proud aȝenst cristis mekenesse, most coueitous of worldly goodis & lordschipis aȝenst þe pouert of crist & his apostlis, & most idel in gostly werkis & occupied in worldly causes aȝenst crist besy traueyle & his apostlis in prechynge of þe gospel, & most principale sillere of benefices & veyn in|dulgencis & sacramentis where crist comaundiþ men to ȝeue frely alle gostli [omitted X.] þingis as þei han frely resceyued hem of god. & ȝit þes worldly prelatis feynen þat it is not lefful to a prest to teche cristis gospel frely wiþ-outen licence of hym or his prelatis vnder hym, þouȝ god comaundeþ prestis, bi open techynge & his lawe and opyn ensaumple of cristis lif, to teche þis; & so þei menen þat ȝif þis proude prest & contrarie to crist & his lawe sende not a cristene man [omitted X.] bi witnesse of his bullis or letteris of his lowere prelatis he may not fulfil þe hestis of god ne werkis of mercy; & so ȝif þis principal enemy of crist & his coueitous clerkis wolen lette a cristene man to kepe goddis hestis & poyntis of charite, he mot leue goddis comaundement vndon & obiche to hem at here wille, & þus þei menen þis ende þat cristene men may not come to heuene bi kepynge & holdynge of trewe feiþ & charite but ȝif anticrist & his worldly clerkis, ful of coueitise, symonye & heresie, ben meyntened in here olde pride & cursednesse aȝenst treuþe of god almyȝtty; for ellis, as þei feynen, þer may be no bischop no prest [page 92] ne cristendom ne sacramentis; but certis þis is foule heresie & blasphemye, for herby cristene men ben suget to anticrist & his symonye & feyned censuris & to sathanas more þan to ihū crist & his lawe.
Capitulum 23m.
Prelatis also ben enemys of pees, conseilouris & meyn|tenouris of werris, & irreguler anemtis god, & here preieris ben cursed; for þei dreden ȝif lordis weren in reste & pees þat þei schulden perceyue þe cursednesse of here symonye,
