of Goddis lawe therto hem comaunding and binding, or ellis thei lyueden thanne so in her pouerte bi her fre wil forto so lyue or not so lyue.
If thou seie that thei lyueden so, for that Goddis lawe therto hem bonde bi comaundement, and ȝit thei weren [were, MS. (first hand), and so below, p. 318. l. 1.] lay persoones; thanne, sithen oon and the same was and is the lawe of God to hem and alle othere lay men and wommen, it folewith that alle othere lay men of Corinthe, of Philippis, of Thessalo|nie, and of ech citee and cuntre, whom Poul had conuertid, were bounden aftir her conuersioun forto lyue in lijk pouerte, as weel as the seid Cristen mul|titude in Ierusalem lyued. Which openli is vntrewe. Forwhi Poul suffride alle hem whiche he conuertid forto haue alle her godis aftir her conuersioun, whiche thei hadden bifore her conuersioun; and he askid of hem, that thei schulden of her ricchessis and of her habundaunce in godis sende sum almes to poor men in Ierusalem, as it is open ofte in hise epistlis. Wher|fore vntrewe it is, that the seid Cristen multitude in Ierusalem lyueden in her seid pouerte bi comaunde|ment of Goddis lawe.
And aȝenward, if thou wolde seie that thei so lyueden bi fre wil forto so lyue or not so lyue with|out comaundement of Goddis lawe; thanne folewith ther of, that to the same or lijk maner of lyuyng noon othere Cristen men weren thanne or ben now bounde; no more than thei weren thanne to thilk poor maner of lyuyng bounde. And so the seid ensaumpling of thilk Cristen multitude in Ierusalem bindith no man.
Also thilk multitude weren lay persoones. Wher|fore if her gouernaunce in lyuyng poorli schulde binde bi ensaumpling, it schulde binde lay men and lay
