Wyclif, Dialogus

Epilogue, part two

The third argument, and the four feigned answers

Pollard pp. 92.31–98.5

The third argument of the adversaries92.31–93.6

92Tercio principaliter arguunt adversarii legis dei, videntes quod auctoritatis legis dei expertes, per racionem sophisticam palliatam: Manifestum est, inquiunt, quod ista sentencia est contraria racioni, quia innuit, quod clerici, qui de lege 93dei sunt ad contemplacionem et oracionem pro vivis et mortuis deputati, ad mendicacionem vel aliam vitam imperfectam sunt necessitati. Sed quis dubitat quin ista sentencia tantum contra racionem et honorem domini rempublicam perturbaret, quia numerum suppreme partis ecclesie diminuit et miliciam que plus insolencie attendit, contra legem domini accendit. Sed quis dubitat quin ista sentencia

Thirdly and principally the adversaries of God's lawlex dei / lex Christi / lex evangelica: God's law / the law of Christ / the gospel law argue, seeing that [they are] devoid of the authority of God's law, by a sophistical argument cloaked over:1 "It is manifest," they say, "that this teachingsentencia: teaching is contrary to reason, because it implies that the clericsclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric, who by God's 93law are appointed to contemplation and to prayer for the living and the dead, are forced to beggingmendicacio; mendicare; mendicitas: begging; to beg; beggary or to some other imperfect life. Now who doubts that this teaching, so much against reason and the Lord's honour, would disturb the commonwealth, because it diminishes the number of the supreme part of the churchecclesia: church and inflames against the Lord's law the knighthoodmilicia; milites: knighthood; knights, which attends more to insolence?2 Now who doubts that this teaching

