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

of Goddis lawe and þe dette to usen it lastiþ evermore and bindiþ men ful harde. And it is not liȝt to unbinde oon of Goddis heestis; for Crist bihetiþ here; Þat who ever doiþ þus he shal be clepid leste in þis Chirche wanderinge, siþ þe Chirche above jugiþ him in þis Chirche and not of þe Chirche, but to be dampned in helle. And þis cleping of þe Chirche above mut nedelingis stonde; but defending and teching of þe lawe of God makiþ a man clepid of him grete in þe blisse of hevene.

ÞIS gospel techiþ how ech confessour shulde kepe him, and speciali abotis and þes newe religiouse. But, as it semeþ to juste men, Crist telliþ litil bi þes ordris, but telliþ ech man of his Chirche how he [So E; we, A.] shal profite þerto, and how he shal kepe himself in state of salvacioun. First spekiþ Crist in figuratife speche, and seiþ þat, no man liȝtiþ a lanterne in derknesse, and puttiþ it in oon of þes two infamous [famous, E] places; neþer in hid place [placis, E.] ne undir a bushel. Ech man shulde be a lanterne liȝtid of God. Þe bodi of þis lanterne is mannis bodi; þe hornes of þis lan|terne ben spiritis in man, and þe remanent of his bodi, as fleish and boon, ben oþer tres [trees, E.] in which þis horn is picchid. Þe liȝt in þis lanterne is mannis soule, and liȝtnynge wiþinneforþ is witt þat God ȝeveþ man. Þat man puttiþ his lanterne in hidd place or undir a bushel, þat lyveþ in worldli bisynes and not profiteþ to þe Chirche. For God haþ ȝovun him soule and witt, to liȝt men here in erþe þat ben in derknes of synne, as ech man shulde liȝte to oþere; for ech man haþ sum knowing þat failiþ to anoþer man; and so ech man shulde be lanterne to liȝtne sum men of Goddis hous; and herfore ȝeveþ God