The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.

XVIII. HOW SATAN AND HIS PRIESTS, ETC.

I SEE no reason to deny the authenticity of this tract. In complaining of the manner in which Scripture was wrested to all ends by setting aside its literal sense, Wyclif was insisting on a favourite topic. It is curious, however, to find him maintaining the right of preaching against wicked men by name, since, so far as I know, there is no personal attack in any of his works; the nearest approach to it being his allusions to Spencer's action in heading the Flanders Crusade. It is possible, having regard to the context, to suppose that he means only class names (such as 'prelates,' 'friars,' etc.). He may have been taxed with want of charity in attacking special classes, instead of confining himself to a general denunciation of sin. It seems that in any case his attacks were returned.

Copied from the Corpus MS. X. and collated with the Dublin MS. AA.

SUMMARY.

CHAP. I.	Three heresies prevalent. 1. That holy writ is false. 2. That it is lawful to lie. 3. That it is uncharitable to denounce sins of great men	p. 264
	The first two are upheld in schools of divinity; the third by pre|lates and great men	265
II.	They say that holy writ is false, since against both testaments they maintain that the clergy may hold secular lordship	265
	They advocate a false mode of interpretation, refusing the literal sense	266
	Reasons for such advocacy	267
III.	Lies are brought in, because prelates and new religious are false, having forsaken the way in which they are bound to live	268
	Abuses of the orders; child-stealing, etc.	269
	Lying in act has led to lying in word	270
IV.	Prelates and false religious say that it is against charity to expose their sins	271
	It is a priest's duty to warn men of their sins	271
	Prelates and religious attack other men in their sermons	273
	But they wish to shut the mouths of reprovers, lest they should lose influence and wealth	273

Hou sathanas & his prestis & his feyned religious casten bi þre cursed heresies to distroie alle good lyuynge & mayntene [meyntenynge X.] alle manere of synne.

Capitulum primum.

As almyȝtty god in trinyte ordeyneþ men to come to þe blisse of heuene bi þre groundis, bi knowynge of þe trinyte bi sad feiþ, bi treue kepynge of goddis hestis, & bi perfit charite & endeles, so sathanas & his worldly clerkis & his feyned religious ful of sotil ypocrisie casten to distroie alle vertuous lif & iustise, & meyntene alle manere of synne bi þes þre cursed groundes. Þe first is þat holy writt is fals; þe secunde þat it [omitted X.] is lefful & medful to lie; þe þridde þat it is aȝenst charite to crie opynly aȝens prelatis synnes & oþer myȝtty mennys. for as þei seyn þis is bacbitynge or detraction & sclaundrynge, to brynge men out of deuocion to god & holy chirche, & make men of religion of euyl name where þei weren bifore holden goode & holy; & þis prechynge stireþ lordis & oþere men to wiþdrawe worldly goodis fro men of holy chirche, & so hyndriþ goddis seruyce & preieris for þe pees & maken [sic in both MSS.] discencion & enuye. for ȝif holy writt be fals men may haue noon autorite þer-bi to reproue synne & preise vertues & vertuous lif. & ȝif it be leffel & meritorie to leie, þan no man haþ ground to stire men fro synne bi grete peynes bihiȝte bi cristis word, ne stire men to vertues bi grete ioies of heuene. for siþ it is medful to lie, as þei seyn, crist vsed þis medful craft at þe fulle, & no man may þanne wite in whiche autorite he seide soþ & in whiche he leiȝede. & ȝif it be aȝenst charite to preche & crie openly aȝenst synne of prelatis & men of þe chirche & oþere myȝtty men, þan cristis lif & his techynge & his apostlis & prophetes in þe olde lawe & his comaundementis to his prophetis weren aȝenst charite,

