Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 2, part 3

Subjection to the pope is not of necessity for salvation

Loserth pp. 32.9–36.24

¶132.9–36.4

32Item, stat christianum habere graciam a Deo cum hoc quod non credat esse aliquem talem papam, eo quod non oportet Deum uti eo ut ministro, dando quamcunque graciam. Et per idem, stat ipsum cum aliis paribus mori in gracia sine tali subieccione recognita; quo facto foret salus facta christiano sine subieccione huiusmodi. Ergo illa non est de necessitate salutis cuiuslibet christiani. Antecedens videtur satis possibile de communi lege. Item, in maiori libertate est christianitas posita tempore legis gracie quam fuit posita tempore ante legem vel tempore sinagoge, sed tunc non oportuit omnem salvandum subici summo sacerdoti, levitico vel primogenito, sed suffecit servando iusticiam credere jn dominum Jesum Christum: ergo multo magis extenso merito Christi Jesu secundum legem perfecte libertatis. Minor patet de Job gentili, de bragmannis et multis aliis philosophis qui sine sensibili obediencia facta sacerdoti tali ex fide et iusticia operum sunt salvandi. Quare ergo non sic possent Greci et Indy subditi sancto Thome? Immo sic fuit de Paulo et multis conversis suis tempore sancti Petri. Non enim facit ista extravagans decretalis, ut christianitas ligetur servilius quam perante, ut patet de extravagante Clementis sequente in qua ostenditur quod rex Francie non exinde fuit sibi plus subditus quam perante. 33Item, nemo fit perplexus ex lege Christi obligatus ad impossibile, sed hoc contingeret data ista sentencia: ergo oportet ipsam esse mendacium. Minor probatur per hoc quod multi infantes statim post baptismum mortui non habent prudenciam, ut taliter subsint pape, nec virtutes infuse inclinant ad talem subieccionem, sicut inclinant ad subieccionem domino Jesu Christo. Et idem videtur de multis fidelibus adultis in diversis insulis qui neque si est huiusmodi papa audierunt. Similiter, pro tempore intercidente inter mortes paparum sunt christiani eque fideles ut ante vel post, et cum tunc non sunt sic subditi, sequitur quod talis subieccio non sit de necessitate salutis cuiuslibet christiani. Stat autem infantem in illo meditulio temporis nasci, baptizari et mori quem oportet concedere salvari, licet non sit subiectus tali Romano pontifici. Similiter, si ecclesia militans indigeret tantum influxu huius pape, videtur quod decapitata sentiret saltem in effectu subtraccionem suffragii; sic enim periret sancta mater ecclesia eciam interduo, nisi haberet influenciam domini Jesu Christi. Et si solum per accidens iste influit, quomodo est hoc de necessitate salutis ecclesie? Similiter, tunc ad perversionem domini pape necessitaretur totus populus christianus perverti, cum tunc deficeret sibi salus; sed maioris partis ecclesie potestati non subest quod papa sit moraliter bonus: ergo nec quod ipsa sit moraliter bona. Nemo enim potest dicere quod a papa prescito ut membro diaboli dependet salus cuiuslibet christiani, nec aliquis finget quod papa in quantum huiusmodi sit confirmatus in gracia. Similiter, supposito quod papa decrepitus cedat papatui et succedat alius minus bonus, sicut videtur multis probabiliter fuisse de Celestino et Bonifacio VIII° qui 34edidit hoc decretum, tunc videtur ex vi communionis sanctorum quod, si sit talis salutis dependencia, salus Bonifacii pocius dependet a spirituali suffragio Celestini quam econtra, quia aliter introitus vulpinus in illud officium necessitaret Deum ad mendicandum a vulpe tali suffragium sue ecclesie. Videtur ergo quod Jnfluencia domini pape non sit nisi per accidens necessaria de quanto racione meriti sui est gratus Deo et utilis ecclesie pro qua orat; et talis necessitas ex supposicione, ex vi communionis sanctorum est in quocunque membro ecclesie, plus tamen in papa quam in aliis, si dictis et nomini facta compensent, vivendo similius vite Christi; et conformiter dicitur de subieccione et obediencia, quod ipsa debet extendi generaliter ad omnes, eciam ad discolos et tyrannos, sed precipue ad dominum papam, sicut ipse debet esse spiritualiter subiectus et obediens sue ecclesie, et sic obediencior atque in servitute subieccior quam aliquis subditorum. Confirmatur ex fide scripture Act. X°, de Cornelio cuius oraciones Deus accersivit ante colloquium cum papa Petro veniente ad eum pedestri et hospitante in domo corriarii; cuius diffinicio fuit talis: Non est personarum acceptor Deus, sed in omni gente qui timet eum et operatur iusticiam acceptus est illi. Nec dubium quin, si Deus misisset alium, eque fuisset Cornelius salvatus, ut patet de eunucho baptizato a Philippo (de quo Actorum VIII° cap.) et de gentibus conversis a Paulo et Barnaba (de quo Actorum XV°). Non enim diffinierunt apostoli ut gentes obedirent Petro, sed quod gracia spiritus sancti et domini Jesu Christi sufficit ubique terrarum cuilibet christiano. 35Item, cum non sit pertinens isti responsioni loqui de subieccione nisi de subieccione civili quali subditus subicitur domino seculari, videtur responsionem istam innuere quod oportet omnem christianum, si vult esse filius ecclesie, esse sic subiectum domino pape. Quod videtur falsum, cum nec Christus nec aliquis eius apostolus exegit talem subieccionem, sed manifeste prohibuit (ut patet Luce XXII°). Cum ergo multi christiani tunc temporis ante dotacionem ecclesie consecuti sunt salutem, ut oportet ex fide credere de sanctis martyribus qui non fecerunt talem subieccionem Romano pontifici, cum omnibus eis suffecit ad salutem fides formata et caput Christi: videtur quod inducere aliam subieccionem necessario fiendam Christi vicario sapit heresim. Christus enim in detestacionem subieccionis huiusmodi lavit pedes discipulorum suorum et tergebat lintheo quo se succinxit, Joh. XIII°. Petrus eciam post ascensionem fuit missus a sociis cum Johanne in Samariam (ut patet Act. VIII° et Gal. II°), sicut pacienter sustinuit ut debuit reprehensionem a Paulo (ut patet Gal. II°). Iste autem non sunt exacciones subieccionis civilis a subditis, sed pocius humiliacionis penes quas attenditur eorum maioritas, et sic vixerunt multi pape martyres in maximo cremento ecclesie. Dotatio ergo ecclesie non introduxit novum articulum fidei, ut sit necessarium ad salutem cuiuslibet christiani sic subici Romano pontifici. Confirmatur ex fide scripture: Nam Act. IV° diffinit Petrus quod Christus factus est in caput anguli et non est in aliquo alio salus. Nec enim est aliud nomen sub celo datum hominibus in quo nos oporteat salvos fieri. Cum ergo nomen 36cuiuscunque christiani pontificis sit aliud quam nomen huius capitis, sequitur quod in nullo tali nomine oportet ecclesiam salvari. Loquitur autem scriptura de nomine reali cui oportet credendo subici.

