þis was euere ony almes to make þus siche cayms castels. soþely in þe olde lawe was salomons temple a figure of þe chirche in þe newe lawe, but not þat þe chirche shulde be siche, but fre & large vndir þe cope of heuene, & stonde in vertues of mannus soule; but anticrist wole close it nou in coolde stones þat moten perisshe. & þus þis founding vn|groundid was noon almes at þe bigynnyng, & it is not aftir quykenyd to be almes wiþ-oute skile; but almes were to sue crist & ordeyne mennus lif aftir his lawe. crist is god þat chalengiþ propre to ordeyne siche [page 33] perpetuytes, for he is lord wiþ-outen ende; who dare take fro hym þis lordchip? do men good for þer lif, & ȝyue þei to crist perpetuyte, for he can & may do þis as hym likiþ in his chirche. & þus errour in siche synnes haþ destried many kynredis & punysshid many soulis in helle, who so wyste þe soþe bi crist. & þus siche charteres of seculer lordis & of popis ben ofte witnessis of þe errours of þer eldris þat weren grounderis of þes synnes.
Capitulum 11m.
but ȝit anticrist grucchiþ & seiþ þat þis is heresye, for it techiþ a weye bi which hooly chirche shulde be destried. for ȝif þer were no pope in erþe ne no cardenals his felowis, þer were no patriarkis, ne archibischops, ne bischops, ne erchedekenes, ne officials, ne persouns, ne prestis. & ȝif þes ordris perisshiden þus, erþely lordis shulden sunnere perische, & so þe chirche shulde dwelle wiþ-outen ordre, as fendis wanten ordre in helle & ben in horrour wiþ-outen ende. Heere it haþ be seyd ofte bi witnesse of trewe men þat þer mut nedis be an ordre of þre partis of þe chirche, þat ben clerkis, lordis & comyns, & in ech of hem is ordre. for crist, þat is boþe god & man & heed & ground of hooly chirche, puttide þis ordre pleynly & ȝaf lawis to contynue it, & a man may no more shewe þat he is anticrist hym silf þan to reuerse