ful of detraccion & sclaundrynge. but what heresies myȝtte more blaspheme god, more distroie holy writt & vertuous lif, & more norische synne & cursed men in here lustis? & certis wiþ-inne þis seuene ȝeer worldly coueitouse clerkis & feyned religious [omitted X.] meyntened in scolis of dyuynite two þe firste heresies, & ȝit holden it a noble dede to susteyne hem; [page 214] & þe þridde heresie regnyd [regneþ X.] þan & ȝit doþ more & more among prelatis, feyned religious & lordis & comyns for þe more part. hou stiren suche heretikis & blasphemes god of treuþe to mercy bi here preieris, siþ god curseþ to here blyssyngis, as he seiþ bi prophete malechie, & here preiere is abhominable & [Malachi ii. 2.] cursed, for þei turnen awey & heren not goddis lawe & fulfillen it in dede. hou [and AA.] meyntenen lordis þe treuþe of þe gospel & holy writt, siþ þei meyntenen siche blaspheme heretikis to be dowid in seculer lordischipe aȝenst goddis comaundement & ensaumple of cristis lif & his apostlis? hou doun prestis here office þat schulde witnesse þe treuþe of goddis lawe to suffre peyne & deþ þerfore? hou don comunes here trewe seruyce to god, þat meyntenen siche heretikis & worschipen hem in word & dede whanne þei owen to knowen here opyn falsnesse? it is grett meruaile þat god of his endles riȝtwisnesse [mercy X.] distroieþ not alle þis cursed peple to helle for þes cursed blasphemyes & erresies [heretikis X.] & wickid meyntenynge; but certis þe lengere þat he spareþ bi mercy, þe sorere schal þe vengaunce be but ȝif men amenden hem.

Capitulum 2^m.

See now hou þes cursed heretikis bryngen in þe firste blasphemye. first þei seyn & meyntenen þat clerkis may leffully haue seculer lordischipis & lyue in pompe & worldly welfare as lordis. & holy writt old & newe & cristis [crist X.] lif & his apostlis dampnen þis pride & wrecchednesse in clerkis. & neden hem to mekenesse & wilful traueile & pouert. &

many men aleggen faste holy writt aȝenst þe worldly lif of clerkis; þerfore þei seyn þat holy writt is fals, for trewe men schulden haue noon auctorite aȝenst here cursed lif. Þe secunde tyme þei fynden vp a newe manere of speche or logik, þat is contrarie to þe speche of holy writt; & for þei wolen meyntenen here owen fyndynge as good & trewe, þerfore þei seyn þat þe speche of holy writt is fals þat reuersiþ [resceyueth X.] here owene fonnydnesse. & here þei maken god a fool & fals, in as moche as in hem is, & schewen hem self wise men & trewe; & algatis feynen hem self wisere & treuere þan god almyȝtty. ¶Þe þridde tyme þei coueten name of wisdom & worschipe of þis world & here owene excellence more þanne goddis honour, & þerfore þei disdeynen to sue mekely þe speche of goddis lawe & þe lif of crist & his apostlis, but maken newe lawis & logik þat maken holy writt derk & fals to þe comyn vnderstondynge of hem & here folweris. & ȝit þei schame sumdel to seie to cristene lordis þat holy writt is fals, but þei don worse bi sotel ypocrisie þat holy writt is fals to þe wordis but þe vnderstondynge þer-of is trewe; & þis vnderstondynge hangiþ in determinacion of worldly prelatis, þat kunnen not holy writt & ben not able to [page 215] haue inspiracion of þe holy gost bi here holy lif, for þei ben comynly ful of symonye, pride, coueitise, glotonye, lecherie, manquellynge & oþere synnys, & open heretikis & enemys of crist & his lawe & his trewe seruauntis. & ihū crist seiþ þat siche ben blynde & leden blynde men in-to þe lake of synne & at þe laste to helle; for ȝif þei han money & gold at here lykynge bi extorsion & robberie, þei recken not of cristene soulis hou foul deuelis deuouren hem. & þe holy gost dwelliþ not in siche proude & coueitouse clerkis, for þei ben templis of þe fend & þei worschipen fals goddis & dwellen in [omitted X.] ydolatrie, hou schulde god teche hem þe precius treuþes of his lawe? but certis bi þis ypocrisie þei wolen brynge in what heresie þat hem likiþ & meyntene it for good treuþe & profitable.

