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

Capitulum 19^m.

of þis wasting of goddis godis springen synnes þat harmen þe chirche, for siche curatis ȝyuen not ensaumple hou men shulen fiȝte aȝenus þer fleys. but it may falle many tymes þat siche persouns bi lecchery waste þer pore pariȝschens godis, & þis is a greet synne. it is yuel to kepe a wast hors in stable to destrie pore mennus godis, but it is worse to have a womman wiþ-ynne or wiþ-oute at racke & at manger, for þis holding is more costly & more wast to body & soule. þe lawe spekiþ of siche holours þat synnen þus out of matrimonye, hou þey ben not weddid wiþ þe chirche ne wiþ god, þat is þe soulis spouse; & hou men shulden not here þer massis, & bi þe same sky [page 12b] le take not of hem noon oþer spiritual seruyss. for al þer lif is wlappid wiþ synne, & þey don harm what euere þei don. & þus men shulden not ȝyue hem offeringis ne oþere tiþis, þe while þey lyuen þus, for þat were consent to þer synne, & to nurshe hem aȝenus crist. but ech man of þis world, be he neuere so myȝti heere, þat makiþ þus party aȝenus crist, mut nedis falle & destrie hym silf; for treuþe mut vencusche al oþer þing. & þis wiþdrawing of temporal godis were betere bridil aȝenus siche men þan to amersy hem bi officials, bi erchedekenes or bi bischops; for siche robbing is but nurshing of more synne. for siche a persoun wole robbe his pariȝs whanne he may bie his synne þus liȝtly; & so þe pore men of his pariȝs shulen bie his synne bi double weye, boþe þey shulen paye þerfore to þe bischop, and be punyȝschid bi consent of soule. but what is þe pariȝs holpun herby, but ȝif þe fend helpe a man? for bodily & goostly þis curat doiþ harm to his sheep more falsly þan koude þe fend, for he is more homely enemye. & þis wiþ-drawing of godis for þis synne semyþ to strecche for oþere synnes, for ȝif an herde be doump at home & ȝyue hym to worldly ocupacioun, & wiþ-drawe his goostly help fro his sheep þat he shulde fede,

or ȝif he stonde in lordis courtis or in offiss of þe king or of oþere, and leeue þe seruyss þat god axiþ to kepe his sheep in goddis lawe; ȝif þis synne passe lecchery, it shulde be more punyȝshid bi skile. & so men shulden wiþ-drawe þer tiþis & ȝyue hem to oþere wisely. it were an almes & greet wit to ȝyue tiþis of siche wolues to oþere pariȝschens þat ben trauelid bi lawis þat anticrist haþ brouȝt yn; & so ofte tyme þe remenaunt of tiþis were to litil for dispensis þat anticrist makiþ to pursue siche men, þat stonden for resoun of goddis lawe. & hou euere iuges speken heere, þis were not aȝenus goddis lawe, for al siche almes of tiþis shulde be boþe skileful & willeful; but what skile is it to hire a wolf to do harm to a pariȝs? þis were a mouyng of þe fend, þat stiriþ euere aȝenus skile. & þe same skile is of curatis þat stonden in þe court of rome forto gete mo benefisis, or to serue þat wickid court; [page 13] for þes ben smyttid wiþ symonye & don men harm ouer þe see, as a iust man of ynde profitiþ to engliȝsch men; for þe lord þat seeþ þis meede is euery where to dele it wel. for sum help axiþ bodily residense, & sum help axiþ noon; as preyeris & many oþere gode dedis ben as wel don afer as neer; but þis is noon herdis offiss to be hirid for tiþis or offeringis.