De ecclesia, chapter 16, part 7

The pope may give up lordship; the eighth argument: buying blessedness; the king’s inquiry into the clergy’s alms

Loserth pp. 380.31–384.33

¶1380.31–381.26

380Item, iuxta tacta papa videns dissensionem oriri ex occupacione civilis dominii, et sibi ac clero suo per seculares posse procurari subsidium in casu quo illis dominacionem illam relinqueret, non foret plenus et 381perfectus dominus eorum nisi posset ad relevamen sui et sui generis de suis subsidium procurare, ut tactum est de milite captivo, sed papa est utilius, plenius et perfeccius dominus patrimonii Crucifixi quam alius secularis: ergo licet sibi in casu sic facere; ymmo si credit vel credere debet verisimiliter quod status ille foret sibi et toti suo generi perfeccior, securior atque tranquillior, videtur quod sub pena peccati gravis debet sic facere, nam sic utilius possiderentur a sancta matre ecclesia. Item, religio quam Christus instituit de nolendo possidere pecuniam fuit perfeccior, solempnior et obligacior quam privilegiacio cesarea, ergo cum ad dispensacionem unius non apostoli licuit religionem priorem deserere, et licet privilegium secundum relinquere. Sic enim ex causa potest celebrari divorcium inter virum et uxorem; ymmo (ut fingitur) licet clero separare animam a corpore in quocunque, qui dominacioni sue restiterit; et sic hoc luciferinum vinculum foret forcius quam vinculum gracie vel nature, et tunc indubie Deus malus superat Deum bonum. Dicunt enim quod verbum nedum humanitatem assumptam sed totam ecclesiam potest dimittere, sed clerus possessionatus non potest dominacionem deserere, sed abrasio capillorum nostrorum testatur quod non debet esse tam fortis nexus inter nos et bona fortune.

Again, according to what has been touched on, a pope who saw dissension arising from the occupation of civil lordship, and [saw] that help could be procured for himself and his clergy through seculars in case he relinquished that exercise of lordship to them, would not be full and 381perfect lord of those [goods] unless he could procure help out of his own for the relief of himself and of his kind, as was touched on concerning the captive knight; now the pope is more usefully, more fully and more perfectly lord of the patrimony of the Crucified than any other secular: therefore it is lawful for him in that case to do so.¹ Indeed, if he believes, or ought in likelihood to believe, that that state would be more perfect, more secure and more tranquil for himself and for his whole kind, it seems that he ought to do so under pain of grave sin; for so they would be more usefully possessed by holy mother church. Again, the religion which Christ instituted, of not willing to possess money, was more perfect, more solemn and more binding than the caesarean privileging; therefore, since at the dispensation of one who was not an apostle it was lawful to desert the prior religion, it is lawful also to relinquish the second privilege.² For so, for cause, a divorce can be celebrated between husband and wife; indeed (as is feigned) it is lawful for the clergy to separate the soul from the body in anyone at all who has resisted its exercise of lordship; and so this luciferian bond would be stronger than the bond of grace or of nature, and then undoubtedly the evil God overcomes the good God. For they say that the Word can let go not only the humanity assumed but the whole church, but that the possessioner clergy cannot desert its exercise of lordship; but the shaving of our hair testifies that there ought not to be so strong a tie between us and the goods of fortune.³

¶2381.27–382.7

381Ex quibus videtur quod propter ingratitudines secundum quas volumus de dominorum elemosinis in secularitate superare ipsos dominos et propter hereses quas in materia de dominio nostro defendimus, ex una parte abutentes elemosinis et ex alia parte subtrahentes debitum de spiritualibus elemosinis rependendis, videtur quod patroni elemosinarum debent ipsas a nobis subtrahere et vere ecclesie Christi restituere, cum totus finis laudabilis sit eversus, et 382specialiter si peccamus subdole pretermisso ordine correpcionis evangelice inconsultis episcopis, ut aput nominetenus papam et cardinales, inimicos regni nostri precipuos, leges regni nostri et regaliam regis tamquam hereticam condempnamus. Iste enim videretur contemptus notabilis indiscreti doctoris cum suis complicibus.

