than he seide in the bifore rehercid wordis, if bi hise wordis he wolde haue meened that the endewing of the clergie hadde be yuel doon. For he muste haue seid thus miche: "Alwey and euer sithen the chirche wexid in possessiouns he decrecid in vertues, and thilk wexing in possessiouns was cause or occasioun of thilk decrecing in vertues; therefore this endew|ing of the chirche in possessiouns was yuel doon." And if thou bere him an hond that he meened so myche bi hise bifore rehercid wordis, thouȝ he not alle hem out spake, certis ȝit y schal proue that of al this meenyng, thus largeli born an hond to him, folewith not the seid endewing to be yuel doon and to be vnleeful. Forwhi, if he meened that the seid endewing was cause of the seid chirchis decrecing in vertues, he seide not ther yn trewe; sithen it is proued bifore in the viije. [vij e., MS.] chapiter, and schal more be proued aftir in the [A space left in the MS. for the number. See Part iv. ch. iii.] chapiter, that such endewing is not cause but occasioun oonli of moral yuel. And if this Fader meened that the seid endewing was oc|casioun oonli of the seid chirchis decrecing, ȝit therof folewith not the seid endewing to be yuel doon and to be vnleeful, as is proued bifore ful pleinli in the vije. chapiter of this present iije. partie. Forwhi than God hadde yuel do in endewing Lucifer with so greet fairnes, and in endewing men with her tungis; and so in no wise bi, fro, and out of this seid Fadris wordis, thouȝ thei weren trewe, folewith the seid riche endewing of the clergie to be vnleeful or to be yuel doon.
xj. CHAPITER.
FERTHERMORE for to trete upon this Fadris seiyng, thouȝ this what is now seid and proued, (that the
