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of þis ground may men se ouer, þat ȝif an hye prelat charge a persoun to ȝyue hym godis þat is not groundid bi lawe of god for to ȝyue, þys persoun shulde not ȝyue þes godis, neþer for cursing ne oþere censuris. for a man shulde not asente to synne for noþing as it is seyd; & no drede þis persoun assentide to þe wrong of his prelat aboue, whanne he ȝyueþ
þus pore mennus godis bi ȝifte þat goddis lawe techiþ not. for al treuþe is in goddis lawe, & dettis feyned wiþ-outen it ben pure robbery of þe puple; but who shulde not aȝen-stonde þis? & it is all oon to an hye prelat to curse þis persoun for þis cause & to seye: "robbe þou pore men, & take of hem so myche good, & y shal mayntene þi robbery, & ellis y shal curse þee in þyn hed & suspende þee & þe puple þat þey here not goddis seruyss." Who wolde not fle fro siche spuyling for siche feyned censuris of prelatis? but heere haþ þe fend shapun a sharp cautel to strengþen þis robbery. Þey wolen bi process of þer lawe priue a man of his benefiss & putte in an-oþer fend þat wole blely robbe pore men & þus ȝyue þis robbery to þis prelat of anticrist. & þis astonyeþ many persouns to stonde for riȝt aȝenus þe fend. but heere shulden alle þre [page 5] partis of þe chirche helpe ech oþer aȝenus þe deuel, & wite wel first þat suche cursing or censuris ben vnskileful; & so men shulden quenche hem siþ þei ben aȝenus goddis lawe. & trewe persouns wiþ þer pariȝschis shulden not lette for siche manass to stonde algatis for þis treuþe, neþer for dispensis ne peyne; for siþen persouns shulden haue no godis to ȝyue þer prelatis but of þer sheep, what persoun shulde for al þis world make þis robbing of pore men? & ȝif manye wolden holde togedere in þis bileue aȝenus þe fend, it were a triacle aȝenus venym þat emperour prelatis sowen in þe folc. for no drede neþer persouns ne puple shulden assente herto for ony man. & þanne bischops & archidekenes wiþ þer officials & denes shulden not amersy pore men; for þis is worse þan comyn robberye, siþen ipocrisie is feyned ouer wrong-taking of þes godis. a prest shulde raþere leeue þis offiss & suffere deþ or he assentide by ony of sixe maner of consentis to siche piling of pore men. for it is in many caasis as myche synne to rob a wedewe or a pore fadirles child of a peny or an halpeny as it were to robbe a riche man of an hundrid markis worþ godis. & no drede siche cowarde prestis ben cause of al siche spuyling; & it is shewid by þis þefte þat þei louen more þer shepis godis þan þey don heelþe of þer soule, & þanne þay