for þei seyn þat here sentence & dom is vnderstondynge of holy writt; & þes worldly prelatis wolen make a congregacion of hem self & clerkis assentynge to hem, summe for worldly drede & worldly fauour, summe for gold & hope of beneficis, & summe for drede of curs, priuynge of beneficis & sclaundre & prisonynge & brennynge. but se now þe wodnesse of þis blasphemye. first ȝif holy writt be fals, certis god autor [autorite AA.] þer-of is fals, & siþ þei graunten þe friste errour, þei moten graunte al þat sueþ þer-of. also þei feynen þat a fool & a cursed deuyl is wisere & trewere þan ihū crist god & man, siþ here speche is wittiere & trewere þan þe speche of god in holi writt, & þis reson is pleyn. suppose þat þis clerk writynge or techynge contrarie speche to holy writt schal be dampnyd, for þan he is a deuyl as crist seiþ of iudas, & as þei feynen his writynge & techynge is wittiere & trewere þan techynge & writynge of god almyȝtty; þan it sueþ opynly þat a fool & a cursed deuyl is wittiere & trewere þan ihū crist, kyng of wisdom & treuþe. Lord, siþ þe holy gost is autour & welle of witt & treuþe, wheþer he tauȝtte not goddis prophetis & cristis apostlis to write & speke treuþe; wheþer þe fend sathanas techiþ proude & coueitouse clerkis, ful of symonye & oþere synnys, more witt & treuþe þan þe holy gost techere of alle treuþe tauȝte cristis apostlis & euaunge|listis, þat weren sad in bileue & charite & holy & trewe in lif & techynge. & whanne al þe ground is souȝt of þis heresie it stondiþ in þis poynt, þat holy writt, goddis owene word, is fals for þis cursed heretik mysvnderstondiþ it, or for it dis|pleseþ þis heretik & reproueþ þis synne. but certis bi þis skille heþene men & fendis maken god most false of alle þingis, for þei vnderstonden þat god is most fals & wrongful & dampneþ hem most for here synnys. but it fariþ bi holy writt & cursed clerkis & foolis as it fariþ bi drounken men & þe mone [page 216] And candel; þei demen of o mone or candel to be two, for þei ben vndisposid to deme & knowe þe treuþe bicause of here

dronkenesse, so þes foolis, bi here pride, coueitise & oþere synnys, ben vnable to conseyue [conceyue AA.] þe heiȝe trewþis of goddis word; & þerfore þei seyn þat it is fals, for þei han not witt ne grace to traueile aboute trewe vnderstondynge þer-of for worldly occupacion & ydelnesse.

Capitulum 3^m.

Now see whi meyntenynge of lesyngis is brouȝt in. god seiþ þat no þing plesiþ to a fool but folie; so no þing plesiþ comynly to a false man but falsnesse; & for þes worldly prelatis & newe pharisees ben groundid in lesyngis, þerfore þei comenden lesyngis & meyntenen hem. for prelatis comen in þe staat of cristis apostlis to lyue in pouert, mekenesse & traueyle of þe gospel as þei deden, but þei ben turned to coueitise, worldly lordischipis, pride, ydelnesse & vanyte, & turnen cristis lif and ["in" in both MS.] techynge vpsodom. Also newe religious ben brouȝt in-to þe chirche to reise up cristis mekenesse, pouert & penaunce, & to ben a bok of þis pouert & dispisynge of þe world to alle men to loken on, & þei ben turned to ypocrisie, pride, coueitise, glotonye & slouþe & bisynes [lesyngis AA.] of þe world more þan oþere worldly men, & ben fals bokis ful of synne & heresie; þat, as ierome & anseml [sic in both MS.] witnessen, here croune, here tonsure, here abitis ben ful of lesyngis & þei ben but feyned & peyntid men of religion, & not only lesyngmongeris but pure lesyngis. & siþ god seyþ in þe sauter þat alle þat speken lesyngis schullen ben lost, hou [Psalm v. 6.] moche more schullen þei ben lost þat ben pure lesyngis. Þe secunde tyme, crist seiþ to þe iewis, ȝif ȝe weren [John viii. 39.] abrahamus children ȝe schulden do werkis of abraham; & þer-fore seiþ austyn wiþ oþere seyntis þat þou art his soone whoos werkis þou dost. Þan siþ þe fend is fadir of lesyngis, as crist seiþ, þes worldly clerkis, & namely feyned religious, comenden lesyngis, for to witnesse in word & dede þat þei ben

