man shulde fiȝte þus wiþ him þat doiþ aȝens Goddis lawe, sich a synner wolde þenke anoon þat he moste do oon of þes two; or to sle siche a man, þat meveþ þus aȝens his wille, or ellis to amenden his lyf, as it is tauȝt bi Cristis lawe. And þus shulden sum men ben martris, and sum mennis lyf be amendid. But charite of manye is woxen cold, and þat makiþ þe Chirche bareyne; for litil fruyt growiþ in wynter, for coldnesse þat is þanne.
And þus seiþ Crist afterward, þat, Who þat haþ founden his liif shal lese it, and he þat leseþ his lyf for me, shal after|warde fynde it in blis. Þis sentence seiþ Crist ofte to meve hise martiris to sue him, for no man myȝte lerne here better chaffare or merchandise. For lese þi liif here for God in þe tyme þat is now present, and þou shalt trowe to fynde þy liif aftirward in blisse of hevene. And bileve mot grounden þis dede; for, as Poul seiþ, bi þis wrouȝten martiris. And þus failen now in men, feiþ, hope, and charite. And, for men shulden not forsake to holden þis reule þat Crist ȝeveþ here, for drede of worldli sustynance, þat þe world shulde faile hem, herfore seiþ Crist to hise disciplis, þat, who ever resseyveþ hem resseyveþ him and his Fadir þat haþ sent him, and who resseyveþ a prophete in þe name of a profete shal resseyve mede of a profete. And so it is of oþer vertues. And he þat resseyveþ a just man, in þe name of þe first juste man, he shal take mede of þis juste man; and who ever ȝeve oo of þe leste of þes in name of disciple of Crist, ȝhe, a drauȝt of cold water, soþeli Crist seiþ to us, þat he shal not lese his mede. And þis vertue of Cristis wordis shulde meve men to helpe goode preestis, and to ȝyve hem of worldeli þingis, to done her office þat Crist biddiþ; for Crist mai not faile in wordis ne in dedis þat he haþ ordeyned. For ouþer defaute is in þe prestis, or her peyne is profitable; as sum maken a newe reule to charge þe peple in noumbre and spensis. And þes men moten nedis falle [fayle, E.] in peyne of her former synne; and þus cam in begginge and lying and failing of trewe preching. And to þes men shulden noon ȝyve goodis in name of Crist, as he biddiþ here, for þei reversen Crist as his enemyes, and traveilen not in name of him.
