TEXTS ON MUSIC IN ENGLISH
School of Music
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
(phone: [402] 472-2507; Internet: plefferts1@unl.edu)

Data entry: Peter M. Lefferts
Checked by: Peter Slemon
Approved by: Peter M. Lefferts

Fn and Ft: ORDPRIE_TEXT
Author: Wycliffe, John
Title: The Order of Priesthood (excerpt)
Source: Frederic D. Matthews, ed., The English Works of Wyclif Hitherto Unprinted, Early English Text Society, orig. ser. 74 (London: Trübner, 1880), 164-79 at 169-70.

[-169-] Capitulum Septimum.

Also thei magnyfien more newe songe founden of synful men than the gospel of ihesu crist, that is cristene mennus saluacion; for thei bisien hem fastere to kunne and do and teche this newe song than to kunne and kepe and teche cristis gospel; and this is merueile, for this song distractith the syngere fro deuocion and lettith men fro consceiuynge of the sentence; and, as austyn and gregory techen wel, preiere is betre herd of god bi compunccion and wepyng and stille devocion, as moyses and ihesu crist diden, than bi gret criynge and ioly chauntynge that stireth men and wommen to daunsynge and lettith men fro the sentence of holy writt, as Magnyficat, sanctus and agnus dei, that is so broken bi newe knackynge. it semeth that god seith bi thes newe singeris as he dide in the gospel to pharisees, "this peple honoureth me with lippis but here herte is fer fro me, thei worschipen me with-outen cause, techynge lore and comaundementis of men." moyses and ihesu crist and his apostlis preiden bi nyzt stillely in hilles, with clennesse of lif and gret desir of riztwisnesse and brennynge charite to frende and enemys, and here fore god herde hym graciously. but now newe men crien [-170-] hize to mennus eris with stynckynge lecherie, pride, coueitise and othere synnes, and in wille to meyntene synful mennus ordynaunce contrarie to goddis ordynaunce, and desiren cruel vengaunce on here enemys; and herefore we axen oure owene dampnacion in this preiere, and zif god suffre vs haue oure desir, that is vengaunce of god to haue oure wille to grettere peynes of helle, for god hatith vs.