þe fendis children. for ȝif þei weren cristis children þei schulden holde treuþe in word & wille & dede & meyntenen þat, and dispisen alle manere of lesyngis & falsnesse & synne vp here kunnynge & power; & as ion þe euaungelist seiþ, þei schulden wilfully putte hem to deþ for to distroie lesyngis, siþ lesyngis stondiþ more in false dedis þan in wordis, as [of X.] holy writt, ambrose & oþere seyntis witnessen pleynly. ¶ Þe þridde tyme, þes newe ordris & flaterynge myȝtte not be susteyned wiþ-oute lesyngis, boþe in word & dede, in þis manere as þei now ben; & for to schewe [page 217] þat þis veyn religious louen more here owene inuencions & here owene lustis [both MSS. repeat "more" here.] þan þe [omitted X.] clene religion of cristis ordynaunce & gret pouert & peynful lif after crist & his apostlis, þei preisen lesyngis for to beren vp þes veyn nouelries & haunte here lustis. for ȝif cristis owene ordre & ensaumple of his lif & his apostlis ben betere & profitere þan ony newe maad of synful men, it is a foul lesynge to chese wityngly & meyntene þe lesse perfit, [profit X.] & forsake þe liȝttere, sikerere & perfitere. ¶ Also it is a cursed lesyng to drawe children, þat han but litil discrecion, to þes newe feyned religious bi ȝeftis & bi behestis [hestis AA.] of worldly lordischipe, honour & sikernesse of bodily welfare, more þan to holde wilful pouert & penaunce & dispit & forsakynge of alle worldly þing, for al þis is symonye & heresie ȝif it be wel souȝt; but it is a cursedere lesyng to stele ȝonge children fro here frendis & bi false disceitis make hem to be professed, sumtyme aȝenst here wille, & suffre hem not to gon out of þis veyn ordre, þouȝ þei knowen hem self vnable þer-to. ¶ For sumtyme þes children frendis fallen in mornynge to deþ; & sumtyme bi myschef ben dede where here children þus stolen schulden ellis helpe hem; & sumtyme þes children schulden be goode techeris & reuleris of þe peple, & now ben cursed ypocritis, ful of coueitise, lecherie, enuye & grucchynge aȝenst god; & now þei ben nedid to rob þe pore peple bi fals beggynge, & sclaundren crist wiþ þis clamose beggynge

dampned of goddis lawe, & ȝit þes open þefte is stifly meyn|tened aȝenst goddis lawe, reson & charite bi sotil ypocrisie, & no chastiȝynge don þer-onne. for men wenen þat þes stronge þeues ben vnder no kyngis lawe ne prelatis lawe in oure lond. for men vnderstonden þat fewe men of discrecion comen to þes nouelries but siche ȝonge bi stelynge or disceyuynge, or ellis bi coueitise of worldly honour & sikernesse of wombe ioie. & herefore þes veyn religious preisen lesyngis, dampnyd bi holy writt old & newe, for cristis treuþe. & þe deuel is lesyngis fadir & disceyued mankynde bi lesynge & brouȝt it in-to sorowe & peyne, as þe gospel & [of X.] þe first part of holy writt schewiþ; & þerfore seiþ ambrose þat alle men þat louen lesynges ben þe deuelis children. ion þe euaungelist seiþ þat [omitted X.] [1 John ii. 21 (?).] no lesyng is of god; þanne it is of þe deuyl siþ he is fadir of lesyngis. Þerfore þe wise man seiþ þat þe mouþ þat leiþ sleeþ [Wisdom i. 11.] þe soule; & a þef is more worþi to be suffrid þan þe lastynge of a lesyngmongere; & dauid seiþ þat god [omitted X.] schal dampne alle [Ecclus. xx. 27.] men þat speken lesyngis, & þe prophete zacharie seiþ þat [Zech. v. 4.] goddis curs comeþ [page 218] to þe hous of lieris, & seynt austyn declareþ in many bokis þat of [omitted X.] eiȝte manere lesyngis þe leste is synne, & who euere techiþ þe contrarie disceyueþ þe peple. but for þes veyn religious forsaken [forsakynge X.] þe techynge & lif of crist, mene persone in trinyte, þerfore þei kunnen no mene bitwixe seiynge soþe in eche tyme & bitwixe lesynge. sumtyme it harmeþ men to seie þe [omitted AA.] soþe out of couenable tyme & euere it harmeþ to lie, but sumtyme it profitiþ to be stille & abide a couenable tyme to speke, as dide crist & his apostlis, & ȝif þes veyn religious knowen þis þei schulde haue no colour to make lesyngis. but þer is o gret cause whi þei comenden so lesyngis. þei maken profession to lyue bi labour of here hondis, bi benetis reulis & fraunseis & austynes, & to be deed to þe world, & to be ensaumple & bok of wilful pouert, mekenesse & grete penaunce & [omitted X.] abstynence; & now þei ben turned to alle manere of schrewdnesse, harlotrie & synne; &

þerfore þei forsaken cristis scole of [& AA.] treuþe & magnyfien þe deuelis scole of lesyngis; as þei first token lesyng of lif, so þei meyntenen now lesyng in word to coloure þer-bi here olde cursed lif, þat no man may bryngen hem out þer-of.

