<County: Nottinghamshire>
<Code: L0164>
<MS reference: Cambridge University Library, Ii.ii.12>
<Text: Prologue to Wycliffite translation of Matthew's Gospel; Commentary on Matthew>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 6ra><lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Abraham gete
ysaac ysaac gete iacob . & jacob gete Judas and
his breþir & Judas gete Phares & zaram of tha
mar At Abraham Mathew begyns ; for to him
was the behest made of cryst / And þof Abraham
had dyuers childer neuer-þe-lesse he kountys
only ysaac ; þe wilk is þe son of behest ¶ And
þof ysaac had both iacob & esau . 3it he maks
only mencyon of iacob ; & for þis cawse . For
þem owes not to be sette in þe generacyon of
crist þe wilk dwelt not in þe pepyl of god
For ismael þe son of Abraham . & esau þe
son of ysaac ; lastid not in þe worschyppyng
of one god ¶ þe oþer fadirs þe wilk ben
sette efter in þis generacoun bene akowntide
in þe peple of god . For þof þei some tym
went out of þe feith of þe elder fadirs
neuer-þe-lesse þei did not so alway ¶ Or el
lys þei ar sette in þis generacoun ouþir for
þei come of gode fadirs . or ellys for yt
gode childer wer broght of þem / And þerfor
he settys in þis generacoun þe breþer of Judas ;
for all yt come of þe twelfe breþer þe sonnys
of iacob lastynd in þe pepyll of god ¶ Bot
only Judas is sette oute be name . for yat
he þe wilk was behight to come of his
kyn ; suld be broght to mynd / / For iacob
Judas fader when he sulde blisse his
childer he seide of Judas / þe sceptir sall
not be takyn fro Judas nor duk or prynce
fro þe tegh of hym ; to he com yt is to be
sent þt is cryst / For fro þe tym of dauyd
to þe tym of herowde wantyd no kyng~
or prince of þe kyn of Juda / Bot herowd
was a komlyng~ And not of þe kyn of Juda
& þan was criste borne ¶ Jn ilk one of þe
<?>lde fadirs yt ben sette in þis generacoun
ar thre þings to Note . firste þe storye .
þan þe moralyte ; yt is þe gostly vnder
standyng ; And yan þe Allegory . yt is yt
we know . yt ilkone of yis fadirs ouþer be
story . or elles be vndirstandyng~ of þer
name bifor-figurd þe persone of cryst
¶ þe Moralite or þe gostly vnderstan
dyng is . to se how be interpretacyon
or expownyng~ of þe names of þise fa
dirs any vertu be edified in vs / / Now
<fol. 6rb>lat vs se what þise two fadirs ; biforfigurde in
crist ¶ Abraham in many placys berys þe figur
of crist both in story & in exposycyon of his nam
Abraham is as mych to sey as fader of ma
ny folkys ; and crist is fader of many trew cris
ten men Jn þis yt Abraham left his sibr~dyn
& his owenn land & dwelt in a-noþer lond of cha
naan . to þe wilk land he went of þe biddyng~
of god he betokynd cryst . þe wilk lefte his
owne pepil of þe Jews & went be his prechours
to oþer nacyons ¶ Jn þis also yt Abraham hade
two childir . one of his wyfe þe wilk
was fre þe whilk child was kald ysaac . &
anoþir of hys maydyn yt was bond þe wilk
his seruand hight agar . & þe childys nam
was ysmael ; he bere þe fygure of cryst .
þe wilk gete to him two peplys ; yt is of
þe Jews þe wilk pepull is betokynd be
ysmael whom abraham gete of his bonde
seruant agar ; & ye pepyl of nacyons þe
wilk is betokynd be ysaac ¶ ysmael is as
mych to sey as heeryng . & þerfor be hym is
wele vnderstand þe Jews . for þei are
herars of þe lagh bot not doars And agar
þe name ysmael modirs . is as mych to sey
as alienacyioun . For þe old lagh yt þe Jews
algatys vndyrstod fleschly . & not gostly ; aly
end þem fro god / / Bot Ysaac þe whilk was
bornn of sare . betokyns þe pepill of nacyons
¶ ysaac is as mych to sey as laghyng or
smylyng / / For þe turnyng~ of þe nacyons
to crystyn feith was þe ioy of aungels &
of all crystyn men . Sare also is as mych
to sey as a prince ¶ For þe new lagh holdys
þe principalte among all laghis / / þe child
ysmael was not gotynn bot be þe way of
kynd . and þerfor þe pepyll of þe Jews is
bot only þe fleschly childe of god . for þt pe
pyl held þem not in worschippyng of one
god bot for þe werldly welth / / Bot þe pe
pyll of nacyons þe wilk is betokynd be y
saac ; þe wilk is þe childe of behest . serifs
to god not for werldly þings ; bot for þe
behest of heuenly þing<?> ¶ ysaac also in ma
ny placys bere þe figure of crist & in his
nam he betokynd hym / / For ysaac is as
mych to sey as laghyng or smylyng~ . &
crist is our laghtir & our ioy of þe wilk
<fol. 6va>ioy is wrytyn in þe gospel / / ¶ 3our ioy sall no
man tak fro 3ow / / ysaac was ledde of abraham
to be sacryfied & <c?> two childer went wt þem .
