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

Capitulum 24^m.

it were to wite ouer þis hou men fallen in þis synne, & what medicyn were aȝenus it, siþ þis werk is so precious. þre maner of folc synnen heere; sumtyme þe prest þat shulde preche, þe puple þat shulde here þis preching, & he þat lettiþ goddis word to renne. þis prechoure may synne on many maners bi þat þat he sowiþ not good seed, but iapis & gabbingis or oþere tryuolis, & leeueþ to preche þe word of god. for luk seiþ þat þat is seed þat no defaute is foundun ynne, al ȝif þre defautes ben in þe lond vpon which þis seed is castun. on oþer maner þis prest þat sowiþ may meddle venym wiþ þis seed, as whanne he prechiþ for veyn glory or for coueytise of worldly good. & herfore seiþ poul to his puple þat we ben not holours of goddis word, but of clennesse, as we speken of god, we speken bifore god in crist. & wolde god þat prechours nou wolde lerne þis lessoun of poul; þanne þey shulden speke of god & not þus of rotun seed, & as þei weren bifore god, kepinge good maner in þis lordis presence. & þey shulden preche for cristis worchip

on his maner not for muc. for among alle symonyes þat euere crist sufferide in þe chirche þis is þe fouleste of alle oþere, vsid ofte of prechour beggeres, for þey wolen gedere comynly godis aftir þat þey han prechid; oþer money or corn or what oþere godis þat þey may gete. & þe fonnydnesse of þe puple makiþ hem parcneris of þe beggeris synne, for whanne þey ȝyuen hem godis heere þey assenten to þer symonye. & þis is a foul errour þat many seyn in þis mater þat þey ȝyuen for goddis loue & þat is ynow for hem, for certis þis wiss lord axiþ boþe his godis & good maner. & for þis good maner man haþ meede, & ȝif he fayliþ hym wantiþ meede; & to destrie þis errour seiþ crist in þe gospel of seynt matheu þat summe dampnyd men shulen seye to crist: "sire, [[Matt. vii. 22.]] kestiden we not out fendis [page 16] in þy name & diden vertues in þy name?" but crist shal seye to þese men: "soþely, y seye to ȝou y knowe ȝou not as children of blis, for ȝee failiden of good maner." lord, siþ þes men shulen be dampnyd þat prechen goddis word in cristis name & casten out fendis & don vertues, what meede shulen þes beggeris haue, þat faylen in þis & lyȝen on crist & seyn þat crist beggide þus to holde vp þer newe ordris. crist wiste ful wel þat þes shulden come whanne he bad hem not go fro hous to hous, [[Mark vi. 8-10.]] but dwelle in oon & wende not þennus, & bere not vpon þer backis baggis ne sachels to begge þus.