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

Capitulum 4^m.

Aȝeyns þis þe fend grucchiþ bi many blynde resouns, and seiþ þat god forbeediþ his men to iuge of here briþeren. But we schulde trowe to wordis þat god puttiþ in his lawe. ffor god biddiþ þat a man schulde assaye him silf, and so ete of þe [1 Cor. xi. 28.] breed þat is þe sacrid oost. ffor he þat etiþ unworþily etiþ his owne jugement, ffor he iugiþ noȝt wisely þe worþinesse of goddis body. & þe holy salme seiþ: "vnderstond, ȝe kyngis; [Psalm ii. 10.] and schaak of ȝou rudenesse, ȝe þat jugen londis." Sum tyme iugement god grauntid to kyngis, as daviþ & salamon & many oþere kyngis. & ȝif þou seie þat popis lawe spekiþ oþer wise of [page 192b] jugement, haue þe popis lawe more suspette; siþ goddis [John vii. 24.] lawe spekeþ þus, and þus crist biddiþ þe iewis to iuge of him riȝt iugement. Lord, wheþer þes clerkis ben more hiȝe ouere seculeris þan was our lord ihesu crist ouere þes falce iewis? ffor trewe men ben certeyn þat crist bad hem

noȝt juge of him but ȝif it were leeful to lewid men to iuge of clerkis; and so it were al on to denye siche iugement and denye regalye þat falliþ to þe kyng. Lord, wheþer þe lawe of ynglond schal be now distried bi fablis of heretikis con|trarie to goddis lawe? Wel I woot þat men were wont bi iugement of ynglond to dampne prestis and clerkis for robberie & þefte, and also for trayterie and oþer smale trespas; and ȝif þei now denye þis þei denye þe regalye. And þus seie to antecrist þat crist bad men iuge of him boþe bi his godhede and eke by his manheed. Lord, wheþer antecristis clerkis ben more þanne was crist? Also seynt poul iugiþ of petris [Gal. ii. [11.]] synne, and aȝen-stoode him for he was reprouable. Lord, wheþer prelatis now ben more confermed in grace þanne was seynt petir þanne aftir sonde of þe holy goost? Also ech man schulde bi þe lawe of þe gospel vndirnyme ech broþer þat [Matt. xviii. [15.]] synneþ aȝens him. But comunly þes prelatis synnen aȝens lewid men; þanne lewid men by here feiþ schulde vndirnyme þes prelatis. And so it is al on to oute-take þes prelatis fro suche snybbinge of þe peple & make hem more þan crist; ffor ȝif crist myȝte haue synned he wolde þus haue be blamed. Also by þe lawe of charite ech man schulde loue ech oþere; and siþ god haþ ȝeuen men witt to se þat prelatis don yuel, bi þe lawe of charite þei schulde moue hem to good. & so it were al on to take prelatis fro þis iugement and seie þat þei ben fendis þat may nouȝt be amendid. also bi goddis lawe a man schulde for charite drawe [page 193] his enemyes beste oute of þe lake; but god haþ more reward of men þanne of beestis, þanne myche more schulde a man helpe men oute of synne. also siþ ech of vs schuld knowe him silf synful and be glaad of seuene goostly werkis of mercy, he schulde haue ioye þat men reproued him of his synne; and certis so wele ech man but þe quyk deuel; ffor he for his pride wele not be blamyd of god. And herfore seith þe wise man þat he þat hatiþ [Ecclus. [xxi. 7?]] blamynge is sutere of þe fend, rebelle aȝens god. And salamon seiþ: "he þat dispisiþ his blamere schal be sodenly distried & [Prov. xv. [10.]] noȝt helid of his synne." And herfore techeþ seynt poul to [Titus 1. [13.]]

reprove siche ful harde. ffor þus dide crist oure alþere maystir reprouynge þes pharisees, and so he dide to peple [Matt. xxiii.] clepynge him sathanas, and so charite chacchiþ men to þis iust jugement. ffor goddis lawe techiþ vs to don to oþere [Matt. vii. [12.]] men as we schulden willen þat þei diden to vs. But who led bi resoun putt in greet perel wolde noȝt be glaad to haue helpe þere of? But siþe ech man by synne is in an huge perel, he schulde be glaad of eche þing þat warneþ him of his perelle, ȝif it be neuere so lowe & werse þan man in kynde. For ellis men [weren probably omitted.] in obedient as þe firste apostata. Wel I rede in goddis lawe þat god was obedient unto voys of man as to his owne [Josh x. [12.]] instrument. And so siþe ech creature þat telliþ a man a treuþe is instrument of god to schewe him þis truþe, it were oon to dispise þis instrument in þis and to dispise þe truþe of þe lord þat he schewiþ. But he were oute of resoun þat were smyten in feueris or ellis in a frenesye or ony oþer siknesse þat wolde noȝt take his medicine or reule of anoþer man, al ȝif it were displesynge to him for a tyme. Thus meke men & trewe men blamen noȝt þe creature þat telliþ hem a truþe in name of god, siþe þe lord moeueþ hem for profyt [page 193b] of men to tellen hem goddis wille, in him schulde þei heren. and so ȝif we can se clerkis schulde wiþ ioye suffre temporal lord|schipis be taken awey from hem. For wel we wyten þat þis were noȝt aȝens goddis lawe ne hyndrid hem noȝt to gete hiȝe setis in heuene; but raþere disposide hem to come to myche blisse and þus schulde ech man willen as god him silf biddiþ hem.

And so take heede what god biddiþ þee do & do þat and noon oþer, for al oþere is synne. & loke to alle þingis þat comen to þee to suffre and suffre it mekely, siþ god nediþ þee þerto & sendiþ it for þe beste, al ȝif þou kanst noȝt se it; as a child is ofte betyn for his owne profyte and ȝit he grucchiþ þer-aȝens, for he seeþ noȝt þe resoun. and þis moueþ many men mekely to suffre whateuere comeþ to hem, for so biddiþ charite.