Select English works of John Wyclif. Vol. 3. Miscellaneous works / edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

VII Mandatum.

Þe sevenþe comaundement is þis; Þou schalt do no þefþe,—siþþe God þi fader is treuþe; and ȝif he be þi fadir, þou schalt not noye þi broþir in bodi ne in godis; ne þou schalt not desire no godis of him unskilfulli, to have in harmynge of þi neiȝebore, pryve ne apeert. As comunes, bi false oþis in chaffarynge and in questis, up trust of absolucioun, or on feyned pardoun, þat dewe restitucioun þenkeþ nevere to ȝelde; and marchauntis bi usure, under colour of treuþe þat þei clepyn chevysaunce, to blynde wiþ þe puple,—for þe devyl schameþ to speke of þis þefþe,—and lordis, þat bi extorsiouns oppresse þe puple wiþ tyrauntrye and raveyne, aȝens Goddis lawe, not dredynge him þat is Lord of alle. So eche man in his degree is boundoun to serve God. And ȝif he wante þis service, he is no lord of goodis bi no trewe title. For he þat stondiþ in grace is verrey lord of þingis [See the prefatory notice.] ; and whoevere failiþ by defaute of grace, he failiþ riȝt title of þing þat he occupieþ, and unabliþ himsilf to have þe goodis of God. And so curatis of þe Chirche stelen þe goodis of God, þat comen in bi þe roof, and not bi þe dore, þat is Crist, ben nyȝt þeves and dai þeves of simonie

of benefices, and sillynge of sacramentis. And herefore seiþ Crist, herde of alle herdis, þat þiise ben stronge þeves and cursid of God. As Zacharie þe prophete seiþ, he sauȝ a book fleynge [Zech. v. 2.] in þe eire, þat was of twenti cubitis longe and ten of breede; and he axide þe aungel of God what it miȝte be, and he seide, It is þe curse of God þat goþ to alle þeves houses. And siþþe þis was sent for worldli goodis, þese Anticristis clerkis auȝten sore to drede, þat þus lurken under lordis, as þeves doon in wodis. Crist seiþ, þat may not lye, þat þiise ben þeves, siþen þei taken þe godis of Crist, wiþouten his leeve þat is cheef Lord, if ony suche been.