Here it telleþ of prelatis.
Capitulum Primum.
[page 65] Þat prelatis leuen prechynge of þe gospel & ben gostly manquelleris of mennys soulis, And sathanas transfigurid in-to an aungel of liȝt, & ben gostly sodomytis worse þan bodily sodomytis of sodom and gomor. first, crist seiþ in þe gospel of seyn ion þat he was boren & cam in-to þe [John xviii. 37.] world for þis ende, to [betere inserted X.] bere witnesse to treuþe; also crist cam in-to þis world to seke and to saue mankynde, þe whiche was perischid. & certis crist sauyd mannus soule [Luke xix. 10.] bi trewe lyuynge in his owen persone, & trewe & opyn & fre prechynge of þe gospel, & wilful passion & deþ for prechynge & meyntenynge of þe gospel; & to þis same ende & werk crist ordeyned alle his apostlis & disciplis, boþe bi-forn his deþ & after his resurreccion, to preche þus þe gospel to alle men. þanne, siþ prelatis & prestis ordeyned of good comen in þe stede of postlis & disciples, þei ben alle bounden bi ihū crist god & man to preche þus þe gospel. ¶ Also crist biddiþ þries to petir þat ȝif peter loue crist þat [[John xxi. 15.]] he fede his scheep; þat ben cristen soulis; & first fede bi ensaumple of good lif, þe secunde tyme bi trewe techynge of þe gospel, and þe þridde tyme bi wilful suffrynge of deiþ, to make men stable in þe gospel & in hope of blisse: & here-to crist comaunded his disciples to preche opynly þe [[Matt. x. 27, 28.]] treuþe þat þei herden priuely, & drede not men þat turmenten & slen þe bodi, but drede hym þat may putte body & soule in-to helle wiþ-outen ende. ¶ Of þes two gospellis it is cleer þat prelatis þat prechen not þus þe gospel louen not crist, but don fully aȝenst his heste, whanne þei leuen for drede of men to teche þe gospel; & þus þe heȝe prestis ely was dede for he tauȝte not his children goddis lawe and reproued not at þe fulle here synnes, & þe arke ["whiche" both MSS.] or couere of god was conquerid in-to enemyes hondis, & goddis
