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

CAP. I.

FIRST, freris seyn þat hor religioun, founden of synful [The religion of Christ more perfect than the so-called religion of the friars.] men, is more perfite þen þat religion or ordir þo whiche Crist hymself made, þat is bothe God and mon. Ffor þei sey þat iche bischop and prest may lawfully leeve hor first dignyte, and after be a frere; bot when he is oones a frere, he may in no maner leeve þat and lyve as a bischop or a prest, by þe fourme of þo gospel. Bot þis heresie seis þat Crist lacked witte myȝt or charite, to teche apostlis and his disciplis þo beste religion. Bot what mon may suffer þis foule heresie to be putte on Jesus Crist? Cristen men sey þat þo religion and ordir þat Crist made for his disciplis and prestes, is moste per∣fite, moste esy, and moste siker. Moste perfite for þis resoun,—for þo patroune or founder þerof is moste perfite, for he is verrey God and verrey mon, þat of moste witte and moste charite gaf þis religion to his der-worþe frendis. Also þo reule þerof is moste perfite, sith þo gospel in his fredome, wiþouten error of mon, is reule of þis religion. Also knyghtis of þis religion ben moste holy and moste perfite,—ffor Jesus Crist and his apostils ben chef knyghtis þerof; and aftir hom holy martiris and confessors. Hit is moste esy and light, for Crist hymself seys þat his ȝok is soffte, and his charge is light, siþ hit stondes al in luf and fredome of hit, and biddes noþing bot resonable þing, and profitable for þo keper þerof. Hit is moste siker, for hit is confermed of God, and not of synful men; and no mon may distrie hit, or dispense þerageyns; bot if þo pope or any mon shchal be saved, he mot be confermed þerby, and ellis he schal be dampned.

Bot men sey þat oþer newe ordiris and reulis ben noeȝt worth, [The confirma∣tion of which by the Pope avails nothing.] bot if þei ben confermed of þo pope, and oþir synful men; and þen þei ben not worth, bot if þei ben confermed of þo devel, in caas þo pope schal be dampned, for þen he is a devel, as þo gospel seis of Judas. And þus men seyn þat Cristis religioun in his owne clennesse and fredome is more perfite þen any synful monnis religioun, by als myche as Crist is more perfite þen is any synful mon. And if newe religiouns seyn þat þei kepen al þat Cristis religioun biddes, þei sparen þo sothe. For þei lacken þo fredome and mesure of Cristis religioun, and ben

bounden to errours of synful men, and þerby ben letted to pro∣fite to Cristen mennis soulis, and not suffred to teche frely Gods lawe, ne kepe hit in homself. Ffor by þo first and moste com∣aundement of God, þei ben holden to love God of al hor hert, of al hor lif, of al hor mynde, and of alle hor strengthes, and hor neghtbors as homself. Bot who may do more þen þis? þen may no mon kepe more þen Cristis religion biddes. And so, if þis new religion of freris be more perfit þen Cristis re∣ligion, þen if freris kepen wil hor religion, þei ben more perfit þen Cristis apostils; and ellis þei ben apostataas. And if men ben apostataas, þei leeven þo better ordir, and taken anoþer lesse perfite. And þo ordir of Crist in his clennesse and fre∣dome is moste perfite, and so hit semes þat alle þese freris ben apostataas.