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

Capitulum 7^m.

And [Christ] seiþ þat þer is no þing keuerid þat ne it [Luke xii. 2.] schal be schewid, and þere is no þing hid so priue þat it ne schal be wist and knowen. for þo þingis þat ȝe han seyd in derknessis schullen be seid in liȝt, and þat þing þat ȝe han spoken in ȝoure couchis or smale beddis schal be prechid in þe roof of housis. Here crist meniþ þat men schulden be war and oppynly telle þe [page 17] trewþe aȝenst þis ypocrisie; for þouȝ it be now hid it schal be schewid at þe laste at þe day of dom. ¶ And also cowardise of cristis disciplis, ȝif þei spare for bodyli peyne and deþ to telle openly þe [omitted X.] treuþe of goddis lawe. And þerfore telliþ crist after to his disciplis [Luke xii. 4.] þat þei schulden drede god and no þing ellis souereynly. Soþli seiþ crist: I sei to ȝow, my frendis, þat ȝe ben not agast of hem þat sleen þe body and haue [omitted X.] no þing more [omitted X.] to do after þes þinges; but I schal schewe ȝou whom ȝe owen to drede. drede ȝe hym souereynly, þat after þat he haþ sclayn

þe bodi, haþ power to sende boþe bodi and soule to helle with outen ende. so, I say to ȝow; drede ȝe him. here crist wol þat men drede no þing principaly but god and his offence. for ȝif men dreden bodili peynes and deþ, and þerfore ceessen to telle openly þe treuþe, þei ben wiþ þis vnable to resceyue þe blisse of heuene; and ȝif þei seyn openly and sadly þe treuþe of god, no þing may harmen hem so þat þei kepen pacience and charite. ¶ And herefore seiþ crist aftir|ward to conforte his disciplis bi reson: ne be not fyue sparwis sold for an halpeny, and on of hem is not forȝetyn [forȝeuen X.] [Luke xii. 6.] bifore god; but also alle þe heris of ȝoure heuyd ben noum|brid, þerfore nyle ȝee drede; ȝe ben of more pris þan many sparwis. as ȝif crist menede and made þis reson: siþ god almyȝty takiþ so gret kepyng of smale briddis þat [þan.] on [or X.] of hem, ȝe þe [omitted X.] leste, is not forȝeten, how myche more schal god kepen ȝow; siþ he is almyȝty, alwytti, and al ful of good wille, & þere may no þing come with outen his wittyng and his ordynaunce, and it is al for þe beste. ¶ And no þing may aȝenstonde, so þat men takyt paciently and þanke hem þerfore; and whanne þe heris of oure heuyd ben countid þat þei may not be lost, where we may be lost oþere in bodi or soule, siþe eche of vs is betre þan þe heris of oure hed. as ȝif crist seide þat no þing of vs, nere of bodi ne of soule, may perische ne suffre peyne to oure harim, so þat we kepen pacience and charite. at þe laste word crist makeþ vs siker to dye for his lawe bi reward of þe blisse of heuene, whanne he seiþ þus, þat eche who euere knowlechiþ me bi-for men, [Luke xii. 8.] and mannus sone schal knowleche hym bi-fore þe angelis of god. here crist clepiþ hym self mannus sone, for he is þe sone of þe [omitted X.] vergyne marie, and so a persone of mankynde, þat is clepyd a man bi speche of holy writt. and knowlechynge ⁶is seid here fore verrei knowlegchynge ⁶ [6_6 omitted X.] of crist, boþe in herte bi saad feiþ þat he is verrey god and verrey man with outen synne, & alle degrees, in þouȝt and speche and dede and alle circumstauncis þer of, and witnessynge in word þe treuþe of

þe gospel, hou crist lyuede most mekely and most porely and most vertuously bi-forn alle oþere men as þe gospel techeþ; and knowlechynge in lif, lyuynge after þe lawe of god and in [page 18] wille to die þer-fore ȝif it be nede; þis verrei knowlechynge schal make men to ben approued of crist at þe day of dome, biforn alle þe compayne of angelis and seyntis and good creaturis and euyle, hou þei were verrei wittenesse of crist in erþe bifore men, and in fulwille to suffre sclandris pursuynge and bodili deþ for þe loue of ihū crist and his lawe.