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

Also prelatis ben doumbe houndis þat may not berke in [Isaiah lvi. 10.] tyme of most nede but ben traitours to god & his peple; for þei ben so chokid wiþ talow of worldly goodis and oc|cupacion abouten hem, þat þei may not preche þe gospel & warne þe peple of þe deuelis disceitis; & siþ þei taken þe charge & offis to lede þe peple bi so perilous weies & enemyes bi trewe prechynge of þe gospel & ensaumple of here owne holy lif, & suffren cristene soulis be stranglid wiþ woluys of helle þorouȝ here doumbnesse & occupiynge aboute þe world, þei ben cursed traitours to god & his peple; & ȝit to fulfille þe fendis cruelte þei pursuen & cursen ȝif ony pore prest wole preche freli cristis gospel & delyuere cristene soulis oute of þe fendis hondis & leden hem þe riȝtte weie to heuene. alle cristene men schulden crie out on þis false treson & fendis malice &, as crist seiþ in þe gospel, casten hem out of cristene mennus companye for here olde heresies & cursed disceit of cristene soulis; for þei han maad a preue couenaunt wiþ sathanas here maister, þat he schal haue soulis of here feyned iurdiccion so þat þei haue here worldly pride & coueitise & ydelnesse & fleschly lustis at here wille: but woo to suche traitours of cristene peple.

Ȝit worldly prelatis gostly don crist on þe cros & sleen his prophetis & his apostlis; for þei don cristis holy lif & techynge, & so in a manere crist hym self, on þe cros of lesyngis & bitraien him to heþene men whanne þei ȝeuen cure of soulis to worldly foolis, werse þan ben heþene houndis. And so þei don crist on þe cros of vnkyndenesse & dispit, And hereby dispisen hym more þan diden iewis nailynge crist on bodili cros. and seynt ion crisostom, or wiþ þe gildene mouþ, & seynt austyn witnessen plenerly þis sentence; & bernard seiþ þat a man þat synneþ opynly