And herfor saiþ god by his prophete Malachie: "Labia [Mal. ii. [7.]] sacerdotis custodiunt scienciam, et legem exquirunt ex ore ejus, quia angelus domini exercituum est"—"þe lippis of þe prest kepyn kunnynge, and the pepille schul seke þe lawe of his mouþe, for he is þe awngell of god." And herfor criste, supposynge þat þis heuenly kunnynge schuld be in the state of presthode, commaundid hem alle in his ascencyon in þo wordis þat he saide to [page 3b] his apostles, and in hem to alle oþer prestis, as saynt awstyn saiþ in a sermon þat bigynneþ þus: "Si diligenter attendites etcetera," þat þai schulden teche and preche þe gospelle to his peple, þe whiche gospel is heuenly kunnynge. For þis state in þe chirche is þe vicar of þe manhede of criste, as saynt austyn saiþ in a booke þat is alegyd to-fore. And so as criste cam in his manhede to teche and preche þe gospelle and to suffre meekly persecucion þerfore, so schulde þe state of prestis, þat ben vicaris of his manhede, do as he commaundit hem in his ascencyon and oft-times byfore.
To þe þridde persone in trinyte, to whom is apropryd true loue or goode wille to þe fadir & sonne, [page 4] awnsweriþ þe state of þe comonte, þe whiche owiþ true loue & obedyente wille to þe statis of lordis & prestis, as saynt poule techeþ, saynge: "Serui obedite dominis vestris carnalibus cum omni [Eph. vi. [5.]] timore et tremore," þat is: "Seruandis obeyiþ to ȝour temporalle lordis wiþ alle drede and tremblynge." Also saynt poule saiþ þus: "Obedite prepositis vestris; ipsi enim [Heb. xiii. [17.]] vigilant tanquam reddituri racionem pro animabus vestris:" þat is: "obeiþ to ȝoure souereyns; forsoþe þai waken as for to ȝeue acowntis for ȝoure soulis." By þes souereyns is undir|stonde þe state of presthode; þe whiche schulde bisyly wake in studiynge and prechynge of goddis lawe to alle cristen peple, and to ȝeue goode ensaumple in her lyuynge. And in þis euery man [page 4b] is bonden to obey to her doctrine. And þerfore poule saiþ: "Be ȝe fylowers of me as I am of criste." [[1 Cor. xi. 1.]] And efte he saiþ; "þouȝ we or an awngelle of heuen preche [Gal. i. [8.]] to ȝou bysidis þat þat we han prechid, be he acursid." And
