Crist, or ellis on oþer side weie. What woot þe pope þe stat of contreis of many hundrid myle from him? And wordis of false coveitouse men shulden not in þis lede þe pope; but he shulde lyve as Crist haþ tauȝt, and not þus blyndeli lede þe Chirche. Of þis comen a þousand errours, þat siche prelatis fallen ynne. Þei seien þat þei mai not synne in þis state, as Crist myȝte not; for Crist haþ hiȝt to his Chirche, þat he shal never faile to it; and þus þe pope is God in erþe, and þe moste blessid fadir. Sich heresies ben sowen, þat a man þat lovede Crist, shulde, for to suffre deeþ, aȝens stonde þes heresies; for it were all oon to seie þus, and to putt Anticrist above Crist.
ON EIȜTEÞ DAY OF SEYNT ANDREU [There is an office for the octave of St. Andrew's Day in the Sarum missal, and from it the writer took the gospel here preached upon. The Roman missal has no office for the day.] .
[SERMON LXXXVIII.]
Postquam autem traditus est Johannes.—MARK i. [14.]
ÞIS gospel telliþ, as oþer bifore, of chesing of Cristis Apostlis. And it semeþ þat Crist prechide first whanne Baptist was taken to prisoun. And ȝif Crist prechide privyli bifore Baptist was enprisound, þat was in anoþer manere; for Crist wolde ȝeve Baptiste his time. After þe tyme þat Joon was traied in to þe þrisoun of Eroude cam Jesus in to Galile, prechinge þe gospel of Goddis rewme; and seide, þat tyme is fulfillid, and þe rewme of God shal come. Matheu telliþ how Crist bigan to preche fro þe tyme þat Joon was taken, and toke þe same word for his teme þat Baptist toke whanne he prechide:—Do ȝe pen|aunce, for þe rewme of God shal come. It is knowen of Goddis lawe, how mannis kynde was exilid for synne of our firste fadir þat stood muche in gloterie [See note on p. 302.] ; and so resoun of God axide þat comyng aȝen of þis rewme shulde be gete bi penaunce contrarie to gloterie. And herfore Crist, oure first fadir in
