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

Capitulum 3^m.

It were to wite ouer þis what goddis lawe meneþ bi þise sectis; & it semeþ to many men þat a secte is a newe ordre bi newe patroun & newe lawe, as was þe secte of cristen men, and crist haueþ ful autorite to make siche a blessid secte for hym & hise þat comen aftir to þe ende of þe world. ȝif a cristen man haue a custom þat profitiþ to hym for a tyme, but he haueþ non patroun ne rewele but crist & lore þat he haþ ȝiuen, he makiþ not a newe secte oþer þen secte of cristen men. & ȝif benet or dominic or fraunciss or bernard or angel of heuene make a newe secte upon cristis secte, he is herfore worþi to be blamed; & þis secte shulde be despisid & cristis secte shulde be holde clene, as þe secte of macamethe takiþ meche of cristis secte, but it varieþ in som rewele & in cloþis & in patroun, & so don sectis of oure newe ordris, & of boþe þise prophecieþ poul. Crist groundede not his secte in sich changyng of cloþis, but in rewle of vertues þat ben vnsensible to men, & tolde nouȝt bi siche abitis, but in as meche as þei helpeden to vertues, & þus men shulden not be weddid wiþ hem, but change hem lest here loue erre. & þus seyen summe þat these freris habitis to whiche freris ben þus oblishid, þat ben þus large & variaunt as weren habitis of pharisees, [page 84] seruen

þe fend to putte in lesyngus & to destrie pore mennus goodis. Cristis religion telliþ lityl bi siche sensible habitis, but now takiþ oon & now an oþer, as dide crist on good fryday. for þise habitis crien to þe folc holynesse & stablenesse, þat god wole haue hid to hym, & þus þei ben ofte false signes & garnementis of ypocritis, as crist clepiþ ofte pharisees. And þus seiþ petre in his book, þat is aboue alle þise patrouns, [[2] Peter ii. [1.]] Soþeliche þer weren fals prophetis [propheris MS.] in þe peple, as shal be in ȝou mastris of lesyngis, þat shal brynge in sectis of loss, boþe of religioun & soul, as men mai openliche see now, & þei denyen þat lord þat haþ bouȝt hem, ihesu crist. for when þei leuen cristis secte, or louen it lasse for þise newe sectis, þei slaken in þis here loue to crist, & þus þei ben cursid of hym. & iuge þe peple wheþer þise sectis louen here patroun betere þen poul or oþere seyntis, þat weren betere to-fore god þen þise patrouns, & louen lesse þe rewele of crist & cristis ordynaunce for here ordris, & here dedis wolen openliche shewe þat þei don þus wiþ-oute cause. whi shulden not þise sectis be reproued? siþ þei ben þus sectis of lesyng; not of leesyng of worldliche worship ne worldliche vauntage, as we may see, but of lesyng of vertues & of blisse for here vnkyndenesse. And herfore seiþ petre aftir, þat þise sectis leden vp-on hem hasty lesynge of vertues & blisse bi here chargyng wiþ newe ordris. who wolde seie þat he ne were a fool þat hauede a good ordre þat myȝte not faile, & ȝit bryngiþ in a newe ordre þat is boþe heuy & vnperfiȝt, & lettiþ þe first parfyt ordre boþe to be loued & holden. Juge þe peple wheþer þise freris bi here newenesse þat þei han founden breken ofte cristis ordre, boþe to hem & to þe peple. And þus seiþ petre aftir, þat many shal sewe her lecheryes, [[2 Peter ii. 2.]] bi whom þe weye of treuþe shal be blasfemed. It is knowen þyng now þat many louen more þise newe ordris þen þei louen þe ordre of crist, & don more worship to hem, & þis is gostliche lecherie fro crist þe spouse of þe chirche, [page 84b] & þis

is opone blasfemye siþ roten ordinaunce of men is more worshipid & more told bi þen þe ordinaunce of crist. Petre telliþ aftir of þe frut þat comeþ of siche newe ordris: In [[2 Peter ii. 3.]] coueytise wiþ feyned wordis þei shal chaffare of ȝou. It is knowen hou þe pope wiþ his court chaffariþ wiþ simple men in beneficis & assoilyng, & certis þis is a newe secte founden ouer þe secte of crist; & þus chaffaren possessioners bi auarice wiþ seculer men; & þise freris chaffaren now, & sillen cuntrees to begge; & in alle þise wordis ben feyned of gostliche suffrage wiþ-oute grounde. þus regneth chaffaryng of prestis and lewid men by auarice. But petre telliþ aftir to what ende þise sectis bryngyn men: "To þise sectis ceessiþ not þe iugement þat is now & bifore tymes, & here leesing nappiþ not." Noo man drediþ þat haueþ witt þat petre ne reprouede here þise sectis. what cristen man shulde not speke aȝen hem bi autorite of crist & petre? ȝif petre prophecyede not þise sectis, telle þei what þe wordis of petre menen. And of þise sectis spekiþ poul to his disciple tymothe: "Þe holi gost seiþ openliche þat in þe last tymes [[1] Tim. iv. [1.]] summe shal depart fro bileeue, takynge hede to spiritis of errour & to loris of fendis, þe wiche fendis speken lesyng in ypocrisie; hauynge here conscience brent wiþ hoot yren of coueytise; & forfenden to wedde, & abstenen fro mete, þat god haþ ordeyned to trewe men to take wiþ þankyngis of god, & to hem þat han knowe trewþe." Here ilche man on goddis half shulde trowe þise wordis of poul, siþ god seyþ hem openliche to hym. & þus it semeþ þat poul wolde mene þat in tymes of þise ordris men departen fro bileeue þat þei shulden haue of cristis ordre, & many taken ouer-meche hede to gostliche men of þise ordris, þat erren as ypocritis & magnifien here owen ordris. & non drede siche seniours ben fendis þat speken lying in ypocrisie, & þei hauen here conscience brent wiþ fier of coueytise, for al þat þei may gete to here ordre, of men or of worldliche goodis, þei þenken þei geten newe to god, þat god is wel payed þerwiþ, & þus þise ypocritis [page 85] letten to wedde boþe of prestis & of nunnes, & bi

þis þei fallen in foul leccherie, leuyng þat þat god haþ grauntid; & þus þise freris forberen fleshe þat crist vsede & grauntede to ete. & þus þes newe obseruauncis don harm to þe chirche many weyes. & þis applieþ poul to sectis þat [[2] Tim. iii. [5.]] hauen licnesse of pitee, but þei denyen þe vertu þer-of; for þei hauen non conscience to robbe pore men to magnifie here new ordris, & to fordo cristis ordinaunce; but hou deneyen not þise men þe vertu of pitee to god and man?