in þis lif, þe more þat men be [omitted X.] occupied abouten mannys lawis þat expounen not þe gospel, þe more þei ben drawen fro þe gospel & þe lesse knowen þat & þe worse kepen it. ¶ Also prelatis maken many newe poyntis of bileue, & seyn þat it [omitted X.] is not ynowȝ to bileue in ihū crist & to be cristened, [Mark xvi. 16.] as crist seiþ in þe gospel of mark, But ȝif a man bileue þat þe bischop of rome be heuyd of holy chirche. And certis þe apostlis of ihū crist constreynenden neuere ony man to bileue þis of hem self, & ȝit þei weren certeyn of here sauynge in heuene; hou schulde þan ony synful wrecche, þat wot neuere where he schal be dampnyd or sauyd, con|streyne men to bileue þat he is heuyd of holy chirche? certis þei constreynen men sumtyme to bileue þat a deuyl of helle is heuyd of holy chirche, whanne þe bischop of rome schal be dampnyd for his cursed endynge in synne.
Capitulum 15m.
Also prelatis magnyfien hem self abouen ihū crist god and man. For ihū crist comaundid & tauȝte opynly þat men schulden not ȝeue credence to hym but ȝif he dede þe werkis of þe fadir of heuene. But oure prelatis chalengen þat we ȝeue credence to hem [omitted X.] where þei don wel or euyl. Also crist seiþ to þe iewis of him self þat þei schullen deme a riȝtful doom & not after þe face. And in his passion tyme [John vii. 24.] crist bade a synful harlot & cursed to bere wittenesse of euyle in cas ȝif crist had seid eny euyle. But oure prelatis þat don euyle boþe in dede, speche & þouȝt, crien kenely þat sugetis schullen not deme hem, þouȝ þei don opynly aȝenst charite. also poul biddiþ þat his sugetis demen þat þing þat [2 Cor. xii. 2.] he seiþ after þat he was rauyschid in-to þe þridde heuene; but oure prelatis wolen not þat we deme here seiynge, þouȝ it be contrarie to goddis lawe opynly, & certis þis is þe deuyl cast of helle to distroie þe treuþe of holy writt & þe lif of ihū crist & his apostlis, and to coloure pride & coueitise
