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

Capitulum 3^m.

of þis goldun bileue shulden prestis take þis reule of crist þat poul ȝyueþ to tymothe, & in hym to alle cristen [[1 Tim. vi. 8.]] prestis: "hauynge fode & oþere þyngis bi whiche we ben skilefuly keuerid, be we payed wiþ þes two," & do we werk þat prestis shulden do. for ech prest shulde sue crist bi þe power þat crist haþ ȝouyn hym; but ech prest may liȝtly þus sue crist ȝif he lette not hym silf, & þus synne excusiþ hym not þat he synne not in þis noun suyt. & þus crist lyuede a comyn lif þat ech cristenman may sue, & noon of hem may be euene wiþ crist, for nedis cristis godhed mut be bifore. & þus ech cristenman may renne faste & he shal ay fynde crist bifore hym; be he pore, be he riche, be he feble, be he witty, he may not fayle in his good wille þat ne he shal sue crist in þat. & þus shal ech cristenman do, be he herde, be he sheep; but ȝif he take to be herde he shulde passe in witty suyng; & þis reule þat poul ȝyueth mouyde apostlis & oþere prestis, til þat þe chirche of rome was dowid, to sue

crist in þe gospels pouert, & what þing þat a prest haþ more he haþ his meede heere but not in heuene. & þus poul vndirstondiþ bi fode, mete & drynk þat ben couenable to do betere þe seruyss of god; & not lustly deyntees of prestis, neþer to make þer body wantoun, ne gete hem worchip in ouer-greet meyne. two maner of hiling ben nedeful to prestis þat shulden do þis offiss; hiling of resonable cloþis, & eke hiling of skileful housis. but be war heere þat synne of curatis brouȝt in bi custom in þes two be not cause of þy synne to spende to myche in oþer of hem. & siþen we shulden be pilgryms heere & rowe wisely in þis boot to heuene, ȝif we passen þis fode & hiling we chargen vs silf wiþ|outen fruyt. & þus prestis shulden be war þat coueytise ouer þis reule of crist lette not prestis to holde poulis reule, for þanne þey synne in auerise. & þus prestis may bi þre enemyes be temptid to breke þis apostlis reule; bi þer fleys, & bi þe world, & bi pride of þe fend. Þat prest þat fediþ [page 2b] hym silf to lustfuly to plese his fleys mut passe resoun in his dispensis; & þat bringiþ in robbing of curatis. & þat prest synneþ bi þe world þat passiþ þis reule in to greet meyne or in to costly dispensis, & seiþ þe world nediþ herto. he synneþ bi tempting of þe fend, þat bi pride or worldly worchip coueytiþ more of siche godis þan resoun axiþ to his offiss. & þus onest pouert is best, moost sure, & moost liȝt to prestis heere; & bi þis cause crist helde þis meene bitwixe begging & worldly richees. & heere ben þre excusaciouns þat ben seyd to excuse prestis synne. summe seyen þat for worldly worchip þey moten passe þis reule of poul; & þus þei desiren more worldly worchip þan worchip of heuene in staat of blis bi þe holding of goddis reule. but where is more foly of man? Þe secound excusacioun of synne seiþ þat prestis moten do bodily almes, & algatis helpe folc of þer kynd. but þis telliþ an opyn blasfemye, þat crist was vnwiss in þis, siþ he vside not þis in word ne dede, for goostly almes is myche betere þan deling of þis worldly drit. Þe þridde excusacioun of prestis is þat þey moten nedis gedere godis for sekenesse & eelde

& oþere caassis to helpe hem in tyme of nede. Þis is aȝenus þe lore of crist, to triste in help of worldly muc, & leeue to triste in god almyȝti for keping of his comaundementis.