The answer; other arguments of fools93.7–96.16

93foret contraria racioni? Hic dictum est sepius, quod deo teste nisi evidencia scripture, quantum concipimus, moveret directe pro illa sentencia, nunquam laboraremus incurrendo tantam indignacionem a multis et maioribus tam intente. Nam quantum concipimus in toto corpore scripture illa secta quadruplex, que tantum dominatur in seculari dominio, non fundatur nec vita nec regula quam tantum magnificant; que si docta fuerit, vel nostra sentencia racioni contraria vel scripture, parati sumus secundum quod exigit racio ipsam humiliter revocare. Dementes quidem essemus et plene demoniaci si [dum] tantum fatigati in carne laboremus in illa sentencia, non crederemus ipsam esse catholicam ac meritoriam toti militanti ecclesie ac vitulaminibus in ipsa crescentibus, que ewangelium vocat zyzania, prodesse. Sepe autem diximus, quod non sufficiunt omnes istam sentenciam concipere vel arguere contra illam, cum tantum ad hoc sit racio ydonea vel scriptura. Ideo tres maneries hominum quantum ad artem suam attinet sunt ydonei in materia ista arguere, primo decretiste qui pure legibus papalibus innituntur, quia quid in materia ista dixerunt non valet sed est contempnendum, constat enim de quanto racioni consonat vel scripture. Secunda maneries hominum loquencium in ista materia sunt legiste, quia lex imperialis a fidelibus non accipitur in ista materia nisi de quanto consonat racioni. Tercia maneries hominum subtiliorum loquencium in ista materia sunt iuriste regnorum, qui licet sepius prepolleant racione non valet tamen ipsorum loquela in ista materia, nisi de quanto 94sagittent racione que consona est scripture. Et quicunque vivax sagittam talem proiecerit, ipsa est cum humilitate et reverencia admittenda, quia, ut sepe protestatum est, quicunque, eciam dyabolus, allegaverit fideliter fidem scripture pro sua sentencia, acceptarem illam humiliter pro auctoritate. Et quantum ad racionem factam, dictum est superius, ut a quibusdam didici, sicut scriptura sacra est verissima, sic est compendiosissima et utilissima et miro modo sicut includit in se sciencias trivias et sermocinales, scilicet gramaticam, logicam, et rhetoricam, sic includit sciencias quadrivias reales scilicet arismetricam, musicam, geometricam et astronomiam, de quanto illarum noticia expedit ad beatitudinem adquirendam. Et sic mirabili compendiositate autor scripture, docens quomodo et de quibus clerici debent vivere, docet sufficienter in quo numero et qua proporcione debent ad residuum populi se habere. Si enim non haberent redditus, vel ad officium quod pertinet clero Christi, non forent in tanto numero et tam onerosi ecclesie ut sunt modo. Ideo peccatum ecclesie exigit ut dotent illos et ditent contra legem dominicam, ut tot discolis oneretur. Servet igitur duplex pars ecclesie legem Christi in cleri dotacione et erit in suo numero mensurato. Et patet quod adversarius legis dei defecit in ista tercia racione, quia sicud clerus proporcione debita sincere sequens Christum prodesset ecclesie, sic vocatus clerus condicionis opposite, quantumcunque monstruosus fuerit, viatoribus foret contrarius, quia de illis verificaretur dictum sapientis; stultorum infinitus est