to þe wilk two childer abraham when in þe
thirde day he come to þe hyll in þe wilk
god bad ysaac to be sacrified seid . Abydys
her wt þe also to we come ageyne to 3ow .
/ / And yan bere ysaac þe wod & abraham bere
þe fire & þe swerde . & 3it ysaac was not
offird bot a weþir þe whilk klefid be þe hor
nys in þe brerys ¶ Jn þis dede abraham beto
kyns god þe fadir . þe wilk betoke his sone
to his passyoun ¶ þe two childer betokynn
þe pepyl of Jews dyuydid or departyd in-to
two rewmys þt is of ˆ [þe] rewme of Juda ; and
þe rewme of israel . þe wilk come not to
the place of sacrifies . for þise two rewms
vnderstod not þe mekenes of crist trowed
his passyoun / / And þe ass betokyns þe folt
schip of þe Jews . þe wilk wrytynn all þe
sacraments of þe lagh & knewe nonn of þem
¶ þe Jews abidyn wt þe asse ; for 3it þei last in þer
foltschyp . / / þe weþir was offird not ysaac ; for
þe flesch of crist klefyd to þe hornys of þe crosse
among þe brerys of trybulacouns ; & not hys
godhed . þe wilk is betokynd be ysaac ; suffird
any þing . for it myght not . & þis in þe tyme
of grace as in þe thirde day / For thre tyms
þer bene bifor þe lagh . & tyme of þe lagh ; and
þe thirde tyme of grace ¶ ysaac bere þe trese
or þe stikkis & crist bere þe crosse / / Abraham
bere þe fire & þe swerde ; for in þe hand of
god was þe swerde of deth of crist & þe
fyre of his persecucyons ¶ Bot what is to
to sey yt þe childer abidyn~ wt þe ass . bot
yt þe apostyll seis . yt blyndnes fell in israel
& what is yis yt Abraham seid to his chil
der . efter yt we hafe loutyd god or sacry
fyd to god ; yt is efter yt þe passyon of crist
is prechid in nacyons ; bot yt fologhis in þe
same auctoryte of þe apostyll . bifor whenn
he seys . blyndnes fell or is made in israel ;
what how long ; to þe fulnes of nacyons
come he seis And what is þis yt Abraham
seis ; þan sall we com ageyn to 3ow ; bot
yt þe apostyll schews when he seis . in þe
same auctoryte . & yan sall all israel be
safe ¶ ysaac also in þe takyng of his wyfe
Rebecca to ber~ þe persone of crist ¶ For þe
seruaunt þe wilk went to gette Rebecca
to ysaac ; betokyns þe company of prechours
<fol. 6vb>þe wilk was sent for to conuert þe pepyl of þe
nacyons callyd gentils þe well þe wilk
þe seruaunt stode at when Rebecca come
betokyns þe fulnes of gostly techyng ¶ Of þe
wilk well down puttand hir vesyll or hir
boket sche draghis water for þe pepyll of
nacyons takyn techyng~ of holy wryte wt
a meke & a lowe mesure eftir yer konnyng~ . &
are conuert to god ¶ þis word Rebecca ; is as
mich to sey as pacyence For holy kirke þe
wilk is gadirde of nacyons yt bene callyd
gentils ; has sufferd many aduersytese for god
¶ First ye woman Rebecca . tok hir vesyll
on hir scholdirs & efter sche tok it in hire
armes ; for þe pepyl gentils firste layde þe
pr~chyng of þe holy gospell in yer hert . & þan
eftir yei fulfild it in doyng ¶ Þe owrnaments
wt þe wilk þe seruaunt of ysaac dyght his
wyfe Rebecca ; are þe vertue3 & þe biddyngs
of holy doctours / / þe ournaments þe wilke
were abowte hire Errys . betokyn þe wyll of he
ryng of goddys worde . þe wilk owes to be takyn
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 47rb>Of þer froites 3e sall know þem . & crist kalles
þer froites þer werkes / / Bot þe schepe of god
sekes not to put a-way þer skyn þt is þer gode
nes ; þof þe wolfys beseme like to þem
outforth . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> / / Wheþer~ þei gader of thor
nes grapes or of brerys fygus / / þe thornes
& þe breris ar heretikes of whom non wise
man may fynde sothfastnes or holynes ; bot
þei schende all þo þt ar negh þem / / Or ells
þe thornes & þe breres may betokyn þe prik
kyngs of vicys & þe besenes of þis life / / And
þe grape betokyns þe feruour of charite þe
