Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

fendis of helle. ¶ But lordis & ladies here mosten ben wel war, for ȝif þei ȝeuen benefis to clerkis fore here worldly seruyces, princypali as for kechene clerkis & countyngge or daunsynge, for palfreis or keuercheris, gold or oþer worldly seruyce, it is foul symonye & cursed on boþe parties, as goddis lawe and þe chirche & holy seyntis techen. ¶ And also ȝif þei ȝeuen a benefis for men ben of here kyn, or for fleschly loue, or worldly frendischipe, or ellis for þe clerk [celrk X.] is manly to þe lord in gay cloþinge, in grete festis, gret archerie, or ony oþere veyn iapis more þan for þe worschipe of god & profit of mannes soule, it is stynkynge symonye bi-fore god, as lawes and seyntis techen. ¶ And here ben þre poyntis of treson to god & his peple; þe first is þat lordes & ladies ben tratours þat holden curatis in worldly offices fro þe soulis þat þei han cure of; for god ȝeueþ hym lordi|schipis & presentyngge of chirchis to meyntene goddis lawe & help trewe prestis to teche his peple þe gospel & maunde|mentis of god, & ȝif þei holden wiþ goddis tresour curatis in here worldly seruyce or chapellis, & letten hem to kepe cristene soulis, þe whiche crist bouȝt wiþ his precious blod, þei ben foul traitours to [page 73] ihū crist & to þe peple þat þei disceyuen þus; but ȝit more treson is in clerkis þat coueiten & taken þis worldli office wiþ [omitted X.] cure of cristene soulis and may not do hem to-gedre, for þei schulden teche þe lordis þe treuþe of goddis lawe & also þe peril in þis poynt, & don nouȝt, for ope of grettere benefices or for flaterynge of here lordschipe; but the moost tratourie of alle stondiþ in fals confessouris, þat schulden telle þe treuþe of goddis lawe & don not for lesynge of worldly lordischipe, frendeschipe, fauour or worldly wynnyng, boþe of þe lord & his meyne & of þe false curat þer-to; & þus þe lord or the lady hireþ costly a fals iudas to his confessour, þat suffriþ him & lediþ him þe heiȝe weie to helle. ¶ Also prelatis ben ful of symonye whanne þei mynystren here sacramentis or ony gostly office for money or þank or preiynge of men of þe world or for
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 65
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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