Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 17, part 5

Christians before the incarnation, and one faith in many believers

Loserth pp. 402.25–406.33

¶1402.25–404.26

402Item, iuxta hec dicta sacerdotes, prophete et reges legis veteris erant Christi ut Israel, Aaron, David, et per consequens, Israelite, Aaronite et domus David fuerant christiani, quia discipuli Christi servantes iusticiam, et ita secundum omnem descripcionem quam doctor dat de christiano, sequitur quod ante incarnacionem fuerant christiani. Et in confirmacionem illius sic scribit mihi: Qui, inquit, observant legem Christi omnes dicuntur christiani, prout notat beatus Augustinus, Epistola XLIIª, 403allegans Apostolum Romanorum XIª dicentem quod non omnes qui ex Israel sunt sunt Israelite; pocius, inquit Augustinus, christiani sunt non qui secundum Ismael filii sunt carnis, sed secundum Isaac filii sunt promissionis ad spirituale ministerium pertinentes. Ex isto processu Augustini bene notato sequitur quod patres veteris testamenti fuerant christiani et membra ecclesie; quod negatur. Omnes, inquit, viventes secundum legem Christi sunt filii Abrahe et veri christiani. Ex qua conclusione patet quod per tempus veteris testamenti fuerant christiani, vel secundo quod modo nulli sunt filii Abrahe, vel quod in sancto triduo beata virgo non fuerat christiana, quia tunc non fuit ita quod ipsa observat legem Christi, cum tunc fuit ita quod non est Christus. Unde finaliter videtur inconsequenter dictum quod fuit ecclesia catholica cuius beata virgo fuit pars pro triduo mortis Christi, primo quia, posito quod loquamur pro illo triduo, ex tibi dubio sola virgo est persona fidelis superstes, et cum ipsa non sit christiana ex tibi dubio, non est multitudo omnium christianorum. Similiter, per totam vitam Christi corpoream ante mortem non fiebat ecclesia (ut dicitur), quia solum pro tempore fluxus sanguinis et aque de suo latere, quod fuit post mortem Christi. Similiter, posito quod loquamur pro dicto triduo et arguamus a diffinicione ad diffinitum: Omnis ecclesia catholica est universalis multitudo omnium christianorum habencium ex integro rectam et eandem fidem, per Christum et suos apostolos promulgatam et postea a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declaratam, sed nunc est ecclesia catholica cuius mater domini est pars, ergo nunc est universalis multitudo omnium christianorum, habencium ex integro rectam et eandem fidem per Christum et suos apostolos 404promulgatam et postea a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declaratam; consequens falsum pro dicto triduo, ergo antecedens. Sed minor fuit tunc vera ut datur; ergo cum tunc fuit dicta consequencia, ut suppono, relinquitur quod tunc fuit maior falsa, que est descripcio universalis ecclesie, ut fingitur perpetuo permansura. Quod autem consequens fuit tunc falsum, patet quia dato per impossibile quod tunc fuit multitudo omnium christianorum habencium ex integro rectam et eandem fidem per Christum et suos apostolos promulgatam, adhuc non fuit tunc verum quod illa fides sit postea a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declarata. Sequitur enim illa fides a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declarata; ergo nec post nec ante nec unquam est a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declarata; si (inquam) sufficeret quod fides illa erit a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declarata tunc sequitur cum veris quod diu ante mortem Christi fuit ecclesia catholica; quod negatur. Sed male, cum tunc fuit christiana religio, eo quod tunc fuit abbas secundum regulam apostolicam, regens suum capitulum de electis apostolis. Ipsi enim observarunt tunc melius quam nos facimus religionem christianam, et ex nomine talis religionis dicto primo Retractacionum, capitulo XXII°, infertur vere res et nomen ecclesie.

