De ecclesia, chapter 17, part 7

The councils of Christ and the apostles

Loserth pp. 410.30–412.14

¶1410.30–412.14

410Ad quartum argumentum respondetur quadrupliciter pro declaracione huius quod nec apostoli nec 411alii fideles erant de ecclesia, antequam fides fuit a sanctis patribus in conciliis generalibus declarata. Et suppono quamlibet istarum responsionum validam, cum aliter nimis superflue globarentur. Prima responsio et secundum partem validissimam dicit quod ante mortem Christi fuit doctrina fidei nostre per Christum et suos apostolos sufficienter divulgata et declarata per sanctos patres (supple per Christum et apostolos) ante mortem Christi in conciliis generalibus celebratis, et quod ista concilia ante mortem Christi habita inter Christum et apostolos cum suis discipulis de hiis que pertinent ad fidem fuerunt generalia. Patet per descripcionem concilii generalis positam in glosa Johannis XVIIª dist. cap. Generalia, ubi dicitur quod illud est generale concilium quod a papa vel eius legato aut locum eius tenente cum omnibus episcopis celebratur. Cum ergo Matthei X° dicitur quod Christus convocavit discipulos suos et, exponens eis fidem, dedit eis privilegia et multiplices potestates, videtur quod ipse celebravit tunc concilium generale; et idem patet Matthei XV° et Marci VI° et sepe ante mortem Christi, ubi loquitur discipulos convocasse. Istud autem dictum est in parte catholicum, cum tota trinitas eterno consilio decrevit decursum ecclesie consuluitque patriarchis, prophetis et capiti ecclesie domino Jesu Christo, secundum quem cursum procederet sancta mater ecclesia. Verumptamen non oportet omnes episcopos ad tale concilium congregari, nec facit per se multitudo personarum consulencium ad generalitatem concilii, cum generalissimum quia principium omnibus aliis sit concilium increatum. Verumptamen in conciliis apostolorum et aliis conciliis generalibus quoad multitudinem episcoporum quatuor apostolorum 412concilia tenuerunt primatum, et post quatuor concilia principalia, de quibus XVIª dist. Omnibus, et quatuor fuerunt sollempnes sinodi (ut patet XVI. dist. Omnibus). Omnibus tamen istis hoc imperfeccionis fuit quod unusquisque tamquam ignarus consulendo quesivit ab alio. Non sic autem in concilio increato nec in concilio quod Christus cum apostolis celebravit; ipse enim omnisciens non consuluit eos in sibi ambiguis sed per se diffinivit et auctorizavit quid foret ecclesie faciendum; quod pape non potest competere. Ideo concilia posterius solempnizata non possunt nisi equivoce dici concilia vel generalia aut decreta, inter illa tamen quatuor concilia apostolorum racionabiliter habent preeminenciam dignitatis.

To the fourth argument, [made] to declare this, that neither the apostles nor 411the other faithful were of the church before the faith was declared by the holy fathers in general councils, the reply is fourfold.¹ And I suppose each of these replies valid, since otherwise they would be heaped up too superfluously. The first reply, and in its most valid part, says that before the death of Christ the doctrine of our faith was sufficiently spread abroad by Christ and his apostles, and declared by holy fathers (supply: by Christ and the apostles) before the death of Christ in general councils celebrated; and that those councils held before the death of Christ between Christ and the apostles with their disciples, about the things which pertain to faith, were general.² It is clear by the definition of a general council set down in the gloss of John on Distinction 17, chapter Generalia, where it is said that that is a general council which is celebrated by the pope, or his legate, or one holding his place, with all the bishops.³ Since therefore in Matthew 10 it is said that Christ called together his disciples and, expounding the faith to them, gave them privileges and manifold powers, it seems that he then celebrated a general council; and the same is clear in Matthew 15 and Mark 6, and often before the death of Christ, where it speaks of his having called the disciples together.⁴ And this saying is in part catholic, since the whole Trinity by eternal counsel decreed the course of the church, and took counsel for the patriarchs, the prophets and the head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ, [as to] the course according to which holy mother church should proceed. Nevertheless it is not necessary that all the bishops be gathered to such a council; nor does the multitude of persons taking counsel of itself contribute to the generality of a council, since the most general, because it is the principle for all the others, is the uncreated council.⁵ Nevertheless, among the councils of the apostles and the other councils general as to the multitude of bishops, four councils of the apostles 412held the primacy, and after [them] four principal councils, of which Distinction 16, Omnibus; and there were four solemn synods (as is clear, Distinction 16, Omnibus).⁶ Yet all these had this much of imperfection, that each, as one ignorant, inquired of another by taking counsel. But it is not so in the uncreated council, nor in the council which Christ celebrated with the apostles; for he, all-knowing, did not consult them in things doubtful to himself, but of himself defined and authorized what was to be done by the church; which cannot belong to a pope.⁷ Therefore councils solemnized later can only equivocally be called councils, or general, or decrees; among them, however, the four councils of the apostles reasonably have the pre-eminence of dignity.⁸

