Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 2, part 4

False Christs; Urban VI our head, believed with misgiving

Loserth pp. 36.25–38.24

¶136.25–38.24

36Tercio confirmatur ex prophecia Christi Matth. XXIV° 5, quam necesse est impleri. Multi inquit venient in nomine meo, dicentes: Ego sum Christus, et multos seducent. Cum ergo quicunque de se sic opinatus fuerit supra sanctos apostolos dicit implicite quod est Christus, videtur quod de quocunque tali (ut exponit Augustinus) verificatur Christi necessaria prophecia, et per consequens, supponendum est quodcunque 37dogma huius esse (ut dicit Christus) dogma falsum ecclesie seductivum. Unde iuxta seriem prophecie Christi ista blasphemia presupposita erit seminarium preliorum etc. Ex istis videtur mihi nimis temerarium asserere quod aliquis papa in decretali sua intenderit dictum sensum; sed sive Christus immediate sive quicunque eius discipulus ubicunque terrarum a spiritu sancto missus converterit in virtute Christi quamcunque personam vel populum, sufficit sibi cum finali perseverancia ad salutem. Et satis est sibi pro fide articuli de ecclesia catholica, ut credat fide formata quod sit una universitas fidelium predestinatorum, salvanda virtute meriti Christi, licet non expressius et particularius descenderit ad aliquem eius vicarium. Nec oportet credere vel implicite quod iste quicunque Romanus pontifex sit caput cuiusquam particularis ecclesie, nisi Deus ipsum predestinaverit, quia aliter oporteret fidem catholicam esse falsam et christianum fateri mendacium. Et ita, sicut non est de substancia fidei credere explicite quod iste Bonifacius, Clemens vel Urbanus sit predestinatus vel membrum sancte matris ecclesie, sic nec est de necessitate salutis omnium christianorum secum conversancium, ut explicite credant ipsum esse caput cuiusquam ecclesie, nisi facta et vita evangelica evidencius moveant ad credendum. Sed benedictus dominus matris nostre qui nostre peregrinanti iuvencule diebus istis providit caput catholicum, virum evangelicum Urbanum sextum qui rectificando instantem ecclesiam, ut vivat conformiter legi Christi, 38ordinatur ordinate a se ipso et suis domesticis. Ideo oportet ex operibus credere quod ipse sit caput nostre ecclesie, cum mediate vel immediate influit motum tendendi sursum ad corpus Christi, ubi congregabuntur et aquile; et in facto docet mediate vel immediate mundana spernere et sapide sentire celestia. Ista autem fides de nostro capite tam graciose et legitime nobis dato est credenda cum quadam formidine de corona sue finalis perseverancie. Ideo necesse est nobis fructuosa oracione pulsare Deum continue, ut ipse semper vacet nobis et eligat caput tale. Nec dubito quin ipse detestaretur hunc sensum decretalis predicte quod sit de absoluta necessitate salutis cuiuslibet christiani subesse sibi in mundanis honoribus vel servicio seculari, cum non querit nostra sed nos, volens instar apostoli aliquem fructum spiritualem in nobis sicut in ceteris gentibus impertiri. Nec dubium quin nos omnes tenemur subesse sibi de quanto tamquam verus Christi vicarius mandat magistri sui consilia et non ultra. Et sic licet omnes christiani tenentur esse subiecti invicem in timore, sibi tamen (in quantum talis) est necessarium ex supposicione subici, cum regit tam evangelice tantum gregem. Et ex istis potest colligi sensus decretalis catholicus.

Third, it is confirmed from Christ’s prophecy, Matt. 24:5, which must of necessity be fulfilled: "For many", he says, "will come in my name saying, I am Christ. And they will seduce many." Since, then, whoever has so held of himself [that he is] above the holy apostles says implicitly that he is Christ, it seems that of any such man (as Augustine expounds) Christ’s necessary prophecy is verified; and consequently it is to be supposed that every 37dogma of his is (as Christ says) a false dogma, seductive of the churchecclesia: church.1 Hence, according to the sequence of Christ’s prophecy, this blasphemy, once presupposed, will be a seed-bed of battles, etc.2 From these things it seems to me too rash to assert that any popepapa: pope meant the said sense in his decretal; but whether Christ immediately, or any disciple of his anywhere on earth sent by the Holy Spirit, has converted any person or people in the power of Christ, it suffices him, with final perseverance, for salvation. And it is enough for him, for faith in the article about the catholic church, that he believe with formed faithfides formata / informis: formed faith / unformed faith that it is one whole body of the predestinatepredestinatus, -i: the predestinate (sg. "a predestinate [person]") faithful, to be saved by virtue of the merit of Christ, although he has not descended more expressly and particularly to any vicar of his.3 Nor is it necessary to believe, even implicitly, that this Roman pontiff, whoever he is, is head of any particular church, unless God has predestined him, since otherwise the catholic faith would have to be false, and a Christian to confess a lie. And so, just as it is not of the substance of faith to believe explicitly that this Boniface, Clement or Urban is predestinate or a member of holy mother church, so neither is it of necessity for the salvation of all Christians living with him that they explicitly believe him to be head of any church, unless deeds and evangelical life move them more evidently to believe.4

