Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse

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

and it is putt in þe lawe: "Seculer lordis, pryncis of þe [Ysydori senten|ciarum 1. iii. c. xxi.] worlde, schulden well wite & knowe þat þai schal ȝelde herd rekenynge & acowntis to god for [page 21] holy chirche, þat þai han take of criste to kepe & to defende. For as saiþ the law; þer wheþer so euer þat seculer lordis rule holy chirche wel or yuelle, criste schal ax reknynge of hem. For undir seculer lordis power crist haþ sett þe rulynge and gouernynge of his chirche." And þerfore saynt Austyn, in þe boke of questyons of þe olde lawe and þe newe, & in oþer dyuers placis, saiþ þat kyngis and lordis ben vicaris of þe godhede. And saynte poule saiþ: "Not wiþ-oute cause knyȝtis beren swerde, but [Rom. xiii. [4.]] to avenge þe wraþe of god in-to hym þat mysdoþe, & to supporte & mayntene hem þat done wel." [yuel MS. (This clause is not in the passage referred to.)] And for worþines of þis astate saynt poule techiþ to pray first of alle for kyngis [[1] Tim. ii. [2.]] & knyȝtis, þat god ȝeue hem grace to gouern [page 21b] hem selfe & her peple, þat þai han in gouernance to þe plesance of god & to helþe of her owne sowlis. And herfor saynt petir biddiþ [[1] Peter ii. [17.]] þe peple to obey to kyngis, as to hem þat ben passynge oþer, & to dukys as to þo þat ben [bent MS.] sent of kyngis in-to þe vengance of mysdoers & to þe praysynge of goode men. And not|wiþstondynge alle þes autorites, þat ben rehersid afore aȝen þe lordeschipis þat þe clerkis occupien expresly aȝens goddis lawe, as it schal be pleynly proued her-aftir wiþ goddis help, ȝit þai sayen þat criste forfendiþ hem not siche worldly lordeschip, saaf þat þai schuld not be lordis aftir þe pompe & pride of þis worlde. But þis fleschly glose & many siche oþer þat þai han is no þinge to pur [page 22] pose. For god haþ forfendit pompe and pride to all maner of men, and mysuse of his goodis; for he ȝaue neuer man leue to do synne. But vp hap þu art a clerke or a religious man endowid wiþ many worldly lordeschipis, and art wo þat euer crist was so yuel avised to say, or þe euaungelist to write, þes wordis; þe kyngis of heþen han lordeschip upon hem, but ȝe not so; and woldist liȝtly, and it wer in þine power, do þis worde & siche
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Title
The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.
Author
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.
Canvas
Page 375
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 17, 2025.
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