þer fadirys to be suget to no man; and ȝif he seide nay, he were aȝens þe emperoure, and so on ech side hem þouȝte þat Criste was take. But Crist shewide first þe purpos of þes ypocritis. Whan Jesus knewe þe wickidnesse of þes fals men, he clepide hem ypocritis, and axide whereto þei temptiden him. And efte Crist toke a meene weye, anoþir þan þei þouȝten on; Shewe ȝe me, seide Crist, þe moneye of þe taliage; and þei shew|iden him a peny. And Crist axide over, whos ymage is þis, and whos writing above? And þei seiden, it was þe emperours. And Crist ȝaf hem þis answere, general and sutil, Ȝyve ye to þe emperoure þat is his, and to God þat is His. Bi which word it semeþ þat Crist approvede þe emperour and subiec|cion to him in þat þat he makiþ Goddis pees; and servise propre to God shulde be kepte to Him; and so Cristis wordis myȝte no man disprove.
Here men may touche þe malice of ypocrisie, for þere is no wers synne, ne more general, ne more venymous; for it is more yvel þat it þus contrarieþ to treuþe, siþ an ypocrite feyneþ him holy, and he is a fals fend. And herfore reprovede Crist ypocrisy of ordris, for he wiste wel þat þei shulden after do more harm in þe world. Ffirst sich ypocritis lyen on hemsilfe, and seien þei done for holynesse what evere þat þei done, and so þei venymen first hem silf, and afterward oþer men. And it is more general þan many oþir synnes, for ech state of men is blemyshid wiþ þis synne, but first and moost, religions and clerkes, for þere is no spedy cause whi þei usen siche habitis but to devyde hem in holynesse fro þe common peple, siþ as medeful werkes myȝten þei done in seculer habitis, and more privily, as Crist biddiþ us be holy. And herfore Crist biddiþ to be war wiþ sour dow of Phariseis, siþ þere is no resoun to ypocrisy but to shewe menys synne [So B and C; A reads lyve.] , and to disseyve on ech side boþ þe ypocritis hem silfe and oþir men þat dwellen wiþ hem. And so her religioun serveþ to crye þat þei ben holy, and to make dyvysioun bitwixe hem and oþer men. And siþ liknes is cause of love amonge men, sich dyvy|sioun is cause of envye and hate. Goddis lawe and kynde techiþ þat ech beest loveþ beest like to him, and so experience techiþ þat oon ordre loveþ his broþir more þan a strange man