Again, it can be that a Christian has grace from God while he does not believe that there is any such popepapa: pope, because God need not use him as minister in giving any grace whatever. And by the same token, it can be that he, with others like him, dies in grace without such subjection being acknowledged; and that done, salvation would have been accomplished for a Christian without subjection of this kind. Therefore it is not of necessity for the salvation of every Christian. The antecedentconsequens / antecedens: consequent / antecedent seems possible enough by the common law.1 Again, Christianity is placed in greater freedom in the time of the law of gracelex gracie: the law of grace than it was placed in the time before the law or in the time of the synagogue; now at that time it was not necessary that everyone to be saved should be subject to the high priest, levitical or firstborn, but it sufficed, keeping justice, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ: therefore much more [so now], the merit of Christ Jesus being extended according to the law of perfect liberty.2 The minor is clear from Job the gentile, from the Brahmans and many other philosophers, who without perceptiblesensibilis: perceptible obedience rendered to such a priest are to be saved by faith and the justice of works. Why, then, could not the Greeks and the Indians subject to St Thomas be so? Indeed, so it was with Paul and many of his converts in the time of St Peter.3 For this extravagant decretal does not bring it about that Christianity is bound more servilely than before, as is clear from the extravagant of Clement that follows, in which it is shown that the king of France was not thereby more subject to him than before.4 33Again, no one is made perplexedperplexus: perplexed by the law of Christ, bound to the impossible; now this would happen given this teachingsentencia: CONTEXTUAL: teaching / sentence: therefore it must be a lie. The minor is proved by this, that many infants who die immediately after baptism do not have the prudence to be subject to the pope in this way, nor do the infused virtues incline to such subjection, as they incline to subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. And the same seems [true] of many adult faithful in various islands, who have not heard even whether there is a pope of this kind.5 Similarly, in the time intervening between the deaths of popes there are Christians equally faithful as before or after; and since then they are not so subject, it followssequitur: it follows that such subjection is not of necessity for the salvation of every Christian. And it can be that an infant is born, baptized and dies in that middle space of time, whom one must grant to be saved, although he is not subject to such a Roman pontiff. Similarly, if the church militantecclesia militans / triumphans / dormiens: the church militant / triumphant / sleeping needed the inflow of this pope so much, it seems that, beheaded, it would feel at least in effect the withdrawal of the suffragesuffragia: suffrages; for so holy mother churchecclesia: church would perish even in the interval, unless it had the influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if he flows in only by accident, how is this of necessity for the salvation of the church?6 Similarly, then, upon the perversion of the lord pope the whole Christian people would be necessitated to be perverted, since then salvation would fail it; now it is not in the power of the greater part of the church that the pope be morally good: therefore neither [is it in its power] that it itself be morally good.7 For no one can say that the salvation of every Christian depends on a foreknownprescitus, -i: the foreknown pope as a member of the devil, nor will anyone feign that the pope as such is confirmed in grace.8 Similarly, supposing that a decrepit pope resigns the papacy and another, less good, succeeds, as seems to many probably to have been the case with Celestine and Boniface VIII, who 34issued this decree, then it seems, by force of the communion of saints, that, if there is such a dependence of salvation, the salvation of Boniface depends rather on the spiritual suffrage of Celestine than the reverse; since otherwise a fox-like entry into that office would necessitate God to begmendicacio; mendicare; mendicitas: begging; to beg; beggary from such a fox the suffrage of his church.9 It seems, then, that the influence of the lord pope is necessary only by accident, in so far as by reason of his merit he is pleasing to God and useful to the church for which he prays; and such necessity on supposition, by force of the communion of saints, is in every member of the church, yet more in the pope than in others, if his deeds answer to his words and his name, by living more like the life of Christ. And in conformity [with this] it is said of subjection and obedience that it ought to be extended generally to all, even to the frowarddiscoli: froward and to tyrants, but especially to the lord pope; just as he ought to be spiritually subject and obedient to his church, and so more obedient, and more subject in servitude, than any of his subjects.10 It is confirmed from the faith of scriptureex fide: as faith teaches; with a genitive, from the faith of [scripture], Acts 10, about Cornelius, whose prayers God summoned [to himself] before the conversation with Pope Peter, who came to him on foot and lodged in the house of a tanner; whose definition was this: "God is not a respecter of persons. But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh justice is acceptable to him."11 Nor is there doubt that, if God had sent another, Cornelius would have been saved equally, as is clear of the eunuch baptized by Philip (of whom Acts ch. 8) and of the gentiles converted by Paul and Barnabas (of whom Acts 15). For the apostles did not define that the gentiles should obey Peter, but that the grace of the Holy Spirit and of the Lord Jesus Christ suffices everywhere on earth for every Christian.12

