haue mercy on oþer neiȝeboris; þei don foule [page 14] aȝenst þe secunde werk of gostly mercy, to dampnacion of many men boþ of body and soule. Ȝif þei conseilen men to leue þe fredom of cristis ordre and take here singuler ordre maad of synful men, seiynge þat it is þe beste for hem vp peril of here soule; þei don aȝenst þe charite for loue of here owne worschipe or wynnynge and blasphemen aȝenst god, makynge hem self as witti as þe holy gost. siþ it is reseruyd only to þe holy gost to ȝeuen ful conseil of þingis þat [ben] not expresly comaundyd ne defendid in holy writt, and þei taken þis þinge vpon hem whanne þei ensuren to men þat it is best for hem to be men of priuat religion. and also þei conseilen sumtyme euene aȝenst þe sterynge of þe holy gost, and maken men dispeire dampnyd for schrewidnesse of þis ordre and of men þer-inne, for þer-by þei lasten more and ben more hardid in synne and ypocrisie.
¶ Ȝif þei chastisen not here breþeren for grete synnes, so þat þei be preue, but ouerscharply ponyschen hem for smale synnes þat ben open and make hem seme vnholy to þe world; þei failen foule in werkis of charite and ben false ypocritis. and ȝif þei chastisen not here breþren for opyn sweryng veynly and pride and inpacience and false coueitynge of þer neiȝeboris goodis, but for litil trespasynge aȝenst here owne statutis or customys; þei failen in dwe chastisynge of synne, for þei chargen not dispit or trespas don aȝenst god, but aȝenst here owen worldly worschipe and name of holynesse.
¶ Ȝif þei conforten not pore men in here myschif boþe of soule and body but suffren hem perische for dispeir or defaute of bodily goodis, but raþere visiten hem in here prosperite for worldly muk; þei failen fully in werkis of charite and mercy to here breþeren. ¶ Ȝif þei gon gladly and faste to lordis housis and ladies þat ben gloriously araied, and deynen not to come in pore mennus houses for stynk and oþere filþe; hou suen þei charite? siþ crist sparid not to visyte pore men in a foul stynkynge stable and cold, and in þe colde greue and in helle, and in many foule weies in þis world, boþe in
