Marginaliaand yet hateth the Gospell.made, and in this ministrels bene better then ye: for they contraryen not to the myrthys that they maken but ye contraryen the Gospell both in word and dede.

19 Frere, whē thou receiuist a peny for to say a masse: whether sellest thou Gods body for that peny, or thy prayer, or els thy trauel? MarginaliaIudas for 30. pence, but the priest and frier for 4. pēce selleth Christ. A cōparison betwen Iudas and the frier.if thou sayest thou wolt not trauele for to say the Masse but for the peny, and certes if this be soth then thou louest to litell mede for thy soule, & if thou sellest Gods body, other thy prayer: then it is very simonie and art became a chapmā worse than Iudas that solde it for thirty pens.

20 Why writest thou her names in thy tables that yeueth the money? MarginaliaThe Frier writeth because God forgetteth.sith God knoweth al thing: for it semith by thy wryting: that God wolde not rewarde hym, but thou write in thy tables, God wolde els forgetten it.

Why berist thou God an honde and sclandrest hym, that he begged for his mete? sith he was Lord ouer all, for then had he ben vnwise to haue begged, and haue no nede therto?

Frere after what law rulest þ^u the? where findest thou in Gods law that thou shouldest thus begge?

21
What maner men nedeth for to begge?
for whom oweth such men to begge?
Why begest thou so for thy brethren?

If thou sayst, for they haue nede, then thou doest it for the more perfeccion: or els for the lest, or els for þ^e meane. Yf it be the most perfeccion of all: then shuld all thy brethren doe so, and then noman neded to begge but for him selfe: for so shulde no man begge but him ne dyde. And if it be the lest perfeccion, why louest thou then other men more then thy selfe? For so thou arte not well in charitie, sith thou shouldest seke the more perfeccion after thy power, liuyng thy selfe most after God: & thus leuing that imperfeccion thou shouldest not so begge for them. And if it is a good meane thus to begge as thou doest, then shulde no man do so but they ben in this good meane, and yet such a meane graunted to you may neuer be grounded in Gods lawe: for then both leryd and lewed that ben in meane degree of this world, shulde go about and begge as ye do: MarginaliaIt is better to labour and geue: then to loyter & beg, M. Frier.and if all such shuld do so, certes well nygh all the worlde shulde go about and begge as ye done, and so shulde there be tenne beggers against one yeuer.

Why procuryst thou men to yeue the ther almys, & sayst it is so medefull, and thou wilte not thy selfe winne the that mede.

22 Why wilte thou not begge for the poore bedred men than ben porer then any of your secte, that liggen & mow not go about to helpe him selfes, sith we be all brethren in God, and that bretherhed passeth any other that ye or any man coude make: and where most nede were, there were most perfecciō, either els ye hold thē not your pure brethrē but worse: but thē ye be imperfit in your beggīg.

Why make ye you so many maisters among you: sith it is against the teaching of Christ and his Apostell.

23 Whose bene all your riche courtes that ye han, and all your riche iuelis: sith ye seyne that ye han nought in proper ne in commen. Yf ye sayne they bene the Popes? MarginaliaFriers beg frō all men to make the pope ryche.why gether ye then of poore men and of Lordes so much out of the kinges hand to make your pope riche. And sith ye sayen that it is great perfecciō to haue nought in proper ne in commen? why be ye so fast about to make the pope that is your father riche, and put on him imperfeccion? MarginaliaIf it be imperfectiō to be ryche, why do the Friers desire to make the pope vnperfect.sithen ye sayne that your goodes ben all his, and he shulde by reason be the most perfite man, it semeth open lyth that ye bene cursed children so to sclander your father, and make him imperfite. And if ye sayne that the goodes be yours, then do ye ayenst your rule: and if it be not ayenst your rule, then might ye haue both plough & carte and labor as other good men done, and not so to begge by losengery, and idell as ye done. Yf ye say, that it is more perfeccion to begge then to trauell or worch with your hande, why preach ye not openly and tech allmen to do so: sith it is the best and most perfite life to the helpe of theyr soules as ye make children to begge that might haue ben riche heyres.