numerus. Et hoc metricum de bello clavo: Tersites numerum auxit, non vires auxit Achivis. Intendant ergo clerici aliis artibus mechanicis, qui volunt hanc servare regulam Jesu Christi, sicut possunt licite secundum legem domini. Et hoc evidencius audeo affirmare, quod foret eis utilius, vel aliter minus malum, quia de numero talium scandalisancium 95dicit Christus, quod expedit ei ut suspendatur mola asinaria circa collum eius et demergatur in profundum maris; nec video quomodo clerus foret proporcionalis pro residuo ecclesie militantis, nisi ad modum vivendi Christi per prudentes ecclesie sit astrictus. Et hinc Christus parabolice docet suos milites, ut in diebus novissimis compellant intrare. Teneamus ergo legem domini et ipse cum hoc non potest eis defficere, quin doceat viam ad patriam, proporcionem [et] numerum parcium ecclesie et quidquid aliud est necessarium ad salutem. Et patet quod simulata contemplacio et indigna oracio officeret populo Christi. Videamus ergo si clerus qui vivit tam seculariter sit contemplacioni et oracioni deditus, vel servicio mamonis et alterius dyaboli ad alia crimina populum incitantis. Et hoc nedum se extendit ad clericos seculares sed ad nostros religiosos, tam possessionatos quam exproprietarios, cum omnibus aliis deest fundacio in ingressu pariter et progressu. Et patet, cum lex dei sit inculpabilis, quod eius observacio numerum cleri in debita proporcione constitueret, et brachium militare ex dei gracia in predicacione fideli paucorum sacerdotum in vita recta instrueret, et multas militum insolencias et tyrannides [nunc] regnantes destrueret, quia mirabile quod corpus ecclesie, evacuatis istis spongiositatibus ipsum infirmantibus, pristinam sanitatem non reciperet. Quotlibet enim membrum istius ecclesie foret tunc validius ad reliquum adiuvandum. Videamus ergo quomodo in tempore Christi ex ordinacione sua tacita milicia est adducta, cum nec fuit milicie nec vulgaribus onerosus, sed utramque illarum parcium secundum racionis exigenciam roboravit, cum Cesari dedit dydragma et vulgaribus graciam multiformem. domum autem aut redditus non lego Christum pro se aut suis discipulis habuisse, sed natus fuit pauper in diversorio et in orto extra Ierusalem mortuus et sepultus a militibus, tamen voluit gloriose sepeliri. 96Alie vero sunt raciones stultorum que militant contra caput proprium, ut in penthateuco legitur quod sacerdotes habuerunt civitates refugii et pascua pro suis bestiis nutriendis, quomodo ergo non haberent in lege gracie ampliora? Et idem confirmatur de sacerdotibus Machabeis qui in tempore suo fuerant plus incliti et plus regibus generosi. Ad istud dictum est diffuse alibi quod sacerdotes habuerunt pro tempore legis veteris possessiones moderatas, ut competebat suo statui. Quia absit fideli credere, quod deus ordinasset tantum numerum Levitarum pro occidendis bestiis et figuraliter ymolandis, nisi daret eis necessaria ad hoc opus. De quatuor autem civitatibus refugii non lego quod fuerunt seculares domini aut quod redditus de fugitivis receperant, licet ille civitates fuerant illis ad ministerialem custodiam deputate. Et, cum idem sit deus nunc qui tunc, patet quod [si] iam foret necessarium redire ad ymolacionem figuralem

