The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.

Capitulum 5^m.

Se we ouer þis what iude seiþ of apostataes of þise ordris, hou þei weren first punyshid of god in tyme of þe old lawe. for cristis religioun lastiþ euer, boþe to þe dai of dom & aftir, & alle þise newe religiouns moten haue ende þenne or bifore. Jude seiþ þat [Jude 12.] þise apostataas ben in heere metis filþis, þat feeden men wiþ-oute drede, feedynge hem self; & þus freris, for heere metis þat þei hauen of lordis & bishopis, feeden heere soulis aȝen bi fablis, & ben a-boute to hyde heere synnes, but certis largenesse of heere abitis hydiþ not synnes fro god. Þei mai blynde men for a tyme bi here feyned absolucions, but whenne men shal rekene bifore crist in day of his last iugement, þere þise habitis shal be a weye, [page 86b] þise rewelis & þise religiouns, & religion of cristis lawe shal shyne þen-ne for kepyng þer-of; for ypocritis shal be depperst dampned of alle þe fendis þat shal be in helle. Jude seyþ

aftir, þat þise men ben cloudis wiþ-oute watir, þat ben boren aboute wiþ wyndis; & þis a-cordiþ to fals prestis, for philosophris seyn bi resoun þat it is eir of pestilence when it semeþ to reyne & reyneþ not, as it falliþ bi siche cloudis, for þei letten þe liȝt of heuene & temperen not þe erþe bi reyn. & þus it falliþ gostliche bi men þat shulden preche goddis lawe, & letten to teche þis lawe, & occupien siche prelatis state bi gabbyng & fagyngis, & not bi reyn of goddis word; & þis is a perilose tyme of pestilence of mannes soule. Jude seiþ aftir þat þise ben heruest trees wiþoute fruyt, twyes deed, & þe rootis ben drawen up; & þus þei ben hydous trees. Þis word shulde be dred of prelatis, siþ þei ben trees in þis world; & þei shulden bere gostliche fruyt as don oþer trees in heruest, but þei ben wiþoute fruyt, as was þe fyge tree þat [Mat. xxi. [19.]] crist cursede, for neþer in prechyng ne good lyf þei profiten to þe peplis soule. And þus þei ben twyes dede, deed body & soule, deed in þis world & in þe oþer, deed in heere owen persone, deed in profityng to oþer men. And heere rootis ben turned up; for here loue shulde be hid, & bi growyng of þis roote þei shulden profite to mennes soulis; but ȝif heere loue be ficchid on worldliche þingis more þen on heuenliche þingis, þe rote is turned up, & þei ben drye, wiþoute fruyt. Wheþer þat freris or oþere men failen þus in heere office, iude prophecyde of hem, al ȝif þey weren not in his tyme; for as petre seiþ, "cristis apostlis haueden clere spirit to prophecie." [[2 Peter i. 19(?)]] And þise men ben boren aboute bi wyndis of vnstablenesse, & heyhid to grete statis, now here & now þere, for hem wantiþ þe rote of loue þat shulde be picchid in goddis lawe, & þus wyndus mouen not þise trees to growe stableliche in þe chirche. Jude seiþ aftir, þat þise ben flodis of þe wood see, þat froþen heere owen confucions. [page 87] It is knowen þat holi chirche is a ship in þe see, & þing þat moost noyeþ þis ship ben felle flodis of þis world; & ȝif freris hauen þise two, noo drede, god vndirstood hem here, & ȝif þei froþen bi irose fisege aȝen men þat tellen hem treuþe, noo drede þei froþen heere owen confusion, & maken heere malice more knowen. & but

ȝif iude spak here of freris he spak in noo place of þise sectis. Lord, siþ crist & hise apostlis spaken sharpliche aȝens mennes synnes, & þei bidden þat we shulden sewe hem, whi shulden we not so speke aftir? Ȝif a man be in despeyer of malice of þis wood see or þat men shal be helpid fro it, þenne is it noo boote hym to speke aȝen; but men hopen bi goddis grace wiþ sich sharp speche & trewe, þat somme freris shal be amendid, & þe peple shal knowe hem betere. And þus seiþ Jude aftir, þat þise men ben erryng sterris, to whom þe tempest of derkenesse is kept wiþouten ende. It is knowen bi philoso|phris þat þe sterre herid or beerdid erriþ fro heuene in his mouyng, & bitokeneþ pestilence, & so it is of wickid prestis þat erren fro kepyng of goddis lawe. & þus ȝif freris wolen excuse hem þat iude spekiþ not of hem, þei moten excuse hem first þat þei liuen not wickidliche, for euere men weren holden bi goddis lawe to speke aȝen goddis aduersaries. And herfore seiþ iude aftir, þat "enoc þe seuenþe persone fro adam prophecied of siche wickid men: lo, god comeþ in hise þousynd seyntis to make iugement aȝen alle wickid, & to reproue alle wickid men of al þe werkis of heere wickidnesse in whiche þei diden wickidliche; & of alle hard þyngis bi whiche wickid men han spoken aȝen god." Men moten oþer denye god, or seye þat fro þe bigynnyng of þe world it was leueful to reproue wickid men. Whi shulden not men reproue siche freris? siþ god haþ ordeyned many þousynd to mayn|tene his cause aȝen þe fend. And herfore seyþ iude aftir, hou men shal knowe siche pseudoes. "Þise ben gruccheris, ful of pleynt, wandringe oftir heere desyris, & here mouþ spekiþ pride, makinge [page 87b] persones wondirful bi cause of here wynnyng." Ȝif freris ben not spoken of here þei moten liue þus iustliche, þat þei grucche not aȝen here pouerte bi þe criyng of here beggyngis. And ȝif alle heere cloþis tellen to men þat þei ben needi beggers, & þei wolen take of pore & riche al maner of godis þat þei mai gete, þenne þei ben fals & ful of playnt of þe pouerte þat þei han chosen. And ȝif freris after þis feyned pouerte wandren in reumes aftir here

lustis, & chesen to ete wiþ riche men where þei may fare lustfulliche, & haue heere daliaunce wiþ wymmen for here leccherose lyues; who drediþ þat god ne spak here bi iude of þise freris? And ȝif þei speken proudliche to men of heere ordris & of here persones; hou þei passen oþere ordris & oþer persones bifore hem in holynesse & in witt; & þus glosen persones wondirful, boþe of heere ordris & wiþ-oute, bi cause of heere wynnyng, who drediþ þat god ne spak here of siche freris þat don þus? And iude moueþ cristen men aftir to be war & reproue siche men: "But ȝee, ful dere breþeren, haue mynde of þe wordis þat weren seyd byfore of þe apostlis of oure lord ihesu crist, þat han seyd to ȝou, þat in þe laste tymes shal come gilours wandring aftir heere desyris, not in good religion. Þise ben þei þat departen hem silf bestial, & hauen not þe holy goost." Juge men wheþer freris ben siche; & certis þenne god spak here of hem, for god woot al þing þat is to come, & warneþ his chirche of perilis of it. Ȝif þise freris ben gylours boþe of men & of children, bi þe holynesse þat þei biheeten to robbe men of heere goodis, & wandren in cuntrees aftir heere desyris, to placis & persones where þei hopen to fare aftir lustis of heere flesh, þenne god spak heere of freris. And ȝif freris departen heere duellyng fro oþere men, boþe lerid & lewid, & wandren not as crist or hise apostlis, more to edifie þe peple þen for lust or worldliche wynnyng, þenne god spak here of hem. liue þe freris bi goddis lawe & teche þei men þat þei ben not siche.