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

Capitulum 9^m.

Also prelatis killen men gostly, ȝeuynge euyl ensaumple & disceyuynge pore men of here almes, & wiþ-drawynge goddis word bi whiche þei schulden lyue gostly, for ensaumple of pride, coueitise, wraþþe, vnmercy, vanyte, glotonye & lecherie þei ȝeuen to alle men aboute; & manye of þes synnes ben so open þat it nediþ no more to declare hem, but of lecherie men seyn þat many prelatis ben ful þer-of & of þe moste cursed spices þer-of, þat it is schame to written it but more to done it in dede; & lowere curatis taken ensaumple at hem

& seyn, whi may not we haue lemmannus siþ þe bischop haþ so manye? & sugetis taken ensaumple at here curatis, boþe weddid men & sengle. & þus prelatis bi þis cursed ensaumple sleen in als mychel as in hem is alle manere men, for þei dorn not for schame of her owen synne sadly amende oþere synful, ne wiþ-stonde wronges of souereyns þat þei don to pore men. ¶ And here-wiþ prelatis disceyuen [disceyuem X.] pore men of here almes, for bi fals pardon þei maken men to ȝeue here nedi liflode to here cathedral chirches þat han no nede, & make þe pore men to hope of more þank of goddis mercy to don here almes to riche houses & riche men more þan to don it to here pore neiȝeboþeris þat ben bedrede, febil, & crokid & blynd, & þer-wiþ han nouȝt of here owen. And certis þis is worse þefte þan to robbe hem as an owtlawe doþ. For he takiþ comunly gold or siluer, but þer prelates taken [page 79] boþe of pore men & disceyuen hem in feiþ, hope & charite, & also þei suffren oþere false pardoneris disceyuen þe peple for a litel money, & lesse curatis haunten þis false craft. ¶ Also þes prelates bi extorsions and maistrie taken þe litel good þat þei schulden lyue bi þat þei geten bi gret swoot of here body, & þus, as god seiþ of tyrauntis, þei taken here skyn [Micah iii. 2.] fro þe bak, & eten & drynkyn mennus blood, whanne þei be raueine & ypocrisie disceyuen hem of here goodis bi whiche here bodely lif schulde be susteyned, & whiche goodis þei gaten bi hard traueile & wastyng of flech & blood; & þus þei ben manquelleris & irreguler bi-fore god & his aungelis. ¶ Also þei prechen not cristis gospel in word & dede bi whiche cristene men schuld lyue holy lif in charite, but blaberen forþe anticristis bullis to maken cristene men to werre eche wiþ oþere in hope to wynne heuene bi siche werris, & ȝit þei letten trewe men to teche treuli & frely cristis gospel & his comaundementis, but þei senden newe ypocritis to preche fablis & lesyngis & to flateren men in synne, & to robbe þe pore peple bi fals beggynge dampnyd of goddis. lawe, & ȝit þei maken þe peple to erre in bileue & to trowe

þat crist beggyd þus als þei don; but certis þis his an open heresie aȝenst cristis gospel & his lif, & as þe olde lawe & þe newe schewyn pleynly; & þus þes prelatis killen mennus soulis bi sclaundre of here owen euyl lif, bi disceit of almes, & suffrynge of false techeris & false robberis of þe peple.