35Again, since it is not pertinent to this reply to speak of subjection except of civil subjection, such as that by which a subject is subject to a secular lord, this reply seems to imply that every Christian, if he wishes to be a son of the church, must be so subject to the lord pope. This seems false, since neither Christ nor any apostle of his exacted such subjection, but [Christ] manifestly forbade it (as is clear from Luke 22).13 Since, then, many Christians at that time, before the endowmentdotacio: endowment of the church, attained salvation, as one must believe as faith teaches of the holy martyrs who did not render such subjection to the Roman pontiff, since formed faithfides formata / informis: formed faith / unformed faith and Christ the head sufficed all of them for salvation: it seems that to bring in another subjection, necessarily to be rendered to the vicar of Christ, savours of heresy. For Christ, in detestation of subjection of this kind, washed the feet of his disciples and wiped them with the towel with which he had girded himself, John 13. Peter also, after the ascension, was sent by his fellows with John into Samaria (as is clear from Acts 8 and Gal. 2), just as he patiently bore, as he ought, rebuke from Paul (as is clear from Gal. 2).14 And these are not exactions of civil subjection from subjects, but rather of humiliation, by which their greatnessprioritas; majoritas: priority; greatness is measured; and so lived many martyr popes in the greatest growth of the church. The endowment of the church, therefore, did not bring in a new article of faitharticulus fidei: article of faith, that it should be necessary for the salvation of every Christian to be so subject to the Roman pontiff. It is confirmed from the faith of scripture: for in Acts 4 Peter defines that Christ "is become the head of the corner", and that there is not salvation in any other. "For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved." Since, then, the name 36of any Christian pontiff is other than the name of this head, it follows that the church must be saved in no such name. Now scripture speaks of a real name, to which one must be subject by believing.15