Capitulum 4^m.

See nowe þe þridde heresie þat may hoold of olde synnys. [AA reads þat maþ hoord of olde synnes. I suspect both readings are corrupt.] Þes worldly prelatis & peyntid religious, beried in here olde synne, [omitted AA.] symonye, coueitise & pride & robberie, seyn þat it is aȝenst charite to crie opynly here cursed disceitis to lordis & comyn peple, & namely in here absence. but see þe waiward|nesse & cursednesse of þes deuelis ypocrisie & sheld of synne. Almyȝtty god, ful of charite, comaundiþ to þe prophete ysaie [Isaiah lviii. 1.] to crie & cesse not, & to schewe to his peple here grete synnes. synne of comyns is grete, synne of lordis & myȝtty men & wise is more, but synne of prelatis is most, & most blyndeþ þe peple. Þan treue men ben holden bi goddis heste to crie most aȝenst þe synne of prelatis, siþ it is most & harmeþ most þe peple. Also crist seiþ who [wo AA.] to hym þat [Luke xvii. 1.] sclaundriþ a litel child of hem þat ben cristene. but prelatis of þe world & peyntid foolis of religion, bi here opyn pride, coueitise, glotonye, lecherie, extorsions & meyntenynge of synne, sclaundren most þe peple; for her-bi þei ben bolde to walwe in synne preue & apert; þanne aȝenst þis synne schulden trewe men crie most. ¶ Also god seiþ bi þe prophete ezechiel þat ȝif a synful man lie in synne & þe prophete [Ezekiel iii. 18.] schewe hym not þe peril of his synne ne vengaunce of god, þer-fore þe synful man schal die in his synne & þe prophete schal answere for hym, & so boþe schullen be dampnyd. & siþ eche prest is an angel & prophete bi his presthod, [page 219] as seynt gregory seiþ, eche prest is in dette to telle synful men here synnes þat þei may amende hem. ¶ Also god seiþ bi þe

prophete ezechiel þat god haþ ȝouen a prest to be a spie to [Ezekiel iii. 17.] aspie þe sotil disceitis of þe fend & warne þe peple of hem; but among alle þe helpis of þe fend a wickid prelat or a fals religious is þe moste. Þanne a trewe prest owiþ most to warne þe peple of hem. & þerfore gregory seiþ [omitted X.] & lawe of þe chirche þat no man harmeþ more cristene peple þanne he þat haþ name of ordre or holynesse & þer-wiþ lyueþ wickidly; for his synne is taken to ensaumple of oþere. & þerfore seiþ gregory in [& X.] his pastoralis þat prelatis ben worþi to haue as many deþes as þei senden ensaumples of synne to here sugetis & to men þat comen after hem. and ysidre & þe lawe seiþ þat he þat consentiþ & fauoureþ a man in synne schal be reproued bi most greuous reprofe. & austyn seiþ in þe lawe, þat a bischop þat consentiþ to oþer mennus synnes schulde raþere be clepid an vnchastised hound þan a bischop. & in token of þis crist purged þe temple & noon oþere place bi vengaunce bodily take in his owene persone. & gregory & oþere seyntis seyn þat euele prestis ben cause of synne of þe peple. Þerfore men schulden most ponysche þis most synne of prelatis & religious þat is cause of oþere & of distruction of rewmes. Also crist seiþ in þe gospel þat false prophetis & false cristis [Matt. xxiv. 24.] schullen ryse & disceyue manye, & biddiþ vs bewar of hem & [Matt. vii. 16.] flee hem & knowe hem bi here werkis, & telliþ what condi|cions & werkis þat þei schullen haue. Þanne ȝif prestis knowen þes false anticristis & false prophetis bi tokenes of goddis lawe & warne not þe peple of hem, þei ben giltif of loos of cristene soulis. Also ion þe euaungelist seiþ: ȝif ony [1 John iii. 17.] man see his broþer haue nede & schitte his purs & mercy fro hym, charite dwelliþ not in hym; moche more ȝif prestis knowen þat mennus soulis ben in myschief of fals bileue brouȝt in bi anticristis clerkis, þei ben out of charite but ȝif þei helpen hem out of þis myschief, siþ þis [omitted X.] is most myschief in þis world. & þerfore crist seiþ [omitted AA.] in þe gospel ȝif it be [Luke xiv. 5.] mercy to helpe a beste falle in þe lake, moche more mercy is

