CAP. II.

THE old testament is departid in to thre parties, in to moral comaundementis, iudicials, and cerimonyals. Moral comaundementis techen to holde and preise and cherishe vertues, and to fle and repreue vicis, and these comaundementis bynden euer, and han strengthe, for tho ben groundid in charite and reson,*. [in reson δει.] and in lawe*. [the lawe ζ.] of kynde. ¶ Judicials techen domes and peynes for orrible synnes, and the iudicials of Moises lawe weren ful iust and profitable for men, for tho weren ordeined*. [endid η.] of God, that may not erre in his domes, and lawis, and workis. Netheles sithen Crist was maad man, and ordeyned lawe of mercy and of charite, and wole not the deth of a*. [Om. δ.] sinful man, but repentaunce and saluacioun, cristen men ben not bounden to kepe the*. [Om. β.] iudicials of Moyses lawe, that was*. [weren δει.] endid in the tyme of Cristis passioun. But ȝit cristen lordis that han the swerd, and ben Goddis vikers, in xiij.*. [the xiij. δεζι.] c^o. to Romayns, moun punishe men, that trespassen openly, in catel and bodyly prisoun, and sumtyme bi bodily deth, whanne the synne may not ellis be distried, neither the comynte*. [comynalte δει.] may ellis*. [not ellis ζ.] be stablishid in pees, as the*. [Om. β.] foure doctours and other latter preuen opynly by holy writ and resoun; but looke that this be don for charite and comyn profit, with mercy and compassioun of bretheren, not for couetise, nether pride, neither for veniaunce of a mannes owne wrong. ¶ Cerymonials techen figuris and sacramentis of the olde lawe, that figureden*. [figuren β.] Crist and his deth, and the misteries of holy chirche in the lawe of grace; and these cerimonials ceessiden outirly, as to obligacioun, in the tyme of Cristis deth, and ben noyful and dampnable to men that kepen tho, and for that the gospel is prechid and knowen generally; for if tho cerymonyes ben kept now, the kepers of tho knowlechen, that Crist is not ȝit comen, neither suffrid deth for mankynde; and this knowleching is opyn heresie*. [errour ether heresie βζ. ether heresie a pr. m.]; for whi the treuthe and fredom of the gospel suffisith to saluacioun with out keping of cerymonyes maad of God in the old lawe, and mych more with out cerimonyes of sinful men and vnkunnynge, that ben made in the*. [Om. η.] tyme of Antecrist, and of vnbyndyng of Sathanas, in xx.*. [the xx. δεζηι.] c^o. of Apocalips. Therfore as it is opyn eresie to seie, that the gospel with his treuthe and fredom suffisith not to cristen mennes saluacioun with outen kepyng of cerimonyes of Goddis lawe ȝouen to Moyses, so it semith opyn heresie to seie, that the gospel with his treuthe and fredom suffisith not to saluacioun of cristen men with out kepyng of ceremonyes and statutis of sinful men and vnkunnynge, that ben maad in the tyme of Sathanas and of Antecrist.