From which it seems that, because of the ingratitudes by which we wish, out of the lords’ alms, to surpass the lords themselves in worldliness, and because of the heresies which we defend in the matter of our lordship (abusing the alms on the one side, and on the other withholding what is owed by way of spiritual alms to be repaid), it seems that the patrons of the alms ought to withdraw them from us and restore them to the true church of Christ, since the whole praiseworthy end has been overthrown; and 382especially if we sin craftily, passing over the order of evangelical correction, without consulting the bishops, as when before one who is pope in name only, and the cardinals, the chief enemies of our kingdom, we condemn the laws of our kingdom and the king’s regality as heretical. For this would seem a notable contempt on the part of an indiscreet doctor with his accomplices.⁴

¶3382.8–382.13

382Octavo et ultimo arguitur per hoc quod cuilibet domino temporali non solum est licitum sed meritorium emere hereditatem et bona eterna pro bonis temporalibus, et cum maius bonum temporale sit dignius maius bono spirituali, sequitur quod amplius et diucius dotans ecclesiam intensius meretur beatitudinem.

Eighth and last, it is argued by appeal to this: that for any temporal lord it is not only lawful but meritorious to buy the inheritance and eternal goods for temporal goods; and since a greater temporal good is more worthy of a greater spiritual good, it follows that the one who endows the church more amply and for longer merits blessedness more intensely.⁵

¶4382.15–382.16

382Ad istud argumentum dixi superius quod quilibet dives seculi tenetur sub pena peccati mortalis emere

To this argument I said above that every rich man of the world is bound, under pain of mortal sin, to buy

¶5382.17–383.34

382sibi beatitudinem per suas divicias, non quod cuilibet beatificando sit precium illud necessarium sed quod habens terrenam potestatem atque divicias utatur eis ad utilitatem ecclesie, et sic episcopi et religiosi possessionati tenentur precipue emere sibi beatitudinem per dispensacionem prudentem elemosinarum dandarum pauperibus. Verumptamen non oportet ut altera pars ecclesie vendat vel emat regnum illud civiliter, nec quod dominus secularis det dominacionem suam clericis, sed quod caveat ut faciat elemosinam suam in abscondito cum nesciencia manus sinistre quid faciat dextera, non dampnificando proximum dando sibi occasionem relinquendi perfeccionem suam primevam, nec ut onerosus factus subditis iniuste detineat eis debitum, que omnia fiunt hodie occasione dotacionis perpetue. Nam exhinc prelati dicuntur sompniferi vel ignari, subditis in equis, familia et exaccionibus onerosi. Unde non est credendum quod cesar proporcionaliter ad quantitatem bonorum que dicitur dedisse ecclesie 383cleri sic meruit, tum quia magnitudo elemosine ex dictis non taliter mensuratur, tum eciam quia iuxta adversarios non fuit nisi nimis stricta restitucio alieni. Sed quomodocunque sit de istis, verisimile est quia Cesar cecatus tumebat superbia, et sic tam elemosinantes quam elemosinati peccant communiter, sicut quilibet viator sciens vel probabiliter credens quod religio vel conversacio alia sibi faciliter adquiribilis esset sibi melior, et tamen quiescit torpide in vita quam reputat sibi minus meritoriam vel minus utilem sancte matri ecclesie, ut sic peccat; et ad arbitrandum hoc requiritur mentis purgacio, status et circumstanciarum discrecio sed omnino scripture sacre consulcio. Contingit enim quod rex vel alius seculi potentatus videns obstinaciam cleri et populi tantum invalescere in contemptu Christi et sue ecclesie quod foret sibi ex tali supposicione meritorius conversari seculariter, ut per gladium datum sibi a Deo coherceat potenter adversarios legis Christi, quam foret sibi istum statum deserere et vitam exproprietariam clerici vel heremite assumere. Vita tamen communis exproprietaria, nec in magna terrenorum affluencia nec in magna eorum carencia, videtur communiter illustratis securior, ut docet Solomon Prov. XXX°, 8, aliis autem illustratis eminencius est vita arcior vel in cura alcior, debite proficienti perfeccior; quod si propter ypocrisim vel primatum status talis appetitur, nullus est periculosior, quia Sapiencie VIª, 6, dicitur: Districtum iudicium hiis qui presunt fiet; a talibus enim archiservis Deus requiret striccius compotum talenti traditi et fructum ministerii, et patet de primatibus utriusque partis ecclesie, sicut inferius ostendetur de regibus. Unde videtur mihi quod rex Anglie annuatim vel per vices congruas faceret diligenter et perfecte inquiri