it to drawe mennus soulis out of errour & peril of soule; þat is disceit in bileue brouȝt in bi coueitouse clerkis & luciferis children. but anticristis prelatis & veyn religious seyn þat it is aȝenst charite to nemne hem bi name in open sermon & in here absence. trewe men seyn here þat ihū crist reproued scribis & pharisees bi name & in here absence, as þe gospel [Matt. xxiii.] [Luke xi. 44.] witnessiþ in many placis, & eiȝte tymes bi name cursed hem & cleped hem ypocritis, & telde [telle X.] to þe comune peple here [page 220] false coueitise, ypocrisie & pride. & ihū clepid herode a fox in his absence & in his presence spak no word to him, as [Luke xiii. 32.] [Luke xxiii. 8, 9.] diuerse gospellis seyn. & ȝit anticristis clerkis tellen false lesyngis in open sermons vpon certeyn personys & in here absence, so þei don openly aȝenst here owene techynge; but anticrist wolde haue þis ende, þat in absence of his cursed worldly prelatis & heretikis men schulden not reproue here cursed synnes for drede of lesyngis of charite & for bacbitynge. & anticrist makeþ hem so myȝtty þat in here presence no man dar speke aȝenst here opyn synnes but ȝif he wole be dede anoon. And so anticrist wolde þat no man schulde speke aȝenst here synne in no manere, but suffre hem [omitted X.] to robbe þe peple & brynge in heresies & distroie cristen-dom. But o principal cause is whi þei sey þus; ȝif it be charite to crie þus aȝenst synnys of worldly prelatis & veyn religious, siþ many of hem ben kunnynge & reulen lordis & prelatis & myȝtty men in confession, þei mosten warne hem þat clerkis schulden lyue in pouert & mekenesse, & not in worldly lordischipis ne in pompe & vanyte as þei now don; & warne lordis þat þei amende wickid clerkis of here opyn symonye & robbynge of here tenauntis; & warne lordis & comyns hou god curseþ to blissyngis & preieris of men of cursed lif, & þat here preiere turne in-to synne, as god hym self & gregory & þe lawe witnessen, & hou prestis & religious þat ben out of charite & lyuen aȝenst goddis comaundementis, as in glotonye, dronkenesse & enemyte & pride, stiren god bi here veyn

preiynge to vengaunce raþere þan mercy. & as austyn seiþ, whateuere heryyngis of god here tounge blabere here lif blasphemeþ god; & as god seiþ him self here preynge is cursed & abhomynable. & certis þanne schulde lordis knowe ypocrisie, heresie & disceit of worldly prelatis & feyned religious; & þanne schulden cristene men wite þat who euere lyueþ best preieþ best; & a symple pater noster of a plouȝman þat his in charite is betre þan a þousand massis of coueitouse prelatis & veyn religious ful [omitted AA.] of coueitise & pride & fals flaterynge & norischynge of synne. And for þes anticristis clerkis louen more here owene heynesse & pride & worldly ioie & welfare þan cristis honour & vertuous lif of cristene peple, þer-fore þei ratellen þat it is aȝenst charite to tellen opynly here cursed disceitis & synnes; last lordis & comyns taken fro hem here wast worldly goodis, & constreynen hem to kepe mekenesse & pouert & pennaunce, as god techiþ & here owene profession. Þus almyȝtty [page 221] god in trinyte distroieþ þes þre nestis of anticrist & his clerkis, & stireþ alle manere of men to meyntene þe treuþe of holy writt & distroie lesyngis & openly preche aȝenst ypocrisie, heresie & coueitise, boþe in word & dede, of alle euyl prelatis & prestis & peyntid reli|gious; for þan schal goode lif & treuþe & pees & charite regne among cristene men. Ihesu crist for þin endeles mercy graunte vs þis ende. Amen.