viij. CHAPITER.

FOR to semyngli iustifie the blamyng and the re|proving of the v^e. principal gouernaunce rehercid and sett bifore in the vj^e. chapiter of this present iiij^e. partie summe semyng skilis mowen be mad, of which the firste takun bi textis of Holi Scripture is this: What euer gouernaunce God in his Holi Scripture of the Newe Testament blameth and reproueth is not worthi be had and vsid rennyngli with his comon Cristen lawe. But so it is, that God in his Holi Scripture of the Newe Testament blameth and reprou|eth generali withoute eny excepcioun mennys lawis Page  464 and mennys comaundementis and mennys tradiciouns. Wherfore, generali to speke and withoute eny excep|cioun, thei ben vnleeful and not to be vsid concur|rentli with his comoun lawe of Cristenhode. And so this argument gooth not oonli aȝens politik lawis maad bi men, but also aȝens statis aboue preesthode and aȝens religiose lawis maad bi men.

The firste premisse of this argument is sure ynouȝ, and that the ij^e. premysse is trewe y argue thus: It is writun Math. xv^e. capitulum., in the bigynnyng thus: Thanne the*. [the is wrongly cancelled by a later hand, which perhaps intended to cancel it before Pharisees, where it is wanting in some MSS. (but not in Forshall and Madden's text) of Wiclif's later version, from which this citation is taken.]scribis and the Pharisees camen to him fro Ierusalem and seiden, Whi breken thi discipulis the tradiciouns of eldre men, for thei waischen not her hondis whanne thei eten breed? He answerid and seide to hem, Whi breken ȝe the comaunde|ment of God for ȝoure tradicioun? For God seide, 'Honoure thou thi fadir and thi modir,' and, 'He 'that cursith fadir or modir die he bi deeth;' but ȝe seien, 'Who euer seith to fadir or modir, What 'euer ȝift is of me, it schal profite to thee,' and he hath not worschipid his fadir or his modir;—and ȝe han mad the comaundement of God voide for ȝoure tradicioun. Ipocritis, Isaie the prophet pro|phecied weel of ȝou and seide, 'This peple honourith 'me with lippis, but her herte is fer fro me; and 'thei worschipen me with oute cause, teching the 'doctrinys and maundementis of men.' And whanne the peplis weren clepid to gidre to him, he seide to hem, Heere ȝe and vndirstonde ȝe; that thing that entrith into the mouth defoulith not a man, but that thing that cometh out of the mouth defoulith a man. And sumwhat after there thus: Vnderstonde ȝe not Page  465 that al thing that entrith into the mouth gooth into the wombe, and is sent out into going awey; but tho thingis that comen forth fro the mouth goon out of the*. [the is added in a later hand; it occurs in Wiclif's version.]herte, and tho thingis defoulen a man? for of the herte goon out yuel thouȝtis, mansleyngis, avoutries, fornicaciouns, theftis, false witnessyngis, blasphemyes: these thingis it ben that defoulen a man, but to ete with hondis not wayschen defoulith not a man. Lijk sentence of this same storie and mater is write Mark vij^e. capitulum., thus: And the Pharisees and summe of the scribis camen fro Ierusalem togidere to him, and whanne thei hadden seen summe of hise disciplis ete breed with vnwaischen hondis, thei blameden; [for]*. [This word, though absent from most (but not all) MSS. of Wiclif's later version, is quite necessary to complete the sense.]the Pharisees and alle the Iewis eten not, but if thei waischen ofte her hondis, hold|ing the tradicions of eldre men; and whanne thei turnen aȝen fro cheping, thei eten not, but thei ben waischen: and manye othere thingis ben that ben take to hem to kepe, waischingis of cuppis and of water vessels and of vessels of bras and of beddis. And Pharisees*. [The article seems also to be ab|sent from all the MSS. of Wiclif's later version: a little below Pecock's text omits it before Pharisees, (p. 473.)]and scribis askiden him and seiden, Whi goon not thi disciplis aftir the tradicioun of eldre men, but with vnwaischen hondis thei eten breed? And he answerid and seide to hem, Isaie prophecied weel of ȝou ypocritis, as it is writun, 'This peple 'worschipith me with lippis, but her herte is fer 'fro me; and in vein thei worschipen me, teching 'the doctrines and the heestis of men:' for ȝe leuen the maundementis of God and holden the tradiciouns of men, waischingis of water vessels and of cuppis, Page  466 and manye othere thingis lijk to these ȝe doon. And he seide to hem, Wel ȝe han maad the maundement of God voide to kepe ȝoure tradicioun: for Moyses seide, 'Worschipe thi fadir and thi modir,' and, 'He 'that cursith fadir or modir, die he bi deeth;' but ȝe seien, 'If a man seie to fadir or modir, Corban,' that is to seie, 'What euer ȝifte is of me, it schal 'profite to thee;'—and ouer ȝe suffren not him do*. [to do, MS. (first hand). No MS. of Wiclif's later version, collated by Forshall and Madden, has to.]eny thing to fader or modir; and ȝe breken the word of God by ȝoure tradicioun, that ȝe han ȝouun; and ȝe doon manie suche thingis. And he eftsoone clepid the peple and seide to hem: Ȝe alle heere me and vndirstonde; no thing that is withouten a man that entrith into him may defoule him, but tho thingis that comen forth of a man, tho it ben that defoulen a man; if eny man haue eeris of heering, heere he. And sumwhat aftir there he spekith more of this goostli defouling in the maner which is bifore spokun in Matheu the xv^e. chapiter. Bi these ij. longe processis now rehercid, oon writun Math. xv^e. capitulum., and the other writun Mark vij^e. capitulum., it semeth to manye of the comoun peple that Crist blamed there the tradiciouns of whiche he spekith there, for that thei weren tradiciouns of men; so that sufficient cause were forto blame hem, that thei weren mennis tra|diciouns sett to the comoun lawe of God. And ther|bi thei wolen conclude folewingli, that alle mennys tradiciouns ben nauȝt, and noon such ouȝten be;*. [This and the four preceding words are written in the margin in a later hand.] but Goddis tradiciouns oonli ouȝten be; which is aȝens the Apostle, i^e. Cor. xj^e. capitulum., as it is schewid bifore in this present iiij^e. partie, the vij^e. chapiter. And thus, as thei weenen, the ij^e. premysse of the argument Page  467 mad in the bigynnyng of this present chapiter is proued.

