Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.

we stoffid and farsid wiþ gold, folowen pore Crist; and a color of takyng of almis, we chouche a boue our mikil riches, how may we trewly depart oþer mennis þingis, þat dredfully reseruen our owne. Þe fulle womb disputiþ litly of fastyng. Vp on þe wilk seiþ William de Seynt Amour, Swilk maner of men bigging þus [William de Seynt Amour.] biggings semen to turne bred in to stones; þat is to sey, þe bred of þe pore, þat is almis beggid, in to hepis of stonis, þat is in to stonen howsis costlew and superflew; and þerfor þey semen werrar þan þe fend, þat askid stonis to be turnid in to bred. Wer for Jerom [Jerom.] kenniþ wel simple men seying, Gif no þing to no man, ouer liflod and opun necessaries; þat howndis ete not þe bred of children; forsoþ, he seiþ, þe sowle of þe trewe man is þe temple of Crist; honor it, cloþ it, gif it ȝeftis, and tak vp Crist in it. Wat profit is it þe wallis to schine wiþ precious stonis, and Crist to diȝe in þe pore man for hunger. Also þus seiþ Crisostom, Men bigging þe [Crisostom.] memoryes of martres, and honoring kirkis, semen to do a good dede: but and if þey kepe oþer riȝtfulnes of God; if þe pore ioi of þer goodis; if þey mak not oþer mennis goodis here bi violence or bi fraude; who so is vnwyse þat he vnderstondiþ not, for þei mak þer biggings, not to þe glory of God, but to mannes dome. And vniustly þei bigge memories were pore men, þoling violence of hem, crien aȝen hem; for martirs ioien not þat þei are honorid so of þe money of swilk pore men greten; what riȝtfulnes is þis to ȝef ȝeftis to þe dead, and spoyle þe quek; taken of þe blod of wrecchis, and offre to God? Þis is not to offre to God, but to wylen to mak God felow of þis violence, þat if he tak gladly money þat is offrid to him of synne, he consent to synne. Wel þu bigge þe howse of God? ȝef to þe feiþful pore werof þey may lif, and þu hast biggid a resounable howse of God. Men dwellen in biggings, but God dwelliþ in holy men; þerfor wat men are þey þat spoylen men, and makyn biggings of marters? þey aray þe dwell|ings of men, and disturblun þe habitacouns of God. Ihu ȝed in to þe biggings of þe temple, and sowt þe holines of þe temple, but
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Title
An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.
Author
Wycliffe, John, supposed author. d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 49
Publication
London,: Printed for the Camden Society, by J.B. Nichols,
1842.
Subject terms
Lollards

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"An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acm9160.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2025.
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