¶236.5–36.24

36Secundo confirmatur ex textu apostoli I. Cor. 1° et 111° capitulis, ubi apostolus recitat inter carnales conversos fuisse contenciones et scismata. Unus inquit dicit: Ego quidem sum Pauli, ego autem Apollo, ego autem Cephe. Et post ostendit quod non refert per quorum apostolorum ministrum convertantur, cum tamen credant in fundamentum ecclesie quod non potest poni aliud preter id quod positum est, Christus Jesus. Sicut autem non refert per quam lucernam illuminetur domus ad hoc quod operarius faciat opus suum per quod acquirat stipendium, sic non refert per quem Christi ministrum, sacerdotem vel laicum, christianus accipiat lumen fidei, ut mereatur salutem perpetuam. Nec dubito quin nullus Christi vicarius presumeret asserere quod necesse est, ut lumen fidei cuilibet christiano per ipsum veniat et sic salus; quia hoc esset nedum asserere ipsum confirmatum in gracia et doctrina, sed parificare ipsum cum Christo, cum nonnisi per ipsum Deus posset communicare virtutem sue ecclesie.

Second, it is confirmed from the text of the apostle, 1 Cor. chapters 1 and 3, where the apostle recounts that among the carnal converts there were contentions and schisms. "One", he says, "says: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I of Cephas." And afterwards he shows that it does not matter through the minister of which apostles they are converted, provided they believe in the foundation of the church, other than which none can be laid but that which is laid, Christ Jesus.16 And just as it does not matter by what lamp a house is lit, for the workman to do his work, by which he earns his wage, so it does not matter through what minister of Christ, priestsacerdos / presbiter: priest / presbyter or layman, a Christian receives the light of faith, so as to merit everlasting salvation. Nor do I doubt that no vicar of Christ would presume to assert that it is necessary that the light of faith, and so salvation, should come to every Christian through him; for this would be not only to assert that he is confirmed in grace and doctrinedoctrina: doctrine, but to make him equal with Christ, since [then] God could communicate virtue to his church only through him.17

