"It would therefore be far more commendable if Bishops would preach and teach the catholic faith, instead of dispensing such things as sacraments, or consecrating churches." 1

In Opus Evangelicum (I, 13) Wyclif enumerates the occupations to which an educated man devotes himself: "for the theologian there is none nobler than preaching".

b) What is to be preached, and who is to preach to the

people.

To the people the Gospel must be preached, as God commands: the truth must be proclaimed to them, even though they receive it unwillingly.2 Not comedies or tragedies, not fables or droll stories must be told to the people, but simply and solely the law of the Lord, as Christ and the Apostles delivered it; for in the law, that is in the Gospel, is hidden the life which is able to quicken the Church. 3 The Lord's word is the food which sustains it. He who preaches to the people without reading and explaining to them the Gospel, gives them a meal without bread. 4 Those pseudo-prelates are well aware why they set aside the Gospel, for it enjoins upon them the following of Christ, for which they have no inclination. Therefore if they mention the Gospel at all, they do not preach it in full; but only piece-meal, so that one may learn as little as

1 De Quatuor Sectis novellis, Pol. Works, pag. 261: Videtur ergo quod omnes tales consecraciones et benedicciones cerei atque panis, palmarum, luminis, salis, pere, baculi, armorum cum eis similibus non sunt de substancia fidei christiane. Ideo foret laudabilius multis rectoribus quod episcopus suus predicaret et doceret fidem catholicam quam quod ministraret hec sacramenta vel consecraret suas ecclesias. 2 De Officio pastorali, pag. 34: Debet ergo evangelisator predicare plane evangelicam veritatem, licet carni auditorum displiceat .... 3 Serm. P. I, 37, vide pag. 248: Omnis enim fidelis et curatus precipue debet predicare non tragedias sive comedias, non fabulas sive ludicria, sed pure legem Domini, ut fecerunt Christus et sui apostoli, quia in ipsa lege latet vita per quam vivificaretur ecclesia. 4 Serm. II, 22: Idem est spiritualiter pascere auditorium sine sentencia evangelica ac si quis faceret convivium corporale sine pane; ib. Fidelibus recte evangelizantibus est necessarium historiam evangelicam primo populo predicare; in ipsa quidem est fides ecclesie quam tenetur cognoscere, in ipsa est exemplar planissimum iuxta quod regulari debet ecclesia et quodlibet eius membrum.

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possible of Christ's manner of life. But he who would preach rightly, must be well acquainted with the Gospel, for God's word only has life-giving power, and by it alone are members of the Church created. By the preaching of the Apostles the Church grew, and since preaching has been neglected the Church has constantly declined. 2 In preaching one must follow the example of Christ, who has written his law, not on the skins of dead animals, but in the hearts of men. 3

Wyclif says in the 57th Sermon of the second part: After having explained to whom the apostles should preach, it still remains to be set forth what should be preached, and in what manner. 4

Christ has said: Go out and proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. One must preach of the kingdom of heaven, of the kingdom of Christ, of the Lord's Advent, of the Church militant, the Church triumphant, and of the universal or catholic Church, of the old and the new law, but above all of Christ and His incarnation, and of the preparation of man for eternal blessedness. As the time is already at hand in which Christ prepares man for obtaining this blessedness, the preacher must exhort his hearers "to set to work" in order to obtain it. This it is which must be preached to the people, not tragedies or comedies or fictions or apocryphal sentences, as is the habit of preachers in these days.

In order to convince even the foolish of the truth of the Gospel, Christ commanded the Apostles: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. According to this, modern preachers also must act.

1 De officio past., pag. 35: Cum ergo evangelium maxime docet conversacionem Christi penalem, hii timent Antichristi discipuli quod eorum retrocessio vel obviacio legi Domini cognoscatur. Et hec racio quare nolunt evangelium predicari ex integro, sed curte ut faciunt fratres, ne Christi conversacio cognoscatur. 2 Serm. II, 22.

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3 ibid. ♦ Dato quibus apostoli predicarent, docet Christus in hoc evangelio consequenter quid et qualiter predicarent. Dicunt enim quidam quod regnum celorum sex modis accipitur Sed aliis videtur quod regnum celorum solum tripliciter accipitur in scriptura .... In proposito autem videtur accipi pro Christo quoad suam humanitatem vel pro disposicione qua viantes preparat ad regnandum .... 5 Ideo cum iam instat tempus in quo tam efficaciter disponit ad beatitudinem adquirendam debet predicator hortari suos, ut manum apponant ad opera .... Istud ergo est predicandum populo et non tragedie vel comedie aut fabule vel sentencie apocriphe que sunt hodie populo predicate.

It is true that none, or only a few, have now-a-days the power to perform miracles, and therefore we must choose another way, and perceive the mystical meaning of what is said of the performing of miracles. Thus, the preacher must heal the sick. that is to say, free sinners from their sins; he must raise the dead, that is, convert sinners hardened in crime; he must cleanse the lepers, that is, call upon the proud to practise the grace of humility. And as sins are those fetters. by which the demons are fastened to men, there can be no doubt, that, if the preacher fulfils his duty in the first three points, the demons too must give way. Such are the preacher's duties: From the results it will be seen whether the preacher preaches rightly, and this is of greater moment for believers than the fiction of Antichrist (the Pope) that he has spiritual power over all others whilst he does not prove by his deeds that he does spiritual good to anybody; that he has the power to create or to change the sacraments; that the Holy Scripture has neither authority nor validity except when confirmed by him, or finally that he has the power to overthrow any dogma. More frequently and more earnestly than anything else, must the preacher explain the Lord's Prayer to the people, for there is no prayer which can be more excellent, effectual and beneficial for every Christian. 2 "Because God's word is not heard, and the field of the Church is laid waste" exclaims Wyclif spiritual death reigns everywhere.

