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

Capitulum vj.

aNd so who so lokiþ wel þe dede of siluestir, it was [page 27b] ex|presly aȝens þe lyuynge & þe techynge of ihesu criste, as it is openli tawȝt bifore. And siþ þe endowynge of þe clergi is groundid vp-on þis dede, we may se by þis processe how þe clergi is wondirfulle enfect wiþ symonye & heresie. For þis sinne in hem may not be vndo till þe temporalle lordeschip in hem be distried, whiche haþ envenemyd alle þe clergi. & ȝif we taake hede to þis processe, we schal not myche wondir, all|þouȝ

þe awngelle of god, aperynge in þe eyre in þe tyme of doynge of þis wickid dede, saide þes wordis: "þis day is venym sched or helt in þe chirche of god;" as gorram saiþ up|on þe xij chapitre of þe apocalips. And þerfor saiþ [page 28] saynt Jerom, in vitis patrum: "Siþ þe chirche encresid in posses|syouns, it haþ decresid in vertues." And herfore criste þat was in lyke case wiþ þes two prestis, heliȝe & siluestre, in dampnynge of þis wickid dede þat haþ so myche harmyd & envenymyd his chirche, left þe way of siluestre, þat toke þis worldly lordeschip, and chese þe way of heliȝe þe prophete, þat forsoke þo ȝiftis þat naaman proferid hym, and fled boþ symony & heresy. And so, as heliye left þe grete richesse þat naaman wold haue ȝyue hym & tooke worþili þe pore ordenance & fyndynge þat a goode man & his wyfe proferid to hym; þat is to say, a lytille soler, a bedde, a borde, a chaire, & a kandilstek, þe whiche [page 28b] ben acordynge to a studier or a contemplatyfe man; So criste forsoke seculer lordeschipis, & held hym payde wiþ þe pore liflode þat deuoute peple ministred to hym to his nedeful sustenance in his labours. And þus didden also alle þe apostles, as a man may conceyue of þe gospelle & in many oþer placis of her lijfis. For aftir tyme þat god þe fadir had wrouȝte þis grete miracle bi criste his preste, in releuynge of fyve þousande & mo þat wern in mysese of hunger, he avoydid siche worldly rewarde þat schulde haue be ȝoue to hym by occasion of minystrynge of þis grace. Siþ þan þat criste & heliȝe acorden to-gydre in þis case, & siluestre reuersiþ hem boþe here; [page 29] and siche contrarius dedis in casis þat ben so lijke mow not be glosid to-gedre, þan we most nedis, ȝif we will go a sure way, magnifie in worde & dede þe doynge of heliȝe & of criste in þis case; siþ þat heliȝes dede is commendid in scripture, and crist is truþe and autor of scripture. þan we moten dampne þe doynge of gyezi & of siluestre, þus ferr strayynge away fro heliȝe & criste & his gospelle. And in þis writynge I blasfeme no more siluestre, & þes holy men and sayntis þat han ben siþ þis endowynge

of þe chirche cam in, all-þouȝ [I] rehers & blame her synne, þan I do petir & his felowis whan I say þat þai synfully forsoken criste, or poule whan [page 29b] i say þat he wickidly pursuyd cristis chirche. for I blame of no þinge wher-of þai schuld be sayntis, no more þan I do þes apostles; alle-þouȝ I blame her synnys, þe whiche þai hem self dampnyd, & wer sori þat euer þai synned so. For petir wept sore for his synne, as þe gospelle saiþ. and saynt poule, mekely knowlech|ynge his synne, saide þat he was not worþi to be callid apostle of criste, and þat bi-cause þat he pursuyd cristis chirche. And on þe same wise siluestre and þes sayntis diden, or ellis schuld haue do for her synne. For whan we will preyse sayntis, we schul loke wherin þai suyd criste and his lawe in worde, dede, or maners, and so ferr þai ben worþi preysynge [page 30] and no ferþer; for crist is þe mesure of vertuous lyuynge & worchynge; and herfore he calliþ alle men to sue hym & to lerne of hym, & namely prestis to teche þat þat he tawȝte, and þan we may not erre. And herfore saynt poule tauȝte cristen peple to sue hym, but no ferrer þan he sueþ ihesu criste. And saynt petir remittiþ þe pepille to criste, for to take of hym ensaumple; saiynge þus: "Crist haþ suffred for vs, leuynge ȝou ensaumple þat ȝe filow þe steppis of hym þat did no synne, neþir was eny gyle founden in his mouþe." And so a man may euer saafly sue his lyuynge and techynge wiþ-owte eny errynge; but & we sue in alle þingis eiþer petir, poule, or siluestre, or eny [page 30b] oþer synfulle man, we must nedis erre in many þingis, as þai diden. Loke þan if siluestre suyd criste whan he forsoke þe pouert of þe gospelle & by-cam a lorde vpon þe west empire of þe worlde. And if he so did, þan preyse hym in þat doynge, & ellis not. for whi no man may putt an oþer grounde bisidis þat þat is putt, þe whiche is criste ihesu.

Notes

• 4 Kings iv. [8.]
• Luke viii. [3.]
• Matt. xxvi. [75.]
• [1] Cor. xv. [9.]
• Matt. xi.
• Matt.xxviii.[20.]
• Eph. v. [1.]
• [should be 1 Cor. xi. 1.]
• 1 Peter ii. [21.]