Ȝyf þou euer vsedest halewed þyng,
And wystyst hyt fyl to cherches offryng,
Hyt ys grete synne, y do þe to knowne,
Ȝyf þou helde hyt as for þyn owne.
Line 8788
Ȝyf þou wyþhelde any þyng seþyn [folio 58b:2]
Þat hyt was to holy cherche ȝeuyn, [ȝyuen.]
Þyn or ouþres, with-outë leue
Line 8791
Of parsone, or prest, or cherchë reue;
Hyt ys sacrylage, y þe plyȝt,
To wyþholde þat falleþ to cherchë ryȝt.
Ȝyf þou dedyst euer þat vnlawe,
Line 8795
A man oute of holy cherche to drawe
Seþen þat he toke hym þar-tyl,
Þou hast synned yn moche vnskyl.
But ȝyf he hadde do aȝens þe assyse
Þat fyl to holy cherches fraunchyse,
Line 8800
Slayn one þar-ynne, or robbed hyt,
Hyt shulde nat þan saue hym, [saue hym þan.] by my wyt.
Þe lewed man, holy cherche wyl forbede
To stounde yn þe chaunsel whyl men rede:
who-so-euer þarto ys custummer,
Line 8805
Þogh he be of grete powere,
Boþe he synneþ and doþe greuaunce
Aȝens þe clergy ordynaunce.
Line 8808
But ȝyt do wymmen gretter folye
Þat vse to stonde among þe clergye,
3Oþer at matyns, or at messe,
But ȝyf hyt were yn cas of stresse;3 [3_3 Omitted in Harl.]
Line 8812
For þerof may come temptacyun,
And dysturblyng of deuocyun;
For foule þoght cumþ of feble ye-syȝt,
And fordoþë grace with ryȝt;
Line 8816
And with a tale hyt may be shewed,
Þat ys gode boþe for lered and lewed.
