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by þis sentence may men se hou þis prelacye is perelous for it is not fully groundid in crist [page 21] ne in oþer of his lawis. for þe fend haþ mouyd men bi pride & bi coueytise forto bihete þat þey wolen do more þan þey han power or wit to do; for take þou hede to oure popis, to bischops & to oure persouns, and þey recken litil of þer charge hou myche it be & hou large, so þat hem come wynnyng & worldly worchip bi þer staat. & so siþ þe
staat of prelacye takiþ sumwhat of goddis lawe & sumwhat of mannus lawe contrarie to goddis lawe, trewe men shulden purge þis staat & lyue clene bi goddis lawe. for saracenes wiþ oþere sectis holden myche of cristis lawe, but oþere lawis þat þey meddlen maken þis sect displese to god; & god woot wher straunge lawis ben meddlid more vndir oure pope wiþ cristis lawe þan þey ben meddlid in oþere sectis. it semyþ þat prestis þat kepen pariȝschis shulden teche hem þe gospel of crist boþe bi lif & bi word, & moue hem to holde charite, & bisie hem not in oþere þingis neþer of þe world ne mannus lawe, & make obediense to þer prelatis as myche as goddis lawe techiþ. fode & hiling moten þey haue; & it is skileful þat þer pariȝs fynde hem þese bi title of almes, & take þey no more hede to dymes. but þis lif mut nedis be brouȝt in bi litil & litil for anticrist. & þis lore were good to persouns, to ȝyue no tribut to þer prelatis & make no straunge dispensis but ȝif goddis lawe mouyde þer-to. for alle þes dispensis at þe laste moten be gederid of pore men; & certis þis is a foul offiss of a prest to robbe his puple to ȝyue to bischop or erchedekene godis þat god biddiþ not. as senage & procurasies, & oþere tributis þat ben feyned, ben not groundid in goddis lawe & þerfore men shulden dispise hem. ȝyuyng of taliage to þe kyng is licly groundid in goddis lawe, for crist ȝaf mekely to þe emperour tribut, as þe gospel seiþ, but he ȝaf not to þe hye bischops ne pharisees ne saducees. but siche curatis moten arme hem wiþ help of god & of trewe men, for cursingis & suspendingis wolen renne aȝenus siche curatis. siþ bischops of ierusalem maden crist be cursid & suspendid for þey seiden he was not on goddis half but wiþ belsebub a prince of deuels, & þey puttiden men out of synagoge þat confessiden crist apertly, & aftir þei suspendiden hym in þe cros ful felly. þis hangyng vp vsid nou is not so fel but fals ynow; for þey wolen hange vp treuþe & mayntenyng of goddis lawe; & þei ponderen wiþ þis suspending þat þei don it for riȝtwisenesse to teche curatis obedience & meke|nesse
bi goddis lawe, & al þis is falsly feyned bi anticristis [page 21b] ipocrisie. but trewe prestis shulden trowe heere þat neþer þe word of þer prelat ne þe word of þer somenour han so myche maliss wiþ hem þat ne þey may preche & serue god aftir þis suspending. & þe moost harm þat þei don is priuyng or sleyng; & þis shulden curatis mekely suffere, for þis wolde turne hem to myche good. & summen tellen wiþ myche declaring þat ground of þis heþen custom springiþ in þe chirche of þe pope & of þe floc groundid on hym. & ȝit þis man bi ipocrisie seiþ þat he sueþ nexst crist of alle þe men heere in erþe, & haþ moost power of crist & of feynyng of þis power; hou he presentiþ cristis persone & passiþ alle cristis apostlis in graunting of priuylegies & pardoun, it passiþ many mennus wit for greetnesse of þis power. & summen seyn þat þis speche falliþ not fro fendis gabbing but ȝif þe pope speke bi þe contrarie, as a mount haþ his name of mouyng, for among alle men in erþe þis ipocrite lyueþ ferrest fro crist. crist hadde not propre good wher-ynne he shulde reste his hed; men seyn þis pope haþ more þan half of þe empire wiþ-outen his spuyling. crist was moost meke & moost seruysable & girte hym wiþ a cloþ & wayschide his disciplis feet, as þe gospel of ioon telliþ; þe pope sittiþ in his troone & makiþ lordis to kisse his feet. crist wente mekely fro plase to place & prechide þe gospel & tauȝte pouert; þe pope dwelliþ in auynoun & doiþ not þis but þe contrarie. & so siþ þat anticrist is he þat is aȝenus crist, it semyþ bi his feyned lif þat he is opyn anticrist. & ȝif he shulde be clepid an hil for stablenesse in þis lif, þis hye hil eclipsiþ þis sunne & makiþ wyndis & yuele wederis; for goddis lawe is lettid to shyne bi lawis þat þis hil vsiþ, & coolding fro charite makiþ stormes bi þis hil; but grace of god haþ helpid men to cleue þis hil & make it knowun, & god contynue his help heere & make his lawe to shyne frely. Amen.