written. " The scholastic theology which w^as taught at this period was a species of divinity which obscured the excellence and perverted the utility of that sacred science. By the introduction of this jargon of the schoolmen, philosophical abstraction and subtilty had su- perseded that unaffected simplicity and engaging plainness, with which the primitive teachers of Christianity explained the doc- trines of salvation."' Thus, although Wickliff in the Trialogus vanquished the opponents of the truth with their own weapons, it was not calculated to be a work of general utility like his more popular tracts in the English language. A good summary of the contents of the Trialogus is given by Vaughan. Only one other of WickliflP's writings appears to have been printed at the period of the reformation — his Wicket, a small treatise on the Lord's supper, which will be found in the pre- sent collection. This was among the most influential of his writings, as appears from the frequent mention of it in those records of persecution, the bishops' registers. His treatise Of the Truth of Scripture is a very valuable per- formance. It is in Latin, only two manuscript copies are known to exist ; one in the Bodleian library at Oxford, the other at Trinity College, Dubhn. The latter is the preferable copy, and is described as containing two hundred and forty-four large double columned pages, of nearly a thousand words in a page. It would therefore be equal in contents to a common octavo of more than seven hundred pages. It abounds in contractions, but is fairly and legibly written. Fox the martyrologist possessed a copy which he intended to translate and print. Vaughan de- scribes this work as embodying almost every sentiment pecu- liar to the reformer. James made considerable use of its con- tents in his apology for Wickhff, but it was neglected by Lewis. An accurate reprmt, with a translation, would be exceedingly valuable. The extent of this piece wholly precluded insertion in the present collection, even in an abridged form. Another useful and popular work in its day, was the Poor CaitifP. This is a collection ot English tracts, which were widely circulated. Several copies of the whole, or of detached poi- tions are in existence, but only a few sentences from its pages have hitherto been printed. This neglect has probably arisen from the httle reference it contains to the controversies in which Wickliff was constantly engaged, and to which perhaps an undue prominence has been given by Lewis, and other early 38 IFickliff.—Life. biographers. This vahiahle memorial of the reformation will be found in the present vohime. Many of Wickliff' s homiUes or postills have been preserved ; they appear rather to have been written down by his hearers, than to betinished copies prepared by himself. (See p. 24.) Wickiitf' s other writings need not here be mentioned minutely. His Memorial to the King and Parliament, and Objections of Friars, were printed by James. Some of his small tracts have been printed by Lewis and Vaughan, to whose lists of the refor- mer's writinijs, particularly the latter, the reader may be referred.* IMost of these smaller pieces are in the British Museum, in the libraries of Trinity college, Dublin, and Trinity college, Cambridge. In the library of Corpus Christi college in the latter university, among the valuable collection of manuscripts the gift of archbishop Parker, is a volume containing many of the controversial pieces. The following note is prefixed. " In this book are gathered together all the sharp treatises concern- ing the errors and defaults which John Wickliff did find in his time, specially in the clergy and religious, and in other estates of the world."f At the period when Wickliff wrote, the EngHsh language had begun to recover from the disuse into which it had fallen ; from the time of the conquest many French and other foreign words and phrases were introduced by the higher ranks, who chiefly used the French language, but the lower orders adhered more closely to the Saxon phraseology. Mr. Baber observes, " Those of the works of Wickliff, written by him in his vernacular tongue, will be perused with interest and admiration by every one curious in the history of the English language, for Wickliff 's English will, I apprehend, be found upon strict examination to be more pure than that of contemporary writers. Wickliff, when he wrote in his native tongue, did it not for the benefit of courtiers and scholars, but for the instruction of the less learned portion of the people. He therefore, as much as possible, rejected all * stranire English,' and was studious to express himself in a dic- tion simple and unadorned ; at the same time avoiding the charge of a barbarous and familiar phraseology." The use of English instead of barbarous Latin, in so large a portion of his writings, ■gave much efficacy to his exertions for the spiritual welfare of his countrymen. A specimen of AVickliff's writings in their original orthogra- phy, will be found in two extracts from his version of the old testament in the following pages. At first they will appear hardly intelligible to the reader unaccustomed to the writings of that day. But on closer examination, it will be found that if * One of his tracts, Why poor priests have no benefices, is printed in the History of the Church of Christ, vol. iv. f Dr. Lamb, the master of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge, has very kindly permitted several of those pieces to be transcribed for the present selection by a friend. Doctrines taught by Wicldiff. 39 the Saxon terminations, expletives, and peculiar words are re- moved, the language is, as it has been well characterised, "un- defiled English ;" in fact, very similar to the language of our rural districts at the present day. To have printed Wickliff s tracts in the precise form in which they were written, w^ould have rendered them useless for the purposes of the present collection. It was therefore necessary to remove the peculiarities just adverted to, but farther the editor had no wish to proceed ; and he felt the necessity of retaining the precise words of the original, wher- ever they would convey the meaning of the reformer to the general reader. How far the attempt has been successful, it is for those to say who may compare the present edition with the original manuscripts ; he will only add that it was not an easy task, from the labour and the responsibility incurred. The pieces included in this volume, which have not hitherto been printed, were copied from the originals expressly for the pre- sent collection. Many others were selected for the same pur- pose, but the limits of the work prevented their insertion.* It is deeply to be regretted, that a complete edition of Wick- iiff's writings never has been printed. Such a monument is due to the illustrious individual to whom we perhaps are indebted more than to any other, for the gospel light and religious liberty we enjoy. Milton says, *' A good book is the precious life blood of a master spirit, imbalraed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." Surely the writings of Wickliff ought not to be sutlered to perish. A much smaller sum than in many instances has been vainly expended in mo- numental attempts to preserve the remembrance of persons whose names in a few short years have been almost entirely for- gotten, would suffice to complete a national memorial record of our great reformer, "more lasting than brass." But, blessed be the Most High, when we look around, in every circumstance which endears to us the protestant faith of our land, we are reminded of John Wickliff. To use the words of Henry Wharton, " Wickliff was a man than whom the christian world in these last ages has not pro- duced a greater ; and who seems to have been placed as much above praise as he is above envy." Doctrines taught by Wickliff. The doctrines taught by Wickliff have been continually misre- presented by papists, and often misunderstood by protestants. They may be stated as follows. Wickliff's FAITH was derived from the scriptures. He con- sidered them as a divine revelation, containing a sufficient and * The result of this examination enables the writer of these remarks to bear testimony to the value of Mr. Vaiighan's account of the writings of Wickliff. He would again acknowledge that the present compilation has been much facihtated by the work of Mr. V. as well as by lus poiuting out some of the pieces which proved most suitable for insertion. 40 mcklif.—Life. perfect rule of christian belief and practice. The authority of scripture he esteemed to be superior to any other writing, or to any tradition. He considered the canonical books alone as inspired. He urged that all truth is contained in scripture, and that no conclusion was to be allowed which was not sanctioned by the sacred records. The pope's authority, or right to interfere in temporal con- cerns, he wholly rejected, and considered that it was only to be admitted in other respects, when conformable to scripture. He maintained that the pope might err in doctrine as well as in life. The church of Christ he considered to be the universal con- gregation of those predestinated to life eternal. The church of Rome he considered not to be superior in authority to any other. He did not allow that the pope was head of the church, and opposed the extravagant authority claimed by the hierarchy, considering it as antichrist, whether usurped by the pope or the clergy at large, while he strongly urged the respect due to con- sistent and holy ministers of the word. He urged that the clergy ought not to be accounted lords over God's heritage, but as ministers and stewards of their heavenly master. He supported the king's supremacy over all persons, even ecclesiastics, in temporal matters. He never taught any doc- trine contrary to the legal rights of property. He sometimes mentions the sacraments as seven, but only lays stress upon two, baptism and the Lord's supper. Of the others he spoke so lightly, as to be accused by his enemies of rejecting them. His opinion of the Lord's supper is stated in his Wicket and his confession. The doctrine of transubstantiation he wholly rejected. He approved outw^ard worship, and pubhc assembling for that purpose, but condemned the superstitious rites of the Romish church. He disapproved the church music then esteemed, which was elaborate, ojften trifling, and opposed to devotional feeling. He admitted the doctrine of purgatory — that early error, but rejected the most corrupt and profitable part of the fable, that the sufferings of purgatory may be shortened by the prayers of men or the intercessions of saints. According to his statements, it was rather the doctrine of an intermediate state, than the popish purgatory, which he condemns as " pious falsehood." As he advanced in life, his views on this subject became more clear and scriptural. (See extract from Dr. James, p. 109.) In Wicklift's tract Of the church of Christ, her mem- bers, and her governance, he says, " The second part of the church are saints in purgatory, and these sin not anew, but purge their old sins ; and many errors are fallen in praying for these saints. And since they all are dead in body, Christ's words may be taken of them. Let us follow Christ in our life, and let tlie dead bury the deadl" This widely differs from the doctrine of the cliurch of Rome, thus determined by the council of Trent ; " The souls detained in purgatory are assisted by the suffrages (prayers) of the faithfid, and most especially by the acce])table sacrifice of the altar." Doctrines taught by JVickliff. 41 He allowed the memory of the saints to be honoured, but only that men might be excited to imitate their example, not as objects of worship. He denied the efficacy of their mediation, asserting that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Mediator. Pil- grimages he wholly disapproved, and the worship of images he frequently condemns. 1 he doctrines of papal indulgences and pardons he condemned in the strongest terms, as encouragements to sin. He also ob- jected to sanctuaries, as affording impunity to crime- He held that absolution or forgiveness of sins belonged to God only. He condemned the celibacy imposed by the church of Rome upon its clergy. He is accused of wishing to deprive the church of its property, by what he has said upon the subject of tythes. His views were simply these. It is reasonable that the priest should have a suitable provision, besides the mere necessaries of food and rai- ment. He allowed that dymes (or tythes) and offerings are God's part, and that priests should live on them, but he urges " that the principal cause for which tythes and offerings should be paid, was curates teaching their parishioners in word and examples.'' When, however, the curates were wicked, and neg- lected their duty, he considered that the tythes might be with- held from them, though they ought to be devoted to the service of God. It should not be forgotten, that the priesthood then taught that men should have the divine blessing in this life, and heaven hereafter, if they duly paid their tythes and offerings. The reader who wishes to have a fuller account of Wickliff 's opinions upon this subject may be referred to his biographers.* He condemned the blasphemous expressions then so common ; this has occasioned his being misrepresented as asserting that judicial oaths were unlawful, whereas he expressly declares that it is lawful to make oath by God Almighty in a needful case. Of the election of grace he thus speaks in his Trialogus."We are predestinated that we may obtain divine acceptance, and become holy ; having received that grace through Christ's taking human nature, whereby we are rendered finally pleasing to God. Audit appears that this grace,which is called the grace of predestination, or the charity of final perseverance, cannot by any means fail." On the great doctrines of Justification and Merits, Dr. James quotes passages, which prove Wickliff to have taught " That faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, is sufficient for salvation, and that with- out faith it is impossible to please God ; that the merit of Christ is able, by itself, to redeem all mankind from hell, and that this sufficiency is to be understood without any other cause concurring ; he persuaded men therefore to trust wholly to Christ, * The reader would also do well to examine the disputations of Huss upon this subject in the university of Prague. (See Fox.) What was said oi Luther by Erasmus, may also be applied to Wickliff as the great cause of the vehement opposition he experienced. " He touched the pope on the crown, and the monks on the belly." The English reformer per- haps went farther than the German in the latter respect. 42 WickUff.—Life. to rely altogether upon his sufferings, not to seek to be justified but by his righteousness, and that by participation in his righ- teousness, all men are riirhteous." Dr. James adds, " In the doctrine of merits, Wickliff was neither pelagian nor papist ; he beateth down all these proud pharisees, who say that God did not all for them, but think that their merits help. He says, *' Heal us. Lord, for nought ; that is, no merit of ours ; but for thy mercy. Lord, not to our merits, but to thy mercy, give thy joy. Give us grace to know that all thy gifts are of thy goodness. Our flesh, though it seem holy, yet it is not holy. We all are originally sinners, as Adam, and in Adam ; his leprosy cleaveth faster to us than Naaman's did to Gehazi. For accordmg to his teaching, we all are sinners, not only from our birth, but before, so that we cannot so much as think a good thought unless Jesus the Angel of great counsel send it; nor perform a good work unless it be properly his good work. His mercy comes before us that we receive grace, and followeth us, help- ing us, and keeping us in grace. So then it is not good for us to trust in our merits, in our virtues, in our righteousness, but to conclude this point, good it is only to trust in God." The foregoing summary of doctrines taught by WicklifF, is taken from the statements of Baber, Vaughan, James, and Lewis, who have quoted passages confirmatory of every point. To their works the reader must be referred for those references ; the hmils of these pages do not allow them to be inserted in any form which could be useful. The reader should also again be reminded that he must not expect to find all these opinions so clearly set forth in every part of Wickliff' s writings. Dr. James, speaking of the countenance some passages give to prayer to saints and the virgin, observes, " I am persuaded that he retracted these opinions in his latter and more learned works. If ever it be God's pleasure that his works, which were cut and mangled, and scattered worse than Absyrtus' limbs were in the poet, may be brought forth and set together again, that we may have the whole body of his learned and religious works, and be able to distinguish the time and order wherein he wrote, then, I say, we should receive due satisfaction on this point." Vaughan has done much to settle the dates of Wicklift's writings, and has thereby shown his gradual and satisfactory progress on several ])oints. We must not expect to find in his writings a finished system of doctrine. Many of his statements taken separately perhaps will appear incorrect, but take them as a whole and we shall be convinced that he well merited his glorious title, "The gospel doctor." For the variations which exist, as Dr. James observes, " Considering the times wherein, and the persons with whom he lived, he may easily obtain pardon of any impartial reader." As H. Wharton justly observes, these variations do not detract from him ; they show that his opi)osition to Uomish errors was directed by a matured judgment, and that he should not detect them all at once cannot be matter of surprise. Testimony of the university of Oxford. 43 Vanghan also has ably cleared the reformer from the charge of inconsistency, or wavering; he has " fairly vindicated Wycliffe from the long reiterated accusation of having concealed his opinions to escape the terrors of power." Upon the great and leading doctrine of the christian faith, Vaughan well observes, that Melancthon could have known but little of Wickliif' s theological productions when he described him as "ignorant of the righteousness of faith." He adds, " If by that doctrine Melancthon meant a reliance on the atone- ment of Christ, as the only, and the certain medium for the guilty, it is unquestionable that this truth was the favourite, and the most efficient article in the faith of the English, as well as in that of the German reformer. It must be acknowledged that this tenet is more frequently adverted to in the writings of Luther, than in those of Wycliffe ; and his notices respecting it, are also frequently more definite, because distinguishing more commonly between the acceptance of offenders in virtue of the Saviour's death, and the growth of devout affections in the heart, under the influence of the divine Spirit. But that such was the design of the Redeemer's sacrifice, was not more distinctly apprehended by the professor of Wittemberg, than by the rector of Lutterworth ; nor was this truth the source of a more per- manent confidence with the one than with the other." In the history of the reformation, there are perhaps no two characters more nearly allied than Wickliff and Luther. Both looked to the holy scriptures as the standard of truth ; for human instruction each learned much from the writings of Augustine. The boldness of the German professor was per- haps manifested at an earlier period of life, and the situation in which he was placed more favourable to the permanency of the work wherein he was called to labour ; but Wickliff' s sun shone brightest when setting, and the decided manner in which he re- jected the errors of popery respecting the sacrament, while Luther never was wholly freed from their fatal influence, directed the efforts of his followers with undivided attention against the church of Rome. Thus when the doctrines of the gospel, as taught by the German reformers, were made known in England, the soil was found well prepared. Many among the lower and middle classes were informed on these points, and already had received the truth. The bishops' registers sufficiently prove the extent of Wickliff 's labours. The records of bishop Longland's persecutions in 1521, (see Fox) show their effect was not evanescent. This sketch of the life of Wickliff may be closed with "The public testimony given by the university of Oxford, touching the commendation of his great learning and good fife," " Unto all and singular the children of our holy mother the church, to whom this present letter shall come, the vice-chan- cellor of the university of Oxford, with the whole congregation of the masters, wish perpetual health in the Lord. Forsomuch as it is not commonly seen, that the acts and monuments of valiant H Wickliff.—Life. men, nor the praise and merits of good men should be passed over and hidden with perpetual silence, but that true report and fame should continually spread al)roadthe same in strange and far distant places, both for the witness of the same, and example of others — forsomuch also as the provident discretion of man's nature being recompensed with cruelty, hath devised and ordained this buckler and defence against such as do blaspheme and slander other men's doings, that whensoever witness byword of mouth cannot be present, the pen by writing may supply the same. — " Hereupon it followeth, that the special good will and care ■which we bare unto John Wickliff, sometime child of this our university, and professor of divinity, moving and stirring our minds, as his manners and conditions required no less, with one mind, voice, and testimony, we do witness, all his condi- tions and doings throughput his whole life to have been most sincere and commendable ; whose honest manners and condi- tions, profoundness of learning, and most redolent renown and fame, we desire the more earnestly to be notified and known unto all faithful, for that we understand the maturity and ripe- ness of his conversation, his diligent labours and travels to tend to the praise of God, the help and safeguard of others, and the profit of the church. " Wherefore, we signify unto you by these presents, that his conversation, even from his youth upw^ard, unto the time of his death, was so praiseworthy and honest, that never at any time was there any note or spot of suspicion noised of him. But in his answering, reading, preaching, and determining, he behaved himself laudably, and as a stout and valiant champion of the faith ; vanquishing, by the force of the scriptures, all such, who by their wilful beggary blasphemed and slandered Christ's religion. Neither was this doctor convict of any heresy, either burned of our prelates after his burial. God forbid that our prelates should have condemned a man of such honesty, for a heretic ; who, amongst all the rest of the university, hath writ- ten in logic, philosophy, divinity, morality, and the speculative art without equal. The knowledge of all which and singular things we do desire to testify and deliver forth ; to the intent that the fame and renown of this said doctor may be the more evident, and had in reputation, amon^^st them unto whose hands these present letters testimonial shall come. " In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters testi- monial to be sealed with our common seal. Dated at Ox- ford, in our congregation-house, October 1st, 14U6."* * The Romanists, as might be expected, according to their usual practice, have endeavoured to represent this testimony as a forgery. Lewis has fully examined the subject, and has shown there is no reason to doubt that it was the recorded opinion of a considerable part at least of the members of the university. The public brand of heresy was not affixed to Wicklifi 's character till his bones were burned in 1428. SPECIMENS OF WICKLIFF'S TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE Wickliff's translation of the holy scriptures has been noticed in the precedino: pages. The reader is here presented with three specimens, strictly conformable to the original words and spelling, which will sufficiently manifest the impossibility of presenting a literal transcript of the reformer's writings so as to be useful, or even intelligible to general English readers of the present day. The 22d Psalm, and the 4th chapter of Malachi are copied from the beautiful MS. of Wickliff's Bible in the British Museum, already mentioned. The 1 John i. is transcribed from the Rev. H. Baber's reprint of Lewis's edition of Wickliff's New Testament. PSALM XXII. '])e title of jje xxii. salm, jje salin ey Jje'song of dauid. The lord gouerne]? me. "j no Jjing schal fail to me : in ]>e place of pasture ye he liaj? set me. He nurschide me on ])e vvatir of refreischyng : he conuertide my soule. He ledde me for]? on J?e pa]7is of riztfulnesse : for his name. For whit jjouz y schal go in Tpe m) ddis of schadewe of dee)) : y schal not drede yuels. for }70u art wij? me. J^i zerde and Jji staf : ]?o han coufortid me. Jjou hast maad redi aboord in my sizt : azens hem ])at troblen me. ]?ou hast maad fat myn heed wi]> oyle : and my CLippe I'at fille)» me is ful cleer. And ]>[ merci schal sue me ; in alie ]ie daies of my lyf. And ])t y dwelle in jje hows of Jje lord : in to j>e lengjje of daies. MALACHI IV. 77ie last chapter of the old testament. For lo a dai schal come : brenynge as a chymeneiy "j alle proude men. and alle doynge unpitee : schulen be stobul| and j^e dai comynge schal enflaume hem sei]? \% lord of oostis : which schal not leeue to he rote •j buriownyng/ "j to zou dredynge my name. ]?e sune of riztwisnesse schal rise : and heelj^e in penys of hym/ "j ze schulen go out : *j schulen skippe as a calf of ]je drouey and ze schule to trede unpitouse men : whane J^ei schulen be aische undur \q soole of zoure feet, in ))e dai I which y do sei^ ]5e lord of oostis/ bi)>enke ze on ]?e lawe of my seruaut moises ; v.hich y comaudide to hym in oreb. to al isrl' comaudemetis "j domesy lo y schal sende to zou elie \e pfete : bifore j?t J^e greet dai "j orible of ye lord come; "j he schal conu'te ))e herte of fad's to sones: *j \q herte of sones to fad's of hem. lest paueture y come "j smyte |^vi erjie wij? curs/ 46 WkUiff. 1 JON.— Cap. I. That thing that was fro the bigynnyng, which we herden, which we sigen with oure igen, which we biheelden and oiire hondis touchiden of the word of Uif. and the liif is schewid, and we saigen, and we wit- nessen and tellen to you eiierlesting Hif that was anentis the fadir and apperide to us. therefore we tellen to you that thing that we sigen and herden, that also ye haue felowschip \vdth us and oure felowschip he with the fadir and with his sone iesu crist. and we writen this thing to you, that ye haue ioie, and that youre ioie be ful. and this is the tellyng that we herden of him and tellen to you, that god is ligt and ther ben no derknessis in hym. if we seien that we hau felowschip with him, and we wandren in derknessis, we lien and doen not treuthe. but if we walken in ligt as also he is in ligt we hau felowschip togidre, and the blood of iesu crist his sone clenseth us fro al synne, if we seien that we hau no synne we disseyuen ussilff", and treuthe is not in us. if we knowlechen oure synnes, he is feithfid and iust that he forgyve to us oure synnes, and dense us fro al wickidnesse. and if we seien that we hau not synned, we maken him a lier, and his word is not in us. Wickliff's confession respecting the sacrament OF THE Lord's Supper. See p. 32. We believe, as Christ and his apostles have taiijjht us, that the sacrament of the altar, white and round, and like to our bread or host unsacred, is very God's body in form of bread, and if it be broken in three parts as the church uses, or else in a thousand, every one of these parts is the same God's body. And riirht so as the person of Christ is very God and very man, very Godhead, and very manhead, right so as holy church many hundred winters has trowed,* the same sacra- ment is very God's body, and very bread ; as it is form of God's body and form of bread, as Christ and his apostles teach. x\nd therefore St. Paul never nameth it, but when he calls it bread, and he, by our belief, took his knowledge of God in this : and the argument of heretics against this sentence, it is easy for a christian man to assolve.-j- And right as it is heresy to believe that Christ is a spirit, and no body ; so it is heresy to trow that this sacrament is God's body, and no bread ; for it is both together. But the most heresy that God sutfered to come to his church, is to trow that this sacra- ment is an accident without a substance, and may on no wise be God's body ; for Christ said, by witness of John, that " this bread is my body." And if they say, that by this skill^j: holy church hath been in heresy many hundred winters, sooth§ it is, specially since the fiend was loosed, that was by witness of * Believed. f Refute. I Interpretation. § Truth. Confession respecting the Sacrament. 47 angel to John evangelist, after a thousand winters that Christ was stenenyde* to heaven. But it is to be supposed that many saints that died in the mean time, before their death were pured of this error. How great diversity is between us that trow that this sacrament is very bread in its kind, and between heretics that tell us it is an accident without a subject. For before that the fiend, the'; father of leasing,'!- was loosed, this gabbing| was never contrived. And how great diversity is between us that trow that this sacrament is very bread in its kind, and sacra- mentally God's body, and between heretics that trow and tell us that this sacrament may on no wise be God's body. For I dare surely say, that if this were sooth, Christ and his saints died heretics, and the more part of holy church now believeth heresy, and before devout men suppose that this council of friars in London, was with the herydene.§ For they put a heresy upon Christ and saints in heaven, wherefore the earth trembled. Fay|| land man's voice answered for God, also it did in time of his passion, when he w-as condemned to bodily death. Christ and his mother, that in ground hath destroyed all heresies, keep his church in right belief of this sacrament, and move the king and his realm to ask sharply of his clerks this office, that all his possessioners,^ on pain of losing all their temporalities, tell the king and his realm, with sufficient ground- ing, what is this sacrament. And all the orders of friars, on pain of their allegiance, tell the king and his realm, with good grounding, what is the sacrament. For I am certain of the third part of the clergy that defend these doubts** that is here said, that they will defend it on pain of their lives." Lewis observes on this confession, " One would wonder that this paper should ever be reckoned a retractation of Dr. Wiclif s, by any that had seen and read it, since he so openly maintains in it his opinion of the sacrament, declares his resolution to defend it with his blood, and censures the contrary as heresy. It seems that it was not so understood by Dr. Wiclifs judges ; for very soon after, he was, by the king's authority, expelled the university." Walsingham admits that it was rather a re- assertion than a retractation of Wickhff 's doctrines relative to the sacrament, * Ascended. Frora'various passages in Wickliff's writings, it ap- pears^ that he and others supposed that Satan had heen bound during the first thousand years of the christian era, but' that he was loosed afterwards. This presents a painful idea of the extent to which the pro- fligacy and persecutions of the Romish church had then proceeded. -}• Lies. + Idle prating. § Earthquake, see p. 29. II In truth. ^ Ecclesiastics allowed to hold lands. ** Disputes. 48 Wickliff.— Letter to the Pope. DiL Wickliff's letter of excuse to Pope Urban VI. (See p. 32.) I have joyfully to tell all true men the belief that I hold, and always to the pope. For I suppose that if my faith be rightful and given of God, the pope will gladly conserve it, and if ray faith be error, the pope will wisely amend it. I suppose over this, that the gospel of Christ be part of the body of God's law. For 1 believe that Jesu Christ, that gave in his own person this gospel, is very God and very Man, and by this it passes all other laws. 1 suppose over this, that the pope be most obliged to the keeping of the gospel among all men that live here. For the pope is the highest vicar that Christ has here in earth. For greatness of Christ's vicars is not measured by worldly greatness, but by this, that this vicar follows more Christ by virtuous living, for thus teaches the gospel. That this is the sentence of Christ and of his gospel, I take as belief, that Christ for time that he walked here was most poor man of all, both in spirit and in possessions, for Christ says that he had nought for to rest his head on. And over this, I take as belief that no man should follow the pope, nor no saint that is now in heaven, but inasmuch as he followed Christ, for James and John erred, and Peter and Paul sinned. Of this I take as wholesome counsel, that the pope leave his worldly lordship to worldly lords, as Christ gave him, and move speedily all his clerks to do so, for thus did Christ, and taught thus his disciples, till the fiend had blinded this w^orld. And if I err in this sentence, I will meekly be amended, if by the death, if it be skilful for that 1 hope were good to me. And if I might travel in my own person, I would with God's will go to the pope. But Christ has needed me to the contrary, and taught me more obedience to God than to man. And I suppose of our pope, that he will not be antichrist and reverse Christ in this working to the contrary of Christ's will. For if he sum- mons against reason, by him or any of his, and pursue this unskilful summoning, he is an open antichrist. And merciful intent excused not Peter, that Christ called him Satan; so blind intent and wicked counsel excuses not the pope here, if he ask of true priests that they travel more than they may, it is not excused by reason of God that he is not antichrist. For our belief teaches us, that our blessed God suffers us not to be tempted more than we may, how should a man ask such ser- vice? And therefore pray we to God for our pope Urban VI., that his holy intent l^e not quenched by his enemies. And Christ that may not lie, says, that the enemies of a man are especially his own family, and this is truth of men and fiends. THE POOR CAITIFF.