lorde / to kepe theÌ„ with disdeyne / rude maner / hasty / careles boldnes / onely of custome wtout deuocion / as they were done onely for det / duety / for the bondage of the religion rather thaÌ„ for the increace of grace vertue For the pleasure or praise of outwarde ê‘sones rather than for any inwarde affection of herte and mynde And rather sometyme for the seruile drede of peyne / rebuke correction thaÌ„ for the honoure loue of god For very vnfeyned loue doth worke all thynges with care diligence / glad mynde good wyll if religious ê‘sones wolde take hede well remeÌ„bre with howe great honoure reuereÌ„ce / with howe great care drede / with howe great thought diligence / howe great laboure peyne that people of the worlde done kepe theyr obseruauÌ„ces ceremonies vnto the priÌ„ces great states that ben theyr souereynes maisters / in curtesy / knelynge / waytynge / standynge vp right wtout sittynge or leinynge bare heded bare haÌ„ded in hete colde / with many other ceremonies that ben labourious peynfull they shulde oftymes be sore abasshed ryght sore ashamed of theÌ„ selfe / in doyng theyr duety obseruauÌ„ces vnto our lorde god vnto theyr souerynes / that done beare vse his rowme place so dully so negligeÌ„tly / as oftymes it is done Our lorde god most swete sauiour Iesu gyue vs al grace to note these thingê wel / iÌ„ effect to folowe the best Amen And thus an ende of this fyrst parte of our similitude / that is to say the wykers that done bynde kepe fast the hopes of our vessell by the whiche wykers the sayd ceremonies of religion coÌ„teyned in the constitucions or statutes ben signified ¶ The seconde parte of this poore wercke whiche is of the rules of religion / concluded shortely in one Chapitre alone WE ben lothe to put the reders vnto labour / in tournyng agayne to haue redely the remeÌ„braunce of our ê“ces / therfore we done the oftener set it forth where we dyd assimule lyken the lyfe of ê‘fection vnto a holsome wyne coÌ„teined in a Tonne or Pype whiche coÌ„munely is made of bordes / those bordes bouÌ„de with hopes / the same hopes fastened with smale wykers / so that if the wikers breake our louce the hopes sterte of / all goth to waste So say we is it by the lyfe of ê‘fection / coÌ„teyned iÌ„ religion / religion by the vowes / the vowes by the rules / the rules by the ceremonies / wherof nowe haue we intreated for the fyrste parte / whiche ceremonies as we sayd ben sygnified by the wykers Nowe must folowe in this seconde parte of the hopes of our vessell / wherby we done meane vnderstaÌ„de the rules of euery religion / wherof after the order of our enterpryse institucioÌ„ we shulde nowe here intreate But bycause we done wryte priÌ„cipally vnto the disciples of our rule whiche is the rule of saynt Augustyne / whiche rule after our poore wyll vnderstaÌ„dynge we haue translated out of Latine into Englysshe settyng forth the texte fyrst iÌ„ Latine after in Englysshe And somewhat wryten shewed our poore mynde vpoÌ„ the same in declaracion of the letter And also we haue ioyned there vnto of our owne traÌ„slacioÌ„ also the ê“fitable exposicioÌ„ of the great clerke a reuerent father of the same rule a holy sait caled Hughe de saÌ„cto Victore For this cause I say we haue here nowe in this seconde parte very lytell to do / natwithhstaÌ„dyng yet shal I somewhat shewe of my poore mynde vnder the fourme of couÌ„saile / which is this I thynke it very ê“fitable moche expedieÌ„t for al such ê‘sones as by the grace electioÌ„ of our lord ben moued or stered iÌ„ soule or minde vnto religion that fyrste after the due examinacioÌ„ ê“fe of theyr calynge they appoint theÌ„ selfe vpon some certeyn auteÌ„tyke religioÌ„ And yet keping theÌ„ selfe fre at liberty of any vowe or ê“mise they make diligeÌ„t meanes to se and knowe the rule of the same religion and to haue sufficient vnderstaÌ„dyng therof other by study or by informacion For as we haue written in our prologe vpon the said rule I haue knowen diuerse ê‘sones both men women of diuerse monasteries that were professed yeres byfore they knewe or yet herde tell of any rule / but only the terme in generall saynt Augustynes rule / or saint Benettes rule / and yet ouer that some ê‘sones coulde nat tell of what rule they were nor whether they kepte any auteÌ„tike rule or nat / they thought supposed sufficieÌ„t for them that they were ê“fessed as the company was where they were / to lyue after the custome of the place / whiche custome in very dede was ferre froÌ„ any rule / yet had they in theyr ê“fession ê“mised to obserue kepe a certeyne rule / there vpon receyued the holy sacrament The fyrst poynt thaÌ„ for suche ê‘sones as wold after due maner be good and godly religious persones is to knowe vnderstande the rule byfore they labour in any place for the religion And for the cause we toke the poore laboure to translate the rule of saynt Augustyne to set forthe declaracioÌ„ there vpoÌ„ in the Englysshe tonge / that no ê‘sones wyllynge to be of the rule shulde iustly make excuse by ignorauÌ„ce and defaulte of knowlege of the same And so in lyke maner of the other rules / of the coÌ„stitucioÌ„s of the order / which knowen well by due vnderstandynge ê‘ceyued I wolde aduyse the ê‘sones to ê“ue theÌ„ selfe in the fâ—me / whether they be able in bodely strengthe diete / to coÌ„tinue the laboures of the religioÌ„ / whether in lernyng as syngyng / reding / other abilitê they may ê‘forme the duetê of the same For as afteÌ„ we haue said euery good vertuous ê‘son is nat mete to be a good religious persone / profe therfore is good before the habite be receyued For after the ê‘sone be admitted a yere of profe is by the lawe appoynted For whan the profession is perfourmed and solempnized / than is nat due tyme to study for the knowelege of the duete / but rather with care / diligence / and good awayte / to perfourme and kepe the promyse A wyse man sayth Antea quam incipias consulto Salustius et postquam consulueris mature opus est facto Before thou begynne any sad matter it is good and coÌ„uenient to haue good couÌ„sayle And after that thou depely throughly haste counsayled and taken good aduisement / thaÌ„ maiste thou boldely go forthe with thy purpose / and perfourme the same And yet let no deuoute religious persone thynke it ynoughe to perfourme and barely to kepe the letter of the rule / but rather with all due reuerence / deuocion / and feruent desyre of herte to attayne vnto the
of Iacob / that in rydynge towarde her mariage ware clothes for her coÌ„modite and ease / but as sone as she sawe the honorable persone of Isaacke and knewe by informacion that he was her spouse vnto whome she shulde be maried / she lyght downe and couered her selfe saythe the scripture with a pall / or mantell / a garment of honoure and honesty Gene. 24. Our lorde god hymselfe / put difference of clothynge and araye bytwene the spirituall parte of his people of Israel / whiche was the tribe of Leui. Exod. 28. And the temporall parte of the same people all the other tribes And yet whan Aaron / or any of those spiritual persones shulde do sacrifice / or ministre vnto god they dyd chaunge those coÌ„mune garmentes vnto other / ordeyned for the same ministerie Here the heretikes make obiection / saynge that the ceremonies of the olde lawe ben ceassed and ended / and of all other Obiection the ceremony specially ended by the acte of our sauiour Christ in the consecracion of his holy sacred body / whiche acte he dyd in his coÌ„mune clothes or garmeÌ„tes Answere Yet saye I therof dothe nat folowe the vniformite / of clothynge or / oraye as they requyre in vs / but rather maye we take of the gospell that the habite or garmente of the Christe was notably different from the Apostles Marci 14. E. For whan Christe was taken saynt Iohan fled saythe the gospell naked that was in his cote / and left his pall or mantel behynde hym Matth. 1â— D. And the garment of Christe was / de super contexta knytte or wouen all ouer and ouer So was it notable and yet religious and honorable So that it was nat deuided / but lot se caste therfore / moche set by And where they saye that Christe dyd consecrate in his coÌ„mune / and dayly clothes that was so for that tyme conuenient For he dyd than consecrate in a priuate and secrete maner amoÌ„ge his disciples alone / where he made his Apostles preestes / and gaue theÌ„ the same auctorite to consecrate wtout any appoyntemeÌ„t of aparell / or clothynge there vnto And so dyd they after many daies / of loÌ„ge time consecrate after the same maner priuely secretely / bycause the tyme were but fewe ê‘sones of the feythe byleue / yet had they many enemies But afterwarde whaÌ„ they had goten / gadred moche people thaÌ„ dyd they coÌ„secrate in open maner / dyd ordeyn make preestê / diacons / other ministres / with vestimentes clothynge therto accordynge And yet no man dothe say that any clothynge is so necessary vnto the coÌ„secracioÌ„ that no preestê may coÌ„secrate wtout suche clothes For if a pÌ„ste duely ordred / wolde pÌ„sume or els by ignorance dyd say masse / consecrate in any maner of clothes / yet shulde he verely coÌ„secrate the very sacrameÌ„te of the aulter / natwithstaÌ„dyng that he shulde therin by disobedience vnto the churche greuously offende Furthermore also / the sacrameÌ„t that Christe hym selfe dyd than coÌ„secrate was nat the full sacrifice final oblacion for the redempcion of maÌ„ / but a memoriall for euer to endure of that sacrifice / and oblacion / that was that tyme to come / that afterwarde was ê‘fourmed fully accompleshed fulfylled offred vp vpon the aulter of the crosse by the deth resurrexion of our sauioure for the redeÌ„pcion of all mankynde / whiche complete and hole sacrifice is nowe dayly represented iÌ„ the masse / by the consecracion and oblacion of the holy sacrament / wherfore if they wolde as they do contende and holde that we shulde folowe our sauiour as well in all his maner of sacrifice / as in vesture araye / we muste thaÌ„ be all naked vpon a crosse / whan so euer we shulde consecrate You may se therfore what wyse reasons these men done make / and of what strengthe yet here done they saye Obiection Syr althoughe there be moche variety and difference in the clothynge or araye of the seculer persones yet thynke we it were moche conuenient that all religious persones that done ê“fesse the same vowes shulde accordynge vnto the sexe or kynde be of one and lyke habite ¶ Of reason why in religion / diuerse orders haue diuerse habites The .xxiiii. Chapitre Answere THese heretikes done take for inconuenience that religious persones accordynge vnto theyr orders ben diuerse in habite and