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

ÞE GOSPEL ON SEINT MATHEUS DAY.

[SERMON CXX.]

Cum transiret Jesus.—MATT. ix. [9.]

ÞIS gospel þat Mathew seiþ here is nyȝ al oon wiþ þe laste; but ȝit oo gospelere [gospeller, E.] expowneþ anoþer, and varieþ sumwhat to oure lore. Matheu [So E; Mathu, A.] telliþ, þat Jesus passinge saw a man þat was clepid Matheu [So E; Mathu, A.] . And þis he meneþ bi himsilf, for it sowneþ to Goddis worship and to repreef of himsilf. What worship shulde þis Mathew have, þat he sat in þe tol boþe, occupied wiþ þe worldli workes, and þus fer fro þe liif of Crist? Grace and mercy is in Crist þat he wolde clepe þus siche a man, boþe bi vois and bi wille, to leeve siche worldli workis, and to go riȝt þe weie to hevene in suynge þis good duke. Matheu leeveþ of his feeste, for it sowneþ to worldli fame, and telliþ how, Jesus eet in þe hous, and puplicans and many sinful wiþ him. And þis word sowneþ not to boost of Matheu [So E; Mathu, A.] , but to mercy of Jesus Crist. But Fariseis of Cristis tyme hadden desdeyn of þis dede, and seide to Cristis disciplis, in repreef of him and hise, Whi etiþ your Maistir wiþ puplicans and sinful men, þat is unleeveful? For who shulde comune wiþ cursid men, lest þat he were foulid wiþ hem? And þis word wolde be liȝtli seid now of men þat we feynen cursid; for we holden a more synne to ete and drynke wiþ sich men þan us [þus, E.] to do a cursid dede þat were aȝens Goddis worship. For Phariseis coveiten þer owne wynnyng, and leeven þe worship of God. But Jesus herde þes blynde wordis, and seide to þes Pha|riseis, A leche is not nedeful unto men þat faren wel, but to syke men þat faren yvel; and so it is goostli. And Crist bad þese men go forþ and telle folk what it is, þat he wolde mercy and not sacrifice.

And who so cam þis dai in þe Chirche, and tolde þis ordre

wiþ þis [So E; þese, A.] sentence, preestis wolden clepe him eretike, and moven oþer men to holden him siche, for þei tellen more bi þer wynnyng þan bi treuþe of Goddis lawe. Ȝif þou wolt asaie þis now, preche opinli to þe peple þat God telliþ more bi workes of mercy, þe which ben in a mannis soule, þan bi offring, or by dymes, or oþer goodis ȝovun to freris, and þou shalt have enemyes anoon to bere heresie on þee. For þei holden as bileve þat ȝif þe ordre þat Crist ordeynede were holden streitli, as he bad, holi Chirche were distroied. But Crist seiþ þat he cam not to clepe just men from þer weie, but to clepe sinful men from þer errour þat þei ben inne. Here mai we wel witen þat Crist moveþ alle good men; sum yvel men Crist clepiþ from wrong weie þat þei ben inne; and sum good men Crist mooveþ to go gladlier her riȝt weie. And so Crist moveþ ever to good, and from errour þat men ben ynne.