* BY JOHN WICKLIFF, D. D. * The word caitiff signifies a captive, or a man in a wretched state. The Rev. H. Babersays, " Pauper llusticus; Confessio derelicti Pau- peris ; and the Pore Caitif, are various titles of the same book, which may with propriety be called, The Poor Man's Library. It is a vo- lume of small tracts, written in English, for the purpose of instructing the lower orders of the community in the most useful precepts of the christian reliction." There are several copies of this work in existence in the British Mu- seum and other public libraries. It appears to have been widely cir- culated, although the invention of printing was not then known. The present attempt is the first that has been made to give any portion of It to the public, excepting a few detached sentences. The whole is here given except that the object and limits of the present work rendered some compression necessary. Several quotations from the fathers, occasional repetitions, and some other passages, have there- fore been omitted. The tracts contained in this collection are, Of the Belief ;— On the Ten Commandments ;— On the Lord's Prayer ; — Of Perfect Life, or the Counsel of Christ ; — Of Temptation, or, of Virtuous Patience ; — The Charter of our Heavenly Heritage ; — The Armour of Heaven, or, Of Ghostly Battle -—To Love Jesus ; — Of the Love of Jesus ; — Of Meekness ;— Of Man's vVill ; — Of Active Life and Contemplative Life. There is another piece, On Chastity, which is omitted ; it contains several Romish legends, and is not suitable for the present collection. WICKLIFF. THE PROLOGUE. Tins treatise, compiled of a poor caitiff needing the spiritual help of all christian people, by the great mercy and help of God, shall teach simple men and won^en of good will, the right way to heaven, without multiphca- tion of many books, if they will busy themselves to have it in mind, and work thereafter. And as a child desiring to be a learned man, begins first at the ground, that is, at his A, B, C ; so he thus desiring to speed, begins at the ground of health,* that is, christian man's belief ; for with- out belief,! it is impossible, as St. Paul saith, that any man please God. But as belief by itself is not sufficient to men's salvation, without good works, as Christ saith by his apostle St. James. :J he proposes with God's help, to speak upon each of the commandments of God, in which are contained charitable works, § that belong to belief. And since it is hard to obtain aught of God in prayer till the man truly beheves, and lives after his commands, as he saith in the gospel, Whereto say ye to me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say ? Therefore after going through the commandments, he thinks, %vith the help and mercy of God, to show forth the prayer that Christ Jesus taught his disciples, that is, the paternoster ; and after these, some short sentences exciting men to heavenly desire ; for thus it behoves to climb, as by a ladder of divers steps, from the ground of belief, into the keeping of God's com- mands ; and so up from virtue to virtue till he see the God of Zion, reigning in everlasting bliss. Which may he grant to us, who liveth and reigneth, without end, merciful God. Amen. * Salvation. t Faith. X James ii. 17 — 20. From the pages that follow, the reader will find that Wickliff" had no intention to teach that justification cometh by works, but to show the inseparable connection of faith and works, the latter being the fruits and evidences of the former, and a proof that it is not mere emi)ty credence like that of devils, James ii. 19. § The works of charity or love. THE POOR CAITIFF. ON THE BELIEF. The ground of all goodness is stedfast faith, or belief. This, through grace and mercy, is obtained of God. Faith was the principal ground that enabled the woman of Ca- naan to obtain health of soul and of body of Christ, for her daughter, who was evil treated of a devil, as the gospel witnesseth. And the centurion was much praised of Christ for the stedfast belief that he had in the power of his God- head. Faith is likened to the loadstar,* for it showeth the haven of grace to men rowing in the sea of this world. Faith is the eastern star that leads spiritual kingst to wor- ship Jesus Christ, through withstanding of sin, as the east star led three kings when Christ was born. Faith or belief is as a stone lying in the foundation of a strong building, that beareth up all the work. For as the building standeth stiffly that is well grounded upon a stone, so each virtuous deed is strong when it is grounded upon the solidity of be- lief For upon this stone, that is, solid faith, Christ said that he would build his church, that is, man's soul. A man that hath lost his right eye is unable to defend himself in battle, for his shield hides his left eye, and so he has no sight to defend himself from his enemy ; even so he that has lost the right eye of true faith, is unable to withstand or fight against his spiritual enemy, the devil. - Saints, as St. Paul saith, through stedfastness and true faith, over- came kingdoms, Heb. xi. They overcame the kingdom of their flesh through holiness of soul and body ; and the kingdom of the world by setting at nought riches ; and the kingdom of the fiend through patience and meekness. The want of stedfast faith is the chief cause why men • The pole star, by wbicl) mariners used to steer tlieir course at night, before the invention of the compass, t Kev. i. 6. V. 10. d2 52 mcklif.—The Poor Caitiff. fall into deadly sin. For if a man truly believed that soon after he committed a sin, he should lose one of his limbs, he would throug'h that belief keep himself, and flee from that sin. How much more if he believed that God would pu- nish him in body and soul for evermore, if he died in that sin ? If man's belief and trust were firmly set in God, all fear of man, fantasies, and fear of this world, would grieve him but little, or not at all. Christ said to his disciples, that if their faith were as great as the seed of mustard, and they should say to this hill, Pass hence, it should pass ; and no- thing should be impossible to them. St. Jerome saith that faith is likened to the corn of seed. If the corn of seed be not broken, the virtue thereof is not known ; but the more it is pounded, even the stronger it smelleth ; even so a man who is firmly grounded in the faith, the more he is pounded by persecution, the greater and the more fervent is his be- lief Thus if man's faith were as great as the mustard seed, he should remove from himself the hill of pride, and all other false deceits of the fiend. This faith maketh our souls so able to receive heavenly gifts, that we may get whatever we desire of the faithful Lord. Oh, blessed is the soul that believeth right and liveth well, and in well living keepeth true faith. While Peter had true faith, he went upon the sea as upon dry land ; but when tlie firmness of his faith failed, he began to sink, and theretbre Christ reproved him as of little faith. Thus it fares with us, who are staggering and unstedfast with the wind of each temptation or fear. Therefore, brethren, let us set all our belief and full trust on Him who is almighty, and not in any vain thing that may fail in any time. Trust we stedfastly that nothing may grieve us farther than He will suffer it, and all things which he send- eth come for the best. And let no wealth of this failing world, neither tribulation, draw our hearts from firm belief in God. Let us not put our belief or trust in charms, or in dreams, or any other fantasies ; but only in Almighty God. For it is full perilous, as holy doctors say, to scatter man's belief about any such. And let each man and woman take heed to themselves, for good living makes man to have firm belief and trust in God, and evil works draw him into despair, as John Chrj'sostom saith. After the ascension of Christ, the Holy Ghost taught his apostles all truth needful to the soul ; and by his teaching they twelve settled together twelve articles, which all that On the Belief. 53 will be saved must believe.* The first article of belief St. Peter put into the creed, saying, / believe in God, Father almighty. Maker ofheaveji and earth. To believe to God, is one thing; to believe in God, is another. The first both evil men and good men have ; but the second none but good men have. The fiends believe to God, that is, that he is true, and that his words are truth : and yet some men and women fail of this point! For if they truly be- lieved that the words of God are true, which he speaketh in holy writ, against their sinful living, they would amend their defaults, either for dread or for love. To believe in God, as St. Augustine saith, is, in belief to cleave to God through love, and to seek busily to fulfil his v/ill ; for no man truly believeth in God, but he that loveth God, and by his good living believeth to have bliss of God, as a great doctor saith. And no man sinneth against God but he fails in belief, which is the ground of all good works. As the same doctor saith. In that he is Father, he will mildly do mercy to men forsaking sin ; and in that he is almighty, he is ready and of power to punish all those who will not leave their sin. We should believe that God the Father, being almighty, without beginning and ending, made heaven, earth, and all creatures, of nought, through his word. St. Andrew said, I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. This article pertains to the Godhead of the Son, the second person in the Holy Trinity. We should believe that Jesus Christ the Son, is equal with the Father, with- out beginning and ending, equal in might, and all one in might, equal in goodness, and all one in goodness ; and that the Son doeth nothing without the Father ; and these two persons are one almighty God, without beginning and ending. Jesus Christ, God's Son, and in like manner mighty with God the Father, is said plainly to be our Lord by double right ; for he bought us with his precious blood, and because he shall be our Judge, and pronounce our sentence. * This account of the twelve apostles having united to compose the creed which goes by their name, is given by Ambrose, also by Ruffi- nus, and other ancient ecclesiastical historians. The ascribing of each article to a particular apostle, is mentioned in a sermon attri- buted to Augustine. The tradition has been justly questioned, and although this symbol of christian doctrine was of high antiqtiity in the primitive church, it received additions and alterations at different periods. See lord King's history of the Apostle's Creed, and bishop Pearson on the Creed. This legend, however, does not involve any erroneous doctrine. 54 WickUff.—The Poor Caitiff. St. James, the son of Zebcdce, said, / believe thai he 2> conceived of the Holy Ghost, and horn of the virgin Mary. This is the first article belono-lno: to the manhood of Christ. We should beheve that Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, took flesh and blood truly oi the viro^in ])y the Holy Ghost, and came into this world, very God and man together. St. John the evanp;elist said, / believe that he suffered pain under Pontius Pilate, vpon the cross^ died and was buried. Here we should believe that the same Jesus Clirist, very God and man, in the same flesh that he took of the virgin Mary, endured hard pain and sufferings, and even bodily death, by the doom of Pilate, judge of that province, without impairing of his Godhead. Christ bodily suffered hard pain, for we should have sufferance or patience in our adversities and tribulations. He suffered meekly and never trespassed, for we should suffer willingly, who have much trespassed, Christ was crucified, for we should chastise our flesh by penance,* withstanding sins and imlawful lusts ; Christ died on the cross bodily, that we should endure the cross of penance, withstanding sin to our lives' end. The cross of penance hath four parts. The first is sorrow for losing the love of God ; the second is sorrow for losing the joy of heaven ; the third is sorrow for deserving the pain of hell ; and the fourth is sorrow for serving to the fiend and sin. Christ was buried ; let this remind us that we hide our good deeds from the favour and estimation of the world, and remember that the earth is naturally the in- heritor of our mortal flesh, that our thoughts may be closed ii'om the lusts of this world, stedfastly having in mind the dreadful pains and death of Christ. St. Thomas of India said, / believe that he went down to hell, and the third day he rose from death to life. Here we should believe that Christ's body lay dead in the sepul- chre, without the soul, till the third day ; that he rose fi'om death to life ; but the Godhead departed not from the body, neither from the soul, and after that the soul was departed from the body, it went down to hell ;t and delivered the holy * Penance is often used to express repentance. It is evident the reformer liere means true repentance, and not the bodily penances of the church of Rome, as lie refers to mental operations. f This interpretation of tlie words of the creed was held by Luther, Melancthon, and most of the reformers, British as well as foreign. It is liardly needful to add that a more general sense is now usually, adopted in the protestant cl)urches, considering it to refer to the On the Belief. 55 souls that were there, through virtue of the Godhead. Christ went down into hell, giving us an example that we go thither by inward thought while we live; having mind upon the bitter pains which are there, that we come not thither after this life. Also he rose the third day, in body and soul together, very God and very man, everlasting. He would not rise before the third day, to show the time that he was verily dead in body. For if he had risen quickly, it had not been believed that he was verily dead. And as each word of true witnessing is confirmed by the mouth of two or three, so that Christ was verily dead in the body, may be known by his lying in the tomb till the third day. On the third day he rose from death, in token that the light of his death had destroyed our double death, both of Adam and of ourselves ; and that we should rise from spiritual death by three manner of medicines ; by contrition or sorrow of heart, by confession, and satisfaction. St. James, the son of Alpheus, said, I believe that he ascended to heaven, and there sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father almighty. Here we should believe that Jesus Christ, very God and very man, everlasting, appear- ed to his disciples after his rising from the dead, teaching them of the kingdom of heaven, and eating with them to show that he was very man as before his death, ascending into heaven raised mankind above all orders of angels. He ascended to open the gate of heaven, he ascended to show the way to men, and to lead man with him, he ascended to pray the Father for mankind. St. Philip said, / believe that he is to come, to doom the quick and dead. Here we should believe that the same Jesus Christ, very God and very man, shall come to the judgment in the same manner, and with the same wounds that he suffered and bare with him to heaven, and shall doom all mankind, both good and evil, according to their deeds. That shall be a dreadful doom, and a fearful doomsman. For Christ, who shall be Judge there, is now meek as a lamb, and ready to bow to mercy ; but there he will be stern as a lion to all that are damnable, and doom according to righteousness. Before the stern Doomsman, beholding unseen world, according to the correct derivation of the word used. The deliverance of the souls departed is founded on an erroneous in- terpretation of the text, 1 Peter iii. 19. one of the supports of the doctrine of purgatory, resorted to by the church of Rome. 56 IFicklif.—The Poor Caitiff. all saints, angels, and fiends, as John Chrysostom saith, all men and women shall yield reckoning of all their living in earth ; of all the deeds that they have done ; for what in- tent and to whose worship they wrought them ; and not only of great trespasses, but also of those that seem but small. For of each idle word man shall account there, as Christ saith himself For as Isidore saith, " Each word that edifies not the hearer turns into peril to the speaker." That is an idle word, as Jerome saith, which profits not the speaker, neither the hearer. And since reckoning shall be holden of such, much more and without comparison, harder reck- oning shall be of sinful speech, as of backbiting, slandering, scorning, false accusing, lying, swearing, cursing, and licentious speech. Also man shall yield reckoning of all the thoughts of his heart that inclined to any sin, as God saith by his prophet. And not only we shall account for deeds done, which we should not have done, but also of deeds left undone, that we should have done. As those that have not done works of mercy to poor needy folk, nor given to them, nor lent to them, nor helped them in their sutFering, as Christ shall rehearse at the doom, as he himself saith. Also of all the time that man hath in earth, he shall yield reckoning, how he has spent it, as it is written in the book of mourning.* And therefore saith Bernard, "All the time given to man, God shall seek how he hath spent it." And of mis- spending time,Anselm speaks, saying to man," O thou unpro- fitable and dry tree, worthy everlasting fire, what shalt thou answer in that day when all the time given to thee shall be asked how thou hast spent it ?" Also man shall account there of all his worldly goods, how he has gotten them, kept, spent, and lent them. As Christ meaneth by the spi- ritual understanding of the ten pieces of money and the five talents. Also of all powers of body, as strength, comeli- ness, swiftness, skill of body — in whose service these have been spent. Also each man shall yield reckoning of the keeping of his own soul. For if a king had a daughter like to him- self, to whom he thought to give great dignity and worship, and took her to any of his realm to keep ; the more negli- gent that man were about her keeping, the stricter reckoning the king would ask of him ibr her. What then shall the King of heaven do to him to whom he hath committed a daughter most like to himself, that is to say, man's soul ; • Lamentations. On the Belief. 57 the much loved daughter of this King-, and ordained to great honour in the bhss of heaven, if this man keep her reck- lessly ? Therefore God commandeth in the book of his law, that each man carefully keep his own soul. The father and mother also shall account for their children whom they chastise not ; as is expressed in holy writ, how Eli was punished for his sons, because he chastised them not, as he should have done. Also the prelate or the curate shall ac- count for his subjects, how he taught them by living and by word ; as God saith by his prophet, a great dread shall be at his doom. Of the multitude of accusers, man's own conscience, which is defiled with sin and not amended, shall accuse him, not privily but openly. Also a man's own sins, which he would not leave, shall accuse him. As a stolen thing tied to a thiefs neck, accuses him, so shall sins not amended in this life accuse sinful wretches. Also holy writ shall accuse them that knew it, and heard it, and lived not thereafter. Such shall bear with them the sentence of condemnation, as Uriah bare with him the sentence of his own death.* And in example hereof Christ said, that Moses' law shall accuse the Jews. Also God's creatures which a man has used out of measure and in sin, shall accuse him there, and be as ready to take vengeance upon him as they were before to serve him. The fiends also shall be ready there, accusing sinful men and women, for they, as traitors, enticed to the sin, and when the sin is done they will accuse man thereof And therefore in the book of Revelation the fiend is called accuser of christian men. And as Augustine saith, then shall the adversary say, " Thou righteous Judge, doom these to be mine for sin which they have wrought, who would not be thine by grace. Thine they were by nature, for thou madest them of nought, but mine they are now, through sin and wretchedness, which they have wrought. Thine they were, for by thy passion thou hast bought them ; mine they are now, for they did the sin that I put into their thought. To thee they were disobedient, to me they were obedient, and to my enticing. Of thee they took the garment of holiness, of me have they taken this coat of sin and filth. Thy garment they have lost, and with mine they have come hither. Righteous Judge, doom these to be mine, and to be damned with me." Alas ! where shall that wretch abide who is so hard beset ? * 2 Sam. xi. 14. d3 58 Wickliff'.—The Poor Caitiff: Also the benefits which men have received of Gocl, who did not worship him with due service for them, shall accuse them, and be alleged against them. And it is shown in holy writ where the angel came to the place of weeping,* (by which place is understood the doom, for there shall be weeping and wailing, as John saith in the book of Revelation.) And there he rehearsed the benefits which God hath done to the people, and reproved the people, for they had not them in mind, and worship])ed him not for them. And the torment which Christ suffered in time of his passion, both wounds, cross, nails, and spear, shall accuse sinful men, as Bernard saith. Therefore all christian people have stedfast minds upon this sentence, and flee the unlawful lusts of your flesh, and covetings, and deceits of this deceivable world ; and believe ye and have ye stedfastly in mind, that Christ shall appear in the judgment, stern as a lion to wicked men's sight, and doom both quick and dead. Of the great dread of that day God speaks by the prophet Joel. The day of the Lord shall be a great day of deliverance, a day of wrath, and of vengeance, of misery, of bitterness ; the day of com- plaining and of accusing, the day of dread and of trembling, the day of crying and of sorrow, the day of darkness and of mourning, the day of calamity and of bitterness ; a dread- ful day of parting from God for ever, as Anselm rehearses. St. Bartholomew said, I believe in the Holy Ghost. Here we should believe that the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Holy Trinity, is very God, without beginning and end- ing, and equal in wisdom, might, and goodness, with the Father and the Son, and that these three persons of the Holy Trinity are one almighty God ; and each one mighty, and all one might ; and endless good, and all one good- ness ; and endless truth, and endless wisdom, and endless love, and endless righteous, and endless merciful ; all are one truth, one wisdom, one beauty, one love, one righ- teousness, and one mercy. St. Matthew said, / believe in the holy churchy and communing ofsaints.\ We should believe the communion • Or Bochim, Judges ii. t Wickliff then stsitcs that tlie holy cliurch is divided into three parts. One, the cliurch militant here on earth ; another, the purga- tory of souls abiding the great mercy of God ; the third part is in heaven, Christ that is Heail of all holy church, with his saints. It has been already observed that Wickliff had not fully renounced the error of purgatory, one of the earliest that crept into the church, and On the Belief. 59 of saints, that is, that each of the three parts of holy church takes part of the other's goodness, and helps the other. The part that is in heaven helps the other two parts, pray- ing for them, as Bernard saith ; and the other two parts are said to help them that are in heaven, when their bhss and joy is increased by the fellowship of the others. For the more there are, the more is their bliss, and thus each of these three parties communes with the other. St. Simon said, / believe forgiveness of sins. Here we should beheve that they who amend their life, doing true penance,* with leaving off sin and keeping God's com- mandments, and ending in love, shall have forgiveness of all their sins. And Christ, through his passion and death, got for us of his Father forgiveness of our sins. St. Jude said, I believe the rising of the body. Here we should believe that all mankind shall rise at the day of doom, from death to life, in body and soul together, each in his own kind, and in his own body, incorruptible and im- mortal. And though the body were burned with fire, and the powder thereof thrown into the four seas that go about the world, yet the soul and it shall come together again, and rise from death to life, at the dreadful doom, and from that day forward never after depart. And they that have evil lived, and ended in deadly sin, shall go in body and soul to pain for evermore, and they that have lived well and kept the commands of God, and fulfilled the deeds of mercy after their power, and ended in charity to God and man, shall go, body and soul together, to bliss for evermore. Of which bliss and life St. Matthias spake in the last article, where he saith. And I believe in everlasting life. In that everlasting life of joy and bliss, good men and women that ended well, shall dwell in body and soul, world without end. That life may He to us grant who bought us with HIS LIFE blood. AmEN. one of the most difficult to cast off. It is however sufficient to notice, that Wickliff admits this erroneous doctrine without the particulars by which the church of Home made it the great su})port of its power. His own views also gradually advanced to more perfect knowledge of the truth, thus we find in this treatise the sacrament of the altar is mentioned in terms more accordant with the doctrines of the Romish church, than in Wicklifi"'s Wicket, and other tracts upon that subject. See also the remarks on WicklifF's opinions in a preceding i)age. * Repentance. 60 JVickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. THE PROLOGUE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. A MAN asked Christ what he should do for to have the life that shall last for ever, and Christ said to him, If thou wilt enter into everlasting' life, keep the commandments. By this answer of Christ, each man may understand that there is no other way to heaven, without keeping these commands, and therefore each man and woman who desires speedily to come to that life, which shall last for ever, let him do his business with all strength of body and soul to keep these commandments, and despise all sophistries and argu- ments of false flatterers anil heretics, who both in work and word despise these commandments, and with false feigned arguments reply against simple men, saying that it is not lawful to be busy about the keeping of them ; yea, and saying that it is needful sometimes to break them.* But as Jannes and Jambres, the philosophers of Pharaoh, with- stood Moses, through their witchcraft, when he was about to deliver God's people out of the thraldom of Pharaoh, so these men, confused in understanding, withstand true teach- ing, through which God's people should be delivered out of the thraldom of the devil. But all their sophistries shall not serve them at the last ; if they be not found keeping;, and in full will keep, these commandments of God ; for all other ceremonies, without keeping these commandments, are nothing worth, as St. Paul witnesses.! Almighty God wrote ten commands in two tables of stone, in token that the hearts of his people were full hard to love • The doctrinos sanctioned by the church of Rome went to this ex- tent. Aquinas taught that venial sins do not cause any stain in the soul. Cajetan asserted tliat to commit venial sin, even out of contemi)t, is not mortal sin. It is hardly necessary to add, that the holy scripture draws no such lines of distinction between sins as the church of Rome has done, refinini; until the breach of each commandment is treated as venial. For a variety of authorities from Romish writers on this sub- ject, see a work entitled, The Picture of Pfl])ery. Lond. 1716. It may he added that Aquinas and others assert that the smallness of a thing in all cases excuses from mortal sin. f This description of the Romish casuists whose authority was much regarded in that day is very just. The straii;ht forward statements of WicklifF presented a striking contrast to their sophistries. On the Commandments. 61 him, and gave them to Moses, his servant, to teach them to his people. And he promised that those who would be obedient and keep them, should have his blessing-, and prosperity, and wealth, and they that would not, should have his curse, and great sorrow, and mischief, as it is expressed in the fifth book of holy writ. Three, [four] commandments were written in the first table, and seven [six] in the other.* The three [four] first teach how men should love God, and the other seven [six] teach what man should do to his fellow christian, and what he shall not do. And these commandments are so hard knitted together, that he who loves God fully, loves his fellow- christians, and whosoever loves not them, he loves not God. For whoso loves not his neighbour whom he may see with his eyes, how may he love God whom he seeth not ? as St. John saith. THE FIRST (and SECOND) COMMANDMENT. The FIRST command, God commandeth in these words ; saying, " I am thy Lord God, that led thee out of Egypt, out of the house of thraldom, and bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thee a graven image, neither any likeness which is in hea- ven above, and which is in earth beneath, nor of those things that are in waters under the earth. Thou shalt not pray to them, nor worship them in soul. I am thy Lord God, a strong jealous lover ; visiting the wickedness of fathers on the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hated me ; and doing mercy unto a thousand of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Our Lord God said all these words, and they are charged with more wisdom than we can tell. As for the first clause, we shall understand that almighty God chose the children of Israel, who came of Isaac, Abraham's son, and of Jacob his son, before other nations, and said that they should be his people, and he would be their God. For to their fore- father Abraham, and to his lineage, God promised to give the land of promise, by which is understood the land of bliss, that is, heaven. • Wickliff follows the division of the commandments used by the church of Rome, and still retained in the Lutheran church ; but he does not suppress the second commandment, as is often done in Romish catechisms and books of devotion. 62 IFickliff.—The Poor Caitiff'. And God suffered his people, for their sins, to be in great thraldom in the land of Egypt under king Pharaoh, and they cried to God oft, to bring them out of that mischief; and so he did at the last, for he had comi)assion upon them, and sent his servant Moses, and Aaron his brother, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he should deliver God's people, and lie would not. But Moses, by teaching of God, wrought such wonders before Pharaoh, that at the last, by the might of God, he delivered God's people. And Moses led them over the Red Sea, as a dry way, the water stand- ing upright on either side of them, in manner of two walls, and they went over dry. And soon after, Pharaoh, fervent in envy, gathered together his host, and pursued God's people into the Red Sea. And when they were entered, he and all his host, by the same way that the people went, God made the water to pass forth in its usual course, and drenched* Pharaoh and all his host ; and God brought his people over, safe, into the desert. And for this wonderful work, and many more, they were commanded to worship him for their God, and no other. And as God brought this people out of bodily thraldom, and the bondage of Pharaoh, so he brought us out of the spiritual thraldom, and bondage of the fiend. For before the time that Christ became man, all mankind were s])iri- tually in Egypt, that is in the darkness of sin, and under the thraldom of Pharaoh, that is, under the power of the fiend. But Christ came down from heaven and became man, and did many wonders and marvels in the Egypt of this world, before the Pharaoli, that is, the fiend, king of this Egypt. And through his bloody passionf delivered his people out of thraldom, and drenched the fiend with all his host. For Christ, through his painful passion, overcame the power of the fiend, and left him bound in hell for a thousand years after, as St, John saith in the book of Re- velation.J And thus God, through his great might and mercy, delivered his people out of the Egypt of hell, and out of the thraldom of the fiend. Though a man had no more causes than this, methinks it should singularly move him to set all his trust, his wor- ship, and his love, m God, who is thus full of might and • Drowned. t Sufferings. i It is hardly necessary to observe, that the views of Wickliff re- specting the i'ulfibnent of tlie ])rophecies, in many respects differ from those which are now generally entertained. On the Commandmenta. 63 mercy. For there was no creature that could dehver man out of the thraldom of the fiend, but only He that had per- fectly double nature in himself, and was both God and man, and would make himself as much after the will of God, as Adam by pride did against the will of God. Furthermore, in this commandment God commandeth his people to have no strange gods. Here God command- eth that all men's belief, trust, and love, be set only in God, and in no other thing against his will. And here he for- biddeth all belief and trust in all manner of witchcraft, dreams, charms, and conjurations. For those that put their belief or trust in any such, withdraw some of their belief and trust from God, and so break his command, and make themselves false gods. And also men break this command- ment in other manners ; for look, whatever thou lovest most, and fastest goest about to get it, and art most loth to lose, thou showest by thy will and by thy deeds, that this thing is thy god. Therefore each man look in his own conscience, upon what he most sets his liking and thought, and what he is most busy about to please, and that thing he loveth most, whatsoever it be ; and what thing a man loveth most, that thing he maketh his god. Thus each man wilfully using deadly sin, makes himself a false god, by turning away his love from God, to the lust of the sin that he useth. And thus when man or woman forsakes meekness, the meekness that Jesus Christ com- mandeth, and gives himself to highness and pride, he makes the fiend his god ; for he is king over all proud folk, as it is written in the book of Job. And so the envious man or woman have revenge and vengeance for their god. And the indolent man hath idleness, sloth, and sleep, for his god. The covetous man and woman make worldly goods their god ; for covetousness is the root of all evils, and ser- vice to idols as to false gods, as St. Paul saith. Glutton- ous and drunken folk make their belly their god, for the love and caie that they have for it, as St. Paul witnesses. And so lecherous folk make them a false god for the foul delight and lust that reigns in them. Thus every man and woman, using deadly sin, breaks this first commandment, worshipping false gods. Therefore saith the great clerk, Grosthead, that each man who doeth deadly sin, runneth from, or forsaketh the true God, and worshippeth a false god — all such are false gods to rest upon, that cannot de- liver themselves, nor their worshippers, fi"om the vengeance 64 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. of almighty God, at the dreadful doom, as God saith by his prophets. Furthermore, in this commandment God forbiddeth to make any gi-aven image or other similitude, with intent to trust on them, or to do worship to them. And this was utterly forbidden to the Jews to whom those commandments were given. First, for the unstedfastness of their faith; for they were so false in their belief, that some of them wor- shipped tilings made of God for their gods. Some wor- shipped the sun, and some the moon, and some other likenesses of creatures for their god. And so the worship that was only due to God, they gave to other creatures made by God, and to similitudes and likenesses which they had made themselves, against God's will, and therefore it was utterly forbidden to them to make any similitude or likeness, for the great idolatry which they did to them, as is found in many places in the old law. All such similitudes or images should be as kalendars to ignorant folk ; and as clerks say in their books what they should do, so ignorant folks, when they lack teaching, tihould learn by images whom they should worship and follow in living. Each man is forbidden to do God's worship to images, but it is good to each man to learn by the sight of them to follow saints living. * [Wickliff then proceeds to show how the sight of the sa- crament hanging over the altar, and crucifixes or images, ought to induce men to lifl up their souls to heaven, but " not believing or trusting that the image or likeness may bring any man out of spiritual or bodily mischief or give help or riches, or take away." He proceeds thus] — It is written in God's law that they may neither yield to any man evil or good ; neither give riches nor take away. And though any make a vow to them, and yield it not, they should not seek it. They should not deliver any man from death, nor restore a blind man to his sight, thus saith holy writ. • The church of Rome uses this excuse for allowing images to be placed in their churches, callinR them "laymen's hooks." But it never has been found practicable to restrain " ignorant folk" from identifying the image with the person represented, and rendering to the wood or stone the homage of respect due to the person repre- sented, and in the case of saints, what is infinitely worse, rendering to man the homage due to God alone. It is clear that Wickliff did not advocate image worship as sanctioned by the cburch of Rome, al- though he was not fully awakened to the necessity of wholly putting away such symbols. On the Commandments. 