passion. But [page 26b] siluestir did on þe contrari wise; for whan he was sowȝte to passion, he hidde hym sijlfe, as þe storie of [John xviii. [4.]] hym telliþ. And whan he was callid to þe state of þe emperoure or worldly dignite, he in a maner proferid hym self; in als myche as he manly wiþstode not þe hidous & synfulle purpose of þe emperoure, but cowerdly consentid to his foly. And certis I drede not þat he had neuer better cause of martirdome þan to haue wiþstonde þis foli of þe emperour, in case þat he wolde by violence haue enforsid hym to þis lordeschip. For as a man may conceyue, in partye of þat þat is saide before, & of euydence þat wiþ goddis help schal sue her-aftir, þis wickid dede was peruertynge of cristis ordenances in [page 27] his chirche, & harmfulle & destruction to euery state þerof, & will be fynal confusion þerof but ȝif it be remedied. And so þis man had neuer so grete cause to fle & to hide hym self as whan he was callid to þis rialte; and þat he myȝte haue lernyd of criste, þat schulde haue be his maister, þat in þe same case fled & hidde hymself. And þouȝ vnkunnyngnes myȝte sumdele excuse þe emperour; ȝit þat myȝt not excuse þis preste, þat owȝte to knowe, as a þinge chefly bilongyng to his perfeccion, þat he schulde not be a lorde on þat wise. For no man may putt an oþir grounde biside þat [þat] is putt whiche is criste ihesu.
Capitulum vj.
aNd so who so lokiþ wel þe dede of siluestir, it was [page 27b] ex|presly aȝens þe lyuynge & þe techynge of ihesu criste, as it is openli tawȝt bifore. And siþ þe endowynge of þe clergi is groundid vp-on þis dede, we may se by þis processe how þe clergi is wondirfulle enfect wiþ symonye & heresie. For þis sinne in hem may not be vndo till þe temporalle lordeschip in hem be distried, whiche haþ envenemyd alle þe clergi. & ȝif we taake hede to þis processe, we schal not myche wondir, all|þouȝ
