[6-text p 617] ¶ And þerfore þe loue of euery þing þere is not byset in god ne doon principally for goddes sake / al þough a man loue it lasse þan god. ȝit is it venial synne [367] [folio 261b] And deedly synne whan þe loue of eny þing weyeth in þe hert of a man as moche as þe loue of god or more [368] ¶ Dedly synne is as saith seint austyn. whan man torneth his hert from god which þat is verray souerayn bounte þat may not chaunge and flitte. and ȝiue his herte to a þing þat may chaunge and flitte. [369] and certes þat is euery þing saue god of heuen ¶ For soþe if þat a man ȝiue his loue þe which that he owiþ to god wiþ al his herte vnto a creature. certes as moche of loue as he ȝiueth to þilke creature; so moche he reueth fro god. [370] and þer|fore doth he synne. ¶ For he þat is dettour to god and ȝeldeth not his dette þat is to sayn al þe loue of his hert
[371] ¶ Now siþþe man vnderstondith generally which is venial synne; þanne is it couenable to telle specially of synnes whiche þat many man perauenture ne demith hem no synnes and schryueth him not of þe same þinges and ȝit naþeles þay ben synnes [372] ¶ And soþly as clerkes writen þis is to say. at euery tyme þat man etith or drinkith more þan suffiseþ to þe sustienaunce of his body in certeyn he doþ synne; [373] and eek whan he spekith more þan it needith he doþ synne. and eek whan he herkeneth nouȝt be|nignely þe pleynt of þe pore [374] eek whan he is in hele of body and wil not faste whan oþer folk fasten wiþouten cause resonable. / eek whan he slepith more þan needith or whan he comeþ by þilk enchesoun to late to holy chirche or to oþer werkes of charite [375] Eke whan he vseþ his wyf wiþoute souerayn desir of engendrure to thonour of god and for þentent to ȝelde to his wyf þe dette of his body. [376] eek whan he wil not visite þe sike and þe prisoner if he may