65 Moreover, G od saith in this commandment that he is a jea- lous lover. For he willeth that all man's heart, strength, and understanding, be occupied in his law, that thou neither un- derstand, nor will, nor think any thing contrary to God, as St. Augustine saith. St, Gregory saith, that the proving of love is the giving of work. We love God truly if we keep his commandments, and refrain us from our lusts. He that fleeteth * abroad by unlawful desires, loves not God, for he withstands his will. St. Augustine saith, " Love sepa- parates holy men from the world, and maketh men of one will to dwell together." He that has not real love is evil, and no skill, nor belief, nor giving cattle to poor men, nor penance of body profits any thing to him that has not love. The tongue, soul, and life, are inquired of respecting the love of God. The tongue, that it speak not foul, idle, or wicked words, but such as are clean, chaste, and as God's words. The soul, that it think no unclean, foul, or idle thoughts, but clean, chaste, and sweet heavenly thoughts. The life, that it work pleasingly to God's worship. For the love of God, as St. Gregory saith, is never idle ; if it be love it worketh great things pleasingly to God. Christ commandeth in the gospel, that each man love him with all his heart. This that Christ saith of all the heart, and of all the soul, admits not parting witji other things. For how much a man's heart is set on other things, so much it is departed fi'om God. God seeketh threefold love of man, of all his heart, soul, and strength, to withdraw man from the threefold lust of the world, that is, from the love of possessions and riches, from the love of highness and vain worship, and from fleshly lusts. For in these three was Christ tempted, and therefore to teach man to withstand these, he saith. Thou shalt love thy Lord God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. By what God saith in this commandment, that he visiteth the wickedness of fathers on the children, and so forth, he shovveth both love and dread ; but that man should be kindly led by love, he dwelleth more on love than dread. When he saith that he doeth vengeance, it is but to the third or fourth generation of them that hated him, but he doeth mercy unto a thou- sand kindreds of them that love him, and keep his commandments. For by these two, that is, by love and dread, God * Floats, wanders. 66 Wickliff.—Thc Poor Caitiff. chastiseth his children as by rod or staff. Therefore he saith by his prophet, If I be thy God, where is my love ; and if I be thy Lord, where is my dread ? For by love and dread each man should serve God. And therefore St. Angnstine saith, Holy dread of God brinG;cth men love. But un- derstand not that God doeth vens^eance, or punisheth the child for the father or mother that hath sinned. For the child shall not bear the wickedness of the father, as God saith by his prophet. But understand that if the father be sinful and wicked, and if the child follows and uses the sinful livinp: of the father, then God will punish the child justly, for his own o:uilt ; and this is what God saith in the text, that he will punish the children of them that hated him. God punisheth not the children for the father's and mother's guilt, but for that the children were like them in manner, and in like sins hated God. THE SECOND (tHIRd) COMMANDMENT. In the second commandment, God saith thus to each man, " Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vain ; for God shall not have him without guilt that taketh his name idly, or without a cause." In two manners man may take God's name in vain ; both in manner of living, and also in swearing. When man is baptized, and taketh Christendom,* then is the name of Christ put in his soul, who is both God and man, and name above all names ; as St. Paul saith. Therefore he forsakes the devil and his works, that is, sin ; and makes covenant to be Christ's true servant and to keep his bid- dings. But when man breaks this covenant, and becomes the fiend's serv'ant, doing deadly sin, then he takes Christ's name in vain while he serves the fiend, doing his works, as St. Peter saith. And therefore saith St. Augustine, Let no man deem himself to be a true christian man, unless he live according to the lore or teaching of Christ. In another manner man takes God's name in vain, as by swearing, or forswearing, and cares not how. For firom a young child that scarcely can speak, to an old bearded man whom God hath almost deprived of speech, this com- mand of God is broken. For many have brought them- selves into such a perilous custom, that they can scarcely speak a word but they swear by God in vain, or by some * Professes to bo a follower of Christ. On the Commajidments. 67 of his creatures. St. Augustine saith, that to swear by God, or by any saint, is to call them to bear witness of what thou swearest. Bethink thee well ; if thou calledst a poor man to bear witness of every word thou speakest, in a little time he would have indignation, and say that thou didst scorn him — much more almighty God, who forbids such vain swearing and calling to bear witness. The cause should be both true and right needful, if men should call such a Lord as God is, to bear witness thereof, and there- fore God forbids this vain swearing by his name, in this commandment, and in many other places in his law. And Christ forbids swearing by creatures, in the gospel of Mat- thew, where he commandeth to swear not, neither by heaven nor by earth. In that he forbids to swear by heaven, he for- bids to swear by the saints that are in heaven, and in that he forbids to swear by earth, he forbids to swear by any creature in earth. And herewith accords St. James, saying. Dear brethren, before all things swear ye not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath, lest you fall under the doom of God. And St. John Chrysostom saith that it is idolatry, or worshipping of false gods, to swear by a creature. Yea, as he saith, This is sovereign blasphemy, since this swearing, as much as is in the swearer, makes the creature by which he sweareth, to be God ; since it is reserved to God only, that men swear by him, with three conditions which God rehearses by Jeremiah the prophet ; which are — he that shall swear be compelled by doom * — that he verily know his cause be true — and also needful to help his fellow-christian in his right. Else should each man keep him from swearing. For if any of these three conditions fail, there is a premunire.f And since Almighty God in his law saith, that he shall not be unpunished who taketh God's name thus in vain, what punishment suppose we shall they have, who not only take his name in vain, but also dismember him, and crucify him by swearing by his heart, and by his wounds, and other members ? Such do more despite to Christ than the Jews did who nailed him to the cross, as St, Augustine and St. Gregory say. For this manner of swearing is called blasphemy, and one of the greatest despites that man may do to God — to swear by his limbs, and to upbraid him with his painful passion. | * By lawful authority. t A penalty. + These oaths were very common in Wickiiff 's time, and some of 63 Jrickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. The 'fiend hath found three false excuses for swearing, and hath taught them his servants, to withstand and excuse their sin. Some say in scorn, as the fiend teaches them. Is it not good to have God often in mind ? And some say, I may swear, for I swear truth. And some say, But if I swear not, no man will believe me. With these three false excuses men suppose to excuse themselves for such sinful vain swearing, but they accuse themselves befcre God, and make their sin more grievous. For as to the first, I pray thee, if thy servant did what thou hadst forbidden him, even the oftener he did it, the worse thou wouldst be pleased, and more yet if he scorned thee, and said he did so from love, to have thee in mind ! To the second false and feigned excuse may be answered thus ; A man should not swear always when he saith truth, for each man ought to say truth when he speaks any thing. For God forbiddeth any man to lie, and thus by his false excuse, man should swear at every word, if it were lawful to swear even when he saith truth. But this is openly false, as holy writ wit- nesses. It is written in the book of Ecclesiasticus, that a man who sweareth much shall be full filled with wickedness, and vengeance shall not depart from that house in which many oaths are used. And to those who say that no man will believe them unless they swear, this methinks is a foul excusation ; since a false man may swear as much as a true man, and thus should men believe by oaths a false man as well as a true man. For commonly the more false a man is, the more oaths he will swear ; and commonly he that will readiest swear, will gladly forswear and beguile. For he that dreadeth not to break God's command, will not be afraid to be false. But Christ bids not belief to oaths that are sworn, but he fully teaches to believe the deeds. For if men knew that thou wert true in thy words, and in thy deeds, they would ask no oath of thee, for it should not avail. But since thou art varying and untrusty in word and in deed, therefore men believe thee not, unless thou wilt swear. Tlierefore if thou wilt be believed without swearing, be true of thy tongue, and discreet of thy words ; and take heed to Christ's word where he forbids thee to swear by the blasphemous expressions wliicli are lioard in the present day, are derived from them. The writini;s of Chaucer, and other contempora- ries of WicklifF, show the awful prevalence of profane oaths at that period. On the Commandments. 69 heaven or by earth, or by thine own head, for thou mayest not make a hair thereof either white or black. But let thy words be yea, yea, nay, nay, without any oath, for what thou swearest more than thus it is of evil. For all manner of truth standeth either in yea or in nay ; and the heart and mouth should accord in speech, and not say one thing and think another ; therefore Christ doubleth this yea, and this nay, and thus they should be christian men's word, without vain swearing, either by God or his creatures. THE THIRD (fOURTh) COMMANDMENT. The third command of God is commanded by him thus, '* Have mind that thou hallow the holy day ; in six days thou shalt work thine own works ; the seventh day is the rest of thy Lord God. That day thou shalt do no servile work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy servant, nor thy work-beast, nor the stranger that dwelleth in thine house. For in six days God made heaven and earth, sea, and all things that are within them, and rested the seventh day ; and therefore he blessed that day, and made it holy." In- stead of the seventh day, which was hallowed in the Old Testament by God's commandment, christian men, of their devotion, hallow the eighth day,* that is, the Sunday, wherein Christ rose again from the dead. The Sunday, as ignorant people call it, in holy writ is called the Lord's day. This was the first day of the world, wherein light was made. On this day, Christ rose again from death to life immortal. On this day, the Holy Ghost came down to the apostles, and gave to them understanding, wisdom, charity, and hardiness to preach God's truth, and die therefore. But since sin is the worst work of bondage, for it makes men bound to the fiend of hell — and he is the worst lord that any man may serve, for he rewards his servants with nothing but with pain — therefore men should busy them- selves on the holy day to learn God's law, which might teach them to flee sin, and to rest in their God ; and they should flee fleshly lusts, taverns, and chafferings,t that hinder this end ; and bewail their before-done sins, beseech- ing grace and might, to withstand others to come. This lesson God teacheth in a book of his law. And therefore * The first day of the week, John xx. 1—26. ^ Bargainings. 70 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. saith St. Aug'ustine, If it need uh christian men to have dehi!;ht and mirth in holy days, let us delij^ht in God's word, and seek our delights in declarinp; God's law. Let us not ordain precious feasts for the belly and the throat, but so hallow the holy days, that we follow them in living, of whom these feasts are. For a devout follower pleases God more than an idle praiser, or a praiser by mouth only. True praising of heart is following of work. For to worship with mouth, and not to follow in living, is nothing else but falsely to flatter. Truly to this end are holy days ordained, that by them the congregation of christian men be stirred to follow the saints of God. In three manners men break this commandment of God. First, we see that all things kindly,* after travail seek rest. God in six days made heaven and earth, and all things within them, and rented on the seventh day. Apostles, and martyrs, and other saints, travailed on this world, with- standing sin, and suffered much for God's love and his truth, and now they rest in heaven. But many men and women of this world, travail busily all the week, and yet they will not rest on the Sunday. If there be either fair, or market, or any other place where they may win any money, then they, and their servant, and their work-beast, shall bu- sily labour therefore. And it seems that all such folk have lost their spiritual mind, and are like to none but them that are in hell ; for they never rest, but evermore travail in pain, and shall do so, world without end, as the prophet saith. Would God that all such folk would have mind how a man was stoned to death by the commandment of God, because he gathered sticks on the holy day, as it is written in a book of God's law, and did no greater trespass. For such folk gather many brands of covetousness, and other great sins, to burn their souls in pain, unless they amend before death. In the second manner many men break this command- ment, for many cease on the holy day from great bodily travails, but they occuj)y themselves in great spiritual sins ; for such folk cleanse out the gnat, and swallow the camel, holding that there is more peril in a little bodily work, than in a great spiritual sin ; although every other should be left on the holy day ! Nevertheless, St. Augustine saith, that it is less trespass to go to the plough, to dig, or delve, and for women to spin on the holy day, than to lead dances and * Naturally. On the Commandments. 71 frequent taverns. For such folk in a manner hallow the work days, doing good and lawful works, and in the holy days spend their life in drunkenness and gluttony, lecheiy and pride, and such great deadly sins. In the work day they are busy to travail for hvelihood for their body, but in the holy day they give their souls to the fiend, for lust and liking of divers sins. To such folk God speaketh by his prophet, saying that he will throw in their faces the filth of their sins, which they do in the holy day. And in another place he saith, that he hateth their solemnities, that is, for the sins that are done ^in them. And it is written in the book of mourning (Lamentations) that our enemies, that is fiends, have seen our occupations, and they have scorned our holy days. In the third manner this command is broken by them that spend their time in idle and vain plays, and have great liking to behold and see vanities, and to hear and to tell idle tales, and to speak of filth and of sin, and to backbite their fellow christians when they sit together. And thereby they destroy the virtue and grace that should be in their souls, as St. Bernard saith. For as good speech and chaste words increase virtue and grace in the souls of speakers and hearers, so foul words of lechery and of other sins, de- foul the souls, both of them that speak, and of them that hear, if they consent thereto, as St. Paul saith. Therefore, whosoever will hallow his holy day to God's worship, learn he another lesson, and understand how God commandeth in his commandment to have regard to the holy day. For man should on the holy day put out of his heart all worldly thoughts, and occupy his mind in heavenly desires, and think on the great goodness and mercy that God hath done for him, how He made him of nought, and like to himself in soul. What greater token of love might he show, than to make the servant like to the Lord ? Also, have mind that when thou wert a child of wrath, and of hell, for the sin of Adam, Christ laid his life to pledge, to bring thee out of that prison ; and he gave not as ransom for thee either gold or silver, or any other jewel, but his own precious blood that ran out of his heart. And this princi- pally should move all christian men to have mind of God, and to worship him in thought, word, and deed. Have mind also, how thou hast often, since thou wert christened, broken his commands, and done many great sins, and yet of his own goodness he abideth thee, without 72 fVickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. taking vengeance, where he might justly, for one deadly sin, put thee in pain for ever, and do thee no wrong. Also have mind how he of his goodness, governeth thee in thy right senses, and keepeth thee by night and by day, where he suffereth others for their sin to fall into great mis- chief both of body and soul. And from all such mischiefs by his mercy he hath kept thee. Think also how unkind* thou hast been against him, and all these great goodnesses which he hath willingly done to thee ; and how thou, as an unkind wretch, against all these mercies, and many more, hast given him gall to drink, of bitter and foul sins ; and often wittingly and wilfully hast broken his command- ments, both in thought, word, and deed. That thou shouldest have mind of all these goodnesses, and many more which he hath done to thee, and of the manifold trespasses which thou hast done against him — and since the having of such mind, demands to have rest of body and of soul, and such rest should be had on the holy day — therefore God commandeth each man to have mind to hal- low his holy day. For each man's mind or thought should be kept from vanities, and occupied thereabout, and therefore God called the holy day, the day of rest. For each man should be busy to purchase rest of soul and body, and to avoid all things for the time that hinder this. For resting on the Sunday betokens the resting in bliss after this life, and they that will not keep rest of soul this day, and avoid sin, it is to be dreaded, that unless they amend, they will lose the rest of bliss to come. In these three (four) first commands,'each man is taught how he shall love God ; and in the seven (six) ensuing, he is taught how he shall love his fellow christian, what he shall do to them, and what he shall leave. THE FOURTH (fIFTH) COMMANDMENT. The first command of these seven, God saith in this wise, " Worshipt thou thy father and thy mother ; that thou may- est be of long life upon earth." And both nature and reason will this. What man or woman shouldest thou worship, * Unnatural. f Reverence. On the Commandments. 78 if thou shouldestnot worship them that brought thee forth, and loved and helped thee, when thou mightest not, neither couldest help thyself And St. Augustine saith it is a brutish condition for a child to forget to worship and to love his father and his mother. Three manner of fathers we should worship. The first is the Father who createth from nothing ; the second is him that is our father by nature ; the third is the father by age, and especially by virtues. The principal father that we should worship is Almighty God, who made us, body and soul, and nourisheth the body with food that cometh of the earth, and comforteth every good soul with heavenly desire. This Father defendeth every soul that is true to him, from the power of the fiend, who would overset it, and granteth it through his grace, to be an heir in heaven. And this may no father do, but only God almighty ; for he is Father of all, most rightful and mighty, whom no man may with- stand. And therefore, we should worship him over all other, for he is our Father, our Lord, and our God, and he shall be our Judge at the last day, and for the endless re- ward that he keepeth for_us if we keep his commands. For whoso loves his father or mother, or any other creature more than Him, he is not worthy to have him, as he saith himself And St. Augustine saith, that as there may be no moment or time, in which man uses not God's goodness and his mercy, so ought there to be no moment or time, in which man hath him not in mind, for to worship him. The second father that we should worship, is he that is our father by nature. To him we should be subject, and meek, and serviceable, as Christ teacheth by his own doing. For he was subject and serviceable to his mother and to Joseph. And since he is and was very God, and would be subject and serviceable to an earthly creature, how shall we mortal wretches escape from the wrath of him, if we be re- bellious, out of reason, against our father and mother ? And therefore, let each child worship and reverence his father and his mother, and help them in their need, both bodily and spiritually. Give them of thy goods freely if they have need, and thou have more than they. And travail for them with the strength of thy body, and counsel and comfort them after thy ability, and reverence them with the words of thy mouth ; for he that missayeth his father or his mother shall die an evil death, as God's law saith. And if thou art wiser than they, counsel, and teach them in all meek manner, how WICKLIFF. E 74 IVicUiff.— The Poor Caitiff. they should live justly, to please God almighty ; and help them out of old customs of sin and unreasonable manners. For he that is negligent in this, does great wrong to his father and mother, if he may, by any easy means, amend such defaults. And look that no child consent to sin for any fleshly worship* of father or mother ; for bowing to sin is not obedience, but the greatest rebellion that man can do against God, or any christian man. For man should not consent to sin to win all the world. Christ asketh, what it profiteth a man to win all the world and suffer loss to his own soul ? The third fathers we should worship are men of age, and especially of virtue. For many old men and women there are who are full of vices, and so they are but children in understanding, although they are of great bodily age. Therefore worship thou in all such that which God made, which is body and soul, but beware that thou consent not to sin ; for it is a foul abuse, as St. Augustine saith, for a man or woman of great age to be without good living. THE FIFTH (sIXTH) COMMANDMENT. In the fifth command, God forbids all wrongful manslay- ing, both of body and soul. For this is one of the sins that ever cr)' for vengeance before Almighty God. And there- fore God said to Cain, Lo the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the earth. This sin of manslaughtert is so grievous in God's sight, that he commanded in the old testament, before Christ's coming, that if any man, by lying in wait, or any treachery, killed a man, and afterwards fled to God's altar for succour, yet should he be taken away from thence, and be slain for that deed. And therefore St. John saith. He that slayeth shall be slain. For the same mea- sure that thou measurest to another shall be measured to thee, as Christ saith himself, and therefore he commanded Peter to put up his sword in the time of his suffering. But open trespassers that will not be amended in other manner, must by just doom be slain, by them that bear the sword of temporal punishing, without trespassing against this command of God, as St. Paul saith. Therefore let each * Earthly regard. t By manslaughter the reformers usually mean wilful murder, not the unpremeditated slaying, now termed manslaughter by the law. On the Commandments. 75 man beware of malicious bodily manslayin^, that no man by deed, nor by will, nor by procuring others, for hate or for dread, assent to this sin. For God will take great ven- geance on him, who for his own malicious will slayeth any man, or procureth thereto against God's law, unless he amend him* before he die. Of spiritual manslaying there are many manners. The first is manslaying of heart. For each man that hates his fellow christian in his heart is a manslayer, as St. John saith. The second is, when man wilfully assenting to wicked thoughts of his heart, turneth from goodness. The third manner is, by unlawful lusts and desires engendered in the heart, which will slay him that is slow to put them away. As it is written, Desires slay the slothful. Also there is a spiritual manslaughter by mouth ; and that is in three manners. The first is in lying, for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul. The second is of back- biting, for that is the tongue of the adder, which stingeth in stillness, as is written in a book of God's law. Tlie back- biter slayeth first himself through his own wickedness, and the malice of his heart ; and also him that heareth and consenteth to his false telling, and after, peradventure, makes it worse. Also he slayeth him whom he backbiteth, as much as he is able, for he makes him lose his good praise and fame. And also when this comes to his ear who is spoken of, then he is out of charity, and thus the backbiter slayeth three at once. The third manner of man- slaughter by mouth, is false flattering, or praising in sin and wickedness, or for a man to show glosingt words to another whom he hateth in his heart. Those that flatter men in sin by any false colouring, hide other men's spiritual death in their own error, not telling them their perils, nor reproving their defaults, either for dread or for covetous- ness. Thus some preachers are guilty of manslaughter. Other glosers and flatterers, who bear honey in their mouths by smooth words, and gall of death in their hearts by secret hate, are figured in holy writ by Joab, who met with Amasias, and spake fair with him, as though he would have kissed him, and under colour thereof killed him. Also a man is said to slay himself spiritually, when he knowingly and wilfully doth deadly sin ; for then he maketh God depart from him, who is the life of the soul, as St. Augustine saith. And therefore Christ saith that the * Repent. t False, flattering. E 2 76 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. devil hath been a manslayer from the bei^inning. For first he slew himself with sin, and all tlie ang'els that consented to him. Also he slew Adam and Eve through his false en- ticing; ; and so he doth those whom he may overcome with deadly sin. Therefore it is written, Flee thou sin, as thou wouldestflee from the bitinp; of an adder; for it is as bitter as the teeth of a lion, slayin^v the souls of men. Also there is manslaui^hter in other manner, in which man is said to slay his fellow christian ; as he or she that hath the goods of the world, and seeth man or woman in great default or mischief, and will not help them. I speak not of pardoners, nor of bold beggars,* but of them that are poor, feeble, crooked, blind, and lame, or in some other mis- chief, by the sufferance of God ; and others who have pain and default, who are ashamed to ask, and would rather suffer much mischief than beg. Of whom it is said in holy writ, Thou hast seen a man dying for hunger ;t if thou hast not fed him thou hast slain him. * Sellers of the pope's pardons or indulgences, and begging friars. Chaucer thus describes one of the latter. After preaching on pur- gatory, and urging his hearers to pay for their friends' deliverance, When folk in church had gave him what they list^ He went his way, no longer would he rest. "With scrip and tipped staft', y tucked high, In every house he gan to pore and pry, And begged meal and cheese, or else corn. His fellow had a staft' tipped with horn, A pair of tables all of ivory, A pointell y polished fetously,|| HI skilfully.) And wrote always the names as he stood Of all folks that gave them any good, Askaunce that he would for them pray, " Give us a bushel wheat, malt, or rye, A God's kichell,t or a trippe of cheese, a a utiu cake.) Or else what ye list, I may not choose, A God's halfpenny, or a mass penny, Or give us of your brawn, if ye liave any, A dagon§ of your blanket, dear dame, (^ Apiece.) Our sister dear, lo here 1 write your name, Bacon or beef, or such thing as ye find." A sturdy harlot went him aye behind, 'J'hat was their host's man, and bare a sack. And what men gave them, laid it on liis back. And wlien he was out at the door, anon, He plained away the names every one, That he before liad written in his 1al>les ; He served them with nifles and with fables." Such were the days of jjopery in England ! See note on the SuT)pli. cation of Beggars. Frith, p. 59. t This unhappily was not so uncommon at that period as in later days. The old chronicles relate numerous instances. Iloliinshed thus On the Commandments. 77 Also, if any man by fraud, or by sleight, or by any other false tricks, as by weight or measure ; or by deceit in chaf- fer,* or by withholding of labourer's hire, gets other men's goods to make himself rich, he is said to be a manslayer. Therefore, let all those beware that take any thing by wrong, or by false pretence, supposing to be free because they give to another under the colour of alms, but it is none. For all alms must be given of true gotten goods, and to those that Christ limiteth.f Of such folk as by rapine and deceit slay their fellow christians, taking from them their livehhood, and so their life, God speaketh by his prophets, saying, Your hands are fouled with blood, your fingers are full of wickedness. And he that wieldeth by violence, by thefl, or by fraud, or deceit, that whereby poor men ought to be sustained, hath hands defouled with blood of poor, and he that eats and drinks of such possessions, and clothes himself, and builds houses, and walls of such possessions, eats and drinks the blood of poor men, is clothed in the blood of poor men, and lays the foundation of his buildings in the blood of poor men. Let such men hear the word of God, Whoso- ever sheddeth man's blood, his blood shall be shed. Also there is a manslaying by giving evil example. Also there is manslaughter of negligence or carelessness, of which God speaketh by his prophet, to each curate or priest. If thou speakest not to the people, that a wicked man keep him from his evil way, he shall die in his wick- edness, I shall seek his blood at thy hand. THE SIXTH (seventh) COMMANDMENT. The sixth command of God forbids all manner of le- chery, both bodily and spiritual. For of all sins this is describes a famine in England, a. d. 1317. "In this season victuals were so scarce and dear, and wheat and other grain brought so high a price, that the poor people were constrained through famine to eat the flesh of horses, dogs, and other vile beasts, which is wonderful to be- lieve, and yet for default there died a great multitude of people in divers places of the land." Grafton calculates the price of corn then to have been equal to what eight pounds a quarter would have been in queen Elizabeth's days, which maybe estimated as not less than thirty pounds at the present day. * Bargaining. •j- It was very common for those who had acquired wealth by force or fr audj to endow monasteries in order to pacify their consciences. 78 JVickliff'.—The Poor Caitiff. the foulest For why? Other sins defile only the soul, but this defiles both body and soul, as St. Paul saith. And amonp; all other sins, this most pleases the fiend. In other sins, commonly he getteth only one at once, but in this at the least he g^etteth two. For the sin of lechery God hath taken great vengeance, as is shown in holy writ. See the history of Dinah, and of the daughters of Moab. To this deed the devil tempteth in five manners, as St. Gregory saith. The first by foolish looking, after by unhonest words, and after that by foul touching, and in foul kissing, and so cometh to the deed. Thus craflily the devil bringeth from one to another. Therefore Job saith, I have made covenant with mine eyes that I shall not think upon a maid. And women that array themselves nicely, to be seen of fools, sin grievously, for by their nice array and countenance they cause the loss of many souls. It is a foul abuse to see a woman without chastity of soul. Two manners belong to the keeping of chastity — that the out- ward array be not to show, but to conceal and hide, and that the desire of the heart be set to God and heavenly things, destroying foul thoughts of the heart and idle words and vain. It behoveth to flee occasion thereof, as company and place, and delicate and lustful meats and drinks, that excite thereto. And therefore saith a great clerk, that in this sin a man must especially be God's coward,* and flee from occasion that moves to this sin, and trust not to strength, understanding, or to wisdom. For what man was stronger than Samson? Who was more able than David? Who was wiser than Solomon? And yet those three were burned with the fire of lechery. Therefore let him that will be God's clean child, as God's coward, flee all occasions and companies that move him to this sin. The second medicine that helps against this sin, is to keep the body from lustful meats and drinks. The third is, to keep out of idleness, and to busy thy mind in clean thoughts, and thy body in clean occupations. For such lusts come not unless thoughts go before. Spiritual lechery, is when man's soul turneth to the fiend by lust of deadly sin. For Christ and man's soul are wedded together through true belief, love, charity, and keeping of his commands, and leaving of sin, as God saith by his prophet. But when man, by his own devices, turns * In the fear of God. Oil the Commandments. 79 to deadly sin, and leaveth the love of Christ, he sins in spiritual lechery with the fiend. THE SEVENTH (eIGHTH) COMMANDMENT. The seventh command, God saith in these v^^ords, "Thou shalt not do thefl." Theft, as a learned man saith, is a taking away of goods without the leave and will of him that owns them. In this command, God forbids all manner of wrong taking and withholding of any man's goods — all privy stealing, robbing, and be- guiling— all sleights and deceits in buying and selling. Therefore let each man beware, that he do no theft, lest God do vengeance on him, as he did on Achan. And if he have any thing of other men wrongfully, by thefi;, subtlety, or deceit, let him restore and make restitution or satisfac- tion therefore, by all his power, else the sin is not forgiven, as St. Augustine saith. Since theft is taking of other men's goods against the will of them that own them, it seems hereby that all wrong getting of goods, by usury, by rapine, by false weights and measures, and secret guile, is thefl done by covetousness to have other men's goods against God's will, and them that own them. Therefore, saith St, Paul, to make us beware, whoever desires thus to be rich, fall into tempta- tion and snare of the devil, and into many grievous and unprofitable desires, which drown men in death and dam- nation. For covetousness is the root of all evils. And in another place he saith, Let no man beguile his brother in chaffering by any deceit, for God takes vengeance upon them that so do. Therefore, those that are great of power in this world, let them not rob nor beguile those that are smaller, neither by rapine, nor by extortion, nor by false claims ; but let them be satisfied with the wages that are limited to them for their livelihood. For so John the Baptist commanded the soldiers, as the gospel witnesses. Therefore, let not him that is a merchant, or a vic- tualler, deceive his fellow christian, as St. Paul exhorts, neither with meat, nor measure, nor any other deceit, to make himself rich by goods gotten by rapine. For God punisheth all that do such things. And Christ saith. The same measure that ye mete to others shall be meted to you again. Therefore, let each man beware that he defraud not any man for his own covetousness, and be no swearer so TFickliff.