be contrary to reason?" Here it has been said quite often that, God being witness, unless the evidenceevidencia: evidence of scripture, so far as we conceive, moved [us] directly in favour of that teaching, we would never labour so intently, incurring such indignation from many, and from greater men. For, so far as we conceive, in the whole body of scripture that fourfold sectreligio privata; secta: private religion; sect, which so lords itdominus; dominari: lord; to exercise lordship / to lord it in secular lordshipdominium: lordship, is not grounded, neither its life nor the rule which they so magnify; and if that should be taught, or if our teaching [should be shown] contrary to reason or to scripture, we are ready, as reason requires, humbly to revoke it.3 We should be mad indeed, and wholly possessed by demons, if, [while] we labour so wearied in the flesh in that teaching, we did not believe it to be catholic and meritorious, and to profit the whole church militantecclesia militans / triumphans / dormiens: the church militant / triumphant / sleeping and the bastard slips growing in it, which the gospel calls cocklezizania: cockle.4 And we have often said that not all are sufficient to conceive this teaching or to argue against it, since only reason or scripture is fit for this. Therefore three kinds of men, so far as concerns their art, are [not] fit to argue in this matter:5 first the decretists, who rest purely on the papal laws, because what they have said in this matter is of no force but is to be despised; for it is evident [that it holds only] so far as it accords with reason or scripture. The second kind of men speaking in this matter are the civil lawyers, because the imperial law is not accepted by the faithful in this matter except so far as it accords with reason. The third kind, of subtler men speaking in this matter, are the lawyers of the kingdomsregnum: kingdom, who, although they quite often excel in reason, yet their speech has no force in this matter except so far as they 94shoot with reason that accords with scripture. And whoever, being quick, has shot such an arrow, it is to be admitted with humility and reverence, because, as has often been solemnly declaredprotestacio; protestari: declaration; to declare solemnly, if anyone, even the devil, faithfully alleges the faith of scripture for his teaching, I would humbly accept it as authority. And as to the argument made, it was said above, as I have learned from certain men, that as holy scripture is most true, so it is most compendious and most useful, and in a wonderful way, as it includes in itself the sciences of the trivium, those of language, namely grammar, logic, and rhetoric, so it includes the sciences of the quadrivium, those of reality, namely arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy, so far as knowledge of them helps toward acquiring blessedness.6 And so, with wonderful compendiousness, the author of scripture, in teaching how and on what the clericsclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric ought to live, teaches sufficiently in what number and in what proportion they ought to stand toward the rest of the people. For if they did not have revenuesreditus: revenue(s), or [had them only] for the office that belongs to Christ's clergy, they would not be in so great a number and so burdensome to the church as they are now.7 Therefore it is the church's sin that requires that they endowdotacio: endowment them and enrichditare: to enrich them against the Lord's law, so that it is burdened with so many froward men. Let the twofold part of the church therefore keep the law of Christlex dei / lex Christi / lex evangelica: God's law / the law of Christ / the gospel law in the endowment of the clergy, and it will be in its measured number.8 And it is clear that the adversary of God's law has failed in this third argument, because, as a clergy sincerely following Christ in due proportion would profit the church, so a so-called clergy of the opposite condition, however monstrous it may be, would be contrary to wayfarersviator: wayfarer, since of them the saying of the wise man would be verified: "The number of fools is infinite."9 And this verse de bello clavo: "Thersites increased the number, not the strength, of the Achaeans."10 Let the clerics therefore who wish to keep this rule of Jesus Christ attend to other, mechanical arts, as they lawfully can according to the Lord's law. And this I dare affirm the more evidently, that it would be more useful to them, or otherwise less evil, because of the number of such as give scandal 95Christ says that "it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea"; nor do I see how the clergy would be proportionate to the rest of the church militant unless it is bound to Christ's manner of living by the prudent of the church.11 And hence Christ in a parable teaches his knightsmilicia; milites: knighthood; knights that in the last days they should compel [them] to come in.12 Let us therefore hold to the Lord's law, and with this he cannot fail them, but he will teach the way to the homelandvia / patria: the way / the homeland, the proportion [and] number of the parts of the church, and whatever else is necessary for salvation.13 And it is clear that feigned contemplation and unworthy prayer would harm Christ's people. Let us see then whether the clergy that lives so secularly is given to contemplation and prayer, or to the serviceservicium: service of mammon and of another devil inciting the people to other crimes. And this extends not only to the secular clerics but to our religiousreligiosi: the religious, both possessionerspossessionati: the possessioners and propertylessexproprietarii: the propertyless, since in them, as in all the others, foundation is lacking in their entry and in their progress alike.14 And it is clear, since God's law is blameless, that its observance would set the number of the clergy in due proportion, and by God's grace would instruct the military arm in right living through the faithful preaching of a few priestssacerdos / presbiter: priest / presbyter, and would destroy many insolences and tyrannies of the knights [now] reigning;15 for it would be a marvel if the body of the church, once emptied of these spongy growths that weaken it, did not recover its former health. For any member you please of this church would then be stronger to help the rest. Let us see then how in Christ's time, by his tacit ordinanceordinacio; ordinancia: ordinance; of the sacrament, ordination, the knighthood was brought in, since he was burdensome neither to the knighthood nor to the common peoplevulgares: the common people, but strengthened both of those parts as reason required, since he gave Caesar the didrachma and the common people manifold grace.16 But I do not read that Christ had a house or revenues for himself or his disciples; but he was born poor in an inn, and died outside Jerusalem and was buried in a garden, at the hands of soldiers; yet he willed to be buried gloriously.17 96But there are other arguments of fools which fight against their own head: as it is read in the Pentateuch that the priests had cities of refuge and pastures for feeding their beasts; how then should they not have more ample things under the law of gracelex gracie: the law of grace?18 And the same is confirmed from the Maccabean priests, who in their time had been more renowned and more noble than kings. To this it has been said at length elsewhere that the priests, for the time of the old law, had moderate possessions, as befitted their state. For far be it from a believer to believe that God had ordained so great a number of Levites for killing beasts and sacrificing them figuratively, unless he gave them what was necessary for this work. And of the four cities of refuge I do not read that they were secular lordsdominus; dominari: lord; to exercise lordship / to lord it, or that they received revenues from the fugitives, although those cities had been assigned to them for a ministerial keeping.19 And, since God is the same now as then, it is clear that, [if] it were now necessary to return to the figurative sacrifice

