Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.

charite to saue a mannus bodi fro deþ or dryncchyng; it is moche more charite to saue mennus soulis fro deþ of synne & of helle bi trewe prechynge of goddis lawe. ¶ A lord, what deuelis blyndnesse and cursednesse is þis, whanne þe prelat or curat is chargid of god, vp peyne of his owen dampnacion, to teche þe gospel & comaundementis of god to alle his sugetis, & here-wiþ can not teche þus, or may not for worldly bisynesse, or wole not for idelnesse or negligence, þan to lette oþere to preche frely þe gospel of crist & saue mennus soulis; but þanne þei senden oþere, þat tellen lesyngis, fablis, & cronyclis, & robben þe peple bi fals beggyngis, & dore not telle hem here grete synnes & auoutrie 1lest þei1 [1_1 omitted X.] lesen wynnynge or frendischipe. ¶ Certis he were a cruel fadir þat myȝtte not ȝeue his owene childre bred þouȝ þei perischeden for hunger, & ȝit wolde not suffre anoþer man to helpe þes children bi weie of mercy; but moche more cruel ben þes prelatis & curatis, þat kunnen not or may not or wolen not ȝeue here gostly children gostly bred of þe gospel, þouȝ here soulis ben in neuere so gret myschef, & ȝit forbeden & cursen oþere men ȝif þei wolen for mercy ȝeue here breþer techyng of goddis lawe, boþe treuly & frely, with-outen beggynge as crist biddiþ. ¶ It semeþ þat syche prelatis & newe religious ben a-ferd of cristis gospel, for it approueþ not but distroieþ worldly lordschipe of prelatis & feyned holynesse of newe religious; siþ cristis religion þat he made for prestis is þe beste, most perfyt, most esy, & most siker. And oure ihū wolde haue no worse religion in prestis þan þat þat he made himself. ¶ Also it semeþ þat sich iurdic|cion of prelatis, þat þus letten cristis gospel, dryuen awey god fro mannus soule, & vertuous lif & charite, & bryngeþ þe fend in, and cherischiþ hym & synnes & debatis & werris. neþeles men supposen þat newe religious han leue of worldly prelatis to preche here fablis and lesyngis & to robbe þe pore peple bi beggyng, vpon this condiccion, þat þei preche not spedily aȝenst symonye, extorsions & oþere orible synnes of false
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 59
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by Trübner & co.,
1880.

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"The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aeh6713.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2025.
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