—The Poor Caitiff'. or liar, in selling or in buying. For it is written by the Holy Ghost's teaching, that whoso gathereth treasures with a lying tongue, he is vain and evil. And against him that sweareth ancl forsweareth hiuiselfin buying and selling, or in any other manner, Zechariah. the prophet of God, speak- eth thus : He saith that he saw a book flying in the air, which was twenty cubits long and ten in breadth. And the angel said to him, It is the curse of God, that goeth to thieves' houses, and to all men's houses that forswear themselves by the name of God. And God speaketh by his prophet, against those who with evil gotten goods, buy lands and rents, and make great buildings, bitterly cursing them for their falseness. Wo be to you, saith he, who bind house to house, and ii eld to field, and say right is wrong and wrong is right — and so say all men who by any falseness gather goods together. Therefore, saith God by another prophet. Wo be to them that multiply things that are not their own. And let him that is a labourer, or a craftsman, do his craft or his labour truly, without sleight or other deceit, as St. Paul exhorts by the teaching of God. And let no man, with wrong, withhold the workman's hire. For that is one of the four sins that ever cry vengeance before God, as St. James saith. Also, in this command, God forbids the cursed sin of usury, in which men sin after divers manners. THE EIGHTH (nINTH) COMMANDMENT. In the eighth command, God forbiddeth every man and every woman to bear any false witness against their fellow christian. For through false witness many a right heir loses his heritage, and many a guiltless man is put to death. Thus Christ who was most innocent, and never did sin, was condemned to death by means of two false witnesses. Therefore, let each man and woman beware of their words, that they bear no witness by word or by swearing, for any thing, unless they know verily that it is right and true. And understand what peril he hath who knowingly bears false witness, and forswears himself on the holy book. Also, in this command, God forbiddeth all leasings.* For each leasing is a false witness against Christ, who is very truth, as he saith himself Therefore Christ called the * Lies, falsehood. Oil the Commandmejits. 81 devil a liar, and the father of lies. For he found the first leasing, and made it himself, when he said to Eve in Para- dise, that she should not die, though she ate of the fruit of the tree God had forbidden upon pain of death, but that Adam and she should be as gods, knowing good and evil. But this was a leasing, and that Adam and Eve knew soon after eating the fruit. And therefore the devil is said to be father of all false witness bearers and liars, and they are said to be his children, by following in manners and in their living. Therefore Christ said to the Jews, that they were of their father the devil, for they wrought his desires. Therefore, let each man beware, for it is written. The lips that lie are abominable to the Lord. Therefore let each man beware that neither for dread, for hate, nor for gift, he use leasing; neither bear any false witness against his fellow christian. For Judas sold truth, when he sold Christ for money. And they who for gift or reward, bear false witness and deny truth, do the same sin spiritually that Judas did bodily. For while they for coveting any thing, deny truth, they sell Christ that is truth, therefore let each man keep himself from leasing, and all those by his might that he hath power over. For a great doctor saith, that though a man might by a private leasing save all this world, which else should perish, yet should he not lie to save it. Leasing stands not only in false words, but also in feigned works, and in manner of living. And therefore let each man and woman who is called a christian, look that their living accord with the lore and teaching of Christ. And let him that is called a priest of Christ, know and teach by living and word, the law of his Lord ; lest he be of those that St. Paul speaks of, who acknowledge by mouth and by word that they know God, but in their works and living they deny the knowing of him. Of which manner of folk, St. John speaks, saying. He that saith he kiioweth God, and keepeth not his commands, he is a liar, and there is no truth in him. And in another place he saith, He that saith that he loveth God, and hateth his brother, is a liar. Of such manner of liars, St. Ambrose speaks, saying, Brethren, Hee ye leasing, for all that love leasings are sons of the devil. Not only in false words, but in feigned works, is leasing, for it is leasing for a man to call himself a christian, and not to do the works of Christ. It is leasing for any man to acknowledge himself bishop, priest, or clerk, and to E 3 82 Wickliff.—Thc Poor Caitiff. work tliinp;s contrary to those orders. Therefore let each man, in his deg-ree, be busy to seek the truth of Christ's teaching, to Hve thereafter, and so to flee sin. THE NINTH (TENTH, FIRST PART) COMMANDMENT. The ninth command is this, " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house," and in another place God saith, " Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's field." Here God forbids all wrongful desire and coveting of other men's goods, both of house and land, gold and silver, clothes, corn, and all other things that cannot move themselves from one place to another. And as in the seventh command God forbids the deed of wrongfully taking any man's goods, so in this com- mand he forbids all manner of wrongful desire, or coveting in heart to any man's goods. This command touches the ground of all evil — having such manner of goods. For no man wrongfully hath any such goods unless the ground of his having be false coveting in heart. And therefore, as a weed is well cleansed out of land when the root is drawn away, so these four commands are well kept when false coveting of the heart is fully quenched. Of the great harm that cometh of false coveting in man's heart, a great clerk speaks, saying, Oh how many men has covetousness deceived and destroyed ! As Balaam, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, and others. Holy writ also speaks of the mischief that comes of false covetousness, and wrong desire of man's heart, by the ex- ample of Ahab who coveted the vineyard of Naboth, and Jezebel the queen, upon whom sentence was fulfilled as God had said. And therefore let each man and woman beware, that false desire or covetousness to have any man's goods with wrong, or against his will, reign not in their hearts ; lest worse befall them than befell king Ahab and Jezebel his queen. THE TENTH (sECOND PART) COMMANDMENT. In the tenth commandment, God saith in this manner ; " Thou shalt not desire the wife of thy neighbour ; nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his." In this command, God forbids the will and consent of each unreasonable desiring, and wrong coveting of all things that are alive, and may move themselves from one place to another. Thus God forbids the sins of man's On the Commandments. 83 will in all things, for oftimes it befalls, that sin is more grounded in evil will than in deed. And as God in the sixth command forbids the sin of lechery, so he forbids in this command, the will and consent of the heart. For as the deed is deadly sin, so is the full consent and the desire of the heart deadly sin, as Christ saith himself Therefore, let each man and woman bethink busily what thought enters into their heart, and if any thought is about to draw the reason of their soul to consent to any sin, let him not muse on that thought, but without delay sternly put it away, moving his heart to think upon the bitter pains that Christ suffered, and upon the endless joys of heaven, which be loses if he consent to that sin ; and upon the bitter and endless pains of hell that he shall have at his end, if he die in that desire or sin which this wicked thought will bring him to, if it abide in the heart till the reason of the soul consent. And also let each v/oman beware, that neither by coun- tenance, nor by array of body, nor of head, she stir any to covet her to sin. Not crooking* her hair, neither laying it upon high, nor the head arrayed about with gold and pre- cious stones, not seeking curious clothing, nor of nice shape, showing herself to be seemly to fools. For all such array of women, St. Peter and St. Paul, by the Holy Ghost's teaching, openly forbid. But let them be in clothing of shamefacedness and soberness ; being subject to their hus- bands, after the rule of reason, as St. Peter and St. Paul teach ; that they v/ho believe not God's word be won to health, beholding in awe the holy and chaste conversation of women. Thus in old time good women and holy, be- lieving in God, adorned themselves, as St, Peter saith. CONCLUSION. These are the ten commands of God, after which it be- hoves all men and women to rule their life, if they would be saved, and therefore Christ saith to each man, if he will enter into life that shall last for ever, keep these com- mands. These commands men should teach their children and their households. And therefore God commandeth to h;s people, that each man tell to his sons how God led his people out of Egypt, And it shall be as a token in thy hand, saith God, and as a thing to be minded, before thine eye, and let the law of the Lord be ever in thy mouth, Exod, xiii. * Curlinsr. S4 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. And in another place, Dciit. vi. God saith, These words which I command to tliee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shall tell tiiemto thy sons, and thou shalt think on them, sitting' in thine house, and going in the way, and sleep- ing and rising. And thou shalt bind them as a sign in thine hand, and tliey shall be betwixt thine eyes, and thou shalt write them on the lintels and door-posts of thy house. That is, thou shalt rule all thy thoughts, words, and deeds, secret and open, within thy house and without, by the command- ments ot" God. Keep thyself and thy soul carefully ; nor forget thou the words which thine eyes have seen, and let them not fall from thine heart, in all the days of thy life. Thou shalt teach them to thy sons and to those that are near to thee. And St. Augustine saith to all christian men. Govern ye your houses, govern ye your sons, govern ye your household attendants. As it pertains to us to speak to you in the church, so it pertains to you to do in your houses ; that ye yield good reason to God, of them that are subject to you. St. Paul saith, He that hath not care of his own, and most of his own household, hath denied the faith, and is worse than a heathen man. Therefore let each man first learn and do in deed himself, and after that excite and move others to keep these commandments. [Wickliff then exhorts men, not " to be negligent to learn, for dread of the sentence that God saith in his law." He quotes at length Deuteronomy xxviii., and adds,] That all men and women may have grace truly to keep the com- mands of God, and therethrough flee these curses, and have these blessings ; and ever to be above in virtue, and never under in sin, and after that, to reign above in ever- lasting bliss, grant, Jesus Christ, that bought man with his heart's blood, merciful God. Amen. All these ten commands of God are contained in two words of love — that is, To love God above all things, and thy fellow christian as thyself. For he that loveth God above all things, will worship no God but one, and he will hallow his holy day, for every day he will live holily, and out of great sin. For certain, every day that a man liveth in deadly sin, is the devil's work day, for the day man doeth the devil's works, he serveth the devil and not God, though he sing, preach, or read holy words. And he will not take God's name in vain ; for he who loveth God above all things, will do nothing that God forbiddeth him. And he who loveth his fellow christian as himself, keepeth the other On the Commandments. 85 commands ; for he reverences his elders and all his fellow christians. And he will not slay his fellow christians in any manner, nor commit lechery, and he will not be a thief to rob his fellow christian, by any deceit or taking of his goods against his will. And he that loveth his fellow christian as himself, will not bear any false witness, and he will not covet his neighbour's house, nor land, nor wife, nor servant, nor any other goods that he owns. Thus the ten commands of God are kept in these two words of love. Therefore saith St. Paul, Whoso loveth, fulfilleth all the law. Whoso loveth God over all things, is ever dreading to offend him in thought, word, or deed. And to love thy fellow christian, is neither to covet, nor to suffer, nor coun- sel or procure, nor to consent to any thing to be done to him, other than thou shouldest desire were done to thee, if thou wert in his state. And therefore saith Christ himself, con- firming this sentence. All things that ye desire men should do to you, do ye the same to them. [Wickliff enforces these considerations at considerable length by quotations from the scripture and the fathers. He proceeds,] Whoso loveth God over all other things, and his neigh- bour as himself, will not be proud. For pride is either an unskilful highness, through which a man is disobedient to God and his commands, or it is an unreasonable highness, through which a man exalts himself above his fellow-chris- tians, and despises them. Also, he that hath this love leaveth covetousness. For he that loveth God above all other things, and his fellow christian as he should, will de- sire nothing that is against the will of God, or harming to his fellow christian. And he that hath this love will not live in sloth, for he will endeavour with all his might to serve his God in keep- ing his commands. And after the grace that he hath re- ceived of God, he will forsake his own ease, and put himself to travail and pain for the welfare of his brother. And he that hath this love will have no deadly wrath to any man, nor desire vengeance on him, though he have trespassed greatly against him. And he that hath this love, hath no envy to his fellow christian. For neither will he be glad of their harm, nor sorry for their welfare. And he that hath this love, will not for his filthy lust bring his sister into sorrow. And he that hath this love, will not take his meat or his drink but in measure, as he needs. For whoso doeth 86 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. otherwise, doeth gluttony, and taketh his meat and his drink against the ordinances of God. And whoso hath this love, doeth the works of mercy to his brother. [Wicklitf enlarges upon love to our neighbours, recapitu- lating much that he had previously stated, and concludes :] Thus in .these ten commands of God, contained in two words^f love, all good is fulfilled, and all evil eschewed.* And that we may live and end in this love, and so come to everlasting bliss, grant us, Jesus Christ, that liveth and reigneth, without end, merciful God. Amen. Amen. ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. PROLOGUE. Christ saith, whoso loveth him, will keep his command- ments ; and they that keep them are his friends, as he saith in another place. And he will hear his friends, and grant them all reasonable things that they ask of him, needful to health of soul and body. And all things needful to man, either for soul or body, are contained in the Lord's prayer. It is the prayer full of wisdom and health which Christ taught his disciples. This holy prayer contains seven askings. And in these short askings is contained more wisdom than any tongue of man can fully tell here on earth. When a child is first set to school, men teach him his paternoster, (the Lord's prayer,) therefore, let him that will learn, be meek as a child, and without malice. God careth not for long tarrying, nor for smooth words, either rhymed or in prayer. For St. Gregory saith, True praying is not to speak fine words with the mouth, but to make great complaint and sorrow for sin, with sore sighing of heart, and great desire of forgiveness. What is it to patter with lips when the heart prayeth not by desire ? What difference there is l^e- twixt the' bran and the liour of the wheat, such there is between the sound of the lips and the devotion of heart. When the mouth prayeth God for one thing, and the heart is busy about another, such worship God with lips, but the heart of them is far from him, as he complaineth by the prophet.t * Avoided, put out. f Wicklilf then states eight tilings needful to man when praying to God. O/i the Lord's Prayer. 87 ON THE lord's PRAYER. The first asking is, Our Father that art in heaven, hal- lowed be thy name. In that thou callest him Father, thou acknowledo-est that he is Maker and Lord of heaven, earth, and hell, and Governor of all creatures, of whom all good- ness Cometh, and thus thou acknowledgest his might. And since he is Lord and Father, each man owes him dread and love. Therefore he asketh each man by his prophet, say- ing, The son worships the father, and the sei-vant the lord. Therefore if I am Father, where is my worship ; and if I be Lord, where is my dread ? This word. Father, shows to each good christian man, great worthiness, fairness, and riches. For there can be no greater worthiness than to be the son of so great a Lord as almighty God is. Therefore Bede saith, No rev/ard may be greater than for the sons of earthly men to be made the sons of the highest Lord — greater riches may no man have, than to be heir of the realm of heaven ; which riches each man shall have, that liveth and endeth in the lore and teaching of this noble Father, as St. Paul witnesses. Greater fairness can no man have, than to be like to this Father. The more man loveth this Father, the more hke he is to him ; and ever the less man loveth him, the less he hath of his likeness. This likeness is likeness of soul, through virtuous life. If thou wilt be son of this blessed Father, thou must hate all sin and filth, as he doth ; and love all goodness and virtue, as he doth. Now when thou callest him Father, bethink thee that thou be obedient to his commands, and yield to him love, worship, reverence, service, and dread. And if thou desirest to find him a mild Father, be thou to him an obedient son. No man shall say, Father mine, but only he that is son by nature, without beginning and end- ing, as Christ, God's Son is. We are not his sons, save as we are made to his likeness. But we are his sons through grace, and by adoption or purchase ; as a lord having no son of his own to be his heir, may make a poor man's son his heir. Thus this Lord and Emperor, when we were poor, and children of wrath and hell, as St. Paul saith, made us through grace, heirs of the realm of heaven, if we are obe- dient children to him. We exclude pride when we say, Our Father, and not mine. This word " our" saith that we are all brethren, 88 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. great and small, poor and rich, high and low, of one father, and of one mother, that is, God and holy church ; and that none scorn or despise another, but love as his brother, and one should iielp another, as limbs of a man's body, as St. Paul saith. Truth it is that God is every where, but most properly he is said to be in heaven, for there he is most known, loved, and worshipped. And next to that he is said to be in heaven in a spiritual sense ; that is, in holy souls, which are the temple of God, as St. Paul saith, and are reared on high from sin and earthly love, and are bright and clean as the heavens. For in such souls he is seen, known, dreaded, worshipped, and loved. Hallowed be thy name. — That is, in us. We hallow God in us, as St. John Chrysostom saith, when we, knowing him to be holy, dread him, and watch busily, lest we defile the holiness of his name in us, by our evil works. This, saith he, this desire we should evermore have, that this nam.e which is blessed, be confirmed in us, making us blessed and holy. Thy name, that is, thy faith, thy acknowledging, and thy love, be confirmed in our hearts, that as we bear thy name, so thy acknowledging and thy love may be hallowed in us, that we be made by thy help, righteous, and abstain- ing from all evil. The name of God in itself cannot be more holy than it is, but ever the more it is known, loved, and worshipped of man, the more it is said to be holy. Therefore, sweet Father that art in heavens, thy name be hallowed in the hearts of heathen men, that they may believe in thee ; and in the hearts of Jews, that they may believe more perfectly, and also love thee. Hallowed be thy name in the hearts of false christian men, that as they believe in thee so they may have perfect love and good works, without which, belief may not save any man, as the apostle saith. Also, O Father that art in heaven, thy name be hallowed in the hearts of thy chosen men, by more increase of charity, and knowledge of thee, and by more sweetness of heavenly love. In the first asking of this holy prayer, we pray for the first and principal gift of the Holy Ghost, that i;?, the gift of wisdom, which binds and holds together the heart in God. This Spirit of wisdom hallows the heart, cleansing it from earthly love and fleshly affections, drawing it from many things, and setting it to one alone, that is, to God. There- fore, sweet Father, thy name be hallowed in us ; that is. On the Lord's Prayer. 89 give thou to us the Spirit of wisdom, by whom we may be made clean fi'om all filth ; by whom we may be full filled with thy love, that all other loves, contrary to thine, may be bitter to us. II. The second asking of this holy prayer, Vv^hich in some measure pertains to the Son, is said in these words. Thy kingdom come to thee. Since Christ (who is that noble- man of whom the gospel speaketh, Luke xix.) came down from high heaven into this wretched world, to take us for his kingdom who before were lost through Adam's sin ; and since he suffered bitter death upon a tree, and bought man again with his precious blood, and after that returned again to his Father, for the salvation of mankind — well may true christian people be called God's kingdom. And there- fore, as St. Jerome saith, we here pray generally for the realm of all the world, that the devil may cease to reign therein, or that God reign in each man by grace, and that sin reign not in the mortal body of man. St. John Chrysostom saith, that holy men are called the kingdom of God, and wicked men are called the kingdom of the devil, for he reigneth in them, and they do his will. Therefore, a faithful christian man prayeth of God his Father, that sin, which is the realm of the fiend, may be destroyed, and Christ reign in souls through mercy and grace. And that, as he reigneth in souls of well living men, so also, by turning to good life, and putting away of sin, he would reign in them that still are evil. Also Christ teacheth us in this prayer to ask the dreadful time of doom, in which the kingdom of God shall fully come ; that men may know it behoves them not to live idly or negligently, that this time may not make ready flames and vengeance for them, but to live justly and soberly, that this time bring a crown to them. Here we ask of God, the second gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the Spirit of under- standing in our hearts. For as the sun doeth away the darkness, and wasteth away the clouds and the morning dews, so the Spirit of understanding wasteth all the dark- ness of the heart, and showeth him his sins and defaults. So that he who thought before that he had been all clean, then findeth many faults, and defilements without number, as the sun-beam showeth motes and dust to them that be- hold it. This asking is said thus ; Fair Father, if it be thy will. 90 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff, enligliten our hearts with the Holy Ghost, and cleanse them and make them fair, tJiat we may be made worthy to see God, and that he deit^n to reign in us ; so that all be his, and he King, and tiiat we may evermore see him. For that it is for us to live without end, and to be the kingdom of God. And as we are taught in the first asking, to restrain the sin of pride by true meekness, when we say, " Our Father," and not " mine," even so we are taught in the second asking to restrain envy against our fellow christian by true charity,* when we say, Thy kingdom come to thee. Merciful Father, vouchsafe to reign in our souls, as a king in his realm, governing us all our lives, that we may reign with thee in bliss without end. III. The third asking of this holy prayer, which hath some respect to the Holy Ghost, the third person of the holy Trinity, follows in these words. Thy will be dojie in earth as it is in heaven. Here we pray to God, that his will be done and fulfilled here in earth, among sinful men, by amending their life, as it is done in just men, who spiritually are said to be heaven. For God dwelleth in just souls, as it is written, The soul of a just and well living man, is the seat of wisdom, that is of Christ, for he is the wisdom of the Father of heaven. Here we pray also, that our flesh withstand not our spirit, nor hinder it to do God's will. For the spirit desireth contrary to the flesh, and the flesh to the spirit, as St. Paul saith. Here we pray that God's will be done, that is, as St. Augustine saith, that men obey God's commandments, as angels in heaven obey his commandments, so also that men in earth may obey the same ; and as angels serve him in heaven without blame, so also may men serve him in earth. Here we pray God that he quicken our hearts with grace, that we may do his will on earth, as saints do in heaven. Let every man that sayeth this prayer, look that he do in his living ; that as he sayeth in word, that God's will be done in him as it is in heaven, so also that his works accord therewith. For God looketh more to the deeds than to words of mouth. For if the words of thy mouth pray God that his will be fulfilled in thee, and thy works say, Nay, through sin contained in them, or through grudgings against him in sickness or in other diseases, thou obtainest nothing of God in thy prayer. * Love. On the Lord's Prayer. 91 Here we ask of our Father of heaven the third gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the gift of counsel — that our wretched will, through counsel of the Holy Ghost, be set fully to do God's will, so that in us, our own understand- ing or will be not master, but his only. As we are taught in the first and second askings to restrain pride and envy through meekness and charity, so we are taught in this third asking, to restrain wrath with true love of heart. And therefore Christ saith, I give to you a new command- ment, that ye love each other, as I have loved you. IV. In the last four askings of this holy prayer, we pray our heavenly Father, to give us, forgive us, keep us, and deliver us. And unless we have these four, we are dead and ruined in this world. And therefore we say to our Father, Our each day's bread, give thou us to day. Christ saith, Our each day's bread ; to restrain lustful meats ; that a man eat so much as reason asks, not how much fleshly lust covets. Here we pray for no lordships or riches of this world, but only for needful sustenance, which is un- derstood by bread. Thus prayed the vdse man, who was inspired with the Holy Ghost, saying. Beggary and riches, Lord, give thou not to me, but only sustenance ; grant thou necessaries. In this asking, covetousness is put under. For here a christian man prayeth by largeness of heart, that God would give these necessaries which are understood by bread, to other men, as well as to him. And since each man, every day hath need of spiritual sustenance of soul, and also of body, therefore these necessaries may well be called our each day's bread. And as man's body is strengthened by bodily sustenance, that it fail not in travail, so man's soul is strengthened by God's word when it is rooted therein, that it fail not from the love of God, in tribulations, or in any anguish. And therefore, we here ask of our heavenly Father the fourth gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, the gift of strength, which armeth God's knight,* and maketh his soul hardy and strong to suffer divers diseases for God's love. And as the soul passeth the body in worthiness, so this food of the soul passes bodily food. And if he were a cursed man that withheld bodily bread from his brother after the flesh, when he saw him about to perish, how much more are * The soldier of Christ. 92 Wicklif.—The Poor Caitiff. they accursed, who should feed souls that are on the point of perishing with God's word, and do not. And since this, which is the true food for the soul, hath been withdrawn for many days, through pride, covetousness, ignorance, and lustful living of those who should be teachers, and through unwholesome lore, and leasings* of covetous flatterers, therefore let us pray heartily to Jesus Christ, the true bishop of our souls, that he ordain true teachers for his people, to break to them the bread of God's word, and to warn them of their sins, telling them the very truth of God. And that He who inspired the holy prophets with knowledge and wisdom, and taught the apostles the way of all truth, may enlighten our hearts with understanding of his lore, and grant ns grace to work thereafter. And as we each day need this food of body and of soul, therefore let us meekly pray our heavenly Father that he give us our each day's bread to day. V, The fifth is said in these words, And forgive thou us our debtn, as we forgive to our debtors. By this wise instruc- tion of Jesus Christ, malicious and revengeful wretches may know that they are in the way to hell as long as they dwell in their accursed malice. For by these debts are understood sins which we do against God. And as we sin each day, therefore each day we need to pray to God for forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, St. Cyprian saith. He that is commanded to pray each day for sins, is taught that he sinneth each day. Our Father teacheth us to ask forgiveness of our sins which we have done against him ; upon this condition he forgiveth all that we have trespassed against him, that we forgive all others that have trespassed against us. And therefore he that beareth wrath, or de- sireth vengeance against his fellow christian, in this prayer prayeth God to take vengeance upon himself, as he doth, or as it in his will to do upon his fellow christian. St. John Chrysostom saith, " He that keepeth enmity against any man, lieth when he saith this prayer ; for he saith, I forgive, and he forgiveth not ; and so he asks forgiveness of God, and it shall not be forgiven to him." It is not need for thee to forgive debts to each debtor of money, only to him that cannot pay. To him that will not pay, but chides and makes open debate, if thou doest mildly and easily, that money due to thee may be yielded * Lies. On the Lord's Prayer. 93 to thee, proposing not so much the winning of money as the amending him that hath whereof to pay ; then not only thou shalt do no sin, but thou shalt profit that man. St. Augustine saith, " Each sinftil man is in great debt to God, which debt he is not able to pay. For though a man should live ever so long, he might not do sufficient penance for one deadly sin, if God used him strait and not in mercifid judgment."* But take good heed how thou sayest this prayer, when thou sayest. Forgive us our misdeeds as we forgive them that have trespassed to us. If one member of thy body chance to hurt another, he that is hurt revengeth not him- self therefore. We are members of Jesus Christ, if we are true christian men, as the apostle saith. Therefore we should love each other, and those who do not so are man- slayers, and condemn themselves, as holy writ saith. In this prayer we ask of God a gift of the Holy Ghost, that is called a gift of knowledge, and which maketh a man to bethink himself well, and to be wise in soul. The Spirit showeth to man what he is, and what peril he is in, and when so he came, and whither he goeth, and what he hath done, and what he hath lost, and what he should have done. And when heseeth that he hath not whereof to make good for his sins against God, then this Spirit maketh him weep and lament, and cry mercy of God ; and to cast away ire and wrath, and all other such ; and to hold him- self the foulest and worst of all others. For this Spirit teacheth man what pain and sorrow Christ suffered for him, and in whom never was spot of sin ; how he sweat blood and water, how he was bound to a pillar and wounded from the head to the feet ; how he was crowned with thorns, how he was nailed hand and foot, and his heart opened with a spear. And yet in all these hideous pains, as a sheep under the hand of his shearer, he was still without murmuring, as the prophet said of him. And he meekly prayed to his Father for his enemies, saying, Father forgive them their guilt, for they know not what they do. This should move all christian men to forgive all trespasses, and to pray meekly, both for enemies and for friends, saying. Fair Father, forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that trespass against us. * This plainly shows that by penance Wickliff meant scriptural re- pentance, not the bodily penances of the church of Rome. 94 Wicklif.—The Poor Caitiff. VI. The sixth asking follows in these words, And lead US not into temptation. We pray not that we be not tempted, for no man can be proved without temptation ; but we pray that God lead us not into temptation, that is, that he sutfer us not to fall into such temptations as we may not suffer. For God, by himself, leadeth no man into temptation, but he sutfereth him to be led whom he forsaketh from his help, as St. Aui^ustine saith. Temptation profits much to man that withstandeth ; for a man that is not tempted is not known, either to him- self, or to others, whether he is good or evil. But when he is assayed and tempted, then it shall be known what he is. And therefore, St. Gregory saith, that in time of ease, when man is not tempted, it is not known which is a good man, which is evil. Also temptation that is withstood, increases man's merit in bliss, and therefore saith the Holy Ghost by St. James, That man is blessed that suffers temptation, for when he is proved true in withstanding sin, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to all those that love him. He is led into temptation, who, through his own unkindness and evil living, is left from the grace and help of God ; for such a one shall fall with each blast of his enemy. And therefore, in this prayer we beseech our heavenly Father, since he is true and suffers no man to be tempted more than he may withstand, as the apostle saith, that he, through help and grace of the Spirit of pity, keep our hearts in temptation, that we consent not to any sin. And as we prayed him, in that other asking, that he forgive our before-done sins, so we pray him here, that he keep us from consenting to sins that are to come hereafter, that we fall not again. Temptation makes a good man more meek and fearful, and makes him to know himself and his frailness ; and it makes him to know the strength of his enemies, and their sleights ; and how true God is at need, to help his ser- vants. Here we are taught to subdue sloth, and to be busy to purchase help of God, by devout prayer ; to with- stand sin in time of temptation ; and to keep from fleshly lusts that bring men to many great sins. For our fight- ing is as nought without his help. Each temptation that man hath, cometh to him by some thought and enticing of one of his spiritual enemies, either of the flesh, of the worldj or of the fiend. Therefore let each man examine On the Lord's Prayer. 95 the thoug^hts and enticings that come into his heart, and espy whether they will draw him into any sin, or unlawful lust or liking'. And if they are thereabout, turn he his thought from them, and meditate upon the bitter pains, sufferings, and wounds, in hands, head, and body, feet and side, which Christ suffered to wash us from our sins. And cease he not to pray devoutly, having his heart and thought upon Christ, and upon his peculiar pains, till his temptation pass away. For temptation overcomes not the man that hath stedfast mind upon Christ and his pains. No man shall be crowned in bliss but he that overcometh, as St. Paul saith, and no man can overcome unless he have something against which he shall fight. Therefore whoso is tempted, be he true in fighting, so shall he over- come, and win a seat in bliss with Christ, and have a crown of life that never shall fade, which is promised of God to all them that truly fight, withstanding sin and unlawful likings, as it is written in the book of Reve- lation. When we feel no temptation, let us humble ourselves the more to God, for he knoweth our frailness, and de- fends us. And if we are proud, or have vain glory thereof, he withdraweth his help, and therefore we perish. Also we should be afraid when we feel no temptation, lest the reason of our souls be dead through some secret deceit. For St. Gregory saith, that a man is most tempted when he least feels temptation. Therefore pray we heartily to God, that he suffer us not to be overcome in tempta- tion. VII, But that he through his great mercy deliver us from all evil. For this is the last prayer of the pater- noster. Here we pray God to deliver us from the evil of pain which we have deserved through sin before done, and from the evil of sin at the present time of our life, and from the evil of pain that shall come for sin after this life. Here also we seek deliverance of all evils of body, which either hinder, or will hinder, the soul from serving God. St. John Chrysostom saith, that Christ here calleth " evil" the fiend, for the abundance of his malice. This malice is not naturally, but of free choice, and because he hath enmity towards us which may not be appeased. Therefore Christ said, Deliver us from evil, that we be delivered from sin and from the fiend. No man is truly delivered from sin unless God deliver him. 96 Wickliff.