The secunde semyng skile into the same purpos is this: Thilk thing or gouernaunce not being necessarie into oure saluacioun, as for that it is the comaunde|ment of God, what euer he be, is to be kutt awey and to be leid aside and to be not had and vsid, of which miche goostli harme and synne comen; for that that he is the occasioun that thilk goostly harme [and synne] comen; forwhi into the meenyng of this now rehercid proposicioun or sentence the Gospel seith thus: If thi riȝt iȝe or thi riȝt hond*. [riȝthond, MS. (conjunctim), ac|cidentally?]or thi riȝt foot sclaundre thee, pulle him out or kutte him awey and caste him fro thee:*. [See Matt. v. 29; Mark ix. 45.] but so it is, that of ech of the now spokun mannys lawis had and vsid myche goostli harm and synne comen, so that ech of hem is the occasioun wherbi and wherfro the goostli harme and synne comen: wherfore folewith that ech of the now spokun religiouns ouȝte be pullid out of the chirche and ouȝte be kutte awey and be not had and vsid.

The iij^e. semyng skile is this: If suche now spo|kun lawis and tradiciouns ben gode and profitable to Cristen men, as it is pretendid hem to be, whi or|deyned not Crist tho same lawis and tradiciouns to be had and vsid; sithen he couthe haue ordeyned tho lawis and tradiciouns, as weel as men couthen fynde hem and deuise hem; and sithen he loueth us and wilneth oure goostli profit more than we us silf willen, forwhi for oure goostli good and profite he sore laborid, suffrid, and died? Wher upon it myȝt be argued in forme thus: Crist, which was oure grettist louer and oure beest prower, ordeyned al that was best for us to haue and al that is notabili better to be had than to not be had, for ellis he hadde not be anentis us Page  468 to gidere wijsist purueier and tendirist louer. But so it is, that Crist not ordeyned these spokun mennys lawis and tradiciouns; forwhi it is open ynouȝ that men founden hem and devisiden hem, and that now late sum and manye of hem. Wherfore thei be not necessarie, neither thei ben in no notable degree better to be had than to be not had.