The answer continued; the four feigned responses96.17–98.4

96huius modi bestiarum, deus ordinaret illis necessaria ad hoc opus. Sed Christus, qui est agnus dei, finiens has figuras, resurgens a mortuis iam non moritur, ideo racio fideles necessitat quod cessent media necessaria ad hoc opus. Fundent sacerdotes nostri, si poterint, quod debent modo intendere labori tali inportabili figurali, et tunc possunt de lege domini ad hoc opus necessaria vendicare. Et quantum ad Machabeos proporcionabiliter creditur, quod extincta regalia, secundum Ieremie vaticinium, sacerdotes illi a lege domini ex superbia declinarunt, et sic crevit eorum malicia quousque occiderant Christum. Et utinam papa cum satelitibus non faciat proporcionabile regibus terre; modo fertur enim quod subpeditavit Cesarem, et minatur multa media per que destrueret alios reges terre, ac si intenderet suscitare falsam promissionem dyaboli, quam promisit Christo se dare omnia regna mundi, si cadens ipsum adoraverit. Sed deus conservet secundum regulam ordinacionis sue ecclesie militanti hec pauca pro Christo dixerim, paratus (si oporteat) revocare facta, racione istud non esse 97katholicum declarante. Sed communiter ad istud obiectum quadruplicem sunt quatuor responsiones ficte a patre mendacii. Prima fingit, quod si hunc dimittis, non eris amicus Cesaris, quia tanta connexio est inter glebam et ius patronatus, quia ipsa perdita periit ius patronatus. Et per idem quocunque redditu in manum mortuam illud auferens perderet totum suum dominium. Sed ista signa falsa non exterrerent fideles a practica legis dei. Scimus quidem, quod ius est res spiritualis independens a terra, in tantum ergo quomodocunque illa terra destructa fuerit vel consumpta ius stabit penitus inconcussum. Ideo sicud ius papale propter talem contricionem non leditur, sic nec ius domini secularis. Caveat tamen ne expetat de illo patronatu lucrum temporale cum mixto titulo symonie, quia tale ius foret sibi in scandalum. Secunda responsio fingit quod quecunque allegata de lege veteri non concludunt, cum maior pars eorum et specialiter iam cessavit. Sed noscat istam responsionem, quomodo decalogus et lex de decimis fundatur in veteri testamento. Et Christus, summus legislator et optimus interpres eius possibilis, interpretatus est stricte, quod sacerdotes sui careant tali dominio. Tercia responsio fingit, quod deus intenderat ecclesiam suam tantum carere tali dominio in Iudea quia cognovit quod gens illa fuit indurati cordis. Sed hec falsa ficcio imponit ceteris apostolis delictum notabile ex negligencia qui morati fuerant extra ipsam. Quarta responsio fingit, quod deus voluit legem strictam pauperiem, sed ipso mortuo, sepulcrum suum, ut propheta cecinit, fuit gloriosum. Sed constat quod lex Christi non sic constringitur loco vel tempore, cum manebit perpetuo in bonis, per idem enim non possit fingere quod nulla lex dei vel hominum de observanciis humanis haberet notabilem periodum temporalem, ideo quod quatuor iste ficticie, [cum] carent racionis evidencia vel scripture, sunt cum suis similibus propter periculum 98heresis contempnende. Interpretacio enim falsa scripture est manifeste heretica. Hec pauca dixerim sub quodam epilogo, ut facilius a populo videantur et veritates eorum ut falsitates facilius cognoscantur.

of beasts of this kind, God would ordain for them what was necessary for this work. But Christ, who is the Lamb of God, ending these figures, "rising again from the dead, dieth now no more"; therefore reason compels the faithful [to hold] that the means necessary for this work should cease.20 Let our priests ground, if they can, that they ought now to attend to such unbearable figurative labour, and then they may claim from the Lord's law what is necessary for this work. And as to the Maccabees, it is believed, in proportion, that once the kingship was extinguished, according to Jeremiah's prophecy, those priests turned aside from the Lord's law out of pride, and so their malice grew until they had killed Christ.21 And would that the popepapa: pope with his satellites may not do the proportionate thing to the kings of the earth; for it is now reported that he has trodden the emperor underfoot, and he threatens many means by which he would destroy the other kings of the earth, as if he intended to revive the devil's false promise, by which he promised Christ to give him all the kingdoms of the world if, falling down, he would adore him.22 But may God preserve [it], according to the rule of his ordinance, for the church militant. These few things I would say for Christ, ready (if need be) to revoke what has been said, should reason declare it not to be 97catholic.23 But commonly to this fourfold objectioninstancia; objectum: objection there are four responses, feigned by the father of lies.24 The first feigns that "if thou release this man, thou wilt not be Caesar's friend,"25 because there is so great a connection between the glebegleba: glebe and the rightius: right / law of patronage that, the glebe lost, the right of patronageius patronatus: right of patronage perished. And by the same token anyone taking it away into the dead handmanus mortua: the dead hand, with any revenue whatever, would lose his whole lordship.26 But these false signs would not frighten the faithful away from the practice of God's law. For we know indeed that a right is a spiritual thing, independent of the land, so much so that, however that land may have been destroyed or consumed, the right will stand wholly unshaken. Therefore, as the papal right is not harmed by such a crushing, so neither is the right of the secular lord.27 Let him beware, however, not to seek temporal gain from that patronage under a titletitulus: title mixed with simonysimonia: simony, because such a right would be to him a scandal. The second response feigns that whatever is alleged from the old law infersconcludere: to infer nothing, since the greater part of it, and especially [so], has now ceased. But let [whoever gives] this response note how the decalogue and the law of tithesdecime; pars decima: tithes; the tenth part are grounded in the old testament.28 And Christ, the supreme lawgiver and its best possible interpreter, interpreted strictly that his priests should lack such lordship. The third response feigns that God had intended his church to lack such lordship only in Judea, because he knew that that nation was of hardened heart. But this false fiction imputes to the other apostles, who had stayed outside it, a notable offence of negligence. The fourth response feigns that God willed a strict law, poverty, but when he was dead his sepulchre, as the prophet sang, was glorious.29 But it is evident that the law of Christ is not so constrained by place or time, since it will remain perpetually among the good; for by the same token could one not feign that no law of God or of men concerning human observances had any notable period of time?30 Therefore these four fictions, [since] they lack the evidence of reason or of scripture, are, with their like, to be despised because of the danger of 98heresy. For a false interpretation of scripture is manifestly heretical. These few things I would say by way of a kind of epilogue, so that they may be more easily seen by the people, and their truths, as their falsehoods, more easily recognized.31

