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.

XI. Of horis.

An oþer poynt putt is þis, þat þe prest is not holden to his horis canoniȝid, not but if he be to syng. To þis I answere þus, I denoy

me not to haue seid þis, for perel falling in forme of lawe; for if it were witnessid aȝenis me, þof it wer fals, if I denoyed, I schuld be condempnid as gilty. Ne I graunt not þat I seyd it, þat I lie not on mysilf, for I wot not þat I seid it, and mannis mynd is sclendre. If I haue fautid, I aske forȝeunes, and I wel mend. But o þing I wot wel, if prestis are bounde to þer horis bi þe lawe þat hem silf han maad, þei howen be bound be þe charge þat Crist haþ ȝeuen hem. And if þei haue streit conscience to faile in þis þat hemself haþ bound hem to, þei schuld haue mikil more to faile in þis þat Crist haþ bound hem to, if þei lofid and trostid him aboue þe wark of þer hondis. But if þei haue bounden hemself, þer as he maad hem free, and setten mikil bi þer oun tradicouns, and litil bi his, and puttyn his bidding to forþfil þer, and folowen wickid coueitis and oþer iuel, þan schal þis be verified in hem þat Crist seiþ in his gospel, Þe Holi Goost wan he comiþ schal find þis world [Joh. xvj^o.] of dome; and eft, Whi brek ȝe þe biddings of God, to kepe ȝor own tradicouns? ypocritis, wel is prophecied of ȝow, þis peple honoriþ [Mat. xv^o.] me wiþ þer lippis, but þer hert is far fro me. In veyn þei honor me, teching þe biddings and þe maundments of men; leuing þe biddingis of God, for to kepe þer oune tradicouns. And eft, Wo worþ ȝow þat tiȝen mynt, aneis, and comyn, and ilke herbe, and leuen þe sadder þings of þe lawe, dome, feiþ, and mercy; þeis þings howen to be done, and þoo not be left. Blind foolis, clensing forþ þe knatt, but swelowyng þe camely. And for soþ, as Ambros [Ambros.] seiþ, Till þu lefe þis þat þu art bodun bi þo bidding of Crist, what þing þat þu werkyst is vnþankful to þe Holi Goost. And mani prestis in þer horis byddyn hem self Goddis curse, for þus þei sey, Lord, þu hast blamid þe prowd, cursid bi þei þat bowen doun fro þi [Ps. cxviii^o.] biddings.