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

þenking on þes godis lettiþ þe word of god to growe; & to þes þre may be reducid al þe synne in þe hereris. þe þridde men synnen more, as ben emperour prelatis þat wolen not suffere a man to preche whanne he telliþ þer defautis but whanne he preisiþ hem & herne, & þis nurschiþ myche synne. for siche prelatis þat kunnen not preche or wolen not for bisynesse, & letten oþere trewe prestis to preche bi þer lordly cautels, passen þe fend in þis synne bi menes þat he haþ ordeyned to hem. for þe fend haþ no iurisdiccioun ne feyned power as þey han, & þus þat he may not do hym-silf he doiþ bi siche seruauntis to hym. & no drede þis is þe fendis dede to lette men to sowe goddis word, for þerby þer soulis shulden be fed & goddis worchip be don of men, but þey maken a goostly hungir & stoppen þe worchip of god. but where is a worse condicioun folowinge prelatis of anticrist? it were yuel to lette gendrure maad in laweful matrymonye, þat pharao dide not in egipt but dreynte þe children whanne þey weren borun, but þis is worse wiþ-outen mesure to lette þus crist to be gendrid in men. siche a prelat semyþ a wickid hayward to lette trewe men forto trauele & go euene bi goddis weye, in which crist haþ ȝouyn hem leeue to go. for god þat ȝyueþ siche wit & wille shapiþ þe puple to take þis seed. [page 16b] & it is al oon to seye þat y shul lette þee bi iurisdiccioun, & to seye þis is a place þat þe fend is lord of & not crist; & as þes wordis ben nedis false, so is þis iurisdiccioun; for he haþ no riȝt to seye þes wordis, but þei ben falsly feyned of þe fend. & freris procuren comynly boþe lordis & bischops to lette þis preching, so þat þer fals preching be sprad & þer wynnyng aȝenus crist, & þus is þe puple robbid of goostly help & bodily. We graunten þat iurisdiccioun shulde lette false prechours to preche; but nou haþ þe fend turnyd cristis chirche bi his prelatis, þat he þat wolde treuly preche þe word of þe gospel wiþ-outen hire, he shal be put a-bac, & contrarie prechour shal be takun, & þus wickid hay|wardis of þe fend letten þis seed þat crist shulde sowe.