Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.

mani dingings, and he þat cnowiþ not, and dede þings worþi betings, schal be dongun wiþ few dingings. And as Austeyn seiþ, Not ilk [Austeyn.] vnkuning schal be excusid of synne, but he mai be excusid þat fond not wat for to lere. But he mai not be excusid þat fond what he miȝt lere, and ȝaf not wark þer to; and þerfor we pray God for ȝeue vs our ignoraunce. And þer for men schuld not tak þis word ouer egirly, þer for prestis flee fornicacioun, not onli for hemsilf, but also for all oþer, þat þei make hem not to synne dedly; for þe gretnes of þe synne in prestis, ouer þe synne in oþer men, is schewid be many resouns; and for it is mikil greuowsare þan simple fornicacoun bi thwex an onlepy man, and an onlepi womman, and it is grettar þan spouse brokun of seculer men bodily, and neuer þe lese boþ thwo are dedly synne. And þat it be þe more semiþ bi þis; for ai þe heiar degre, þe sarrar is þe falle, but presthed is heiar degre þan bodili matrimoyn, and þus þe prest in doing fornicacoun doþ sacrile, and brekiþ his wow; for bi þe vertu of his degre, he made þe vow of chastite. Also þe gretnes of þis synne is schewid bi þe lawis and peynis þat are made þer aȝen; for þus is writun in þe decreis, Þe prest or dekun þat is tan in fornicacoun, þeft, or [Decreis,] mansleyng, or forswering, be he deposid. And eft, If ani are [Dist. 81.] prestis, dekunis, or sodekunis, þat liþ in þe sin of fornicacoun, we [Ibid. c. si qui.] forbede him in almiȝti Goddis behalue, and bi autorite of Peter and Poule, þe entre of þe kirk, til þey repent and amende; and if þei last in þer synne, þat noon of ȝow presewme to here þer office, for þer blessing is turnid in to cursing, and þer prayor in to synne; as God seiþ bi þe profiȝt, I schal curse to ȝour blessing; and who [Mal. ijo.] so wil not obey to þis helsum bidding, he synniþ in þe synne of ydolatrie, as Samuel witnessiþ, and seynt Gregor enformiþ; [1 Reg. xvo.] synne of wichcraft is to not obey, and þe felowny of ydolatrie to [Gregor.] not wel assent. And eft þus, Bidding we comaund, þat no man [Dist. 32.] here þe messe of þat prest þat he wot dowtles þat haþ a concubyn, or a womman suspect brout in vndir. Werfor in þe holy seyn is
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Title
An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.
Author
Wycliffe, John, supposed author. d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 38
Publication
London,: Printed for the Camden Society, by J.B. Nichols,
1842.
Subject terms
Lollards

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"An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acm9160.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2025.
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