— The Poor Caitiff. But the worst sin of all, is sin aj^ainst the Holy Ghost for as Christ saith, that shall not be forg-iven. Therefon especially let us pray to God, to deliver us from this evil That man sinneth against the Holy Ghost, who to his hfe': end, is a rebel against God, and so dieth in despair and goeth to pain for ever. And he is a rebel agains God, who rebels against his commandments. And there fore Christ saith. He that is not with him is against him And in another place he saith, He that loveth not me keepeth not my words. And thus every man who is con trary to Christ's teaching is a rebel against God, and lovetl him not. For he saith himself, that whoso loveth hin shall keep his word. And the wise man saith, He tha turneth away his ear, that he hear not God's word, hii prayer shall be accursed, and St. Paul saith, He is curse( that loveth not Jesus Christ. Therefore pray we to God that he deliver us from this evil will, and rebellion agains his word, and from all other evils. Amen. Amen, that is. So be it. This word knitteth together al the prayers that went before, as if it were said, Swee Father, that art in heaven, be all these things that we hav( asked, fulfilled in us and in all others. Here we ask fo the Spirit of the holy fear of God, through which we ma; withstand all the evil of sin. And therefore sait^h th( Holy Ghost, The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God And in another place it is written, that through the fear o God each man turneth from evil ; that is, each man wh( truly feareth God, fleeth from sin. ^ There is much more understood in this holy prayer thai is declared here. For St. Augustine saith, that whatevei is found in all the words of holy prayers, is contained ir this prayer of the Lord. And therefore, let each mar that thinketh to be saved do his utmost to love God above all things, and his fellow christian as himself, and so he shall be made worthy to be heard of God in his prayer and to be delivered from all evil, and to come to everlasting rest of bliss. Thither may He bring us, who bought mar with his heart's blood. Amen. Of perfect Life. 97 OF PERFECT LIFE; THE COUNSEL OF CHRIST. Christ, not compelling, but freely counselling each man to perfect life, saith thus. If any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take his cross and follow me, Luke ix. Then let us forsake ourselves, such as we have made us in doing sin, and dwell we such as we are made by grace. If a proud man be converted to Christ, and is made meek, he hath forsaken himself If a covetous man ceaseth to covet, and giveth his own things, he hath denied himself If an evil liver changeth his life, he hath denied himself The cross of Christ is taken when despisings for the love of truth are not forsaken, but taken ; — when the flesh is punished by abstinence, and when compassion and pity towards our neighbour is truly kept ; when man is crucified to the world, and the world crucified to him, settino- the joy thereof at nought. (Wickliff enforces these doctrines by further arguments very similar to those which he has used in other pieces, and proceeds,) — But let us not make so sure of the Lord's mercy, that we heap sins upon sins ; neither say we while youth endureth. Let us follow our desires, and at the last, in age do penance for our sins, for the Lord is merciful, he shall not have mind of our sins. — Lord Jesus, turn us to thee, and then we shall be turned. Heal thou us, and we shall be truly whole. For without thy grace and help no man may be truly turned or healed. For they are but scorners who to-day turn to God, and to-morrow turn away. What is turning to God ? None but turning from the world, from sin, and from the fiend. What is turning from God ? None but turning to the chano-e- able goods of this world, to pleasing likeness of creatures, to works of the fiend, and to lusts of the flesh. To be turned fi-om the world, is to set at nought, and to put out of mind, all likings, joys, and mirths thereof, and to suffer meekly all bitterness, slanders, and troubles thereof, for the love of WICKLIFF. F 98 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitif. Christ ; and to leave all occupations unlawful and unpro- fitable to the soul, so that man's will and thoug^ht be dead to seek any thing that the world seeketh and loveth. Therefore the prophet speaketh in the person of souls perfectly turning to God, saying, Mine eyes, that is, my thought and intent, shall ever be to God. For he shall draw my feet, that is my soul and my affections, out of the snare, and the net of the love of this world. He that is truly turned to God, fleeth from vices, beholdeth not the solaces or comforts of this world ; but setteth his mind so stedfastly on God, that he well nigh forgetteth all outward things ; he gathereth himself all within ; he is reared up wholly into Christ. Those that will turn truly to Christ must flee occasions, words, sights, and deeds, exciting to sin. For when the fiend seeth one among a hundred who withstandeth his en- ticings, and turneth to God, and foUoweth the steps of Christ, by virtues, despising the joys of this present life, and seeking to love everlasting heavenly things, he findeth a thousand frauds to beguile and trouble, and a thousand manner of temptations to cast him down from God's love to the love of the world. And he beginneth at the least, that by foul thoughts he make him to be foul towards God. He bringeth to man's mind the lusts which he hath used before, and telleth to his thought that he may not leave all his worldly and fleshly likings ; and saith. It is too hard for a man to put himself from all present mirth. He stirreth up fan- tasies, and vain thoughts innumerable, and unprofitable affections which before were asleep. The fiend reareth against such a soul, slanders, back- bitings, persecutions, tribulations, false challenges, false accusings of divers sins, and divers manner of hates. One time he tempteth by sharp outward diseases ; another time by false glosings and likings, and so forth. He calleth again to mind delight in things loved before. He enflameth the heart and the flesh with foul burnings. He beginneth by small enticings, and pursues to the greatest flame of wickedness. And he studieth thus busily to blow against us all manner of temptations and tribulations, by how much he seeth that by the mercy of God we are escaped out of his power. For he seeketh nothing so much as to separate a man from the holy and everlasting love of Jesus Christ, and to make him love failing things and uncleaKness of this world. Of Temptation. 99 OF TEMPTATION ; OR, OF VIRTUOUS PATIENCE. He that is truly fed with the bread that came down from heaven, boweth not his love to those things to which the fiend enticeth. Temptations are overcome by patience and meek suffering. What is patience ? — a glad and willing suffer- ing of troubles. He that is patient, murmurs not at adver- sity, but rather, at all times, praises God with the prophet. Evil men always grudge in adversities, and flee them as much as they may. For while they are unmeasurably given to visible things, they are deprived from true hope of everlasting things. They find solace or comfort only in earthly goods, for they have lost the savour of heavenly things. There is no soul of man in this world which cleaveth not either to the Creator or the creature. If he love the crea- ture he loseth God, and goeth to death with that which he loveth. Such love in the beginning is travail and folly, in the middle it is languor and wretchedness, and in the end it is hate and pain. He that truly loveth his Maker, refuses in will and liking all things that are in the world. He hath sweetness to speak of him and with him ; to think upon his Maker is refreshing to him. He closes his outer senses lest death enter in by the windows, lest he be occupied unpro- fitably with any vanity. Sometimes there are reared against him despisings, reproofs, scorns, and slanders. Therefore it is needful that he take the shield of patience, and be ready to forget and to forgive all wrongs, and to pray for the turn- ing to good of them that hate him and hurt him. No man is showed to himself whether he be strong or feeble, unless he be tempted when he is at peace. Many men seem to be patient when they are not impugned, but when a light blast, I say not of injustice, but of correction, touches them, their mind presently turns into bitterness and wrath, and if they hear one word against their will, they yield two more sternly again. Into their council come not, O my soul ! The darts of the enemy are to be quenched with the meek- ness and sweetness of the love of Christ. Give not way to f2 100 fVicUiff.—The Poor Caitiff. temptation, be it ever so grievous. For the greater the battle the more glorious the victory, and the higher the crown. Blessed is the man that sutiereth temptation, for when he is proved to be true, he shall take a crown of life. Flee as much as thou canst the praising of men. Despise favour, worship, and all vain glory, and gladly sustain or suffer enmities, hates, backbitings, or reproofs. And so by evil fame, and by good praise ; by tribulations and glad- nesses, cease thou not to press forward to heavenly kingdoms. When thou art tempted or troubled, think upon the remedy that our Saviour saith in his gospel, Watch ye and pray ye, that ye enter not into temptation. He saith not, Pray ye that ye be not tempted. For it is good and profit- able to good men to be tempted and troubled, as is shown by what the prophet saith, To him that is tempted and troubled, God saith, I am with him in tribulation ; I shall de- liver him, and shall glorify him. Let no man think himself to be holy because he is not tempted, for the holiest and highest in life have the most temptations. How much the higher a hill is, so much is the wind there greater ; so, how much higher the life is, so much stronger is the temptation of the enemy. God playeth with his child when he suffereth him to be tempted, as a mother rises from her much beloved child, and hides herself, and leaves him alone, and suffers him to cry, Mother, mother, so that he looks about, cries and weeps for a time, and at last when the child is ready to be overset with troubles and weeping, she comes again, clasps him in her arms, and kisses him, and wipes away the tears. So our Lord suffereth his loved child to be tempted and troubled for a time, and withdraweth some of his solace and full pro- tection, to see what his child will do ; and when he is about to be overcome by temptations, then he defendeth him, and comforteth him with his grace. And therefore, when we are tempted, let us cry for the help of our Father, as a child cries alter the comfort of its mother. For whoso prayeth devoutly, shall have help oft to pray, and profits much to establish the heart in God, and suffers it not to bow about, now into this, and now into that. The fiend is overcome by busy and devout prayer, and becomes as feeble and without strength to them that are strong and persevering in devout prayers. Devout prayer of a holy soul, is as sweet incense which driveth away all evil savours, and enters up by odour of sweetness into the presence of God. The Charter of our heavenly Heritage. 101 THE CHARTER OF OUR HEAVENLY HERITAGE. Every wise man that claims his heritage, asks great pardon, keeps busily, and oft has mind upon the charter of his challenge-* Therefore, let each man learn to live vir- tuously, and keep, and have mind upon the charter of hea- ven's bliss, and study stedfastly the meaning of this decree, for the pardon thereof shall endure without end. Understand well that the charter of this heritage, and the built of this everlasting pardon, is our Lord Jesus Christ, written with all the might and virtue of God. The parchment of this heavenly charter is neither of sheep nor of calf, but it is of the body of our Lord Jesus, a lamb that never was spotted with spot of sin. And there never was skin of sheep or of calf so sorely and so hard strained upon the tenter or harrow of any parchment maker, as the blessed body of our Lord Jesus Christ, for our love, was strained and drawn upon the cross. No man ever heard from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall hear from hence to doomsday, that a writer ever wrote upon sheep skin or upon calf-skin, with such hard and hideous pens, so bitterly, so sorely, and so deeply, as the accursed Jews wrote upon the blessed body of our Lord Jesus Christ, with hard nails, sharp spear, and sore pricking thorns, instead of their pens. They wrote so sorely and so deep, that they pierced his hands and feet with hard nails. They opened his heart with a sharp spear. They pressed upon his head a crown of sharp thorns. The wounds upon that blessed body are the letters with which our charter was written, by which we may claim our heritage, if we live rightly, and keep the charter stedfastly in mind. The sentence and understanding written within and with- out this blessed charter, and body of Jesus Christ, is our be- lief. For he is the coffer, in whom is inclosed and locked all this treasure of knowledge, and wisdom of God. Upon this blessed charter was written wailing, or mourning, and sor- row. Wailing or mourning for sorrow of our sins — for the * The title to what he clainoa, t The infallible decree. lOe JVickliff.—The. Poor Caitiff. which to be healed and washed away, Christ, God and man, must suffer such hard and painful wounds. Upon Christ's body, that is our heavenly charter, was written joy and singing, to all those that perfectly forsake their sins. For they have full medicine and help, by virtue of the bitter wounds and precious blood of Jesus. And upon the wounds of Jesus, may be read sorrow to all them that for false liking-, and lust which endureth but a while, bind themselves to sin and serving of the fiend, and lose the help of the heavenly charter, and so lose their heritage, and go blindly to sorrow that endureth for ever. The laces* of this heavenly charter are the promises of God ; and that God may not lie, for he is sovereign truth. The first, is his promise, that what day or hour a sinful man or woman leave their sin, wholly, and heartily, with bitter sorrow, and turn them to him, he shall receive them to his mercy. But let each man beware that he tarry not too long, lest for his unkindness, grace be taken from him. The second, is the full trust we have that God may not lie, neither be false of his promise. And herein depends surely our trust of our heritage. By these two hang the seal of our charter, sealed with the blood of the Lamb, even Christ. That is Christ's flesh taken of the virgin Mary, more marvel- lously, than ever any bee engendered the wax of flowers of the field. The print of this seal is the form of our Lord Jesus hang- ing for our sin on the cross. He hath his head bowed down, ready to kiss all those that truly turn to him. He hath his arms spread abroad, ready to embrace them. He is nailed fast, hand and foot, to the cross, for he will dwell with them, and never go away from man, but man forsook him first through sin. He hath all his body spread abroad, to give himself wholly to us, cleaving to him, and he hath his side opened, and his heart cloven for our sake, so that without hinderance we may creep into Christ's heart, and rest there by stedfast belief and hearty love. This charter no fire can bum, nor water drown, nor thief rob, nor any creature destroy. For this scripture the Father of heaven hath hallowed or made stedfast, and sent it into the world, which scripture may not be undone, as the gospel witnesses. This scripture is our Lord Jesus Christ, the charter of our heritage of heaven. Lock not * The strings by which the seal is appended to a charter. The Charter of our heavenly Heritage. 103 this charter in thy coffer, but set it, or write it in thine heart, and none of the creatures, either in heaven, or on earth, or in hell, can steal it, or bereave it from thee ; but if thou govern thyself from assenting to sin, and keepest well this charter in the coffer of thine heart with good living and devout love, lasting to thine end — as trustily and truly as he is true God, by virtue of this charter, thou shalt have thine heritage of bliss, enduring without end. Therefore, haste we to repentance, as Augustine bids, and let the last day be often before our eyes. Refrain we our bodies from vices and evil covetings, and ever let our heart think heavenly things, that when we shall come thither we may fully use heavenly goods. For why? We believe that when our soul shall be unknit from the bond of flesh, if we have lived well and rightly before God, the companies of angels shall bring us to worship the true Doomsman.* If we live, as I said, and do those things that are pleasing to God, then peace shall be our compassf and security. Then we shall not dread the fiery darts of the devil, nor any manner of enemy that desires to hurt our souls. The flesh shall no more be adversary to the spirit, nor shall we dread any perils. Then the Holy Ghost shall give to us a dwelling in heavenly things, and we, glad and joyful, shall abide the day of doom to come, in which the souls of all men shall receive for their deeds. Then sinners and unpi- teous men shall perish. Ravenous and greedy men, proud men and adulterers, wrathfial and covetous men, cursers and forsworn men, in vain shall weep most bitterly, and shall not get forgiveness of their evils, who left not their sins with bitter sorrow in their life. In most wailing shall they behold, who serve unlawful lusts of their flesh. And they shall be in mourning and everlasting sorrow who served vices and unreasonable desires. And when all these shall deserve to be sentenced to the fire of hell for their sins and their great trespasses, so, if we please God while we are here in body, we shall have everlasting reward with saints. Therefore let us despise all things that are vain and failing, that we may receive great glory of Christ, doing mercy. Therefore turn we away from vices and go we to virtues, nor let supei*fluous words come out of our mouths, for we shall yield reckoning for idle words in the day of doom. Neither accustom we our tongues to curse any man ; which tongues are formed to bless and praise * Judge. f A circle around us. 104 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. God in all things. Whatever is unmeasured,* maketh dis- solution of the soul, and negligence concerning the Lord's commands. Neither does he readily call his trespass to mind, and so, forgetting himself, he stirs not himself to penance, and so by little and little he goes from goodness, and he shall not have true compunction of heart where unlawful covetings dwell. But where sorrow shall truly be, the spiritual fire is kindled, which lighteth the inward parts of the soul and showeth to it heavenly things. Therefore, use thou the fellowship of perfect men, and turn not away thine ears from their words. For the words of men that fear God, are words of life and holiness of soul to them that hear and perceive them. As the sun rising, driveth away the mist, so the teaching of holy men casteth away the darkness from our hearts. I beseech you, shun proud men, envious men, backbiters, liars, forsworn men, and men despising their salvation, who are dead to virtues, and joy in their own lusts, and want God's joy. I speak not only of those that are in thy house, but wherever thou shalt hear such, shun them, and come thou not with such men if thou canst not dissuade them from their error. For by one sickly sheep all the flock is defiled, and a little portion of gall turns much sweetness into bit- terness. For though a man seem to thee clean in clothing, and noble in bringing forth sweet words, nevertheless if he doeth the contrary works, his feignings hurt more than his figure or his words can please. And every work that thou thinkest to do, first think thou in God, and examine diligently if that thou thinkest is of God ; and if it be rightful before God, perform it, or else cut it away from thy soul. And likewise be aware of each wickedness and sin, in word and deed, in thought, in hands, in feet, in sight, and in hearing, and keep we our body and our soul. For Jesus Christ our Lord God, the Son of God the Father, that came down from heaven to earth, he was lifted up on the cross, and died for us sinners, to deliver us from the tor- menting of the devil. He suil'ered pain to deliver us from ever- lasting pain. He suffered death to deliver us from death. He again arose from death, that we should again rise in body and soul in the last day of the great doom. And therefore it is said of the first church, that one heart, one will, and one soul is in them to the Lord. For the charity and love of Christ hath • Beyond moderation. The Charter of our heavenly Heritage. 105 joined them in one ; and so must all christian men and women if they will be saved. But fleshly men and women, and lovers of this world, are parted against themselves and separated, moving slanders each to the other, strifes, wraths, chidings, dissensions, manslaughters, forswearings, thefts, rapines, hcentiousness, drunkenness, and all things which the world and the flesh loveth ; according to what the apostle saith, He that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption. In such flesh it is that the devil soweth his seed. Our flesh indeed would ever be mighty in malice, but in abstinence and fastings, watchings and prayers, and good works, it feigns itself to be sick. But the flesh coveteth, and it ever showeth evil enticing. The flesh stirreth venomous doings, the flesh calleth for wrath, the flesh stirreth murder, the flesh stirreth adultery, the flesh sitteth in drunkenness, the flesh coveteth all of this world, and the flesh desireth all evils. Oh, thou wretched flesh ! not only thou slayest thyself, but also the soul. Thine own loss suffices thee not, but also thou desirest that thy soul be drowned in hell. Wo to thee, soul, which hast taken the flesh contrary to thee, which neither entereth nor sufFereth thee to enter into the kingdom of God. Wherefore, as Christ saith, it behoveth to wake and to pray. Lord, make thou my soul to have glory in thee ; that vain glory and boasting come not out of me ; but that the bitterness of sin be assuaged. Also, Lord, give me grace to hold righteousness in all things ; spiritual hardiness and temperance, and make simpleness to be prudent within me, that I lead cleanly blessed life, and prudently flee evil. And that I may understand the treacherous and deceitful falseness of the devil, lest he beguile me under the likeness of goodness, make me mild, well-willing, peaceable, courteous, and tem- perate, and to accord goodness without feigning, unto all. And make me stedfast and strong, in wakings, in fastings, in prayers. And also. Lord, give thou to me, to act in mildness, that I be silent in words, that I speak what be- seemeth, and that I speak not that which it is not right to speak. Give me grace to keep the faith unspotted without any errors, and that my works henceforth be worthy. All this sentence saith Augustine. f3 lQy5 Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. THE ARMOUR OF HEAVEN, OR, OF GHOSTLY BATTLE * Almighty God saith by holy Job, that all man's life upon earth is fi2;hting', that is battle against spiritual enemies and sin. St. Paul saith, Clothe yourselves in the armour of God, that ye may stiffly stand against temptations and deceits of the fiend. Man's body is as a cloth with which his soul is hid ; and as a horse that bears his master through many perils. And to this horse, that is, man's body, belong many things, if he will bear his master aright out of perils. For no knight can securely fight against his enemy, unless his horse be obedient to him ; no more can the soul fight against the wiles of the fiend, if the flesh, which is his horse, live in lusts and likings at his own will. For holy writ saith. He that nourisheth his servant, that is, his body, delicately or lustfully, shall find him rebel when he least expecteth. As soon as man begins to live wisely, and flees divers lusts and likings, and vanities, which he before used and loved, and bows himself under the yoke of God's holy doctrine, then his enemies begin to contrive by wiles, frauds, and temptations, to make him fall. And therefore it is needful that his horse be meek, and helping his master to overcome his enemies. For if the soul and the body be well agreed together, and either of them helps the other in this spiritual contest, the fiend shall soon flee and be overcome. For holy scripture saith, Withstand ye the fiend, and he shall flee from you. But it were great folly for any man to fight upon an un- bridled horse, and if the horse be wild and ill taught, the bridle must be heavy, and the bit sharp, to hold him again. And if the horse be easy and obedient to his master, his bridle shall be liglit and smooth also. This bridle is called abstinence, with which the flesh shall be restrained, that he have not all his will, for he is wild and wilful, and loth to bow to goodness. With this bridle his master shall restrain him, to be meek and bow to his will. For if he will fight without a bridle upon him, it is impossible but that he fall. * The spiritual contest. The Armour of Heaven. VS^ But this bridle of abstinence should be led by wisdom, so that nature be holden by strength, and the wildness of the flesh be restrained by this bridle. For else his horse will fail at the greatest need, and harm his master, and make him lose his victory. This bridle must have two strong reins, by which thou mayest direct thy horse at thy will ; also they must be even, and neither pass the other in length. For if thou drawest one faster than the other, thy horse will glide aside, and go out of his way. Therefore, if thy horse shall hold the even way, it behoves thee to draw the reins of thy bridle even. The one rein of thy bridle is too loose, when thou sufferest thy flesh to have his will too much, in eating and drinking, in speaking, in sleeping, in idle standing or sitting, and vain tale telling, and all other things that the flesh desires beyond measure and reason. The other rein of the bridle is held too strait when thou art too stern against thine own flesh, and withdrawest from it that which reason would that it should have. Whoso straineth either of these reins uneven, will make his horse glide aside and lose his right way. If thou sufferest thy flesh to have its full liking, he that should be thy friend becomes thy decided foe. If thou withholdest therefrom that which it ought to have to sustain its nature, as its need requires, then thou destroyest its strength and its might, so that to help thee as it should it may not. Therefore sustain thy horse, that he faint not, nor fail at thy need. And withdi'aw from him that which might turn thee to folly. Yet thy horse needs to have a saddle, to sit upon him the more stedfastly, and seemly to other men's sight. This saddle is mansuetude* or easiness. That is, whatsoever thou doest, be it done with good consideration ; wisely thinking of the beginning and the ending, and what may fall thereof ; and that it be done sweetly and meekly, and with mild semblance. That is, that thou mildly suffer slanders and scorns, and other harms that men do against thee, and neither grieve thyself in word nor in deed. And though thy flesh be aggrieved, keep mildness in heart, and let not any wicked words out of thy mouth or tongue, and then thou shalt be made glad. As the prophet saith. The mild and the meekly suffering shall joy for ever, who do mildly, with easiness and love, v/hatsoever they do ; that their outward and inward semblance and cheer, be so mild * Mildness or gentleness. lOe Wicklif.^The Poor Caitiff. and lovely in word and deed, that others may be turned to good by their example. This virtue, which is called man- suetude — that is, mildness of heart and of appearance — makes man gracious to God, and seemly to man's sight, as a saddle makes a horse seemly and praiseable. Two spurs it is needful that thou have to thy horse, and that they be sharp to prick thy horse if needful, that he loiter not in his way ; for many horses are slow if they be not spurred. These two spurs are love and dread ; which of all things most stir men to the way of heaven. The right spur is the love that God's dear children have for the lasting weal that shall never end. The left spur is dread of the pains of purgatory* and of hell, which are without number, and never may be told out. With these two spurs prick thy horse if he be dull and unwilling to stir himself to good. And if the right spur of love be not sharp enough to make him go forward on his journey, prick him with the left spur of dread to rouse him. Separate thy soul from thy body by inward thought, and send thy heart before, into that other land ; and do as a man would do that of two dwelling places must choose one, into which when he had once entered he must dwell world without end. Certainly, if he were wise, he would send before some of his near friends to see what these places were. Two places are ordained for man to dwell in after this life. While he is here, he may choose, by God's mercy, which he will ; but if he be once gone hence, he may not do so. For whithersoever he first cometh, whether he like it well or ill, there he must dwell for evermore. He shall never after change his dwelling, though he feel it ever so evil. Heaven and hell are these two places, and in one of them, each man must dwell. In heaven is more joy than maybe told with tongue, or thought with heart; and in hell is more pain than any man may suffer. With these two spurs awake thou thy horse, and send thy heart before, as a secret friend, to espy these dwelling places, what they are. In hell thou shalt find all that heart may hate, default of all good, plenty of all evil that may grieve any thing in body or in soul. — Hot fire burning, darkness, brimstone most offensive, foul storms and tempests, greedy devils, open mouthed as raging lions, hunger and thirst that never • It has been already stated that WicklifTs views were not clear on this point. Dr. James has however shown that they widely diflfered from the opinions of the church of Home. The Armour of Heaven. 109 shall be quenched — there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and thick darkness. Each hateth the other as the foul fiend, and ever curse the time that they wrought sin. Above all things they desire to die, and they are ever dying, and fully die they never shall, but ever dying live in pain and wo. They hated death while they lived here, but now they had rather have it than all the wide world. Souls that are there shall be dark and dim, offen- sive and loathsome to see. The bodies shall be heavy and charged with sin, so that they shall move neither body nor limb, but have all manner of wo that shall grieve them. They shall think upon no good, and have no knowledge but of their pains and sins that they have wrought. And of all these pains, and many more sorrows than we can tell, end shall never come. When thou understandest that the deadly sin which man has wrought, and which is not amended with better for- thinking* ere he go hence, shall be bought so dearly with that everlasting pain, that thou wouldest desire rather to let thy skin be torn from thy flesh, and thy body hewn to pieces, than that thou wouldest wilfully do a deadly sin — this spur of dread shall make our horse awake, and hold him in an even way, and speed him fast forward, and cause him ever to flee deadly sin, which is thus dearly bought, and maketh man to be thus bitterly pained for ever. When thy heart hath thoroughly sought all these fearful pains which the sinful shall suffer who will not leave their sins, then send him to purgatory, and look how they shall fare who shall there be cleansed. [Wickliff then describes the sufferings of purgatory, and the pains there to be endured for the doing away such sins as are not deadly,! cautioning however thus,] Of such as • Repentance. t Dr. James gives the following account of WicklifFs views re- specting purgatory. " It cannot be denied but that in some places of his works he speaketh of the dreadful pains of purgatory, and praying for the dead. — It seemeth that he was not fully grounded in this opinion whereat some of the grave doctors of the church have stumbled ; or rather, that howsoever he had maintained it, upon better advice he changed his opinion, which I gather by two circumstances. First, he writes, (De veritate Scripturae, p. 267.) that all the say- ings of purgatory were spoken by way of commination, as it were so many pious lies to scare the people. Secondly, he divides the church into three parts, the highest are the angels of heaven, the se- cond are * the saints sleeping or resting in purgatory.' The third are folk that shall be saved, here fighting upon earth. Of these three, saith he, and of none other, is made holy church ; and surely by this division popish purgatory is thrust clean out of doors. For there is 1 IB mcklif.