saue of a causer bi liberte and fredom, as is free wil; and such is not ricches. Wherfore he is not cause of synne, but an occasioun of synne oonli.
And thanne ferther: If this were to be holde trewe, that for this that ricches is occasioun of al the synne which out, fro, and bi him cometh, ricches were badde and ouȝte not be had; but that the hauying of it were viciose and vnleeful, and that for this that yuel cometh ther fro and ther bi:—certis thanne for lijk skile, sithen fro and bi the greet ricches in which the aungel Lucifer was sett and putt, came his synne and the synne of manie othere aungelis and her per|petuel dampnacioun, it wolde folewe that thilk riching of the aungel was vicioseli doon of God; and so God ther yn was viciose. And sithen this folewith not, as ech man muste needis graunte, it folewith that ech man muste also lijk weel graunte, that thouȝ out and fro and bi temperal ricches (as out, fro, and bi an oc|casioun oonli) cometh myche synne and other yuel, therof folewith not neithir is concludid and proued the hauying of the same ricches to be yuel.
Also thus: Other wise cometh not yuel and good out, fro, and bi ricchessis which preestis and other men holden and vsen, than as out, fro, and bi her tungis comen forth bothe yuel spechis and gode spechis, preisingis to God and dispreisingis to God, profitable teching to the vnkunnyng and vnprofitable speche to the vnkunnyng, and so forth of manye miche neces|sarie deedis doable bi mennys tungis and of manye ful wickid and ful miche noiose deedis comyng forth bi mennys tungis. Forwhi tungis be not but the in|strumentis of the fre wil, bi and with which the free wil of man wirchith sumwhile good sumwhile yuel; and so richessis ben not but instrumentis of and to the fre [to fre, MS. (first hand).] wil, bi which the free wil of the vsers
