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Also bischopis and freris putten to pore men þat þai sayne, [25. That churchmen should re∣nounce wealth and luxury, and preach Christ in poverty.] þat men of þo Chirche schulden not ride on so stronge horsys, ne use so mony jewelis, ne precius cloþis, or delicate metys,
but renounce alle þingus and ȝyve hem to pore men, goynge on fete, and takynge stavys in hondis, receyvyng þo state of pore men, in ȝyvyng ensaumple of holynes by þer conversacion.
Here Cristen men thynken no grete heresie, þowe worldly prelatis, in amendement of symonye, ydolatrie, and sleynge of mennys bodies and soulis, renounce alle vanitees and waste godis, and selle þer fatte horsis and alle þer waste jewelis and waste clothis, delynge hem to pore men, and stoppe a taxe of sex or seven fro þo pore comyns, and go mekely on þer fete, and preche trewly þo gospel, as Criste ande his apostilis diden. Ande þis myȝt wele be done, þof þai laften grete pikid stavys, wiþ daggers in þo ende, for we redyn not þat Criste and his apostilis usiden suche stavys, ne weppyns of debate. Ande þow þey crieden oute on pride and glotony, ydelnes and lech∣erye, and extorsions þat þai have done and mayntenyd in oþer men, and do grete penaunce and travaile al þer lyfe, and ȝyven ensaumple of grete mekenys, paciens, povert, and charite, as Jesus Crist did and hys apostilis, hit were no grete heresie. Ande if one trewe byschope or moo, if God wole, writen þer open heresies, of symonye, of hyndryng of þo kyngus regal ande seculere lordschip, ande all grete synnus by whiche þai blyndiden þo pepul, as holy writte dos of errour of Seint Petur and of alle þo apostylys, and of þo open heresie of Seint Poule, wiþ David, Maudeleyne, and mony moo, hit were no grete heresie, for to brenne pore prestis þerfore. If pore men erriden in ony of þes sentences, or ony oþer, þai wolden ful fayne be amendid of trew clerkis, wele lyvyng and wele lernyng in holy writte. For oþer worldely clerkus, blyndid wiþ covetise pride and envie, and wlappid in seculere office, as þai leden hem selfe to helle, so þai wolen make lesyngus to oþer men, flaterynge hem to regne in þer lustus, and seyne þat gode is yvel and yvel is god. Ffor þo wyse man sais, Into an yvel-willed soule wysedame schale not [Wisd. i. 4.] enter, ne dwelle in a body soget to synne.
Þerfore Cristen men willen knowlache holy writte and þo [Christian men will take Scripture for their sole rule.] lyvynge of Criste for þer rewle, and wolen do aftur ony man in als myche as þai knowen sickerly þat he acordus þerwithe, and no ferþer, for lyfe ne dethe, wiþ grace and helpe of þo holy Trinite.
God for his grate mercy distroye errouris and heresies of Anticristis chyrche, and make knowen þo treuþis of holy Chirche, and encrese riȝtwysenys, pes, and charite, and lyȝte þo hertes of lordus, to know and distroye þo heresies of þo Chirche, þat pride of prestis lese not þis worlde.