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

profitable [perfyt AA.] at þe fulle, & ben figured in many prophecies of goddis lawe; & þes foure witnessis weren acceptid of þe holy gost to þis writynge for many skillis þat we may not telle now; but certes þe chirche myȝtte not haue putt awey þes gospellis & acceptid þe oþere. for þan it hadde don aȝenst þe dom of god & aȝenst þe treuþe of ihū crist & aȝenst charite of þe holy gost, for to putte awey þes witnesses þat knewen more of goddis preuyte & weren holiere of lif, & to take witnessis not so kunnynge of goddis dom ne so holy of lif ne so meke ne so stable in feiþ & in loue of ihū crist. but þes sotil heretikis traueilen nyȝt & day to ensaumple þe multitude of worldly clerkis, þat ben ful of symonye, pride, coueitise, glotonye, lecherie & oþere synnes, aboue ihū crist & his gospel, for to haue here worldly lif, pride & lustis meyntened, þat no man schulde lette hem in here worldly glorie ne dis|trurble hem of here lustis, þouȝ þei neuere so foule lien of [on AA.] god & sclaundren his peple. for þei wolen make here cursed lif & heresies to be gospel & bileue of cristene men; but where ben more cursed traitouris to god & his lawe & more perilous & false prophetis to cristene peple? for god com|aundiþ [Rev. xxii. 18.] vp peyne of his grete curs & deep dampnynge in helle þat no man schal wiþ-drawe fro his lawe ony poynt of treuþe, ne adde þer-to ony nouelrie þat is not approued of þe trinyte, & ihū crist seiþ þat his gospel is euerlastynge testament. But þei wolen for-don it wiþ a stynkynge blast of anticristis cursed mouþ. lord, hou doren cristene men meyntene siche heretikis, aȝenst goddis techynge & pees of cristene peple? siche weiward heretikis ben ful vnable to reule prelatis & lordis & comyns in schrifte, in prechynge & preynge & oþere poyntis of here soule helþe, for þei disceyuen hem in feiþ & good lif, for to haue here owene pride & coueitise & lustis born vp, & so drawen alle men to helle þat ben reulid bi suche false confessours, false prechours & false conseilours.