the seid iiije. gouernaunce, thilk doom of resoun schulde be oon of these ij. whiche now next suyngli schulen be here rehercid. But so it is, that noon of these ij. doomes of resoun weerneth and lettith. Wher|fore no doom of cleer resoun it lettith and warneth.
Moche synne and harme cometh into the clergie and into the layfe fro and bi the seid iiije. politik gouernaunce had and vsid in the clergie: wherfore it is not worthi neither leeful it to be had and vsid. Certis this skile and argument is not worth, as ech man mai soone wite, but if he take withinne him and meene openli or priueli that ech gouernaunce and al thing, fro and bi whiche greet synne and harme comen, is [See p. 337, note.] vnleeful and not worthi be had and vsid: for out of this now rehercid sentence or proposicioun the argument muste take his strengthe and proof, if he eny such strengthe schulde haue. But so it is, that this now last rehercid sentence or proposicioun is not trewe. Wherfore the now mad skile and argu|ment is not worth. Forwhi if the argument were worth, thanne bi lijk argument and skile ech gouer|naunce and ech thing fro which and bi which synne and harme comen weren vnleeful and vnworthi to be had and vsid; and so therbi wolde folewe, that forto haue dekenes ouer the lay peple and forto haue preestis ouere dekenys and ouer the lay peple were vnleeful and not worthi be had and vsid; sithen open ynouȝ it is, that in the maner in which synne and yuel cometh fro and bi bischophode and popehode synne and yuel cometh fro and bi bischophode and dekenhode, as pride and extorcioun [synne . . . extorcioun are added in the margin by a later hand, which has made erasures in the text.] and coueitise and ambicioun and symonie and suche othere. And ȝit, who euere wole or nyle, Holi Scripture wole that preesthode and