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Therefore God's word must be revived and be preached in both languages; in Latin to the learned, and in the language of the country to the uneducated. 3

1 Et istud est melius fideli quam ficcio Antichristi (cod. pal. Vindob. 3928 in marg.: papa nota) qua sine auctoritate Dei vel testimonio ex parte populi fingit quod habet potestatem spiritualem supra alios et non ostendit in opere quod spiritualis beneficiencie quicquam facit, secundo quod habet potestatem condendi et variandi ccclesiastica sacramenta, ymmo quod scriptura sacra non habet auctoritatem vel efficaciam nisi de quanto is confirmaverit, ideo quemlibet articulum fidei poterit reversare.... Sed veritas est quod nulla scriptura sacra propter auctorizacionem vel canonizacionem eorum est magis vel minus autentica .... 2 Serm. I, 29. In hoc evangelio debet predicator secundum formam rudem et congruam aptare populo sensum oracionis dominice .... Nulla enim oracio est ista prestancior, efficacior et unicuique fideli utilior. 3 Cf. Buddensieg, Johann Wiclif und seine Zeit, pag. 168.

In order that the Church may know and love the life and conduct of Christ, it is the duty of theologians to learn and to teach the Holy Scripture. 1

Wyclif insists frequently and strongly on the necessity of preaching the Gospel to the people in their mother tongue. Some prelates, he says, do not know the Holy Scripture, others conceal all that is said in the Holy Scripture about the poverty of the clergy.

It is of the greatest advantage for the Church that believers should discern the meaning of Scripture, and this can only be done. in the language which the people understand. 2

Did not Christ and the apostles convert many people by preaching in the vulgar tongue?

Why should not the modern disciples of Christ distribute the same bread?

In both languages then the faith should of Christ be taught to the people. With great vehemence he opposes the modern Pharisees who contend that the Gospel must not be preached in the language of the people: yet to do so is but to obey the Lord's command: "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to all mankind.” The reason why modern Pharisees neglect to preach the Gospel in the popular language, is that they fear to betray how much their own life contrasts with the Lord's life. 4

From this point of view Wyclif's English sermons are of especial interest, for whilst his Latin sermons are always more or less tinged with the language of the schools, his English ones are thoroughly popular in style, and characterised by a downright simplicity and cordiality, in many passages too by great depth of feeling, so that the reader, when once he has overcome the obstacles of a somewhat difficult idiom,

1 Sacerdotes ad hoc discunt et docent scripturam sacram, ut ecclesia cognoscat conversacionem Christi et amet eum. 2 Speculum secul. domin. cf. Buddensieg, J. Wiclif und seine Zeit, pag. 169. 3 ibid. Christus et sui apostoli converterunt gentem plurimam per deteccionem scripture sacre et hoc in lingua, que fuerat magis nota.... Quare ergo non deberent moderni christiani discipuli de codem pane figmenta colligere? In duplici ergo lingua est fides Christi populo reserenda. 4 De Nova Prevaricancia Mandatorum (Pol. Works ed. Buddensieg, pag. 126): Satrape et pharisei nostri dicunt quod homo non debet predicare in vulgari . . . . Cf. Opus Evang. III, cap. X. Hodie multum horretur quod evangelium anglicetur vel populo predicatur ..

cannot fail to be impressed by their simple beauty. 1 "In the English sermons", says Lechler, "we find more frequently a plain and popular, even a drastic style of speaking, and a moving heartfelt tone, especially when the preacher anticipates the judgment-seat and the last account." 2

In the office of preaching, the priest should not be hindered. The preacher must be free. One thoughtful and outspoken discourse does far more good to the church than any number of friars' sermons by which the Lord's word is only depraved. 3 But these monks, Wyclif complains, obstruct such preaching. This complaint, that the pulpit is not free, that the full exercise of the ministry is prohibited, is reiterated in several of his works. 4 Unfit men aspire to the higher offices of the Church, and prevent the Lord's word from being preached to the people, whilst those who strive to preach it are persecuted as heretics. The pseudo-friars we read in another passage give out that preaching is forbidden to priests unless they have a special license for it from the bishop or Pope, for (as they falsely contend) all other apostles received such a permission from Saint Peter. But this is not true. Every deacon and priest had the right to preach, and so accordingly Paul used to preach, long before he had seen St. Peter. Every priest should give himself continually to this work: if he does not do so, he should devote himself to a woridly occupation. The bishop too should attend to this office, for a substitute would be as much out of place as at the Last Judgment, where everyone must answer for himself, 8

1 Buddensieg 1. c., pag. 169. 2 Lechler, John Wycliffe and his English Precursors, pag. 187. 3 Et sic modica et libera predicacio sacerdotum fidelium magis prodesset ecclesie quam quotcunque predicaciones talium fratrum in quibus verbum Dei est adulteratum. Trialog., pag. 187 .... Nam predicacionis officium est proscriptum et officium spoliandi subditer est introductum. 3 Speculum mil. ecclesie, pag. 10: Evangelizacio cum aliis ministeriis iniunctis a Christo est a diabolo istis sacerdotibus interdicta. Per hoc autem inhabiles aspirant ad superiores gradus sacerdocii et impediunt verbum Dei predicari in populo et anelantes ad istud tamquam hereticos persecuntur . . . . 6 Pol. Works, pag. 405, cf. Cruciata, ibid. pag. 607. 7 Dial. pag. 51: Vellem quod intenderent predicacioni vel labori mecanico ut scripture vel alteri corporali.... Laborarent manibus, colendo terram pro suis fructibus preparandam IV, 6. 8 Serm. Pars I, 40, pag. 268: Episcopus debet noscere predicare populo verbum Dei, nec sufficit quod per procuratorem ista faciat ....