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.

of þe epistil, but it is only defendid bi law of þe kirk. And after seiþ þe decre, þow þe apostil addid sum þingis counseyling, þat [Decre.] were [not] found in bidding of þe gospel diffinid, þerfor [neiþer] þey are putt a wey of þe toþer apostols as foly or superflu; so and þe kirk, after þe statutis of þe apostil, haþ addid sum þingis of counseil of perfeccoun, os of continence of prestis, and of making of goostly misteris, of þe synging of officis, þat no wey are to be put a wey, but to be tan wiþ diligent worschip; þerfor þe wed|dingis of cosyns, þow þei be not found for bidyn bi þe gospel, nor bi þe pistel, neuerþeles þei are to be fled, for þei are forbydun bi þe ordinaunce of þe kirke. Þis seiþ þe decre. And so I graunt þat it is good to kep fro hem, but neuerþeles me semiþ þat þei mai not be departid, wen þei are maad, not but in swilk degre os God leeuiþ not to bide to gidre, and þat is no matrimone. But in þis þe decre seiþ, þeis þat are found weddid in þeis degrees, and wiþ [Decre.] in schort tyme done, be þei departid; ȝet þe decre leeuiþ not a man to wed an oþer, nor þe woman noiþer, wil þey two lyuen. And so if þe kirk wil not suffur þis man and woman dwel to gidre, what may þey do, but eiþer dwel stille bi hem silue, til þei may fynd better grace, and tak þe certayn and leue þe vncerteyn, þat þei synne not aȝen God, and abid til þei be formid wiþ holy writ, how hem is best to do? And if ani sey matrimoyn to be leful in þeis degreis, spekiþ aȝen þe Fadre and Sone and Holy Goost, be þu ware; for þe pope and þe kirk seiþ þat it is leful wen þei leefe it, solempniȝe it, confermiþ and approuiþ it.

Þis is a noþer, þat þe kirk solempniȝing matrimoyn in degre forbiden erriþ, consenting to synne, as it semiþ, and autoriȝing synne. Þis semiþ soþ bi þis: Matrimoyn of cosyns in þrid and ford degre is not forbiden, not but bi þe kirk; and so it is no synne, not but þer forbedyng; and as Poul seiþ, Were is not lawe, þer is not breking of lawe, and eft he seiþ, If I bigge ageyn þe [Ro. vo. Gal. ijo.] þing þat I ding doun, I mak mesilfe a trespasor; and bi þe same