oþer sidis, but if þei ben Antecristis preestis and shapen to quenche Cristis lawe. But þe peple comunli trowide in Crist and lovede him, and þus þei obeschen [So E; A has oblishen.] to þis tyme, boþe to Crist and his lawe.
And Crist shewide þe cause and þe nede of þis prechinge, for he seide, Ripe corn is moche, and fewe workmen aboute it. But for þis work is medeful, and Crist sovereynli performyde it, þerfore he techiþ his disciplis, to preie þe lord of þis ripe corn to sende hise workmen þerto. And here Crist techiþ opinli þat men shulden not bie þis office, ne take no mede of þe peple to traveile þus in Cristis name, for þanne þei puttiden upon Crist þat he sillide prechyng of his word, and ȝaf leve to do symonye; and boþe þes ben blasfemyes. But Crist stiride his men to go, and telliþ [So E; A has telle.] hem þe peril bifore, but he moveþ hem privyly for greet mede to traveile þus; Go ȝe, seiþ Crist, for Y sende ȝou as lambren among wolves. And so we have mande|ment of Crist, and autorite to go, and foorme of þis perilous goinge, þat makiþ it more medeful. But Crist ȝyveþ his prechours [preciouse, E.] foorme how þei shal lyve in þis work; Nyle ȝe, he seiþ, bere sachil ne scrippe, ne hosis, ne shoon, ne greete men bi þe weie, ne do þing þat shulde lette þis work. If ony siche helpe to þis work, Crist wolde not þat þei leften it. And þus seiþ Crist þat, In to what hous ȝe entren, ȝe shal first seie, Pees be to þis hous; and if þere be child of pees, ȝoure pees shal reste upon him, and ellis it shal turne aȝen to ȝou, and so ȝoure work shal not be idil. But if ypocritis worchen here, al ȝif þei seien sich wordis, þe housis and þe peple ben worse, þat þese false men comen among; for Crist doiþ þese vertues, in whos name þese prechours speken, and if þei ben þe fendis lymes, comunly þei moven to synne. But Crist wolde not þat hise workmen wenten aboute wiþouten fruyt, and þerfore he biddiþ hem dwelle in þe same hous upon resoun; but þei shulden be not idil þere, ne curious in mete and drynke, but þe peple shulde gladly fede hem, and þei shulden homly take þat þei founden, and þei shulden take no newe reule bi which þe peple were chargid. And neiþer part shulde grutche here to do þus as Crist techiþ,
