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

CAP. IV.

Also, alle symonyentis þat bien or sillen spiritual þingis for [Simony is also accursed; of which there are three kinds: 1. that relating to ordinations;] temperal þingis unlefful, ben cursed solempneli, boþe bi Goddis lawe and mannis. But þre degres ben in symonyentis: summe ben symonyentis in ordre, summe symonyentis in beneficis, and summe symonyentis in sacramentis. Of symonyentis in holy ordre ben þre degres. Summe come to ordre of presthod, dekenhede, or oþere ordris hiere or lowere, by ȝevynge of money; and þes ben no prestis ne dekenes, but han only þe name, and ben ordrid to þis ende for to be heretikis, whos blissing turneþ into cursyng, and her preier into synne, as Seynt Gregory techeþ and þe lawe canoun [S. Greg. Epist. ad Syagrium (Benedictine ed., vol. ii. p. 1006); and Decretum Gratiani, Pars. I, Causa I, Quaest. I.] . Þerfore seiþ þe Chirche lawe in decretalis, þat every synful prest may seie a masse, out taken a symonyent, whom eche synful man may lefully acuse,

ȝe, an hore may acuse him, þat he be remevyd from þe ordre þat he mystakiþ. For, as Seynt Ambrose seiþ, in þis caas curs is to þe ȝevere and to þe takere [The reference is perhaps to St. Ambrose, Exp. in Luc., Lib. IV. § 53.] ; for þat þat sich on ȝeveþ is is gold or money, and þat þing þat he resceyveþ is lepre of synne, and curs to þe takere and to þe ȝevere. Summe by symonye comen to siche ordris for preiere of lordis, or oþere worldly frendis, not bi clene entent and worþinesse of kunnynge and lyvynge, but only bi favour of men, and þes in þe cursed heresie of symonye. And boþe þe ȝevere and recesceyvere of ordris in þis caas schulden be degradid, for þei make marchaundise bi ȝiftis of þe Holy Gost, and maken þe Holy Gost servaunt of synful men, and, in caas, of fendis, as moche as is in hem. Þerfore þei ben worse heretikis þan oþere þat maden þe Holy Gost lesse þan þe Fadir and þe Sone, as the lawe of canoun witnesiþ. Þe þridde tyme, summe comen to ordris bi symonye, bi servyce to lordis or prelatis or oþer officeris, servynge long tyme to men for þis ende, þat þei may be ordrid, or bihetyng to serve after þat þei ben ordred longe tyme, where þei ben not worþþi to þes holy ordris bi kunnyng and goode lif. And þes fallen in þe same dampnacion wiþ þe firste, for it is al on to ȝyve money and to serve þus for holy ordris, bifore or after. Þe fourþe tyme summe comen to holy ordris, not for devocion and love of God, but for to lyve in worldly lordischip, and have welfare of mete and drynk, and gay cloþis, and ese, and re∣joischen hem þerinne, and bisien hem not aboute Goddis lawe ne holy lif, but in lecherie and vanyte and ydelnesse and worldly myrþe. And in þe riȝtful dom of God þei ben symonyentis, as was Symon Magus. For þei sillen to fendis of helle here soule, here body, and tyme, and catel, for to have and use unworþily þe holy ordre of presthod. And þerfore Seynt Jon Crisostom seiþ, þat þo prestis þat don not justly here office after Goddis lawe semen ordeyned of men and not of God, and anenctis God þei ben non prestis. And þis undirstonding he hadde of þe canoun of Cristis apostlis; for, as þis Seynt Jon seiþ, treuþe in lif, þat a man drede God, makiþ a man a lewed man; and, as who seiþ, no clerk, but treuþe in lif and prudence, þat is, know∣yng

of creaturis boþe erþely and gostly, and usyng of every in his degre, and wise techynge of Goddis lawe after þe nede of þe peple, makiþ a man to be a prest. Þerfore seiþ Seynt Aus∣tyn, þat he þat disireþ þe stat of bischop for to have worschipe and reverence of men and worldly goodis, oweþ to understonde þat he is no bischop; and þe same sentence seiþ Seynt Gregory in his Pastoralis. And þe same reson semeþ of prestis; and þerfore Seynt Austyn biddiþ, þat sich a sovereyn þat spekeþ not good cleenely for hymself, but worldly worschipe and temperal wynnyng, þat he schal not rikene him among Goddis servauntis. For certis, as Crisostom, and Origene, and lawe canoun wit∣nessen, siche a weiward prest makiþ Goddis hous a den of þeves.