yet shewe they no reasoÌ„ therof / but that bycause they done ê“fesse the same thynges / that is the vowes caled / esseÌ„cials It were conuenieÌ„t they saye they shulde be of one and lyke habite And I saye that by that reason it were conuenieÌ„t that all christianes shulde be of one and lyke habite For they ben all of one essenciall profession / and that se they well is nat so / and yet accounte they none inconuenience therin / we shall natwithstandynge shewe it is none inconuenience but rather of good and conuenient reason / that the habite be accordynge vnto the order different where vnto moche maye auayle to remembre that byfore we haue shewed of the effectes and causes of garmentes / that is to saye necessite / coÌ„modite / and conueniency For as vnto curiosite we leue out of this treaty or draught Some holy fathers of religion than dyd thynke and ymagyne bycause our fyrste parentes / Adam and Eue / had but one maner of habite / one garment alone / whiche dyd serue theÌ„ for all the sayd effectes / that is to say to couer the nakednes of body / to garde and defende them frome the noyance of weders were content to deuise and ordeyne an habite of the same maner / that shulde be also coÌ„modious and profitable / comely and honest / and of smale price without curious coloures / as nature brought forthe So done the reuerente fathers of the obseruauntes after the institucion of theyr patrone saynt Franciske And so done diuerse other orders Some other fathers / consideryng they had red in scripture of certeyne persones / that for great sorowe and for penauÌ„ce to be done for theyr synnes dyd for the tyme vse and were garmeÌ„tes therafter harde / rough / and sharpe And some for the deth of theyr frendes and other chaunces dyd were garmeÌ„tes of mournyng as yet ben vsed in these dayes / caled mournynge clothes 2. Re. 12. Ionas 3. As of kynge Dauid for the sekenes of his chylde And of the Niniuites that ware sackes and heere / and dyd caste asshes dust vpon theyr hedes and bodes For these or lyke occasions some holy fathers accountynge them selfe as perpetual mourners and persones of perpetuall penaunce dyd deuise theyr garmentê and habite there after / as the fathers of saynt Benettes order and other Some other holy fathers consyderynge that maner of habite or garment by the example of holy scripture was conuenieÌ„t by significacion for some degrees of ê‘sones dyd ordeyne for theyr disciples habite
wherfore they conclude / there shulde be no suche obedience vnto any spirituall persones For they saye there bene no spirituall persones but onely the seruauÌ„tes of the dyuell Answere For the dyuell say they is a spirite suche as done call theÌ„ selfe spirituall persones ben of his flocke and housholde Nowe muste we answere vnto these thynges althoughe by digression I praye you of pacience / whiche surely I can nat well take towarde them For without feile / I haue great merueyle of theyr madnes and of theyr presumptuous falshede And specially the merueylous malice they haue agayne the churche catholyke / and also of the crafty labourê / and wyly wayes they take with ferueÌ„t study to deceyue the symple and vnlerned people They done flater the seculer prynces exalte theyr power bycause they shulde defende them and theyr heresy And yet in the meane tyme they make them no better than hethen houndes For they done compare the Christiane princes / vnto hethen prynces / that by moste cruell tyranny dyd persecute and destroye the ryght feythe / yet saye they saynt Paule dyd coÌ„maunde his disciples to be vnto these prynces obediente / trouthe saye I in all theyr lawes that were nat contrarie vnto the feythe of Christe / whyle they were vnder theyr tyranny and lordshippe / so bene nowe many good christianes vnder the Turke / vnto whose lawes they may shulde be obedient whyle they lyue vnder hym in all as I sayd that ben nat contrarie vnto the feythe of Christe And so dyd Christe hym selfe pay the tribute vnto the Emperour nat of any duete as ryght but as vnder theyr rule dominacion Syr say they So may euery christiane prynce more reasonably take of his subiectes obedience This saye I is the laude they gyue vnto theyr prynces / they wolde I say make them tyrannes as the hethen houndes ben And bycause Christ wolde wylfully suffer tyranny and wronge both in his goodes and body for the loue of man / bycause that his Apostles and many other holy men dyd in lyke maner suffer for his loue therfore wolde they it shulde be lawfull for christiane prynces to do as the hethen houndes dyd Saynt Paule made appellacion vnto the Emperoure whan he was vniustly vexed vnder the power of them that were subiectes vnto the Emperour and hethen as he was But where done they rede that saynt Paule or any of the Apostles dyd appele from any christiane power vnto a nother 1. Cor. 6. A. Saynt Paule was discoÌ„tent with his disciples bycause that in theyr seculer causes they wolde sue and pleade byfore the hethen iuges / and that rather they wolde nat amonge them selfe chose certeyne persones to be iudges in suche causes / and those iuges shulde be of the moste vyle presones amonge them For those he thought good ynoughe to meddell with seculer causes / let all the heretikes shewe if euer any of the Apostles or any of theyr disciples in the fyrst begynnynge of the churche were subiecte and vnder the obedience of any christiane prynces But contrarie they shal fynde that kynges as sone as they were conuerted to Christes feythe and baptized and so christianes they forthwith left and put away theyr Dyademes and crownes Vt in legeÌ„ ad Matt. Apostoli and were subiectes vnto the clergie and vnder theyr obedience And shortely to conclude they shall fynde by the order of all scripture as well in the olde testament as in the newe that euermore the spirituall parte of the people of god had the gouernauÌ„ce and rule of the temporall parte / and the temporall parte in all thynges obedient vnto the spirituall Christe as we sayd in the fyrste parte of this werke was lorde of all his flocke / as well in temporalte as spiritualte / yet these heretikes say that Christe wolde gyue no iugement betwene two bretherne the stroue for temporaltes / but asked who made hym iuge betwene them And I saye agayne / they were none of his flocke but whan his owne flocke byganne to stryue for temporall power he toke than quyckely the Iugement in hande and satisfied the parties The Apostles after Christes AsceÌ„cion were the souereynes of al christianes and toke also requyred of them due obedience / as well in temporaltes as spiritualtes / whiche thynge dothe playnly appere in Ananie and his wyfe Saphira / that for the defraudynge and deceyt of theyr temporall goodes were iuged by saynt Peter and suffred dethe Act. 5. A. Dyd nat saint Paule committe the charge and gouernaunce of all the christianes that he had conuerted vnto Timothe / Tite / Appollo / and suche other spirituall fathers / whome he had made bysshopes / prestes / and deacons / amonge them Saynt Ignacius also / that was disciple vnto the Apostles iÌ„ his epistoles vnto the christiane people wrytteth / that they shulde nothynge do without the commaundement condicte and counsayle of the prestes / or els of the diacons that were ordened theyr gouernoures and gyders Forther than to conclude All maner of christiane prynces / Emperoures / Kynges / and suche other temporall rulers of the people done yet vnto this daye in theyr consecracions and coronacions receiue the auctorite of theyr power of the spirituall parte of Christes churche / and done make solempne othe of theyr obedience thervnto So that euermore amonge the wel ordred people of god the temporall or seculer persones haue ben bounde vnto the obedience of the spirituall persones And nat contrarie as these fals heretikes done flater the seculer prynces For the great heretyke Tyndall / wrytethe in his Englysshe boke of obedience that there is no spirituall parte in Christes churche / but the dyuels lymmes For he sayth the dyuell is a spirite / and all the spirituall parte is the flocke saythe he of the dyuell And I say thervnto that where he sayth the dyuell is a spirite he sayth trouthe / and I graunt thervnto But I saye agayne / that god is also a spirite The dyuell is any yeuell spirite / and god is the good spirite / and maker and gouernour lorde and maister of al good spirites And he create and made the dyuell a good and glorious spirite / but he as a fals apostata made hym selfe an yuell spirite / and dothe continue the lorde and maister of all apostatas / of Tyndall I saye and of his mayster Luther with all theyr disciples And our lorde god is also a spirite and a good spirite / and the gouernour and gyder of his flocke as well spirituall as temporall For our sauiour hathe made and ordered his churche lyke vnto hym selfe in the ende of the worlde as in the begynnynge he made fyrste the hole worlde of two partes / one spirituall and heueÌ„ly And the other bodely and yerthly Gene. 1. A. In principio sayth the scripture creauit deus celum et terram God in the begynnynge / hathe made heuen yerthe Heuen is the spirituall parte /
