Talk:John Wycliffe
Moral accountability
The Wycliffite Bible's early and general prologues focus on the moral accountability of rulers, using Old Testament examples to caution against tyranny and stress that true authority is derived from God. These texts argue that rulers who live in sin forfeit their right to govern, emphasizing that both leaders and commoners are bound by divine law, necessitating a vernacular Bible to understand their obligations.
The moral accountability of the people was important and a personal liability to love rather than oppress our neighbor. Moses freed the people of bondage under a ruler, wrote the story of Abraham who left Ur, Haran, and only tithed to Melchisedeck with many warnings if they chose to have a king, ruler they were to write down restrictions, limitations, a constitution contains five points and have priest read it to him every day. Deuteronomy 17.
Wycliffite (Lollard) Prologue to the Bible (c. 1392) attributed to John Purvey, translated from Middle English 15 Chapters
Chapter 4
"The first book of Kings[2] tells, how the priest Eli and his sons were reproved and slain, for they evilly governed God's people, and for their sin and negligence the people did many sins,[152] and were overcome by heathen men, and the ark of God[153] was taken by heathen men, and they killed many thousands of the Jews; and how the true child Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord, and governed the people well in God's service and rightfulness, and didn't do any extortion, nor took gifts from any man."
Chapter 6
"He did righteousness in part, as Amaziah his father did; and God struck[1] him with leprosy til the day of his death; and Jotham his son governed the palace, and judged the people of the land, and the kings of Israel always did evil,[2] and went in the sins of Jeroboam."
Chapter 9
"And Jotham his son governed in the king's house, and judged the people of the land. And Jotham reigned 16 years in Jerusalem, and did righteousness before God, by all things that Azariah his father had done, except for this, that he didn't enter into the temple of God; and yet the people trespassed. "
Chapter 10
"This process of Chronicles in the 1st and 2nd books should stir christian kings and lords to destroy sin, and love virtue, and make God's law to be known and kept by their people, for here they must see, how sorely God punished evil kings, that lived evil, and drew the people to idolatry, or other great sins, and how greatly God praised, rewarded, and cherished good kings, that lived well, and governed well the people in God's law, and open reason, and good conscience. And if kings and lords never knew more of holy scripture than 3 stories in the 2nd book of Chronicles and of Kings, that is, the story of king Jehoshaphat, the story of king Hezekiah, and the story of king Josiah, they might learn sufficiently to live well and govern well their people by God's law, and eschew all pride, and idolatry, and greed, and other sins. But alas! alas! alas! where king Jehoshaphat sent his princes, and deacons,"
Chapter 21
"If this book is well understood, it is profitable both to spiritual governors and bodily lords, and to justices and commoners also. "
Even the Translation of the Vulgate Prologue states
"Therefore the prophets were called seers, for they saw him, who the other men didn't see. "Abraham saw the day of him, and he was glad." Heavens were opened to Ezekiel, which were closed to the sinful people. David says, "Lord, open my eyes, and I'll behold the marvels of your law." For the law is spiritual, and therefore it has need of open revelation, so that it can be understood, that we may behold the glory of God with open faces. "
Chapter 15
Why every man should know and obey the scripture, which is the scripture of peoples, as Jerome says.
Christ said that the gospel should be preached in all the world, and David said of the Apostles and their preaching, "the sound of them went out into each land, and the words of them went out into the ends of the world." And David also said, "the Lord shall reveal his truth in the scriptures of peoples, and of the princes that were in Zion," that is, in the church, as Jerome explains in his commentary on this verse. He also explains that scripture is here called "the scriptures of peoples" because it was intended that all nations should know the scriptures, and he explains that the "princes" of the church spoken of in this verse are the Apostles who had the authority to write scripture, for it is because the Apostles wrote their scriptures by this authority, and by the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, that it is holy scripture, and the authoritative basis of our Christian faith. And no man has been given this authority after them, however holy or wise he may be, as Jerome declares in his commentary on that verse. Also, Christ said of the Jews who cried Hosanna to him in the temple, that if they had been silent the stones would cry out, and by "stones" he means the gentiles that worshiped stones for their gods. And we Englishmen are descended from such heathen men; therefore we are meant by these stones, that should proclaim the scriptures. On the other hand, the Jews signify the clerics who ought to have acknowledged the truth of God by repenting of their sins and praising him. But failing that, the common men of our realm, who attach themselves to the great Cornerstone (which is Christ), are indeed rightly signified by stones that are set firmly in the foundation; for though our covetous clerics are altogether carried away by bribery, heresy, and many other sins, and though they despise and oppose the scripture, as much as they can, yet the common people cry out for the scripture, to know it, and obey it, with great cost and peril to their lives.
