himsilf reprouiþ hem þat erren vnknowing þe scripture and þe vertu of God.
XXI. Law canoun contrary to God's law. Decretests. Egipcyans. Goddis law blasfemid.
An oþer poynt is þis; þat law canoun is contrary to Goddis lawe, and þat decretistis, as to þat part of wysdam þat þei haue of þe worldis wisdam, are Egipciens. And þat bi sciens of canoun holy writ is blasfemid, ȝhe God himsilf, þat is þe lawe ȝefar. And þat it were nede þis sciens as kaf for gret part to be clensid out of þe chirche. In þeis þingis I knowleche þat I haue rehersid þe seyngis of doctoris, Parisiens and oþer. Of þe wilk on seiþ þus, [Parisiens.] þe lawe to be contrary to þe gospel moraly, wan it is not wiþ it to help to þe perfeccoun of þing þat þe gospel schewiþ and biddiþ to be done, but in ani maner is þer aȝen, in ani tyme, for ani cause letting or troubling, or tarying after þe sentence of Crist, þat seiþ, [Matt. xijo.] he þat is not wiþ me, he is aȝens me, and he þat gedreþ not wiþ me, he sckateriþ a brod. And so, syn þe law of þe gospel is cha|rite, riȝtfulnes, trouþ, euenhed, mercy, clennes, and pes of God, were þat ani law in ani maner helpiþ not þis, but to strif and debat, to wrong, prid, and lust, and to swilk oþer, dowtles it is aȝen þe lawe of God. Goddis law is riȝt ordeynd be God alone, explanid bi Crist in word and dede, as law of þe gospel; and þus law of þe gospel is callid multitud of trewþis þat Crist haþ tawt, namli, to rewle his peple; law canoun is callid law ordeynid of prelats of þe kirk, and pronounce to constreyn rebell bi holy rewl, and it may be vnderstondyn as þei ben contrari to þe lawe of þe gospel, as are many decretal epistlis, and generaly alle þe tradicouns of þe dowing of þe kirk fro þe tyme of Constantyn; or as þey comoun to þe law of þe gospel os articlis of þe feiþ, in holy seynoȝis and counseils, for os man is þe same in cloþis and deedis, bringing in knowing, so þe sam is þe law or trowþ of þe gospel inpliȝed or opunid bi þe kirk after ward, oþer wise, but not contrari, explanit. As it semiþ bi þe feiþ þat we trowe nor þe lawe canoun takiþ not inpungning of þe law of God as to þis part, but as to þe toþer part,