¶ Here begynneth the boke called the Pype / or Tonne / of the lyfe of perfection The reason or cause wherof dothe playnely appere in the processe ¶ Vnto the deuoute readers THis worke was wrytten yeres ago And nowe thought necessarye to be sende forth bycause of these newe tangle persones / whiche in dede ben heretykes / all though they wyll nat so be called / that done write newe oppinions / and do nat onely depraue all religions that commenly ben called by that name religion But also done corrupt the high religion of all religions The newe testament of Christe / agayne whome they fare Here is somwhat spoken in our commune tonge / that all you may knowe all their false and subtyll deceites / and the rather beware of them I beseche you applie all vnto the best / and I most mekely do submitte my selfe vnto charitable correction And that is the veray and only cause as oft we haue shewed that we done sette forth our name The olde wreched brother of Syon / Richarde Whytforde ¶ A worke of the thre vowes of religion / contrary vnto the great Heretikes Lutheranes / moche profitable vnto religious persones gathered by a brother of Syon / Rycharde Whytforde ¶ The preface ¶ In our lorde god / and most swete sauiour Iesu salutacion GOod deuout religious doughter you haue often and instantly required me / to write vnto you / vnto your systers / some good lesson of religion And yet you knowe well / I am but as a nouisse in religyon my selfe more mete to lerne / then to teche religion And to saye trothe moche vnworthy to speke of good religion Nat withstandynge / trustynge in the grace / helpe of our lorde by your holy prayers I shall accordinge vnto my poore abilite inforce / gyue diligence somwhat to satisfie your deuoute mynde / religious desyre Wherfore call vnto your remembraunce the similitude / lykenes / or example / that I haue made vnto you / diuers of your systers nat without the authorite of holy doctours of the lyfe of parfection That is to say / that the lyfe or maner of lyuing / of perfection as in this state of our mortalitie is moche lyke vnto a pleasaunt / precious / holsome wyne / contayned / preserued / and kept in a pype or tonne Whiche vessell ben communely made of planed bordes And those bordes coÌ„passed about / and bounde fast with hopes And yet those hopes bounde and made fast with small wykers So that if the wykers by any chaunce be losed or broken the hopes forthwith / done flye or starte of The bordes than done lose / and ben deuided or departed in sondre And so dothe the wyne flowe out perisshe In lyke maner is it of the lyfe of perfection whiche is closed and kept moost surely in religion And religyon is made and standeth principally / in the .iii. euenciall vowes / obedience / wilfull pouertie / and chastitie For these thre as in maner the bordes of the sayd vessell ben the substanciall partes of religyon Whiche vowes nat withstanding ben compassed bounde to gether as the sayd vessell with the hopes with the preceptes / counsell of the holy rules other of saint Augustine / saynt Benedicte / or saynt Franciske Vel in graecis Basilij or in greke of Basilius And yet those rules ben knytte made fast to gether as the sayd hopes with the wykers with the holy seremonies of religion whiche ben contayned in the statutes / and constitucions / addicions / iniunctions And in the laudable customes of euery singuler monasterie or of the generall ordinaunces of the same religion Note well nowe the example / or similitude For as in the sayd pype whanne the small wykers ben broken or losed all the residue doth folowe fayle decaye / vnto the distruction of the wyne So in lyke maner / whan the holy cerimonies of religion ben neglected / forgoten / lost / put a waye / broken / despised / littell or nought set by Than done the rulers decaye and the vowes losed ben litle regarded or of no strength Rreligion is gone and the life of perfection clene distroyed and loste The decaye of religion in this present tyme of our age pytie to say is euident And surely the great cause / and occasion therof is the contempt / and negligeÌ„ce of the wykers the small cerimonies For you may take this for a sure trothe That person in religion that doth dispise or sette litle by the least or smallest cerimonie / shall neuer be good ne perfyte religious ê‘sone Hit doth therfore seme vnto me moost conuenient that we speke fyrste of the holy cerimonies of the religion As of the wykers / than of the rules / as of the hopes And in the thyrde place of the essencials of religion That is the .iii. vowes / obedience / wilfull pouertie / and chastitie / as of the bordes In the .iiii. place of the selfe religion As of the vessell / pype / or tonne And last in the fyfte place / of the lyfe of perfection as of the pleasaunt / precious / moost holesome wyne This shal be the ordre of our institucion and purpose in this your deuour and religyous request Nat withstandynge we haue of late / sene diuers werkes in latyn / sende out openly in prynte agayne all maner of religion For the great heretyke Luther with all his discyples done depraue / and vtterly condempne all maner of religyons / except onely as they call hit the religyon of Christe And specially to make any vowe / or promise vnto any of the sayd essencials / that is to saye / obedience / pouertie / or chastitie / accordynge vnto any of the sayd rules Wherfore I thought necessarye vnto the comfort of all suche persones as haue or done purpose or intende to entre religion somewhat after my poore vnderstanding / to speke therof And so to aunswere / that the reders may haue some reasons and trouthes redy to auoyde the perylous poyson of suche blaterers / and to gyue the lesse credence vnto their wordes 1. Cor. 15. D. For trouthe it is that the holy Apostle sayth Corrumpunt bonos more 's colloquia mala Yuell communicacion / yuell talkyng / and yuell wordes done corrupt and distroy good maners and vertues Fyrste than we shall reherce their reasons and sayenges agayne religion And than shall we make aunswere as it may please our lorde vnto the same ¶ Here endeth the preface ¶ Of the reasons of the Heretikes agayne religion And firste of their reason in generall The first chapiter HOwe deuout reders you must ymagen that the selfe heretikes done speke / for the reasons that done folowe ben their reasons / and done seme to be suerly grounded vpon scripture And by reason therof / they ben the more ieoê‘dous more subtylly done deceyue / and more perilously done poyson the simple and vnlerned soules ¶ The fyrste reason generall
is euidente in many places of bothe the testamentes And yet dyd that bonde nothynge let his libertie of wyll So in vs all thoughe the wyll of the flesshe be sometyme contrarious vnto our holy promyse / yet is the wyll of the spirite at more libertie therby as oftymes we haue shewed byfore Wherfore to make these vowes is nat as they saye a sure dampnation but rather a great and moste sure suretie of our saluacion And this vnto theyr theyrde proue ¶ Answere vnto theyr fourthe assercion and reason The .vii. Chapitre THeyr fourthe reason is that to make these vowes muste nedes be a great ieopardy and peryll of dampnacion And scripture saythe Eccle. â— D who so loueth peryll shall lyghtly fall therinto / but all religious persones done wylfully vndertake / put themselfe vnto that peryll or ieopardy / Ergo they be moste lyke to fall therin That suche enterpryse and vowe is of suche peryll ieopardy Anmonitione 15. theyr owne auctours done testifie Cesarius one of them saythe / that as religion obserued and kepte is of moste hygh merite / so neglecte brokeÌ„ and nat kepte is it of moste depe dampnation But all the worlde may se and perceyue say they that religion is nat kepte / Ergo is it as is sayd of sure or at the least great peryll and ieopardy of dampnacion To ê“ue that religion is nat kepte they done make processe agayne all .iii. vowes by order Nowe to make full aunswere / fyrste we graunte and done assente vnto theyr auctorities aswell of the wyse man as of the holy father Cesarie / that is that religion kepte is moste hyghe merite / and contrarie / nat kepte of moste depe dampnacion But yet dothe nat folowe that they done suppose / that is that the religious ê‘sones ben in more ieopardy or peryll of dampnacioÌ„ than the other persones that neuer made suche promyse / all thoughe in dede they bene worthy more peyne and punisshement if they breke theyr ê“myse / wyll you se a pleyne example hereof Example Euery kynge and prynce hathe subiectes / some coÌ„mune people / and some more nere aboute hym that bene more streytely sworne and bouÌ„de to mo secretes greatter charges / and therfore ben they more in fauoure and haue more large fees and rewardes than haue the coÌ„mune people / if than these persones so specially fauoured wolde breke theyr promyse and othe and be traytoures or otherwyse false vnto theyr souerayne good reason wolde they shulde haue more sharpe iugemente and more greuous paynes or correction / thaÌ„ the coÌ„mune people shulde haue for lyke defaulte or trespase And yet natwithstandynge they ben nat in more ieopardy and peryll of that punisshemente ne of the cause therof than bene the coÌ„ mune people that made nat so depe promyse But rather ben they in moche lesse ieopardy and peryll / bycause they haue lesse occasioÌ„ to be false and more cause to be true and faythfull So do I conclude for religion contrarie vnto them / that religious ê‘sones bene in lesse ieopardy and more out of peryll than any other persones / whiche thynge shall appere more euidentely here after But where they lay vnto our charge that we done nat kepe the rules and the promyse of our profession / if they meane vniuersaly that all done nat kepe them it is true / if they say none do kepe them that is false I can nat deney but that monasticall religion is sore dekeyde and dothe dayly so continue / I am sory therfore Shewe vs saye they one monasterie where the ê“myse of theyr professioÌ„ is perfourmed I can shewe diuerse of the reuerend father of the obseruauntes / the charterhouses / with other And I myghte saye in true conscience I haue knowen manye monasteries that haue ben noted of great negligeÌ„ce in kepynge of theyr rules / and yet iÌ„ the same places were some that alway kepte ryght well bothe theyr rule and constitutions But myne institucion and purpose here is nat to excuse the misdoers and brekers of of religion For theyr yuell dedes done ê“ue no defaulte in the state and maner of lyuynge of religion ¶ Of answere vnto theyr finall conclusion The .viii. Chapitre YEt saye they we se so many of those brekers and so fewe of the kepers / that we thinke better were to haue no suche sectes but al one rule religion of Christe Oh Iesu bone Oh good lorde / howe wyse done these persones thynke them selfe I shall nowe make vnto them a like reason In the worlde be many nacions of people / and all of the creacion of god and yet ben they of diuerse sectes / of diuerse religioÌ„s / of diuerse feithtê / byleues / as Iues sarasynes / turkes / christianes / we ben iÌ„ certeinte none shal be saued but onely christianes / and thoughe in case some of them myght be saued / yet maye we be sure none shall haue so great / and hyghe rewarde ne any of them ben so sure of saluacion as the christiane people if they kepe the lawes of Christe / the promyse and profession made in baptisme But if contrarie they done nat kepe the same they shall without doute more depely be daÌ„pned than other the Iues / sarasynes / turkes / or any other infideles ergo after these heretikes the christianes ben more in peryll and ieopardy than ben the infideles And also trouthe it is no man can deney that fewe fewe and verey fewe christianes done kepe the religion of Christe and the turkes and infideles done better kepe theyr lawes than we ours / ergo after theyr reason better were for vs to leue and forsake our christianitie / and be turkes and infideles But vnto this I byleue good deuout reders you wyl nat grauÌ„t / Ergo theyr lyke reasoÌ„ of our religioÌ„ is right nought Sythe thaÌ„ iÌ„ very trouth al thoughe nat to be sayd wtout great sorowe christianitie is greatly dekeyde / and religioÌ„ moche dekeyde it were in my mynde more myte and more conuenient for them and for all feythfull christianes to pray for bothe / to gyue studie and diligence eueryche after theyr power rather to refourme and amende bothe / than thus to blaspheme / detracte / depraue / and to speke yuell of any of them / where they saye it is agayne reason and contrarie vnto the coÌ„mune welthe / that suche persones shulde be suffred to gyue awaye / departe / and forsake theyr owne goodes / and landes / and than to lyue in slouthe and mere ydelnes vpon other folkes goodes here done they presuppose as theyr custome is a great falshede / that is that al religious persones done lyue in slouthe and ydelnes where in true trouthe no persones of this worlde bene more continually occupied in holy and moste profytable occupacions for the coÌ„mune welthe as in the legendes of the Apostles and other holy sayntes dothe openly appere And also here done they presuÌ„ptuously
