schulde holde him silf to be eny ouerer to the lay peple bi his preesthode which he berith to ward hem; but schulde rather in that be a mynystre to the peple, as he is in that a mynystre of God.
The iije. text is writun, Math. xxe. capitulum., where Crist seide to hise disciplis thus: Ȝe witen that princis of hethen men ben lordis of hem, and thei that ben gretter vsen power on hem; it schal not be so among ȝou, but who euer wole be mad gretter amang [Perhaps a clerical error for among.] you, be he ȝoure mynystre, and who euer wole among ȝou be the firste, he schal be ȝoure seruaunt; as Mannys Sone came not to be serued but to serue, and forto ȝeue his lijf redempcioun for manie. Lijk processe thoruȝ out is wrytun, Mark xe. capitulum. Out of this processe semeth to folewe, that preestis ouȝten not haue ouerte among hem silf, oon of hem vpon an other of hem, neither eny preest ouȝte haue ouerte vpon eny lay persoon of hise neiȝboris.
To this obieccioun it mai by summe men be seid, that he procedith not aȝens the present purpos. For|whi tho textis sownen oonli into this, that no preest in that and for that, that he is preest to the lay peple, ouȝte be to hem an ouerer, but rather to hem a mynystre, as in that he is a mynystre of God: and neuerneither of tho textis lettith preestis to be to the lay peple, but rather euereither of hem inplieth [So written at full length in the MS.] in him silf that preestis ouȝten be to the peple. And if this be trewe, certis thanne bi lijk skile neuer|neither of tho ij. textis lettith eny bischop be to preestis, or eny archibischop be to bischopis, or eny pope be to alle archibischopis. Wherfore these ij. textis proceden not aȝens the seid iiije. principal politik gouernaunce as in this, that a bischop be to preestis,
