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.

XIX. Re|ligious bounden to bodily wark.

Þis is a noþer, Þat religious men are bounde to bodily warks; þat semiþ soþ bi þis. In þe state of innocens God sett man in paradis of delite, leking þat he schuld wirk and kep it. In to þis stat of synne God kest man out of paradise in to þe ȝerþ, þat he schuld [Gen. i^o.] wirk þe ȝerþ þat he was tane of, and seid to him, In swot of þi chere [Gen. iii^o.] þu schalt eyt þi brede, tul þu turn aȝen in to þe ȝerþ þat þu art tan of. Also in þe comaundement, þu schalt wirk six dayes and do þi [Exod. xx^o.] wark. Also þus biddiþ þe apostil, He þat stale steyle he not, but [Eph. iu^o.] more wirk he wiþ his handis þing þat is god, þat he haue wer of to ȝef to him þat nediþ. And eft he seiþ, Breþern, we warn ȝow, [2 Thes. ult.] in þe name of our Lord Ihu Crist, þat ȝe wiþ draw ȝow fro ilk broþer going inordinatly, and not after þe ordre þat þei han tane

of vs; for ȝe wot wel it be howuiþ to folow vs, for we han not ben inquiet among ȝow, ne etun ani mannis bred for nouȝt, but wirk|ing in trauel, and werynes, boþ day and niȝt, þat we schuld greue none of ȝow. And þis we did, not os if we had no power, but þat we schuld ȝef to ȝow a forme to folow vs; for [wan] we were at ȝow, þis we wernid ȝow, þat if any wold not wirk, þat he eyt not; for we han hard sum a mong ȝow to lif inquiet, no þing doing, but leding þer lif curiously, and we warn ȝow in þe Lord, þat þei þat are swilk, wiþ stilnes wirking, eyt þer bred. And her seiþ Austeyn, [Austeyn.] in his book of warkis of monkis, Þe apostil wrowt wiþ his handis þingis able to mannis vse honestly, as þe warkis of carpenteris han hem, werkis of sewars, and of feld telars, and like to þeis. Pa|triarkis fed bestis; þe grekis had hem þat we callen pagaynis, her most honorable philosophurs, sowtars. In þe kirk, þis ilk, iustar man, to wam þe blessid maydun Mari was spowsid, þat bar Crist, was a carpenter. If þe patriarkis, þat were þe nobliar of þe Jewis, herdid bestis; philosophurs, þat were of þe bettar of pagaynis, wer sowtars; Joseph, þat was of þe bettar of cristun, was a carpenter; Poule, after þat he was apostil, mad tabernaclis; if all þeis wrout bodily, þat þei schuld not be constreynid to axe þer necessarijs, or to begge, þat is þe same, of wat professioun, or sect, or law, coueit þei to be, þat, aȝen so mani ensaumplis of seyntis, schamun not to beg? And in þe decre is þis notid, þat bi þe saumple of þe [Decre.] apostle, clerkis may lefuly labor honestly wiþ þer handis, wil þey lefe not Goddis þat is more profitable. And eft Austeyn seiþ, Wat do [Austeyn.] þey þat wil not wirk bodily? I desire to wit to wat þing þey tent? Þei sey to prayor, salmis, and redingis, and to þe word of God, þat is preching, forsoþ, he seiþ, an holy lif. But if we schal not be callid fro þeis þingis, we schal not eyt, ne meytis ar not to be mad redy, ilk day þat þey be tan. But if ned of mannis infirmite con|streyn þe seruaundis of God to þeis þingis, in certeyn interuallis of tyme, why ordeyn we not sum partis of tyme to kepe þe apos|tlis

bidding of wirkyng bodily? Sunnar is þe prayor hard of o buxum man, þan tenþowzand of a dispicer; þey seyn hem to tent to lessoun, fynd þey not þer þat þe apostil biddiþ, wat ouerþwartnes is þis to wil not obey to þe lesson? Wil þey tent þer to, and þat þe lessun be rad þe lengar to wil not to do þis þat is red? Who wot not ilk man to profit so mikil þe sunnar as he doþ sunnar þe good þat he rediþ? Also in þe rewle of Seynt Frauncis is red: [Ffrauncis.] Freris lif þey first of þe labor of þer handis, þe secound of þing frely ȝeuun; and wan þeis suffice not, haue þey lefe to axe. And in þe rewle of Seynt Benet; Idilnes is enemy to þe soule. And [Benet.] þerfor in certeyn tymis how þe breþern to be occupied in þe trauel of her handis. And eft certeyn horis in Goddis lessen, fro pasch tul þe kalendis of Octobre, goyng vtterly fro þe first hor tul almost þe fourt, traueil þis þat is necessary fro þe fourt tul þe sixte, tent þei to þe lessoun. And if ned, or pouert of þe place, axe þat þei be occupied to gedre frutis, be þei not euy, for þan are þey verely monkis, if þey lif of þe labor of þer handis, os our fadres and þe apostlis; þis þere. Now þan ilk man ley to his hert to þeis sawis, and oþer, þat he see and understond, and after þe plesing of God perform and fille in dede; schak a wey idilnes, vanite, curiosite, and superfluite, glotany, and lust, and swernes, and oþer þingis þat bringyn in nede. And reyse he dissolut handis, and dresser riȝt weies to his feet, and comfort tremeling knees, in to þe wirkyng of good þingis. Snyb he þe idul, solace hem of litul hert, and be [Sap. iij^o.] pesful to all to þe hert, ffor gloriouse is þe frut of good labors; for þe Psalme seiþ, For þu schalt ete þe labor of þi handis, þu art [Psalm. cxxuij^o.] blessid, and wel schal be to þe. In þis tyme bi grace, and in tyme to cum bi glory, wan þe Lord schal bid calle þe warke men, and pay hem þer mede, mikil glory and honor for þer good warkis; and þan he þat wyl not now wirk, schal not be punischid wiþ men, but warst of all oþer, for he brekiþ Goddis bidding, and steyliþ aȝen þe Lordis leue þis þat he eytiþ. And so he schal be put wiþ

þefis. And for his idilnes wan alle þing schal be ȝeuen to rest, þan his trauel schal be gynne in sarow.