successouris of hem, þan we han þe same power; but þei loken litel þat mannus eleccion makiþ hem not in sich staat, but chesynge of god & kunnynge of holy writt, & souereyn traueile & holy lif, & techynge & meyntenynge of þe gospel, & brennynge charite to deþe for goddis loue, & sauynge of cristene soulis; & comunly þei ben fer fro alle þes goodnesse & wlappid in pride & coueitise & moo synnes. Also þes worldly moldwarpis arguen þus as glotons; siþ it is good to prestis to haue worldly goodis for here necessarie liflode & helynge, as poul techiþ & reson, & þanne þe more þe betre; til þei ben smyten in coueitise & occupacion of þis world, þat þei sauouren nouȝt of gostly þingis, but riot & pride & roten muk of þis world. & ȝif it be good to haue holy writt & presthod and knyȝthod and laboreris to serue god & reule þe peple; þan it is betre to make moo newe lawis & moo ordris in þe chirche, til þe lawe of god be forȝeten & newe tradicions in excercise & newe ordris magnyfied more þanne þe [omitted X.] clene ordre þat crist made himself; & bi þes iapis þei disceyuen þe peple, & gedren to hem [page 97] self þe goodis of þis world & magnyfien hemself, here ordris, & here lawes more þan crist & his lawis, & maken þe peple to holden vp þis ypocrisie & heresie.
Capitulum 31m.
Prelates also spoilen lordis of here rentis bi dowynge of þe chirche, & lowe curatis bi approprynge of parische chirchis & bi pencions & cost of here officeris, & þei robben þe pore peple bi veyn priueylegies & feyned halwynge of chirches, auteris and chircheȝerdis, & oþere sacramentis seld for money and by annuel rentis for lecherie & oþere synnes; & here|fore þei may be wel licned to swolwis of þe see & helle, þat resceyuen al þat þei may & ȝelden not aȝen; & þus þei þat schulden most forsake þe worlde & worldly coueitise & vanyte ben most sette in þe world & leste coueiten heuene