chastite wtout great merite And by them that were made Eunuckes by force ben suche ê‘sones signified / as ben restreyned of theyr owne wyll and concupiscence / as yong persones that ben vnder tuicion and gouernaunce / and many other that wolde do amys if they were at libertie and power / whiche haue chastite by force / yet althoughe this chastitie be nat meritorious / yet maye it be profitable vnto the persones For it doth restreyne them from synne vnto theyr lesse payne / also by custome they shal be the lesse vexed and the furie of the flesshe / the rather quenched For the custome and vse dothe alter and chaunge nature / and dothe make in a persone in maner a newe or an other nature / and so that thinge that was vnto theyr disposicion greuouse / and paynfull shall by vse be vnto them comforte / pleasure / and ioy in conscience for it shal ministre vnto the soule vertue / and good maners And vnto the name or fame / honoure / and prayse And vnto the body puritie / clennes / and honeste That is than a fortunate and happy force that doth cause so great profyte and goodnes The thyrde sorte of Eunukes that as our sauiour sayd dyd wylfully depriue them selfe of al possibilite vnto the acte of generacion doth signifie suche persoÌ„s as done wylfully bynde them selfe vnto chastite by vowe and promyse / and specially iÌ„ religion where they do nat onely auoyde occasions / but also vtterly depriue them selfe of all possibilitie vnto the contrarie / if they kepe theyr rules and ordinaunces Here some persones wyll say that by this sentence all religious persones shulde be inclosed or els be they nat depriued of all possibilite as the Eunukes bene 〈…〉 Vnto this I saye they muste remembre what were my laste wordes byfore If they kepe sayd I theyr rules and ordinaunces For by the rule and ordinaunce of euery religion euery religious persone shulde be close / and sure kepte from all possibilitie vnto that myschefe For as we haue shewed in our exposition vpon saynt Augustynes rule and also as we shall more playnly shewe in the thyrde parte of this werke no religious persone may any tyme be alone iÌ„ any place / with the contrarie sexe / that is to saye male and female / sole or alone For as we there done proue no religious persone maye lawfully go out of theyr clausure vnto any other place or coÌ„pany but onely for a cause reasonable and necessarie / and yet nat so alone but alwaye accompanied with suche persones / as the souereyne doth assigne Nor yet shulde no seculer persone entre or come within the clausure of any monasterie but vnder the same fourme / and neuer to be alone with any of the couent Thus therfore done we coÌ„clude that euery religious persone is an Eunuke Euangelicall And so dothe folowe that to entre religion / to flee auoyde the occasions of the synnes of the flesshe the worlde / and the dyuyll / is nat vnlawfull but rather good and meritorious ¶ Of suche persones as done entre religion nat of theyr owne mynde / or desyre there vnto / but onely put or aplied there vnto by the auctorite / or mocion of theyr parentes or frendes The .xvii. Chapitre DIuerse ê‘sones haue diuerse tymes axed my mynde and iugemente of suche persones as bone entre into religion / in youthe vnder the yeres of discrecion applied / and put there vnto by theyr parentes or frendes / and lykewyse of ydeotes that haue nat the full vse of reason Vnto this thynge the auctorite and the actes of holy fathers done gyue aunswere For many holy sayntes / and religious fathers haue receyued chyldren into theyr habyte / and theyr rules And I suppose they dyd nat so without auctorite For that the parentes may promyse / and appoynt theyr chyldren vnto religion within age 1. Reg. 1. and also byfore they ben bourne or yet gotten doth appere iÌ„ scripture / as of Samuel / our blessed lady / and other And our lorde hathe also shewed vnto the parentes by his holy Angelles / byfore the byrthe of theyr chyldren / that they shulde be religious / as of Sampson Iudic. 13. Luce. i. And of saint IohaÌ„ baptiste And our sauiour dyd nat dysdaine the coÌ„pany of chyldren / but rather he semed to be well content with them and coÌ„maunded that his disciples shuld nat prohibite or let / ne forbede the chyldren to come vnto his presence / he also cured many chyldren / and receyued thankfully the laude prayse of infauÌ„tes And he sayd that no persone shulde entre into the kyngdome of heuen but suche as were lyke vnto smale chyldren And trouthe it is that in chyldhode a persone maye be more lyghtely framed vnto vertue / and broken in good maners than in forther age For the potte or vessell saythe the Poete / dothe continually sauoure or smell of that thynge Oratius thynge wherwith it was seasoned in the begynnyng And certeynly the beste and moste ê‘fecte educacion or bryngynge vp of youthe vnto vertue good maners is in religion Sythe than after an other lerned man Educacio et doctrina efficiunt mores The educacion and bryngynge vp of a persone / and the doctrine / teachynge / and lerninge of the same doth fourme and make the maners and condicions there after And syth therw t as is sayd the best bryngynge vp is in the monasteries amonge religious ê‘sones it semeth vnto me that chyldren may conuenientely be receyued into religion And specially sythe that by the lawe and ordynaunce of the churche / they must be of age sufficient and of discrecion / byfore they be bounde and make profession vnto any religion But yet haue I herde of some persone that haue entred in to religion in youthe / and yet after theyr ê“fession made in the due and lawfull tyme haue nat withstandinge for thought theyr enterprise / haue cursed theyr parentes and frendes that brought theÌ„ there vnto Here vnto muste I say that so done we knowe of them that in sad yeres and with great lernynge and semynge vertue and perfection / haue entred religion and lyued therin full vertuously / and haue done moche good in the churche of Christe and ryght well haue edefied the people and yet nowe ben apostatas and open heretikes Syr wyll some persones say these persones haue good knowelege of them selfe / and had byfore theyr entre but the other had nat so / it semeth therfore they may rather be excused than the other Certeynly nother may be excused / but whan the profession and promyse is made / it muste nede and without remedy be kepte For the scripture saythe Deut. 23. Si nolueris polliceri absque peccato eris c. If thou wylt make no promyse thou mayst so do without synne / but that promyse that hath passed thy lyppes / that thou hast spoken with thy mouthe muste thou nedely obserue
be violate or defouled But where nede is sayth he forthwith vnto the vtilite ê“fitte of the churche or coÌ„gregacion let hym that hath power dispeÌ„ce therw t / for chauÌ„ge of lawe maye be made for necessite The secoÌ„de membre of this subdiuision necessarie Forthermore now the necessary or necessite / that byfore I named iÌ„uiolable or vnderfoulable in no maner to be brokeÌ„ ne chauÌ„ged I vnderstande meane the necessary or nedefull statute that nat by maÌ„ ordened but by god him selfe coÌ„mauÌ„ded publyshed may iÌ„ no wyse be chaÌ„ged ne brokeÌ„ but only by god that made ordened it As by exaÌ„ple of these coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes Thou shalt slee no man Thou shalt do no lechery Thou shalt do no theft / so forth of the other coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the table of the lawe / whiche sayd coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes although they do nat admitte ne suffre iÌ„ any wyse any dispeÌ„sacion of maÌ„ nor yet al though it be nat lawfull ne euer may be lawfull for any maÌ„ to breke or chauÌ„ge any of theÌ„ by any meane god natwtstaÌ„dyng hath of theÌ„ brokeÌ„ which he wold whaÌ„ he wolde / as doth appere in scripture Exo. 12. Other whan he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the Ebreus / the chyldreÌ„ of Israel to robbe the Egipciens the people of Egipte Osee 1. A. Or whaÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the holy ê“phete to haue mixtion act of generacioÌ„ with a womaÌ„ fornicary that is to say of vnclenlyuyng Of the whiche .ii. thyngê one had ben theft the other fylthy lechery / excepte the auctorite of god the so coÌ„mauÌ„ded had excused both the dedê / wherfore if we rede of any lyke dede done by any holy ê‘sones holy scipture nat shewyng the god so coÌ„mauÌ„ded other we muste grauÌ„t byleue that as frayle men they dyd offende therin or els as holy ê“phetes they had some priuey counsayle and reuelacion of god thervnto And therof yet one example that nowe commeth to mynde Iudi. 16. shall I put and shewe of Samson That oppressynge hym selfe amonge his enemies dyd so kyll or slee hymselfe / whiche dede if we shulde defende and holde nat to be deedly synne we must vndoutedly byleue and truste that he had priuate couÌ„sayle reuelacion of god thervnto / although scripture sheweth nothyng therof The thyrde membre of this sayd subdiuision of necessary Nowe for the thyrde necessarie / whiche I caled / incoÌ„mutable or vnchauÌ„geable / what suppose you I do meane therby Surely nothyng more congruent and conuenient than necessarie or necessite that we knowe for surete is by the deuine and eterne reason of god so firmed and stablisshed that for no cause may in any thyng be immuted or chauÌ„ged / no I say nat by god hiÌ„ self vnder this kynde and maner of necessarie or necessite is conteyned all that spirituall tradicion and ordinaunce of the holy sermone that our lorde and sauiour made in the mounte And also what thyng so euer apperteyne / vnto loue / humilite / mansuetude / myldenes / with suche other vertues / ordened / and coÌ„maunded / as well in the newe as in the olde testament / spiritually to be obserued and kept These necessaries for a surete ben suche that nat to be had or any tyme to be myssed and lefte is nother lawful ne yet expedient For syth they be unmouable or vnchauÌ„geable bycause they be naturally good / neuer bene they but innocently and harmeles / neuer bene they but helthfully or holsumly and meritoriously other coÌ„maunded or obserued For in all tymes and vnto all persones if they be dispised set at nought they worke and cause deth and dampnacion And if they be obserued and kepte Of the fyrst membre agayne they worke and cause soule helthe and saluacion Proper wyll than in ê“mysyng causeth vnto euery persone the fyrst necessite The auctorite of the coÌ„maunder doth cause the seconde And the thyrde doth the dignite of the precepte or comauÌ„dement make or cause And yet these thre necessites as nowe is sayd byfore done diffre eche from other in some certen degrees / and so doth nat one firmite or stablenes of immutabilite or vnchaungeablenes folowe them all / they ben nat all of one stabilite as vnto the chaungyng of them For what so euerthyng is caused of the fyrst necessite although it be nat vtterly immutable and vnchauÌ„geable yet it is for a surete vnneth or scant chaungeable / bycause it may nat be chauÌ„ged but by the prelates alone / and by none other persones And yet nat by them but by feythful / prouident and discrete dispensacions And that thynge that is caused of the seconde necessite whiche is more than this is nerehande or / amoste nowe incoÌ„mutable or vnchaungeable For as we haue sayd byfore it is vnto god alone and nat vnto any other persone chaungeable But that thyng that is caused of the thyrde last necessite whiche is moste of all the other is vtterly in coÌ„mutable by no meanes can be chauÌ„ged For it is nat iÌ„ the liberte power of god hym selfe to chauÌ„ge it That thyng than that no persone may lawfully chauÌ„ge but onely the pÌ„lates may coÌ„ueniently be caled vnneth or scant chauÌ„geable And that thynge that vnto god alone is lawful to chauÌ„ge may wel be named almoste or nerehande vnchauÌ„geable But that thing that god him selfe may nat chauÌ„ge may be caled vtterly vnchaungeable Syth than these forsayd thyngê done come thus to passe that we nowe may retourne vnto these thynges wherof question is chefly and principally made in your demaunde it is nowe open and playne that euery reguler tradicion and ordinaunce for the great parte therof is subdued althoughe nat vnto the wyll yet for a certeynte vnto the discrecion of the presedent / prelate / or souereyne But nowe you say here vnto / what thing syr is nowe left vnto necessite Here me good bretherne / and say very moche is lefte vnto necessite Fyrste as vnto the spirituall thynges that ben coÌ„teyned in the rule ben nat as byfore is sayd left in the hande or power of the abbotte or souereyne Than for the other parte that doth apperteyne vnto corporall and bodely obseruauÌ„ces that part also is nat in the power of the souereyne as seruyng vnto his wyll or pleasure / but rather as it doth serue apperteyne vnto charite For the abbotte or souereyne is not aboue the rule Whervnto by voluntarie profession he ones dyd subdue and submitte hym selfe And yet is the rule of god / charite no maÌ„ can deney to be preferred by good ryght and put byfore the rule of saynt Benediete / let it therfore be so in case / that somtyme the letter of the rule do for that tyme gyue place vnto charite whane the reason of necessite or of charite doth so requyre god for bede natwithstandyng that the rule therfore shulde be subdued vnto the wyll of any persone For the ê‘sone that is electe and chosen for souereyne is coÌ„stitute and ordened vpon
thynge For nat to obey / or to be obedient coÌ„meth some tyme of errour or ignoraunce / and somtyme of infirmite or fraylte But to nyll / or nat to haue wyll to be obediente coÌ„meth euer / other of an odious and hatefull pertinacie and frowardnes or els of the contumacie and rebellion of a styffe herte and stubburne stomake / that iÌ„ no wyse shulde be suffred ne bourne / which thynge also is selfe repugnaunce and to withstande the holy ghoste And if it shulde perdure and contine vnto dethe it were blasphemye / neuer to be remitted and forgyuen / nother in this worlde / nor iÌ„ the worlde to come Luce. 12. Euery / maÌ„ therfore of breakyng of commaundement doth nat make inobedience criminall / but to repugne with stande And to nyll or nat to wyll doth make euer inobedience criminall For many persones bene many tymes inobedient without that vngracious and rebellous wyll / it can nat be than as you saye / that inobedience vnto euery religous persone is euer in ieoparty of criminall synne Syth iÌ„ the traÌ„sgression of a religious persone / is so oftymes none suche criminall synne as ofte as in the same transgression / there be no suche frowarde contencious and stryuyng wyll or mynde / without cause therfore done some persones as you saye make comparison of some maner of disobedieÌ„ces vnto that olde inobedience that was done in paradyse For that inobedience was valiaunt / and of strenthe and power nat onely to bynde the persones but also to viciate and infecte nature Natwithstandynge I suppose and thynke verely / that also that selfe fyrst and moste greuous preuaricacion / and disobedieÌ„ce was iuged to be moste great and greuous for none other cause / or at the leest moste chefly and most specially so iuged bycause of the frowarde wyll / that is to say that rebellious defence that folowed the said inobedience For whan our lorde god asked of theÌ„ the cause of theyr synne / and why they dyd that offence / bycause he wold ê“uoke theÌ„ to be peniteÌ„t For he wylled nat theyr deth / but rather that they shulde haue bene conuerted and lyued or had theyr lyfe they by frowarde wyll dyd chose rather to declyne and tourne away theyr herte as the ê“phete sayth vnto the wordes of malice / for to forge and make excuses in theyr synnes Psal 140. For the malice of the fyrst synner Adam was double / and in two maners Fyrste that nother he had mercy nor pyte vpon hym selfe to confesse his owne synne and so to haue ben cured and healed therof nor yet vpon his wyfe / but falsly to excuse hym selfe he cruelly accused her / why than done you saye / that the crime of inobedience dothe lye in wayte vpon the religious persone in euery acte or dede to put hym in ieoparty as thoughe inobedieÌ„ce shulde stele priuely vpon a maÌ„ / or he were ware / or wyst therof / or as it shulde fortune and fall by some vnhappy chaunce / or els as thoughe a deceytfull occasion and vexacion of that crime shulde in a thynge impossible be leyde in his waye that were nat able to fulfyll and perfourme / that thynge that is commaunded Howe maye it be than that the crime of inobedience shulde so lye in wayte and be so ieopardous vnto the religious persone Sythe the olde preuaricacion / and inobedience of Adam / so open / so knowen / and so noyous myght as we byleue sone and lyghtly haue gotten forgyuenes and ben pardoned if confession / nat defeÌ„ce with excuse had folowed For as I said the transgression of that selfe simple and synguler dede dyd nat so moche noy and hurte as dyd the obstinacie / and styfnes of the excuse adioined thervnto with pÌ„meditacion and forecaste But peraduenture you wolde say That this consideracion and difference of the more greuouse and lyghter / or more lyght inobedience is to be had / and made in the lawe of god and nat in lyke maner in our rule Surely no man wyll say or suppose / that more auctorite or reuereÌ„ce is to be gyuen vnto any tradicions and ordinauÌ„ces of man than of god Nor yet that thyng to be more estemed and set by that he coÌ„maunded by his ministres and seruaunt than that he coÌ„maunded by hym selfe In the rule of saynt Benedicte / shall we fynde proper and distincte sentences and clauses or articles / where some peynes or punisshementes ben inscripte and appoynted vnto the very lyght defaultes and some other appoynted vnto the more greuous defaultes That more lyght / or very lyght defaulte is nothynge els but more lyght / or very lyght inobedience The souereynes some tyme done gyue very lyght / or smale coÌ„maundementes the transgression and breakyng wherof doth accordyng vnto the rule cause very lyght / or smale offeÌ„ces And yet preuaricacion / and offence is done to god as often as the abbottes or souereines coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t is broken or nat kept And also / all coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes ben nat promulged and openly pronouÌ„ced of the selfe mouthe of god to be equall And therfore ben they nat by lyke cure and diligence to be obserued and kepte But without doubte a nother maner of cure and diligence is to be gyuen vnto that coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t / that he hym selfe caled the principall and moste hyghe coÌ„maundemeÌ„t And other cure to be gyuen vnto those that hy be iugement spake of / sayng Matt. 5. C. Who so breaketh any one of the leest of these coÌ„maundementes c. What than What folowethe herof say you I say as we haue herde of the rule / that there ben some defaultes or offences very greuous and some very lyght / and as we rede in the gospell / that some coÌ„maundementes ben moste great and excellent and some other moste smale and leest so may we say / that all the transgressions of the coÌ„maundementes ben nat equall nor of lyke greatnes / it is nat therfore necessarie that I graunt that you say For you say / that one of these tweyne must nedly folowe that euery coÌ„maundemente of the souereyne that is nat contrarie vnto god is nat to be taken as the coÌ„maundement of god or els that vnto a religious ê‘sone / no default may be founde lyght or venial For althoughe this be true we muste nede so graunt that as often as any subiecte doth ouerpasse / breake / or nat fulfyll the precepte and coÌ„maundement of hym that in the stede of god is souereyne in any thynge that doth nat repugne vnto iustice so often is he in obedient vnto god yet natwithstandynge as lyke cure and diligence is nat requyred in the execusion and perfourmyng therof so the synne or offence of the transgression therof is nat all one ne lyke For all though he be one alone that is offeÌ„ded that is god yet natwithstandyng / those thynges that ben commaunded ben nat of one weyght And therfore is nat the traÌ„sgression of them to be
