which God profrith and ȝeueth to a riche man he mai entre into the kingdom of heuen; thouȝ he abide stille riche, and thouȝ withoute such grace it is ouer hard to him being riche for to entre. Wherfore folewith herof openli, that it is not forbodun of God eny man to be riche; for thanne noon such man schulde euere entre heuen, bi cause he schulde thanne entre aȝens Goddis forbode. And if it be not for|bode eny man to be riche, certis thanne it is leeful ynouȝ ech man to be riche; in lasse than he vowe the contrarie, or that he knowith bi assay and expe|rience him silf so miche indisposid anentis ricchessis, that he schal not mowe rewle him silf ariȝt anentis tho ricchessis: for in thilk caas he is bonde to holde him silf in pouerte, accordingli to this that Crist seith in the Gospel, Math. ve. capitulum., If thi riȝt iȝe or thi riȝt hond sclaundre thee, kutte him of and caste him fro thee. And here bi it is euydent ynouȝ, that the ije. seiyng of Crist gooth not aȝens the iije. bifore principal seid gouernaunce.
The ije. principal processe of Holi Scripture in the Newe Testament, which myȝte seme forto lette the seid iije. principal gouernaunce, it is which is write, Luk xiiije. capitulum., thus: So therfore ech of ȝou, that for|sakith not alle thingis that he hath, may not be my disciple. But certis, the hool chapiter in which this text is sett schewith well ynouȝ, that this text was seid as weel to al the comoun peple folewing Crist in thilk tyme, as it was seid to hise Apostlis and disciplis; and therfore it reulith no more prelatis into pouerte than ech lay persoon into pouerte. Wher|fore it is to be seid, that in this now alleggid text Crist meened of forsaking of ouer myche trust and of ouer myche loue to ricchessis, (in the maner now late bifore declarid upon the first principal processe,) and not that he meened a forsaking of ricchessis vttirli. Forwhi ellis ech lay man ouȝte needis be