blessedness for himself by his riches: not that this price is necessary for everyone who is to be blessed, but that one who has earthly power and riches should use them for the profit of the church; and so bishops and possessioner religious are especially bound to buy blessedness for themselves by the prudent dispensing of alms to be given to the poor.⁶ Nevertheless, it is not needful that one part of the church sell, or the other buy, that kingdom civilly, nor that a secular lord give his exercise of lordship to clerics; but that he take care to do his alms in secret, his left hand not knowing what his right hand doth, not damaging his neighbour by giving him occasion to relinquish his first perfection, nor so that [the neighbour], made burdensome to his subjects, unjustly withhold from them what is owed; all of which things happen today by occasion of perpetual endowment.⁷ For hence prelates are called sleepy or ignorant, burdensome to their subjects in horses, household and exactions. Hence it is not to be believed that Caesar, in proportion to the quantity of goods which he is said to have given to the church 383of the clergy, merited thus: both because the greatness of an alms, from what has been said, is not measured in that way, and also because, according to the adversaries, it was nothing but an all too strict restitution of what was another’s.⁸ But however it may be with these things, it is likely that Caesar, blinded, swelled with pride; and so both the almsgivers and the almsmen commonly sin, as does any wayfarer who knows, or probably believes, that another religion or manner of life, easily acquirable by him, would be better for him, and yet rests torpidly in a life which he reckons less meritorious for him, or less useful to holy mother church: as such he sins. And to judge this there is required purification of the mind, discernment of state and circumstances, but above all consultation of holy scripture.⁹ For it happens that a king, or another potentate of the world, seeing the obstinacy of clergy and people grow so strong in contempt of Christ and of his church that it would be more meritorious for him, on such a supposition, to live as a secular, so that by the sword given him by God he may powerfully coerce the adversaries of the law of Christ, than it would be for him to desert that state and take up the propertyless life of a cleric or a hermit.¹⁰ Yet the common propertyless life, neither in great affluence of earthly things nor in great want of them, seems safer for those commonly enlightened, as Solomon teaches, Proverbs 30:8; but for others, more eminently enlightened, the stricter life, or the one higher in cure [of souls], is more perfect for one who duly makes progress.¹¹ But if such a state is sought for hypocrisy or for primacy, none is more perilous, for in Wisdom 6:6 it is said: "A strict judgment shall be for them that bear rule"; for from such arch-servants God will more strictly require an account of the talent handed over and the fruit of the ministry; and this is clear of the primates of both parts of the church, as will be shown below concerning kings. Hence it seems to me that the king of England should, every year or at fitting intervals, cause diligent and perfect inquiry to be made¹²

¶6384.1–384.33

384quantum de bonis regni, qua condicione et quando sit in omnibus et singulis cleri sui ad manum mortuam devolutum. Secundo quod notetur numerus, qualitas et armatura spiritualis cleri qui occupat ista bona, et tercio quod faciat inquiri si in quantitate vel qualitate cleri in comparacione ad has elemosinas sit defectus, quem inventum faciat omnimode celeriter emendari. Probatur huius racionabilitas in exemplo: Nam supposito quod rex dedisset capitaneo cum suo exercitu thesaurum regni notabilem ad hostes corporaliter debellandum, nonne in monstracione exercitus sui ydonea faceret similia inquiri proporcionabiliter ad thesaurum pugnatoribus ministratum? Cum ergo pugna spiritualis milicie sit quoad causam clarior, quoad regem et regnum utilior et quoad exigenciam iudicis preponderancior, quomodo non per locum a maiori faceret fidelis rex illud diligencius inquiri? Non restat fideli admittenti principia fidei medium excusandi. Illius enim est ydoneitatem militum suorum inquirere cuius est stipendium reddere. Nec valet fingere exempcionem vel privilegium ad tollendum illud stante rata solucione stipendii; nec mirum si regnum nostrum habeat consuetudinem (cum hoc quod non sit legi scripture contraria), eciam aliam quam habent alia regna mundi, quia alio modo et alio pondere stipendii conduxit rex clerum Anglie quam cleri in regnis aliis sunt conducti. Unde cum maximus contemptus quoad Deum et hominem et specialiter quoad periculum regni staret in fraude illius milicie, videtur quod rex et regnum debent de istis eo magis diligenter inquirere et proporcionaliter ad defectum in quantitate vel qualitate de stipendio deficienti subtrahere.

