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.

XIV. Sy|monie of prestis.

An oþer poynt is her putt, þat prestis to sing may not first mak couenaunt wiþ out symonie. Of þis mater þus seyn feiþful doctors of diuinite, and doctors in lawe of þe kirk, þus: A prest weþer he be beneficid or not, he howiþ not to sett to hire his gostly warks; nor it is not leful to him to reseyue ani þing of couenaunt to a day or ȝere for Goddis seruyce to be seid; for wo þat selliþ ani of þo þings wiþ wilk þe toþer com^t not, he leuiþ noiþer vnsold, as þe decre seiþ; þis bi Ihoun. Neuerþeles he may sett to hire his [Decre.] bodily werks; þat is, he may astreyn himsilf a ȝer to dwel wiþ a man to serue him, as writ, or teche children; and þus he may lefuly, sauid his ordre; so þat he outtak fro his generalite, boþ in mynde and in worde, his goostly warks, wilk he may graunt frely wiþ out couenaunt or price, after þe wille of God. And þus þe couenaunts how to be seuerythly, þat þe goostly þings be done frely. But for þe synne of symonye may vnnese or neuer be fled in swilk þings, þerfor conduct prestis are reprouid of þe lawe, after Hostiensis, and Innocent; and eft Hostiensis seiþ of hem þat ȝeuen [Hostiensis. Innocent.] a peney, or peyneyes, to prestis, for to do aniuersaries, or to syng a messe of þe Holi Gost, or swilk maner, or for to syng trentaylis, in alle swilk casis, to tak or ȝef temporal þing for goostly þing, of forþword, or certeyn couenaunt, it is symonye. Weþer it be ȝeuen for þe sacrament, weþer for þe office. After þis word for notiþ or takiþ appreciacoun. Þis seiþ he. Þerfor ilk man see why he takiþ þe money, þat is to sey, what he doþ þerfor. And ilk man see why aȝenne, for what cause principaly. And see after for he ȝeue for Goddis mede, lok how God biddiþ. If he ȝeue it for labor, lok what it is. And if he gif it for sustinaunce, lok what mede it is. Sum men seyn þus, þat symonie is a studiouse wille to by or selle, or on ani maner to haue goostly power, or þe office

þer of, for temporal price, in entent of chaunging to gidre þe toon for þe toþer, as it semiþ bi holy writt, and bi þe lawe, for Symon [Act. uiij^o.] Magus seyng þe apostil ȝeuing þe Holy Goost bi leying vpon his handis, offrid him money to bye þe gostly power, þat þei schuld tak þe Holy Goost þat he schuld putt hands to; but Peter seid to him, þi money be wiþ þe in to perdicoun, for þu gessest to haue þe gift of God for money. And in þe lawe it is seid, þat Symon wold haue bout þe Holi Gost in þat entent, þat of selling of synnis þat schuld be do bi him, he schuld wyn money. And þus of him it takiþ þe name of symonye. And þerfor þei þat sellen gostly þings, and þei þat bien hem, so folowing Symon are callid Symon|ients. And þus seiþ Parisiensis in his bok; Prestis singing for [Parisiensis.] money sellen Crist, and are werrer þan Judas in þeis fiue points. Judas sold him onis dedly, and not glorified, for þritty penies, wen he trowid him not God, but a deadly man walking in ȝerþe; and after, he repentid, and browt aȝen þe penis. But þei selle him vndeadly, and glorified, and ofte and for lesse price, wan þei trowen him God, regning in heuen vndedly, and til þey cum to penaunce þei restore not þe money. Þus he seiþ. And Jerom seiþ þus; [Jerom.] Als oft of men are seid singing for menis fauor, and temporel wynning, or hope of ani temporel profet, soþly Crist is sold and be trayd, and wen þe body and blod of Crist is tretid wiþ foul hands, and polutid conciens, Crist is trayd and crucified. And Ambrose [Ambrose.] seiþ; He [þat] ȝetiþ and drynkiþ þis sacrament wiþ out deuocoun, or oþerwise þan it is ordeynid of þe Lord, synging messe, or dwelling in lust of synning, he schal be gilty of body and of blod of Crist, and schal ȝeue peynis for deþ of Crist, as if he had slayn him, and he schal draw spott of good þing iuel tane. Þis seiþ he, and more afterword.