Again, according to these sayings the priestssacerdos / presbiter: priest / presbyter, prophets and kings of the old law were christs, as Israel, Aaron, David; and consequently the Israelites, the Aaronites and the house of David had been Christians, because [they were] disciples of Christ keeping justice; and so, according to every definitiondescripcio: definition which the doctor gives of a Christian, it followssequitur: it follows that before the incarnation there had been Christians.1 And in confirmation of this he writes to me thus: "All who keep the law of Christ," he says, "are called Christians, as blessed Augustine notes, Letter 42, 403allegingallegare / allegacio: allege / allegation the Apostle, Romans 11, who says that not all who are of Israel are Israelites. Rather," says Augustine, "those are Christians who are sons of the flesh not according to Ishmael, but sons of the promise according to Isaac, belonging to the spiritual ministry."2 From this argumentprocessus (of a book): the course, the argument of Augustine, well noted, it follows that the fathers of the old testament had been Christians and membersmembrum: member of the churchecclesia: church; which is denied. "All," he says, "who live according to the law of Christ are sons of Abraham and true Christians." From which conclusionconclusio: conclusion it is clear that through the time of the old testament there had been Christians; or, second, that now none are sons of Abraham; or that in the holy three days the blessed Virgin had not been a Christian, because it was not then so that she keeps the law of Christ, since it was then so that Christ is not.3 Hence, finally, it seems inconsistently said that there was a catholic church of which the blessed Virgin was part for the three days of Christ’s death. First, because, supposing that we speak for that triduum, on your own doubt the Virgin alone is the faithful person surviving; and since on your own doubt she is not a Christian, there is no multitude of all Christians.4 Likewise, through the whole bodily life of Christ before his death the church was not coming to be (as is said), because [it came to be] only for the time of the flowing of blood and water from his side, which was after the death of Christ. Likewise, supposing that we speak for the said triduum, and argue from the definition to the thing defined: Every catholic church is the universal multitude of all Christians having wholly the right and same faith, promulgated by Christ and his apostles and afterwards declared by the holy fathers in general councils; now there is at this time a catholic church of which the mother of the Lord is part; therefore there is at this time the universal multitude of all Christians having wholly the right and same faith, promulgated by Christ and his apostles 404and afterwards declared by the holy fathers in general councils. The consequentconsequens / antecedens: consequent / antecedent is false for the said triduum; therefore [so is] the antecedentconsequens / antecedens: consequent / antecedent.5 Now the minor was then true, as is granted; therefore, since the said inferenceconsequencia: inference then held, as I suppose, it remains that the major was then false, which is the definition of the universal church, feigned to be going to remain for ever. And that the consequent was then false is clear, because, granted per impossibile that there was then a multitude of all Christians having wholly the right and same faith promulgated by Christ and his apostles, still it was not then true that that faith is afterwards declared by the holy fathers in general councils. For it follows: that faith [is not] declared by the holy fathers in general councils; therefore neither after nor before nor ever is it declared by the holy fathers in general councils.6 If (I say) it sufficed that that faith will be declared by the holy fathers in general councils, then it follows, with true [premisses], that long before the death of Christ there was a catholic church; which is denied. But wrongly, since there was then the Christian religion, in that there was then an abbot according to the apostolic rule, ruling his chapter of chosen apostles. For they then kept the Christian religion better than we do; and from the name of such a religion, spoken of in the first book of the Retractations, chapter 22, the thing and the name of the church are truly inferred.7

¶2404.27–406.11

404In tercio argumento fert doctor graviter quod dixi descripcionis sue particulas congregatas inculte. Fateor, inquit, quod inculte, sed malo inculto sermone et absque dictamine scribere veritates quam sub fuco verborum politorum tradere falsitates. Sed constat quod descripcio data est rethorica et diffusa, 405nec solum falsitatem implicans sed errorem contrarium fidei christiane; et revera descripcionem sic diffusam et falsam non excusat color rethoricus quin sit a catholicis condempnata; descripcio autem ecclesie catholice est condicionis opposite, dum recte breviter et plane dicitur quod ecclesia catholica est universitas predestinatorum. Sed quoad materiam argumenti dicitur quod ubique assumit falsum incomprobatum, cum aliquam unam fidem qua creditur habent omnes christiani. Unam, inquit, tam genere quam specie sed non numero (ut allegatur de Augustino XIII° De Trinitate VI° et VII°), et eadem est fides que creditur aput omnes. Et placet de ista responsione: exhinc enim feci argumentum ad hominem, quia credidi doctorem posuisse ut olim quod non fuisset species vel aliquod universale nisi terminus vel conceptus; non quia credidi hoc esse verum, cum scio ex fide scripture quod una est fides que creditur, et fides qua creditur in quolibet christiano; aliter enim impertinenter diceret Apostolus Ephes. IV°, 5. Unus dominus, una fides. Et illud expresse dicit Augustinus XIII° De Trinitate, II° cap° X. Fides (inquam), scilicet que creditur, communis est sicut dici potest omnibus hominibus facies humana communis; nam hoc ita dicitur, ut tamen singuli suas habeant. Ex una sane doctrina impressam fidem credencium cordibus singulorum qui hoc idem credunt, verissime dicimus; sed aliud sunt ea que creduntur, aliud fides qua creduntur. Illa quippe in rebus sunt que vel esse vel fuisse vel futura esse dicuntur, hec autem in animo credentis est, ei tantum conspicua cuius est, quamvis sit in 406aliis non ipsa sed similis. Non enim una est numero sed genere propter similitudinem, tamen et nullam diversitatem magis unam dicimus esse quam multas. Nam duos homines simillimos cum videmus, unam faciem habere dicimus, facilius itaque dicitur multas animas fuisse singulas utique singulorum, de quibus legitur in actibus Apostolorum quod eis fuerit anima una, quoniam, ubi dixit Apostolus: Una fides, tot eas quisquam audet dicere quot fideles. Et tamen qui dixit: O mulier magna est fides tua, et alteri: Modice fidei quare dubitasti? suam cuique esse signat.

