most nedy men is lytil spoken of, for ȝif it were soþly teld þis pardon schulde be sette at nouȝt. gret falsnesse is þis to magnyfie þe popis power so mychil in purgatorie þat no man here can teche bi holy writt ne reson, siþ we seen in þis world þat a litel harlot dispiseþ þe pope & stroieþ his lordischipe, & ȝit he doþ al his myȝt, alle his witt, & alle his wille, to be vengid vpon siche a pore harlot. þane it semeþ for many skillis þat þis feyned pardon is a sotil marchaundise of anticristis clerkis, to magnyfie her feyned power & to geten worldly goodis, & to make men drede not synne, but sikirly to walwe þer-inne as hogges; & merueile it is þat synful foolis doren graunte ony þing of meritis of seyntis; for al þat euere ony seynt dide may not brynge o soule to heuene wiþ-outen grace & myȝt of cristis passion, & alle meritis, þat ben medeful dedes, of alle seyntis but only cristis ben not euene worþ to þe ioie of heuene, as poul seiþ; & siþ god grauntiþ to eche man part of alle medeful dedis als mochel as it is worþi, no man schal haue more part of þes dedis for alle þes bulles, & neuere þe lasse þouȝ no man graunte siche part ne siche bullis; & þes feyned pardons maken men to tristen more in grauntynge of a synful man, & in cas of a deuyl of helle, þan in þe riȝtfuleste graunt of houre lord ihū crist. almyȝtty god for his endeles mercy distroieþ þis pride, coueitise, ypocrisie & heresie [page 87] of þis feyned pardon, & make men bisi to kepe his hestis & sette fully here triste in ihū crist. Amen.
Capitulum 14m.
Prelatis also maken þe weie to heuene hardere þan crist made it, & so letten men to go to heuene & þer-fore ben cursed of god. For þei entren not hem self into þe kyngdom [Matt. xxiii. 13.] of heuene & letten hem þat wolden, as crist seiþ in þe gospel, for þei make many newe lawes of hem self, & chargen men to studie hem & kepe hem more þan þe gospel; & siþ þe gospel & holy writt is occupacion ynowȝ for men
