God and schulde so haue be, thouȝ Crist hadde not it ensaumplid. And thanne ferther therwith thus: And so it is, that neither bi eny sifficient [So the MS., but perhaps only by a clerical error.] euydence of lawe of kinde, (as soone aftir schal be proued in the next chapiter folewing,) neither bi eny sufficient euydence of Holi Scripture or of other special and peculiar sure weel tried reuelacioun, neither bi eny other wey assignable, cleer and weel disposid resoun can deme and iuge that this seid pouerte was and is and hadde be a comandement to alle Cristene or to preestis oonli, if Crist hadde not it ensaumplid. Wherfore no cleer and weel disposid resoun ouȝte deeme it to be a comaundement to alle Cristene or to preestis for this that Crist it ensaumplid.
What euer skile of resoun can be mad that the seid pouerte is and hadde be a comaundement to preestis or lay men, thouȝ Crist had not it ensaum|plid, riȝt weel may to it be mad cleer answere; what euer text of Holi Scripture therto sowne, (other than thei to whom bifore in this iije. partie answer is mad,) riȝt soone and esili mai to it be mad suffi|cient answere: and what euer extrauagaunt reuela|cioun be pretendid to be had therto, riȝt soone and liȝtli may be schewid that thilk reuelacioun is not autentik and at fulle [the fulle, MS. (first hand).] tried, that he be for a sure and stable trouthe approued. And thus it may be seen, that the ensaumpling of Cristis greet pouerte in abstenyng fro temperal vnmovable possessiouns lettith not preestis forto hem take, receyue, holde, and weel demene into gode vsis.
And ferther, forto seie more in this mater of Cristis ensaumpling, thouȝ it were so that Crist en|saumplid vndir comaundement his seid pouerte to alle preestis; ȝit ech preest, which schulde folewe thilk