The close98.5–98.5

98Finis dyalogi completur ut deus glorificetur, etc.

The end of the dialogue is completed, that God may be glorified, etc.

Notes

  1. 1 Videntes quod auctoritatis legis dei expertes: the clause has no verb; C, D read sunt expertes, which gives the sense translated ("seeing that they are devoid"). C, D also read ludentes for videntes (Pollard's apparatus, 92.31–32).
  2. 2 "The supreme part of the church" is the clergy, the first of the three parts. Accendit ("inflames"), with contra legem domini taken with it; B¹ reads adaugeret, "would increase", the sense of Pollard's side-note (93.5).
  3. 3 Dominatur is pejorative: "lords it". Que si docta fuerit: que most naturally resumes the grounding of the sect ("if that should be taught", i.e. shown from scripture); the whole sentence is the submission formula (revocare), a retraction offer, not defiance.
  4. 4 Vitulamina, the "bastard slips" of Wis. 4:3 (Douay–Rheims), identified with the cockle of Matt. 13:25. Pollard's side-note (93.11) glosses them as "the reprobate".
  5. 5 Printed sunt ydonei, "are fit", restricted by quantum ad artem suam attinet. Pollard's apparatus (93.25) queries [non sunt?], "are not fit" (his conjecture; no manuscript has it). We adopt it, bracketed: the three quia clauses that follow each disqualify a class (the decretists' word non valet, the jurists' likewise), so the sense needs the negative (checked on the plate). Constat enim de quanto: literally "for it is evident to what extent"; the words [that it holds only] are supplied.
  6. 6 Sciencias trivias et sermocinales ... quadrivias reales: rendered to keep the pair of the glossary's philosophia sermocinalis / realis (language / reality) visible.
  7. 7 Vel ad officium quod pertinet clero Christi is elliptical; the supplied words give the likelier sense (revenues limited to the office of Christ's clergy). Alternatively vel = "even": "if they had no revenues even for the office".
  8. 8 "The twofold part of the church" is the lay estates, knights and commons, over against the clergy. The subject of erit is left open in the print (the clergy, or the church); C, D read mensurata, making it the church: "it will be measured in its number".
  9. 9 Eccl. 1:15, Pollard's margin. Monstruosus: monstrous in size, i.e. swollen in number.
  10. 10 The line (Thersites, the worthless Greek of Iliad 2) is not identified; nor is de bello clavo, clear on the plate (94.28), perhaps a title or a corruption of one. B¹ reads in for et and sersites for tersites.
  11. 11 Matt. 18:6, Douay–Rheims; Wyclif has circa collum, "about the neck", for the Vulgate's in collo.
  12. 12 Luke 14:23 (compelle intrare), applied to the milites ("knights"), whom Christ's parable charges with compelling the clergy to his manner of living.
  13. 13 [Et] is Pollard's supplement. B¹ reads quando for quin.
  14. 14 Cum omnibus aliis deest fundacio is compressed: taken as "since in them, as in all the others, foundation is lacking"; alternatively "since, along with all the others, they lack foundation". The foundation meant is scripture's.
  15. 15 [Nunc] is Pollard's emendation; B¹, C, D all read non.
  16. 16 Milicia est adducta: "was brought in", i.e. drawn into Christ's order; the sense is uncertain. The didrachma: Matt. 17:23–26.
