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

translatid; for whanne presthod stod in holy prestis of [omitted X.] lif & studiouse & kunnynge, þanne was holy writt ynowȝ to hem & studied & kept in dede wiþ gret reuerence; but nowe, whanne presthold stondeþ in peny clerkis & stewardis of lordis houses & ladies & ydiotis & symonyentis & proude wrecchis ful of all manere synne, it is nede to haue newe lawes maad of synful foolis to colouren þis synne by and to gedre gredely tiþes whanne þei don not here office; for goddis lawe helpeþ hem not her-to but dampneþ here pride, symonye, coueytise & oþere synnes. ¶ And ȝit anticristis clerkis feynen þat þouȝ synful prelatis & cursed ben not herd in here preiere for here owen holynesse, ȝit preiere of [omitted X.] siche is herd in vertu of holy chirche; but þis dremyng nys not groundid in ony place of holy writt, for god seiþ generaly þat þis preiere is abhominable þat turneþ awey & heriþ not goddis lawe; & comunly suche cursed prelatis ben no part of holy chirche, in cas þat þei sullen be dampnyd; also syche cursed prestis dispisen god in his face, hou schulde god here hem þanne, siþ in cas þei ben fendis [page 83] of helle? ¶ Also god heriþ not siche cursed men for hem self, hou schulde he þanne here hem for oþere men, whanne charite schuld bigyne at hem-self. ¶ Also in þe olde lawe god tok gret vengaunce of hem þat offreden oþer fier þan god ordeyned in his sacrafice, & þis fire was token of charite, þat who euere dede ony sacrifice to god wiþ-outen charite schulde not ben acceptid, but vengaunce schulde come on him oþer gostly or bodily; but þe fend blyndiþ men bi syche false colour to tristen in ypocritis preieris, & sumtyme in preieris of fendis, & not to amende hem of here synne but raþere to meyntene hem þer|inne; & þus is oure peple disceyued bi veyn preieris of synful ypocritis, & holy writt not knowen ne kept, but vanyte, pride & oþere synnes ben meyntened, & holi lif of prestis & oþere men is dispised.