Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

þe fendis children. for ȝif þei weren cristis children þei schulden holde treuþe in word & wille & dede & meyntenen þat, and dispisen alle manere of lesyngis & falsnesse & synne vp here kunnynge & power; & as ion þe euaungelist seiþ, þei schulden wilfully putte hem to deþ for to distroie lesyngis, siþ lesyngis stondiþ more in false dedis þan in wordis, as [of X.] holy writt, ambrose & oþere seyntis witnessen pleynly. ¶ Þe þridde tyme, þes newe ordris & flaterynge myȝtte not be susteyned wiþ-oute lesyngis, boþe in word & dede, in þis manere as þei now ben; & for to schewe [page 217] þat þis veyn religious louen more here owene inuencions & here owene lustis [both MSS. repeat "more" here.] þan þe [omitted X.] clene religion of cristis ordynaunce & gret pouert & peynful lif after crist & his apostlis, þei preisen lesyngis for to beren vp þes veyn nouelries & haunte here lustis. for ȝif cristis owene ordre & ensaumple of his lif & his apostlis ben betere & profitere þan ony newe maad of synful men, it is a foul lesynge to chese wityngly & meyntene þe lesse perfit, [profit X.] & forsake þe liȝttere, sikerere & perfitere. ¶ Also it is a cursed lesyng to drawe children, þat han but litil discrecion, to þes newe feyned religious bi ȝeftis & bi behestis [hestis AA.] of worldly lordischipe, honour & sikernesse of bodily welfare, more þan to holde wilful pouert & penaunce & dispit & forsakynge of alle worldly þing, for al þis is symonye & heresie ȝif it be wel souȝt; but it is a cursedere lesyng to stele ȝonge children fro here frendis & bi false disceitis make hem to be professed, sumtyme aȝenst here wille, & suffre hem not to gon out of þis veyn ordre, þouȝ þei knowen hem self vnable þer-to. ¶ For sumtyme þes children frendis fallen in mornynge to deþ; & sumtyme bi myschef ben dede where here children þus stolen schulden ellis helpe hem; & sumtyme þes children schulden be goode techeris & reuleris of þe peple, & now ben cursed ypocritis, ful of coueitise, lecherie, enuye & grucchynge aȝenst god; & now þei ben nedid to rob þe pore peple bi fals beggynge, & sclaundren crist wiþ þis clamose beggynge
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 269
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 28, 2025.
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