and disdeyne vnto the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the souereynes you ben deceyued For knowe you for a certente that nat a fewe but in maner innumerable persones haue iuged vtterly otherwyse And so iuged nat by any thynge els than by the proper experiment and profe of themselfs But if you thynke and iuge it be nat impossible but yet a thynge of great difficultie very harde to be so meke obedient that in no wyse you shulde despise your souereynes therfore you ben somtyme greued / bycause you maye nat folowe your one mynde wytte thefore done you therby murmure grudge / agayne the lawe ordinaunce of obedience affirmyng sayng / that it is a thynge moche perilous full of ieoparty for any ê‘sone to promyse vndertake that thynge that is so laborious peynfull to be obserued / kept / perfourmed if you thus thynke Matth. 19. Thervnto I wyll thus answer or rather nat I / but god doth answere / sayng Qui Potest capere capiat Let hym vndertake this thyng saythe he that maye kepe perfourme it / that is to meane as I sayd a lytel byfore that byfore thou by ganne to bylde thou shuldest haue prouided / where of to perfourme the same But nowe whan the mater is paste thou shuldest other nat haue tempted assayde nor bygonne the mater / or els muste thou nedely nowe perfourme that thou hast bygoÌ„ne / natwtstandyng no maner of ê‘sone / that warely wysely / doth make ê“fession doth there make any ê“myse that he wyll neuer hereafter in any thynge transgresse breake the souereynes coÌ„mauÌ„dement / that is to meane that he wyl neuer do syne nor offence Or els / who so euer so doth swere doth other forswere hym selfe / or els is he more holy / than saynt Iames the Apostle / that sayd Iaco. 3. The consequence is that we don offende iÌ„ many thynges The antecedence is the tenoure of our ê“fessioÌ„ In multis offendimus omnes We done all sayth he offende in many thynges If that nowe the coÌ„sequence that so consequently doth folowe thervpoÌ„ seme to be fals let vs se ê‘ceyue somwhat of the accedence of the thyng that goth byfore / lest ê‘aduenture / the lawe ordinauÌ„ce that is gyuen made to cohibite restreyne transgressions defaultes shulde nat onely nat so do but rather shulde more ouer and for ther encrease the sayd transgressioÌ„s / by the crime of ê‘iurie So muste it nedely come to passe if we byleue that we promyse in our profession / that thynge that certeynely maye nat be holden / kept ne perfourmed Al this reguler obseruacioÌ„ kepyng of obedieÌ„ce muste therfore be diuided or deê‘ted into these two ê‘ties / that is to say into pÌ„ceptes / or coÌ„maundementes into remedies By the pÌ„ceptes is oure lyfe institut ordred againe al siÌ„nes or offeÌ„ce / by the remedies is our innocency / after our synne and defaulte restitut / restaured / and ê‘fourmed So thaÌ„ doth our ê“fession / coÌ„pas coÌ„teyne both the sayd ê‘tes that if any ê“tessed ê‘sone by chauÌ„ce do offeÌ„de / or trespasse in any of the reguler pÌ„ceptes he may forth with fle / ren / haue recourse / vnto a like reguler remedy if he so do thaÌ„ althoughe he be conuinced / ê“ued / coÌ„dempned for a traÌ„sgressour breaker of the pÌ„cept coÌ„maundement yet can he nat be conuinced ne ê“ued for a transgressours breaker of his pacte profession I wolde therfore iuge that persone alone / to breake his vowe / to haue defouled his purpose and to haue preuaricate and broken his pacte / coÌ„nauÌ„t ê“myse of ê“fession that wyll contempne despyse / both the precepte also the remedy For I dare well saye that he is sure of saluacion that althoughe he somtyme passe the marke or meere of obedieÌ„ce doth nat forsake the counsayle of penaunce / as remedy For the ê‘sone although he oftymes offeÌ„de trespas doth nat yet ouerpasse the meeres markes of the rule ne breake the reguler statutes that dothe nat forsake fle / auoide the discipline correxion of the censure and iugement that apperteyneth vnto the rule For reguler correction is a parte of the rule And therin is fouÌ„de nat onely the instruction of good lyfe but also the reformacion and amendement of yuel lyfe For in it be founde bode the preceptes and coÌ„maundementes of obedience / and also the remedies of inobedieÌ„ce / so that although we offeÌ„de and do amysse yet done nat we recede nor departe from the rule I knowlege and graunt well / that neuer at any tyme to synne or offende in the preceptes of obedience at the leest venially is vnto any mortall persone impossible / and very harde But yet there is nowe no quarel nor coÌ„playnt to be made of impossibilite Bycause that if by chauÌ„ce a crime be done it is law full / and that by the selfe rule to make amendes That thynge therfore that you say that is / that euery thynge that is coÌ„mauÌ„ded by the souereynes can nat be kept of any persone / vnto the full poynt and holly is trouthe But yet some offeÌ„ce of inobedieÌ„ce is a lyght offence And the lyght and easy cure and remedy therof is fouÌ„de in the rule / so the transgression be without contempt But if you wolde contende by oppinion that inobedience may nat sometymes be without suche contempte that is clerely fals / and nothynge so And yet natwithstandyng the diligence of the rule / doth nat leue suche obedience without cure and remedy And althoughe suche inobedience shulde nede / and requyre a more stronge medicine of cure and remedy and more streyte correction yet is it without the morbe and synne of pÌ„uaricacioÌ„ / except the by chauÌ„ce the selfe medicine / remedy were also iÌ„ conteÌ„pte and despised Syth al these thynges thaÌ„ ben true vaynly wtout cause done we that done ê“fesse the rule coÌ„playne of impossibilite without cause done we flater our selfe of necessite to offende / sayng we muste nedly synne offende I meane that we haue no cause to complaine of any suche impossibilite or necessite wherby we myght therfore suppose and thynke that the iuste coÌ„maundementes of our prelates were nat imputed to god / as to be his coÌ„maundementes but rather as the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of men to be despised set at nought lest our profession shulde therby seme to conteyne a thynge impossible / if we therof shulde affirme and say that we ought of duete to be as moche obedient vnto our prelates as vnto god Howe maye it be nowe after this declaracion that suche profession may be vnto any persone vnpossible / but rather coÌ„trarie / that to auoyde preuaricacion shulde nat be a thynge very lyght easy where nat inobedience / but impenitence doth cause make the preuaricacioÌ„ For as I sayd no persone that maketh profession / doth promyse that he wyll neuer here after
yet thoughe they wolde they can nat wytte or knowe howe to auoyde it / wherfore in the diuision aboue rehersed I iuged this eye sight and intent of good reason to be the worse of the .ii. yuell inteÌ„tes / nat bycause it is more maligne or malicious but bycause it is more perilous For ignoraunce doth make a persone more sure and careles of hym selfe And suche securite and surete dothe make hym more dull and stuggysshe but nat more wycked or yuell For they ben bothe lyke in wyckednes or yuell / natwithstande yet is this intent worse doutles than the other / bycause the other hath but one of the two forsayde vices / that is to say an yuell mynde and purpose And this hathe also with the yuell intent / a fals consideracion or opinion The other eye / or syght / lacketh but one of the sayd vertues / that is to say good zele / and this inteÌ„t lacketh bothe good zele and also true iugement Of this worst eye syght / and intent / than / that hathe nother of the sayd vertues / charite / or good zele / nor yet science or true iugement And also of the other best eye syght and entente / that lackethe nother of the same vertues dyd our sauiour / very essensiall trouth dispute argue / the hole body / that is / the hole wercke or dede of the persone other to be wrapped in the darnes of synne / or els to be garnysshed with the syght of grace For the other two eye syghtes or intentes bycause that nother of them hathe / other bothe the sayd vertues / or yet both the said vices can gyue nother lyght nor darkenes vnto the hole body / that is / the worke or dede of the persone / although they myght partely gyue some lyght or darkenes thervnto Let vs nowe retourne agayne vnto your demauÌ„de and question If than that eye or syght / and intente be verely wycked / that both peruers or frowarde / also blynde and ignoraunt do a good dede / and yet byleue it be yuel so in doyng and workyng ryghtly and well but supposyng in opinion wyckedly and â—mys he doth by that meane tourne that thyng that was good into yuell vnto hym selfe / also he dothe tourne it into as great yuell as he byleuthe it be Bycause that accordynge vnto the sentence of oure sauiour the wycked eye syght and intent Matth. 6. doth render and make all the hole body that is al the worke tenebroule and darke / without any lyght of grace For what is lefte referred vnto the lyght of grace where nother a deuoute or good intente nor yet a good opinion is had or founde But yet it foloweth nat therof / that he that on the contrarie parte doth yuell and supposeth byleueth he doth good shuld therfore fynde or wynne merite accordyng vnto his feith and byleue And why so For this of a surete is nat suche a symple eye or syght / intent / as we dyd byfore describe / and define / that shulde by the iugement of trouthe render make all the body bryght / that is all the worke good For that intente and mynde is nat all voyde of darkenes where the ignoraunce of trouthe He that dothe good intendynge yuele dothe heurte hym selfe alone / dothe profite vnto other by the good dede / but he that dothe yuele intendynge well / he dothe bothe heurte hym selfe by ignoraunce / and also heurte vnto other by the yuele dede doth obscure and blemyshe the lyght of the wyl Syth than the frowarde blynde eye / syght / and intent / that doth good / intendynge yuell hathe bothe of the two said vyces / that is yuel wyll and ignoraunce And syth also this eye / syght / and intent / that doth yuell / intendynge good hathe nat both the sayd vertues / zele / and science doth nat good reason requyre and conclude that he that dothe yuell / in stede of good doth more noy and hurte thaÌ„ the other doth profytte / that doth good intendynge yuell For it is nat consequent / nor accordynge vnto reason that one good thyng / maye so moche auayle and profitte vnto goodnes / as may two yuel thingê vnto yuell And yet wolde I say / that a good religious deuout intent alone is worthy lande prayse And yet shall the good wyll for a surete not be defrauded of coÌ„digne worthy rewarde / iÌ„ a dede also nat good / that is in an yuell dede And yet