to serue god as he comaundeþ hem; and þis is þe moste harme aȝens god & man, for þis nediþ rewmes to lyuen in werres. for job seiþ in his book, & resoun approueþ, þat no man [Job x. 4.] reuersiþ god but ȝif he haue vnpees; and so þis dowynge aȝens goddis lawe doiþ harme to lordis & clerkis & comunys, boþe bodily harme & harme to here soulis, & negligent of lordis in amendement here-of is a manere of consence & greggiþ here synne; & it harmeþ here elderis þat bigan þis errour, ne good doþ it noon; but moueþ lordis to pride þat here kyn haþ þus foundid housis of religioun. and siþ god in his lawe cursiþ men þat breken it, it semeþ þat boþe ben cursid, lordis & clerkis, and herfore confessouris & alle þat ben on goddis half schulde moue & maynteyne þis lawe of oure god. & siþþe þe moste vnfredom is vnfredom of synne, for þat makiþ a man seruaunt to nouȝt & seruaunt to þe fend, & dampneþ him in helle, coueytise of fredom schulde moue men her-to, and so synne bi his manere bryngiþ his doere into þe same myre þat he eschewiþ.
Capitulum 2m.
The seuene lawis of þe newe testament ben so open, & þere|to confermed wiþ þe liif of crist & of his apostlis, þat it is no nede to reuerse þes gloses þat feynen to þes lawis a falce vnderstondinge, & techen clerkis to lyue on worldly manere. but þes religious [page 189b] & seculere prestis, & so many clerkis, bi brekynge of þis lawe, ben cursid of god & venemyn cristendome. for crist him silf techeþ bi word of seynt poul þat he is cursid [1 Cor. xvi. 22.] of god þat loueþ noȝt crist; but siþ he onely loueþ crist þat kepiþ his wordis, who euere brekiþ cristis lawe is cursid of god, and he þat fauoriþ þis part or assentiþ here-wiþ; & his cursynge is more þan cursynge of þe pope, or ony oþere sensuris þat he kan feyne; & so clerkis of þis lond semen [senen MS.] irregulere, for þei han so longe leyen in so gret cursinge. Also in þe tyme of grace crist for-bede his apostlis þat þei [Matthew x. 10.]