But blessed be the lord of our mothermater nostra: our mother, who in these days has provided for our young girl, a pilgrimpars peregrinans; peregrinari: the pilgrim part; to be a pilgrim, a catholic head, an evangelical man, Urban VI,5 who, in setting right the present church, so that it may live in conformity with the law of Christ, 38is set in due order, beginning with himself and his household.6 Therefore one must believe from his works that he is head of our church, since mediately or immediately he infuses the motion of tending upward to the body of Christ, where the eagles also will be gathered; and in deed he teaches, mediately or immediately, to spurn worldly things and to savour heavenly things with relish.7 And this faith about our head, so graciously and lawfully given to us, is to be believed with a certain misgivingformido (sine / cum formidine): misgiving about the crown of his final perseverance. Therefore it is necessary for us with fruitful prayer to knock at God continually, that he may always attend to us and choose such a head.8 Nor do I doubt that he [Urban] would detest this sense of the aforesaid decretal, that it is of absolute necessity for the salvation of every Christian to be subject to him in worldly honours or secular serviceservicium: service, since he seeks not ours but us, wishing after the pattern of the apostle to impart some spiritual fruit in us, as in the other gentiles.9 Nor is there doubt that we are all bound to be subject to him in so far as, as a true vicar of Christ, he commands the counsels of his master, and no further. And so, although all Christians are bound to be subject one to another in fear, yet to him (in so far as he is such) it is necessary on supposition to be subject, since he rules so great a flock so evangelically. And from these things the catholic sense of the decretal can be gathered.10

Notes

  1. 1 Matt. 24:5 (DR), the Vulgate with inquit added. B’s margin: Math. 24. Ut exponit Augustinus: Loserth refers to Augustine, Sermon 292, in natali Ioannis Baptistae (Opp. V, pt. 2, p. 1172 ff.; PL 38:1323, §6); B’s margin: Augustinus. Dogma huius: Loserth glosses huius as cuiuscunque talis (36.30), "of any such man". Supra sanctos apostolos depends on opinatus: whoever thinks himself above the apostles.
  2. 2 Seminarium preliorum: the next words of the prophecy, Matt. 24:6, "wars and rumours of wars", which Wyclif cuts short with etc.
  3. 3 Intenderit: "meant" (of a sense), not "maintained". Pro fide articuli de ecclesia catholica: the creed’s article on the church (cf. 9.4). Universitas: "one whole body", the totality of the predestinate (Loserth’s side-note: "the whole body"). Descenderit: the believer’s faith need not come down to a particular vicar. A and B’s margins: Conclusio; Nota bene articulum fidei credendum de ecclesia catholica. B expressimus (37.14).
  4. 4 Vel implicite … explicite: the pair of implicit and explicit faith (the glossary, ). Bonifacius, Clemens vel Urbanus: Boniface VIII, author of the decretal; Clement, either Clement V (author of Meruit, 32.33) or Clement VII, elected against Urban in September 1378; Urban VI. We do not decide. B de obediencia fidei (37.20).
  5. 5 Nostre peregrinanti iuvencule: A₁’s nostre, which Loserth prints; AB nostri. The church militant is the pilgrim young girl (iuvencula, kept apart from the Song’s adolescentula, "young maiden", p. 9). Urban VI (Bartolomeo Prignano, archbishop of Bari) was elected on 8 April 1378 and crowned on Easter Sunday, 18 April (Loserth’s note). A and B’s margins: Nota de Urbano VI.
  6. 6 Ordinatur: Loserth’s emendation, translated as printed (the house rule: his text unless it will not construe): "is set in due order", a se ipso "beginning with himself". The MSS have orditur, "begins" (his note "In codd. orditur"), which gives nearly the same sense. Ordinate: "in due order": reform begins at home.
  7. 7 Ubi congregabuntur et aquile: Luke 17:37 (Loserth; also Matt. 24:28), DR "thither will the eagles also be gathered together"; Wyclif makes corpus the body of Christ. B influit modum (38.3–4); AA₁ sapida sentire (38.6). B’s margin: Ecce quomodo Urbanum esse caput nostrum dicit esse fidem credendam cum formidine.
  8. 8 Formido: the "misgiving" that qualifies assent (the glossary, ): Urban’s headship is believed, but his final perseverance is not certain. Ut ipse semper vacet nobis et eligat caput tale: we take ipse as God, who chooses the head; it could be Urban ("that he may always give himself to us"), but eligat caput then has no fit subject.
  9. 9 Non querit nostra sed nos: 2 Cor. 12:14, DR "For I seek not the things that are yours, but you". Aliquem fructum … sicut in ceteris gentibus impertiri: Rom. 1:13, DR "that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles", with impertiri from Rom. 1:11, "that I may impart unto you some spiritual grace". The ipse here is Urban.
  10. 10 Eph. 5:21 (Loserth), DR "Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ"; Wyclif drops Christi. Sibi tamen: Loserth’s text; the MSS have sibi tam (38.21). Mandat magistri sui consilia: "commands the counsels of his master", i.e. hands on Christ’s precepts and counsels. Ex supposicione: on the supposition that he rules evangelically. AA₁ regem for gregem (38.23).
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 36: ∅ ('thus’ is side-note text (Those who thus))
    • 37: dogma (133a is the folio mark)
    • 37: ecclesia (133b is the folio mark)
    • 37: una (following a is side-note text)
    • 37: meriti
  • 38.1 ordinatur: Loserth’s emendation, translated; the MSS' orditur in n. 6.
  • 37.27 nostre: A₁; AB nostri. 38.21 sibi tamen: Loserth’s correction (MSS sibi tam).