Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

han made as touchynge siche lordeschipis; bi þe whiche lawe þai ben bonden to gete in-to þe clergie als myche of þe possescions as þai may, and in no caas to ȝeue eny siche [page 18] lordeschipis aȝen in-to þe seculer honde. And þis lawe, as experience techiþ vs, is streytly ynouȝ kepte amonge hem. For alle day it is seen þat seculer men ȝeuen her temporall possessions to þe clergi; but cowde I neuer seen ne here þat eny siche lordeschipis wern ȝeuen aȝen to þe seculer party. Neþeles I wote welle þat þe clergi will sai here, þat all her bissynes þat þai han in þis worlde a-bowte siche lordeschipe, as in stryuynge, pletynge, chydynge, and fiȝtynge, is for the ryȝte of holy chirche. But certis it is merueyl how & by whos autorite þis riȝte cam a place. For welle I wote þat god is fulle lorde of alle þis worlde aboue and also of the erthe bineþe, as þe prophete dauyd saiþ: "Domini est terra & [[Psalm xxiv. 1.]] plenitudo [page 18b] eius"—"þe erþe and þe plente þerof is þe lordis." And welle I wote þat þer is no lorde here of þe erþe, but if he hold of hym as chefe lorde, & haue his lordeschip & hold it by autorite of þis lorde god. And wel I wote forþermore þat þis chefe lorde haþ ȝeue a decre vp-on his clergi, boþe in þe olde lawe & in þe newe, þe whiche may not be reuokid riȝtfully; þat none of þe clergye, þe whiche is ybonden by his astate & office to sue criste in þe perfeccion of þe gospelle, schulde eny siche lorde be; as it is schewid openli before by autorite of boþe þe lawis and by þe lijfe of criste and his apostles. And þerfore þe holy doctoure origene writiþ þus of [hom. xvi.] goode prestis & yuelle: "wolt þu wite what difference is bitwix þe prestis [page 19] of god & þe prestis of pharao? pharao grawntiþ londis to his prestis; forsoþe god grauntiþ none partye in þe erþe to his prestis, but saiþ, 'I am ȝoure parte.' þerfore alle ȝe prestis of þe lorde þat reden þes þingis, take hede & se what is þe difference of prestis; lest þai þat han parte in þe erþe & taken tente to bissinessis and tilþis of þe erþe be not seyn to be prestis of þe lorde but of pharao; for he wille þat his prestis haue possessions, & hawnte þe tylynge of þe felde & not of þe soule; he wol þat þai ȝeue bissynes to þe londe,
/ 638
Pages Index

Actions

file_download Download Options Download this page PDF - Page 373 Image - Page 373 Plain Text - Page 373

About this Item

Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 373
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by Trübner & co.,
1880.

Technical Details

Link to this Item
https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aeh6713.0001.001
Link to this scan
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aeh6713.0001.001/439:28

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Related Links

Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:aeh6713.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation
"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 20, 2025.
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.