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

abouen goddis lawe & ordenaunce, & drawen pore mennus almes & liflode to proude beggeris to make grete wast houses, and desceyue men bi fals assoilyng, bi fals [omitted X.] pardon, bi veyne preiers & synguler or specyal, & letteris of fraternite, puttynge open beggynge & clamours on ihū crist, þanne þei crien fast þat poore prestis treuli & frely prechynge þe gospel as crist biddiþ, techynge men to do verray penaunce for here synnes & not trusten ouermoche to false pardon & cursed preieris of ypocritis, & to do here almes to pore feble men crokid & blynde, as crist seiþ him self; þat þei ben cause of alle þe [omitted X.] perturbacion of þe rewme; but þei lyen falsly & openly to eche trewe man. for siþ synne is cause of pertur|bacion, & þes prestis vpon here kunnynge þat god ȝeueþ hem of holy writt & þer-wiþ bisien hem nyȝt & day to distroye synne, þei ben aboute to make pees betwixe god & man. & þei þat meyntenen synne bi false confessionys & veyn special preieris & pardons ben most cause of discencion & werris. but here þei suen þe fadir of lesyngis þat stirede þe heiȝe prestis & pharisees in cristis tyme to pute on hym & his disciplis þat þei disturbleden þe lond of iude & wolden distroie it, for crist and his disciplis reproueden þe coueitise, ypocrisie & falsenesse of þe heiȝe prestis & false pharisees. so þe deuyl steriþ now false newe pharisees of synguler religion wiþ-oute cristis ordynaunce, þat ben more sotil in malice & lesyngis and ypocrisie þan [þat X.] þe firste, to stoppe pore prestis fro prechynge of [page 22] þe gospel & reprouynge of synne, for bi þis offis of crist don treuly here synnes of lesyngis and ypocrisie schulde be knowen and distroied and goddis lawe knowen and kept and synne chasid out of lond. but false ypocritis stryuen aȝenst þis profet of cristen men, & clepen techynge of þe gospel & goddis hestis newe techynge, & techynge of verrey penaunce doynge & of riȝtful ȝeuynge & of almes and open prechynge aȝenst synne errour aȝenst charite. God kepe cristen men fro ypocrisie & false lesyngis of pharisees and here meynteneris. Amen.