ale or beer, of whiche so myche horrible synne cometh, myche more than of setting up of ymagis, or of pil|grymagis; and the defautis doon aboute ymagis and pilgrimagis ben myche liȝter and esier to be amendid, than the defautis comyng bi making of ale and of beer. And also here with it is trewe that without ale and bere, and without sidir and wijn and meeth, men and wommen myȝte lyue ful long, and lenger than thei doon now, and in lasse iolite and cherte of herte forto bringe hem into horrible grete synnes. And ȝit thou wolte seie that forto make ale and beer and forto drinke hem is the seruice of God, and is merytorie, and therfore is the lawe of God: for bi no deede a man schal plese God and haue merit and meede, saue bi deede of his seruice; and ech deede which is his seruice is a deede of his lawe.
That in Holi Scripture is noon of these now rehercid gouernauncis groundid or witnessid or ensaumplid bi eny persoon expresseli, lo, y proue thus: No thing is expresseli spoken of in Scripture, which is not there in special openli named; but so it is, [is is interlineated in a later hand, which has also made some erasures.] that neither breche of lay man, neither gown, neither cloke, neither wommanis lynnen or silken couercheef, neither clock, neither Englisch tunge or langage, [After this follows, neither Latyn tunge or langage, but a later (?) hand has drawn a pen through it; rightly. See Luke xxiii. 38. But very possibly Pecock wrote it, since he was capable of making such a blunder as to say that a cloak is not mentioned in Scripture.] neither ale, neither bere is spokun of there in special and bi name. Wher|fore the vce of these thingis, as to be doon bi tho thingis, is not there expressid. Also thus: No gouer|naunce or treuthe is expresseli groundid or witnessid in Holi Scripture, which mai not be knowen [knowe, MS. (first hand).] bi the Scripture aloone, without more sett therto of propo|cisiouns
