Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

crist spak aȝen hem, & ȝit crist louede persones of hem, as weren poul and nychodeme. lorde, siþ þise newe ordris ben [John iii. [1.]] pharisees fro cristen men, whi shulden not men by ensaumple of crist speke sharpliche aȝen here synne? but in ilche werk god askiþ ordre, & so in blamyng of freris. [page 81b] Two þingis ben in þis ordre þat cristen men shulden holde; ffirst þat men þat blamen hem shulden holde treuþe & not gabbe on hem; for al ȝif þise ordris vsen þis craft, ȝit þei don here amys, for craft of lyyng is not leueful, siþ it is openliche aȝen treuþe, & so it is aȝen crist, þe whiche is þe first treuþe. & þus men may leuefulliche, but of hard, fyȝte, plete & scorne, but þe craft of lyyng is dampned generalliche, & þus cristen men shulden be war to putte falsliche blame on freris; & herfore many men speken g[e]neralliche of here synne, & leuen to descende to persones lest þei medlen fals wiþ soþ. & þus þei speken bi condicioun, or supposyng, or gessyng, þat ȝif freris don þus cristen men schulden be war wiþ hem. neuerþelees we witen bi þe cours of goddis lawe þat þise men þat ben disposid & knowen defaute in certeyn persones shulden reproue hem in here beerd, but euere by mekenesse & loue. þus baptist reprouede heroude of his open synne. & officials and freris haunten ofte þis craft amys, when þei louen more monee or ordris þen þei don heelþe of here soulis, & ofte þei punysshen men bi peyne þat god approueþ not. Þe oþer condicioun of blamyng þat cristen men shulden holde is þat þei shulden blame no men bi enuye or coueytyse, but algatis bi charite þat þei hauen to god & to his chirche; ȝhe, to þo persones þat þei snybben, al ȝif þei shal be dampned aftir, & þus noon man shulde curse an oþer but for loue þat he haþ to hym, as god dampneth neuer his servaunt but for mercy & for loue. & þus in speche aȝen freris men casten to holde þise two, and ȝif þei faylen in ouþer of hem þei cryen on god mercy & help; for wo is vs ȝif we ben stille, & speken not aȝen here synnes, wenne we witen þat þei synnen open|liche aȝen bileue, & leden many soulis aftir hem by wrong weye as fendis don. & þus men supposen of freris þat somme
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 297
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 June 16, 2025.
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