natwtstaÌ„dyng very simplicite shall neuer be deceyued wtout some maner of yuell Why so say you doth nat siÌ„plicite / or the siÌ„ple ê‘sone do all of feyth / or accordynge vnto feyth I saye nat nay / but he do it of feyth / but yet I saye / that his feythe is deceyued false / so I may rather say that he doth it nat of very feith For a fals or deceyued feyth is no feyth Ro. 14. And I thynke and iuge verely / that the Apostle spake of very and true feyth / and nat of deceyued or fals feith whan he sayd / all that is nat of feyth is synne and offence But that thyng that is yuell can neuer be supposed nor byleued of very true feythe to be good For yuel is fals And therfore is it synne That chapiter therfore of the Apostle Paule / where he sayth / all that is nat feyth is fynde c. dothe conteyne and couple bothe these sayd vices / that is to say both blynde malice / also deceyued innoceÌ„cy or siÌ„plicite For what so euer is done of an ignorauÌ„t ê‘sone is amys / for if it be good an yuell intent doth vtterly condempne it make it nought And if it be yuell the ryght or good intent dothe not fully excuse it / whether than a persone do thynke / suppose / or iuge / a good thyng that he doth by chaunce or by ignorauÌ„ce to be yuell or whether he shall byleue an yuell thynge that he doth in like maner to be good he is deceyued For bothe be synne / bycause nother is of feyth / nor accordyng vnto very true feythe Althoughe for a certeiÌ„te the persone that with a good intent doth a dede / reprouable and semyng yuell outwarde / dothe lesse synne than doth he that with a priue malicious intent doth a dede that is nat yuell For that thynge can neuer be pure good that is done with any maner synne / thoughe neuer so lytell Howe may than a thynge that is nat pure good / be coÌ„pared in effecte and workyng vnto that thyng / that is pure vtterly nought / yuell that is to meane Howe may the imê‘fecte good intent worke in effecte and cause / as moche good vnto the persone as the pure yuell intent may cause hurte / yuell vnto the other ê‘sone it can nat be let thefore these coÌ„clusions / determinacions / suffice you as vnto this question
make lowe / vnto theÌ„ the done truste iÌ„ theyr owne vertues doth he disdayne to gyue his gyftes but those that nothyng truste in theyr owne workeâ— but done hange holly vpon hym those doth he nourysshe / conforte / and defende Submitte you therefore in due maner eyther vnto other / nat for the dred of maÌ„ but for the dred of god For he hath cure of you / doth care for you / he wyl nat suffer you to perisshe Youth iÌ„ worldly ê‘sones is redy vnto plesures / disportê / ydle pastimes / waÌ„tones but it bycoÌ„meth religious ê‘sones of euery age to be sade / sobre / diligent / circumspecte / well ware of them selfe For the great enimy / and aduersary of our saluacion dothe neuer slepe / but euer walketh aboute / as an hongry rauenous Lyon / sykynge and spyryng where / and how he may cayche and deuoure the christiane soule / and no angle ne corner leueth he vnsoght / to fynde an entre among religious persones For somtyme dothe he craftely awayte theÌ„ by vayne voluptuous pleasures / sometyme openly assayle them by troublous / and vnrestfull persecucions But gyue no place vnto hym good religous persones Rather withstande strongly / with hole and vnfeynted hertes For althoughe his power be very great mightye yet is he more stronge and myghtye / that hathe the cure of you / our lorde Iesu Christe Put your truste in hym with all your hertes And than your aduersary can nothyng preuayle / agayne them that haue faynt hertes / and lyke truste in our lorde he is very stronge / and of great power But agayne theÌ„ that baue full feyth / truste in god he is but feble faynt If he dyd persue assayle religious ê‘sones alone the affliction myght peraduenture in good reason be greuous But nowe that he doth by like malice assayle all maner of persones / be they neuer so holy or deuoute For Christe doth he persue assayle in vs he doth inuie the soule helth of all maner of persones we shulde therfore suffer beare more lyghtly the coÌ„mune ê“secution / affliction / trouble of all christianes / with coÌ„mune good wylles hertes stande styfly agayne our coÌ„mune enemy These tentacioÌ„s assayles shall sone ouerpasse For this lyfe is nat long yet in the meane tyme our lorde wyll nat leue ne forsake vs / but he that is the mouer gyuer of al grace goodnes wyll ê‘fourme in vs / that he hath bygoÌ„ne / he gaue iÌ„spired vnto vs / the mynde wyll of religion that we shulde pacientely bere and suffre agayne for him suche paynes afflictions and troubles as myght bryng vs vnto eterne euerlastyng glorie / he wyll nat suffre vs to lose our palme / crowne of victorie if we wyll manly fyght / and styfly stande therby / he wyll be present with vs / wyll helpe vs to fyght / giue vs both streÌ„ghe stabilite So that here for a shorte tyme somwhat afflicted troubled / we shall hereafter come vnto the crowne of imortalite For by his helpe we done vanquyshe And by his liberallite goodnes we shall receyue the mede and rewarde therof And therfore there is no cause in vs why we shuld gyue / thynke or applie any laude or prayse vnto our selfe For al the glorie and prayse is due vnto our lorde alone / nat only in this worlde but also in all worldes for euer more Amen For this ê‘sent tyme I haue no more to writ but that it maye please you of your charite / forgyuyng my rudnes to pray for me vnto our lorde god moste swete sauiour Iesu / who sende vs grace mercy euer to worke his wyll This haue we drawen out of the fyrst epistle of saynt Petre / the last Chapitre your wreched brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde ¶ Of the seconde borde of our vessell whiche is the seconde membre of this thyrde parte / that is the seconde essenciall vowe of religion / called wylfull pouerte ¶ The preface WHere we iÌ„ the fyrst ê‘te of this worke dyd assimile religion vnto a Tonne / or Pype / conteynyng the moste delicate / and holsome wyne of the lyfe of ê‘fection for the imitacion / and folowyng of the lyfe of our sauioure Christe Iesu / and the same Tonne or Pype to be made of .iii. tables or bordes / those ben / the essenciall vowes / and those to be closed and bounde with the hopys / of reules / constitucions / statutê / yet those hopys to be also bouÌ„de with the wykers of the holy ceremonies / and laudable customes of religion we haue nowe here sent vnto you the seconde borde / or table of the sayd Pype / called wylfull pouerte Wherof to intreate we shall shewe fyrste our mynde of the selfe terme pouerte ¶ Of the selfe terme pouerte The fyrste Chapitre FOr the selfe terme may be taken diuersly One way it is taken for nydenes / want or lacke of necessaries and so is it misery wrechednes / which coÌ„mune beggers / and many persones haue borne / and suffred with peyne and wo. Whiche natwithstandyng taken paciently with laude and prayse of god may be moch meritorious An other way pouerte maye be taken for scarsity / and that thyng that is sufficient for the lyfe of the persone with harde shyfte of labour and occupacion And this pouerte is a thynge of great honesty / and moche profyt and auayle / as well vnto the welth / ond good state of the body as vnto the quietude and rest of the mynde For what can be vnto the helth of the body better than exercyse by moderate laboures whervnto pouerte doth driue and in maner constreyne And also doth teache the ê‘son to vse all thynges gotten by laboures discretely moderately / and to despise all superfluite And also dothe cause persones to remembre theyr owne infirmite / from whens they came / and howe they shulde lyue by them selfe alone / and of them selfe / that is to say without helpe of all other creatures / onely by the grace and helpe of god / and so doth it also moue theÌ„ to despise al delicates / and doth shewe and teache al persones what is very ryches / that is to say suche as theues can nat stele / ne tyrannes robbe / nor that may lyghtly be lost And yet is nat this pouerte meritorious excepte it be wylfull / without force And interprised / taken suffred as after we shal shewe for the loue of god For the wylfull forsakynge of worldly ryches and goodes doth nat cause the merite / but the ende / purpose / the intent / and cause why the goodes ben forsaken is the cause of merite For paganes / gentyles / philosophers / and other infideles haue clene forsaken the worlde / all the ryches and pleasures therof / bycause they myght be voyde of the cares / busines / and turmoyles of
they say and suppose to be a sufficieÌ„t excuse for theÌ„ passynge theyr fathers / and auctores tradicions they muste confourme themselfe vnto the worlde Syth also they haue vtterly forsaken the worlde / and in theyr profession proclamed them selfe enemies vnto the worlde Why shulde they nowe make peace / or take truce with the worlde Or rather why shulde they yelde them as bonde caytiues vnto the seruitude thraldome of the worlde For if they loke wel vpon theyr astate / and maner of lyuynge in theyr maner places / graunges / lodges so costly and pleasauÌ„tly bylded / cyled / hanged / rychely stored with al thynges of pleasure / plate of golde / syluer / and other metalles / a bushement / and company of waiters / some gentelmeÌ„ / some ye men gromes well decked / and clenly arayde in sylkes / cheynes of gold syluer the abbesse with treyned gentlewemeÌ„ wayters after the same maner / all after the moste courtly fashon they may ê“ue euideÌ„tly they done more apê“che vnto gentilite / ben more like gentiles Theyr entreprise of ê‘fectioÌ„ weyed accouÌ„ted thaÌ„ the prophane princes / lay people of the world Nowe for the thyrd where the exaÌ„ple of Christe doth shewe howe all the residue / remayne of the goodes of the monasterie / after all charges allowed and reasonable ê“uision made for the yere to come all I say holly shulde be delte / and gyuen our vnto the pore they natwtstandynge done gyue a great parte vnto the thyrde generall enemy of mankynde / that is the flesshe / nat onely iÌ„ theyr abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of dysshes / suê‘fluous fare that takeÌ„ both our of due tyme place but also vnto theyr kynsfolke / carnal freÌ„des Which as the coÌ„mune sayng is done take great parte froÌ„ the coueÌ„t And vnto the mayntenauÌ„ce of this misordred ministerie / mispence of the goodes of monasterie the souereynes ben nat ashamed to take by pacte / comnaunt / by coÌ„sent of the subiectes a certeyn porcioÌ„ of propriete they say vnto theyr chaÌ„bre / but it is in dede / as well vnto the hale / as the chaÌ„bre / vnto the kychyn stable And generally to be spent vsed / or rather misused / after theyr owne wyl priuate pleasure And if that be nat ê“priete there can be iÌ„ my reason no propriete Whiche thus contrarie vnto the exaÌ„ple of Christ / the tradicioÌ„s of theyr rules misvsed doth cause theÌ„ the more lyghtly to dispence / gyue licence vnto the officers / other of the subiectes to do as they done / so eueryche to haue a singuler porcion of ê“priate vnder the fourme byfore sayd I sayd to dispense / but I shulde haue sayd rather to presume to dispense aboue theyr power / or yet as is sayd aboue / beyonde any power vpon yerth / so done they make double offence / both vnto the dauÌ„ger of theyr soules / the blyndfull deceyt of theyr subiectes These many other offences in the souereynes ben great occasioÌ„ of the misorder / ruine of religion For the souereynes muste rendre gyue account / answere for the subiectes And therfore is nat sufficient for theÌ„ to say vnto theyr subiectes go forthe / do this / or that reguler obseruaunce but rather shulde they say / as our sauiour sayd vnto his disciples come you after me / folowe me Matth. 