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

[Capitulum 5^m.]

[Þ]E þridde vertu of god is loue or [& Q.] charite, and it haþ two braunchis, as loue of god & loue of man. & beste mene to kepe þis loue were man forto lerne & loue forto kepe two tables of goddis lawes, [hestis CC.] for bi þes & ellis not kepiþ man him in charite. and þis vertu cloþis man at domus-day wiþ bride-cloþis, & þis cloþe may neuere be lost in þis world ne in þe toþure. ffor noman may come to heuene but he haue þis cloþinge, ne no man may haue þis clothe, but if he come to heuen; & so men þat schulen be dampned han but

feyned charite. But lyue wele after goddis lawe & hope to haue þis [CC. inserts last.] loue, for no man schal knowe ne trowe to haue it but if god wole telle him priueyly. ¶ and so freris, þat louen more her habite þat þei han ordeyned hem þan þe cloþe of charite þat god haþ schapen his sones, ben yuel disposid to haue þis [þe Q.] cloþe of charite; Siþ þer loue is turned amys to charge more here habite, to lesyn it or leeuen it, to cloþe þer|wiþ þer bodye, þan to lese þis charite to cloþe þer-wiþ þer soule; for often þei lese charite in presens of man, but if þei losten þis habite þus, as þei falsly feynen, þei were opyn apostates and losten þe luf of god, for as þei feynen falsly god [page 126b] loueþ more þis cloþinge þan cloþinge of þer soule wiþ þis cloþe of charite; and þis is open heresie by many kyn skylles. but here men douten comunly where men schuld loue þes heretikys, but it is no drede þat ne men schulde loue þer kynde & hate þe same kynde in þat þat þei ben so yuel, and so þe persones bi hem-silf schulden be loued in charite, & here synnes by hemsilf schulden men hate for goddis loue. [sake CC.] ffor he is not frend to crist þat loueþ þus hijs enemye; and þus he is frend to þe frere þat hatiþ þus his synne & worchiþ to distrie it & purge him þer-fro. ¶ and þis moueþ manye men to speke of þre heresies þat many freres be smyttid inne, & contrarien þes þre [omitted Q.] vertues. ffor who myȝt more contrarie feiþ þan sey þat crist seiþ fals whan he seiþ þat "þis brede is myn owne bodye," for þis may neþer be [omitted Q.] brede ne þe bodi of crist, but it is accident or nouȝt, as freres feynen falsly. & þus þei chesen hem a place to falsen crist in hijs visage, and ierom wiþ oþur seyntis þat tellen þis wit of crist. ffreres seyn priueyly þat þei spake here eresie, siþen anticrist þer mayster seiþ euen þe contrarie. ¶ þe secounde vertu of þes þre ⁶many freres reuersen,⁶ [6_6 moueþ freres to reuersen Q.] for crist tauȝt in hijs lawe þat men schulde not begge, but holde euen his ordre, & þei schulde come to heuen; þes [þe Q.] freres seyn þe contrarie, & grownden

hem an ordre of þer wilful beggyng, bi men þat han no nede; and herbi schulde men hope to sitt hye in heuen, for, as þei lien falsly, crist beggid [CC. inserts 'not.'] þus. ¶ þe þridde of þes vertues is contraried bi freres, siþen it is no charite to falsly passe crist. for crist seiþ to hijs cosyns þat by hijs manhed he had [[Matt. xx. 23.]] no power to ȝyue hem leue to sit on hijs riȝt [omitted CC.] side, but to þe godhed in hijs fadure is propred þis power; but freres seyn opunly by letteres of here fraternite þat þei ȝyuen þer breþeren leue to haue part of þer blis; and þis myȝt þei not do but if þei ȝouen men leue to sitt on þe riȝt hond of crist as if þei passed him. & þis sownes not charite but luciferes pride.