as wijs as thou makist thee in the Bible forto reproue pilgrimage and setting up of ymagis and worschiping doon bifore ymagis, thou couthist not aspie this laste seid point of wommannis coueryng: therfore how thou canst fynde it bi Holi Scripture, lete se; and if thou canst not it fynde, it may be founde and proued so bi Holi Scripture that thou schalt not kunne seie nay; and ȝit it is holde for a dede alloweable and vertuose that wommen were couerchefis, and that men and wommen were gownys and clokis, not withstonding that more synne cometh bi wering of wommennys couercheefis and bi wom|mennys gownis than by vce of ymagis and bi pilgrim|agis, as al the world may wite, if the mater be weel and thriftili examyned, bi what schal be seid and proued of ymagis and of pilgrimagis in the ije. partie of this present book, and bi what is al redi therof clereli seid and proued in The book of worschiping.
Also thou schalt not fynde expresseli in Holi Scrip|ture that the Newe Testament schulde be write in Englisch tunge to lay men, or in Latyn tunge to clerkis; neither that the Oold Testament schulde be write in Englisch tunge to lay men, or in Latyn tunge to clerkis: and ȝit ech of these gouernauncis thou wolte holde to be leeful, and to be a meritorie vertuose moral deede forto therbi deserue grace and glorie, and to be the seruice of God, and therfore to be the lawe of God; sithen bi no deede a man hath merit, saue bi a deede which is the seruice and the lawe of God; and ech moral vertu is the lawe of God, as it is proued weel in othere place [Probably we should read placis.] of my writingis.
Also thus: Where it is [Perhaps we should read, Where is it, &c.; if not, we must under|stand from above, [Thou shalt not find] where, &c.] groundid expresseli in Scrip|ture, that men mowe lete schaue her berdis. And how
