neuere preie to plesynge [preisynge X.] of god, siþ þei vnablen hem self to do þe office of prestis bi goddis lawe & purposen to ende in here feyned deuocion þat is blasphemye to god.
¶ Also bi song þe fend lettiþ men to studie & preche þe gospel; for siþ mannys wittis ben of certeyn mesure & myȝt, þe more þat þei ben occupied aboute siche mannus song þe lesse moten þei be sette aboute goddis lawe; for þis stiriþ men to pride & iolite & lecherie & oþere synnys, & so vnableþ hem many gatis to vnderstonde & kepe holy writt þat techeþ mekenesse, mornynge for oure synnys & oþere mennus, & stable lif & charite. & ȝit god in all þe lawe of grace chargiþ not siche song but deuocion in herte, trewe techynge & holy spekynge in tonge, & goode werkis & holy lastynge in charite & mekenesse; but mannus foly & pride stieþ vp euere more & more in þis veyn nouelrie. First men ordeyned songe of mornynge whanne þei weren in prison, for techynge of þe gospel, as ambrose & [as AA.] men seyn, to putte awey ydelnesse & to be not vnoccupied in goode manere for þe tyme; & þat songe & oure [oþere X.] acordiþ not, for oure stiriþ to iolite & pride, & here stiriþ to mornynge & to dwelle lenger in wordis of goddis lawe. Þan were matynys & masse & euen song, placebo & dirige & comendacion & matynes of oure lady ordeyned of synful men, to be songen wiþ heiȝe criynge to lette men fro þe sentence & vnderstondynge of þat þat was þus songen, & to maken men wery & vndisposid to studie goddis lawe for akyng of hedis: & of [omitted AA.] schort tyme þanne weren [omitted X.] more veyn iapis founden; deschaunt, countre note & orgon & smale brekynge, þat stiriþ veyn men to daunsynge more þan to [omitted X.] mornynge, & here-fore ben many proude & lecherous lorelis founden & dowid wiþ temperal & worldly lordischipis & gret cost. but þes foolis schulden drede þe scharpe wordis of austyn, þat seiþ: as oft as þe song likiþ me more þan doþ þe sentence þat is songen, so oft I confesse þat I synne greuously. ¶ And ȝif þes knackeris excusen hem bi song in þe olde lawe; seie þat crist, þat best kepte þe olde lawe as it schulde [page 168] be aftirward, tauȝt not ne chargid vs wiþ
