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

[Capitulum i.]

Almyȝty god þe trinyte, fadir, sonne and holy gooste, boþe in þe olde lawe and þe newe haþ fowndid his chirche up-on þre statis, awnswerynge or acordynge to þes þre persones and her propirtes. So þat to þe fadir in trinyte, to whom is apropred power, awnsweriþ þe state of seculer lordis, fro þe hiȝest knyȝte, þat is, or schuld be, þe emperoure, to þe lowest sqwyer þat by wai of office of his state beriþ þe swerde. For þis state in holy chirche saynt poule calliþ [Rom. xiii. [4.]] powers, and saiþ þat þis power beriþ þe swerde not wiþ-owte cause, but to avenge þe wraþ of god in-to hym þat misdoiþ, [page 2b] and to supporte and mayntene hym þat wel doþe. þis is þe sentence of poule þere. And þis state or power is þe vicar of þe god-heede, as it may be growndid here. And as saynt Austyn saiþ in þe booke of qwestyons of þe olde lawe and þe newe, and in oþer dyuers placis. And so as it bylongiþ to þe godheed of criste to avenge hym on his ennemys and to rewarde his trewe saruandis, as god hymsijlfe saiþ, as þe apostle rehersiþ: "To me," saiþ god, [[Rom. xii. 19.]] "it longiþ to do vengance and I schal rewarde." And also þe prophete seiþ þat "god shal rewarde euery man aftir his werkis." So it by-longiþ here up-on erþe to þe state of seculere lordis, as vicars of þe godhede, to do in ponyschynge and rewardynge to [page 3] þe ennemyes and seruandis of god.

To þe secunde persone in trinyte, to whom is apropred wisdam or kunnynge, awnsweriþ þe state of þe clergy or of presthode; þe whiche by bissy study and contemplacyon schulde gete hem heuenly kunnynge, wherby þai schulde teche þe peple þe way to heuen and lede hem þer-inne.

And herfor saiþ god by his prophete Malachie: "Labia [Mal. ii. [7.]] sacerdotis custodiunt scienciam, et legem exquirunt ex ore ejus, quia angelus domini exercituum est"—"þe lippis of þe prest kepyn kunnynge, and the pepille schul seke þe lawe of his mouþe, for he is þe awngell of god." And herfor criste, supposynge þat þis heuenly kunnynge schuld be in the state of presthode, commaundid hem alle in his ascencyon in þo wordis þat he saide to [page 3b] his apostles, and in hem to alle oþer prestis, as saynt awstyn saiþ in a sermon þat bigynneþ þus: "Si diligenter attendites etcetera," þat þai schulden teche and preche þe gospelle to his peple, þe whiche gospel is heuenly kunnynge. For þis state in þe chirche is þe vicar of þe manhede of criste, as saynt austyn saiþ in a booke þat is alegyd to-fore. And so as criste cam in his manhede to teche and preche þe gospelle and to suffre meekly persecucion þerfore, so schulde þe state of prestis, þat ben vicaris of his manhede, do as he commaundit hem in his ascencyon and oft-times byfore.

To þe þridde persone in trinyte, to whom is apropryd true loue or goode wille to þe fadir & sonne, [page 4] awnsweriþ þe state of þe comonte, þe whiche owiþ true loue & obedyente wille to þe statis of lordis & prestis, as saynt poule techeþ, saynge: "Serui obedite dominis vestris carnalibus cum omni [Eph. vi. [5.]] timore et tremore," þat is: "Seruandis obeyiþ to ȝour temporalle lordis wiþ alle drede and tremblynge." Also saynt poule saiþ þus: "Obedite prepositis vestris; ipsi enim [Heb. xiii. [17.]] vigilant tanquam reddituri racionem pro animabus vestris:" þat is: "obeiþ to ȝoure souereyns; forsoþe þai waken as for to ȝeue acowntis for ȝoure soulis." By þes souereyns is undir|stonde þe state of presthode; þe whiche schulde bisyly wake in studiynge and prechynge of goddis lawe to alle cristen peple, and to ȝeue goode ensaumple in her lyuynge. And in þis euery man [page 4b] is bonden to obey to her doctrine. And þerfore poule saiþ: "Be ȝe fylowers of me as I am of criste." [[1 Cor. xi. 1.]] And efte he saiþ; "þouȝ we or an awngelle of heuen preche [Gal. i. [8.]] to ȝou bysidis þat þat we han prechid, be he acursid." And

so bi þis sentence prestis schulden not haue worldly lorde|schippis; siþ criste and his apostles han uttirly forfendid hem, boþe in her lyuynge and techynge, as it suiþ playnly her-aftir. For it was neuer cristis lore to make prestis riche and knyȝtis pore. And so þes þre statis ben, or schulde be, sufficient in goddis chirche; or ellis men mosten say þat god is and was fawty in ordenance of boþe his lawis. And in full euydence and open tooknynge þat god takiþ þis or|denance in his chirche [page 5] as full sufficient, and in no wise fawtye in scarste or excesse þer-of, criste, þe wisdam of þe trinyte, by whiche wisdome þe chirche is ordend and fowndid up-on þes þre statis, techiþ us in all his lawe to kepe & to mayntene þis ordenance with-owten addynge þer-to or abregynge þer-fro. wherfor poule saiþ: "no man may putt an oþer grounde bysidis þat þat is putt, þe whiche is criste ihesu."