how much of the goods of the kingdom, on what condition and when [each] has devolved to the dead hand in each and every [holding] of his clergy. Second, that the number, quality and spiritual armour of the clergy which occupies those goods be noted; and third, that he cause inquiry to be made whether there is a defect in the quantity or quality of the clergy in comparison with these alms, and, when it is found, cause it to be amended speedily in every way.¹³ The reasonableness of this is proved by an example. For supposing that the king had given a captain with his army a notable treasure of the kingdom for overcoming enemies bodily, would he not, at a fitting muster of his army, cause like things to be inquired into in proportion to the treasure supplied to the fighters? Since, then, the fight of the spiritual soldiery is clearer as to its cause, more useful as to king and kingdom, and weightier as to the demand of the judge, how would a faithful king not, by the topic from the greater, cause it to be inquired into more diligently? There remains to a faithful man who admits the principles of the faith no means of excusing [himself]. For it belongs to him whose part it is to pay the wage to inquire into the fitness of his soldiers.¹⁴ Nor is it valid to feign an exemption or privilege to do away with this, while the fixed payment of the wage stands; nor is it a wonder if our kingdom has a custom (provided that it is not contrary to the law of scripture) other even than other kingdoms of the world have, because the king hired the clergy of England in another manner and with another weight of wage than the clergies in other kingdoms have been hired. Hence, since the greatest contempt as to God and man, and especially as to the peril of the kingdom, would lie in fraud in that soldiery, it seems that king and kingdom ought to inquire into these things all the more diligently, and, in proportion to the defect in quantity or quality, to withdraw [part] of the wage from the one who falls short.¹⁵

