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

Capitulum 31^m.

it were for to wite ouer þis hou cristis chirche is disseyued bi suppliyng of vikeris, & þes persouns ben absent þe while. for þes persouns moten nedis serue crist or in doynge wel or in sufferinge, & herfore þey han of cristis chirche þer large hire of goddis godis. ech siche persoun mut nedis answere bi resoun to god for alle his sheep, but mannus lawe bigiliþ not god to answere þus for herdis offiss, & þerfore it mut be groundid in goddis lawe to holde þus residense bi vikere. but it semyþ certeyn of goddis lawe þat noon may teche þis bi resoun to be þus herde of þes sheep, & to be þus absent fro hem; & herfore it semyþ not but to be a feynyng of þe fend. & þerfore þis herdis floc may resonably wiþ-drawe his hire for he traueliþ not on hem bi þat lawe þat he axiþ his hire. & cursing is a fendis fynding to curse men þus for worldly godis; for þanne hauyng of þes godis is more desirid þan blessing of þer sheep; but who may holde charite & þus chese þis worldly hauyng? for a man shulde loue more his sheep þan alle his godis or his body, siþ he shulde putte his lif for his sheep, as crist dide. & þis moueþ many men to sette litil bi siche cursing; for whanne man curseþ vn|skilefuly,

he cursiþ hym silf & not his sheep. also þre offisis of goostly herde moten haue his presence wiþ his sheep; for who can preche to his sheep, or defende hem fro wolues, or heele hem as curatis shulden, but ȝif he be present wiþ his sheep? & þus siche residense bi viker makiþ hym to leese herdis offiss & þis excusiþ hym not to god, ne his seruyss in þe mene tyme makiþ hym herde of þes sheep, ne worþy to take þis hire of god. ȝif he waste tyme in þis absence & profite not to hooly chirche, þys los of tyme accusiþ hym bifore crist, þe firste herde. ȝif he do good to þe chirche in preiyng or in studiynge, leue, what is þis to herdis offis, al ȝif it dispose men þerto. men may wel ȝyue to siche þer almes, but not as to herdis of hem. & siþ god hatiþ falsed of men, þis shulde not be don bifore god. & siþ a man in no staat shulde do ouȝt þat he shamede to do bifore god, it semyþ þat no man shulde holde þis offiss & be absent in his body. & þus men ben not contynuel herdis for þe tyme þat þey ben absent & kepen not þer sheep bi þer presence, al ȝif þey profiten to þes men. for [page 20b] ech man þat is in grace profitiþ to ech able man goostly, & þus ech siche were herde of ech, but þis abusioun were to straunge. ȝif a man be presently nyȝ his sheep, & fayle not to fede hem & to defende hem & to greesse hem in tyme, his bodily presense is skileful to hym to dwelle vpon þes sheep. & þus þe persoun þat al þe wouke disposiþ hym to preche to his sheep or to defende hem & greesse hem, so þat his absense be resonable, dwelliþ a shepparde al þis tyme; & his presence doiþ his cure & counfortiþ his sheep & febliþ þer enemyes. & as glotouns arguen þat bi þe same skile þey may ete more til þat þey han etun to myche, so hirid hynes arguen heere þat, bi þe same skile þat þey may be absent fro þes sheep foure dayes or [of MS] fyue, þey may be absent for a moneþe or an half ȝeer or more tyme: & þis resoun haþ more colour of herdis þat studien in scole. & y can-not answere heere ȝif men studien goddis lawe, & in þe mene tyme failen

not to þer sheep in þingis þat perteynen to þer offiss. but for bodily residense of an able herde vpon his sheep is more sikir þan siche absence, it is good to chese þe sikere. also as poul seiþ, ech man shal bere his oune charge, & þus þe viker of þis herde is chargid for his oune persone as myche as he may bere, hou beriþ he þe persouns charge? For in tyme of apostlis þat iurisdiccioun was not brouȝt in, but oon shulde preche in o tyme & an-oþer in an-oþer; alle þes weren persouns of þes sheep & he þat more tauȝte was betere curat. & þus it semyþ þat it shulde be of many persones of o pariȝs, & þat persoun þat profitiþ more is betere herde to þis pariȝs. for ellis men myȝten feyne falsly as many herdis as þey wolden, & echoon to pile þe puple where oon sufficide for hem alle. as prest & viker & persoun, official, erchedekene & bischop, wiþ many men bitwixe hem, ben ful chargious to þe pariȝs, & þei alle don not þe offiss þat a good herde shulde do; but siche charging of þe chirche shulde be fled as greet synne. for it is nouȝt to bigile god & make an vnhable man persoun þat can-not on herdis cure but his sheep kunnen gouerne hym, al ȝif he gedere bi a proctour þe fruytis, as offeringis & dymes. for ellis a child or a greke or what offis þat he bare myȝte be persoun heere in englond ȝif þe pope hadde ȝouyn hym leeue, but siche þat is not goddis orde|naunse excusiþ not at domes day.