Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 1, part 4

One bride; no salvation outside the church; the two swords

Loserth pp. 10.16–14.16

¶110.16–11.10

10Scivit autem Christus ecclesiam suam in pace pretensa per antichristianos ypocritas amarissime persequendam. Tercium testimonium scripture est unitas arche, de qua Gen. VI°, 16°, legitur quod in tempore diluvii in cubito consummatur. Que ad sensum misticum figurat sanctam matrem ecclesiam que in brachio domini conservatur et unico fine mandatorum que est caritas consummatur. Quartum testimonium est dictum apostoli Ephesiorum IV°, 5, asserentis quod unus deus, una fides; ex cuius unitate sequitur quod sit correspondenter una lex, unum regnum sive familia que indubie est universalis ecclesia. Quintum testimonium est de una tunica inconsutili, que non sine misterio ex testimonio Johannis XIX°, 23, remanserat indivisa. Correspondenter oportet esse unicam Christi ecclesiam infringibilibus vinculis caritatis contextam iuxta illud apostoli Rom. VIII°, 35. Quis nos separabit 11a caritate dei? Sextum testimonium est illud Johannis X°, 16: Fiet unum ovile et unus pastor, quod ovile oportet confiteri eandem matrem ecclesiam. Quotlibet sunt scripture et raciones docentes istam sentenciam, ut sicut primus Adam terrenus sine bigamia habuit unicam sponsam carnaliter, sic secundus Adam sine bigamia possibili necessario habet unicam sponsam spiritualiter. Et illum sensum exponit apostolus ex scriptura Genes. II°, 24, ut patet ad Ephesios V°, 31, de Christo et sua ecclesia.

And Christ knew that his churchecclesia: church, in a pretended peace, would be most bitterly persecuted by antichristian hypocrites.1 The third testimony of scripture is the unity of the ark, of which we read in Genesis 6:16 that at the time of the flood it is finished in a cubit. In the mystical sense it figures holy mother church, which is preserved in the arm of the Lord and is finished in the single end of the commandments, which is charitycaritas: charity.2 The fourth testimony is the saying of the apostle in Ephesians 4:5, asserting "one God, one faith"; from whose unity it followssequitur: it follows that there is correspondingly one law, one kingdomregnum: kingdom or householdfamilia: household, which without doubt is the universal church.3 The fifth testimony is from the one seamless coat, which not without mystery, on the testimony of John 19:23, had remained undivided. Correspondingly there must be one only church of Christ, woven together with the unbreakable bonds of charity, according to that [word] of the apostle in Romans 8:35: "Who shall separate us 11from the charity of God?"4 The sixth testimony is that of John 10:16: "There shall be one fold and one shepherd"; which fold must be confessed to be the same mother church. There are any number of scriptures and reasons that set out this teachingsentencia: CONTEXTUAL: teaching / sentence: that, as the first Adam, earthly, without bigamy had one only bridesponsa / sponsus: bride / bridegroom carnally, so the second Adam, without possible bigamy, necessarily has one only bride spiritually.5 And the apostle expounds that sense from the scripture of Genesis 2:24, of Christ and his church, as is clear in Ephesians 5:31.

¶211.11–12.7

11Unde racio potest capi de textu apostoli Iª. Timothei III°, 2, et ad Titum 1°, 7, ubi ex isto fundamento dat legem, quod oportet tam episcopum quam diaconum esse unius uxoris virum. Oportet enim Christi clericum in monogamia consequi caput suum. Unde credo cum decretali fideli non verti in dubium quin foret hereticum pertinaciter negare quod Christus sponsus ecclesie, quem dignatus est vocare sponsam suam, sit monogamus racione unitatis ecclesie sponse sue. Et patet secunda conclusio. Tercia conclusio est quod extra sanctam ecclesiam catholicam non est salus vel remissio peccatorum. Hec est conclusio predicte decretalis in terminis cuius sensum arbitror esse de salute perpetua post hanc vitam, et de remissione peccati contracti, data vita spirituali per graciam. Et tunc conclusio proxima per se est nota: quia nemo potest habere talem salutem nisi vel Christus vel aliquod eius membrum, sed eo ipso quod sic est infra predictam ecclesiam: ergo conclusio; et ad hoc vadunt exempla. Sicut enim tota generis humani posteritas fuit primo virtualiter et materialiter in primo carnali coniugio, sic tota christianorum posteritas est virtualiter in Christo 12et ecclesia, et per consequens, in primo spirituali coniugio. Solis enim ex deo sic natis dedit potestatem filios dei fieri, et per consequens, iuxta argumentum apostoli coheredes. Iterum, sicut extra navem Noe non remansit bestia salvata in diluvio: sic extra navem ecclesie non restat homo salvandus post spirituale naufragium.

