gretest clerkes of the church, and next folowinge Christ in
livinge, men shulde, for charitè, axe hem some questions, and
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pray hem to grounde their answers in reson and in holy writ; for
els their answere wolde nought be worth, be it florished never so
faire; and, as me think, men might skilfully axe thus of a frere.
1. Frere, how many orders be in erthe, and which is the
perfitest order? Of what order art thou? Who made thyn
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order? What is thy rule? Is there ony perfiter rule than Christ