In the third argument the doctor takes it hard that I said the parts of his definition were gathered together uncouthly.8 "I confess," he says, "that [they were gathered] uncouthly; but I prefer to write truths in uncouth speech and without the art of composition, than to hand down falsehoods under the paint of polished words." But it is evident that the definition given is rhetorical and diffuse, 405implying not only falsehood but an error contrary to the Christian faith; and in truth rhetorical colourcolor (non est color): colour (a plausible ground) does not excuse a definition so diffuse and false from being condemned by catholics.9 But the definition of the catholic church is of the opposite condition, when it is said rightly, briefly and plainly that the catholic church is the whole body of the predestinatepredestinatus, -i: the predestinate (sg. "a predestinate [person]"). But as to the matter of the argument, it is said that everywhere it assumes a falsehood unproved, since [it takes it that] all Christians have some one faith by which it is believed. "One," he says, "in genus as well as in species, but not in number (as is alleged from Augustine, On the Trinity 13, [chapters] 6 and 7); and the faith which is believed is the same among all."10 And I am pleased with this reply; for from this I made an argument to the man, because I believed that the doctor had held, as once he did, that there was no species or any universaluniversale; ydea: universal; idea except a term or a concept; not because I believed this to be true, since I know from the faith of scriptureex fide: as faith teaches; with a genitive, from the faith of [scripture] that one is the faith which is believed, and [one] the faith by which it is believed in every Christian; for otherwise the Apostle would say irrelevantly, Ephesians 4:5: "One Lord, one faith."11 And Augustine says this expressly, On the Trinity 13, chapter 2: "Faith (I say), namely that which is believed, is common, as the human face can be said to be common to all men; for this is so said that yet each has his own. We say most truly that from one doctrinedoctrina: doctrine faith is impressed on the hearts of each of the believers who believe this same thing; but the things which are believed are one thing, the faith by which they are believed another. For those are in things which are said either to be or to have been or to be going to be; but this is in the mind of the believer, visible only to him whose it is, although it is in 406others, not itself but like it.12 For it is one not in number but in genus; yet because of the likeness and the absence of any difference we say that it is one rather than many.13 For when we see two men very alike, we say that they have one face. So it is more easily said that there were many souls, each surely the soul of each, of whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles that they had one soul, than that anyone dare say, where the Apostle said 'one faith', that there are as many [faiths] as faithful.14 And yet he who said, 'O woman, great is thy faith', and to another, 'O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?', signifies that each has his own."15

¶3406.12–406.33

406Ex istis notare potest logicus quod Augustinus loquitur de fide que est multitudo habituum credendi ab uno principio infusorum et nec de genere nec de specie logico, quia illud universale non recipit predicaciones huiusmodi peregrinas; nam ad species tales accidencium non est motus, sed ad partes quantitativas generis quod est multitudo dissimilium qualitatum sed nulla earum. Patet secundo quod fides que creditur est veritas de presenti, de preterito vel futuro et non subiective in credente, et per consequens, omnia que fuerunt vel erunt sunt pro suo tempore; aliter enim non diceret Augustinus quod ea que creduntur sunt in rebus sicut articuli preteriti et futuri. Et gaudeo tercio quod magistra et mater nostra scriptura habet testes conformes sanctis doctoribus, eius eminenciam attestantes, sic tamen quod dicant consequenter illam unam fidem habere unum subiectum quod est corpus ecclesie, et tunc oportet dicere quod illud corpus dispergitur inter patres veteris testamenti tam Hebreos quam gentiles et non artare ipsum ad tempus post mortem Christi et gentem vulgari nomine christianam.

