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

Prelatis also feren cristene men bi here false censures, as suspendynge, cursynge and enterditynge, þat þei kepe not goddis lawe & his ordynaunce; for whanne prestis wolden gladly lyue wel aftir þe gospel, & preche goddis lawe & dispise & distroie synne, þanne worldly prelates, for drede of here owen symonye & extorsions of pore men, comaunden prestis to preche not wiþ-outen here leue, & þanne prestis schullen neuere gete leue or ellis swere þat þei schal not preche aȝenst þe grete synnes of prelatis. And ȝif prestis prechen trewely & frely þe gospel of crist & reprouen generaly synne, þes emperours clerkis þat stryuen aȝenst cristis lyuynge wolen somone hem fro contre to contre; & ȝif þei dwellen wiþ cristene peple & techen [techem X.] hem goddis lawe & don not aftir here wrong heest, ¶ þei wolen suspenden pore prestis fro masse & prechynge & alle goddis seruyce, & curse hem & prisone hem bi þe kingis power; & so trewe prestis schullen be cursed & prisoned for þei don frely werkis of mercy & charite & comaundement of god, & leuen þe contrarie comaundement of a synful fool & in cas of a maistir deuyl of helle. ¶ And ȝif lordis wolen helpe pore prestis in riȝt of goddis lawe, & brynge proude worldly clerkis to mekenesse & pouert, as god comaundiþ hem in his lawe, þei schullen be suspendid from alle goddis seruyce and here londis entirditid & þei cursed & taken to prison ȝif þei stonden sadde in goddis cause, & þes feyned þeues seruen of þis, to forbede men to do goddis seruyce & his comaundement & profit of here soulis for feyned drede [dredre X.] of anticrist & so maken men more to dreden anticrist & his peynes, & in caas synful foolis & deuelys of helle, þan [page 84] almyȝtty god in trinyte & his offense, & to lese þe blisse of heuene; & þus anticristis prelatis don more harm to cristene men & maken hem more to breke goddis hestis þan þe deuelis in helle, þat neuere weren men. but aȝenst þes feyned censures men schulden ben armed wiþ feþ of þe