—Thc Poor Caitiff. some call small sins, it is full needful to beware. For St. Aup:ustine saith, that many venial sins draw a man to per- dition as one deadly sin doth. Many drops of rain make a fi^eat flood, and water entering little and little by the ship's bottom, and not cast out, sinketh the ship at the last, as a great wave drowns it suddenly. And since God is dis- pleased and dishonoured by each sin, each sin is full great, though some sin is called little sin in comparison of greater sin, as St. Anselm saith. Wicklitf proceeds thus : — Heretofore some that have defiled their souls with many deadly sins, and also with innumerable that are venial, oftimes for dread to offend God more, and to get forgiveness of all their sins, and to flee the pains of hell and purgatory, have forsaken all this world, and the company thereof, and have fled into desert places, to learn to love Jesus, and be- wail their own sins, and other men's also. Some souls are cleansed here, and have their purgatory with fire of tribu- lation and persecution, meekly suffering for the truth of God, and have much trouble because they would live well. Some also are cleansed through the fire of God's love. For the love of man's soul might so fully be set on God, that God of his great grace would cleanse him in this world, so clean from each spot of sin, that after this life he should feel little or none. And this is the right spur that should quicken thy horse to speed in his way ; that thou learn to love Jesus Christ, in all thy living. And therefore send thou thy thought into that land of lite, where no disease is, of no kind ; neither age nor sickness, nor any other grievance. Courtesy and wisdom there must men learn, for there all villainy is shut out. And whoso goeth thither shall there find a gracious fellowship ; the orders of angels, and of all holy saints, and the Lord above them, who gladdeneth them all. There is plenty of all good, and want of all things that may grieve. There are fairness and riches, honour and joy that each man may feel ; love and wisdom that ever shall last. There is no disease that men suffer here ; as hypocrisy or flattery, nor falseliood, envy, and ire. Thence are banished thieves and tjTants, cruel and greedy men that pillage the poor, proud men and boasters, covetous and beguilers, slothful and licentious, all such are banished out of that pure land. little rest and less sleeping there, if we believe them that liave (feigned to) come from thence, and have told us so. And by this reason, if the fire of purgatory be clean put out, the smoke of it, tliat is prayers for the dead, must needs in a very short time vanish away." The A rmour of Heaven . Ill For there is nothing that men may fear, but hking and joy and mirth at will, melody and song of angels, bright and lasting bliss that never shall cease. Man's body there shall be brighter than the sun ever was to man's sight. — As the light of the sun suddenly flees out of the east into the west, so shall the blissful, without any travail, be where they like. And though they were sick and feeble while they lived here, they shall be so strong there, that nothing shall move against their will. They shall have such great freedom that nothing shall be contrary to their liking. The saved bodies shall never have sickness, nor anger nor grievance. Also they shall be filled with joy in all their senses ; for as a vessel that is dipped in water or other liquor, is wet within and without, above and beneath, and also all about, and no more liquor can be within it, even so shall those that are saved, be full filled with all joy and bliss. Also they shall have endless life in the sight of the Holy Trinity, and this joy shall pass all other. They shall be in full security, that they never fail of that joy, nor be put out thereof They shall also be filled with wisdom ; for they shall know all that is, and was, and shall be. They shall have full knowledge of the Holy Trinity ; the might of the Father, the wisdom of the Son, and the goodness of the Holy Ghost. For in the sight of the blessed face of God, they shall know all things that may be seen of any creature. For as Augustine saith. They shall see him, both God and man, and they shall see themselves in him also. All things that are now hid firom man, he shall then see and know. They shall also have perfect love to each other, for every one shall accord with the other's will. And these joys and many more than any tongue of man can fully tell, shall those have that shall be saved, both in body and soul, after the day of doom. This is the right spur, which should stir men joyfully to love Jesus Christ, and to hasten in the heavenly way. For so sweet is the bliss there, and so great withal, that whoso might taste a single drop thereof, should be so rapt in liking of God, and of heavenly joy, and he should have such a languishing to go thither, that all the joy of the world should seem pain to him. This love should move such a man to live more virtuously, and to flee sin, a hundred fold more than any dread of the pain of purgatory or of hell. For perfect love putteth out all dread, and cleanseth the soul from filth, and maketh it to see God, and to flee ofl to heaven by desire, hoping to dwell there, world without end. 1 li Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. TO LOVE JESUS. Whosoever thou art that arrayest thyself to love God, if thou wilt neither be deceived nor deceive, if thou wilt be saved and not fail, if thou wilt stand and not fall, study to have this name Jesus constantly in mind. If thou doest so the enemy shall fall, and thou shalt stand, the enemy shall be enfeebled, and thou shalt be strengthened — therefore seek this name, Jesus, hold it and forget it not. Nothing so quenches flames, restrains evil thoughts, cuts away ve- nomous affections, or alienates from us vain occupations. This name, Jesus, truly held in mind, rooteth up vices, planteth virtues, bringeth charity or love to men, getteth men savour of heavenly things, wasteth discord, informeth peace, giveth everlasting rest, or doeth away heaviness of fleshly desires. All earthly desires, all earthly things, it turneth into heaviness. It filleth those that it loveth with spiritual joy ; so that worthily it may be said. All shall be trlorified in thee, that love thy name, for thou shalt bless the righteous. The righteous deserveth to be blessed, for he hath truly loved this name, Jesus. He is called righteous, because he seeks earnestly to love Jesus. What can fail to him who unceasingly covets to love Jesus? He loveth and he desireth to love, for thus we know the love of God to stand ; for the more we love, the more we covet to love. It is said, They that eat me shall not hunger, and they that drink me, shall not thirst. Therefore the love of Jesus by itself is delectable and desirable. Therefore no joy shall fail those that covet earnestly to love him whom anf^els desire to behold. Angels see him always, and ever desire to see him ; for they are so full filled that their fillinn- doeth not away their desire, and they desire so that their desire doeth not away their fullness. This is full joy, this is glorious joy. Therefore all men shall be glorified that love thy name. — If they loved not, they should not be o-lorified, and those that love most, shall joy most. For of love proceedeth joy, therefore he that loveth not shall for ever be without joy. Therefore many caitiffs* think to joy with Christ, but as they love not his name, Jesus, they shall sorrow with- out end, whatever they do. And if they give all things that they have to poor men, unless they love this name • Wretched beings. To Love Jesits. 113 Jesus, they shall labour in vain. For only such shall be g-laddened in Jesus who have loved him in this present life. Those that defoul him with vices and foul thoughts, and turn not again, there is no doubt but they are put out from the glory of God. Therefore he shall not see the glory of God, that hath not joyfully loved this name Jesus. Be the wicked maii done away that he see not the glory of God — righteous men seek glory and life, and they find it in Jesus whom they loved. I went about by coveting and riches, and I found not Jesus. I went about by the swallow of lusts, and I found not Jesus. I ran by wantonness of my flesh, and I found not Jesus. I sat in company of worldly mirth, but there I found him not. 1 sought him in highness of myself,* but there I found him not. In all these things I sought him, but I found him not. For he let me know by his grace that he is not found in the land of easy and soft living. Therefore I turned by another way and sought him by poverty ; and I found Jesus — born into the world poor, laid in a craitch,t and wrapped in poor rags. I went by sharp sufferings, and I found Jesus weary in the way, tormented with hunger, and thirst, and cold ; filled with slanders and reproofs. I sat by myself, fleeing the vanities of the world, and I found Jesus fasting in the desert, and praying by himself in the hill. I went about in penance and pain, and I found Jesus, bound fast, hand and foot, to a pillar of stone, and from the head to the feet all torn with scourges. I found Jesus hanging on the cross, fast nailed hand and foot, hav- ing gall given him to drink, and dying on the cross. Therefore Jesus is not found in riches, but in poverty ; not in delicacies, but in penance; not in idle and wanton joy- ing, but in bitter weeping and mourning ; not among many, but in a lonely place ; not in soft nourishing of body, but in pain of body. In truth, an evil man findeth not Jesus ; for he sees him not where he is. He enforces himself to seek Jesus in the joys of this world, where he shall never be found. O ye worldly and fleshly caitiffs, t ye are led away from the joy of God, and deceived with the devil's fraud, not abiding the blessed hope, nor desiring the coming of the glory of God. Worthily shall ye suffer everlasting death, for ye follow this life, which ye know shall not long be had here. Truly your eyes are blinded — the devil hath put them out; * Pride, high thoughts, t Crib, or manger. $ Wretched creatures. 114 irickliff.-^T/ie Poor Caitiff. for that which ye see, ye believe not. When ye behold a man dyinc^, and yet dread not death, ye are confused or ruined, for the Lord hath despised you ; ye are accursed and made abominable. All holy angels and lovers of Jesus Christ shall be full filled W\i\\ great joy, when your reprovable company shall all be damned to ever- lasting fire. Wo be to you rich men! Wo to you proud folk ! Wo to you lechers ! Wo be to all willing to do sin. For your hire shall be yielded to you — torment of hell, ready for you from the beginning of the world. I know that ye must go down thither, for from your wicked customs neither joy of heaven nor torment of hell can call you. Whereto therefore say ye idly, " We shall be saved in Jesus ; while ye cease not to hate him, without whom ye cannot have health?* Who, not loving Jesus, hopeth to be saved — truly, lacking faith, he accuses himself as under condemnation. Verily he loveth health who unweariedly keepeth the name of Jesus in himself. I wonder not that a man, being tempted, falleth, who hath not the name of Jesus lasting in his mind. Securely hath he chosen to be in onelinesst for God, when he espe- cially chooses this name Jesus. Truly this name cleanses the conscience, makes the heart clear and clean, and drives away fear. It gets a man warmth of love, lifts up the mind to heavenly melody, and chases away the watchfiil fiends. Oh thou good name ! Oh thou sweet name ! Oh glo- rious name ! Oh healthful name ! Oh name to be de- sired ! Wicked spirits may not abide thee, when they behold Jesus, either in mind, or hear him named in mouth. I sought to love Jesus, and ever the more I grew perfect in his love, so much the sweeter his name savoured to me. Therefore blessed be the name of Jesus for ever and ever, and so be it. Amen. OF THE LOVE OF JESUS. Only Lord be tears to me as loves by day and by night. For unless a man be punished first by weepings and wait- ings, he may not come to the sweetness of God's love. O thou everlasting love, inflame my mind to love God, that it burn not but to his callings. O good Jesus ! who shall give to me that I feel thee. Thou must now be felt and not seen. Enter into the inmost recesses of my soul ; come • Salvation. t Singleness of heart. Of the Love of Jesus. 115 into mine heart and full fill it with thy most clear sweetness ; make my mind to drink deeply of the fervent wine of thy sweet love, that I, forgetting all evils, and all vain visions, and scornful imaginations, thee only embracing, joying I rejoice in my Lord Jesus. Thou most sweet Lord, from henceforward pass not from me, dwell with me in thy sweetness ; for only thy presence is to me solace or comfort, and only thy absence leaves me sorrowful. O thou Holy Ghost, who inspirest where thou wilt, come into me, draw me to thee, that I despise and set at nought in my heart all things of this world. Inflame my heart with thy love which shall without end burn upon thine altar. Come, I beseech thee, thou sweet and true joy ; come thou sweetness so to be desired ; come thou my be- loved, who art all my comfort. True love suffers not a loving soul to dwell in itself, but draws it forth to its beloved. There are three degrees of Christ's love, in which those that are chosen to God's love go from one to another. The first is called insuperable ; the second is inseparable ; the third is called singular. Love is insuperable when it can- not be overcome with any other affection or love, no trial or temptation — when it gladly casts down all other hinder- ances, and all temptations, and quenches fleshly desires. When man suffers gladly and meekly all anguish for Christ, and is not overcome with any delight or flattering, so that whether thou art in ease or in anguish, in sickness or in health, that thou wouldest not, to have all the world, anger God at any time. And blessed is the soul that is in this state ; every labour is light to him that loveth truly, neither can any man better overcome travail than by love. Love is inseparable when man's mind is inflamed with great love, and cleaves to Christ by inseparable thought ; not suffering Christ to be any moment out of his mind, but as though he were bound in the heart, him he thinketh upon, to him with great earnestness he draweth his spirit. Therefore, when the love of Christ so groweth in the heart of the lover of God, and the despiser of the world, so that it may not be overcome of any other affection or love, then it is said to be high. When man cleaveth to Christ unde- partingly, thinking upon him, forgetting him for no other occasion, then man's love is said to be inseparable and ever- lasting. And what love can be more or greater than this ? The third degree of love is singular. If thou seekest or receivest any other comfort than of thy God, even though 11^ Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. thou lovest highly, then lovest not singularly. This degree is highest and most wonderful to attain ; for it hath no peer. Singular love is, when all solace and comfort is closed out of the heart, but the love of Jesus alone. Other delight or other joy pleases not ; for the sweetness of him is so com- forting and lasting, his love is so burning and gladdening, that he who is in this degree may well feel the fire of love burning in his soul. That fire is so pleasant that no man can tell it but he that feeleth it, and not fully he. Then the soul is Jesus loving, on Jesus thinking, and Jesus desiring, only burning in coveting of him ; singing in him, resting on him. Then the thought turns to song and melody. The soul that is in this degree may boldly say, I mourn for love ! I languish to come to my loved Jesus. This degree of love comet h not of man's merit, but God giveth it freely, to whom he knoweth able thereto, and not without great grace coming before. Therefore, let no man presume farther of himself than God hath called him to. But he that most withdraws his love from the world, and from unreasonable lusts, shall be most able, and most speedily increase in these degrees of love. Those that have hking in any other things than in Jesus, and in the sweet- ness of his law, come not to this degree of love. In the first degree are some, in the second but few, in the third scarcely any. For the higher the living is, and the more it profits, the fewer lovers it hath ; and the fewer followers. The apostle Paul saith. Other is the hght of the sun, other of the moon, and other of the stars. And so it is of the lovers of Jesus Christ. He that is in this degree of love, desireth to be unbound of the bond of flesh, and to be in full joy with Jesus, whom he loveth. Therefore such a one in his mourning for his long abiding, may sing this song to his loved Jesus, " When wilt thou come, my Be- loved, to comfort me and bring me out of care, and give thyself to me, that I may see thee and dwell with thee for evermore ? My Beloved, more than any other, when shall my heart break that I sorrow no more ? Thy love hath wounded my heart, and I am desirous to depart, I stand still mourning for one lovely to love. His love draweth me. The bond of His love holdeth me away from vain places and play, till I may get him — the sight of my Beloved who never shall go away." In wealth be our walkings, without noie* or night ; My love is in thee lasting, and longeth to thy sight. • Hinderance. Of Meekness. 117 Thus love moveth a soul in which it dwells, to sing of his Beloved, ever having the heart upward to the joys above. And this bringeth out love tears, languishing for joy. But this sentence savoureth not to a fleshly soul. Love is a burning desire to God, with a wonderful delight in soul. Love uniteth the lover and the beloved. Love is the desire of the heart, ever thinking on that which it loveth. Love is a stirring of the soul to love God for himself, and all other things for God. This love putteth out all other love that is against God's will. Love is a right will, turned from all earthly things, and joined to God without departing, accompanied with the fire of the Holy Ghost ; far from defouling, far from corruption, to no vice bowing, high above all fleshly lusts, ever ready to the con- templation of God ; the sun of all good affections, the health of good manners, and of the commandments of God, the death of sins, life of virtues, crown of overcomers, the arms of holy thoughts. Without love no man can please God, with it no man sinneth to death. True love clotheth the soul, and delivereth it from the pains of hell, and of foul service to sin, and from the fearful fellowship of devils. The child of the fiend it maketh the son of God, and par- taker of the heritage of heaven. Therefore close thee in love as the iron closes in the redness of fire, as air doth in the sun, as the wool in the dye. The coal closes the iron so in the fire that it is all fire ; the air so in the sun that it is all light ; wool so takes the hue that it changes all to the colour. In this manner shall a lover of Jesus Christ do. He shall so burn in love that he shall be wholly turned into the fire of love ; he shall so shine in virtues that no part of him be dark in vices. OF MEEKNESS. To any degree of true love to Jesus, no soul can attain unless he is truly meek. For a proud soul seeks to have his own will, and so shall he never come to any degree of God's love. Ever the lower that a soul sitteth in the valley of meekness, so many the more streams of grace and love come thereto. And if the soul be high in the hills of pride, the wind of the fiend bloweth away all manner of goodness therefrom. Therefore as St. Augustine biddeth. Whoso will attain to the bliss that is in heaven above, let him set 1 1 ^ JVicMiff.—The Poor Caitiff: the ground of his foundation here low in meekness. No- thing more overcometh the fiend than meekness, and there- fore he hateth it so much. For he may fast, he may wake, and suffer more pain than any other creature, but meekness and love he may not have, neither any of his disciples. By two things principally, may a man know whether he is meek. If his heart be not moved, though his own will be contraried and gainsaid — and when he is despised, falsely accused, and slandered ; if his will stand unmoved to desiring of revenge, and his mouth be shut from unmeek answer. For whoso is entered verily into God's love, it grieves him not, whatsoever slander, shame, or reproof he suffereth for the love of his Lord ; but he coveteth and is glad that he is worthy to suffer pain for Christ's love. Thus Christ's disciples went joying from the council of the Jews, that they were worthy to suffer despites and wrongs for the name of Jesus. For the apostle saith, All that will live meekly, and please Jesus Christ, shall suffer persecutions, and by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. For it is given to such, not only that they believe in Christ, but also that they suffer for him. Therefore the meek lover of Christ is to be as a dead body, which, whatsoever I do or say thereto, answereth not. The prophet of God affirms that he did thus, saying. Those that sought to do me evil spake vanities and thought guiles all day ; but I as deaf heard not, and was as a dumb man not opening his mouth. By seven tokens a man may suppose that he hath the love of Christ. The first is, when all coveting of earthly things, and fleshly lusts, is slacked in him. For where coveting is, there is not the love of Christ. Then if a man have not coveting it is a sign that he hath love. The second is, burning desire of heaven. For when he hath felt aught of that savour, the more he feeleth the more he coveteth, and he that hath felt nought, desireth nought. The third token is, if his tongue be changed. That which was wont to speak of earth now speaketh of heaven. The fourth is, exercise or practising what is for spiritual good. As when a man, leaving all other things, hath good will and devotion to' prayer, and findeth sweetness therein. The fifth is, when things which are hard in themselves, through love seem light to be done. The sixth is, hardiness of soul to suffer all anguishes and troubles that befall. All the other tokens suffice not without this ; for he that is righteous Of Man's Will 119 hateth nothing but sin ; he loveth God alone, and for God ; he hath no joy but in God ; he feareth not, but to offend God. And all his hope is to come to God. The seventh is, joyfulness of soul when he is in tribulation, and that he love God, and thank him in all diseases that he saffers. It is the greatest token that he hath the love of God, when no wo, tribulation, or persecution, can bring him down from this love. Many love God, as it seemeth to them, while they are in ease, but in adversity, or in sickness, they grudge against God ; thinking that they do not deserve so to be punished for any trespass they have done. And oflimes some say that God doeth them wrong. All such are feigned lovers, and have not the true love of God. For the Holy'Ghost saith, He that is a true friend loveth at all times. Three principal goods come from meek suffering of sick- ness. It cleanseth the soul from sin before done ; it keepeth from those* into which it was likely to fall ; it increaseth reward in bliss, and over gildeth the crown ; and the longer it endureth the brighter waxeth the crown, and the soul cleaner. And in trust hereof St. Paul said that he would joy gladly in his sicknesses, that the virtue* of Christ dwell in him. OF MAN'S WILL. Every deed that is prai sable or reprovable of man's will, hath praising or reproving. Truly in the will is the root and beginning of all deeds which are in our power. And if we must not do the thing that we would do, each man is denied of God his own proper will. Therefore behold ye not only what ye do, but as much what ye would do. Not more what are your works than what is your will. Through just will, man is called just ; and through unjust will, man is said to be unrighteous. And therefore if ye will live well, keep well your will. If ye would know whether your will be rightful, that will for certain is rightful which is undersoughtt to the will of God. Whosoever liveth holily and rightfully, let him not despise the worst sinners. They being tempted fall, for they have not grace to withstand, although by their own malice they turn from good to evil. No man can work well, and love God, or be chaste, unless God give it to him. Therefore thou that art blown up with pride because thou hast not done evil, because thou hast * Power. t Submitted. 120. Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. withdrawn thyself from fleshly lusts, and hast sustained or suffered sharp penance, and therefore hast taken praising of man's mouth ; have mind that unless the goodness of Christ had kept thee in, thou shouldest have fallen into as many evils, or worse, as others have done. Not of thyself hast thou power to gainstand, but of Him of whom the prophet saith, Lord, I shall love thee for thou art my strength, my ground, my refuge, him that undertaketh for me, and my helper. Therefore, if thou hast nothing but what thou hast received, why hast thou vain joy in thyself as though thou hadst not received it ? But nevertheless, let no man be favourable to sin ; for God, by his prophet, crieth to good men, and the same cry to you, Go ye away, and go ye out from thieves, and touch not unclean things. What is it to touch unclean things ? It is, to consent to sins. What is it to go out thence ? To do that which pertaineth to amendment of evil men. Act with meekness and peace as much as may be ; as St. Au- gustine saith. This is to touch not the unclean thing, not to consent thereto in will. Ever be ye separated in heart from evil men. This is to commune not, to consent not ; for we commune with an evil man when the fellowship of the will, or of approving, is joined to deeds. Therefore consent ye not to evil men, that ye approve them ; neither be ye negligent, that ye reprove them not ; neither be ye proud, that ye reprove them not proudly. Therefore, my brethren, as many as ever ye have among you, that are yet grieved with the love of this world, avaricious men, fbrswearers, adulterers, beholders of jests, others that take counsel of false tellers of futurity, men giveri to drink and lechery, and whatever evil men ye know amons^styou, reprove ye as much as ye are able, by meekness, that ye may go away unhurt ; and that ye consent not to the touching unclean things. Beseech ye, and pray to God, that all such be amended and again called from their evils. OF ACTIVE LIFE AND CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE. Christ loved much Mary, and Martha her sister, as the gospel telleth. By Martha, who was busy to feed Christ, is understood active life ; and by Mary who sat by meekness at Christ's feet, to hear his word, is understood contempla- tive life. Christ said not that Martha did evil in ministering, of Active Life and Contemplative Life. 121 but he blamed her that she would have drawn her sister from the more perfect life. For it is perilous for them that savour not the more perfect life, to withdraw others away, whom God calleth thereto. Christ said that Mary had chosen the better part, which should not be taken from her. For active life shall be taken away with death of body, but perfect contemplation never ; for it is begun here, and it endureth more perfectly after this life. St. Bede saith that active life is a studious servant of Christ, to be busy in just travails, and to keep the com- mandments of God and himself undefouled from the world, and to hold soul, hand, tongue, and all members of the body, from all filth of sin tempting them. Afterwards to help the need of neighbours, as much as he may, to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to visit the sick, and such other, and to show the way of truth to him that erreth ; to call again the proud neighbour to the way of meekness, and tell those who are with us how they must stand. And let no man enforce to pass into contemplative life, unless he have long time practised this life, for if he presume foolishly it speedeth not. Contemplative life hath two parts, the lower consists in meditation, or thinking of holy scripture, and in other sweet thoughts of Jesus, and in sweetness of prayers. The higher part is in beholding of heavenly things, having the eye of the heart among the heavenly citizens, thinking on God, the l:>eauty of angels, and holy souls. Contemplation is a wonderful joy in God's love, which joy is a loving of God that cannot be told. And that wonderful love is in the soul, and for abundance of joy and sweetness it ascends into the mouth ; so that heart, tongue, body, and soul, joy together in God. This gladness God sendeth into the soul that he chooseth to this life. When a man hath long practised good doing, and sweetness of prayer, and is wont to feel compunction, and to be fiee from occupations of this world, and hath learned to occupy the eye of the soul alone in the love of God, and hath begun in desiring earnestly a foretaste, yea, in this life the joy of everlasting bliss which he shall take in the life to come. Truly that soul which is called and chosen of God to this life, God first inspireth to forsake the world in will, and all the vanity and coveting and lusts thereof. After that, He leadeth him alone, all troubles and worldly company being forsaken, and speaketh to his heart ; and as WICKLIFF. G 1^ Wickliff.—The Poor Caitiff. the prophet saith, He "iveth him to taste the sweetness of beg-inninp: of love, and turneth his will to holy prayers, and sweet meditations ; putting out of the heart idle thoughts and all vanities, setting it to think on him and heavenly things. Then He openeth to the eye of such a soul the gate of heaven, so that the same eye looketh into heaven, and then the fire of love enlightenetli his heart, and burning therein maketh it clean of all earthly filth ; and so, thenceforward, he is con- templative, and filled with love of a sight which he saw in heaven with the spiritual eye of his soul. But no man hath perfect sight of heaven while he liveth here, in the body ; but he that endeth in this love, as soon as he dieth, is brought before God with companies of angels, and seeth him face to face, and dvvelleth with him without end. All these sentences (opinions) foregoing, I have gathered of holy writ, and of divers saints, and doctors, and nothing of mine own head ; to show to my poor brethren and sisters what grace and love our Lord Jesus hath showed to souls in this life. For each man should ascend from one to another, as he is called of God, some in higher, some in lower, as he is enabled of God thereto. But for that, I, myself, caitiff and wretch, unworthy through divers sins before done, being beneath all these perfect points, which seem to me as far distant as from hence to heaven. Therefore I beseech all that read or hear this treatise, to pray for me to God, that he forgive my sins, and quicken my soul with grace of his heavenly treasure of love. And let us all, together, give thanks to the Holy Trinity, vtho thus graciously lighten- eth the souls of mortal men with the beams of his heavenly grace. Blessed be the name of our Lord, into worlds of worlds. Amen. Here endeth the book called the Poor Caitiff. At the end of one of the Tnanvxcripts of the Poor Caitiff, in the British Museum^ MS. JIarl. '233.'S, is the foKowinc; note, which proves the value placed upon its contents in the days of darkness preceding the reformation, and shoKS one method of circulating- the truth thin adopted. " This book was made of the goods of John Gamalin, for a common profit, that the i)erson that lias this book committed to him of the per- son tliat iiath power to commit it, have the use thereof for the time of . his life, praying for the soul of the same .lohn. And that he that hath this aforesaid use of commission, when he occupieth it not, leave he it for a time to some other person. Also that the person to whom it was committed for the term of life, under the foresaid conditions, deliver it to another the term of his life. And so be it delivered and committed from ])crson to person, man or woman, as long as the book endureth." How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 123 HOW THE OFFICE OF CURATES* IS ORDAINED OF GOD. (From the 31 S. in the Library of Corpus Christi College Cambridge.) The office of curates is ordained of God ; few do it well and many full evil, therefore test we their defaults, with God's help.t I. They are more busy about worldly goods than virtues and good keeping of men's souls. For he that can best get riches of this world together, and have a great household, and worldly array, is held to be a worthy man of holy church, though he know not the best point of the gospel. Such a one is praised and borne up by the bishops and their officers. But the curate that gives himself to study holy writ and teach his parishioners to save their souls, and live in meekness, penance, and busy labour about spiritual things, and cares not about worldly respect and riches, is held to be a fool and destroyer of Jholy church. He is de- spised and persecuted by high priests and prelates and their officers, and is hated by other curates. This makes many to be negligent in their spiritual cures, and to give themselves to occupations and business about worldly goods. These negligent curates think but little, how dearly Christ bought man's soul with his precious blood and death, and how hard a reckoning he shall make at doomsday for those souls. They would seem to be out of christian faith — for they make not themselves ready to come thither, and to answer how they came into their benefices, and how they * By curate was meant any minister that has the care of souls. I WicldifF composed three pieces, entitled, Of Prelates, For the order of Priesthood, and How the office of Curates is ordained of God. His design was to show from the authority of scripture the duties of the clergy, to expose the errors and wicked practices then so general, and to point out the evil consequences both to the people and them- selves. His language in these pieces is bold and uncompromising, and exhibits a painful picture of the state of the romish priesthood at that day. The latter tract appears the most suitable for the present collection, but in copying it for the press it was not thought desirable to transcribe the whole. What is here given will be a sufficient tes- timony respecting many evils prevalent in the days of Wicklift', to which a large portion of his writings refer. G 2 124 WicUiff. lived and taup;ht, and spent poor men's goods. For if they had such a faith in their minds, they would begin a better life, and continue therein. II. The second default is, that they run fast, by land and by water, in great peril of body and soul, to get rich bene- fices ; but they will not knowingly go a mile to preach the gospel, though christened men are running to hell for want of knowing and keeping of God's law ; and certainly here they show, indeed, that they are foully blind with covetous- ness, and worship false gods, as St. Paul saith. Since they so much love worldly riches, and labour for them night and day, in thought and deed, and labour so little for God's worship and the saving of christian souls, who can excuse these covetous clerks from simony and heresy ? Neither God's law, nor man's law, nor reason, nor good conscience. And let the king and his council inquire how much gold goes out of our land, for purchase of benefices, into alien's hands, and how much is given privately to men in the land. They shall find many thousand pounds.* III. The third default of evil curates is, that they are angels of Satan to lead men to hell ; for, instead of truly teaching Christ's gospel, they are dumb, or else tell men's traditions. Instead of example of good life, they hurt their parishioners many ways — by example of pride, envy, covet- ousness, and unreasonable vengeance — cruelly cursing for tithes, and evil customs. And for example of holy de- votion, devout prayer, and works of mercy, they teach idle- ness, gluttony, drunkenness, and lechery, and maintaining of these sins, and many more. For since priests are called angelst in holy writ, and these curates bring not the mes- sage of God, but of the fiend, as their wicked life showeth, tliey are not angels of God, but of the fiend, as the true clerk Robert GrostheadJ wrote to the pope. St. Peter was called Satan by Christ, as the gospel telleth, because he was contrary to God's will, and savoured not of heavenly things; well then are these evil curates so called, since they are * At tlint timo tlio pope nnd the court of Rome exercised the chief ecclesiastical iiatronage in England. A large portion of the benefices were held l)y foreigners. In the reign of Henry 111. the sums thus received by Italians were more than three times the amount of the king's revenues. t Messengers. X Grosthead, or Grosseteste, was Bishop of Lincoln in the preceding century. He strenuously opposed the corruptions of the papacy. See Hist- of the Church of Christ, cent. xiii. How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 125 more contrary to God's will, and savour less of spiritual things, and the saving of christian souls. IV. The fourth error is, that they think more of statutes of sinful men than the most reasonable law of almighty God. For they dread the pope's law, and statutes made by bishops, and other officers, more than the noble law of the gospel. Therefore they have many great and costly books of man's law, and study them much, but few curates have the bible and expositions of the gospel, they study them but little and do them less. But would to God that every parish church in this land had a good bible and good expositions on the gospel, and that the priests studied them well, and taught truly the gospel and God's commands to the people. Then should good life prevail, and rest, and peace, and charity ; sin and falseness should be put back — God bring this end to his people. V. The fifth default is, that they practise strife and plea,* and gather envy and hate from laymen for tythes.f They leave preaching of the gospel, and cry fast after tythes, and summon men to account, and by force take their goods, or else curse them seven foot above the earth, and seven foot under the earth, and seven foot on each side, and afterwards draw men to prison as though they were kings and empe- rors of men's bodies and goods ; forgetting wholly the meek- ness and patience of Christ and his apostles, how they cursed not when men would neither give them meat, nor drink, nor harbour ; but Christ blamed his apostles when they would have asked such vengeance, as the gospel of St. Luke teaches. And St. Peter biddeth to bless other men, even enemies, and not to have will to curse. Paul also teacheth that we should not do evil for evil, but overcome an evil deed by good doing. VI. The sixth default is, that they teach their parish- ioners, by their deeds and hfe, which are as a book to them, to love and seek worldly glory, and to be careless of heavenly things. For they make themselves busy, night and * I -aw. "t" Wickliff's views respecting tythes have already been noticed in his life, see p. 41. William Russel, a Lollard, thus stated his opinions upon the subject of dymes or tythes. " Personal dymes fall not under the precepts of God's law, wherefore if custom were not to the contrary, it is lawful for Christ's people to dispose them to piteous use of poor men." Wilkins, iii. 438. See Fox's Acts and Monuments for the discussions on this subject among the Bohemian reformers. 