trewe Apostlis diden. Wherfore folewith needis that the seid ije. opinioun is vntrewe.
Tho textis of Holi Scripture, whiche ben alleggid bifore in the firste chapiter for grounding of the ije. opinioun, doon no thing therto. Forwhi, thouȝ it mai be had bi tho textis that God schal ȝeue and do singulerli and notabili to meke men for her mekenes, certis ȝit bi noon of thilk textis is had, that God schal ȝeue or do into the wit or vndirstonding of ech meke man eny ȝifte aboue the ȝifte which he wole ȝeue into the resoun or vndirstonding of vnmeke men. And therfore thilke textis speken in so general maner of the visiting to be doon bi God to meke men, that thei mowe be verrified in manye othere wisis and for manye othere visitingis, than ben the visitingis and the ȝiftis of kunnyng. And verili to seie in myn ex|perience, ful manye passyng meke men y haue knowe, whiche han be ful lewid in the knowing of moral vertu and han be ful of doutis, ȝhe, and han be the lewedir bi so miche that thei laborid euere in meke|nes forto haue it in greet mesure, whilis thei myȝten [myȝte, MS. (first hand).] haue laborid forto haue had kunnyng of moral ver|tuosenes. And thus miche is ynouȝ for improuyng and reprouyng of the ije. opinioun.
The iije. opinioun put bifore in the first chapiter [See p. 7.] of this present book muste needis be vntrewe, for he is aȝens Holi Scripture and also aȝens resoun.
He is aȝens Holi Scripture; forwhi i. Petri iije. capitulum. it is writun in sentence thus: That ech Cristen man schulde be redi forto answere and ȝeue satisfac|cioun to ech asker of him resoun (that is to seie, argument) vpon his feith and his hope; and so wole not the iije. opinioun graunte or suffre. Also Iohun vje. capitulum. it is had, that mennis goode werkis ben not oonli the werkis of her affect and wil and the out|ward
