Stanzas 16ÔÇô20 -

16.

Why coveit ye shrift and burying
of other mens parishens,
and none other sacrament
that falleth to christian folke?
Why busie ye not to heare
to shrift of poore folke,
as well as of rich,
lordes and ladies,
sith they mow have more plentie
of shrift-fathers than poore folke mow?
Why say ye not the gospel
in houses of bedred men,
as ye do in rich mens,
that mowe goe to church and heare the gospell?
Why covet you not to burie
poor folk among you,
sith that they been most holy,
as ye saine that ye ben for your povertie?

17.

Why will ye not be at her diriges,
as ye have ben at rich mens,
sith God praiseth him more
than he doth other men?
What is thy prayer worth,
sith thou wilt take therefore?
For all chapmen yee need to bee most wise
for dread of simonie.
What cause hast thou that thou wilt not preach the gospel,
as God saith that thou sholdst,
sith it is the best lore.
and also our beleeve?
Why be ye evill apaid
that secular priestes
should preach the gospell,
sith God himselfe hath bodden hem?

18.

Why hate ye the gospell to be preached,
sith ye be so much hold therto?
For ye win more by yeare
with In principio ,
than with all the rules
that ever your patrones made.
And in this minstrels
ben better than ye;
for they contrarien not
to the mirths that they maken,
but yee contrarien the gospell,
both in word and deed.

19.

Freer, when thou receivest a penie
for to say a masse,
whether sellest thou Gods bodie for that penie,
or thy praier, or els thy travell?
If thou saiest thou wolt not travell
for to say the masse but for the penie,
that certes if this be sooth,
then thou lovest too litle meed for thy soule;
and if thou sellest Gods bodie, other thy prayer,
then it is very simonie,
and art become a chapman worse than Judas,
that sold it for thirtie pence.

20.

Why writest thou hir names in thy tables
that yeveth thee mony,
sith God knoweth al thing?
For it semeth by thy writing
that God would not reward him,
but thou writest in thy tables,
God would els forgotten it.
Why bearest thou God in hand,
and slanderest him,
that he begged for his meat,
sith he was lord over all?
For then had he beene unwise,
to have begged and have no need thereto.
Freer, after what lawe
rulest thou thee?
Where findest thou in Gods lawe
that thou shouldest thus beg?
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