& dispisen mekenesse & wilful pouert, & so þei don vertuouse men & oppressen hem; & þus þei conspiren aȝenst crist [omitted X.] & his vertuous lif & his meke seruauntis, & ben sathanas procuratouris to meyntene synful men in his seruyce. For certis þei ben cursed of god ȝif þei meyntenen wityngly & wilfully [page 100] proude lordis & leccherours of here owne meynne in here housholde; for ȝif þei loueden god & þe soulis of here seruauntis þei schulden amende þis cursed lif or ellis putten hem out of here companye; but now for pride of hem self & wynnyng of drit þei holden forþ suche cursed meyne to sclaundre oþere men. ¶ But as crist and poul witnessen, suche prelatis ben cursed, & forsaken cristis feiþ, & ben werse þan heþen men þat neuere resceyueden cristendom.
Capitulum 38m.
Also prelatis disceyuen cristene men in feiþ, hope & charite bi here nouelerie of massis at rome, at scala celi, & newe pardons & pilgrimages; for þei maken þe peple to bileue or triste þat ȝif a prest seye a masse at scala celi for a soule it schal onoon ben out of purgatorie, þouȝ god of his riȝtwis|nesse ordeyne þat soule to abide þere fourty ȝere or mo, & þouȝ þe prest be cursed for symonye & pride; for as þei feynen falsly þe masse may not be peirid. certis þe sacra|ment may not be paired for synne of þe prest; but þe preiers of cursed prestis in þe masse ben cursed of god & his angelis, & certis a prest may be so cursed & in heresie þat he makiþ not þe sacrament. & god only knowiþ whanne his synne is in þat degre & whanne in lesse, but euere it is harmful to him þat makeþ þe sacrament vnworþily. & bi þes feyned pardons þe peple leueþ to do here almesse to pore nedy men enprisoned bi god himself & doþ it to ryche men & wasteris, & hopiþ to haue more þank of god þer-by þan to do it aftyr cristis owne techynge; & þes prelatis chargen more folye
