[6-text p 598] be ye fouler / for youre longe contynuynge in synne and youre synful vsage / for which / ye been roten in youre synne as a beest in his donge / [140] Swiche manere of thoughtes / maken a man haue shame of his synne & no delit as god seyth by the prophete Ezechiel / [141] ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes / and they shullen displese yow soothly / Synnes been the weyes þat leden folk to helle
[142] ¶ The seconde cause / þat oghte make a man [.2.] to han desdeyn of synne / is this / that as seith Seint Peter ‖ who so þat dooth synne / is thral of synne / & synne put a man in greet thraldam / [143] And ther|fore / seith the prophete Ezechiel / I wente sorweful / in desdayn of my self; ¶ Certes wel oghte a man / haue desdayn of synne & with drawe hym fro that thraldom & vileynye ‖ [144] And lo / what seith Seneca in this matere / he seith thus / though I wiste þat god / neither god ne man / ne sholde neuere knowe it/ yet [folio 238a] wolde I. haue desdayn / for to do synne [145] ¶ And the same Seneca also seith ‖ .I. am born to gretter thynges / than to be thral to my body / or than for to maken / of my body a thral / [146] ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman make of his body / than for to yeue his body to synne / [147] al were it the fouleste cherl / or the fouleste womman þat lyueth and leest of value / yet is he thanne moore foul & moore in seruitute / [148] euere fro the hyer degree þat man falleth / the moore is he thral and moore to god & to the world vil & abhomyn|able [149] ¶ O goode god / wel oghte man haue greet des|dayn of synne / sith þat thurgh synne / ther he was fre / now is he maked bonde / [150] And ther fore / seith Seint Augustyn ¶ If thow hast desdayn of thy seruant if he agilte or synne; haue thow thanne desdayn / þat thow thy self sholdest do synne / [151] take reward of thy value / þat thow ne be to foul to thy self ‖ [152] Allas / wel oghten they thanne haue desdayn / to ben
