Of feyned contemplatif lif, of song, of þe ordynal of salisbury, & of bodely almes & worldly bysynesse of prestis; hou bi þes foure þe fend lettiþ hem fro prechynge of þe gospel.
[page 165] First whanne trewe men techen bi goddis lawe wit & reson þat eche prest owiþ to do his myȝt, his [and AA.] wit & his wille to preche cristis gospel, þe fend [fendis X.] blyndiþ ypocritis to excuse hem by feyned contemplatif lif, & to seie þat siþ it is þe beste & þei may not do boþe to-gidre, þei ben nedid for charite of god to leue þe prechynge of þe gospel & lyuen in contempla|cion. See nowe þe ypocrisie of þis false seiynge; crist tauȝt & dide þe beste lif for prestis, as oure feiþ techiþ, siþ he was god & myȝte not erre; but crist preched þe gospel & charged alle his apostlis & disciplis to goo & preche þe gospel to alle men: þan [Luc ix. & x.] [Mark xvi. [15.]] it is þe beste lif for prestis in þis world to preche 3& teche3 [3_3 omitted X.] þe gospel. ¶ Also god in þe olde lawe techiþ þat þe office of a [Isaiah lviii. [1.]] prophete is to schewe to þe peple here foule synnys; but eche [Ezekiel iii. 17 and xxxiii. 7.] prest is a prophete bi his ordre, as gregory seyþ vpon þe gospellis, þanne it is þe office of eche prest to preche & telle þe synnys of þe peple, & in þis manere schal eche prest be an aungel of god as holy writt seiþ. ¶ Also Crist & ion baptist [Mal. ii. [7].] leften desert & precheden þe gospel to here deþ þerfore, & þis was most charite, for ellis þei weren out of charite or peierid [Mat.iii.&iv.&v.] in charite, þat myȝte not be in hem boþe, siþ þe ton was god, & no man after crist was holyere þan baptist & he synned not for þis prechynge. ¶ Also þe holy prophete Jeromye halwid in [Jer. i. [5.]] his moder wombe myȝtte not be excused fro prechynge bi his contemplacion, but chargid of god to preche þe synnes of þe peple & suffre hard [omitted X.] peyne þerfore, & so weren alle þe pro|phetis of god. ¶ A lord, siþ crist and ion baptist & alle þe prophetis of god weren nedid bi charite to come out of desert
