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

Capitulum 9^m.

þis sentense of almes shulde strecche to plasis þat han chirchis approprid; as ben munkis & chanouns & seculer collegies. Þer ben þre maner of collegies þat vsen þis craft of appropring. Þe firste ben cathedral chirchis þat han pro|uendris approprid to hem; þe secounde ben chapels of prinsis þat han chirchis more approprid; þe þridde ben collegies of studies þat vsen þis same craft; bi þes may men knowe oþere þat han appropring of chirchis. For alle acorden in þis, þat þey han almes of pariȝschens & [page 6] ȝit dwellen not on þe pariȝs as herdis for to teche hem; & þey blasfemen in god. for þey moten nedis seye þat god ordeynede þis; & siþ no cause is of þis almes, þei seyen þat god shoop þis wiþ-oute cause. Also

god haþ ordeyned heere in erþe almes to be delid as he deliþ reyn; but he deliþ reyn as it is nede, bi smalle dropis where erþe is drye; hou shameþ not anticrist heere to make siche dichis & waste drye erþe? no drede he is an yuel god, þat þus reuersiþ goddis ordeynaunse. & ȝif siche collegies feynen þat þey preyen & oþere weyes profiten to þer pariȝschis, men shulden not þus chaffere wiþ preyere; for þey witen nere wher þey ben dampnyd. & preyour of siche fendis is litil worþ, ȝe to hemsilf, hou feden þey sheep? Also almes shulde be fre & discreet as goddis lawe techiþ, for ellis it were not meedeful, & god ȝaue no leeue to do it; what meede shal a pore man haue þat he sufferiþ aȝenus his wille his almes be borun to cayms castel to fede a floc of anticristis? certis þey don þes pariȝschis no good ne to general hooly chirche, but ȝif þei don good as þe fend þat reuersiþ goddis ordenaunse. men shulden seke ground of siche collegies, wheþer god haþ ordeyned hem to be, & þe floc fed bi hem þat ben so fer & so lewid. & þus þes nouelries of collegies semen to tempte crist as þe fend, for þey gon not to heuene bi greesis þat god haþ ordeyned to lede þidur, but þey wolen fle bi þe fendis craft & leeue þe weye þat crist haþ set. crist ordeynede þat his herdis shulden dwelle wisely vpon his sheep, & teche hem boþe bi lif & word hou þey shulden lyue to come to heuene; but anticrist castiþ an-oþer gile, þat his herdis dwelle afer in castels & be doump of lore of lif & lore of word to helpe þer sheep, & so it is nedeful þat þe puple be dis|seyued in body & soule. Þey ben disseyued in þer body, for þei ben robbid of bodili good & it is clepid almes bi ipocrisie. & þus þey ben goostly disseyued, boþe for hem wantiþ teching to wende to heuene bi cristis weye, & for þey ben led to helle bi errour of þe fendis weye. crist seiþ þat he is weye, & grounde þou þis apropring in crist, for ȝif crist grounde it not, it is þe brode weye to helle; it is a newe foundun weye [page 6b] for sutilte aȝenus charite, but þe kyngis weye is crist þat lediþ surely to heuene.