þridde maner we seyen þat men ben sclaundrid whan þei ben defamyd of ony kyn þing þat þei have hem amys aboute ony siche þing; and þus many holy men weren sclaundrid of Crist. And so, of þes sevene myraclis, þe laste is þe moste; and alle þes sevene miraclis techen how we shulden love Crist; for we þat weren first blynde bi defaute of feiþ, sen aftir in oure soule what we shulden trowe; and so first crokid in medeful werkes, wandren after in holynesse of lyf; and so first leprous by heresyes of feiþ, ben after clensid of alle þes heresyes; deef men fro Goddis word, heeren his lawe; and dede men in soule bi custome of synne, rysen to spiritual lyf of þer soule; men þat weren pore bifore for þer holy werkes, ben seid good lyvers of him [So in B; hym, C; A has hem.] þat may not erre. And it semeþ þat Jones disciplis saien summe of þes miraclis, or ellis hem alle, in feiþ þat Crist ȝaf hem.
And whan þei weren wente fro Crist, he preiside Joon Bap|tist, techinge þat men shulden not preise a man in his presence ne in presence of his, lest he were a faioure [See Glossary.] . Crist preiside Baptiste, axinge of him þre þingis, so þat þe peple were nedid to graunte þat Joon was holy. Whan ȝe seien Baptist in desert, what wente ȝe to see? sawe ȝe a reede wawinge wiþ þe wynde? nay, suche men ben unstable for lovynge of worldely mukke, for Joon was stable in þe love of God, and so was he groundid in þe stone of riȝt-wisnesse. Or what wente ȝe out to see whan ye wente to see Joon? wher ȝe wenten to see a man cled in softe cloþis? nay, lo, men þat ben cled þus drawen hem to kyngis hous, and ben tenderly fedde wiþ metis þat plesen þe fleishe. For Joon Baptiste was contrarie to such men in boþe þes, siþ he dwelte in desert, and was fedde wiþouten foode þat was maad bi mannis crafte, and so þe world and his fleish overcame he perfitli, and it is no drede to us þe fende hadde þan noon holde in him. But what went ȝe out to see? certis to see a prophete; ȝhe Y seie to you, Joon was more þan a prophete, for Joon hadde office of God to se Crist, and waishe him, and to shewe hym at eye, þat is more þan prophetis office. And he is of whom it is writun, þat þe Fadir spekiþ to þe Sone,
