CHAPTER XXVIII
WYCLIF'S THREE TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
(:This chapter contains Chelc̄icky̍'s commentary on Wyclif's theory that there are three types of government, namely, divine, human, and angelic,1 and that every Christian has an authority, not civil, but evangelical. The prophets had such authority, and such have the Christian prelates; that kings exercise temporal authority through civil laws and spiritual kings through the law of the Gospel. Commenting on this dualism, Chelc̄icky̍ says:)
Do not mix poison with honey: for the poison, even though mixed with sweets, will not turn into medicine but will always remain poison. Poison can do naught else but kill human beings.
1 "Hic oportet notare distinctionem . . . quod aliud est dominium.divinum, aliud evangelicum, et aliud humanum; ipsum autem subdividetur, cum aliud civiliter coactivum, et aliud evangelice regimentum; primo modo non debet ecclesiasticus dominari, sed secundo modo debet quilibet Christianus modo suo dominari quilibet; et sic prophete erant reges eorum quibus a Deo preficiebantur, et prelati tempore legis gracie sunt reges eorum quibus spiritualiter sunt prefecti, et tanto verius quam reges seculi, quo officium regendi exercentin animam. Alii vero ad regimen corporale primo respiciunt; solo tamen quod mundani cum vulgo, solum acoeptans sibi famosius, vocant solum regem, potentem seculi communitatis, principaliter ac corporaliter humanitus regitivum. . ." Iohannis Wycliffe Tractatus De civili Dominio, I, chap.xi, (Reginald Lane Poole, ed., London, 1885).
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