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

Capitulum 40^m.

Ȝit þes ypocritis possessioners ben traitouris to god, to lordis, & to comunes also; for þei han almost þe tresor of þe lond & worldly lordischipe, aȝenst goddis lawe; & whanne þe kyng haþ nede of a taxe, þei wolen not paie for pore men, not wiþstondynge þat þei ben procuratouris of pore men, & al þat þei han [omitted X.] ouer here owen symple liflode is pore mennus good, as goddis lawe & mannus techen opynly, but for to plede & meyntene wrongis & putten men out of here lond & meyntenen false prauelegies aȝenst charite & good conscience þei han þousand markis & poundis; & here þei chalengen aboue crist & alle his apostlis þat þouȝ þei han almost alle [alle is added in X. by a later hand.] lordischipis amorteised to hem, ȝit þei wolen not paien tribute ne taxe [axe AA.] to þe kyng for meyntenaunce of þe rewme & sauynge of pore mennus lif; & ȝit crist paide for him & his disciplis tribute to þe emperoure, þouȝ he hadde

non such temperaltees. & þis exempcion þei chalengen bi anticristis power & not bi god almyȝtty, for he constreyneþ clerkis to be suget to seculer lordis & to lyue a iust lif & symple & pore wiþ-outen worldly lordschipe [page 123] & opyn beggynge in a [omitted AA.] vertuous mene. god almyȝtty stireþ prestis, lordis & comunes to knowe ypocrisie, heresie & treson of anticristis worldly clerkis, & knowen & meyntenen þe riȝtful ordynaunce of god & þe perfit fredom of þe gospel. Amen.