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.

VII. The messe of a fornicary.

An oþer is þis, If ani ȝere þe messe of a prest þat leuiþ in lechery, and knowiþ him to be swilk, [he] synniþ dedely. To þis I sey þus; I rehersid oft þe word of seynt Poule, þat forbediþ us to [1 Cor. vi^o.] tak meit or comyn wiþ þeis manslears, for sworn men, cursars, drunksum men, rauenors, fornicarers, and swilk oþer; for þey þat do swilk þings, schal not haue þe kyndum of God, for þei are worþi þe deþ; not onli þei þat done, but and þei þat consentun wiþ þe doars, or þei þat wirkun wiþ, or defendun, or ȝeuen conseyl or confort, and þat autoryse it, ne helpun not to a mend, ne reproue it not, as þei schuld. Al so I rehersid þe decre of þe kirk, bidding [Decre.] þat no man here þe messe of þe prest þat he wot dowtles haþ a concubyn, or a womman suspect preueyli browt vndre. Þan seyd ani þus to me, But wat if I wot not him swilk, what syn haue I þan? I answerid, frend perchauns þu hawtist to wete and enquire; wan þu dost not, how wilt þu be excusid? And to þis I led him be sensible ensaumple. And wan he tok it heuily, and wold not vnderstond, I ȝaf him þis ensaumple; ȝif þu cum til a frend, and he sett rawe meyt be for þe, and sey it is rostod i now, or sodyn, if þu heyt it, and tak þi deþ, how art þu þan not dede? And þus it semiþ in mani casis, it mai be susteynid þat it is soþ, þow it be not in ilk case. Namli sin Crist seiþ, He þat knowiþ his lordis [Luc. xii^o.] wille, and maad him not redy to do þer after, schal be dongun wiþ

mani dingings, and he þat cnowiþ not, and dede þings worþi betings, schal be dongun wiþ few dingings. And as Austeyn seiþ, Not ilk [Austeyn.] vnkuning schal be excusid of synne, but he mai be excusid þat fond not wat for to lere. But he mai not be excusid þat fond what he miȝt lere, and ȝaf not wark þer to; and þerfor we pray God for ȝeue vs our ignoraunce. And þer for men schuld not tak þis word ouer egirly, þer for prestis flee fornicacioun, not onli for hemsilf, but also for all oþer, þat þei make hem not to synne dedly; for þe gretnes of þe synne in prestis, ouer þe synne in oþer men, is schewid be many resouns; and for it is mikil greuowsare þan simple fornicacoun bi thwex an onlepy man, and an onlepi womman, and it is grettar þan spouse brokun of seculer men bodily, and neuer þe lese boþ thwo are dedly synne. And þat it be þe more semiþ bi þis; for ai þe heiar degre, þe sarrar is þe falle, but presthed is heiar degre þan bodili matrimoyn, and þus þe prest in doing fornicacoun doþ sacrile, and brekiþ his wow; for bi þe vertu of his degre, he made þe vow of chastite. Also þe gretnes of þis synne is schewid bi þe lawis and peynis þat are made þer aȝen; for þus is writun in þe decreis, Þe prest or dekun þat is tan in fornicacoun, þeft, or [Decreis,] mansleyng, or forswering, be he deposid. And eft, If ani are [Dist. 81.] prestis, dekunis, or sodekunis, þat liþ in þe sin of fornicacoun, we [Ibid. c. si qui.] forbede him in almiȝti Goddis behalue, and bi autorite of Peter and Poule, þe entre of þe kirk, til þey repent and amende; and if þei last in þer synne, þat noon of ȝow presewme to here þer office, for þer blessing is turnid in to cursing, and þer prayor in to synne; as God seiþ bi þe profiȝt, I schal curse to ȝour blessing; and who [Mal. ij^o.] so wil not obey to þis helsum bidding, he synniþ in þe synne of ydolatrie, as Samuel witnessiþ, and seynt Gregor enformiþ; [1 Reg. xv^o.] synne of wichcraft is to not obey, and þe felowny of ydolatrie to [Gregor.] not wel assent. And eft þus, Bidding we comaund, þat no man [Dist. 32.] here þe messe of þat prest þat he wot dowtles þat haþ a concubyn, or a womman suspect brout in vndir. Werfor in þe holy seyn is

ordeynid þis capitul, vnder þe peyn; seying: If ani of prestis, dekunis, or sodekunis, after þe ordinaunce of þe good memorie of our predecessor seynt Leoun, and pope Nicol, of þe chastite of clerk, hold concubyn opunly, or leuiþ not heer þat he holdiþ; vpon almiȝti Goddis half, and bi autorite of Peter and Poule, princis of postlis, we bid him, and aȝen sey him, þat [he] syng no messe, ne rede no gospel, ne pistil, at þe messe, ne dwel not wiþ prestis, ne tak no part of þe kirk. And as þe decretals declarun, in þre maneris [Decretals.] is þis callid notory; Oiþer wat it is lawfuly conuictid bi witnesses, or bi his oune cnowleching, or ellis bi þe dede þat mai not be weypid a wey, as þe dwelling to gidre of þe man and þe womman, and þe bringing forþ of barnis. And eft þe decre seiþ, If ani bischop, or [Decre.] ani of prestis, or dekunis, consent to fornicacoun, or to crime of incest in his parische, for price or prayour, or amendiþ not þat is done bi þe autorite of his office, be he suspendid. And eft writiþ [Decretal.] þe pope to þe bischop, We bid to þi broþerhed, þat þu steer bisili þe clerkis of þi jurisdiccoun, þat are wiþ in þe ordre of sodeken, or a boue, þat han concubins, þat þei moue hem fro hem, and reseyue hem no more aȝen; and if þei wernid hold hem stille, suspend hem fro office; and þei suspendid if þei wel dwel stille in þer iuel, do þey bisines to moue hem fro office for euer. And as þe doctor seiþ, [Doctor.] Þis schal be heuen wiþ deposing. And forsoþ seiþ the pope, We wel þat þe bischops þat are necligent in þis, vndir go þe same peyn. And eft þe decre biddiþ, Receyuiþ no wey þe office of him þat ȝee [Decre.] wot lieþ in synne of fornicacoun, and of symonye, and als mikil as ȝee mai, forbediþ swilk fro holi ministres; for it is nedeful, for þow þe sacraments han þe dignite of þer vertu, neuerþeles þey noy þus mikil boþ to þe ministring, and to þe receyuing hem, aȝen þe ordi|naunce, þat boþ þe ministring and to [? þe] receyuer vnworþily are wiþ hem verrey idolatrers; þer for sacraments are forbidun to be reyciuid of þe handis of such prestis, þat wan such prestis see hem dispicid of þe peple, þei be þe licliare callid to penaunce, and þus

seyn we to our prestis bi þeis witnes, and oþer moo do þus oft idolatrie, and are vnfeiþful, and þus in mani oþer crimes, what wondir if we be wounded in ilk sid, in many peynful wrechidnes.