Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 7, part 5

The laity must not consent unexamined; three exhortations to the secular lords

Loserth pp. 156.15–157.24

¶1156.15–157.13

156Et iterum videtur clerum tam leviter et incircum- specte excommunicantem involvere seculares in sua excommunicacione erronea, cum ex eorum ducatu sepe per talem excommunicacionem pretensam puniunt innocentes, et per consequens, cum nec tenentur credere quod eorum quelibet excommunicacio sit iusta, nec ex fide scripture vel racione tenentur obedire clero in ista incarceracione servili, videtur ex timore peccati consensus quod non debent ante legitimam examinacionem cause et forme excommunicacionis punicioni huiusmodi consentire. Cum enim racio scripture sacre sit optimus legum interpres, patet quod adiutorium promissum a principibus in hac parte debet intelligi cum condicione quod talis incarceracio sit de numero operum elemosine pro quibus punientes sunt in finali iudicio premiandi. Sed scrutetur fidelis evangelium Matthei XXV° et videat si incarceracio excommunicatorum iniuste in aliquo operum misericordie sit contenta. Nec ignorancia excusat simpliciter ne peccetur, cum Paulus ex ignorancia veritatis scripture commisit blasphemiam, 157o(ut patet Iª Thymothei 1°). Nec dicat aliquis quod Anglia processit prospere, quando ecclesia habuit talia privilegia sic defensa, quia audacter assero quod non exinde promeruit, sed sicut iniquitas Amorreorum fuit in congregari per CCCCᵗᵒˢ annos et amplius (ut patet Gen. XV°); ex cuius cremento finaliter sunt destructi: sic timendum est de gente Anglie, nisi clerus redeat ad spiritualem humilitatem, ut olim, cum clerus ut anima et secularis ut corpus debent concorditer constituere virum unum; quod non potest fieri nisi ex mutua observancia legis Christi. Sepe enim in pruritu prosperitatis mundane est populus insensibiliter quoad Deum amplius peioratus.

And again, it seems that the clergyclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric, excommunicating so lightly and incautiously, involve the secularsecclesia laycalis / secularis: the lay church / the secular church in their erroneous excommunication, since under their leading [the seculars] often punish innocent men through such a pretended excommunication; and consequently, since they are neither bound to believe that every excommunication of theirs is just, nor bound, from the faithex fide: as faith teaches; with a genitive, from the faith of [scripture] of scripture or by reason, to obey the clergy in this servile imprisonment, it seems, out of fear of the sin of consent, that they ought not to consent to a punishment of this kind before a lawful examination of the cause and form of the excommunication.1 For since the reason of holy scripture is the best interpreter of laws, it is clear that the help promised by princes in this matter must be understood with the condition that such imprisonment be among the works of almselemosina: alms for which those who punish are to be rewarded at the final judgment. But let the faithful man search the gospel, Matthew 25, and see whether the imprisonment of the unjustly excommunicated is contained in any of the works of mercy.2 Nor does ignorance excuse without qualificationsimpliciter / secundum quid: without qualification / in a certain respect from sinning, since Paul, from ignorance of the truth of scripture, committed blasphemy 157(as is clear in 1 Timothy 1).3 Nor let anyone say that England prospered when the churchecclesia: church had such privileges so defended; for I boldly assert that it did not merit it on that account; but just as the iniquity of the Amorrhites was gathering for four hundred years and more (as is clear in Genesis 15), from whose growth they were finally destroyed, so it is to be feared of the English people, unless the clergy return to spiritual humility, as of old, when the clergy as soul and the secular as body ought in concord to make up one man; which cannot be done except by mutual observance of the law of Christlex dei / lex Christi / lex evangelica: God's law / the law of Christ / the gospel law. For often in the itch of worldly prosperity the people is imperceptiblyinsensibilis: imperceptible; of a thing that cannot feel, without sensation made worse as regards God.4

¶2157.14–157.24

157Hortandi tamen sunt domini seculares ne arguendo per locum ab insufficienti similitudine auferant vera privilegia ecclesie propter cupidinem temporalium vel vindictam. Hortandi sunt secundo ne ex invidia vel alia causa pretergrediente caritatis regulas sit fugitivo culpa imposita vel prodicionis suspicio palliata. Et hortandi sunt tercio ne alicubi et specialiter infra septa ecclesie sanguinem effundant innoxium, sed honorent sanctam matrem ecclesiam secundum regulas quas Christus sibi instituit; ad que omnia oportet omnino consulere sensum catholicum scripturarum.

Yet the secular lords are to be exhorted not, by arguing through the topic fromlocus a simili: the topic from likeness insufficient likeness, to take away the true privileges of the church out of greed for temporal goodstemporalia: temporal goods or out of vengeance. They are to be exhorted, secondly, that no guilt be laid on a fugitive, nor suspicion of treason cloaked, out of envy or any other cause going beyond the rules of charitycaritas: charity. And they are to be exhorted, thirdly, not to shed innocent blood anywhere, and especially within the precincts of the church, but to honour holy mother church according to the rules which Christ instituted for her; for all of which it is wholly necessary to consult the catholic sense of the scriptures.5

Notes

  1. 1 Ex eorum ducatu: under the clergy’s leading; the subject of puniunt is the seculars. Ex timore peccati consensus: we take consensus as genitive, "the sin of consent"; a nominative ("consent [is withheld] out of fear of sin") is possible. B punicionis (156.25).
  2. 2 Racio scripture … optimus legum interpres: Wyclif adapts the legal maxim that custom is the best interpreter of laws (Paul, Digest 1.3.37, optima enim est legum interpres consuetudo; also X 1.4.8, Friedberg II, 39–40). Matt. 25:31–46, the works of mercy, among them 25:36, DR "I was in prison, and you came to me" (cited, not quoted).
  3. 3 A margin Ignorancia non excusat (156.35). The o before (ut (157.1) is a stray token (OCR scar), not translated. 1 Tim. 1:13 (cited): DR "I did it ignorantly in unbelief". Simpliciter: without qualification (the glossary).
  4. 4 B exinde proverant (sic) (157.4). Fuit in congregari: an infinitive after in, as if in congregando; translated "was gathering"; doubtful. Gen. 15:13, 16 (cited): the four hundred years of 15:13 and DR "the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full" (15:16). Clerus ut anima et secularis ut corpus: the clergy as soul, the lay estate as body. A A₁ peioratur (157.13); the print est … peioratus is translated.
  5. 5 A margin Nota bonas hortaciones (157.14). D ne aliter (157.20); D infra cepta (157.20–21); A A₁ B lack Christus (157.21), which Loserth prints and we translate. Per locum ab insufficienti similitudine: the topic from likeness (glossary: locus a simili), here a likeness that does not suffice. Palliata: cloaked, given a false show. At the chapter’s end (157.24) the A margin has a Czech note, printed by Loserth as Nu zbohem mylym potahnyem dale and rendered Age, cum Deo caro (materiam) porro tractabo, "Come, with dear God I shall treat [the matter] further"; it is the scribe’s, not Wyclif’s.
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 157: Iª (150b folio mark; print Iª Thymothei)
    • 157: CCCCᵗᵒˢ (superscript tos as printed)
    • 157: olim
    • 157: peioratus [NW]
    • 157: culpa (150c is the folio mark)
  • Not Wyclif’s text, not translated: p. 157.1 o before (ut. OCR scars, translated as one word: p. 156.15–16 incircum- specte. Doubts: p. 157.5 fuit in congregari (n. 4).