4. C. Matth. 10. E. Mar. 10. C Luce. 9. C Do as ye se me do For it is sufficient vnto the disciple if he be as his mayster is / but that is to meane / whaÌ„ he supposeth / or trusteth that his mayster doth well or els nat amys If than the souereynes wold leue / forsake / and clene put away this poyson of ê“priete / in theÌ„ selfe I doute nat it shulde nat long remayne in the subiectes / but shortely vanysshe / faynte and deye ¶ Of the occasion and causes of propriete in the subiectes The .xv. Chapitre ANd yet ben there many great defaultes occasioÌ„s of this ê“priete iÌ„ the selfe subiectê One / that I thynke a principall occasioÌ„ cause 1. Cassianus i. 7. des puÌ„ Philar. ca. 7. of these stipendes / suche other ê“prietes is the dulnes / feynt herte / lacke of mekenes / lacke of the loue of god of the religioÌ„ / lacke of the reuereÌ„t / dred of our lorde / in the subiectê For the meke ê‘sone / that hath the reuereÌ„c drede / loue of our lorde and doth groundly / and stedfastly set the herte and minde to loue religion / and to profecte and go forth therin / vnto the honoure and laude of oure lorde / the welthe of his owne soule / and the edificacion of all christianes wyll take no occasion / ne medle medle / nor note / ne marke any maters wtout theÌ„ selfe Except they were extremely gyueÌ„ / and shulde seme to redownde / growe vnto the dishonoure of god and hurte vnto the religion And yet than nothing to be vndescretly vexed therwith / nor ouer bysye in medlynge therwith / but accordynge vnto the order of the holy gospel Matth. 18. B. gyue monicion / with charite soft wordê and meke and lawly byhauiour / beyng sory in herte for the defaut / and pray for the parties An other occasion in the subiecters is / that some ê‘sones mynded vnto religion Ibidem Ca. 14. byfore theyr entre ben infected with auarice For they wolde be glad to serue god so they myght be sure to lacke nothynge And therfore they cast byfore what may fall / and so they fall by teÌ„ptacion Loke vpon saynt Brigittes reuelacions li. 7. ca. 20. into a doute / drede or fere of theyr intreaty in religion Howe they shal be cherysshed and prouided fore amonge the company And to be sure of somwhat if nede be they make prouision / leue some money / Iuelles / landê / or some other goodes in the custody and kepynge of theyr trusty frendes / that in suche case shall serue them Whiche prouision standeth well with good policie prudence but nat with good religion / as we haue shewed at large / in your boke of statutes / in the tytle of entre into religioÌ„ / or of receiuyng In extra vag vrbani 4. Sane ne iÌ„ vinea domini Act. 5. For iÌ„ such entre they ben excoÌ„municate / accursed by the pope For so dyd Ananie / and Saphira his wyfe / ê“uide for them sefe / both peryshed / stryken to deth / by the iuste iugemeÌ„t of god / executed by saynt Petre / as doth appere iÌ„ the actes of the Apostles Some other persones / that without any blemyshe of conscience haue ryghtly entred religion Done nat fynde there so good cheryshynge / welfare as they loked fore / thaÌ„ done they begynne to loke backe from whens they came / what state or case
hurt that for the tyme felt no grefe therof Yet sone after the wounde hath smerted full sore / and full long so continued vnheyled The expert profe herof is wrytyng for remeÌ„braunce by the olde fathers And so in lyke maner / of the syght and speache Whiche thre done for the moste parte folowe eche other ¶ Of the .viii. keper of chastite / that is / warenes of familiarite The .xii. Chapitre ANd yet of them thre doth yssue spring an other enemy of chastite / more ê‘ilous excepte good awayte and resistence more ieopardous / than all them thre That is to saye familiarite / the continuance of affection / and acquayntauÌ„ce / which sayd familiarite is kepte forth and nuryshed / nat onely by the sayd thre vices wanton loke / light wordes / and carnall touchyng but also dothe growe increace And that in the absence of the persones by wrytynges / messages / gyftes and tokens Saynt Augustine therfore / here in the rule doth forbede that any of the disciples of the same shulde other sende forth or yet receyue / priuely without knowlege of the souereine any maner of thyng / lytel or moche / sayng Ca. 4. But if any ê‘sones sayth he be so ferre ouersene / so ferre do passe into so great yuell notable offeÌ„ce the they priuely receyue or sende any lettres / or any other gyftes or tokens c. Note wel / that he calleth suche receyte a great notable yuel and offence For he wolde the souereyne shulde be of counsayle / and shulde considre the reason and grounde / the cause or occasion of suche sendyng or receyuyng For many ê‘sones haue a disposicion and appetite to haue acquayntauÌ„ce / and to seke / and make meanes thervnto / to continue the same Whiche acquayntauÌ„ce so gotteÌ„ many religious ê‘sones done cal theyr freÌ„des Where in very dede they ben rather theyr fose / and yet they moste foo vnto them For among religious persones worldly frendes / good acquayntauÌ„ce / and good religion done selden well accorde or agre to gether For surely it is moche coÌ„trarious vnto the religion of olde fathers For they wylfully fled and lost acquayntauÌ„ce of all persones / of theyr owne pareÌ„tes kynne / nat onely gotteÌ„ but borne freÌ„des And also / suche sendyng / wrytynges receyte shulde well be consydred lest that some tymes vnder the colour and contenauÌ„ce of spirituall edificacion a token go forth / or a coÌ„memoracion of carnal affection Saynt Augustyne wolde therfore the souereynes shulde be iuges of all the actes and dedes of theyr subiectes For they muste make answere to our lorde for them Let than the souereines take hede of all occasions in the subiectes / that may ingendre affection / although it were vnto suche persones / as ben named of great holynes and synguler ê‘fection For of those maner of persones many haue bothe deceyued / and ben deceyued Let I say the souereines / therfore seclude all occasions / but specially the moste chefe occasion / or cause of affection / that is familiarite ¶ Of the .ix. keper of chastite / whiche is the auoydaunce of sole presence The .xiii. Chapitre IN auoydyng wherof the holy fathers dyd vtterly forbede sole presence / that is to say that no religious ê‘sone shulde euer be alone with any persone of the coÌ„trarie seâ—e or kynde For that sole presence dyd they accounte as one of the moste perilous pestilences / and moste deedly enemy of chastite And saynt Augustyne also here in this rule doth forbede sole preseÌ„ce / where he sayth Augusti In the sayd fourth Chapi WhaÌ„ ye go forth go to gether / byde to gether c. And in the .vi. Chapitre Ibidem Ca. 6. Whan they go forth sayth he they shal go no lesse in company / than tweyne in nombre / or thre ê‘sones Nor yet sayth he shall that ê‘sone / that hath nedfull cause to go forth haue choyse of a felowe / or go with whome he wolde but with suche as the souereyne wyll coÌ„maunde or appoynt / it muste nede than / be more agayne the rule / to be alone with any seculer within the monasterie / specially with the coÌ„trarie sexe / as man and womaÌ„ to gether alone / whiche shulde neuer be suffred in any good religious monasterie / for any maner cause / no I saye nat for confession / nor in confession For religious women shulde make theyr coÌ„fession at gratê / or els in some open place / where they may be herde and nat sene For the subtyle and crafty assayle of the dyuell is no where absent / and the flesshe is neuer without fraylte / whyle we byde in this lyfe Vitas pa. We rede iÌ„ vitas Patrum of a holy father iÌ„ wyldernes / vnto whome a pore maÌ„ of the cite resorted / to sell his mattes / baskettes / and his other laboures And whan he came nat vpon a tyme after his custome the olde father / coÌ„maunded his disciple to go vnto the cite to seke the man Whervnto he was very lothe / natwithstandyng / yet for obedience he went forth / and by great diligence he fouÌ„de the house / and no body at home but a yonge womaÌ„ alone / by the byhauiour of whome he was in ieoparty of corrupcion / but that god by miracle for the merite of obedieÌ„ce and the prayers of his holy father sodenly set hym at home So than sole presence is nat without ieoparty in any persones ¶ Of the .x. keper of chastite / nat to haue power nor liberte to be alone The .xiiii. Chapitre ANd so is also the power and liberte of sole pÌ„sence moch perilous / that is to say / whaÌ„ persones of coÌ„trary sexe may be to gether alone if they wyll Wherof is euidence in the same boke vitas patruÌ„ Ibidem Where is shewed of a womaÌ„ vnclene of lyuyng / the ê“mised vnto certeyne men of her familiarite / to bryng a solitarie / a holy man froÌ„ the good lyfe vnto the worlde Which sayd womaÌ„ came vnto his sell in the euyntyde / as though she had lost her way / ther she made great lameÌ„tacioÌ„ / that she shuld be destroyed with wyld bestê / except he wolde of petie coÌ„passioÌ„ take her iÌ„ / so he dyd / leyde her iÌ„ a corner by / after whaÌ„ he shulde rest he bygan to be sore assayled For the rebatyng wherof he went vnto a candell / brent one of his fyngers / and yet after whan he remembred the sole presence of them tweyne alone / the occasion and liberte he was agayne inflamed / and he agayne arose and brent an other fynger / and so he neuer rested tyll he had brent all his fyngers vnto the stumpes In the mornyng yerly the yonge men came vnto the sell / asked for the womaÌ„ / he answered here she lyeth / take her vp And she by the iuste iugement of god