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

Capitulum 5^m.

of þis may men se ouer þat alle herdis of crist shulden lyue of þe almes of sheep þat þey techen. for ȝif þey han rentis bifore or worldly richees, þei shulden leeue hem bifore or lyue on hem bi-syde þer sheep. & þus apostlis leften þer godis whanne þey weren chosun to cristis disciplis. for ech persoun shulde bi charite sue crist as lichy as he myȝte, but crist lyuede of almes of þe puple þat he tauȝte; why shulde a prelat shame to lyue þus on siche almes? Þe gospel of luk seiþ hou marye maudelen & cusees wif & many oþere mynys|triden to crist of þe godis þat weren herne; & þus as crist was nedy for men, so he wolde take of þer almes; hou shulde a prelat shame to take þus godis of pore men? Also ech prelat shulde lyue moost parfit lif & moost sikire, but it is more parfit & sikire to lyue on siche almes þan bi ony oþer maner, & þerfore prelatis shulden mekely holde hem payed of þis title. Ȝif þei hadden bi anticristis lawe weye to plete for þes godis, þey wolden stryue & curse for hem & wrongly disturble þer sugetis, & þus to haue bi title of almes as crist hadde is more worchipful, for lawe of þe lord is betere, & þus prestis ben more lik to crist. & þus prelatis shulden bi title of almes ȝyue lore & leding to þer sugetis; & siþen þis ȝyuyng is myche betere þan bodily ȝyuyng þat þe puple ȝyueþ, it is more worchipful to prelatis to ȝyue þus goostly almes þan to take bodily almes, þat is so litil & so myche dette, & herfore seiþ poul soþely þat it is more blessid condicioun for to ȝyue betere þing þan to take þing lesse worþ. & þus ȝif title of almes renne bi-twixe þis herde & his sheep, it is more willeful to þes sheep & so more meedeful to hem, & herfore wolde poul take willefuly þe ȝifte þat philemon shulde [page 4] ȝyue hym. & on þe toþer syde anentis þe herde it turneþ hym to more mekenesse, & stiriþ hym by skyle & shame to ȝyue aȝen betere ȝifte. Also god is so skileful þat he wole not þat men chaffere but in þingis whoos valu þei knowen; but lore &

preyour of prestis may not be taxid bi mannus wit, & þerfore god wolde not þat it were seld bi dymes ne offeringis. & þerfore seiþ crist in matheus gospel to his disciplis þat techen þe puple: "ȝee token frely ȝoure wit of god, & ȝyue ȝee it frely to þe puple." & þis sentense shulden prestis take as a reule of bileue, for myche wit & myche strengþe ben in goddis reules þat semen rude.

Notes

• Luke viii. [3.]
• Acts xx. [35.]
• [Philemon v. 15.]
• Matt. x. [8.]