Hence a reason can be taken from the text of the apostle in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7, where on this foundation he lays down the law that both bishopepiscopus; dominus episcopus: bishop; the lord bishop and deacon must be "the husband of one wife". For a clericclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric of Christ must follow his head in monogamy.6 Hence I believe, with the faithful decretal, that it is not to be called into doubt that it would be heretical to deny pertinaciously that Christ, the bridegroom of the church, which he deigned to call his bride, is monogamous by reason of the unity of the church his bride.7 And the second conclusion is clear.

The third conclusion is that outside the holy catholic church there is no salvation or remission of sins. This is the conclusion of the aforesaid decretal in [its own] terms, and I judge its sense to be of perpetual salvation after this life, and of the remission of contracted sin, spiritual life being given through grace.8 And then the conclusion just stated is known of itself: for no one can have such salvation except either Christ or some member of his; now by that very fact one is thus within the aforesaid church; therefore the conclusion.9 And the examples go to this. For just as the whole posterity of the human race was first virtually and materially in the first carnal marriage, so the whole posterity of Christians is virtually in Christ 12and the church, and consequently in the first spiritual marriage. For to those alone so born of God he "gave power to be made the sons of God", and consequently, by the apostle’s argument, joint heirs.10 Again, just as outside Noah’s ship no beast remained saved in the flood, so outside the ship of the church no man remains to be saved after the spiritual shipwreck.

¶312.8–12.17

12Iterum, sicut membrum non vivit prescisum a corpore: sic nec natura humana per reprobacionem precisa a capite. Et ad hoc sunt quotlibet leges, ut XXIIIª, q. VIIª, sub auctoritate Augustini ad Vincencium decretum sic loquitur: Quemadmodum si prescindatur membrum ab hominis vivi corpore, non potest tenere spiritum vite: sic homo qui prescinditur de Christi iusti corpore, nullo modo potest tenere spiritum iusticie. Et tota ista sentencia patet XXIVª, q. I, per multa capitula.

Again, as a member does not live cut off from the body, so neither does human nature live cut off from the head by reprobation.11 And to this there are any number of laws, as in [Causa] 23, q. 7, where a decree, under the authority of Augustine to Vincentius, speaks thus: "Just as, if a member is cut off from the body of a living man, it cannot keep the spirit of life, so a man who is cut off from the body of Christ the just can in no way keep the spirit of justice."12 And this whole teachingsentencia: CONTEXTUAL: teaching / sentence is clear in [Causa] 24, q. 1, through many chapters.

