synne whenne he makiþ men able þer-to; & pilgrimage wiþ siche offrynge vnabliþ men oft to be assoyled of god.
[page 137b] But ȝitt argueþ antecrist þat Iames biddiþ men shriue [Cm 13m MM.] her synnes; and no drede god biddiþ bi Iames þat iche synful man do so; & þat prestis shuld assoyle men techiþ [James v. 16.] crist in þe risynge of lazar, for crist bad to hise apostlis þat þei shulden vnknytt his bondis. and þus men shriuen in cristis tyme, whenne Ion baptist washed hem. why shuld not ȝitt men do so, bi þe fourme of holy churche?
Here men seyne þat it were good to holde þe fourme of hooly churche, as men diden before þat tyme þat þe fend was vnbounden & þis lawe made. for þenne crist assoiled þicker men þenne he dide aftur þe tyme of þis lawe. and to þe first autorite þat is aleggid of Iames epistle; men shulden merke hou Iames biddiþ þat men shulden shriue iche to oþur þe synnes þat þei fellen inne, & þus þei shulden knowleche mekeli þe freelte þat þei weren inne, and not oon feyne as an ypocrite þat he were more hooly before a-noþur, & had vertu to forȝyue synne. & þis worde þat Iames spekiþ makiþ not for þe emperour prelatis; for bi þis word þat Iames spekiþ iche man shulde shriue him to his broþur, and knowleche mekely þe freelte þat he is inne. siþ crist seiþ þat iche man þat hiȝeþ himsilf shal be lowid, hou shuld not þise emperour prelatis be lowid bi þe sentence of crist, siþ þei hiȝen hemsilf wiþ-outen skil of þing þat is approprid to crist? and þus þise emperour prelatis synnen aȝen þis worde þat Iames biddiþ. And as a-nentis þe secound worde þat crist bad to hise apostlis whenne he had qwickened lazar, he brouȝt him out of his sepulcre al knyttid in hise bondis, & bad hem to vnbynde him. Þis mysty witt of þise dedis telliþ vnto true men þat crist appropriþ to himsilf to qwiken dede men gostly, & to make hem stonde in grace. but ȝitt crist leueþ bondis of synnes, þat ben yuel costoms to falle in synnes, and crist [page 138] biddiþ apostlis & prestis to vnknytt þise bondis bi trewe preching. but þis office is dispised [suspended MM.] & cristes owne
