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

bI þis processe bifore saide men mow lerne to awnswere to þe comon argumentis þat couetous clerkis maken in þis mater to mayntene wiþ her synne. In þe whiche argumen|tis þai aleggen for hem þe sinnes of her predecessoris, saynge þus, "seynt hue, seynt thomas and seynt swyþune [page 31] wer þus lordis, & þai wer holy men here & now ben seyntis in heuen; þan may we, be þe same skile, medefulli taake up-on vs þis temporall lordeschip, and sue hem in þis." But ȝe schal undirstonde þat þis maner of arguynge holdiþ welle whan we argue of god; for it suyþ well, "criste did þus, saide þus, or wolde þus, þerfor þis was wel done, saide, or willid; & so in þis dede, worde, or wille, it is holsum, spedy & plesaunt to god þat we sue hym." But whan we argue of an creature þis argument is to schorte; for it sueþ not, "Petir saide þus or did þus, þerfore he did or saide welle, and in þes wordis & dedis it is holsum to sue hym;" for þis maner [page 31b] of arguynge is vnpreuyd in þat þat petir forsoke criste, & in þat þat he smote of malcus ere; so þat þis maner of arguynge of a creature is to schorte. And þerfor ȝe most argue þus: "Petir saide or did þus, and in þis saiynge or doynge he suyd þe life & þe lore of ihesu criste; þerfor petir in þis did or sayde welle, and in þis it is holsum to sue petir." And so musten oure clerkis argue whan þai aleggen for her lordeschip þe lyuynge of her patrons & sayntis, & sayen þus: "Seynt thomas & seynt hwe & seynt Swiþune wer þus lordis, & in þis þai suyd cristis lyuynge & his lore; þerfor we may lefulli be þus lordis." And I wote wel þat gabriel schal blow his horne or þai han preuyd þe mynor; [page 32] þat is, þat þes seyntes or patrons in þis suyden þe lore or þe life of ihesu criste. And of þis ȝe may se þat siche nakid argumentis, þat ben not cloþid wiþ cristis lyuynge or his techynge, ben riȝt nouȝt worþe, alle-þouȝ þe clerkis ablynden wiþ hem myche folke in þis worlde. But here haue I no leyser to telle, all ȝif I kouȝde, what chefesaunce