128 mckiiff. day, to get worldly advancement, and their own worship and dignity in this world, by pleading; and striving therefore. Considering it great righteousness to hold forth and main- tain points of worldly privilege, and dignity ; but about spi- ritual dignity, and high degree of heavenly bliss, they will not strive against spiritual enemies ; for they strive not who shall be most meek and willingly poor, and most busy in open preaching and private counselling how men shall obtain heaven, as Christ and his apostles did. But they, like moles, remain rooting after worldly worship, and earthly goods, as though there were no life but only in this wretched world. VII. The seventh error is, that they teach sinful men to buy hell full dear, and not to come to heaven which is proffered them for little cost. For they teach christian men to suffer much cold, hunger, and thirst, and much waking, and despising, to get worldly honour ; and a little dirt by false warring, out of charity ; if they bring them much gold they absolve them lightly and to think themselves secure by their prayers, and grant them a blessing.* But they teach not how their parishioners should dispose themselves to receive gifts of the Holy Ghost, and keep conditions of cha- rity, doing truth and good conscience to each man, both poor and rich. And if they are poor by the chances of the world, or willingly, by dread of sin, they set them at nought, and say they are cursed, because they have not much muck ; and if they have much worldly goods, got with false oaths, false weights, and other deceits, they praise them, and bless them, and say that God is with them and blesseth them. VIII. The eighth defliult. They shut the kingdom of heaven before men, and neither go in themselves, nor suffer other men to enter, for they shut up holy writ — as the gospel, and commandments, and conditions of charity, which are called the kingdom of heaven, by false new laws, and evil glossing, and evil teaching. For they will neither learn themselves, nor teach holy writ, nor suffer other men to do it, lest their own sin and hj^oocrisy be known, and their pleasurable life withdrawn. Tims they close Christ's fife and his apostles' from the common people, by the keys of antichrist's judgment and censures ; and they make them not so hardy as to say a truth of holy writ against their accursed * The great wealth acquired by some in tlie wars which then pre- vailed has been noticed in tlie life of VVicklift'. The sufferings of the people at large, as may be supposed, were in proportion. How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 127 life, for that shall be held to be detraction and envy, and against charity ! Therefore they make the people follow their teaching, their statutes, and their customs, and to leave God's teaching ; and thereby lead them blindly to hell, and thus close the kingdom of heaven from them. IX. The ninth error is, that they waste poor men's goods on rich furs and costly clothes, and worldly array, feasts of rich men, and in gluttony, drunkenness, and le- chery. For they sometimes pass great men in their gay furs and precious clothes — they have fat horses with gay saddles and bridles, St. Bernard crieth. Whatever curates hold of the altar more than a simple livelihood and clothing, is not theirs, but other men's.* X. The tenth default is, that they haunt lords' courts, and are occupied in worldly offices, and do not take care of their parishes, although they take more worldly goods for them, than Christ and his apostles. Certainly it is great treachery ; for what man durst undertake to keep men who are besieged in a feeble castle by many strong enemies, and then flee into a swineherd's office, and let enemies take the castle and destroy it ? Were not this open treason ? and would not this keeper be guilty of the loss of the castle, and all men therein ? So it is of the curates and christian souls of which they take care, who are besieged by fiends, when they leave them unkept, and busy themselves in worldly offices and lords' courts. Are not these lords, who thus hold curates in their courts and worldly offices, traitors to God Almighty, since they draw away his chief knights from their spiritual battle, when and where they were most needful for this service. t ♦ Chaucer, in his Plowman's tale, describes priests, as, That high on horse willeth ride. In glitter and gold of great array, Y painted and portred^ all in pride, (t set out.) No common knight may go so gay, Change of clothing every day, With golden girdles great and small. f Chaucer thus describes the secular canons of that day : They are curates of many towns, On earth they have great power, — And yet they serve the king also. — Some their churches never see, Nor ever a penny thither send, — Though that the poor for hunger die, A penny on them they will not spend, Have tliey receiving of the rent, They care not for the remanent. 12^ IVicldiff. XI. The eleventh error is, that they attend more to wronofiil commandments of sinful men, than to the most rightftil commandments of God. For if the pope or bishop send a letter to receive a pardoner to deceive the people, by grants of many thousand years of pardon, he shall be de- spatched ;* althoun;h if there come a true man, to preach the gospel freely and truly, he shall be hindered for wronc^- ful command of a sinful man. And thus they put God's commandment and his rightful will behind, and put sinHil man's will and wrong commandments before ; and thus for their own worldly profit and bodily ease they stop their parishioners from hearing of God's law, which is food for the soul, and lead them blindly to hell. These are evil fathers who thus cruelly starve their subjects' souls, and drive them to damnation, for love of worldly muck, or bodily ease, or for dread of wretched antichrists, who are traitors to God and his people. XII. The twelfth error is, that they despise the principal duty, which is commanded of God to curates, and busy themselves about novelties made by sinful men. For they know not to preach the g-ospel wisely, and they busily learn men's traditions for worldly gain, but not the g-ospel which Christ, God and man, taug'ht and commanded curates to teach, as to life and death. XIII. The thirteenth error is, that they curse their spi- ritual children more for the love of worldly good than for breaking God's commands. For though a man openly break God's commands, living in pride, in false ways, and in open breaking of the holy day, he shall not be sum- moned, nor punished, nor cursed by them ; but if a man be behind of tythes and other offerings and customs made of sinful men, he shall be summoned, punished, and cursed, though he cannot live out of other men's debts, and find his wife and his children by God's commandments. XIV. They take their worldly mirth, hawking, hunting,t and doing other vanities, and sutler wolves of hell to strangle men's souls by many cursed sins. They should • * See § xix. f Chaucer describes bis monk, He gave not of that text a pulled hen, That saith that liunters be not holy men. Greyhounds he had as swift as fowl of flight. Of riding, and of hunting of the hare, Was all his lust, for no cost would he spare. How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. \'29 draw men from worldly vanities, and teach them the perils of this life, and to think upon their death day, and be a mirror to them to mourn for their sins, and other men's, and for the long tarrying of heavenly bliss, and to continue in holy prayers, and true teaching of the gospel, and espy- ing the fiend's deceits to warn christian men of them ; but now the more a curate hath, the more he wasteth in costly feeding of hounds and hawks, suffering poor men to have great default of meat, and drink, and clothes. XV. The fifteenth is, that they haunt taverns out of measure, and stir up laymen to drunkenness, idleness, and cursed swearing, chiding, and fighting. For they will not follow earnestly in their spiritual office, after Christ and his apostles, therefore they resort to plays at tables, chess, and hazard, and roar in the streets, and sit at the tavern till they have lost their wits, and then chide, and strive, and fight sometimes. And sometimes they have neither eye, nor tongue, nor hand, nor foot, to help themselves, for drunken- ness. By this example the ignorant people suppose that drunkenness is no sin ; but he that wasteth most of poor men's goods at taverns, making himself and other men drunken, is most praised, for nobleness, courtesy, goodness, freeness, and worthiness. XVI. The sixteenth is, They will not give the sacra- ments of the altar, that is, Christ's body, to their parish- ioners, unless they pay tithes and offerings, and unless they have paid money to a worldly priest, to slay christian men. If men doubt of this, let them inquire the truth, how it was when the bishop of Norwich went into Flanders and killed them by many thousands, and made them our ene- mies,* Little reckon the curates in what devotion and charity their parishioners receive Christ's body, when they openly take them up from God's board, and stir them to impatience, envy, and hate, for a little muck which they claim to themselves. XVII. The seventeenth is, they are blind leaders, lead- ing the people to sin, by their evil example and false deceit in teaching. For though they know not one point cf the gospel, nor what they read, they will take a benefice, with • Wickliff here alludes to the crusade of the bishop of Norwich in behalf of pope Urban. See life, p. 33. G 3 130» Wickliff. cure of men's souls, and neither know how to rule their own soul, nor other men's, nor will learn, nor suffer other men to teach their parishioners the gospel and God's com- mands truly and freely. XVIII. The eig'hteenth is. They are false prophets, teaching false chronicles and fables to colour their worldly life thereby ; and leave the true gospel of Jesus Christ. For they love well to tell how this or that saint lived in gay and costly clothes, and worldly array, although it is a great sin. But they leave to teach the great penance and sorrow which they did afterwards, which pleased God, and not their worldly life. And then they make the people think that worldly life of priests, and their vain costliness pleases God. And they make the people believe that a good christian man, keeping well God's law, shall be damned for a wrongful curse of a worldly priest, who is in a fiend's case. Thus they bring the people out of christian faith by their false chronicles and fables, for Christ saith, that men shall be blessed of God, when men shall curse them, and pursue them, and say all evil against them falsely for the love of Christ and his truth ; and the people believe the contrary of this teaching of Christ, by the fables and saints' deeds, or lyings about saints. XIX. The nineteenth. They assent to pardoners de- ceiving the people in faith, and charity, and of worldly goods, for to have part of their gathering, and they, hinder- ing priests from preaching the gospel, for dread lest their sins and hypocrisy be known and stopped. For when there Cometh a pardoner to rich places with stolen bulls, and false relics, granting more years of pardon than come before doomsday, for gaining worldly wealth, he shall be received of curates to have a part of that which he getteth. But a priest who will tell the truth to all men, without glosing, and freely, without begging of the poor people, shall be hindered by subtle cavils of man's law, for dread lest he touch the sore of their conscience and accursed life. This pardoner shall tell of more power than Christ ever granted to Peter or Paul, or any apostle, to draw the alms from poor bedridden neighbours, who are known to be feeble and poor, to get it himself, and waste it in idleness, glut- tony, and lechery, and to send gold out of our land to rich lords of houses where there is no need, and make our land poor by many ways ; hereby the people are more bold to live How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 131 in sin, and know not they have as much thank and reward of Christ if they do ahiis to poor feeble men, as he biddeth.* XX. The twentieth is, that a priest of good life and de- vout and true preaching of God's law, is despised, hated, and pursued by worldly curates ; and a false priest, of worldly life and array, who suffers men to rot in their ac- cursed sins, is loved, praised, and cherished among them ; for they say that such a good priest is a hypocrite, and slan- dereth men of holy church, and hindereth men from doing their devotion to holy church. XXI. The one and twentieth. They hide and maintain their sins and other men's by the protection and help of lords, that their sovereigns may not correct them, nor com- pel them to residence. For when there is a vicious curate, he will have letters of kings and lords to dwell in their courts, in worldly offices, and be absent from his cure, that his sove- reign dare not correct him. Thus lords are made shields of sin, for a little money, or worldly service of wicked curates. XXII. The two and twentieth is, that many of them, under colour of learning the gospel, learn statutes made by sinful men and worldly priests. When they have great benefices, peradventure by simony, and cannot teach their • Chaucer well describes such a pardoner : His wallet before him on his lap, Brimful of pardons come from Kome all hot :— In his mail he had a pillowbeer, Which, as he said, was our lady's veil j He said he had a gobbet of the sail That St. Peter had, when that he went Upon the sea, till Jesu Christ him hent.f Ct caught.) He had a cross of latten full of stones, And in a glass he had pigs' bones. But with these relics, when he found A poor parson dwelling in upland, _ Upon a day he got him more money, " Than that parson got in months tway, And thus, with feigned flattering and japes,! (X Tricks. j He made the parson and people his apes. But truly to tell at the last, He was in church a noble ecclesiast. Well could he read a lesson or a story But always best he sung an offertory. Full well he wist when that song was sung He must preach, and well afile his tongue, To win silver, as he well could. Therefore he sung so merrily and loud. The privilege of selling pardons in a district or country was usually granted to some monastic body, or for raising some ecclesiastical structure, or not unfrequently it was given to some relation or favour- ite of the pope ; and the persons receiving these grants, disposed of them to travelling agents who retailed the pardons among the people. 13a mcklif. subjects to save their souls, and dare not hold their lemans at home for the clamour of men, they go to the schools and fare well of meat, and drink, and rest, and study with cups and strumpets. Where good priests labour to learn God's law, they go, after a manner, to civil or canon law, but do little good thereat. XXIII. The three and twentieth. The wisest among them mispend their skill and understanding in maintaining of sins ; as pride, and covetousness of clerks, and oppressing their poor parishioners by wrong customs, for dread of plea* and censure, and maintaining false causes and consistories, for gold ; and take pensions of licentious men and women to help thein to bathe in their sin as swine in the mire. Thereby, he that can crack a little latin, repeat stories of heathen men's law, and worldly priests' law, and can help to annoy a poor man by contrivances and their chapters, is held to be a noble clerk, and ready and wise, though he know not well how to read a verse in his psalter, nor under- stand a common authority of holy writ.f Such men despise God's law as though it were no law, and commend their own law and themselves, more than holy writ and Christ and his apostles. This maketh sin and falseness reign, and faith, truth, and charity are defouled and quenched. XXIV. The four and twentieth is, that they put the holy law of God under the feet of antichrist and his clerks, and the truth of the gospel is condemned for error and igno- rance by worldly clerks, who presume by their pride to be doomsmen of subtle and high mysteries, proving articles of holy writ, and blindly condemn truths of Christ's gospel, for they are against their worldly life and fleshly lusts, and condemn for heretics true men v/ho teach holy writ, truly and freely, against their sins. XXV. The five and twentieth error is, they choose laws made of sinful men, and worldly and covetous priests, to rule the people by them, as most needful and best laws ; and forsake the most perfect law of the gospel and epistles, of Christ and his apostles, as not perfect, nor full enough, nor true. For now heathen men's laws and worldly clerks' statutes are read in universities, and curates learn them • Law proceedings. -j' Nicholas de Clemangis snoaks of many clergy of that day, as un- able to read. He says, " What signifies it to speak of letters and learning, when we see almost all priests without any knowledge, either of things or words, nay scarce able to read even by spelling." How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 133 fast with great desire, study, and cost, but the law of God is Httle studied or cared about ; and less kept and taught. And in this antichrist's clerks say that Christ gave not a sufficient law, or the best, for the ruling of his people, and that worldly clerks and antichrist are truer, and in more charity than Jesus Christ, since their laws are better and more needful for christian men, than the laws which Christ made ! But all christian men should cry out upon this blasphemous heresy, and fully take the gospel to be their rule, and not set by these new laws but as they are expressly grounded in holy writ, or good reason, true conscience, and charity. For, as St. Paul teaches,Whoever teaches other laws is accursed of God, yea, though he were an angel of heaven. XXVI. The six and twentieth. They magnify them selves above Christ, God and man ; for they command their subjects that they judge not clerks, nor their open works, nor their teaching, but do according to their teach- ing, be it true or false. But our Lord Jesus Christ com- manded his enemies to judge of him a rightful doom. Also he bade his enemies to believe his works though they would not believe him, and bade men not believe Iiim if he did not the works of his Father. Also Christ bade his enemies bear witness of evil, if he had spoken evil. XXVII. The seven and twentieth. They are anti- christs, hindering christian men from knowing their belief of holy writ ; for they cry openly that secular men should not intermeddle with the gospel to read it in modern tongue, but listen to their spiritual father's preaching, and do afler him in all things. But this is expressly against God*s teaching. For God commandeth generally, to each lay- man, that he have God's commands before him, and teach them to his children. And the wise m.an biddeth every christian man, that all his telling be in the precepts of God Almighty, and that he have his commandments ever in mind. And St. Peter biddeth christians to be ready to give reason of their faith, and to teach each man that asketh it. And God commandeth his priests to preach the gospel to each man ; and the wisdom is, that all men should know it, and rule their lives thereafter. Why should worldly priests forbid secular men to speak of the gospel and God's com- mands ? since God giveth them naturally great understand- ing and great desire to know God, and to love him. For the more goodness they know of God, the more they shall i3\ mckiif. love God, while worldly priests, for their own ig^norance, sloth, idleness, and pride, stop christian men from knowing God, and shut up from him the j^ifts that God g-iveth him. None, from the makinjj^ of the world heard hii^her craft of antichrist to destroy christian man's belief and charity, than is this blasphemous heresy that laymen should not inter- meddle with the gospel. XXVIII. The eight and twentieth. They deceive men in doing of penance. For they do not tell the truth how they needs must forsake all falseness or craft in oaths, and all sin, to their knowledge and power. And not wittingly or willingly to do against God's commands, either for lucre, dread, or bodily death ; else it is not real contrition, and God will not absolve them for any confession of mouth, or absolu- tion of priests, bulls of pardons, or letters of fraternities,* or masses, or prayers of any intercessor in earth or in hea- ven. They speak much of tythes and offerings in their confession ; but little of restitution, and doing of alms to poor men, but of mass-pence and church gains ; and thereby the people are brought out of belief, trusting that their sin is foregone for their priests' absolution, though they do not true penance as God himself teacheth. And hereby they magnify their own absolution more than God's forgiveness, for true contrition. When God himself declares that in the hour a sinner hath sorrow for his sin he shall be safe, they would make this word false, saying that he shall not be safe, be he ever so contrite, without absolution money is paid to them. XXIX. The nine and twentieth. They rob christian people of the goods of fortune, the goods of nature, and the goods of grace,t by feigned censures of their own laws. For they curse so despitefully if men pay not money at their liking, which they claim by sinful men's laws, new customs, * It was common for wealthy persons to pay considerable sums to some monastic order that they might be admitted into the fraternity, be- lieving that they shouUl thereby obtain salvation. Margaret, countess of Richmond, was admitted to tlie fraternity of five religious houses, namely, Westminster, Croyland, Durliam,Wimbourn, and the Charter- house at London. Chaucer's Jack Upland asks the friars. Why be ye so hardy to grant by letters of fraternity to men and women, that they shall have part and merit of all your good deeds, and ye know not whether God be satisfied witli your deeds for your sins ? Also ye know not whether that man or woman be in a state to be saved or damned, then shall he have no merit in heaven for his own deeds, nor for any other man's. f They deprive christian people of their property, natural abilities, and the gifts of grace. How the Office of Curates is ordained of God, 135 and devotions, and not by God's law, that no man dare gainsay them in their wrong doing for fear of their curse, imprisonment, and loss of patience and charity.* And hereby they make christian men to hold forth their wrong customs, and man's law, and not to know God's law, and the right way to heaven. Certainly, it were less cruelty to keep men from bodily meat and drink, and make them to die bodily, than to keep them from hearing the gospel and God's commands, which are life to the soul. What accursed antichrists are these worldly prelates and curates, who curse men for preaching and hearing of holy scriptures ! XXX. The thirtieth. They take not dymesf and offer- ings by form of the old testament, and apportion their income to all priests and ministers needful in the church. Nor according to the form of the gospel, do they take a simple livelihood, given by free devotion of the people, without constraint or curses, as Christ and his apostles did. But by the new law of sinful men, a priest claims to himself all the tythes of a great country, by worldly law, and new censures. And he neither liveth as a good priest, nor teacheth as a curate, nor giveth the residue to poor men as a good christian man ; but he wasteth it in pomp and glut- tony and other sins, and hindereth true priests from doing the office enjoined to them by God Almighty. Surely it seemeth that these are not priests after God's law, but after the ordinances of sinful men, to be masters of God, and lords of christian people, since they never hold the law of God. And as to dymes taking, they take them by violence, and strong curses against men's good will, and make the people out of patience and charity by their pleading, and do not well their spiritual office. XXXI. The one and thirtieth. That like serpents 'they serve busily to lords in secular offices for naught ; but in the end poison their lords by the venom of simony, which is worse than any bodily poison. And when they have a benefice with cure of souls, they still dwell in worldly offices of lords, and spend poor men's livelihood in riot and gluttony, * Chaucer's plowman says, Christ's people they proudly curse, With broad book, and braying bell. To put pennies in their purse, They will sell both heaven and hell — If thou the truth of them will tell, la great cursing shalt thou fall. t Tythes. 13$ JVickliff. and suffer christian men to perish in body and soul, for want of teaching and works of mercy. XXXII. The two and thirtieth. They make lords and commons, by blind devotion and hypocrisy, to maintain worldly clerks, in pride, covetousness, and idleness, and false teaching' of antichrist's errors ; under colour of freedom, and worshipping^ of holy church and God's laws. For they care much that lords and commons shall maintain God's servants in (what they say is) his service, and the laws and liberties of holy church ; and make new service pleasing to worldly men's ears, and new laws and customs for their own gain, and pride, and leave the holy law which God made for priests. Thus when lords and commons think they maintain God's priests and his law, they maintain antichrist's priests by their laws and wrong customs, and pride and other sins, instead of meek- ness and other virtues, and to the magnifying of men's laws and the despising of God's laws. XXXIII. The three and thirtieth. They teach chris- tian men to blaspheme God, and boldly to war against him. For they teach christian men to maintain men's laws and ordinances, as better and more needful than the holy law of Christ and his ordinances. And they declare that if christian men maintain the multitude of worldly clerks in their new laws, and customs, and liberties, they shall have God's blessing and prosperity, peace, and rest, by so many devout priests, secular and religious, praying, reading, and singing, night and day. And if they wiir bring priests out of this glorious life and new song, by meekness and spiritual poverty, with busy travail in learning and preaching of the gospel, as Christ and his apostles did, they shall be cursed, and have war and mischief, both in this world and the other. This makes the blind people to war against God and his ordinances, and to pursue his teachers as heretics. Ye curates, see these heresies and blasphemies, and many more, which follow from your wicked life and wayward teachings. Forsake them for dread of hell, and turn to good life and true teaching of the gospel and ordinances of God, as Christ and his apostles did, for reward of heavenly bliss. And in confessions, and in other speeches, reprove more the breaking of God's commands, than the breaking of commands of new pilgrimages and offerings ; and teach christian men to turn such vows already made, into better alms, as Christ teaches in the gospel. How the Office of Curates is ordained of God. 137 O almighty God, bring curates into holy life, and true teaching after Christ and his apostles. Amen. There were however clergy, even in that day, more faith- ful to the duties of their office, than those of whom Wick- lifF speaks in the preceding tract. Such a one is beautifully described by Chaucer. Some writers have supposed that he had WickhfF in his mind when deUneating this minister of Christ. A good man there was of religion. He was a poor parson of a town, But rich he was of holy thought and work. He was a learned man, also a clerk. That Christ's gospel truly would preach. His parishioners devoutly would he teach. Benign he was, and wondrous diligent. And in adversity full patient. And such a one he was proved oft sithes. Full loth were he to curse for his tithes. But rather would he 2;ive, out of doubt. Unto his poor parishioners all about, Both of his offering and his substance, He could in little have a suffisance. Wide was his parish, and houses far asunder, But he ne'er left, neither for rain nor thunder, In sickness, nor in mischief, for to visit The furthest in his parish, great or light, Upon his feet, and in his hand a staff". This noble example to his sheep he gave, That first he wrought, and afterward taught Out of the gospel he the words caught. And this figure he added thereunto, That if gold rust, what shall iron do ? For if a priest be foul, on whom we trust, No wonder 'tis that a layman should rust. And shame it is, if a priest take keep, To see a foul shepherd, and a clean sheep. "Well ought a priest, example for to give By his cleanness, how his sheep should live. He set not his benefice to hire, Nor left his sheep encumbered in the mire. And ran to London, to St. Paul's, To seek himself a chantry for souls.* * Thus Langland, in Piers Plowman's vision, describes a priest. ' Plained he to the bishop, That his parishes were poor, since the pestilence time ; To have a licence, and leave at London to dwell, To sing there for simony, for silver is sweet. 13a mckiiff. Nor with a brotherhood to be wilhold, But dwelt at home, and kept well his fold, So that the wolf made them not miscarry ; He was a shepherd, and not a mercenary. And thouo;h he holy were and virtuous, He was not to sinful men despiteous, Nor of his speech dangerous nor diijn. But in his teaching discreet and benign. To draw folk to heaven with fairness, By good example, this was his business. But if he knew any person obstinate. Whether he were of high or low estate. Him would he reprove sharply for the nonce. A better priest I trow, no where there is, He waited after no pomp nor reverence, He made himself no spiced conscience, But Christ's lore, and his apostles twelve He taught, but first he followed it himself. Chaucer's picture of the Plowman or farmer, the brother of this faithful minister, is also a pleasing relief to the many painful delineations in the preceding pages. A true and good labourer was he, Living in peace and perfect charity. God loved he best with all his heart, At all times,though him gamed or smart ; And then his neighbours right as himself. He would thresh, and thereto dike and delve, For Christ's sake, for every poor wight, Without hire, if it lay in his might, His tithes paid he fiill fair and well, Both of his labour and his cattle. These delineations no doubt were from the life. In another place Chaucer describes this parson stigmatized as a Lollard, because he reproved the profaneness of some of the company, while the other ecclesiastics then present encouraged their loose conduct. The tale he puts into the mouth of the plowman is a complaint of the dissolute, cor- rupt, and unscriptural lives of the romish clergy, in stronger terms than any in Wickliff's writings. Of Feigned Contemplative Life. 139 OP FEIGNED CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE. (From the MS. in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.) When true men teach by God's law, understanding, and reason, that each priest ought to do his might, his under- standing, and his will, to preach Christ's gospel, the fiend blindeth hypocrites to excuse themselves by feigned con- templative life ; and to say that since it is the best, and they may not do both together, they need for the charity* of God, to leave the preaching of the gospel, and to live in contemplation ! See now the hypocrisy of this false saying. Christ taught and didf the best life for priests, as our faith teaches, since he was God, and might not err. Christ preached the gospel, and charged all his apostles and dis- ciples to go and preach the gospel to all men ; then it is the best life for priests in this world, to preach the gospel. Also God teacheth in the old law, that the office of a prophet is to show to the people their foul sins, and each priest is a prophet, as Gregory saith upon the gospels. Then it is the office of each priest to preach and tell the sins of the people, and in this manner shall each priest be an angelj of God, as holy writ saith. Also Christ and John Baptist left the desert, and preached the gospel till their death, therefore this was the greatest charity, for else they were out of charity, or feigned charity ; which could not be in either of them, since the one was God, and no man, after Christ, was holier than the Baptist, and he sinned not by preaching thus. Also the holy prophet Jeremiah might not be excused from preaching by his con- templation, but was charged of God to preach the sins of the people, and to suffer pain therefore, and so were all the prophets of God. Since Christ and John Baptist, and all the prophets of God, were compelled by charity to come out of the desert to preach to the people, and to leave their solitary prayer, how dare we foolish heretics say that it is better to be still, and to pray our own foolish ordinance, than to preach Christ's • Love. + Showed by his example. % Messenger, \^ mckiiff. gospel ? What accursed spirit of lies stirreth priests to close themselves in stones or walls for all their lives ? Since Christ commanded all his apostles and priests to go into all the world and preach the gospel, certainly they are open fools, and plainly act against Christ's gospel. And if they main- tain this error, they are cursed of him, and are perilous hy- pocrites and heretics. Men are accounted heretics who act against the pope's law, and it saith plainly that each who cometh to the priest- hood, takes the office of a beadle or crier, to go before dooms- day, to proclaim to the people their sins and the vengeance of God. Why then are not the priests heretics who leave to preach Christ's gospel, and compel true men to leave preaching the gospel ? since this law is St. Gregory's law, grounded openly on God's law, and reason, and charity ; and the other law is contrary to holy writ, and reason and charity, for to maintain pride and covetousness of antichrist's worldly clerks. But hypocrites allege from the gospel, that Mary chose to herself the best part when she sat beside Christ's feet, and heard his word. Truth it is that meek sitting, and de- vout hearing of Christ's word was best for Mary ; for she had not the duty of preaching as priests have, since she was a woman that had not authority of God's law to teach and preach openly. But what is this to priests who have the express commandment of God and men to preach the gospel ? whereas they would all be women in idleness, and follow not Jesus Christ in life and preaching of the gospel, which he himself commandeth both in the old law and the new. Also, this peaceable hearing of Christ's word, and the burning love that Mary had, was the best part, for it shall end in living in godly life in this world. But in this life, the best life for priests is holy life, in keeping God's com- mands, and true preaching of the gospel, as Christ did, and charged all his priests to do. And these hypocrites suppose that their dreams and fantasies are contemplation, and that preaching of the gospel is active life, and so they mean that Christ took the worst life for this world, and required all his priests to leave the better, and take the worst life ! Thus these foolish hypocrites put error upon Jesus Christ, but who are greater heretics ? Also these blind hypocrites allege that Christ bids us pray evermore, and that Paul bids that we pray without ceasing, and then, as they falsely feign, we priests may not Of Feigned Contemplative Life. 141 preach. But these hypocrites should know that Christ and Paul understood by this, prayer of holy Hfe, which each man does as long as he dwells in charity ; and not babbling of lips, which no man can ever do without ceasing ; for else no man in this world might fulfil the commandment of Christ. Augustine and other saints teach this ; and men that fulfil not God's law, and are out of charity, are not accepted in their lip preaching ; for their prayer in hps is abominable, as holy writ saith by Solomon. These priests who preach not the gospel, as Christ biddeth, are not able to pray for mercy, but deceive themselves and the people, and despise God, and stir him to wrath and vengeance, as Augustine, Gregor}', and other saints teach. And principally these hypocrites that have rents and worldly lordships, and parish churches appropriated to them by simony and falsities, against holy writ both old and new, and against Christ and his apostles, for pretended holiness, destroying of God's ordinance, and for profession made to fools, and perchance to fiends of hell. These should learn what is active life and contemplative life, according to God's law, and then they might know that they have neither the one nor the other, since they consider more vain statutes of sinful men, and perchance of devils, than the commands of God, works of mercy, and points of charity. And the fiend blinds them so much, that they say in fact that they must never pray to please God, since they disable themselves to do the office of priests by God's law, and propose to end in their feigned devotion, which is blas- phemy to God.