wilk gladies mannes herte / / þe fyge beto
kyns swetnes of new lifyng~ ; þe wilk
crist wold hafe in vs / / who þan may gadir
grapes of thornes or figus of breris / / þt
is who may of þe lif & þe famylieryte
of heretikes & of þe luf of werldly þings
þe wilk ben aboute to vndo þe holynes
of þe sowle ; gadir þe feruour of þe lufe
of god & swetnes of klene lifyng~ / / As so
sey ; None . For þei yt er roted in old filth
of syn as þe heretikes ; þei may feyne
þem . bot þei may ber no froite of new
lifyng~ ¶ Some tyme þe grape hyngs
in þe thornes ; þt is godenes besemes in
fals heretiks . bot no man holdes þe grape
of þe thorne any froite ; & so whate þe
heretiks techyn þof it hafe þe likenes
of gode froite bryngs it none / / For þof þe
ill do some dedes yt dos profet to oþir ;
þis is not of þem bot it commes of þe
grace of god for þe helpe of þo þt ben
gode / / And þof some dedes of þise ben
gode kyndly ; neuerþeless we sall not as
crife þis godenes to þem . sethyn þs
gode dedys com not forth of ye ill will
For gode werkes may not com out
of ane will . not ill werkes of a gode
will Crist is þe vynetr~ þe braun
ches þt ber þe grapes ar þe werkes
of þe holi goste þe wilk fulfill þe
heretiks of þe gode ¶ <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> ¶ So ilk gode tre ma
kes gode froites & ane ill tre makes
ill froites ¶ Þe gode tr~ or þe ill is
not þe kynd þe wilk is made of
<fol. 47va>god in all . bot it is þe gode will or þe ill // þe
froite of þe tre is þe werkes þe wilk as it
is seid nouþer~ þe gode may com of ill will
nor þe ill of þe gode will / / þe gode tre
is þe gode will . for be it is a gode man
turned to þe suffrayne gode & be it man
is fylide wt gode for to make gode froite
/ / And be þis is god makar of all godys
þt is both of gode kynde & of gode will
For bot if god werke in man ; man dos
no gode / / þerfor is gode will made of god
to all . if þei will . þt þei may do be þe
grace of god . & be þer owen fre chose . þat
þei may not do of þem-selfe <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> / / A gode tre may not
make ill froites nor ane ill tr~ make gode
froites ¶ þis is þe profyng~ of þe sentence
abouenn / / be þe gode tre or þe ill tr~ may
be vnderstand a gode man or ane ill man
/ / þe rote of whome is a wi ill will or a
gode wyll / / þe froite is a gode werke
or an ill / / þe lefys of þs tre ar gode words
or ill / / And behold wele þt he seis not A
gode tr~ may not be made ill nor a ill
gode ; bot he seis þt a tre whils it is
gode may not make ill froite . & yt a ill
tre whils it is ill may not make gode
froites / / Dauyd whenn he did awoutre
was a ill tr~ . bot when him forthoght his
syn ; he was a gode tre / / And if a reght
wis man syn venyaly ; for þis makes
he none ill froite <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> / / Jlk tre þerfor þt makes no gode froite
sall be kutt downe & sall be putt in-to þe
fyre / / her~ is to Note þt þer bene thre
maners of ill trese þe wilk betokyne
thre maners of ill men / / For some tr~se
ar drye & not worþi to þe fire ; & þise
hafe nouþer~ lefe nor froite / / Oþir trese
ar þt ben grene in lefis . bot ber no froite
/ / And some ben grene & hafe both lefis
& froites bot þe froite is bitter & venemus
to ete of / / Jn þe first is betokynd þe pa
nymes . þe wilk ben ordeynd to þe
ailastand fir . for þei want þe likenes
of any holynes & þe lefes of gostly
confessyon ; / / Jn þe secund kynd ar betok
ynd ypocrits . for þei as grene in
likenes of religioste . & hafe as grene
<fol. 47vb>lefes of confession or prechyng~ . bot wt-in
þei ar voyde wtoutyn froite of gode w
erke / / bot in þe thirde kynd ar heretiks be
tokynd ; for grene þei ar in blenes of re
ligioste . & lefes þei hafe in voice of confes
syon ; & froite þei make . bot it is venemus
