was not for defaut of good wil in the preestis and bischopis lyuyng forto suffre martirdom, if it hadde be profrid to hem and if God hadde purveied so for hem. For y dare weel seie that Ierom, Ambrose, Austin, and Gregori weren as redi in wil forto haue suffrid marterdom, if it hadde be putt to hem, as euer was eny othir preest or bischop which bifore the endewing of the chirche was martirid a this side [seide, MS. (first hand).] the Apostlis: wherfore the holynes was as greet [agreet, MS. (first hand).] in thes persoones not martirid as was in hem, namelich sithen these haboundiden in greet doctrine and in cure mynistring miche aboue hem. Wherfore folewith that tho wordis writun In vitas Patrum, bi whiche it is meened thus, "that alwey and euer, sithen the clergie of the chirche [of the chirche is added in the margin by a later (?) hand.] encrecid in possessiouns, he decrecid in vertues," is [The construction requires are; yet perhaps the scribe is guilt|less.] vntrewe. For in the bigynnyng of the seid endewing and bi long tyme aftir, al the while that weel leerned men and weel proued men in lyuyng were takun into prelacie, the chirche grewe vpward bothe in kunnyng and in lyuyng, as therto ful miche the seid riche endewing helpid; and ther|fore this, that the chirche or the clergie sithen the seid endewing hath decrecid in vertues, came bi an other thing yn and bi an other wey than bi the seid riche endewing; which other thing and wey, if it were kutt awey, the riche endewing schulde do ful miche good and lette miche yuel. And so wolde God that thilk now meened thing and wey were so kutt awey!
Now next aftir this, thouȝ tho wordis writun In vitas Patrum and vndirstondun in the seid menyng were trewe, ȝit that therof [ȝit therof, MS. (first hand).] folewith not the purpos of the argument, which is that the seid riche endewing
