to þe Iewes to iuge hym able bi hise werkis, but wele men witen þat neþer popis bullis ne traueile for hem by coueitise makiþ þis man but more vnable [vnableþ hym CC.] to gete ouȝt by suche bullis. Also þis lawe is full suspecte, for it letteþ bettur occupying, & askeþ werse occupyinge, þat is not grounded in goddis lawe. þat prelate þat shriueþ shuld preche þe puple, and he þat is shriuen shuld here goddis worde; but bi þis shriften ben boþe þise lettid. and noo drede þei weren bettre, siþ crist vsed hem & not þis shrift, & bad hem be vsed, & not þis. So it semeþ þat antecrist bi þis puttiþ cristis ordynaunce abake; and we taken here as opynly knowen, þat whenne eny harm comeþ of a lawe, & þat lawe is not groundid in skyl, it ȝyueþ occasioun of þis harme; for reson excuseþ not þis lawe, þat ne it makeþ blamefuly þis harme. and if it were reson in þis popis tyme to make þis lawe to þe churchis profite, it were as myche resoun þat þis lawe had ben vsed bi-fore þis popis tyme; but þenne weren crist & petre & oþer popes to blame þat leften it þus. lord, what meued þis late popes to make furst þis lawe, whenne þe fend was vnbounden, and god meued not crist ne hise vikers to sue it, whenne it semed as myche skil. wher þis pope was god of heuen, so þat men [god CC.] may not know his [þis CC.] reson.
But ȝitt þer comeþ more harme of þis lawe of confessioun, [Cm 5m MM.] ffor confessours varien in wordis of assoylyng, as þei done in wordis of her cursyng, & gabben commynly wiþ blasfeme wordis aȝens beleeue; and it is licly to many men siþ þe pope kan not teche þise wordis þat prestis shulden seie [page 130b] bi goddis lawe, he can not grounde þis lawe in reson. Summe prestis seyne symply "I assoyle þe of þi synnes;" & leyne her hondes on her hedes, or ellis touchen hem wiþ a ȝerde. Summe prestis seyne a more raunge; þei preyen furst þat god assoyle hym, & afftur þei assoylen hym bi autorite ȝouen to hem. [hym CC.] þe þridde maner & leste yuel, þat men seyn þat greks han, is þat þe prest preyeþ þat god