  17. 17 "In an inn": Luke 2:7 (in diversorio). In orto: the garden of John 19:41. A militibus is taken with mortuus (put to death by soldiers); the order allows "buried by soldiers". The glorious burial is Isa. 11:10, cited at 97.27. C, D invert gloriose voluit.
  18. 18 Num. 35:2–6: the Levites' cities with their suburbs for cattle, six of them cities of refuge. Militant contra caput proprium: arguments that fight against their own head, i.e. defeat themselves.
  19. 19 Wyclif says four cities of refuge; Num. 35:6 has six.
  20. 20 John 1:29; Rom. 6:9, Douay–Rheims (Wyclif a mortuis, the Vulgate ex mortuis).
  21. 21 Proporcionabiliter, "in proportion", i.e. by analogy; it prepares faciat proporcionabile below. Jeremiah's prophecy is not specified; perhaps Jer. 22:30, that none of Jechonias's seed would sit on David's throne.
  22. 22 Matt. 4:8–9. Subpeditavit Cesarem: the event reported is not identified.
  23. 23 The print runs conservet ... ecclesie militanti hec pauca ... dixerim together; we divide it into a prayer and the submission formula. Revocare facta: "revoke what has been said" (literally "things done/made"). Racione ... declarante is conditional: "should reason declare".
  24. 24 Quadruplicem agrees with nothing; C, D read quadruplex, agreeing with obiectum, which is translated. "The father of lies": John 8:44.
  25. 25 John 19:12; Wyclif eris, "wilt be", for the Vulgate's es, "art".
  26. 26 Quocunque redditu ... illud auferens: illud is taken as the glebe (or the right) carried into mortmain; quocunque redditu as "with any revenue whatever". The syntax is loose.
  27. 27 Ius here in the subjective sense, "right". Contricionem: the crushing (destruction) of the land, not contrition.
  28. 28 Et specialiter stands without a complement; [so] is supplied. Noscat istam responsionem has no expressed subject: "let [whoever gives] this response note".
  29. 29 Legem strictam pauperiem: pauperiem stands in apposition to legem ("a strict law, poverty"). "As the prophet sang": Isa. 11:10 (et erit sepulchrum ejus gloriosum, "and his sepulchre shall be glorious").
  30. 30 Per idem enim non possit fingere is read as a question ("could one not feign?"), which the argument needs. C, D add antichristus before fingere: "could not Antichrist feign".
  31. 31 Veritates eorum ut falsitates: taken as "their truths, as [also] their falsehoods"; ut may stand for et.
How the Latin of this chapter was established
  • Plate readings; page · reading · note):
    • 94: debent (line no. 15)
    • 94: stultorum (italic)
    • 94: licite
    • 95: mola (italic)
    • 95: et (italic)
    • 95: domum (Do-|mum, side-note "people." glued)
    • 95: ∅ (tail of Do-|mum; joined at 242)
    • 96: ∅ (page-opening slip: end of p.95 re-matched)
    • 96: ergo
    • 96: modi (print: huius modi)
  • Omitted per §3.5 / kept in the English (margin matter): reference Eccl. i. 15. (94.27). The draft's "reference ^d?f Tithes6 (97.17)" is not a reference but part of the side-note at 97.15, restored there from the plate.
  • MS folio marks omitted per §3.5: D. 79 d. (92.32); B¹. 162 b. (93.16); D. 80 a. (93.28); C. 28 a. (93.31); D. 80 b. (94.26); B¹. 162 c. (95.6); C. 28 b. (95.11); D. 80 c. (95.25); D. 80 d. (96.18); C. 29 a. (96.20); B¹. 162 d. (96.23); D. 81 a. (97.11); C. 29 b. (97.29).
  • Side-notes corrected against the plates (leaves n0123–n0128), split notes joined; notes at 92.8–92.22 lie outside this range and were dropped.