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.

is verrey, þat ȝe do wel to a man þat is maad to þe ymage of God, and ȝeue him honor and reuerens; ȝeuit meyt to þe hungry, drink to þe þristy, cloþis to þe nakid, minstring to þe seek, herbarow to þe straunger, and necessarijs to þe prisouner. And þis is þat schal be gessid verrily done; þeis gon so myche in to þe honor of God, þat he þat doþ not þeis þingis, if he may, schal be trowid to do despit to þe ymage of God. Wat honor of God is þis, to ren a bout bi tre, and stone, and formis, and honor as God veyn figeris, and wiþ out soule, and despice man, in wam is verily þe ymage of God. But and beþ certeyn, þat if ani do mansleing, spowsbrekyng, or ani þing of wrong to man, in þis þing þe ymage of God is sylid; þis seiþ Clement. Þerfor now, as Poule biddiþ, fle we for worschiping of idols; for [1 Cor. xo.] now is God maad man, and perid haþ a man, and schewid to us al þingis of his godhed þat are to lif, and to pite, and we are maad on wiþ Crist, and his body, and his membris, and quiknid of his spirit; þat we schuld do no idolatre, ne worschip no þing for no iuel ende; þat we schuld mak now no dead ymagis, ne idolis of our self, þat we do wan we are wiþ out þe spirit of Crist, and lif in pride, lechery, and fals coueytis, and swilk oþer synnis; þan are we foul idols and foul fendis ymagis, as Crisostom merkiþ wel. And if [Crisost.] we worschip and luf þeis þingis, and oþer men for hem, doutles we are foul, doing idolatrie; and þus we do wiþ oþer createris wan we honor hem aȝen Goddis bidding, and a mis, and for foul ende, as Austeyn declariþ. And þus we schuld flee idolatrie þat we do wiþ [Austeyn.] men, þat honor we mikyl more þan Ihu Crist; for wan a man is sett to do þe office of God, and haþ not in him þe vertu of God, ne wit, ne wil, ne dede, wat is he but ymage and idol maad of men. As Bernard seiþ, A kynge vnwise is but a nape in þe house rofe; [Bernard.] and þus it is of prestis, prelatis, and of oþer religioun, in þe same maner. Wil þu hast habit and schauin croun, and oþer signis wiþ out vertu and lif of spirit, and wiþ out þe dede; þu art but peyntid and lied ymage, as Jerom witnessiþ wel, and idols and similacris. [Jerom.]
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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 89
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 May 17, 2025.
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