not þerfore; but þey ben not in þis þer vikeris, but in bodily trauel & spuyling of men. but boþe þis persoun & þis viker moten be punyȝshid for þer trespas, siþ ech man is holdun to serue god bi al þe power þat he haþ; for ȝif þis viker myȝte serue ynow, what nede were it of siche a persoun? certis but to spuyle þe pore folc, & make more synne in hooly chirche. & bringing in of siche vikeris, þat oftetyme ben vnhable herdis, makiþ hem pore & nedy, & sharpiþ hem to spuyle pore puple; & it makiþ persouns aboue more hardy to walowe in synne, & many tymes þei ben vnhable to haue trewely þe name of curat. & siche false names þat ben þus feyned excusen not bifore crist, siþ crist is þe firste treuþe & þe firste resoun of alle þingis. We graunte wel þat it were good many prestis to haue felowis in keping of a floc, oon to do o þing, an-oþer an-oþer; as oon to trauele bodily in mynistring of sacramentis, an-oþer to trauele in preching & oþer teching of þe puple; but loke þat þes boþe be hooly & lyue in pouert as apostlis diden & ech of hem helpe mekely oþer as felowis drawinge in goddis ȝoc. but þis axiþ residense on sheep þat man is herde of. god may not be bigilid bi siche names & excusing, for þis lord wole rikene wiþ þes seruauntis fully aftir þat resoun axiþ. Ȝif þou feynest þee an ordre þat þou preyest & þenkist on god, & þerwiþ þou hast cure bi þy viker þat kepiþ þe chirche, loke þat þou bere not falsly þe name, but lyue in pouert as baptist dide, not in hye castels of caym & lustful fode as boris in sty; [page 8b] for preyours þat siche booris maken don to many more harm þan good. for bi þis fallas myȝte a fend or a soutere be an herde ouer a þousynd men in englond & excuse residense bi a fool.
Capitulum 13m.
ȝit argueþ þe fend to colour siche appropringis, þey ben con|fermed of þe pope & approuyd of þe court, who may im|pungne þis dede but ȝif he impungne þe pope; & of þis it wolde sue þat þe pope & hise ben opyn heretikis, but where were þis fiȝtinge chirche ȝif þis were soþ of þe pope, ȝif þe
