thei hadden not be religiose. Thanne folewith needis, that the religiouns in Englond han be [ben, MS. (first hand).] ful noble and ful profitable heggis and wardis thoruȝ out these xxxiiij. ȝeeris for to close and kepe and hegge yn and werne so manye persoones fro so miche gretter synnes into whiche ellis, if tho religiouns hadden not be, tho persoones schulden haue falle and haue be gilti. And sotheli this skile (as me semeth) ouȝte move ech man ful miche forto holde with suche reli|giouns, if he be wijs for to considere how synful it is weelnyȝ alle persoons lyuyng out of religioun; and into how comberose a plijt the world is brouȝt, that tho synnes (as it were) mowen not be lefte; and how that religiose persoones schulden be of lijk badde con|dicioun, if thei weren not in religioun, and that in religioun thei ben not of so badde condicion, thouȝ thei ben men and not aungels and kunnen not lyue without al synne; and that the synne comyng into hem, whilis thei ben in religioun, cometh not into hem bi the religioun as bi the firste maner of com|yng bifore tauȝt in the same chapiter, but bi the ije. maner of comyng oonli. And no more as now and here [now here, MS. (first hand), per|haps rightly.] as for answere to the ije. semyng skile.
Here myȝte be askid what ouȝte be doon bi religiose prelatis and bi bischopis and the pope to and aboute religiose persoones, whiche in a symplenes camen into religioun and aftirward han growen into greet notabil abilnes forto stonde into miche gretter stide of al the chirche and of al the lawe of God than forto be tied to close and cloistrose obseruauncis of summe maners of religiouns, and what ouȝte be desirid and askid bi tho same religiose persoones to be doon to and aboute hem silf? That is to seie, whether thei schulden stire and pursue forto be lousid of such en|closing