¶412.18–14.16

12Unde ex dictis Bede sic loquitur unum decretum: Quicunque ab unitate fidei vel societatis Petri quovismodo semetipsos segregant, tales nec vinculis peccatorum absoluti sunt nec ianuam regni celestis possunt ingredi. Item aliud decretum captum ex dicto Bede super primam canonicam Johannis: Omnis qui recedit et non permanet in doctrina Christi, Deum non habet; qui permanet in doctrina, hic et filium et patrem habet. Ex talibus dictis sanctorum et decreto ecclesie duce racione scripture patet tota predicta sentencia, et quod precipue timendum est, patet quod nullus christianus, sed precipue Christi vicarius non est membrum ecclesie, nisi perseveranter secutus fuerit Christum in moribus et doctrina. 13Quarta conclusio eiusdem decretalis est quod intra predictam ecclesiam est uterque gladius vel potestas scilicet corporalis vel temporalis et spiritualis; quorum uterque debet ad caput ecclesie et eius vicarium pertinere. Patet ex hoc quod dictum corpus, cum sit per se sufficiens, habet in se plenitudinem potestatis. Cum ergo utraque potestas sit necessaria matri ecclesie, patet conclusio. Et hoc figuratum est Luce XXII°, 38, quando apostolis respondentibus Ecce duo gladii hic Christus dixit non superfluum vel diminutum sed satis est. Unde ad denotandum quod uterque gladius fuit Petro pertinens, consequenter dixit Christus Petro percucienti servum pontificis: Mitte gladium tuum in vaginam. Ex quo innuitur ad sensum misticum quod uterque gladius sit in potestate ecclesie, materialis pro ecclesia sed per laicos exercendus, spiritualis vero pro puniendis peccatis per episcopum exercendus. Et sic licet gladius materialis sit in manu regum et militum, hoc tamen erit ad motum et secundum prudenciam sacerdotum. Oportet enim gladium materialem esse sub alio sicut ordo militaris est sub sacerdocio. Et ista est exposicio beati Bernardi, libro secundo ad Eugenium et ad illum sensum loquuntur quotlibet doctores et decreta concorditer. Unde XXIIIª q. Vª, Principes, sub auctoritate beati Isidori III° de summo bono, cap. LIII°, dicit canon quod intra ecclesiam principes seculi habent potestatem, ut per eandem potestatem disciplinam ecclesiasticam muniant. Ex qua conclusione patet, primo quod dicti principes sunt pars dicte ecclesie, cum 14aliter non essent ad suum propositum intra ecclesiam. Patet secundo quod ipsorum est cohercere rebelles ecclesie, ubicunque requiritur potencia civiliter coactiva. Unde notat Johannes de Deo octo casus in quibus ecclesiasticus subicitur iudicio vel correccioni seculari: Primus casus est cum clericus est incorrigibilis; secundus est cum propter ambicionem clericus est intrusor, eciam papa; tercius est quando fidem vult subvertere, quartus quando est falsarius, quintus quando facit scisma, sextus quando contempnit excommunicacionem, septimus quando potestas ecclesie deficit, et octavus dum principes seculi petunt tributum ab ecclesia. Et fundat ista per leges multiplices. Cum ergo in nullo istorum casuum debet secularis corrigere nisi conformiter ad scripturam, et per consequens, auctoritate summi pontificis: patet supradicta conclusio.

Hence one decree, from the sayings of Bede, speaks thus: "Whoever in any way separate themselves from the unity of the faith or of the fellowship of Peter, such are neither absolved from the bonds of sins nor can they enter the gate of the heavenly kingdom."13 Again, another decree, taken from a saying of Bede on the first canonical [epistle] of John: "Whosoever revolteth and continueth not in the doctrinedoctrina: doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine, the same hath both the Son and the Father."14 From such sayings of the saints, and from the decree of the church, with the reason of scripture as guide, the whole aforesaid teaching is clear; and, what is especially to be feared, it is clear that no Christian, and especially no vicar of Christ, is a member of the church unless he has followed Christ perseveringly in conduct and doctrine.15

