Page:John Wycliff, last of the schoolmen and first of the English reformers.djvu/271

 and yit thei seien thei ben perfiter than waren the first clerkis of Crist. And thus enemyes of Cristis religioun chalengen to be of his Ordre, algif they done even the contrarie to name that thei beren; as the Pope shulde be moost meke man, moost servysable and moost pore, as we ben taught in Seint Petir, that was Pope next after Crist. And now men seyen that the Pope mote nedis reverse this ordenaunce, and have more power for to do thingis that touchen excellence; and thus bishopis that shulden be clerkis and pore men, as apostlis weren, ben moost lordis of this world, and reversen apostlis lyf. Sum tyme weren mounkes lewede men, as seintis in Jerusalem; and thanne thei kept him silf fro synne, as seynt Bernard berith witnesse, but now monkes ben turned into lordis of this worlde most ydel in Goddis travaile, and seyen that thei ben betre monkes than weren the first seintis. And so freris, that weren bretheren in Crist, and not chargeous to the Chirche, neither in noumbre ne in clothing, ne in mete ne in housynge, ben even turned agen fro the first lyf of hem, and yet bi ther ypocrisie thei blynden the Chirche many gatis, and thus names of offices and names of virtues also ben changed bi ypocrisie, and cursed men reulen the world."

It will be convenient here to add a few words on the other English works of Wyclif, known or alleged to be his. It may be said at once that there are many manuscripts of the fourteenth century which we are unable with any degree of confidence to assign to their true authors; and this general statement