[6-text p 598] been ȝe more foulere; for ȝoure longe contynuynge therin / & ȝoure synful vsage / for whiche ȝe been rotyn in ȝoure synne; as beste in his dunge [140] Sweche manere of thoughtis makyn a man to haue schame of hise synnys / & no delit / As god seyth by the prophete Eȝechiel / [141] ȝe schal remembre ȝow of ȝoure weiis / And thi schul displese ȝow sothly / Synnys been the weyis that ledyn folk to helle [142]
THe secunde cause that oughte to meue a man to haue disdeyn of synne; is this / as seith seint Petyr / who so that doth synne is thral of synne / & synne puttyth a man in gret thraldam / [143] And ther|fore seyth the prophete Eȝechiel / I wente sorweful in disdeyn of myn self ¶ Certis weel ouȝte a man / haue disdayn of synne & withdrawyn hym from that thraldam & vilenye / [144] And lo what seyth Seneca / in this matere he seith thus ¶ Thow I wiste that / neythir god ne man ne schulde neuere knowe it / ȝit wolde I haue disdayn for to do synne / [145] And the same Seneca also seyth / I am born to grettere thyngis / than to ben thral to myn body . or than for to makyn of myn body a thral / [146] ne a foulere thral may no man maken of his body; than for to ȝeuyn his body to synne / [147] Al were it the fouleste cherl or the fouleste woman / that leuyth & lest of valew / ȝit is he thanne more foul & moore in seruitute / [148] euere from the heyere degre that man fallyth; the more is he thral / & the moore to god & to the world vile & abomyn|nable / [149] ¶ O goode god wel oughte man haue greet disdeyn of synne / sythe that thorw synne / there he was fre / now is he makid bonde / [150] And therfore seyth seynt Augustyn ¶ If thow haue disdayn of thyn seruaun[t] / ȝif he haue gilt or synne Haue thow thanne disdayn / that thow thyn self schuldyst doon synne / [151] take reward of thyn value / that thow ne be to foul to thyn self // [152] Also weel auȝte they thanne haue disdayn / to been
