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.

þus it is seid, for oft þei felow hemsilf to gidir and for þei how to [Decreis.] felow hemsilf to gidir, os it semiþ bi þe decreis and sentence of doctors cording to gidir, is, þat þe keyes erring noiþer bindun ne lowsoun as to God. þe þrid is þis, þat he þat vniustly cursiþ as to þe face of þe kirk, noiȝþ principali himsilf, for he misusiþ his powar. Werfor [Decre.] þe decre seiþ, We are not dampnid wiþ out dom, wan we are cursid [Archede|coun.] vniustly. Archedecoun seiþ, þat he þat cursiþ his sugetis vniustly incurriþ sacrilege, for sacrilege is to file holy þing; þerfor he þat cursiþ vniustly filiþ þe holi body of þe kirk, fro wam he pulliþ out vniustly his membre. And I deme not but þat ilk curse is to be deede, for þat he is cursid vniustly, howiþ to examin him diligently after holi writte, þat he be not gilty in ani þing. Þe secounde he houiþ to drede of þe perel of him þat cursiþ vniustly. And þe þrid of harm of þe broþer þat may cum of þe forbodun of þe comunicatise doc|trine [Lincoln.] of broþer. And þis dede Lincoln, þat he calliþ to þe popis cowrt, wan he was manifold greuid þore, he appellid stalliworþli fro þe court of Innocent þe ferþe, vn to þe barre of Crist. Neþeles it is not to deme þat ne it is leful to curse accessorily; for þat tendiþ but to men lifing actifly; syn þat execucoun of þis curse [1 Cor. vio.] saueriþ seculer cause, and þe Apostil biddiþ, If ȝe han seculer nedis, ordeyn þoo þat are contemptible, þat are in þe kirk, to deme. And [Decre.] þis is notable to wite, in þe decre vndre autorite of þe senȝe and of seint Jerome, were after þat he schewiþ þat vnleful curse hirtiþ not him þat is notid þer wiþ, os innocents, he seiþ, mai not be condempnid wiþ þe crime of a noþer, he obiectiþ vnder þis forme, Crist seiþ, and þe Apostil: Blesse and wil ȝe not curse. Mischel was not hardi to ȝeue dome of blasfemy to þe fend, most worþi [Jude jo.] curse, as þe Apostil seiþ, howe mykil more howe we to be clene of al cursyng. Þe fend seruid curse; but blasfemie howiþ not to go out of þe aungelis mouþ. Rede þe holde bokis, and see wilk lynage were sett in þe hille of Gariȝym to bles þe puple; and wilk in þe hille of Hebal to curse. Ruben þat filid his fadir bedde, and Zabloun
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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 22
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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