lerne and teche worldli lawis; and God biddiþ þat his law shulde be tauȝt bifore þese. And þes men loven more her sones, þan þei loven Jesus Crist;—for it is oon to love him, and in dede to love his lawe; and so whoso loveþ better goode gobetis, or lustli [lusty, E.] workes þan he loveþ dedis of Crist, he loveþ more his owne douȝter þan he loveþ þis holi abbot. And þus, he brekiþ his ordre for defaute of skilful love.
And, for þis love is shewid in dede, and speciali in mannis suffringe, þerfore seiþ Crist afterward, þat he þat takiþ not his crosse, and sueþ him, is not worþi of him. It is seid ofte tymes bifore, þat þis cros þat Crist spekiþ of is redynesse of mannis wille to suffre for Cristis sake, boþe to dispise alle erþeli þingis þat stretchiþ doun to þe erþe, þat is þe stok of þis crosse, and to dispise alle frendshipis boþe of kyn and of þe worlde,—and þes ben clepid two armis of þis crosse. And þanne mannis love lokiþ freeli to hise Jesu above him; and defaute of þis cros bringiþ men alle maner of synne. And þis is cause whi men now ben not martirs as þei weren wont; for a man shulde weie [weyȝe, E.] þis love, and loke þat he hadde þis crosse, and suede Crist in wille and dede, redi to suffre for his sake: — but what clerk wole not now leeve þe treuþe of Goddis lawe, ouþer for love of his fleish, or for love of þe world. And cause of þis defaute in love is scatering of mannis love; for men loven cloutid ordris, and þat lettiþ moche love of Crist; and sum men loven worldli worschippis, and worldly [So E; A om. worschippis and worldly.] lordshipis þat bringen hem inne; and sum men loven worldli goodis, boþe for worshipis [worschip, E.] of þe world and for lustis of her fleish. And sich shenden Cristis ordre. And herfore Crist forbede his preestis siche lordshipis, and siche goodis, for he woolde þat her love were hooli gaderid in him. And ech man, boþ knyȝt and clerk, shulde be bisi to kepe þis lawe, and make oþer to kepen it; or ellis þei loven not Jesus Crist. And what man þat haþ þis cros, and seeþ Cristis lawe reversid, shulde putte him forþ for love of Crist, and fiȝte wiþ swerd of wise wordis, and telle to men, as Joon Baptist, þat it is not leveful to lyve þus? And siþ ech