Notes

  1. 1 Stat: "it can be", i.e. the case is consistent (the logician’s stat quod), as below. Cum hoc quod: "while", together with the fact that. De communi lege: by God’s common law, his ordinary way of giving grace, as against a privilege.
  2. 2 Summo sacerdoti, levitico vel primogenito: under the synagogue the levitical high priest; before the law the firstborn, who held the priesthood. Lex perfecte libertatis: Jas. 1:25, DR "the perfect law of liberty". Multo magis: we supply "[so now]"; the clause is elliptical.
  3. 3 Ex fide et iusticia operum: "by faith and the justice of works", not the formula ex fide (the participle salvandi governs). Bragmannis: the Brahmans, the virtuous gentiles of the Alexander legend (B bergmanis). Indy subditi sancto Thome: the tradition that the apostle Thomas evangelized India (Latin Passio Thomae, e.g. Orderic Vitalis, Hist. eccl. II, PL 188:158A). A reads omnem omnem (32.21).
  4. 4 Extravagans Clementis sequente: Clement V, Meruit (1306), which declares that Unam sanctam brings no prejudice to the king and kingdom of France; Loserth: Extrav. comm. 5.7.2 (our modern form of his "lib. V, tit. VII, cap. II"). Sequente: we take it as following Unam sanctam in time. Perante: "before" (late Latin).
  5. 5 Perplexus: bound to sin, or here to fail, whichever way one turns (the glossary, ). Virtutes infuse: the infused virtues given at baptism. Neque si … audierunt: "have not heard even whether".
  6. 6 Meditulio temporis: "the middle space of time", the vacancy. Interduo: as printed; not a classical word. We take it as "in the interval" (between two popes), from the vacancy just named; interdiu ("by day") and interdum ("at times") give poorer sense. A Latin doubt. Influxu: the head’s inflow into the body, the figure of Christ’s headship.
  7. 7 The argument: if salvation depended on the pope, a perverse pope would necessitate the people’s perversion; but the church cannot make the pope good, so (on this teaching) it could not make itself good. B reads nunciaretur for necessitaretur (33.24–25, apparatus).
  8. 8 Prescito: A reads scito, corrected in A₁’s margin to prescito (apparatus to 33.29). Membro diaboli: the foreknown are members of the devil, as the predestinate are members of Christ.
  9. 9 Introitus vulpinus: the tale that Boniface VIII came into the papacy "like a fox", having induced Celestine V to resign, summed up in the saying intravit ut vulpes, regnavit ut leo, mortuus est ut canis, whose medieval source we have not traced. A reads Celestii (34.3). Mendicare: "to beg". Hoc decretum: Unam sanctam.
  10. 10 Per accidens … de quanto: the pope’s influence is needed only "in so far as" he is pleasing to God by merit. Necessitas ex supposicione: conditional necessity (the glossary, necessitas supposicionis). Si dictis et nomini facta compensent: "if his deeds answer to his words and name" (the name of papa, father). B reads vi oracionis (34.10) and obieccione (34.14).
  11. 11 Accersivit (AB accercivit), "summoned": the print, translated as it stands (the house rule: Loserth’s text unless it will not construe; A₁ alone never outweighs it). God calls the prayers up to himself (cf. Acts 10:4, "are ascended for a memorial"). A₁ reads acceptavit, "accepted". Papa Petro: Wyclif’s barb, the "pope" who came on foot. Corriarii: the tanner Simon (Acts 10:6). Acts 10:34–35 (DR; Loserth), without the opening In veritate comperi quia; diffinicio, Peter’s "definition".
  12. 12 Acts 8:26–39 (the eunuch) and Acts 15 (the council’s decision on the gentiles); B’s margin cites Act. VIII. B lacks apostoli (34.29).
  13. 13 Isti responsioni: the reply at the beginning of the chapter, as Loserth notes. AA₁ lack nisi de subieccione (35.2), which changes nothing in the sense. Luke 22:25–26, DR "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them … But you not so". A’s margin: Papa non exigeret ab aliquo civilem subieccionem.
  14. 14 John 13:5, DR "wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded"; Wyclif quo se succinxit. The sending to Samaria is Acts 8:14; Gal. 2 has Peter with John among the "pillars" (2:9) and Paul’s rebuke at Antioch (2:11). Fuit missus a sociis: sent by his fellow apostles, not sending them.
  15. 15 Acts 4:11–12 (DR), with Wyclif’s order in aliquo alio and nos oporteat for the Vulgate’s in alio aliquo and oporteat nos. Penes quas attenditur eorum maioritas: their greatness is measured by their humiliations (cf. Luke 22:26). Nomine reali: the name as the thing named, the person of Christ, not the sound.
  16. 16 1 Cor. 1:12 (DR), which the Vulgate opens unusquisque vestrum dicit; Wyclif’s Unus … dicit, and ego autem Cephe for ego vero Cephae. 1 Cor. 3:11 is given indirectly, DR "For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid: which is Christ Jesus". Ministrum: Loserth’s print; AB ministerium, A₁ misterium (36.16).
  17. 17 Nedum … sed: "not only … but". Parificare: "make equal". Cum nonnisi per ipsum: on that assertion God could give grace to the church only through the pope. A reads uter lumen (36.19).
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 32: credere (cre-/dere hyphenated across line)
    • 32: dominum
    • 33: influenciam [NW]
    • 33: Christi
    • 34: Celestini
    • 34: ∅ ('of' is side-note text (The influence of the Pope))
    • 34: subieccior [NW]
    • 35: fiendam (print has fiendam) [NW]
    • 36: ubi
    • 36: parificare [NW]
    • 35: responsioni (clear e in print) [NW]
    • 34: X°, [-VERSE]
  • Loserth’s page-foot for p. 33 (apparatus and his English note on Celestine V) had been read into the Latin as two paragraphs; removed from the established text, and the chunk rebuilt to its true paragraphs (… Bonifacio VIII° qui | edidit hoc decretum, 33.34–34.1).
  • OCR scar corrected in the Latin: 32.15 stray is (the line number 15).
  • Print forms noted: jn (p. 32), Indy (p. 32), Jnfluencia (p. 34).
  • 33.c18 interduo: a Latin doubt (n. 6); not settled on the plate.