mouþ seiþ þat a prest is in dette to teche openly and treuly þe treuþe of goddis lawe, and ellis he is traitour to þe treuþe of holy writt. 1So a lewyd man is boundyn to mayntene þe treuþe1 [1_1 omitted X.] of holy writt, and ellis he is traitour to god & to his lawe and his peple. & here-fore riche men owen to drede of treson and traitre aȝenst god & his lawe whanne þei meyntene not þe treuþe of þe gospel, but ben aboute to stoppe it & techeris þer-of bi sotil cautelis & false lesynges for fleschli loue or coueitise. for as iudas dide þei sillen þe treuþe, and so crist þat is treuþe, [page 21] for money or [of X.] fleschly loue. And siþ þei sillen treuþe þat is a spiritual good for money or worldely þyng [omitted X.] þei ben cursed symo|nyentis & so heretikis. moche owen þei to quake, siþ crist seiþ in þe gospel þat who euere dispisiþ cristis disciplis, in þat he dispisiþ crist; and at þe day of dom þere schal be lesse peyne to sodom & gomor, þat weren distroied for synne, þan to þo men þat wolen not resceyue cristis disciplis and his gospel, ne lyue after þe techyng of cristis gospel. principaly siþ suche men slen crist as moche as in hem is, and dryuen þe holy gost out of his temple & þe holy trynite; & ȝit þei taken þe office to meyntene goddis lawe and techeris þer-of, & vpon þis seruyces þei han þes heiȝe statis & lordischipis. but certis it is foul ypocrisie þus to suffre synne regne, siþ lordis and men of grete statis, as maires, ben so muche biholden to destroie it, & mowne welle don it in dede, & to lette trewe prechoris of þe gospel, & meyntene prechours of lesyngis, fablis & cronyclys for monye & worldely frendschipe.
Capitulum 11. [This is headed Chap. XII. in X. In AA Chap. IX. and X. are run together, and this is marked Chap. X.]
But ȝit ypocrisie of phariseis is most cursed & perilous of alle oþere; for whanne þei han disceyued cristendom þis hundrid ȝeer & more bi ypocrisie & false prechynge of fablis & errouris & heresies, magnifyenge synful mennus ordenaunce