13The fourth conclusion of the same decretal is that within the aforesaid church is each sword or power, namely the bodily or temporal and the spiritual; each of which ought to belong to the head of the church and to his vicar. This is clear from the fact that the said body, since it is sufficient of itself, has in itself the plenitude of power.16 Since, therefore, both powers are necessary to mother church, the conclusion is clear. And this was figured in Luke 22:38, when, the apostles answering "Behold, here are two swords", Christ said not "too many" or "too few", but "It is enough".17 Hence, to denote that each sword belonged to Peter, Christ then said to Peter as he struck the high priest’s servant: "Put up thy sword into the scabbard." From this it is intimated, in the mystical sense, that each sword is in the power of the church: the material, for the church but to be wielded by laymen; the spiritual, for the punishing of sins, to be wielded by the bishop. And so, although the material sword is in the hand of kings and knightsmilicia; milites: knighthood; knights, yet this will be at the motion and according to the prudence of priestssacerdos / presbiter: priest / presbyter.18 For the material sword must be under the other, as the order of knighthood is under the priesthood. And this is the exposition of the blessed Bernard, in the second book to Eugenius, and in that sense any number of doctors and decrees speak concordantly.19 Hence in [Causa] 23, q. 5, [the canon] Principes, under the authority of the blessed Isidore, On the Highest Good III, chapter 53, the canon says that within the church the princes of the world have power, so that through that same power they may fortify ecclesiastical discipline.20 From this conclusion it is clear, first, that the said princes are part of the said church, since 14otherwise they would not be within the church for its purpose.21 It is clear, second, that it is theirs to coercecoactivus; cohercere, cohersitivus: coactive; coerce, coercive the rebels of the church, wherever civilly coactivecoactivus; cohercere, cohersitivus: coactive; coerce, coercive power is required. Hence John of God notes eight cases in which [an ecclesiastic is subject to secular judgement or correction:22 the first case is when a cleric is incorrigible; the second is when through ambition a cleric is an intruder, even a pope; the third is when he wishes to subvert the faith; the fourth when he is a forger; the fifth when he makes a schism; the sixth when he despises excommunication; the seventh when the power of the church fails; and the eighth when the princes of the world seek tribute from the church. And he grounds these on many laws. Since, therefore, in none of these cases ought a secularecclesia laycalis / secularis: the lay church / the secular church to correct except in conformity with scripture, and consequently by the authority of the supreme pontiff, the above-mentioned conclusion is clear.23

