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

Capitulum 6^tum.

ȝit anticrist argueþ þat ȝif þis sentense wente forþ, þe pope were as pore a man as ony bischop of englond; but þis were aȝenus resoun, þat þe hiere man shulde be byneþe. Heere men seyen to anticrist þat he argueþ aȝenus crist, & þerfore cristenmen moten nede answere sharply heere for crist; for ȝif þis foly wente forþ, siþ crist was moost pore man & his apostlis pore aftir, þey weren leest worþ in þis world. but what blasfeme durste seye þus, siþ it is aȝenus bileue. & þus goddis lawe techiþ þat willeful pouert of a prest, ȝif he haue mekenesse in his soule & oþere vertues more þan oþere, he is herby more to god, & þis hyenesse shulden prestis coueyte. & þus alle prestis of englond shulden be pore men, as þe pope, for þey moten forsake þer richees ȝif þey wolen be cristis prestis. for bileue techiþ wel þat crist bad his prestis be [Luke xiv. [33.]] siche; & we fynden neuere bi resoun þat crist chaungide euere his wille. & siþ crist is god in heuene, it is ful hard to reuerse his lawe, for no drede men moten rikene þerfore at þe day of dom. & heere men sliden out of bileue, boþe prestis & seculeris, whanne þey tellen more bi a cronycle of foly of an emperour þan þey tellen bi cristis lawe, þat is emperour of heuene. & þe fend confermeþ his part, & makiþ

seyntis be canonysed, þe whiche resseyueden siche dowyng, to proue þat þis was wel don. but heere men knowen þe fendis cautels, & sliden not fro bileue for þis; for canonysing of þes seyntis is not bileue of cristenmen. & þus ȝif þes ben seyntes in heuene, þis is bi vertu of crist þat þey turnyden at þe laste to hym, & hadden sorowe for þer synne. & ȝif þou axe prof her-of, we seyen þat ȝif þou proue þat þes be seyntis, it wole sue of oure bileue þat þes seyntis sorowiden þus, ȝif þey weren worldly men þus, for ellis þey myȝten not come to heuene. But myraclis maad of deed men ben þe fendis euydense; for god may suffre [page 29] þe fend to do siche signes & many mo. for ellis wolde not poul seye þat a man [1 Cor. xiii. [2.]] myȝte remoue hillis & ȝit fayle of charite. but ȝif þes signes myȝten liȝtly fayle, stonde we in bileue of crist, & leeue we siche signes of þe fend. for bileue is insensible & more trewe þan siche signes; as þis treuþe is insensible þat two & þre maken fyue, & ȝit it is more certeyn þan ony sensible þing heere. þus bileue of hooly writ passiþ alle þes clepid myraclis. & þus wite wel lordis & reumes þat þey moten nedis answere to god hou þey han holdun his lawe & stondun sad in his bileue. no drede boþe lordis & reumes myȝten wel constreyne prestis to holde þe pouert þat crist ordeynede, for honeste of his prestis & profit of lordis & comyns. & whanne lordis leeuen þis power, þey assenten to þe fend; & þey moten nedis be dampnyd for þis assent but ȝif þey amenden it, & þis is blynding of þe fend þat þey han grauntid þis almes. & so þey moten be trewe men & algatis mayntene it forþ, for ȝif men loken hou it cam in, it cam not in bi very almes, but bi blyndnesse of þe world & ipocrisie þat þe fend tauȝte. & euere þe lengere þat it lastiþ, þe more peyne han deed mennus soulis. & þus þe fend stiriþ men to laste in synne aȝenus god; but wite þey wel wiþ þe fend þat god mut nedis be þer lord. þus ȝif lordis han first be foolis, oþer in dowyng or leeuynge to helpe, þey shulden haue sorowe of þis synne & haaste hem to make aseeþ. & wite þey wel þat god mut nedis be cheef lord of alle creaturis,

& but ȝif god graunte hem leeue to ȝyue þus prestis þes worldly godis, þe ȝifte þat þey ȝauen is nouȝt bi vertu of þe cheef lord. & þus anticrist & al his help can neþer argue heere ne answere; & y am certeyn on domes-day no man may answere wel heere. þerfore mende hem lordis & reumes, & serue þei crist for þer goode, for litil seruyss for þis tyme disserueþ myche meede in heuene. lord, siþ lordis & reumes boþe chesen a pope at þer oune wille, what sholde moue hem to chese þis pope more hye þan crist wolde chalenge of men? crist axide noon erþly lordchip ne erþly godis, but ȝaf heuenely, & whanne he tok his oune godis he tok hem for help of his tenauntis, & algatis in siche a mesure þat he was not charious to hem. & þis lore han freris forȝeten & alle þes oþere newe sectis. þus þe grace [page 29b] of god haþ mouyd to trete þis mater among cristenmen, to loke wher þey wolen helpe hem silf whanne god haþ so graciously bigunnyn.