not Crist tho same religiouns to be had and vsid; sithen he couthe haue ordeyned tho religiouns as weel as men couthen fynde hem and devise hem, and sithen he loueth us and wilneth oure goostli profit more than we silf willen, forwhi for oure goostli profit he soore laborid, suffrid, and died? Wher upon it myȝte be argued in forme thus: Crist, which was oure grettist louer and oure best prower, ordeyned al that was best for us to haue and al that is notabili bettir to be had than to not be had; for ellis he hadde not be anentis us to gidere wijsist purueier and ten|dirist louer: but so it is, that Crist not ordeyned these spokun religiouns, forwhi it is bifore grantid in the [ie.] [Spaces left in the MS. for the references. See p. 483.] chapiter of the [ve.] [Spaces left in the MS. for the references. See p. 483.] parti and it is openli trewe that men founde hem and devisid hem, and that now late summe and manye of hem: wherfore thei ben not necessarie, neither thei ben in notable degre bettir to be had or to be not had.
The iiije. semyng skile is this: If for to haue reli|gioun and religiosite set to the comoun lawe of God maad of lawe of kinde and of sacramentis is leeful, good, and profitable, whi mai not this good and profit sufficientli be performed and fillid bi oon or ij. or a fewe of suche religions had and vsid [had and vsid is added by a later hand.] in the chirche? Skile ther aȝens semeth to be noon, namelich sithen alle tho religiouns had and vsid in the chirche ac|corden and ben as oon in the thre substancial thingis of hem alle, that is to seie in the iij. vowis whiche alle suche religioses maken. Wher fore this that ther ben now in the chirche so manye foold dyuerse reli|giouns and religiosis, (of whiche summe eten fleisch, whanne othere religiosis eten fisch; summe waken, whanne othere slepen; summe weren whijt, summe
