take we þe helme of ȝele, þat is good hope, and þe swerd of þe Spirit, þat is Goddis worde, boþ to strik wiþ, and to vndirnem misdoars, and to defend hem of. But if þei sei may we not vndir|stond, appily þei wot not, for God may ȝeue vndirstonding to wam he will. And if þei suppose hem to han, and of God, so may God delen it til an oþer, and þerfor may þe first wit if þei sey þei haue not, þan are þe foolis to deme men. And þan dar I wel sey, þei vndirstond not þeis men, þat þei wet weþer þei sey wel or iuel. If þei sei we can not, or we vndirstond amis, pray we hem, for Ihu sak, to enform us, bi þe trowþ of holy writt, and trowþ brout out bi resoun, þat may not fayle, and bi sensible trowþ, and be we euer more redy to be mendid bi þe trouþ of Crist, for we are not so sikir þat we be wiþ out faut, error, and vnkunning. Þerfor þat we may cum out, and cum to þe knowing of trowþ, and lif þer after, euer pray we to Ihu Crist.
XXVIII. Of vowe.
An oþer is put and is askid þus; þat þe vowe of religioun is aȝen Cristis gospel. To þis I haue seid þus, þat þe name of religioun is takun in mani maneris; os sum tyme for þe trowþ þat rewliþ a man to serue duly his makar. And sum tym for þe act and þe state procedyng of þis religioun. And þe þrid, materialy, for þe personis þus enclinid. And þus þe keping of Cristis lawe is callid religioun, bi holy writ, and holy doctors. In þe secound maner are religious callid þoo þat departun from oþer puple bi sectis foundun, and bi tradicouns, and oþer sensible ritis. And in þis maner wer þer þre sectis among þe Jury, Phariseis, and Esseis, and Saduceis. Eft it be howuiþ to not, þat to a wowe is a resonable creature to obey him to his souereyn, to kep sum hard þing þat is sensible, or vnsible, a bout þing ay lasting or temporel, wise or vnwyse; wise, wan it is acording to God, efter his lawe to þe worschip of God, and profiȝt of þe vowar; vnwise, wan it is only about temporal þingis, or vnhonest, or vnprofitable to soule hele; werfor it be howuiþ þe vowar be in fredam, hauing feruor to do plesing Goddis