Notes

  1. 1 AA₁ read antichristinos. Pace pretensa: a peace that is only pretended, as the possessioners’ just named. Autem continues the thought of the last sentence ("and"), not a new premiss.
  2. 2 Gen. 6:16, DR "in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it"; Wyclif reports it in the passive. Consummatur (both times): Loserth’s correction of the MSS' consumatur. The cubitus (forearm, cubit) yields the brachium domini; the single end is 1 Tim. 1:5, DR "the end of the commandment is charity".
  3. 3 Eph. 4:5, Vg unus Dominus, una fides (DR "One Lord, one faith"); Wyclif has unus deus, and we translate his Latin.
  4. 4 Rom. 8:35, Vg Quis ergo nos separabit a caritate Christi? (DR "Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ?"). Wyclif has a caritate dei, as in 8:39; we translate his Latin, so caritas is "charity" (the glossary). John 19:23, DR "the coat was without seam".
  5. 5 Bigamia: in canon law, a second marriage (successive, not simultaneous), which barred a man from orders; hence the step to the clerical rule in the next paragraph. Sine bigamia possibili: for the second Adam a second bride is not even possible.
  6. 6 1 Tim. 3:2 (bishop), 3:12 (deacons, unius uxoris viri), Titus 1:6–7 (the presbyter, then the bishop). DR 1 Tim. 3:2 "the husband of one wife". Consequi: "follow", imitate.
  7. 7 Quem dignatus est vocare sponsam suam: the masculine quem has no fitting antecedent; we translate as if quam (the church), likelier than "Christ, whom [the church]…" (Latin doubt reported). Cum decretali fideli: Unam sanctam, called "faithful" because on this point it agrees with scripture.
  8. 8 Unam sanctam: extra quam nec salus est, nec remissio peccatorum (Friedberg II, 1245–46); Wyclif paraphrases. B’s margin asks why Wyclif adds contracti: outside the church there is remission neither of contracted nor of uncontracted sin. Contractum is presumably sin incurred, original or actual, as against its penalty.
  9. 9 Proxima: the conclusion last stated (the third). Sed brings the minor premiss ("now"). Eo ipso quod sic est infra predictam ecclesiam: we take eo ipso as "by that very fact" (of being Christ or his member), and quod sic est infra as the content; read strictly, "by the very fact that he is thus within the church" would make the premiss circular.
  10. 10 John 1:12–13 (DR "he gave them power to be made the sons of God … born … of God"); the apostle’s argument is Rom. 8:17, coheredes autem Christi.
  11. 11 Prescisum … precisa: "cut off" (praecisus), not prescitus, "foreknown", though in Wyclif’s spelling the words lie close. Reprobacio: reprobation. Loserth’s side-note says "the reprobate".
  12. 12 Gratian, Decretum C.23 q.7 c.4 (Loserth; our modern form), from Augustine, De correctione Donatistarum (Ep. 185) 9.42, PL 33:811, not the letter to Vincentius (Ep. 93): Gratian’s rubric runs on from a Vincentius canon, and Wyclif follows it.
  13. 13 Gratian, Decretum C.24 q.1 c.27 (Loserth), from Bede, homily on Matt. 16 (Hom. XVI, PL 94:223B).
  14. 14 Gratian, Decretum C.24 q.1 c.24 (Loserth). The words are 2 John 9 (DR above), not the first epistle; Wyclif names Bede’s commentary super primam canonicam. He has filium et patrem, Vg Patrem et Filium: Bede’s own order (Filium et Patrem dicit habere, In II Ioh., PL 93:122A); we keep it.
  15. 15 Nullus christianus … non est membrum … nisi: the non is pleonastic after nullus; read with it strictly, the sentence would say the opposite of the argument. The sense is "no one is a member unless". Duce racione scripture: B reads duce Romane.
  16. 16 Plenitudo potestatis: the canonists’ formula for papal power, here given to the self-sufficient body, the church. Per se sufficiens: "sufficient of itself".
  17. 17 Luke 22:38, DR "Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said to them: It is enough." Non superfluum vel diminutum follows Unam sanctam, non respondit Dominus nimis esse, sed satis (Extrav. comm. 1.8.1; Friedberg II 1245). John 18:11 (Loserth), DR "Put up thy sword into the scabbard."
  18. 18 Unam sanctam reads, as Loserth notes, sed ad nutum et patientiam sacerdotis, "at the nod and sufferance of the priest"; Wyclif’s text has ad motum et secundum prudenciam sacerdotum. We translate the print.
  19. 19 Bernard, De consideratione IV.3.7 (PL 182:776B–C): the two swords are in book IV, not the second book Wyclif names.
  20. 20 Gratian, Decretum C.23 q.5 c.20 Principes (Loserth), from Isidore, Sententiae (De summo bono) III.51.4 (PL 83:723B). Gratian’s inscription has c. 55; Wyclif’s cap. LIII matches neither.
  21. 21 Ad suum propositum: "for its purpose", the canon’s purpose of fortifying discipline. It could be the princes’ own purpose.
  22. 22 Johannes de Deo, a Spanish canonist at Bologna (Loserth, citing Trialogus, ed. Lechler, p. 251). B’s margin: Johannes de Deo. Octo casus ….
  23. 23 Auctoritate summi pontificis: "by the authority of the supreme pontiff". Following on "in conformity with scripture … and consequently", the high priest may be Christ (Heb. 4:14), whose authority scripture carries, or the pope. Wyclif does not say which.
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 10: Christus
    • 10: pretensa (hyphenated pre-/tensa across line; H is alinea letter)
    • 10: 16°
    • 11: 16
    • 11: unum
    • 11: II°
    • 11: Iª
    • 11: III°
    • 11: Christi
    • 11: Christus
    • 12: bestia (trailing b is the margin letter)
    • 12: XXIIIª
    • 12: VIIª
    • 12: XXIVª
    • 13: Quarta
    • 13: Vª
    • 13: quod (30 is the line number)
    • 14: quibus (qui-/bus hyphenated across line; print then has ecclesiasticus, which the pivot lacks)
    • 14: seculari (secu-/lari hyphenated; 'correction' is side-note text)
    • 13: eiusdem
    • 14: coactiva. (hyphenated coac-/tiva.; tiva. absent from output, so whole word) [-MARK]
  • 14.5 ecclesiasticus: lost from the established Latin at the line break qui-|bus; restored from the plate (n0051).
  • 10.20, 10.23 consummatur: Loserth’s correction ("Codd: consumatur. Correxi").
  • OCR scars corrected in the Latin against the plates: 10.32 separa&bit; 11 3i → 31; 12.4 stray like (side-note bleed); 13.25–26 XXIII%, 111° → XXIIIª, III°.
  • Variants noted but not affecting the English: 11.24 B arbitri; 13.7 A nostri ecclesie; 13.28 B ecclesiasticam immitit; 14.8 B tercio quando; 14.12 B cum principes.