Notes

1 A in the margin at 410.30: Quarta responsio. C. Pro declaracione huius quod ... is taken with the argument: Wyclif’s fourth argument drew from the doctor’s definition (a faith "afterwards declared by the holy fathers in general councils", 17-e ¶1) that neither the apostles nor the other faithful were of the church before such councils; the doctor answers it in four ways. It could instead be taken with respondetur: the doctor replies "in order to explain" that point.
2 Suppono quamlibet ... validam: ironic; four replies would be heaped up needlessly unless each stood. Secundum partem validissimam: "in its most valid part", agreeing with partem; it may be read as "the first and in part the most valid". T. At 411.5 A and A₁ read validiss.ma (so the foot of the page; the form is unclear). R. A in the margin at 411.12: Nota de conciliis generalibus.
3 The glosa Johannis: the ordinary gloss of Johannes Teutonicus on the Decretum, at D. 17: Generalia is Gratian’s opening dictum of D. 17, Generalia concilia (Friedberg I, 50), and the gloss there, signed Ioan., defines Universale est quod a Papa, vel eius legato cum omnibus episcopis statuitur; aut locum eius tenente is not in the printed gloss. T. At 411.22 B reads ubi legitur. R. A in the margin at 411.16: Quid est concilium generale?; B: Generale concilium quid sit nota.
4 Matthew 10:1; Matthew 15:32; Mark 6:7: in each Christ calls the disciples together; the references are paraphrased, not quoted.
5 Consilio ... consuluit: the play on concilium and consilium, council and counsel, runs through the passage. Consuluit with the dative is taken as "took counsel for", provided for. Facit ad is "contributes to".
6 Loserth: "Dist. XV vel XVI. Omnibus non extat"; the four councils received like the four gospels are in D. 15 c. 2, Sicut sancti evangelii (PL 187; Friedberg: Sicut sancti euangelii quatuor libros, sic quatuor concilia suscipere et venerari me fateor). D. 17 opens with Gratian’s dictum Generalia concilia, so Wyclif’s "chapter Generalia" is loose. T. At 412.2 B reads XV. R. B in the margin at 412.2: Quatuor consilia apostolorum et quatuor fuerunt solempnes sinodi, ut patet XVI. dist. Omnibus, the same words as the parenthesis of the text. C. Quoad multitudinem episcoporum is taken with generalibus: general in the number of bishops present.
7 Quod pape non potest competere: no pope can define of himself, as the all-knowing Christ did; so a pope’s council can only consult. T. At 412.10 B omits potest.
8 Equivoce: later councils are called councils, general, and their acts decrees, in another sense than the council of Christ with the apostles. The four councils of the apostles are not named; the councils of Acts are presumably meant.

How the Latin of this chapter was established

Plate readings; page · reading · note):
- 411: alii (alinea P and 185d folio mark glued)
- 411: XVIIª
- 411: illud (15 is the line number; italic)
- 412: XVIª
- 412: Christus