of riȝtfulnes, þat non draw a wey fro þe comyn of feiþfulmen, get wrongly, of þe liȝtnes of þe prest, comyn wiþ schort ter and dred|ful, a tyme þat he ow to axe wiþ mo tymis and plentiuous teris. Weþer not wan he forȝeuiþ þe vnworþy, he prouociþ al to þe smit of falling; liȝtnes of ȝeuing ȝeuiþ kyndling of trespassing. Þis seiþ Ambrose. Þe prest may wit þat he haþ not power to soyl, but as God ȝeuiþ him bidding; but God seiþ þus, If þi broþer synne, [Matt. xuiijo.] blame him; and if he leue his synne, leue þu to blam him, and if [he] wil not leue his syn, proced forþ aȝen him bifor witness. And if he wyl not her ȝowe, be he þan to þe as a heþen or publi|can. And wam þat ȝe þus bynd, schal be bound, and wam þat ȝe bring out of synne, þe peyn schal be forȝeuen hem. He biddiþ not here to curse him þat synniþ not, nor to asoyle him þat bidiþ in synne; but aȝenword to asoile him þat leuiþ his synne, and put him out of cumpany þat lastiþ in his synne.
XIX. Ma|riage mad in third degre.
An noþer is þis, þat mariage mad in þrid and ferd degre, aȝen þe ordinaunce of þe kirk, is rate and stable. And to þis I haue seid, þat it is so confermid þat it mai not be departid; þe man to wed ani oþer woman, wyle þat sche lyuiþ, nor scho to be weddid to ani oþer man. And þis semiþ me prouable þus; weþ þe lefe or conferming of þe kirk, swilk mariage is rate, þan it is rate or stable; and þe kirk miȝt not ratifie it, but if it be first ratified of God; and if it be ratified of God, þan þe kirk mai not depart it, for no man may depart þe þing þat God haþ joinid. And as men seyn þe ratifying of þe pope, or of þe kirk, is a chaunging þat God haþ ordeynd to be don, and if þis mariage were aȝen þe bidding of God, þan þe conferming of þe kirk were not worþ, nor þei miȝt not ȝeue leue þer to; for þei mai not ȝeue leue to breke þe bidding of God, nor leeue a man to lyue in ani degre aȝen þe bidding of God, nor charge him þer to. Now þe decre seiþ þus; Þe wedding [Decre.] of prestis, or of cosynis in þe þrid or ferd degre, is not forfendid bi þe autorite of þe oolde lawe, nor bi þe autorite of þe gospel, nor
