Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

& warien & prechen opynly cursed lesyngis, & ȝeuen en|saumple of synne as cruel fendis of helle. for bi þis doynge þei blasphemen god & styren men to synne more spedly þan don many þousand fendis bi hem self. whanne men schulden taste & take mete & drynk in resonable mesure to sustene here lif & labore, & þer-fore þank god & serue hym mekely & wilfully & loue hym hertly, þe fend stiriþ men to sewe here owene lustis of flesch, to walwe in glotonye & drounke|nesse as swyn in þe feen, þat þer is neiþer witt ne reson in hem, ne myȝt to goo on þe erþe sumtyme; & to fulfille þis stynkynge glotonye & dronkenes þei seken many stretis & tauernes to seke lekerous morselis & swete drynkis, & borowen oþer mennus catel & payen not aȝen many tymes; for hereby þei wasten here owene goodis & oþer mennus & comen to pouert & ben casten in prison til þei steruen. & bi þis glotonye & dronkenesse þei wasten here owen bodi & wittis & fallen in-to sikenesse [drynkenssis AA.] on many maneris & lesen worldly catel & myȝttis of þe soule, as vnderstondynge, mynde & reson, & geten peynes of helle in bodi & soule, but ȝif þei amende hem trewely in þis world. & þe fend techiþ glotonys & dronkelewe men to excuse þis wast on þis manere: "God made alle goode mete & drynke couenable for men schulden spende it & lyue þer-by;" but þei taken non hede of þe mesure ne hou falsly þei lyuen aȝenst goddis lawe, & hou crist & his seyntis tauȝten & vseden abstynence & penaunce, & hou cristene men schulden conquere heuene bi brekynge [page 185] of fleschly lustis, as crist techiþ in þe gospel, & hou crist & poul & petir comaunden vs þat we schullen not [1 Peter ii. ll.] fille þe desiris of oure flesch, but as gestis or comelyngis & pilgrimes absteynen hem [In AA. 'hem' has been cancelled by underdotting. It should have been corrected to 'us.'] fro fleschly desires þat fiȝtten aȝenst þe soule. & certis þe lesse þat a man spende boþe of mete & drynk & cloþe & alle oþere necessaries, so þat he be strong to serue god & do his labour aftir þe staat þat god settiþ him
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 217
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by Trübner & co.,
1880.

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"The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aeh6713.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 21, 2025.
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