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

ÞE EIȜTÞE SONEDAI GOSPEL AFTIR TRINITE.

[SERMON VIII.]

Attendite a falsis prophetis.—MATT. vii. [15.]

ÞIS gospel biddiþ Cristene men to be ware wiþ false prophetis, þat comen in cloþing of sheep. And þes wordis may be applyed unto fals freris; for soþe þis lore of Crist wolde he not ȝyve in tyme of grace, but if siche men weren for to come which þei shulden flee. And so, be þei freris or be þei oþer þat speken falsely in þer prechinge, oure good maister Crist bad þat we

shulden be ware wiþ hem. Þei ben prophetis, in þat þei speken aferr of þe dai of dome, of blisse, and of peynes; and þus seiþ Crist þat he sendeþ prophetis to men þat ben of fals feiþ, and þei shal tormente hem. And it is noo doute þat ne siche men ben profetis, and þei ben false prophetis; if þei lyven þus þat þei shapen her lyf and her wordis boþe, more for ypocrisie and wynnynge of þe peple þan for worship of God or helþe of her soule. If þei fynden novelry in þer fals habitis, and ȝit lyven as yvel as oþir comoun men, who shulde drede of hem þat ne þei ben fals profetis? Al þer founden signes þei shewen oþir men, þat þei shulden crye þer holynesse over oþir Cristene men. But, Lord, whi shulden þei do þus? siþ holynes shulde be privy, and þei myȝten lyve as holy lyf wiþouten siche signes. Certis it semeþ no cause but if it be ypocrisie, þat þei shewen to þe peple þer holynes as Phariseis doen, and so to be more told by, and liȝtlyer to wynne goodis, for take awey þis eende, and her signes serven of nouȝt. And as Crist seiþ a good lore to knowe hem were, to marke þer fruytis, þat specialy comen of hem. Wel Y wote þat þe Churche profitide before freris camen in, and siþen han ben sowen many fals lores, boþe in þer religioun, and preisyng of scribis; as we seen of þe sacrid oost, of þe begginge of Crist, of lettris of þe breþheed, and oþir worldely lyvynge. Þe knowyng of siche signes shewiþ wel þer fruyte, how þei ben chargeous to þe peple, and fals in þer entent; for greet noumbre and costlewe housis and greet dis|pensis of þis world, wiþ reulynge of worldely causis, tellen what ende þei worchen fore. And herfore seiþ Crist, þat þei ben wiþinne wolves of raveyne [So in B. A has rayne.] ; wulves þei ben if þei loven more catel þan mennis soulis, and open þer mouþ to heveneward to feyne preestis power, þat neiþir þei can grounden in þe lawe of God, ne it may not falle to God himsilf, and bi þis power þei spuylen þe puple of þer goodis, and not assoilen hem freely for to save þer soulis. And bi þis fruyte may men knowe þe falshede of þes wolvys, for we shal wite as bileve þat who loveþ more mannis good þan he loveþ helþe of his soule, he is wulf and fendis child. And þis may men wel see by þes preestis'

bisynesse; and herfore seiþ Goddis word, þat men gederen not of þornes grapis, to glade men goostly wiþ, ne gidere not figis of breris, for as þes trees han not of kynde to brynge to men siche fruytis; so siche children of þe fend feden not men goostly, neiþir wiþ figis of bileve ne wiþ grapis of devocioun, but þei han more bisynes to spuyle fro men þer worldely goodis, as boþe þornes and bryres reven fro sheepe þer wolle. And þus ech good tree þat God haþ ordeyned to þe hous of heven, bereþ here good fruyte and þe yvel tree beriþ venym; for riȝt as Goddis children may not do but good þing, so children of þe fend may not do but harmful þing. For riȝt as fendis semen to do good, and it turneþ at þe ende to þer harm, so Goddis children semen to do yvel, but God turneþ it to þer good. And to þis witt seiþ þe word of Crist, þat a good tree may not bere yvel fruyte, ne an yvel tree good fruyte. For þei may not turne as þe wynd, for alle þingis þat shal come mut nedis come as we taken here; and so eche tree here in þis world þat makiþ not þus good fruyte, shall be fellid and putt to þe fier to brenne in helle wiþouten ende. And þus bi fruyte of preestis shulen ȝe knowe whos þei ben, and herby bewar wiþ hem, for condicions of her maistris. And it sufficib not to seie, Lord, Lord, but it nediþ to lyve wele to a mannes lyves ende; and so it sufficiþ not to preestis to seie, God be wiþ you, but þei mut seie wele in herte and wele in mouþe and lyve wele, for ellis a man shal not be saved ne broȝt to liknes of þe Trinite. Ne þis lore is not oonly constreyned to fals freris, but generaly to preestis, þat seien þat þei han care of mennis soulis; for worchyng bi riȝt lyf, endid after Goddis wille, makiþ a man Goddis child and come to þe blisse of hevene.