Wyclif’s Latin works

De ecclesia, chapter 9, part 6

The hidden judgment; the sure way of temporal alms; the answer to the sixth objection

Loserth pp. 202.30–204.26

¶1202.30–204.26

202Et raciones omnium istorum sunt nobis abscondite, (ut dictum est.... capitulo). Nam secretum divine ordinacionis dies nostre mortis et dies finalis divisionis ideo sunt a mortalibus occultati, ut nec presumamus 203nec despiciamus, sed timentes senciamus humiliter et amemus generaliter; et quoad duo sequencia, ut vigilemus a peccato continue et obviam sponso cum oleo et lumine sollicitissime nos paremus. Et ista ignorancia est racionalis et salubris. Ideo pertinenter dicit canon sub auctoritate Augustini XXIIIª, q. IV: Quantus arrogancie tumor est, quanta humilitatis et lenitatis oblivio quantaque arrogancie iactancia, ut quis se credat posse facere quod nec apostolis concessit dominus, ut zizannia videlicet a frumento posse se putet discernere. Ex istis formari potest talis racio: Quilibet christianus debet in ambiguis viam perplexam abicere et viam securam eligere, sed omnis dominus secularis dotans vel privilegians ecclesiam est christianus cui talis duplex via exponitur, ergo debet eligere viam certam: sed certum est quod dare elemosinas temporales est via certa, dare autem elemosinas perpetuas est via ambigua, ergo prima via facilior et cercior est eligenda, neglecta alia. Quis queso presumeret viam eligere per quam verisimiliter credere posset Deum offendere? Quis insuper dubitat quin ex perpetuacione elemosinarum fundantur lites et bella per que subtrahitur religio christiana, originantur utrimque superbia et cetera vicia, in tantum quod elemosinarius insurgit saltem contencione cauterizante contra elemosinantem, et (quod est pessimum) surrepentibus multis discolis loco veri cleri cui donata sunt temporalia, aspiratur ad statum propter temporale lucrum, contempto vero officio? Omnia autem ista vel extinguerentur vel mitigarentur data elemosina temporaliter probabiliter egenis qui fideliter peragerent incumbens ministerium, et non data cece ad securandum 204discolos futuros quos datarius ignorat. Hoc enim plus consonat legi Christi qui nec suscepit nec docuit elemosinas tales fieri, sed pocius oppositum. Nec dubium quin temporalis elemosina de decimis, de oblacionibus et sponte oblatis sufficeret ad numerum tanti cleri quanto eget ecclesia. Non ergo ex veteri testamento vel novo fundari potest tanta et talis dotacio. Unde sophisma diaboli procedens nunc ex equivocis, nunc per locum ab insufficiente similitudine conturbat ecclesiam dicentem Canticorum VI°, 11°, Anima mea turbata est propter currus Aminadab. Nunc enim ecclesiastici procedunt currati cum multitudine cliencium quasi reges et reputant privilegium quod ceci et inhabiles et ignari preficiantur in altis statibus quoad mundum (de qua materia patet alibi). Sed redeundo ad difficultatem dicitur quod potentatuum seculi est privilegia terrena (quantum in eis est) concedere, et Dei virtute et gracia confirmare sine quibus non recipit privilegium ultimum complementum. Unde si hoc moveret, tunc nullus sacerdos posset conficere vel dare sacramenta, nullus fidelis posset facere opera meritoria, nec aliquis homo preter Christum dare alteri quevis dona. Omnia enim ista implicant graciam Dei, ideo non fiunt, nisi Deus approbando preveniat et det graciam; quod solus Deus potest facere.

