prestis of Crist, þat entren be him in spirit, soule, and dede, and kennen þe peple to kepe his comaundments, and schal niȝe in to grace, and at þe last in to ioy. And as þei opunid þe wey of trowþ to þe peple, so schal þei bring hem to ioi, syne and wrechednes slayn. Þus we vnderstond; and wan þis comiþ þat is now seid, þan schal we wit it; þerfor schuld bischopis dred to ordeyn vnwis prestis, and ioi to seek þe good, for Jerom seiþ, þat þe vnwise sone [Jerom.] is schemschip to þe modir, and þe wise sone glori of þe fadir; þerfor glory þe bischop, wan he haþ chosun wise prestis, for þe cause of ruyn of þo peple are iuil prestis.
VII. The messe of a fornicary.
An oþer is þis, If ani ȝere þe messe of a prest þat leuiþ in lechery, and knowiþ him to be swilk, [he] synniþ dedely. To þis I sey þus; I rehersid oft þe word of seynt Poule, þat forbediþ us to [1 Cor. vio.] tak meit or comyn wiþ þeis manslears, for sworn men, cursars, drunksum men, rauenors, fornicarers, and swilk oþer; for þey þat do swilk þings, schal not haue þe kyndum of God, for þei are worþi þe deþ; not onli þei þat done, but and þei þat consentun wiþ þe doars, or þei þat wirkun wiþ, or defendun, or ȝeuen conseyl or confort, and þat autoryse it, ne helpun not to a mend, ne reproue it not, as þei schuld. Al so I rehersid þe decre of þe kirk, bidding [Decre.] þat no man here þe messe of þe prest þat he wot dowtles haþ a concubyn, or a womman suspect preueyli browt vndre. Þan seyd ani þus to me, But wat if I wot not him swilk, what syn haue I þan? I answerid, frend perchauns þu hawtist to wete and enquire; wan þu dost not, how wilt þu be excusid? And to þis I led him be sensible ensaumple. And wan he tok it heuily, and wold not vnderstond, I ȝaf him þis ensaumple; ȝif þu cum til a frend, and he sett rawe meyt be for þe, and sey it is rostod i now, or sodyn, if þu heyt it, and tak þi deþ, how art þu þan not dede? And þus it semiþ in mani casis, it mai be susteynid þat it is soþ, þow it be not in ilk case. Namli sin Crist seiþ, He þat knowiþ his lordis [Luc. xiio.] wille, and maad him not redy to do þer after, schal be dongun wiþ