& dedly in worde of þer prerchyng~ / / þei beseme
reliogios outforth for þei kloth þem in
kloþings of schepe / / þof þei beseme
swete ; þei ar bitter for venemus is þer pre
chyng~ . for-whi þei ar called fals prophets
/ / Dedly þei ar . for þei ar likynd to rafis
hand wolfis / / And Note her þt crist seis
bese warr~ of fals prophetes þe wilk com
to 3ow . & he seis not . þe wilk ben sent
to 3ow / / Sent ar þei not . for þo ar sent
þe wilk ar chosen for worþines of lifyng~ . or
elles þo þt wt gode will profer þem-selfe
þer-to for charyte or þer euen cristen not for
couetise / / Bot some-tyme ypocrites be
seme to þe peple as sent . for syn of þe
peple / / For it is wretyn~ þt god makes
ane ypocrite for to reng~ for þe syns of
þe pepile / / Jlk tre þerfor þt makes no
gode froite sall be kutt downe þt is de
partide fro þe nowmer of haloghis & be
putt in-to þe fire þe wilk is ordeynd to
þe fende & to his aungels / / And þer is
a-noþer maner of tr~ þt beres both grene
lefis & gode froite . be þe wilk þe ha
loghis of god & all veray cristenn men
ar betokynde wilk bring forth froite
many-fold in pacience ; <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> / / þerfor of þe
froites of þem 3e sall knowe þem
/ / Be fastyng~ prayer & almos doyng~
ar not þe heretikes knowenn . bot be þer
werkes . be þe wilk þei ar about to
vndo holi kirke . & wt þe wilk werks
þei blasfeme god . þe wilk werkes if
þei wer gode þei suld not hafe <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> . Not
ilkone þt seis to me lord lord sall enter
in-to þe kyngdome of heuens . bot he þt
dos þe will of my fader . þe wilk is
in heuenn he sall enter in-to þe kyng~
dome of heuens / / Right as crist
<fol. 48ra>taght bifor þt men suld be warr of þem . þat
hafe þe likenes of gode lifyng~ for teching
of þer wickednes ; so now crist schews þt we
sall not gif full feith to þem þe wilk
þof þei beseme to hafe þe fulnes of þe fe
ith & of techyng~ ; 3it þei destroy þe hole
nes of þe feith wt þer ill werkes / / For to
þe seruauntes of god both þise ar nedfull
þt þer dede be profed in þe spekyng~ . & þer spe
kyng~ in þer wyrkyng~ / / þe way of þe kyng~
dome of god is obedience ; & not only kal
lyng~ of goddys name / / he veraly & properly
kalles lord . lord ; whos discordes not fro
his spekyng~ & þerfor seis þe apostill ; none
may sey lord Jhesus ; bot in þe holi goste .
Veraly for to sey lord Jhesus . is for to trow
in herte . for to schrife wt mouthe ; for to
witnes in werke / / Forwhi one wtoutyne
a-noþer is for to deny god / / & in a-noþer place
is wretyn . Jlkone yt incalles þe name
of god sal be safe / he veraly calles god
yt makes himselfe a konable seruant of god
And veraly he calles lord ihesu ; þe wilk
wirkes about sowle hele / / And þis Speci
aly pertenys to our~ helpe . þt we be not
deseifed in þe name of crist . not only be
þem þt hafe þe name bot 3it þei haf not
þe dedys ; bot also be we warr of some
yt done myrakels in semyng~ . for if any
sich be done ; we sall ascrife it to god . be
þe callyng~ of whos name sich myra
kels be done & not for þe gostlyhed of som
þt do sich ; nor þs is not for þer meritt bot
for þe callyng~ of goddys name . & þerfor
crist seis efter <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Many salle
sey to me in þt day lord lord wher~ we
hafe not in þi name prophecied & in þi nam
we haf outcastynn fendes & in þi name
we hafe done many vertues / Many sall
sey in þt day when ilk mannes conscience
sall defend þem or accuse þem lord lord
wheþer we hafe not prophecyed in þi name
Many wicked had þe spiritt of prophecy
as balaam & Cayphas . & many ill caste
out þe fendes . as it is redd in þe dedys
of þe apostils . þt þe childir of a prest in
þt tyme did it ¶ For to prophecy for to cast