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

Capitulum vij.

bI þis processe bifore saide men mow lerne to awnswere to þe comon argumentis þat couetous clerkis maken in þis mater to mayntene wiþ her synne. In þe whiche argumen|tis þai aleggen for hem þe sinnes of her predecessoris, saynge þus, "seynt hue, seynt thomas and seynt swyþune [page 31] wer þus lordis, & þai wer holy men here & now ben seyntis in heuen; þan may we, be þe same skile, medefulli taake up-on vs þis temporall lordeschip, and sue hem in þis." But ȝe schal undirstonde þat þis maner of arguynge holdiþ welle whan we argue of god; for it suyþ well, "criste did þus, saide þus, or wolde þus, þerfor þis was wel done, saide, or willid; & so in þis dede, worde, or wille, it is holsum, spedy & plesaunt to god þat we sue hym." But whan we argue of an creature þis argument is to schorte; for it sueþ not, "Petir saide þus or did þus, þerfore he did or saide welle, and in þes wordis & dedis it is holsum to sue hym;" for þis maner [page 31b] of arguynge is vnpreuyd in þat þat petir forsoke criste, & in þat þat he smote of malcus ere; so þat þis maner of arguynge of a creature is to schorte. And þerfor ȝe most argue þus: "Petir saide or did þus, and in þis saiynge or doynge he suyd þe life & þe lore of ihesu criste; þerfor petir in þis did or sayde welle, and in þis it is holsum to sue petir." And so musten oure clerkis argue whan þai aleggen for her lordeschip þe lyuynge of her patrons & sayntis, & sayen þus: "Seynt thomas & seynt hwe & seynt Swiþune wer þus lordis, & in þis þai suyd cristis lyuynge & his lore; þerfor we may lefulli be þus lordis." And I wote wel þat gabriel schal blow his horne or þai han preuyd þe mynor; [page 32] þat is, þat þes seyntes or patrons in þis suyden þe lore or þe life of ihesu criste. And of þis ȝe may se þat siche nakid argumentis, þat ben not cloþid wiþ cristis lyuynge or his techynge, ben riȝt nouȝt worþe, alle-þouȝ þe clerkis ablynden wiþ hem myche folke in þis worlde. But here haue I no leyser to telle, all ȝif I kouȝde, what chefesaunce

and costis þe clergi makiþ, & what werris þai holden to con|tynu þis symony & heresi so vnauysely brouȝte in-to þe chirche. And ȝit þai sechen alle þe ways þerto þat þai kan, ȝhe in so myche þat [þai] gone openli armyd into þe felde to kill cristen men for to gete and holde siche lordeschipe. And not-wiþstondynge þat seynt petir was so pore þat he had [Acts iii. [6.]] neþer golde [page 32b] ne siluer, as he saiþ in þe dedis of þe apostles. And his oþer worldly goode he lefte whan he began to sue criste. And as tochyng þe tytle of worldly lawe þat he had to þat goode, he made neuer clayme, ne neuer resseyued aftir worldly lordeschip. And ȝit þai callen alle her hoole lorde|schip seynt petirs grounde or lordeschip. And þerfore saynt bernerd writiþ to ewgeny þe pope, saiynge þus: "ȝif þu wilt be a lorde, sike it by an oþer title but not by þe apostles [libro ii. [cap. 6.]] ryȝte, for he myȝt not ȝeue þe þat he hadde not: þat he hadde he ȝaue, þe whiche was bissynes vp-on chirchis; wheþir he ȝaue lordeschip, here what he saiþ: 'Be ye not lordis in þe [1 Peter v. [3.]] clergi, but be ȝe made fourme & ensaumple of cristis [page 33] flokke.' And lest þu trow þis to be sayde not of trowþe, take kepe what crist saiþ in þe gospelle: 'þe kyngis of heþen han lorde|schip vp-on hem, forsoþe ȝe not so.' Se how pleynly lordeschip is forbodyn to alle apostles; for ȝif þu be a lorde, how darst þu take vp-on þe apostilhede? or if þu be a bischop, how darst þu take vp-on þe lordeschip? playnly þu art forbodyn boþe; and ȝif þu wilt haue boþe to-gydire, þu schalt lose boþe, and be of þat noumbre of whiche god pleniþ be þe prophete ose, [Hosea viii. [4.]] saiynge, 'þai regneden but not be me, saiþ god.' And ȝif we holden þat þat is forboden, here we þat is bodyn of criste: 'he þat is gratter of ȝow, loke þat he be made as ȝongar [page 33b] in sympilnes; and he þat is forgoer, loke he be a seruant.' þis is þe forme of þe apostles lijfe; lordeschip is forbodon, & seruyse is boden." þis saiþ saynt bernarde þere. And þerfore no man may putt an oþere grownde bisidis þat þat is putt, þe whiche is criste ihesu.