THE SIXTH BOUGH OF AVARICE.
The sixth bough of avarice is simony, which is so named because of a wizard, that was called Simon, who wished to buy of St. Peter the Apostle the grace to do miracles, and offered great wealth, and therefore all those are called Simoniacs, that will sell or buy spiritual things, which is, among all the deadly sins, one of the greatest. And this bough has many twigs. The first is in them that sell or buy the holy orders, or the body of our Lord, or the other sacraments of holy Church. The second is in them that sell God’s Word, and preach principally for pence. The third is in them that by gifts, or by promises, or by entreaties dreadful or carnal, prevail so far that they or others are chosen to dignities of holy Church, such as bishoprics, abbeys, or deaneries, or other dignities that one fills by election. The fourth is in them that through gifts, or through promises, or through terrible entreaties, or through unclean service, give the prebends and the parishes, or other benefices of holy Church. The fifth is in them that by bargain-making let or change their benefices. The sixth is in them that by bargain-making go into religion, and in them that in such manner receive them.
Many other sins there are, and of divers cases, in simony. But they belong more to clerks than to laymen. And this book is made more for laymen than for clerks who have books. But always it is necessary for laymen that they should keep themselves from this sin in three cases. One is when they will help their kin or their friends to rise in dignities of holy Church. The second when they give prebends or benefices that are in their gift. The third when they yield their children to religion. In these three points, if they give or receive gifts or evil entreaties or evil services, they might soon fall into this sin of simony. For, as say the holy writings, there are three kinds of gifts that make simony: gift of land, gift of mouth, as entreaties, gift of uncleanly service. I call uncleanly when the services are done for an uncleanly cause, or principally for a spiritual matter.