Select English works of John Wyclif; edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

hem. And þus of goodes of kynde, men drede myche to lesen hem, as reule of kynde techiþ us, and comoun expe|riens; and ȝif þei comen to us, we joien ful myche, as we witen well; but goodis of grace we putten bihynde, and þat fordoiþ oure charite. And ȝif we feynen falsehede in þes two þingis, boþe God and our bysynes shal be jugis aȝens us. Lord! wheþer traveilen we more, aboute goodis of þes two þingis or aboute goodis of grace? Oure owne traveil shal juge us; what preest bisieþ him more now for to sue Crist in vertues, þan for to gete a benefice, or for to gete worldely goodis? And þis techiþ þat he joieþ more of worldely goodis þan goodis of grace. How ever þat we stryven now, oure juge shal dampne us at þe laste. And bi þis same skile, hope and sorewe shal jugen us, for we casten more oure bisynes in hope of a worldely prowe þan we done in hope of hevene or hevenly blisse þat we shulden have; and þus we dreden more of loss of worldely goodis þat we hopen þus, þan we done of goodis of blisse; and þis reversiþ al oure lyf.

CRIST in þis parable telliþ þe staat of his Chirche, and seiþ þat þe kyndom of hevene is lyke to a man þat sew good seed in his felde. Þe kyngdom of hevene telliþ boþe togidere, Crist and his maynè, but principali Crist. And herfore Crist is often clepid þe kyngdome of hevene, and þe Chirche, þat is his [So in C; om. A, B.] wyfe, is o persone wiþ him. And þus þe kyngdome of hevene seiþ þis spouse and his [þis, C.] wyfe; but here is þis kyngdom take for Jesus Crist, þat is boþe God and man, and ordeyneþ wel for his Chirche. Þis man sew first good seed in þe feld of þis Chirche; for he puttide first good feiþ in herte of his servauntis, and þis seed is Goddis word, as Crist himsilf seiþ. Ffirst þis seed growide clene, and brouȝt