Select English works of John Wyclif; edited from original mss. by Thomas Arnold.

nedid to have blis for þis wilful passioun, siþ al þis passioun of Crist was more wilful þan any oþer myȝt be. And for myche wilfulnesse was his passioun more medeful. And here þes blynde heretikes wanten witt as ydiotis, whan þei seien þat Petre synnede not in smytynge of Malcus ere, but ȝaf en|saumple to preestis to fiȝt. And þus Crist lettid him to fiȝt more; for hadde Petre and oþer apostlis fouȝten þus, þanne þei hadden lettid þe passioun of Crist and savyng of mankynde. But here þes blynde heretikes, þat ben unable to conseyve sutilte of holy writt, shulden first lerne þer owen wordis. Soþ it is þat al þingis mut nedis come as God hath ordeyned, and so ech dede of Crist muste nedis be done as he dide it. And þus ȝif men shulden not sue Crist here, for he muste nedis suffre, no Cristen man shulde sue Crist in no þing þat he dide. For alle þe þingis þat Crist dide musten nedely comen as þei came, and so siche heritikes musten nede suen Antecrist and be dampnyd wiþ him, for defaute of her bileve. And ȝif þei seien þat þis is fals, þat al þing mut þus nedely come, Lord! hou dremeden þes foolis þanne þat ȝif Petre hadde fouȝte forþ, þanne Crist shulde not have suffrid deeþ, ne have bouȝt mankynd! Certis þes idiotis can not shewe hou þis shulde suen of ony treuþe, but ȝif þei supposen here, þat þus it mut nedis be. And ȝif we shulde herfore lette to take ensaumple to sue Crist, we shulden lette evermore to sue Crist and take his lore. But siþ Crist reprovyde Petre and saide a cause general, þat who ever smytiþ þus wiþ sworde, he shal perishe bi Goddis word, it is knowun þing þat Petre synnede in þis fyȝtynge; and myche [So E; om. A, B, C.] more shulden preestis fiȝt not for a cause of lasse value.