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.

XXII. Cristis dis|ciplis kepe Cristis counseil.

An oþer poynt is þis; þat no man is Cristis disciple, but if he kepe Cristis counseil. Þis me þingiþ wel is soþ, bi diuerse resouns. And þerfor we schal first vnderstond, as boþ Goddis law, and experiens, and resoun techiþ, þat Cristis counseilis are callid in two wise, as sum tyme þing þat he counseiliþ to, and biddiþ not to ilk man as oþer comaundments; as are þeis, þat men kepen in þe gospel bodily pouert, and keping fro bodily weddingis, and suylk oþer. On oþer wyse is callid his counseil þus, as he steriþ oon to do þus, an oþer þus; as he seid to þe man, ȝif þu wilt be perfiȝt [Matt. xix^o.] go selle alle þat þu hast, and ȝef to þe pore, and þu schalt haue mikil mede in heuen, and cum and folow me. And þus seiþ Poul, þat he gaf counseil to þingis as him þowt, but ilk man had his [1 Cor. uij^o.] proper ȝeft of God, to go as God haþ callid him; and þus in ilk þingis men nedyn euer þe counseil of God, to led hem in al þingis to do as is leful and spedy and best, and þis is a ȝeft of þe Holy Goost. And þus is opun, þat non is Cristis disciple, but if he kep his counseil; for ellis he leriþ not at him, nor is not ȝeuen to his sciens, nor led þer by, nor fillid þerof, nor of þe sciens of God, but if he kepe his counseil; for þus seiþ Crist, and rehersiþ þe prophet, [Joh. uj^o.] þat alle men able are taut of God. And God bi his prophet cursiþ þeis þat wirken not bi his counseil, for þus he seiþ bi Ysaye, Who [Isa. xxx^o.] sonnis lifers, seiþ þe Lord, þat ȝe schuld mak a counseil and not of me, and wef a web and not bi mi Spirit, þat ȝe schuld adde syn vp on synne, þat ȝe go doun in til Egipt and axid not mi Spirit, þer for ȝe schal mak counseil and it schal be schaterid, and as he han [Prov. i^o.] left mi counseil and sett mi blamings at nout, I schal lawȝe in ȝour deþ, and bymowe ȝow wen þis schal cum to ȝow þat ȝe dred. And many are þe witnessis þat kenun vs to do alle þingis euer bi þe counseil of God. But neuerþeles ouer þis we schal vnderstond þat disciplis of Crist are seid in syndry maneris and degrees, as sum in general, sum in special. In general maner are al Cristis disciplis, þat after þe rewle of kynde folowiþ his lore. And

in an oþer special maner weren his disciplis þat folowid him bi þe kenning of Moyses lawe, and oþer writun lawis. In þe þrid maner are þeis his disciplis þat folowen his lore þat he taut in þe gospel; and þus sum are his disciplis in a degre þat are ordeynid and chosun to folow him in lyuing, and þoling, and teching; and sum in oþer degre þat are ordeynid to be taut. And of þeis sum are iuel, and gon o bak; and Judas was his disciple chosun, and his apostil, and mani of his disciplis went a bak. But and sin Crist seiþ, Non may be his disciple but if he renounce alle þingis þat he [Lue. xiu^o.] haþ, and tak his cros and folow Crist, it folowiþ pleynly, þat þow [a] man be his disciple in sum degre, neuerþeles in sum degre he is not his disciple, but if he kepe his counseyl, and lef al þing. And for þi þus seiþ a doctor, Who þat euer he be, þat in þe last [A Doctor.] our of his deþ kastiþ not al his bisines and his affeccoun in to God, kasting fro him al worldly bisynes, baldly I dar sey, þat he schal not after þis lif be Cristis disciple in heuen. Of þis schuld þei be war þat occupien men toward her end a bout þe world, and de|parting and assining of þer goodis, and to mak her heyris grete after hem, and to mak pompous exequies and entermentis, biriel, and swilk þingis, in to veyn nam after hem; and þei þat occupien hem wiþ japis, and remembren hem of þer old iuel, in to lyking þer of, and þat steriþ men in to morning for þei schal lefe þis world, and þei mornyn for her frendis leuen it; and men þat are ocupied about testamentis, and schuld lok þat þe last wille of þe man wer kepid, not only wat he wil, but how his wille schuld be rewlid. Vp on þis schulde þenk prestis, prelatis, and religious, and oþer þat han vowid to kep bodily pouert, obediens, and chastite, how þat þei schuld folow Crist to be his disciplis trewly wiþ out ypo|crisie; þat þei fille her vow, and mak it not voyd, nor renne not for þe brekyng and multiplieng of þer synne in to þat curse þat Crist biddiþ to þe scribis and to þe phariseis þus, Wo worþ ȝow, [Matt. xxiij^o.] he seiþ, þat gon about þe see and þe lond to mak a nouys of ȝour

ordre, and wan he is made ȝe mak him a son of helle double as ȝour silf.