From these things the logician can note that Augustine speaks of faith which is a multitude of habits of believing infused from one principle, and not of a logical genus or species, because that universal does not receive foreign predications of this kind; for there is no motion to such species of accidents, but to the quantitative parts of the genus, which is a multitude of unlike qualities but none of them.16 It is clear, second, that the faith which is believed is truth about the present, about the past or the future, and is not in the believer as in its subjectsubiectum / passio: subject / attribute; and consequently all things that were or will be are, for their time; for otherwise Augustine would not say that the things which are believed are in things, as the articles past and future.17 And I rejoice, third, that our mistress and mothermater nostra: our mother, scripture, has witnesses agreeing with the holy doctors, attesting her eminence; yet so that they should say consistently that that one faith has one subject, which is the body of the church; and then one must say that that body is dispersed among the fathers of the old testament, Hebrews as well as gentiles, and not confine it to the time after the death of Christ and to the people called Christian by the common name.18

Notes

  1. 1 A in the margin at 402.25: Secunda responsio. C. Hec dicta: the doctor’s grant (17-d ¶1) that the kings, priests and prophets of the old testament, anointed with chrism, were christs. Servantes iusticiam takes up the doctor’s definition of a Christian as one who keeps justice (17-d ¶3).
  2. 2 Loserth refers Epistola XLII to Augustine’s letter to Asellicus (Opp. II, p. 734), which is Letter 196 in the modern numbering (PL 33). Wyclif paraphrases §12, with ministerium for Augustine’s mysterium; the print’s word is translated. The Apostle: the words are Romans 9:6 (DR "For all are not Israelites that are of Israel"), given here in indirect speech; Loserth’s note at 403.1 reads In codd. Rom. IX, against the printed XIª. Sons of the promise according to Isaac: Galatians 4:28. C. Ad spirituale ministerium pertinentes is taken with the sons of the promise.
  3. 3 A in the margin at 403.15: Tercia responsio. C. Quod negatur: denied by the doctor. The present tenses observat and non est are kept: Wyclif presses the doctor’s own position, that only what is now is, so that while Christ lay dead it was true that Christ is not, and no one kept the law of a Christ who is not.
  4. 4 Ex tibi dubio, twice, is taken as "on your own doubt", the doubt the doctor raised about the three days; ex tibi dato, "on what you grant", would give the same argument. The doctor’s definition makes the church a multitude of all Christians: one surviving believer is no multitude, and on his ground she is no Christian either. R. A in the margin at 403.31: Quedam diffinicio ecclesie.
  5. 5 The definition is the doctor’s definition of the catholic church, set out in 17-a. Wyclif argues "from the definition to the thing defined": the minor is the doctor’s grant that the Virgin was part of the church during the three days. Diffinicio and descripcio are both "definition" here. T. At 404.3 B omits triduo; at 404.4 B reads data consequencia for dicta consequencia; at 404.12 the manuscripts spell consiliis, as throughout.
  6. 6 The sentence will not construe as printed: "that faith declared by the holy fathers" has no verb, and the inference needs a negative. "[Is not]" (non est) is supplied (our emendation); the print has nothing lost here. A and A₁ omit Sequitur ... declarata (404.13) and si ... declarata (404.16). C. On the doctor’s view that only the present is, a faith not now declared is never declared; and if a future declaration were enough, the church existed before the death of Christ.
  7. 7 Religio: the Christian religion, here in the sense of a religious order, with Christ as abbot under the apostolic rule and the apostles as his chapter; the jibe is at the private religions (glossary: religio privata). S. Retractationes I: Loserth refers to Opp. I, p. 29, and to De ecclesia p. 113.14. The passage on the thing now called the Christian religion existing among the ancients from the beginning of the human race is Retractationes 1.13.3 (PL 32, 603): res ipsa quae nunc christiana religio nuncupatur, erat apud antiquos. Wyclif’s "chapter 22" matches no numbering of the Retractationes (the chapter is 13). T. At 404.18–19 B reads quod domini ante for quod diu ante.