And the reasons of all these are hidden from us (as was said in chapter [ ]).1 For the secret of the divine ordinanceordinacio; ordinancia: ordinance; of the sacrament, ordination, the day of our death and the day of the final division are hidden from mortals for this reason: that we neither presume 203nor despise, but, fearing, think humbly and love generally; and, as to the two that follow, that we watch continually against sin and most carefully make ourselves ready to meet the bridegroomsponsa / sponsus: bride / bridegroom with oil and light. And this ignorance is reasonable and wholesome.2 Therefore the canon says pertinently, under the authority of Augustine, C. 23 q. 4: "How great is the swelling of arrogance, how great the forgetfulness of humility and gentleness, and how great the boasting of arrogance, that anyone should believe he can do what the Lord did not grant even to the apostles, namely should think that he can distinguish the cocklezizania: cockle from the wheat."3 From these such an argument can be formed: Every Christian ought in doubtful things to reject the perplexedperplexus: perplexed way and choose the safe way; now every secular lord who endows or privilegesprivilegium / privilegiare / privilegiacio: privilege / to privilege / privileging the churchecclesia: church is a Christian to whom such a double way is set forth; therefore he ought to choose the certain way. Now it is certain that to give temporal almselemosina: alms is a certain way, but to give perpetual alms is a doubtful way; therefore the first way, easier and more certain, is to be chosen, the other being set aside.4 Who, I ask, would presume to choose a way by which he could in all likelihood believe that he would offend God? Who, moreover, doubts that from the perpetuation of alms there are founded lawsuits and wars, through which the Christian religion is withdrawn; that pride and the other vices arise on both sides, so far that the almsmanelemosinarius: almsman rises up, at least with a searing contention, against the almsgiver; and (what is worst) that, many frowarddiscoli: froward men creeping in in place of the true clergyclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric to whom the temporal goodstemporalia: temporal goods were given, men aspire to the state for temporal gain, the true office being despised?5 But all these things would either be extinguished or mitigated if alms were given for a time to those in probable need, who would faithfully carry out the ministry incumbent on them, and not given blindly to secure 204future froward men whom the giver does not know.6 For this accords more with the law of Christ, who neither received nor taught that such alms be made, but rather the opposite. Nor is there doubt that temporal alms from tithesdecime; pars decima: tithes; the tenth part, from oblations and from things freely offered would suffice for the number of so great a clergy as the church needs. Therefore so great and such an endowmentdotacio: endowment cannot be founded on the old testament or the new. Hence the devil’s sophismsophisma: sophism, proceeding now from equivocals, now by the topic from insufficient likeness, troubles the church, which says, Song of Songs 6:11: "My soul is troubled for the chariots of Aminadab."7 For now churchmenecclesiastici: CONTEXTUAL: clergy / those who belong to the church go forth in chariots with a multitude of retainers, like kings, and count it a privilegeprivilegium / privilegiare / privilegiacio: privilege / to privilege / privileging that the blind, the unqualifiedinhabilis: unqualified (to hold office) and the ignorant are set over high states as regards the world (on which matter it is clear elsewhere).8 But returning to the difficulty, the answer is that it belongs to the potentates of the world to grant earthly privileges (as far as in them lies), and to God to confirm them by power and grace, without which a privilege does not receive its final completion. Hence if this moved [us], then no priest could consecrate or give the sacraments, no faithful man could do meritorious works, nor could any man except Christ give another any gifts whatever. For all these imply the grace of God; therefore they are not done unless God, approving, goes before and gives grace; which God alone can do.9

Notes

  1. 1 The chapter number is wanting in the codices, which leave a gap (Loserth, 202.31); the English leaves the gap. Istorum: the divisions of each yoke into the saved and the damned (202.1–29, 09-e). B reads Nam decretum (202.31) for Nam secretum, "the decree of the divine ordinance"; the print is translated.
  2. 2 Nec presumamus nec despiciamus: that we neither presume [on our own salvation] nor despise [others]; despiciamus is translated as printed, though the usual pair is presumption and despair. Senciamus humiliter: cf. Romans 11:20, "Be not highminded, but fear". Quoad duo sequencia: the day of death and the day of the final division call for watchfulness. The oil and the light: the wise virgins (Matthew 25). The codices read solitissime (203.4); Loserth’s sollicitissime is translated.
  3. 3 Loserth: Decretum, Decr. II, causa XXII, q. IV, c. XV; the text above reads XXIIIª, and Loserth’s "XXII" is evidently a misprint for C. 23 (the modern form is ours). But the passage is c. 14 (Boni a malis numquam in hac vita penitus possunt separari; PL 187:1178; Friedberg I, 904–05), inscribed Augustine, De baptismo IV.12, who quotes Cyprian, Ep. 55; c. 15 is the Gregory passage at 201.6–9 (09-e). The cockle and the wheat: Matthew 13:24–30.
  4. 4 A margin Racio (203.12), and Nota contra perpetuacionem elemosine (203.17). The first sed brings the minor premiss ("now"), the second a new premiss ("now"). Elemosinas temporales: alms given for a time, against alms given in perpetuity. Side-notes 203.12, 203.17.
  5. 5 B reads contenciose (203.20). Contencione cauterizante: with a contention that burns like a cautery. Aspiratur, impersonal: men aspire. Elemosinarius … elemosinantem: the almsman, who receives, against the almsgiver, who gives (the glossary). Side-notes 203.23, 203.27.
  6. 6 Data elemosina temporaliter probabiliter egenis: ablative absolute with conditional force; we take probabiliter with egenis, "to those in probable need", as far as the giver can judge, set against cece, "blindly", below. Datarius: the giver.
  7. 7 Song of Songs 6:11: the Vulgate has anima mea conturbavit me propter quadrigas Aminadab (DR "my soul troubled me for the chariots of Aminadab"); Wyclif’s anima mea turbata est propter currus Aminadab is translated. Loserth refers it to Song of Songs 6:11 (propter quadrigas, 204.11). Per locum ab insufficiente similitudine: the counterpart of the topic a sufficienti similitudine (195.27, 09-d).
  8. 8 Ecclesiastici: the glossary CONTEXTUAL; here the clergy, rendered "churchmen". Currati: riding in chariots, answering Aminadab’s chariots. B reads altis stautibus (204.15). "Elsewhere": not identified.
  9. 9 Potentatuum seculi est … et Dei … confirmare: we take Dei as a second genitive of what belongs to someone, "and [it belongs] to God to confirm"; it could also be read "and to confirm them by God’s power and grace". Side-note 204.16 supports the first. Si hoc moveret: if this argument (the sixth, 199.20, 09-e) were sound. Conficere: to consecrate the eucharist. Preveniat: goes before, as prevenient grace (glossary: gracia preveniens). A margin Nota de privilegio Westermonasterii (204.28) falls after this chunk.
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 203: nec (157ª is the folio mark)
    • 203: putet (italic)
    • 203: offendere
    • 204: Christi
    • 204: preficiantur [NW]
    • 204: eis
    • 203: XXIIIª, [-MARK]