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

gospel seiþ, and þe fend is fadir of lesyngis. and so sum good iugement is of mennes out-wittis, as þei iugen whiche mete is good & whiche mete is yuel, & sum men iugement is of mennes witt wiþinne, as men iugen how þei schal do, by lawe of consience; as cristen men schal iuge to whom þei don here almes, and þat þei feden nouȝt fendis children among here owne heed. [? herd.] & it were al on to reue fro worldly men þis iugement, & to seie þat þei ben bestis dampnable for here folye. And þus þe fend may hide mennes wittis & bobbe hem in here resoun, as þe iewis diden wiþ crist, & leden hem to [Matt. xxvi. 68.] helle as blynd avocatis of þe fend. þis blynde boffetynge schulde worldly men eschewe, ffor it helpiþ nouȝt to þis world ne to þe toþer world. And wite wel þes lordis þat god haþ ȝeuen hem resoun for to seruen him, and loken here owne profiȝt; ffor þis lord of his curtesye axeþ no seruyse of man, but ȝif it turne to his profyt & noȝt to þe profyte of god. and þus it were al on antecrist to teche þat men schulde noȝt iuge of dedis of his clerkis, & to seie þat he is lorde aboue ihesu crist.

Aȝeyns þis þe fend grucchiþ bi many blynde resouns, and seiþ þat god forbeediþ his men to iuge of here briþeren. But we schulde trowe to wordis þat god puttiþ in his lawe. ffor god biddiþ þat a man schulde assaye him silf, and so ete of þe [1 Cor. xi. 28.] breed þat is þe sacrid oost. ffor he þat etiþ unworþily etiþ his owne jugement, ffor he iugiþ noȝt wisely þe worþinesse of goddis body. & þe holy salme seiþ: "vnderstond, ȝe kyngis; [Psalm ii. 10.] and schaak of ȝou rudenesse, ȝe þat jugen londis." Sum tyme iugement god grauntid to kyngis, as daviþ & salamon & many oþere kyngis. & ȝif þou seie þat popis lawe spekiþ oþer wise of [page 192b] jugement, haue þe popis lawe more suspette; siþ goddis [John vii. 24.] lawe spekeþ þus, and þus crist biddiþ þe iewis to iuge of him riȝt iugement. Lord, wheþer þes clerkis ben more hiȝe ouere seculeris þan was our lord ihesu crist ouere þes falce iewis? ffor trewe men ben certeyn þat crist bad hem