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ȝit anticrist argueþ þat it is nedeful to þe chirche þat þe pope & his cardenals & oþere prelatis reule it. for who shulde ellis assoyle men & graunte hem so large in|dulgensis boþe of peyne & of synne, haue þei neuere so longe synned. & oþere priuylegies of þe pope may not be teld of
erþly men. in þis mater han cristenmen seyd priuely as þey dursten, þat it were good men to be war lest anticrist disseyue hem. & god wite it, men wolden wiþ wille seye treuþe for worchip of crist & for profit of his chirche & hope to gete blis in heuene. boþe cristenmen & anticrist grounden hem on iesu crist, but þey fallen in-to dyuerse weyes bi þe tempting of þe fend. anticrist leeueþ mekenesse & paciense wiþ oþere vertues, but cristenmen holden þes vertues, summe more & summe lesse. & holde we þus cristis lawe wiþ-outen nouelries of anticrist, & seye we hou cristenmen shulden do in þys fendis blast. & þus men seyen bi cristis lore þat anticrist failiþ first whanne he seiþ þat it is nedeful þat þe pope & cardenals reule cristis chirche. for whanne cristis chirche þrof, weren no siche pope & cardenals; & siþen þes prelatis weren comun yn regnede anticrist wiþ synne. & anentis asoyling, bileue techiþ cristenmen þat iesu crist mut nedis asoyle ȝif ony man shule be assoylid, & anticrist may not for shame denye opynly þis bileue; but he seiþ þat crist mut nedis assente wiþ hym in asoyling, & he groundiþ þis bi þe gospel, but it is shame to reherse it. soþ it is crist grauntide to petre þat what þing he asoylide on erþe shulde be asoylid in heuene, & so it is of bynding; but þis was lymytid to petre & hise þat suyden þe [page 34b] steppis þat petre wente, & whanne þer soyling & þer bynding acordide wiþ god in heuene. but nou it is no bileue þat þes gon petris steppis, & suen crist þe streiȝt weye þat shulde lede herdis to heuene. & also it is no bileue þat what tyme þat þes prelatis feynen hem to asoyle, þey acorden wiþ crist aboue; & so it is no bileue þat þei acorden euere wiþ crist. For as þey synnen in oþer þing, so þey synnen in þis poynt; for he þat discordiþ fro goddis wille in his lif & in his dede may liȝtly discorde fro god in profecye of siche asoyling. men preyen gode cristen|men bi þe vertu of iesu crist þat þey dampne not þes wordis to liȝtly wiþ-outen skyle, but reste in resoun & goddis lawe & holde al þat þese techen. for þis shulden alle cristenmen do & passe not þe boundis of þis; & þis shulden men telle opynly
to suffere deþ for loue of treuþe. & bi þis may men se what þei shulen trowe of indulgensis. it is no poynt of bileue þat þe pope euere more in graunting of þes indulgensis acordiþ wiþ goddis wille; as it is no bileue þat so longe shal þis world stonde, as þe pope grauntiþ indulgensis. but bileue techiþ cristenmen þat indulgensis shulen no lengere laste; & þus it is no bileue ȝif þe pope, for bidding of a kyng, grauntiþ so large indulgensis þat a man may in a masse tyme where euere he heriþ þis masse gete twenti þousynd ȝeer of pardoun, & þat wole passe alle þe tyme þat soulis shulen dwelle in purgatorye; & þus he shal not dwelle in peyne bi þe graunt of þis pope. manye siche þingis ben writun þat ben nouȝt of bileue, & þerfore it is perelous to trowe hem as bileue. We bileuen on cristis lawe þat ȝif man synnede neuere so longe, & were neuere asoylid of pope ne of his prest vndir hym, ȝif he wolde forsake his synne & be contrit for formere synne & ende þis lif on þis maner, god wolde forȝyue hym his synne. We kunnen not telle hou longe þat god wolde punysshe hym in purgatorye, & þis is more grace of god þan þe pope telliþ in his lawe, for he wole nedis constreyne men to be asoylid of hym or hise, but þis durste noon apostle do. & þus it is no bileue, as it is no bileue þat þis or þis is very pope. for mannus choys makiþ no prest, hou euere þis lawe be hyed. for enleuene apostlis to-gidere dursten not chese mathy apostle, & ȝit þe hooly goost was wiþ hem & coueytise was awey. & þus seyen summe trewe men þat siche grauntis of þe pope þat ben not groundid in goddis lawe ben prauylegies, & litil worþ, & siþ þey ben not bileue, axe ground of hem bifore þou bie hem.