23 Why make ye not your festes to poore men and yeuith hem yeftes, as ye done to the riche? sith poore men han more nede then the riche,

What betokeneth that ye go tweyne and tweyne together? If he be out of charitie, ye accorde not in soule.

Why begge ye, and take salaries therto more then other prestes? sith he þ^t most taketh, most charge hath.

24 Why holde ye not saint Fraunces rule and his testement? MarginaliaIf Fraunces order be contrary to Christ hys testament, then is Fraunces accursed.sith Fraunces saith, that God shewed him this liuing and this rule: and certes if it were Gods will, the pope might not for do it: or els Fraūces was a lyer that said on this wise. And but this testament that he made, accorde with Gods will: els erred he as a lyer that were out of charitie, and as the law sayth, he is cursede that letteth the right full last will of a dede man. And this testament is the last will of Fraunces that is a dede man: it semeth therfore that all his freres ben cursed.

25 Why will ye not touche no coyned money with the crosse ne with the kinges hedde, as ye done other Iuelys both of gold and siluer? Certes if ye despise the crosse or the kinges hedde, thē ye be worthy to be despised of God and the Kyng: MarginaliaHe that is more holy in hand then in hart, is false to God.and sith ye wylle receaue money in your hartes, and not with your handes, it semith that ye hold more holynesse in your handes then in your hartes, and then be false to God.

26 Why haue ye exempte you fro our Kinges lawes, and visiting of our bishops more then other christen men that liuen in this realme: MarginaliaA subiect to execpt him self from the lawes of hys prīce smelleth of treason.if ye be not giltie of traytery to our realme, or trespasers to our bishops. But ye will haue the Kinges lawes for trespas do to you, and ye will haue power of other bishops more thē other prestes, and also haue leue to prison your brethren as Lordes in your courtys more then other folkys han, that bene the Kynges leage men.

27 Why shall some secte of you freres pay ech a yeare a certaine to her generall prouinciall or minister, or els to her souereins: MarginaliaFriers are forced to be theues.but if he stele a certaine nomber of children (as some men sayne) and certes if this be soth, then be ye cōstrayned vpon certayne paine to do theft against Gods commandement. Non furtum facies.

28 Why be ye so hardy to graunt by letters of fraternite to men and women, that they shall haue part and merite of all your good dedes, and ye wyten neuer whether God be a paid w^t your dedes, bicause of your sinne. MarginaliaWorkes of supererogatiō.Also ye weten neuer whether that man or woman be in state to be sauyd or damned, then shall he haue no merite in heuyn for hys owne dedes ne for none other mans. And all were it so, that he shuld haue parte of your good dedes: yet shulde ye haue no more then God wolde geue him after that he were worthy: and so much shall ech mā haue of Gods yefte without your limitation. MarginaliaGod is the limiter of meede and reward, & not the Frier.But if ye will say that ye ben Gods felowes, and that he may not do without your assent, then be ye blasphemers to God.

29 What betokeneth that ye haue ordeyned, that whē suche one as ye haue made your brother or sister, & hath a letter of your seale, that letter mought be brought in your holy chapter, and there be rad, or els ye will not pray for him. And but ye willen pray specially for all other that were not made your brethren or sistren? MarginaliaFriers will not pray but for thē that be of their fraternitie.then were ye not in right charite: for that ought to be commē and namely in gostely thinges.

30 Frere, what charite is this to ouercharge the people by mighty begging vnder colour of preching, or praying, or masses singyng? sith holy write byddeth not thus, but euen the contrary: for all such gostly dedes shuld be done frely as God yeueth them frely.

31 Frere, what charite is this to begyle childrē or they commen to discretion, and bynde hem to your orders þ^t byn not grounded in gods law, against her frendes will: