& oþere caassis to helpe hem in tyme of nede. Þis is aȝenus þe lore of crist, to triste in help of worldly muc, & leeue to triste in god almyȝti for keping of his comaundementis.
Capitulum 4m.
but heere anticrist argueþ aȝenus þis lawe of god þat bi þis same skile lordis þat lyuen worldlily shulden holde hem payed of þer fode & þer hiling, but where were þanne þer lordchip & þer tresour to helpe reumes?
many siche ape resouns han men herd aȝenus crist, as ȝif an ape wolde argue þus: "a mannus eye is in his hed of sutil fode & vnhilid, bi þe same skile shulde his foot." Þis fend mut lerne arguyng, & wite to what ende god haþ ordeyned dyuerse lemes of hooly chirche, & þeraftir shapun hem godis. prestis shulden be in þe hierste staat, & sue crist in sure pouert. kyngis & lordis shulden be byneþe & shewe þe godhed of crist; & so hem falliþ to þer offyss to haue lordchip & worldly richees, & bi þis shulden þey shewe cristis power in his godhed. & cristis prestis shulden be pore & pacient bi cristis manhed. But hou ben worldly godis nedeful to kepe siche offiss of [page 3] prestis? clerkis shulden shame of siche resouns, & algatis hou þey passen crist in taking of worldly lordchipis & hauyng of erþely tresour, þat shulden be proper to worldly men. crist wolde not in his persone ne in his apostlis haue siche richessis, but kepte lordchipis & worldly godis to kyngis & lordis of þis world; & certis þese axen bodily trauel & myȝti defense of goddis lawe þat shulden not acorde to prestis; wherfore shulden þei haue þes godis? & so worldly lordis shulden knowe wherfore god ȝaf hem þes godis, & serue god bi þes godis in myȝti defending of his lawe; for wite þey wel þat for þis defaute may þey be blamed of þis cheef lord. prestis shulden not lette þis ordenaunse, but helpe þat it were kept of þe chirche; for so dide crist in word & dede, why shulden not his prestis do so? auerous gedering of tresour is to blame in ech staat.