Notes

1 Eorum: the goods held, as patrimonii Crucifixi shows. The comparison is the captive knight of the sixth argument (375), who may alienate his manor to redeem himself: so the pope, as full lord, may give up the exercise of lordship to the seculars for the relief of himself and his clergy (sui generis, "his kind"). T. At 381.5 B reads quod alius; the print’s quam alius is translated.
2 Religio: the rule of life Christ instituted for the apostles, not a religious order. Unius non apostoli: Wyclif names no one; the caesarean privilege points to Silvester, who accepted Constantine’s endowment (our inference). Privilegium secundum: the caesarean privilege, second after Christ’s rule. Et licet: "it is lawful also".
3 Ut fingitur: the possessioners’ claim as Wyclif reports it: the clergy may put to death (separare animam a corpore) whoever resists its lordship, yet may never give that lordship up, though for cause even marriage is dissolved. Luciferinum vinculum: the clergy’s bond to its lordship. Verbum: the Word, who on their view can let go (dimittere) even the humanity he assumed. R. Deus malus ... Deum bonum: the two gods of the Manichees. Abrasio capillorum: the clerical tonsure.
4 A in the margin at 381.27: Conclusio. De ablacione. Aput nominetenus papam et cardinales ... condempnamus: presumably the delation to the curia of Wyclif’s conclusions on the king’s right over clerical temporalities, condemned in Gregory XI’s bulls of 1377 (cf. 329.25–28, 15-a; Fasciculi zizaniorum, p. 248). C. Debitum de spiritualibus elemosinis rependendis: the prayers owed to the founders in return. Ordo correpcionis evangelice: the order of correction in Matthew 18:15–17. Contemptus ... indiscreti doctoris: the genitive is taken as subjective, the contempt the doctor shows; an objective genitive (contempt of the doctor) is possible.
5 A in the margin at 382.8: Octava racio. C. Dignius maius bono spirituali: dignus takes the ablative, so "more worthy of a greater spiritual good", though maius stands where maiore is expected. Hereditatem: the heavenly inheritance.
6 A in the margin at 382.15: Responsio. Dotacio. C. The sentence begun in ¶4 runs on here. Cuilibet beatificando: everyone who is to be blessed; the poor are blessed without that price.
7 Matthew 6:3–4 (DR "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. That thy alms may be in secret"), in Wyclif’s words. C. Altera pars ecclesie: clergy or laity; regnum illud: the kingdom of heaven, the blessedness just named. Proximum: the cleric endowed, whom the gift leads to leave his first perfection, apostolic poverty. The subject of nec ut ... detineat is taken to be this same neighbour, as the burdensome prelates of the next sentence suggest; it may instead be the lord.
8 Sompniferi: literally "sleep-bringing"; "sleepy" is taken as the sense. Cesar: Constantine, the giver of the caesarean endowment. Ecclesie [p. 383] cleri: "the church of the clergy", the clergy’s part of the church; the two words stand either side of the page break. Iuxta adversarios: on their view the temporal goods were already the church’s, so Constantine’s gift was only a restitution, and a narrow one, of what was another’s. R. A in the margin at 383.5: Conclusio.
9 At 383.10 B omits vel minus utilem. C. Religio here is a religious order. Ut sic peccat: "as such he sins", closing the comparison. Sed omnino: "but above all".
10 The period gives rex no verb of its own: videns runs into the result clause quod foret sibi ... meritorius, where meritorius is the neuter comparative answered by quam foret. The English keeps the break. Conversari seculariter: "to live as a secular", that is, to stay king.
11 Proverbs 30:8 (DR "Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life"). C. Communiter illustratis is set against aliis ... eminencius illustratis: those enlightened in the common measure, and others enlightened more eminently; eminencius could instead go with perfeccior. In cura alcior: higher in the cure of souls.
12 Wisdom 6:6, where the Vulgate has iudicium durissimum (DR "a most severe judgment shall be for them that bear rule"); Wyclif’s Districtum is translated "strict", and Loserth notes the Vulgate’s reading. The talent: cf. Matthew 25:14–30. T. At 383.31 Loserth’s note reads "Codd.: ut post de primatibus" without a lemma, apparently the manuscripts’ ut post for et patet; the print is translated. R. A in the margin at 383.33: Nota consilium.
13 In omnibus et singulis cleri sui: the noun is understood; "[holding]" is supplied, and sit ... devolutum has the goods of each as its subject. Armatura spiritualis: the clergy’s arms in the figure that follows. R. A in the margin at 384.9: Exemplum; A and B in the margin at 384.14: Prima ficcio, and at 384.31: Secunda ficcio, the first two of the fictions answered below.
14 Milicia, milites: the clergy as the king’s paid army in spiritual warfare, the Pauline figure, so "soldiery" and "soldiers"; the captive knight of 381.2 belongs to the estate. C. Monstracio: the muster of an army. Quoad exigenciam iudicis preponderancior: iudicis is taken with exigenciam, the judge being God.
15 Stante rata solucione stipendii: "while the fixed payment of the wage stands", so long as the clergy draws it. Conducere: "to hire", as soldiers are hired. De stipendio deficienti subtrahere: "to withdraw [part] of the wage from the one who falls short"; deficienti is dative.

How the Latin of this chapter was established

Plate readings; page · reading · note):
- 381: verisimiliter
- 381: foret
- 381: Christus
- 381: fuit
- 381: perfeccior
- 381: hereses (English side-note "draw" glued)
- 381: quas (30 is the line number)
- 381: Christi
- 382: seculi
- 382: mortalis (clear li) [NW]
- 382: nesciencia (italic) [NW]
- 383: cleri (alinea T and 182a folio mark glued)
- 383: Cesar (clear C)
- 383: VIª
- 383: iudicium (italic)
- 384: mortuam devolutum (print mor-/tuam devolutum.; main token mordevolutum covers both words, p.384 pos 17 is Secundo)