For these reasons and others, and with the loving purpose of saving all men in our realm which God would have to be saved, a simple creature has translated the bible out of Latin into English. First of all this simple creature went to much trouble, with various friends and helpers, to gather many old bibles, and other books written by theologians, and commentaries, in order to edit one Latin bible somewhat correctly; and then he studied the text and whatever commentaries he could get, especially the commentaries of Nicolas of Lyra on the Old testament, which was very helpful in this work; then he referred to the old grammarians and theologians for the interpretation of difficult words and passages, to see how they might best be understood and translated; and then he translated as clearly as he could the meaning, and in this task he also was helped by many good and knowledgeable friends, who suggested corrections to the translation.
It should be known that the best way of translating out of Latin into English is to translate according to the meaning, and not merely according to the words, so that the meaning might be as plain, or even more plain, in English as in Latin, while not straying any further from the literal translation than is necessary. The letter need not always be closely followed in the translation, but by all means let the meaning be completely plain, for the words of a translation should serve to convey the intended meaning, or else the words are useless or false. In translating into English, many transformations are necessary in order to make the meaning plain. For example: the Latin "ablative absolute" construction should usually be transformed into a phrase with the prepositions while, because, if. So, for example, we would not translate literally, the teacher reading, I stand, but instead, while the teacher reads I stand or if the teacher reads I stand, or because the teacher reads I stand, etc. And sometimes it suits the meaning better to use when or after; and so render when the teacher read, I stood; or after the teacher read, I stood. And sometimes it may well be transformed into an equivalent phrase by supplying a verb and conjunction, as in the following example. Arescentibus hominibus præ timore may be rendered and men shall become dry for fear. Also a participle in the present or preterit tense, either in the active or passive voice, may be transformed into an equivalent phrase with a verb of the same tense and a conjunction, as for example when dicens (saying) may be rendered and says or who says; and this will in many places make the meaning plain, whereas if we rendered it in English in a strictly literal fashion, the meaning would be obscure and doubtful. Also a relative participle may be expressed by supplying a pronoun and a conjunction, and so instead of who runs we would say, and he runs. Also when a word occurs but once in a passage it may be supplied in other places in the passage where it is implied, as often as seems necessary for the sake of clarity. And the word autem, although it usually means but, may also sometimes mean and, as the old grammarians say. Also sometimes a faithful translation cannot be right because it is impossible in the context, as in the sentence Dominum formidabunt adversarij ejus. If we were to translate this literally it would say, the Lord his adversaries should fear, but I translate it by this interpretation, the adversaries of the Lord should fear him, and likewise there are other sentences like this.
CAP. XV
Hou euery man schulde kunne and kepe the scripture, and hooly writ is the scripture of puplis, as Jerom seith.
For as myche as Crist seith that the gospel shal be prechid in al the world, and Dauith seith of the postlis and her preching, "the soun of hem ȝede out into ech lond, and the wordis of hem ȝeden out into the endis of the world," and eft Dauith seith, "the Lord schal telle in the scripturis of puplis, and of these princis that weren in it," that is, in holi chirche, and as Jerom seith on that vers, "hooly writ is the scripture of puplis, for it is maad, that alle puples schulden knowe it," and the princis of the chirche, that weren therinne, ben the postlis, that hadden autorite to writen hooly writ, for bi that same that the postlis writiden her scripturis bi autorite, and confermynge of the Hooly Goost, it is hooly scripture, and feith of cristen men, and this dignite hath noo man aftir hem, be he neuere so hooly, neuer so kunnynge, as Jerom witnessith on that vers. Also Crist seith of the Jewis that crieden Osanna to him in the temple, that thouȝ thei weren stille stoonis schulen crie, and bi stoonis he vndirstondith hethen men, that worshipiden stoonis for her goddis. And we Englische men ben comen of hethen men, therfore we ben vndirstonden bi thes stonis, that schulden crie hooly writ, and as Jewis, interpretid knowlechinge, singnefien clerkis, that schulden knouleche to God, bi repentaunce of synnes, and bi vois of Goddis heriyng, so oure lewide men, suynge the corner ston Crist, mowen be singnefied bi stonis, that ben harde and abydinge in the foundement; for thouȝ couetouse clerkis ben woode by simonie, eresie, and manye othere synnes, and dispisen and stoppen holi writ, as myche as thei moun, ȝit the lewid puple crieth aftir holi writ, to kunne it, and kepe it, with greet cost and peril of here lif.
For these resons and othere, with comune charite to saue alle men in oure rewme, whiche God wole haue sauid, a symple creature hath translatid the bible out of Latyn into English. First, this symple creature hadde myche trauaile, with diuerse felawis and helperis, to gedere manie elde biblis, and othere doctouris, and comune glosis, and to make oo Latyn bible sumdel trewe; and thanne to studie it of the newe, the text with the glose, and othere doctouris, as he miȝte gete, and speciali Lire on the elde testament, that helpide ful myche in this werk; the thridde tyme to counseile with elde gramariens, and elde dyuynis, of harde wordis, and harde sentencis, hou tho miȝten best be vndurstonden and translatid; the iiij. tyme to translate as cleerli as he coude to the sentence, and to haue manie gode felawis and kunnynge at the correcting of the translacioun.
