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

Capitulum 29^m.

men myȝten heere touche ouer þis what maner man is able bi god to be chosun to curatis offiss, & who shulde chese hym, & on what maner. & no drede siche a prest þat haþ boþe wit & wille to do þe þre offisis of an herde, þat ben teld bifore tyme, shulde be takun to þis offis aftir þe lawe & wille of god. but who shulde chese hym þerto is myche strif by mannus lawe; as þe pope seiþ þat he shulde lymyte alle curatis to siche offisis. bischops seyn þat þei shulden ȝyue siche offiss who euere presentiþ, & lewyd patrouns seyn þat þey shulden presente to siche offiss bi þer lordchip, but goddis lawe telliþ litil or nouȝt of siche chesing of curatis. & no drede þat ne coueytise & pride reyngnen in alle þes þre cheseris, for þe pope haþ þe firste fruytis & many ȝiftis gon bi symonye, & two oþere axen seruyss of hym þat þey maken curat. & þus þenken summen þat bi goddis lawe & resoun curatis shulden wel do þer offiss & haue no more but fode & hiling, & oþer þe puple þat shulde be tauȝt or prestis bi þer oune wille shulden chese þis seruyss of prestis; & þanne it were more meedeful, and no strif shulde þanne falle aboute þe godis of þis curat, for he shulde haue no wast godis but þat þat were nedeful to his offiss. & instuyng wiþ inducting & many oþere mannus lawis weren not to charge, but riȝt offiss þat þis curat shulde do. & it semyþ a greet þraldom brouȝt in bi anticrist þat a puple þat þe pope knowiþ not, as he knowiþ not þis able prest, shulde be nedid bi þe pope to take þis prest, & ȝyue hym godis more þan goddis [page 19] lawe lymytiþ hou euere þat he mynistre; for boþe þis almes shulde be meedeful & frely don bi goddis lawe, & it were to greet seruage to nede men

to ȝyue þer godis to a prest þat dide hem harm, ȝe ȝif he were cause of þer dampnyng. but þe fendis part is so strong, & strengþid bi ipocrisie þat mannus lawe is so hooly & biddiþ men to obesche þerto vp payne of þer dampnacioun, þat goddis lawe is put bihynde. men shulden bi goddis lawe ȝyue þis almes frely & wisely to þat prelat þat seruede hem trewely in þis offiss, and so þey moten kunne goddis lawe & holde hem payed of þis ȝifte, for þus diden poul & oþere apostlis. what lawe shulde reuerse þis resoun? & it semyþ not a popis offiss to make þus prelatis in vnknowun cuntreys; for it is neþer groundid in goddis lawe þat þer shulde be siche a pope ne þat he shulde þus reule þe puple bi þe lordchip of his lawe. & no drede ȝif þes two shulden be, crist wolde haue ensaumplid hem; for crist failide not in siche hye poyntis þat weren so nedeful to his chirche. & þus crist in leeuyng of þis techiþ þat it shulde not be, for ellis crist were defauty in ordeynyng for his chirche.