Page 101
Capitulum 36m.
Also prelatis bi sotil ypocrisie horden & meyntenen here synne & oþere mennys; for þei seyn þat in here absence men may not speke aȝenst here open cursed synnes for synne of bacbitynge & schlaundrynge; & þei ben so malicious & myȝtti in worldly power þat þei wolen suffre no man to speke aȝenst her synnes in here presence; & so þei wolden bi ypocrisie haue þis ende, þat no man schulde speke opynli & sadly aȝenst here cursednesse in no manere, but suffre hem wexe roten in here lustis & robbe þe peple & disceyue cristendom wiþ-outen ony letting; but certis þes anticristis clerkis lien falsly aȝenst cristis lore & profite of cristene men. For crist & his apostlis reproueden pharisees & heroude & heretikis in here absence & to þe peple, as gospillis & pistles witnessen, to oure ensaumple to do so with charite & discrecion, & þei ben sclaundrid bi-fore god & his angelis & goode men in erþe bi here opyn cursed lif; & þo men þat reprouen bi charite & discrecion here opyn synnes helpen to amenden here synnes & don awei here sclaundre; but of sclaundre anemptis god & his angelis recken þei not, but alle here care is last here ypocrisie bi knowen to lordis & myȝtty men, for drede of takyng awey of here temporal lordischipis þat ben cause of here synful lyf. & þus þei ben cursed of god; for þat þing þat is verrey sclaundre þei clepen & reckenen as no sclaundre, & þat þing þat is no sclaundre but remedie þer aȝenst þei crien & clepen sclaundre; but alle þis is for þei wolden dwelle stille in robbyng of þe peple & here cursed lustis & sclaundre, & disceyue cristen men in good techynge and ensaumple of holy lif.