First it is to knowe, that the best translating is out of Latyn into English, to translate aftir the sentence, and not oneli aftir the wordis, so that the sentence be as opin, either openere, in English as in Latyn, and go not fer fro the lettre; and if the lettre mai not be suid in the translating, let the sentence euere be hool and open, for the wordis owen to serue to the entent and sentence, and ellis the wordis ben superflu either false. In translating into English, manie resolucions moun make the sentence open, as an ablatif case absolute may be resoluid into these thre wordis, with couenable verbe, the while, for, if, as gramariens seyn; as thus, the maistir redinge, I stonde, mai be resoluid thus, while the maistir redith, I stonde, either if the maistir redith, etc. either for the maistir, etc.; and sumtyme it wolde acorde wel with the sentence to be resoluid into whanne, either into aftirward, thus, whanne the maistir red, I stood, either aftir the maistir red, I stood; and sumtyme it mai wel be resoluid into a verbe of the same tens, as othere ben in the same resoun, and into this word et, that is, and in English, as thus, arescentibus hominibus præ timore, that is, and men shulen wexe drie for drede. Also a participle of a present tens, either preterit, of actif vois, eithir passif, mai be resoluid into a verbe of the same tens, and a coniunccioun copulatif, as thus, dicens, that is, seiynge, mai be resoluid thus, and seith, eithir that seith; and this wole, in manie placis, make the sentence open, where to Englisshe it aftir the word, wolde be derk and douteful. Also a relatif, which mai be resoluid into his antecedent with a coniunccioun copulatif, as thus, which renneth, and he renneth. Also whanne oo word is oonis set in a reesoun, it mai be set forth as ofte as it is vndurstonden, either as ofte as reesoun and nede axen; and this word autem, either vero, mai stonde for forsothe, either for but, and thus I vse comounli; aud sumtyme it mai stonde for and, as elde gramariens seyn. Also whanne riȝtful construccioun is lettid bi relacion, I resolue it openli, thus, where this reesoun, Dominum formidabunt adversarij ejus, shulde be Englisshid thus bi the lettre, the Lord hise aduersaries shulen drede, I Englishe it thus bi resolucioun, the aduersaries of the Lord shulen drede him; and so of othere resons that ben like. At the bigynnyng I purposide, with Goddis helpe, to make the sentence as trewe and open in English as it is in Latyn, either more trewe and more open than it is in Latyn; and I preie, for charite and for comoun profyt of cristene soulis, that if ony wiys man fynde ony defaute of the truthe of translacioun, let him sette in the trewe sentence and opin of holi writ, but loke that he examyne truli his Latyn bible, for no doute he shal fynde ful manye biblis in Latyn ful false, if he loke manie, nameli newe; and the comune Latyn biblis han more nede to be correctid, as manie as I haue seen in my lif, than hath the English bible late translatid; and where the Ebru, bi witnesse of Jerom, of Lire, and othere expositouris discordith fro oure Latyn biblis, I haue set in the margyn, bi maner of a glose, what the Ebru hath, and hou it is vndurstondun in sum place; and I dide this most in the Sauter, that of alle oure bokis discordith most fro Ebru; for the chirche redith not the Sauter bi the laste translacioun of Jerom out of Ebru into Latyn, but another translacioun of othere men, that hadden myche lasse kunnyng and holynesse than Jerom hadde; and in ful fewe bokis the chirche redith the translacioun of Jerom, as it mai be preuid bi the propre origynals of Jerom, whiche he gloside. And where I haue translatid as opinli or opinliere in English as in Latyn, late wise men deme, that knowen wel bothe langagis, and knowen wel the sentence of holi scripture. And wher I haue do thus, or nay, ne doute, thei that kunne wel the sentence of holi writ and English togidere, and wolen trauaile, with Goddis grace, theraboute, moun make the bible as trewe and as opin, ȝea, and opinliere in English than it is in Latyn. And no doute to a symple man, with Goddis grace and greet trauail, men miȝten expoune myche openliere and shortliere the bible in English, than the elde greete doctouris han expounid it in Latyn, and myche sharpliere and groundliere than manie late postillatouris, eithir expositouris, han don. But God, of his grete merci, ȝeue to vs grace to lyue wel, and to seie the truthe in couenable manere, and acceptable to God and his puple, and to spille not oure tyme, be it short be it long at Goddis ordynaunce. But summe, that semen wise and holi, seyn thus, if men now weren as holi as Jerom was, thei miȝten translate out of Latyn into English, as he dide out of Ebru and out of Greek into Latyn, and ellis thei shulden not translate now, as hem thinkith, for defaute of holynesse and of kunnyng. Thouȝ this replicacioun seme colourable, it hath no good ground, neither resoun, neithir charite, for whi this replicacioun is more aȝens seynt Jerom, and aȝens the firste lxx. translatouris, and aȝens holi chirche, than aȝens symple men, that translaten now into English; for seynt Jerom was not so holi as the apostlis and euangelistis, whos bokis he translatide into Latyn, neither he hadde so hiȝe