* * The following definitions of active and contemplative life, are given by Walter Hilton, a pious monk who lived soon after the death ofWickliiF. " The active life consists in love and charity exercised outwardly, by good corporeal works, in fulfilling of God's commandments, and of the seven works of mercy, bodily and spiritual, towards our christian brethren. This life pertains to all, be they learned or unlearned, laymen or spiritual persons, that are in office or state to govern, or have care of others ; and generally all worldly men are bound to the practice of this kind of life, according to their best knowledge or ability, and as reason and discretion shall require. — Contemplative life consists in perfect love and charity, felt inwardly by spiritual virtues, and in a true and certain sight and knowledge of God, and spiritual matters. This life belongs to those especially, who for the love of God forsake all worldly riches, honours, worships, and outward businesses, and wholly give themselves, soul and body, according to all the knowledge and ability that is in them, to the service of God, by exercises of the soul." This mistaken, though well designed preference of the contempla- tive to the active life, led to the abuses prevalent among the monastic orders, which are so strongly depictured by Wickliff and others. ON PRAYER. HOW PRAYER OF GOOD MEN HELPETH MUCH, AND HOW PRAYER OF SINFUL MEN DISPLEASETH GOD, AND HARMS THEMSELVES AND OTHER MEN. (From the MS. in ike Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.) CHAPTER I. Our Lord Jesus Christ teacheth us~to pray evermore for all needful thin2:s, both for body and soul ; for in the gos- pel of St. Luke Christ saith it is needful to pray evermore, and St. Paul bids christian men pray without ceasing or hinderance. And this is understood of prayer of charity,* and not of men's vows, as Augustine well declares, for else no man could fulfil this command to pray evermore. For as long as a man lives a just life, keeping God's commands and charity, so long he prayeth well, whatever he do ; and whoever liveth best, he prayeth best. Also St. James saith, that the fervent and lasting prayer of a just man is of much worth. And while Moses was in the mount, and held up his hands, and prayed for his people, his people had victory over their enemies ; and when he ceased to pray thus, his people were overcome, as the second book of holy writ teaches. So if priests dwell in the mount of high spiritual life, and espy deceits of the devil, and show them to the people by true preaching, and hold up their hands, that is open good works, and continue in them ; and pray by fervent desire to perform righteousness of God's law and ordinance — then christian people shall have victory over the devil and cursed sin, then shall rest, and peace, and charity, dwell among them. And if priests cease this holy life and •good example, and this desire of righteousness, then chris- tian people shall be much overcome by sin, and have pes- tilence and wars, and wo enough ; and unless God help, more endless wo in hell. * Christian love. On Prayer. 143 King Hezekiah, by holy prayer and weeping and sorrow, got forgiveness of his sin, and fifteen years of his Hfe ; and the sun went back, or returned again ten Hues on the dial, as Isaiah's book witnesses. Also by the prayer of the holy leader Joshua, the sun and moon stood still all day, to give light to pursue God's enemies, who desired to quench God's name, his law, and his people. Therefore Christ saith to his disciples, If ye ask my Father any thing in my name, he shall give it to you ; but we ask in the name of Jesus, when we ask any thing needfiil or profitable for the saving of men's souls, so that we ask this devoutly, of great desire, and wisely or humbly and lastingly,* by firm faith, true hope, and lasting charity, and whatever we ask thus, we shall have of the Father of heaven. Also Christ saith thus in the gospel, evil men have wis- dom. If ye give good things to your children, which good things are given you, how much more shall your Father, of heaven, give a good Spirit to men that ask him. Then, since kindf teaches sinfiil men to give goods to their chil- dren, how much more will God, author of goodness and charity, give spiritual goods, profitable to the soul, to his children whom he loves so much ! Therefore ask of God heavenly things, as grace, will, wisdom, and power to serve God, to please him ; and not for worldly goods, except as much as is needfiil to sustain thy life in truth and service of thy God. Therefore, Christ teaches us that whatever we pray and ask for, we should believe and trust without any doubt, to have it, and it shall be given us ; and if two or three of you consent together of any thing on earth that they should ask, it shall be given to them. Therefore, Christ taught and commanded us to pray the Lord's prayer, which is the best and plainest, and most sure prayer of all ; for it contains all things needful and profitable for body and soul, and no error or singularity against God's will. And Jesus Christ made it, and commanded it in short words, that men should not be weary or heav^ to say it, nor cumbered to learn it. And hereof a holy man blames men that leave the Lord's prayer which is taught and commanded of God, and choose singular prayers made of sinfiil men. And hereby it is plain that holy men, dwelling in love to God, and all men living on earth, both friends and enemies, christians and • Perseveringly. t Nature, natural affection. H^ Wicklif. heathens, profit much by devout prayers, but most by holy hfe and fervent desire of riahteousness. CHAPTER II. See now how wicked men's prayers displease God, and harm themselves and the people. God himself saith in this manner to evil men that pray to him in need ; I have called, and ye have forsaken and have despised all my blamings, and I shall despise in your perishing, and shall scorn you. When that which ye have dreaded shall come to you, then ye shall call and I shall not hear, they shall raise heresies and they shall not find me, for they hated discipline, that is learning, and chastising. They retained not the fear of the Lord, and they assented not to my counsel, and they depraved and misdeemed* all my correction — that is reproving, warning, and chastising of sin. And by the prophet Isaiah, God saith thus to wicked men ; Ye princes of Sodom, hear the Lord's word ; people of Gomorrah, perceive with ears the law of our Lord God. Your incense is abomination to me. I shall not suffer your new moon, which is aprin. cipal feast and sabbath, and other feasts. Your companies are evil, my soul hath hated your feasts of months, and solemnities. They are made to me hea\7 and troublous, and when ye shall hold forth your hands I will turn mine eyes away from you. And when ye shall make many prayers I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood ; that is of wrong, slaving of men, and foul sins. Also, God saith that the prayer of that man who turneth away his ear that he hear not the law, is abominable and cursed. Also God saith by the prophet Malachi, and now to you priests, in this commandment. If ye will not hear, if ye will not put on your heart to give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send unto you neediness, and shall curse your blessings, and I shall curse them, for ye have not set this commandment on your heart. Lo, I shall cast toward you the arm, and spread abroad upon your face the filth of your solemnities. By the same prophet, God also saith to priests and ministers of the temple. Who is among you that will sit and incense mine altar willingly and without reward ? The Lord of hosts saith, There is ^ * Misrepresented aud misconceived. On Prayer, 145 no will to me among you, and I shall receive no gifts of sacrifice of your hand. And God saith to priests by the same prophet, Ye have covered the altar of the Lord with tears, and weeping, and mourning of widows and poor men whom ye oppress and deceive ; so that I shall no more be holden to the sacrifice, and I shall not receive any pleasant thing of your hand. Therefore David saith, If I have beholden wickedness in my heart, the Lord shall not hear by grace ; that is, if I wilfully and gladly do wickedness. God saith to the sinful man, Why tellest thou my righteous- ness, and takest my testament in thy mouth ? And the Holy Ghost saith of Judas Iscariot, His prayer was made into sin ; and our Lord Jesus saith. This people worship me with lips, but their heart is far from me, but they teach learning and commandments of men, worshipping me with- out cause — that is such men as teach and charge men's laws and traditions and commandments, more than holy writ and God's commandments ; vainly and falsely wor- ship God. Also Jesus saith to wicked men, Why say ye to me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I com- manded ; for Jesus saith. Wo to you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, that devour widows' houses, praying long prayers, therefore ye shall receive greater judgment. And in the gospel of St. John is written thus, Ye know that God heareth not sinful men, but if any man worship God, and doeth his will, God heareth him. And when a priest, void of good hfe and charity, sayeth his service, and maketh the sacrament, he eateth and drinketh his own condemna- tion ; not considering wisely the body of our Lord, as St. Paul teaches, and holy writ. Therefore Chrysostom, on the gospel of St. Matthew, saith, " As a thing may be without odour or savour, but there may not be odour without some thing, so a good deed without prayer is somewhat, but prayer without good deed is nought." St. Augustine, on the Psalter, saith, " If you pass measure in meat and drink, and live in gluttony and drunkenness, whatever the tongue speak, the life blasphemeth God." Therefore St. Paul saith, Many men acknowledge that they know God, but by their deeds they deny God. St. Gregory writes thus in many books, A man that is in grievous sins, while he is overcharged with his own, he doth not put away other men's sins ; for it is known to all men, that when he that despiseth is sent forth to pray, the heart of him that is worthy is stirred to more displeasure. WICKLIFF. H 11€ ' IVicMif. Truly it is written, The sacrifices of wicked men are abomina- ble to the Lord, the vows of sacrifices of just men are plea- sant. For in the doom of God Almighty it is not sought, what is given, but of whom. Therefore it is written in holy writ, The Lord looked to Abel and his gifts. When Moses would say that the Lord took reward to gifts, he carefully set before, that God beheld Abel ; whence it is shown plainly that the offerer pleased not of gifts, but gifts pleased pf the offerer or giver. The mighty God approveth not the gifts of wicked men, nor looketh on their offerings, nor shall have mercy on sin- ners for the multitude of their sacrifices ; also the Lord is far from wicked men, and he shall graciously hear the prayers of just men. All this saith St. Gregory. CHAPTER IIL [WiCKLiFF here shows " how strict is man's law against sinful man's prayer," and refers at considerable length to the various laws and ordinances made against unchaste, and even against married priests, commanding the people not to listen to their prayers or saying of divine service. He then proceeds] — Much more should these penalties be for greater sins, for the more grievous sin deserves more punishment. For pride makes men forsake God, the King of meekness, and take Lucifer for their false king, as God saith in holy writ. And envy and wrath make men forsake the God of charity, mercy, and patience, and become children of Belial, as God's law, reason, and saints, teach. Covetousness and usury make men forsake God of truth and righteousness, and worship false gods, as St. Paul saith. Gluttony and drunk- enness make men to worship false gods, and forsake Al- mighty God in Trinity, who is God of measure* and reason ; for Paul saith that gluttony makes the belly its god. And evil example to christian men is worse than bodily sin, as God's law witnesses, and as is said by Grost- head, as God's word and man's soul are better than man's body. Manslaying is not only by deed of hand but also by con- sent and counsel and authority, and since priests thus * Moderation. On Prayer. 147 consent to false wars* and many thousand deaths, they are cursed mankillers and irregular, both by God's law and man's. [Wickliff then condemns simony, and says, in strong terms] — Whoever cometh to this order or benefice (of the christian ministry) must by meekness seek God's worship, and help of christian souls, and for devotion to live in holiness and give good example. But he that comes to this order to live in pride and lusts of the flesh, as idleness, gluttony, drunk- enness, and lechery, comes not in by Christ but by the fiend, and is a traitor to God, and a heretic, till he amend this intent, and do well this spiritual office, as Christ taught. And full few are holy to pray for the people, for the greatness of their own sins enter here, and evil countenance and maintenance, and excusing of their sin, and other men's sin, for money and worldly praise, against God in his righteous judgment, and for hard enduring in their sins. CHAPTER IV. But against these laws, both God's and man's, and reason and saints, the fiend teaches his disciples a new gloss ; t to say that though men are not worthy to be heard in praying, for their own good life, yet their prayer is heard for the merit of holy church, for they are procurators^ of the church. Certainly this is a foul and subtle deceit of antichrist's clerks, to colour their sin. [Wickliff then notices again the subject of the last chap- ter, and " the sophistries of antichrist," which make the efficacy of the sacrament to depend upon the intention and the holiness of the priest ; he then notices the Latin and choral services of the Romish church at that period.] Wonder it is why men praise so much this new praying by great crying and high song, and leave the still manner of praying as Christ and his apostles did. It seems that we seek our own liking and pride in this song, more than the devotion and understanding of that which we sing. This is great sin, for Augustine saith in his confessions, " As oft as the song delights me more than that which is sung, so ofl I acknowledge that I trespass grievously." Therefore * Tlie wars excited by the popes. t Interpretation. % Proctors, agents. H 2 ih Wicklif. saith Paul, I had rather five words in understanding than ten thousand in tongue. Paul's will is for devotion and true understanding. In tongue, is what a man understands not, and has no devotion. The Lord's prayer, once said with devotion and good understanding, is better than many thousand without devotion and understanding.* And this new praying occupies men so much that they have no space to study holy writ, and teach it. But Augustine asks who may and shall excuse himself from preaching and seeking the saving of souls for love of contemplation ;t since Jesus Christ came from heaven into this wretched world, to seek souls, and save them by open example of holy life and true preaching. And Gregory saith in his pastorals, They that have plenty of virtues and knowledge of God's law, and go into a desert for sake of contemplation, are guilty of as many souls as they might profit by instructing men living in this world. Where shall this new song excuse us fi-om learning and preaching the gospel that Christ taught and commanded ? Therefore ye that are priests live well, pray devoutly, and teach the gospel truly and fi-eely, as Christ and his apostles did. Amen. In his tract On the Song of the Ordinal of Salisbury, Wickliff much reproves the light singing then newly intro- duced in public worship, which he says, *' hinders much the ]ireaching of the gospel ;" and adds, " If all the study and labour that men have now, about Salisbury use, with multitudes of new costly portesses, and all other such books, were turned into making of bibles, and in studying and teaching thereof, how much should God's law be furthered, and known, and kept ! And now it is so much hindered, unstudied, and unkept. How should rich men be excused that spend so much in great chapelries, and costly books of men's ordinance, for fame of the world, and will not spend so much about books of God's law, and to study them, and teach them, since this were without comparison better, easier, and safer?" • The people were taught to repeat tlie Lord's prayer in Latin many times over, without understanding the meaning of the words tliey Utt'Tcd. t Because he prefers a monastic life. A SHORT RULE OF LIFE. FOR EACH MAN IN GENERAL, AND FOR PRIESTS, AND LORDS, AND LABOURERS, IN PARTICULAR, HOW EACH SHALL BE SAVED IN HIS DEGREE. {From the MS. in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.) ' First, When thou risest, or fully wakest, think upon the goodness of thy God ; how for his own goodness, and not for any need, he made all things out of nothing, both angeld and men, and all other creatures, good in their kind. The second time, think on the great sufferings, and willing death that Christ suffered for mankind. When no man might make satisfaction for the guilt of Adam and Eve, and others more, neither any angel might make satis- faction therefore, then Christ, of his endless charity, suffered such great passion and painful death, that no creature could suffer so much. Think the third time, how God hath saved thee from death and other mischief, and suffered many thousands to be lost that night, some in water, some in fire, and some by sudden death ; and some to be damned without end. And for this goodness and mercy thank thy God with all thine heart. And pray him to give thee grace to spend in that day, and evermore, all the powers of thy soul, as mind, understanding, reason, and will ; and all the powers of thy body, as strength, beauty, and thy five senses, in his service and worship, and in nothing against his commandments ; but in ready performance of his works of mercy, and to give good example of holy life, both in word and deed, to all men about thee. Look afterward that thou be well occupied, and no time idle, for the danger of temptation. Take meat and drink in measure,* not too costly nor too lickerous, and be not too curious thereabout. But such as God sendeth thee * Moderation. mo Wickliff. with health, take it in such measure that thou be fresher in mind and understanding to serve God. And always thank him for such gifts. Besides this, look thou do right and equity to all men, thy superiors, equals, and subjects or servants ; and stir all to love truth, and mercy, and true peace, and charity ; and suffer no men to be at dissen- sion, but accord them if thou canst in any good manner. Also, most of all fear God and his wrath ; and most of all love God and his law, and his worship ; and ask not principally for worldly reward, but in all thine heart desire the bliss of heaven in mercy of God, and thine own good life ; and think much of the dreadful doom of pains of hell, to keep thee out of sin ; and on the endless great joys of heaven, to keep thee in virtuous life ; and according to thy skill teach others the same doing. In the end of the day think wherein thou hast offended God, and how much and how oft, and therefore have entire sorrow, and amend it while thou may est. And think how many God hath suffered to perish that day, many ways, and to be damned everlastingly, and how graciously he hath saved thee ; not for thy desert, but for his own mercy and goodness, and therefore thank him with all thine heart. And pray him for grace that thou mayest dwell and end in his true and holy service and real love, and to teach other men the same doing. If thou art a priest, and especially a curate,* live thou holily, surpassing other men in holy prayer, desire, and thinking, in holy speaking, counselling, and true teaching. And that God's commands, his gospel, and virtues, be ever in thy mouth ; and ever despise sin to draw men therefrom ; and that thy deeds be so rightful that no man shall blame them with reason, but that thy open deeds be a true book to all subjects and unlearned men, to serve God and do his commands thereby. For example of good life, open and lasting, more stirreth rude men than true preaching by word only. And waste not thy goods in great feasts of rich men, but live a humble life, of poor men's alms and goods, both in meat, and drink, and clothes ; and the re- mainder give truly to poor men that have not of their own, and may not labour for feebleness or sickness, and thus thou shalt be a true priest both to God and man. If thou art a lord,! look that thou live a rightful life in * One having the charge of souls. t Or master, one having authority over others. A Short Rule of Life. 151 thine own person, both in respect to God and man, keeping the commands of God, doing the works of mercy, ruHng well thy five senses, and doing reason, and equity, and good conscience to all men. In the second place, govern well thy wife, thy children, and thy household attendants, in God's law, and suffer no sin among them, neither in word nor in deed, that they may be examples of holiness and righteousness to all others ; for thou shalt be condemned for their evil life and their evil example, unless thou amend it according to thy might. In the third place, govern well thy tenants, and maintain them in right and reason, and be merciful to them in their rents and worldly mercements,* and suffer not thine officers to do them wrong nor be ex- tortionate to them. And chastise in good manner them that are rebels against God's commands and virtuous life, more than for rebellion against thine own cause ; or else for that thou lovest more thine own cause than God's, and thy- self more than God Almighty, thou wert then a false traitor to God. And love, reward, praise, and cherish the true and virtuous of life more than if thou sought only thine own profit. And reverence and maintain truly, according to thy skill and might, God's law and true preachers thereof, and God's servants, in rest and peace. For thereby thou boldest the lordship ofGod,t and if thou failest of this thou misdoest against God, and all thy lordship, in body and in soul. And principally if thou maintainest antichrist's disciples in their errors against Christ's life and his teach- ing, for blindness, covetousness, and worldly friendship ; and helpest to slander and pursue true men that teach Christ's gospel and his life, and warn the people of their great sins, and of false prophets and hypocrites that deceive christian men in faith, virtuous life, and worldly goods. If thou art A labourer, live in meekness, and truly and willingly do thy labour, that thy lord or thy master if he be a heathen man, by thy meekness, willing and true service, may not have to grudge against thee, nor slander thy God, nor thy christian profession ; but rather be stirred to come to Christianity. And serve not christian lords with grudgings ; not only in their presence, but truly and willingly, and in absence. Not only for worldly dread, or worldly reward, but for dread of God and conscience, and for reward in heaven. For God that putteth thee in such service knoweth what state is best for thee, and will reward * Payments. ^ t Thou dost reverence the power of God. 152 WicUiff. thee more than all earthly lords may, if thou dost it truly and willingly for his ordinance. And in all things beware of grudging- against God and his visitation, in great labour, and long or great sickness, and other adversities. And beware of wraih, of cursing, of si)eaking evil, of banning* man or beast ; and ever keep patience, meekness, and charity, both to God and man. And thus each man in the three states ought to live, to save himself, and to help others ; and thus should good life, rest, peace, and love, be among christian men, and they be saved, and heathen men soon converted, and God mag- nified greatly in all nations and sects that now despise him and his law, for the false living of wicked christian men. The writings of Wickliff and his disciples fully show they had no desire to interrupt the mutual dependence, due sub- ordination of ranks, and attention of every one to his vo- cation, taught in scripture. The following extract is from a sermon preached by R. Wimbledon, a. d. 13SS, which has by some been ascribed to Wickliff. After showing that " every estate should love other," he proceeds thus : " And men of one craft should neither hate nor despise men of amy other crafl. For one is so needful to another, that oftentimes those crails that seem least desirable might worst be for- borne. And thus I dare say, that he who is not labouring in this world, either in praying or preaching, as behoves priests, for the health of the people ; or in defending the causes of the needy against tyrants and enemies, which is the office of knights ; or in labouring on the earth, which pertains to the commons ; when the day of reckoning shall come, that is at the end of this life, right as he lived here without labour or travail, so shall he want there the reward of his penny, Matt. xx. 2. that is the endless joys of heaven. AV lierefbre let every man see to what state God hath called him, and live therein by labour, according to his degree. They tliat are labouring men, or craftsmen, let them do it truly. U thou art a servant, or a bondman, be subject, and live, in dread to displease thy master or lord, for Christ's .sake. If thou art a merchant, deceive not thy brother in chaffering. If thou art a knight or a lord, defend the poor and needy man from such as would harm him." • To exclaim against, or curse. WICKLIFF'S WICKET WHICH HE MADE IN KING RICHARD THE SECOND'S DAYS * Ihon the VI. Chapiter. I am the lyuynge breade whych came downe from heauen : who so etethe of this brede shall lyue for euer. And the brede that I wyll gyue is my flesche, whyche I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the worlde. * The Wicket is here reprinted from the edition of Norenberch, (Nuremberg) 1546, compared witli the edition of Oxford, 1612. Som*; of the readings of the latter are adopted to render the meaning more clear. The frequent notices of this tract in the articles exhibited against the Lollards, and in the proclamations against heretical books, show that its circulation must have been extensive, and its influence considerable. h3 WICKLIFF'S WICKET. A VERY BRIEF DEFINITION OF THESE WORDS, HOC EST CORPUS MEUM. (this is my Boin.) / beseech ye brethren in the Lord Christ Jesus, and for the love of his Spirit, to pray with me, that we may be vessels to his laud and praise what time soever it pleaseth him to call upon us, llom. xv. Forasmuch as our Saviour Jesus Christ, when he walked here on earth with the prophets which were before him, and the apostles which were present with him, whom also he left after him, whose hearts were mollified with the Holy Ghost, warned us, and gave us knowledge that there were two manner of ways — the one to life, the other to death, as Christ saith in the gospels, How strait and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and there be but few that find it. But how large and broad is the way that leadeth to damna- tion, and there are many that go in thereat, Matt. vii. Luke xiii. Therefore pray we heartily to God, that he, of his mere mercy, will so strengthen us with the grace and stedfastness of his Holy Spirit, to make us strong in spiri- tual living, after the evangelical gospel — so that the world — no not the very infidels, papists, and apostates — can gather occasion to speak evil of us, but that we may enter into that strait gate,* as Christ our Saviour and all that follow him have done. That is, not in idle living, but in diligent la- bouring, yea, in great sufferance of persecution even to the death, and that we find the way of everlasting life, as he hath promised, where he saith, He that seeketh findeth, and he that asketh receiveth, and to him that knocketh it shall be * Or wicket, hence the title of this tract. Wicket. 155 opened, Matt, vii. Also Christ saith, If thy son ask thee for bread, wilt thou give him a stone ? or if he ask thee fish, wilt thou give him a serpent ? If ye which are evil can give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give a good spirit to them that ask it of him, Luke xi. Saint James saith, If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men if they ask it in faith, and upbraideth none ; for he that doubteth is like to the waves of the sea, that are borne about with every blast of wind. Think not that such shall receive anything of the Lord. For a man double in soul is unsta- ble in all his ways, as it is written. Wherefore let us pray to God that he keep us in the hour of temptation, which is coming upon all the world. Rev. iii. For as our Saviour Christ saith, When ye see that abomi- nation of desolation which is spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, as Christ saith, He that readeth let him understand^ Matt. xxiv. But because that every man cannot have the book of Daniel to know what his prophecy is, here are his words. Toward the last days the king of the north shall come, and the arms of him shall stand, and shall defile the sanctuary, and he shall take away the continual sacrifice, and he shall give abomi- nation unto desolation, and wicked men shall find a testa- ment guilefully, but they that know their God shall hold and do; and learned men in the people shall teach full many men, and they shall fall on the sword, and into flame, and into captivity many days, and when they fall down they shall be raised by a little help, and full many shall be joined to them deceitfully, and some learned men shall fall to them so that they build together, and the chosen shall be together, and shall be made white till a time determined. For yet another time shall be, and the king shall do by his will, and then he shall be raised, and magnified against each god. And against the God of gods shall he speak great things, and he shall be raised till the wrathfulness before determined is perfectly made, and he shall not inherit the God of his fathers, and he shall be in the company of women, and he shall not regard any thing of God's, for he shall raise against all things. Forsooth he shall honour the god of Mason* in his place, and he shall worship a god whom his fathers knew not, with gold, silver, precious • The god of forces, Mauzini. This quotation is from Daniel si. 31—39. 156 Wickliff. stones, and with precious thing-s. But he shall do to make stroni^ the god of ^Mason with the alien, or strange god, which he knew, and he shall multiply his glory, and he shall give to them power in many things, and he shall depart the land at his vill- Hitherto are the words of Daniel. Who may see a greater abomination than to see the people led away from God, and taught to worship for God, that which is not God nor Saviour of the world ? For though it be their god, as it is written by a prophet, say- ing,* The Lord's going shall make low the gods of the eartii, for their gods that they believe in may not make them safe ; and as it is written by St. Paul, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things I see you as vain wor- shippers of idols ; for I p^issed by and saw your mawmetes,t and found an altar in the which was written, To the un- known God. Therefore the thing which you know not ye worship as God. This thing show I unto you : God which made the world and all things that are in it. This forsooth, he is Lord of heaven and of earth, and he dwell- eth not in the temple made with hands, neither hath he need of any thing, for he giveth life to all men, and breath everywhere, and he made of one all kinds of men, to in- habit on all the face of the earth. Determining times ordained and terms of the dwelling of them to seek out God, if peradventure they might find him, although he be not far from each of you. And again he saith. Ye shall not think that the living God is like to gold, silver, either any tiling graven or painted by craft, either taught of man ; for God despiseth the time of the unknown things. And he showeth every where that all men should do penauce,t and hereof the clerks of the law have great need, which have been ever against God the Lord, both in the old law and in the new, to slay the prophets that speak to them the word of God. Ye see that they spared not the Son of God, when the temporal judge would ^have deli- vered iiim, IMatt. xxvii. and so forth of the apostles and martyrs that have spoken truly the word of God to them. And they say it is heresy to speak of the holy scripture in . English, and so they would condemn the Holy Ghost who gave it in tongues to the apostles of Christ, to speak the word of God in all languages that were ordained of God under heaven, as it is written, Acts xi. And the Holy Ghost descended upon the heathen, as he did upon the apostles in * Zeph. ii. 11. t Images. % Kepent. Wicket. 157 Jerusalem, as it is written, Joel ii. and Christ was so mer- ciful as to send the Holy Ghost to the heathen men. Acts viii. X. and he made them partakers of his blessed word ; why then should it be taken away from us in this land that are christian men ? Consider you whether it is not all one to deny Christ's words for heresy, and Christ for an heretic ; for if my word be a lie, then am I a liar that speak the word. Therefore, if my v> ords be heresy, then am I an heretic that speak the word ; therefore it is all one to condemn the word of God] in any language for heresy, and God for an heretic, who spake the word. For he and his word are all one, and they may not be separated ; and if the word of him be the life of the world, as it is written, Not only by bread liveth man, but in every word that cometh out of the mouth of God, Matt. iv. and every word of God is the life of the soul of man, as saith St. John, thou hast anointing of the Holy Ghost, and thou hast no need of any man to teach you in all things which is his blessed word, in which is ail wisdom and knowledge, and yet ye are always to learn as well as we. How may any antichrist, for dread of God, take it away from us that are christian men, and thus suffer the people to die for hunger in heresy and blasphemy of man's law, that corrupteth and slayeth the soul, as pestilence slayeth the body, as David beareth witness, where he speaketh of the chair of pestilence. And most of all they make us believe a false law that they have made upon the sacred host,* for the most false belief is taught in it. For where find ye that ever Christ, or any of his disciples or apostles, taught any man to wor- ship it ? For in the mass creedt it is said, I believe in one God only, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, only begotten and born of the Father before all the world ; he is God of God, Light of light, very God of very God, begotten and not made, and of substance even with the Father, by whom all things are made. And in the psalm Quicuo- que vult,J it is said, The Father is God, The Son is God, The Holy Ghost is God. The Father is unmade, § The Son is unmade, and The Holy Ghost is unmade. And thou then that art an earthly man, by what reason mayest thou say that thou makest thy Maker? Whether may the thing that is made say to the maker, Why hast thou made • The wafer, or consecrated bread, given at the sacrament. t The Nicene creed. % The Athauasian creed. $ Uncreated, 158 Wickliff. me thus ? Or may it turn again and make him that made it? Surely not. Now answerest thou that sayest that every day thou makcst of bread, the body of the Lord, flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, God and man. Forsooth thou answerest