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Whi, axist thou ferthermore,
wil we not shryven
ne birien the pore
as wel as the riche,
and do other dedes of almes
done at her nede?
But if we schryve not the pore,
whi ben perssons so wrothe,
and paroche preestes also,
for schryvynge of her paishens?
For every Lenten us aȝen
thei aleggen the lawe
off omnis utriusque sexus,
with the favourable glooses.
But, Jak, do thi won,
and lette not to lyene;
I have as leef thy leesing
as thi soth saw.
Ffor who is oonis suspect,
he is half honged.
Thou seis that we prechen
fallace and fables,
and not Goddis gospel
to good undirstondinge;

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and we ben more holdun therto
than to alle other reulis.
For we wynnen more therwith
than Crist and his apostlis,
what we ben holdun
and wil not forsake.
For moche of oure lyvynge
is of the gospel;
so dide Poul
and other disciples,
and lyvede of colectis
made generali bi chirchis,
ffor sustinance of prechours,
and also of the pore.
And if thou leve not me,
loke Poulis pistlis,
and the glose therwith,
and there thou shalt fynde it.

Quis, inquit, militat suis stipendiis unquam? Et iterum, Dominus ordinavit iis qui evangelium annunciant de evangelio vivere.

And so to his prechours
Crist also thus seide,

In quamcunque domum intraveritis, manete in eadem edentes et bibentes, etc., dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Et ad Romanos, Probaverunt Macedones et Achaia collationem facere in pauperes sanctorum qui sunt in Jherusalem.


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Aȝens that that thou saist that we prechen
but fallace and fables,
and leve the gospel
that moste us al save,
loke that every werke is knowen,
plenili bi his eende,
and so the peple hath the pathes
of feith and of bileve,
and God woote freres prechinge
hath wrouȝt to this ende.

90

But ȝe han cast cursidly
Cristendome to distroye,
and of Cristis gospel
make Machometis lawe,
aȝens whom with opin mouth
other while we romee,
and sum tyme brynge ȝou til a bay
if God wil it graunte.
For this cause ȝe calle us
bastard branchis,
pursuyng preestes to prisoun
and to fire also;
but, Jak, thei ben bastard braunches
that launchen from oure bileve,
and writhyn wrongli away
from holy chirche techinge,
siche beren yvel fruyte
and soure to atasten,
worthi to noon other good,
but in the fire to brenne;
and so for to pursue an heretike
to fire or to prisoun,
I holde it more holsum
than to halewe a chirche,
inprisonynge of the poysen
that mortherith many soulis,

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aftir Cristis doctrine
in the holy gospel.

Omnis, inquit, arbor quæ non fert fructum bonum, excidetur, et in ignem mittetur. Et iterum, Qui non manserit in me, mittetur foras sicut palmes, et arescet, et colligent, et in ignem mittetur.

Disseverynge ȝou from the tree
that is Crist him silfe.
But how shulden freres
pursue heresie,
and many of hem wite not
what heresie meneth.
Jak, I am not lettered,
but I am frere Dawe,
and can telle wel a fyn
what heresie amounteth;
heresie, that is Grw,
is divisioun on Latyn,
the whiche in oure langage
meneth sunderyng and partyng.
He thanne that sundrith him
from Crist and his chirche,
and frely forgith sentences
contrarious to oure feith,
siche manere of forgers
heretikes we callen,
and also her felowis

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taken the same name,
and her sory sentences
ben clepid heresies,
but namely when thei ben holdun
of obstinat hertis.
And I shal this mater
more largely declare.
Sixe maner of heretikes
ben foundun in the lawe.
For he is callid an heretike
that rasith oure bileve;
and he is callid an heretike
that heresies sowith,
as Arrians, Wyclyfanes,
Sabellyanes, and other;
and the corruptours of scripturis
heretikes ben holdun,
that other wise undirstondin
than the Holi Goost techith.
Also we clepen hem heretikes,
that sacramentis sellyn,
or ben from hem dividid
bi cursynge of the chirche.
He is also an heretike
that doutith our bileve,
and with a litil evydence
goith out of the waye.
And also an heretike

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him shulde we holde
that distrieth privyleges
grauntid of the pope.
This sixe maners
put Hostiensis in his Summe,
and if this sentence be soth,
y can noon other seien,
but thou and thi secte
ben heretikes alle.
 
Daw, hou maist thou saye for shame
that Crist stale thus childre,
and Poule beggid as ȝe don,
ȝe lyven bi the gospel?
ȝee, Dawe, ȝe selle derrere
lesynges and poyson,
than ever did Poule
alle his holy writyng;
ever thou likynest ȝou to Crist,
whan ȝe ben verrei Anticrist.
And if bisshopes byside wel to knowe
alle ȝour dedes,
thai founde ȝou werse than harlotes,
or jogulours ether;
ffor ȝe begge or ȝe preche
many tymes and oft,
somen men and threten hem,
bot if thai ȝif ȝou gode.
Bot the harlot wil drawe
the blode of his arse,
or he ask any gode,
or any rewarde.
And, Dawe, truly ȝour dedes
contrarie Crist.

Mordent dentibus et prædicant pacem, et si quis non dederit in ore eorum quippiam, sanctificant super eum prælium.

Daw, here thou blaberist togedir
falsenes and trouthe;
ffor a bastarde is he
that holdith aȝenes the sothe.
God and trwe men discusse
wher that be ȝe or I.
Ffor if thou seyst holi chirche
the techyng of Crist,
the reules of apostles,
the lyf of hem alle,
I summitte me to hem,
and wil wile I lyve.
If thou callist, Dawe,
ȝour Dominikis reules,
with determinacion
of many false prestes,
holi chirche, as I wene,
as oft thou hast done,
I forsake the for ever,
with this cursid chirche,

Odivi ecclesiam malignantium.

If thou purposist to pursuwe
and drawe men to dethe,
I mervel not meche,
for it is thin office.
The fadires of freres,
whiche were the Pharisees,
pursuwed Crist to the paynful dethe,
ȝe, callid hym a blasfeme,
as ȝe clepen hem heritikes
that holde aȝenes ȝour falsehede,
alle if thai men truthe.

Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.