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

Capitulum 20^m.

it were for to wite ouer hou prelatis shulden teche þer sugetis to vencuȝsche þe world & þe fend, for to þis lore ben þei holdun. lore to vencuȝshe þe world stondiþ specialy in charite, & in fleyng of coueytise to godis of þer pariȝs & oþere; & so it semyþ an yuel lore to ȝyue pariȝschens ensaumple to plete & to stryue wiþ hem for litil, whanne þey han ynow bi-syde. for siche ple is groundid in wronge don aȝenus goddis lawe, for bi goddis lawe prestis shulden haue no more but fode & hiling for þer offiss, & al þe remenaunt of þer hire þey shulden hope of god in blis. Also it falliþ

comynly þat a curat dispendiþ as myche in plees mayntenyd for his tiþis as ben þe tiþis in hem silf; but where is þanne encrees of his wynnyng? it semyþ þat wraþþe of his pariȝschen & harm of hym stonden for þe wynnyng; but hou stondiþ þis wiþ charite to þe man þat prestis shulden algatis loue? & þus biddiþ poul to cristenmen, but specialy [[Rom. xii. 19.]] to curatis, þat þey shulden be moost dere & not defende þer oune persone; myche more þey shulden not defende þe godis þat ben not sib to hem, but men shulden ȝyue stede to ire & algatis prelatis, in suffering of wronge for siche ire, baytiþ a pariȝshen aȝenus þe persoun longe tyme aftir. & ȝif þe pope feyne heere þat he ȝyueþ lawis & weye to hem to defende a mannus wrongis in his court; & þis is shewid for many wrongis ben riȝtid þere. & þus þey clepen hym a champioun of riȝt of god, þat can wel plete &, as þey speken, wynne to hooly chirche godis þat shulden falle to it. preise þey þis court þat han mater, but certis heere is no mater; for þis is a cautel of þe fend contrarie to goddis lawe. studie þey cristis paciense & make þei þer chayer in cristis cros, & loke þey wheþer crist or his apostlis tauȝten þus to plete for worldly þingis. & certis þey moten nedis sue crist ȝif þey wolen holde þe weye to heuene. fro a litil errour out [page 13b] of þis weye may a man come bi grace aȝen, but myche errour wiþ errour of wit makiþ man to growe in more errour, & no drede, proue who euere wole, a special medicyn aȝenus þe world is to leeue stryues in worldly causis; for þus tauȝte crist wiþ his membris. & þus who so wole ouercome þe fend, leeue he þe fendis lawe & þe world, & lede he his lif bi cristis lawe, & þus he shal best vencuȝshe hym & ȝyue ensaumple to oþere men, boþe to his pariȝshens & oþere, hou þey shulden vencuȝshe þe fend. for þes two lawis ben graues to þe fend to gnare men in his net. ȝif þou fle pride & his retenu, þanne þou vencuȝchist wel þe fend; & teche þou þis rewle to oþer men, & þanne þou doost a curatis office.