Crist wolde bilde his chirche not upon the persoon of Peter, but upon hise successouris? Oon of these thre thou muste needis graunte; and which euer of these iij. thou wolte graunte, therof folewith weel that it is the wil of God, that upon tho, whiche ben chose in the chirche to be the successouris of Peter, Crist bildid his chirche in erthe. And therof folewith, as it is in lijk maner dryue and concludid in the next bifore going argument, that it is and was the wil of Crist and his prouydence and puruyaunce, that with this hiȝest heed of the chirche schulden be louȝer heedis oon aboue an other, and in the multitude which the good reule of the chirche bi resoun wolde aske. And bi these now bifore mad argumentis the iiije. principal conclusioun of this iiije. partie is sufficientli proued.
The iije. argument into the same iiije. principal con|clusioun is this: Holi Writt of the Newe Testament wole that in the lay partie of Cristen peple be ouerers and netherers fro the louȝest ordre into the hiȝest aboue the comoun peple, as is open ie. Pet. ije. capitulum., where Peter seith thus: Be ȝe suget to ech creature for God, either to the king, as to him that is hiȝer in state; either to dukis, as to thilk that ben sent of him to the vengeaunce of mys doers and to the preising of gode men; for so it is the wille of God, et cætera. And in like maner it is writun, Rom. xiije. capitulum., where Poul seith thus: Euery soule be suget to the hiȝer powers, for ther is no power but of God, et cætera. Therfore he that aȝenstondith power aȝenstondith the ordinaunce of God, et cætera. For princis ben not to the drede [to drede, MS. (first hand).] of good werk, but of yuel, et cætera, for he is the mynystre of God, et cætera. And Crist him silf accordauntli therto in the Gospel, Math. xxije. capitulum., seith thus: Ȝelde ȝe tho thingis whiche ben of Cesar to Cesar, and whiche ben of God to God; and in an
