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

Capitulum 28^m.

men may se bi lif of ordris hou cristis ordenaunse is lettid. crist ordeynede, as hym þouȝte best, þat his disciplis aftir his steying to heuene shulden be departid oon fro an oþer. & ech of hem shulde haue his folc, & shulden not be weddid wiþ mannus lawe, ne wiþ folc, ne wiþ housis, but holde hem payed of goddis lawe, & chaunge folc as god mouyde hem, & haue no propre dwelling of þer oune, as crist þer maystir tauȝte bifore. Al þis is reuersid nou bi help & assent of men; for herto helpen þe pope & prelatis, worldly lordis & ordris hem silf, & pore men ben nedid to helpe as beestis led to be killid. costly chirchis of þes ordris & oþere housis þat þey han destrien olde pariȝs chirchis þat weren ordeyned bi cristis apostlis. & siþ crist is lord of alle & not contrarie to hym silf, no drede men han not his godis þus to reuerse his ordenaunse; & þus ben manye

cayms castels maad & maytened to þes ordris aȝenus leeue of þe cheef lord. but who drediþ þat ne he is wroþ her-wiþ? & þis semeþ þe cause of werris & wrongis þat ben nou growun in þe chirche. lordis & men þat miȝten helpe heere shulden make men turne to cristis ordre. & ȝif persouns hadden no glebe & no propre hous as eritage, þey sueden more crist & his apostlis; & wolde god þey wolden do þus. For it is takun of bileue þat þe ordenaunse of crist bi-syde siche housis & cloystris spediþ more to do his seruyss þan siche contrarie ordenaunsis; & her-fore þes newe ordris moten nedis lyue contrarie to crist. for siþen ordenaunsis & lyues gon to-gidere of men heere, as cristis ordenaunse is chaungid, so lyues of þes lumpis ben chaungid, & no drede to þe worse, as mannus ordenaunse is worse þan cristis. & ȝit lordis of þis world to whom crist was so kynde ben not payed of þis reuersinge, but ben brouȝt in bi þe fend to haue dwellinge in þer housis boþe curatis & þes newe ordris, as þou mayst se in lordis housis persouns or munkis or chanouns & algatis freris to lede þer meyne. but god mut algatis punyshe þis, for þes persouns shulden kepe þer sheep aftir þe lawe þat god haþ ȝouyn hem. but who may reuerse goddis ordenaunse [page 18b] heere but ȝif he renne in his offense, & þus lordis synnen heere boþe aȝenus god & man & letten goddis pees to be tauȝt, & þus londis moten nedis be dis|turblid. & as anentis þes newe ordris þat ben scaterid in lordis housis, it is a more vnkyndly wondir, & helpiþ þe fend to marre þer housis. for as þey seyn þat groundiden þes cloystris, þes men myȝten no more dwelle out þer-of þan fiȝs myȝte dwelle out of water, for vertu þat þey han þer|ynne. for ellis þes cloystris weren not nedeful ne þer ooþ to kepe þer reule. & siche wondris newe brouȝt in moten nedis marre men of þe world, for daliaunse wiþ newe deuels bringiþ in newe giles to lette cristenmen. but sum men grucchen more heere þat persouns ben holden þus traytourly aȝenus þe seruyss þat crist haþ lymytid to kepe þe soulis of his sheep, & no drede crist preisiþ moost þis offiss among

alle oþere, & ȝit consenten þes worldly lordis in cowardise aȝenus crist, for þey destrien not siche traytours of god, but þat shulde be þer hye offiss.