The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

Also thus: Whanne euere the Apostilis prechiden the Euangelie of God, thanne thilk Euangelie was. For whi no thing was prechid, eer than it was: but so it is that the Euangelie of God was prechid bi the Apostlis soone aftir the Pentecost day, whanne thei hadden receyued the Holi Goost and kunnyng of langage, and whanne thei continueden so in preching bi manye ȝeeris eer they wroten. Wher fore the Euangelie of God (which Poul and othere Apostilis prechiden) was, eer any word was writen of the Newe Testament. And if this be trewe, thanne sithen the ije. seid text of Poul spekith of noon other Euangelie than of the Euangelie of God, for neither he neither eny creature ouȝte seie him to haue a propre Euangelie bisidis the Euangelie of God, it folewith nedis that Poul in his ije. text bifore alleggid, ij. Cor. xiiije. [Written on erasure. Read iiije] capitulum., meeneth and vnderstondith of this Euangelie of God, which was bifore and eer than the Newe Testament was writen, and eer than this writing which we now han of the Newe Testament was, and so not as forto signifie this writing of the Newe Testament the ije. text ouȝte take his dew vnderstonding. [vnderstondinging, MS.] Certis stories maken mension that Matheu wrote what he wrote of the Gospel in the xle. ȝeer of Crist, and Mark wrote what he wrote of the Gospel in the xliije. ȝeer of Crist, and Luk, (as it is open bi his owne prolog into what he wrote of the Gospel,) he wrote aftir othere writers, and (as summe stori seith) Iohun wrote what he wrote of the Gospel aboute the eende of his lijf aftir his comyng fro exile after the lxxxe. ȝeer of Crist. Wherto sowneth sumwhat the epistle which Dionyse wrote to Iohun being in exile, as thouȝ Dionise schulde in thilk epistle haue prophecied Iohun to be delyuered fro exile and forto write of the Gospel of