CAP. VI.

But here mut men moeve sumdel of speche of þes freres, þat *. [On the friars' denying, at the late Council, that tithes were pure alms.] in Londone, at þer cownsel of trembulynge of þe erþe a. [This allusion to the earthquake which occurred during the sitting of Archbishop Courtenay's synod in 1382, on May 19 (Fasc. Zizaniorum, p. 272), fixes so far the date of this treatise.], seyde, for to plese prelatis and persones, þat it is an erroure to susteyne þat dymes ben pure almes, and þat men þat ȝyven hem may wiþholde and ȝyve hem to oþere pore men, for synne of þer curat, and faylynge of hys service. But many men wondren here why þese freres seyd þus, siþen þei wold þat þes dymes were ȝyven unto hem, and þes persones were destried, and no prest were but þei. Her workes schewes þis wel, howevere þei speke by syde. And so it seemes to sum men, þat þis was a fagynge of þe fendus childur, by lore of þer fadur; as if þei wolde bringe of þis, þat almes ȝyven to freres schulde not be pure almes, fro it were brouȝt in custome, siþen custom makis lawe, and dette Page  176 over almes; and so miȝt freres be fulli fals, and aske þe puple þer almes be titil of custome, al ȝif þei were unworþi and traytours to rewmes. But trist we not to fals freris, ne fayle not in treuþe, for þei beren venym in þer tayle, speke þei never so faire. And to þer speche of dymes, siþen þei ben almes, þei ben pure almes, and not ellus but almes. And so lyved Crist wiþ hys apostlis on almes of þe peple, þat was pure almes al if it were dett, siþen al þis [is] dett þat God askes and nedes man to ȝyve. And so, if freres ben moeved here to seye þat dymes of persones ben not pure almes, for þei ben here wiþ dett, þei mut seye þat þes persones lyven on pure almes, þat han dymes, and serven not ne ministren to þer parischenes, for hem wantis titul of dett be þe lawe of God. But what frere þat seis þus is not a pure frere; for boþe he is a fals frere, and þerwiþ a fende. And certis a pure God rulis not such a frere. For, as þei schulde seie, God is not pure God siþen he is boþe God and man, and þes ben diverse kyndes; and schortly þer is no creature þat ne it haþe diverse resones of diverse names, and ȝhitt it is a pure þinge. Leve we lesingis of þes freres, and seye we þat dymes ben boþe almes of God, and almes of þe parischenes; ne schame we not to be sustened of suche maner almes, siþen Crist and hys apostlis were susteyned be suche. For, as Seynt Poule teches, We schulde be payed of fode and hylynge, and aske no more þan nedes; and ȝit Poule proves be Goddis lawe, if we serven treuly, þes godes ben dette over resoun of mannis lawe.

But to the dowte of dymes þat is tochid after, wheþer parisch∣enes *. [Parishioners as a body, but not indivi∣dually, may withhold tithes from unworthy priests.] may leffully holde dymes fro persones for synne of þes persones,—and freres seyn þat þis is heresie. O God! if freres wolde þenke on þe power of God, what þinge he may do by men, and suffer fendes worche, and þanne schulde þei graunt þis power þat þei here denyen. Þei have forȝeten þer owne powers þat þei here denyen. Þei have forȝeten þer owne powers þat þei seien þei han, and doynge of miracles of þe sacrid hoste a. [This is evidently an allusion to the miracle recorded by Knyghton (col. 2651), as having happened in the church of the Black Friars, on the Friday in Whitsun-week, 1382, to the knight Cornelius Clonne to confirm whose wavering faith in the Eucharistic mystery, the host was said to have exhibited itself to him under the guise of flesh.]. But leve we þeise uncrafti wordus of þes freris, and Page  177 speke we to þe purpose of matir þat is touchid. And certis me þenkes þat parischenes may in certeyne cases wiþholde dymes fro hym þat is calde þe persone, as þei may medefully holde godes fro þes freres, or fro Jewes or Sarrasenes, þat ben lesse evil þan þei. But not iche parischen schulde, whan ever he wolde, holde fro hys person be hys owne juggement. But marke we wel þat we have not titel to þes dymes be mannus resoun of dett, as oþer worldly men pleten þer dettoures in forme of mannis lawe. But serve we trewly as God biddus to our sugetis, and þei ben holden to serve us in temporal godes; and ellus, as me þenke, us failis riȝt to dymes.