þis lyuyng and not man; þanne oþer þis testament is of goddis wille or fraunseis is fals þat seiþ so. ȝif it be goddis wille þe pope may not do aȝenst it, ȝif fraunseis be false in þis seiynge his doynge cam of þe fend [deuel W.] of helle þat is fadir of lesyngis. ¶ Also fraunseis seiþ þat þis testament is noon oþer reule but þe firste, and þanne as þei taken þe firste reule so moste þei take þe testament, siþþen þei ben al oon. ¶ Also it semiþ þat fraunseis in his laste daies schulde beste knowe þe treuþe & most be in charite to his breþeren, & þan he made þis testament; & herefore it semeþ þat he was a liere & out of charite but ȝif þis testament were acordynge wiþ goddis dom; but what pope or deuyl [ordeyned W.] schulde þanne distroie it? ¶ Also men seyn þat he is cursed þat lettiþ þe riȝtful wille of a dede man. But þis testament is riȝtful wille of dede fraunseis; þanne it semiþ þat þat pope þat lettiþ it & þe freris also ben acursed of god, of fraunseis, and of alle hawen.
¶ As to þe substance of the reule þei forsaken obedience of god and obeschen to a synful idiot biddynge þe contrarie of goddis wille, þe whiche synful ydiot is in cas a dampnyd deuyl, & so for plesynge of þe world or lustis of here flech þei leuen þe comaundementis of god & don vnriȝtful comaundement of þe fend, & magnyfien more obedience to synful men, & in caas to fendis, þan obedience [page 37] to crist þat is eueremore medeful; & so þei seyen þat a good þing doon after þe comaundement of god is not of so gret meriȝt as a þing don after þe comaundement of a synful ydiot, & in cas a dep deuyl in helle. but þis newe profession was not vsed of crist & his apostelis but in þe time þat sathanas was vnbounden, as þe apcalips telliþ; and so it semiþ þat þes newe ordris distroien obedience of cristis lawe (bi whiche eche man is holden obeche to oþer in þe drede of crist, þat is in as myche as ony techiþ a noþer to don þe wille of god) & magnyfie obedience to synful men, ȝee aȝenst þe preceptis of god. and so as myche as is in hem þei maken a synful idiot & in cas a dampnyd deuyl in helle more than almyȝti
