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

Here-aftir it schal be schewid what peryl it is to prestis to be in seculer office, and to lordis to suffre hem þer-inne, or to excite hem þer-to.

sEynt Cypriane saiþ þat þorow þe councelle of bischopis þer [xxj q. iij cap. Ciprianus.] is made a statute, þat alle þat ben charchid wiþ presthode [page 47b] and ordeynyd in þe service of clerkis schulde not serue but to þe auter, and to mynystre sacramentis, and to take hede to prayers and orysons. Hit is for-soþe writen: "no man [2 Tim. ii. [4.]] berynge his knyȝthode to god entrike hym wiþ seculer nedis;" þe whiche oure bischopis and oure predecessouris biholdynge religiously & purveynge hoolsumly, dempten þat who so euer take mynystres of þe chirche fro spiritualle office to seculere, þat þer be noone offrynge done for hym, ne eny sacrifice halowyd for his sepulture. For þai disserven not to be

nempnyd byfore þe auter of god in þe prayer of prestis, þe whiche willen clepe away prestis & mynystres of þe chirche fro þe auter. Þis saiþ saynte Cipriane. Here men mow se how perylous it is to þe kynge & seculer lor [page 48] dis to wiþholde eny preste in seculer bissynes. Þis is preuyd þus, for euery seculere lorde by þe lawe of þe gospelle is goddis bayly. But [Luke xvi. [1.]] if eny bayly hiryd a werkeman wiþ his lordis goode and putt hym to his owne seruyce, he must nede be vntrue to his lorde. Riȝt so is euery seculere lorde to oure lorde ihesu criste, but if he amende hym, þat takiþ a preste and puttiþ hym in his seculer office; brekynge þe heest of his lorde god þat commaundiþ: "þu schalt couett noon oþer mannys seruande." And he wiþdrawiþ hym fro þe seruyce of god & fro þe kepynge of cristen mennys soulis, þe whiche he haþ take charge of, for whiche soulis oure lorde ihesu criste toke fleisch and blode, and suffred [page 48b] harde deþe, and schedde his owne hert blode. Þis perylous doynge of seculer lordis is boþe aȝens goddis lawe and mannys. It is aȝen goddis lawe; For as saynt poule saiþ: "No man þat is a parfyte knyȝte of god, [2 Tim. ii. [4.]] as euery prest schulde be bi his ordre, entirmete hym wiþ worldly nedis & bissynessis." And for þis ende, þat he may so plese þat lorde to whose service he haþ putt hym-silfe, and þat is god. For siche worldly bissynes in clerkis is aȝens her ordre, and þerfore þe apostles sayden, as it is wryten in þe deedis of þe apostles: "It is not euen vs to forsake þe [Acts vi. [2.]] worde of god and mynystir to bordis of pore folke." And if it was vnequite, as þe apostles sayden in her common decre, hem for to leue þe prechynge of goddis worde & ministre to þe [page 49] bordis of pore men; hou myche more vnequite and wronge to god & man is it, prestis to leve contemplacion, studie, preyere & prechinge of goddis worde, and mynistrynge to pore folke, for þe service of a seculere lorde. Hit is also [iii. decre in fine.] aȝens þe popis lawe; For he spekiþ to a bischop and biddiþ hym þat [he] warne openly prestis and clerkis þat þai be not occupied in seculer office, ne procuratouris of seculer lordis nedis & her goodis. And if prestis and clerkis ben so bolde

to occupie hem in siche bissynes, and if þai falle aftir bi losse of lordis goodis; þan saiþ þe lawe, it is not worþi þat þai be holpen and socoured of holy chirche, siþ þorou hem holy chirche is sclaundred. And saynte gregori wrote to þe defen|soure of rome in þis maner: "It is tolde to vs þat oure moost reue [page 49b] rent broþer basile þe bischop is occupied in seculer causis, and kepiþ vnprofetably moote hallis; whiche þinge makiþ hym foule and distryeþ þe reuerence of presthode. Þerfore a-noone as þu hast ressayvid þis maundement, co[m]pell hym wiþ scharp execucion to turne aȝen. So þat it be not lefulle to þe by noone excusacion to tarye it fyve days; lest if in eny maner þu suffir hym eny langer to tary þer-inne, þu to be coupable wiþ hym anentis vs." And so bischoppis & oþir prelatis ben holden to teche and enforme lordis to wiþdraw hem fro þis synne, and scharply to repreue prestis and curatis vndir hem þat þai ocupie no seculer office. Þis is prouyd þus. þe holy prophete Ezechiel saiþ: "If þe [page 50] wayte or þe wacche-man se ennemys cum, and if þe peple be not warnyd & kepe not hem sijlfe, but ennemys cummen & sle þe peple; þen saiþ god þat þe pepille is take in her wickidnes. And of þe waite þat schuld have blowe in his horne wille god axe acountis and reknynge of þe blode and of þe deþe of þe peple." But now to goostly vndirston[din]ge euery bischop schuld be a waite or a waccheman, to telle & to warne byfore to alle þe peple by his goode lyvynge and techynge þe perelle of synne. And þis is þe reson whi bischoppis and oþir prelatis & prestis schulde not be occupied wiþ worldly nedis and causis; For siche occupacions and chargis maken prestis slepynge & slumbrynge in synne. And þerfore it is grete perelle to lordis to make [page 50b] ouer hem goostly waytis and wacchemen, as bischoppis, persones and vikers, þat ben slepers & slombreris in lustis of þe fleysch, & blyndid wiþ poudir of couetise of worldly riches, and so occupied in worldly nedis þat þai neiþer kan ne may kepe hem sijlfe, ne noone oþer man. For of þis perelle & siche oþir a prelate þat haþ witt and kunnynge schuld scharply

repreue & warne alle maner men, to þe schedynge of his owne blode, as criste did; and if he leue & blame not, þen he assentiþ to her trespassis and synneþ deedly. For as saiþ þe prophete malachie: "prestis lippis kepyn kunynge, and þe [Malachi ii. [7.]] pepille schal axe þe lawe of god of his mouþe; for he is þe awngelle of god if he kepe welle þe ordre & þe degre of prest [page 51] hode." And þerfore it is not lefulle to eny man to drawe to seculere office þe messangeris of criste, þat haþ so vttirly forfendit hem boþe in worde and in dede seculere office in presthode.