[6-text p 652] seynt Poule Ephesios .5o. That an Auaricious man haþ more [¶ Paulus ./] his hope in thraldom of Ydolatrie.
[749] what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre & [¶ Difference be|twixe an Ydol|atre & an Auar|ous man ./] an Auaricious man. But þat an ydolastre & an Auaricious man perauenture ne hath but a mawmet or two & the Auaricious man hath manye. ffor certis euerye ffloreyn in his cofre is his a mawmet [750] & certis the synne of mawmetrie is . . . . [no gap in MS.] that god in þe ten comaunde|mentis. As berith witnes in Exodi. capitulo .20. [751] Thou schalt haue no fals goddis bi-forn me. Ne þou schalt make to the no grauyn thyng. thus is an Auaricious man that loueth his tresour a-forn god An ydolastre [752] thorogh his synne of Auarice & of couetise comen this hard lordschipes thorogh whiche men ben streyned bi tailages customes & cariages more then her dewte or reson is. ¶ And ellis take thei of her bonde men amercementis whiche myghten more resonabli be clepid extorcions then amercementis. [753] Of whiche amercementis & raunsonyng of bonde men som lordis stiwardis seyn that it is rightfull. ffor as meche as a cheerll hath no temperall thyng that it ne is his lordis as they seyn. [754] ¶ But certis thes lordes don wrong that bireuyn her bonde folke thynges. that thei neuyr ne yaf hem. Augustinus. de. civitate. libro .9o. [755] [¶ Augustinus ./] ¶ Soth is that the condicion of thraldom. & the first cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis .5o. [¶ Genesis .5o.]
[756] ¶ Thus may ye seen that the gilte deseruyth thraldom. but not nature. [757] Wherfore these lordis ne schulden not meche glorifie hem in her lordschip. sethyn that bi naturall condicion. thei ben lordis ouyr her thrallis. but for that thrall-dom cam first by deserte of synne [758] ¶ And further ouyr there as the lawe seith. that temperall godis of bonde folke ben the godis of her lordschipes. Ye that is for to vndirstonde. the godis of the Emperour to defende hem in her right. but not to robbe hem ne to reue hem. / [759] ¶ And therfore