  8. 8 A in the margin at 404.27: Tercia responsio. T. At 404.28 B reads districcionis for descripcionis. C. Absque dictamine: without the ars dictaminis, the art of formal composition and letter-writing.
  9. 9 Color rethoricus: the colours of rhetoric, its figures; the glossary color is a plausible ground, and here the figure is denied that force. T. At 405.4 B reads condempta. R. A in the margin at 405.6: Ecclesia quid est?
  10. 10 Cum aliquam unam fidem ... habent omnes christiani gives the doctor’s charge: the argument supposes that all Christians have one faith by which it is believed. He answers that this faith is one in genus and species but not in number. T. At 405.7 B reads Sed conclusio ad for Sed quoad. S. De Trinitate 13: see note 12.
  11. 11 A in the margin at 405.13: Nota de universali reali. C. Argumentum ad hominem: an argument from the opponent’s own position. Wyclif had assumed the doctor still held that a species or universal is only a term or concept, on which "one faith in species" would be no faith in things; he himself holds the universal real. Una est fides que creditur, et fides qua creditur is taken as "one ... and [one]": the faith believed, and the faith by which it is believed, each one in every Christian.
  12. 12 Augustine, De Trinitate 13.2.5 (Loserth: Opp. VIII, p. 932 at 405.12, p. 929 at 405.22; the modern reference is ours, De Trin. 13.2.5 in PL 42, where Wyclif’s quotation is loose). T. At 405.25 the manuscripts omit suas; Loserth supplies it from Augustine’s text. At 405.26 B reads expressam for impressam. R. A in the margin at 405.21: Augustinus; A and B at 405.28: Fides duplex.
  13. 13 As printed, the comma stands after propter similitudinem, leaving nullam diversitatem without a governing word; the clause is construed as in Augustine’s text, genere; propter similitudinem tamen et nullam diversitatem. Genere is rendered "in genus" to keep the term Wyclif takes up in ¶3.
  14. 14 Quoniam (406.8) will not construe after facilius; it is rendered as quam, "than", Augustine’s reading (De Trinitate 13.2.5, PL 42; our emendation). At 406.7 B reads de quibus loquitur, Augustine legimus; B has eis fuit; at 406.8–9 B reads tot eas quisque audet dicere, quot fides. S. Acts 4:32 (DR "had but one heart and one soul"); Ephesians 4:5.
  15. 15 Matthew 15:28 and 14:31, in the Douay-Rheims.
  16. 16 Infusorum: "infused", the print’s word, of habits infused from one principle. The argument: "great" and "little" faith (note 15) are predications no logical genus or species admits, and faith is increased (Luke 17:5) by gaining quantitative parts of a collective genus, the many habits of all believers, which is none of its members.
  17. 17 Non subiective in credente: the faith believed does not inhere in the believer as an accident in its subject. Against the doctor’s view that only the present is, Wyclif reads Augustine’s in rebus ... que vel esse vel fuisse vel futura esse dicuntur as granting being to past and future, each for its time. T. At 406.19 B reads fides est que; at 406.23–24 B reads que credantur.
  18. 18 Consequenter: consistently with themselves. The one faith has one subject, the body of the church; if so, that body includes the fathers of the old testament, Hebrew and gentile, and is not confined to the time after Christ’s death or to those called Christian by the common name.
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 402: fuerant
    • 402: XLIIª
    • 403: Romanorum
    • 403: XIª
    • 403: multitudo (2 is a margin argument numeral)
    • 404: falsum
    • 405: nec (alinea L and 185a folio mark glued)
    • 405: descripcionem
    • 405: II°
    • 405: futura (30 is the line number; italic)
    • 406: loquitur (loqui- here, tur next line; main token holds whole word)
    • 406: principio (clear ri) [NW]
    • 406: specie (1 is a margin argument numeral)
    • 406: ∅ (cre-/ditur: main pos 148 already holds creditur, so this second-half token is empty (hyphen convention))