ryghtfulnesse and lytyl or nought wolde do for my loue For whan I was hongrye ye wolde not fede me whan I had thurste ye gaue me noo drynke whan I was naked ye hylde me not whan I sought myne harborowe ye resceyued me not whan I was seke and in pryson ye vysyted me not And therfore wende ye hens from me in to the fyre of helle without ende there to dwelle with the fende his angelles O sayth saynt Gregorye thou synfull wretche what shalt thou do flee may thou not ne hyde the may thou not yf thou appere as nedes thou must thou art but shent for there thou shalt haue all thynge ayenst the. Aboue the thou shalt haue the dredefull domesman redy to dampne the. On yâ— ryght syde thou shalt hane thy wycked werkes to accuse the. On yâ— lyfte syde the foule fendes redy to drawe yâ— to helle Byneth the thou shalt haue the endeles depnes redy to swolowe the in without the thou shalt haue all the worlde on fyre redy to brenne the within the thou shalt haue thyn owne conscyence worste of all gnawynge the fretynge the without ende Than as the wyse man sayth All creatures shall fyght ayenst vs. SapÌ„ .v. Than as the grete clerke sayth Crysostomus Heuen erthe water sonne mone nyght daye all the worlde shall stande ayenst vs in wytnes of our synnes And though alle thynge were stylle oure thoughtes our conscyence our werkes shall accuse vs stande wytnesses ayenst vs. Therfore saynt Austen in his Omelye suê“ illud Estote misericordes sayth thus Bretheren take ye hede to the mercy of god and to the harde dome of god Now is tyme of mercy after it shall be tyme of dome Now god calleth ayen that ben tourned awaye fro hym forgyueth them ther synnes that tourne ayen to hym he is full pacyent abydeth of wretche that men sholde tourne them to hym and be saued And anone as synners tourne them ayen to god he forgyueth synnes that ben passed byheteth Ioyes to comyng Now god sâ—yreth monesteth them that ben slowe to good dedes he conforteth them that ben dyseased he techeth them that be studyouse helpeth them that fyght ayenst vyces He forsaketh no man ne woman that trauayleth to doo well yf they calle to hym He gyueth to vs that we sholde gyue ayen to hym to please hym whan we haue offended hym For we haue not gyuen hym ne wherwith to queme hym but that we take of hym The tyme of mercy is ful grete I praye you brethern al lete ye not this tyme passe you but take ye it whyle ye may After this tyme shall come tyme of dome whan men shall do harde penauÌ„ce without fruyte for it shall not helpe them Than synners that had theyr welth in this worlde shall syghe saye with grete sorowe Quid nobis profuit suâ—bia â— What hath prouffyted to vs pryde what hath now holpen vs our pompe our boost our rychesses All these ben passed awaye ryght as a shadowe These ben the wordes of saynt Austen Caplm .xv. THan they yâ— shal be dampned shall saye a sawe of sorowe yâ— neuer shall haue ende Defecit gaudiuÌ„ cordis nriÌ„ vsus eÌ„ in luciuÌ„ chorus nrÌ„ cecidit corona capit nriÌ„ ve nobis quia peccauimê° The Ioye of our herte is done past awaye to sorowe care is tourned our playe the garlonde of our hede is falle to grouÌ„de that euer we dyd synne wel awaye the stouÌ„de Trenorum iiij Therfore leue frende take we to vs the tyme of mercy amende we vs whyle we may for ellys we shall not whan we wolde And the lenger the god suffereth folke to regne in theyr synne the more pacyence that he hath with theym the harder he shal smyte them but they ameÌ„de them And therfore the dome of god is lykened to a bowe for the bowe is made of .ij. thynges of a wronge tree a ryght strynge Soo the dome of god is made of two maner folke Of them that ben wronge thorugh synne lyue wronfully do moche wronge and of them that be ryght ryghtfull in lyuynge The archer shetynge in this bowe is cryste And the more yâ— the bowe is drawe abacke the harder is smyteth whan the archer louseth So the lenger yâ— cryste abydeth soo draweth his dome abake the harder he shal smyte but folke amende them And as the archer in his shetynge taketh the wronge tree in his lyfte honde the ryght strynge in his ryght honde draweth them atwynne so cryste at the dome shall set the wronge lyuers on his left honde the ryghtfull lyuers on yâ— ryght honde set the arowe in his bowe that shal be the dredfull sentence of his dome drawe the rightful from the wronge the good froÌ„ the wycked whan he shall saye to the ryghtfull Come ye with me vp in to heuens blysse without ende to the wronge lyuers he shal saye go ye hens frome downe in to helle payne without ende Of this bowe the ê“phete sayth ArcuÌ„ suuÌ„ teteÌ„dit parauit illuÌ„ God hath bente his bowe made it redy he hath arrayed or made redy ther in tacle of deth hath made his arowes hote with brennynge thynges For they that ben brente with synne shall brenne with the fyre of helle without ende Of this bowe Dauyd also sayth Dedisti metuentibus te significacoÌ„em vt fugiâ—t a facie arcus Lord thou hast gyuen a tokenynge to them yâ— drede the to flee awaye from the face of the bowe Caplm .xvi. DIues What tokenes ben tho ¶ Pauê‘ Ther is dome in specyal dome in generall that shall be in the laste daye of this worlde Dome in specyall eche man hath anone as he dyed And therfore cryst sayth NuÌ„c iudiciuÌ„ eÌ„ muÌ„di Now is dome of the worlde for anone as thou art deed thou shalt be demed eyther to heuen or to helle or to purgatorye Of this dome speketh Salomon Memor esto iudicij mei Haue mynde of my dome for suche shall be thy dome yesterdaye it felle to me to morowe it shall falle to the. Byfore this dome go many tokenes of warnynge to synfull wretches as age sekenesse feblenesse dasewynge of syght blyndnesse deefnesse rymplynge or reuelynge of skynne fadynge of coloure faylynge of mynde losse of catel of frendes by deth other ¶ Diues Whan shall yâ— daye of generall dome faile ¶ Pauper Cryste sayth in the gospell ther is none angell ne saynt in heâ—en that wote whan it shal falle But sodaynly and vnwarly it shall falle and come as a theef as deth doth to many a man that wyll not beware by tokenes byfore No more shall than man blent with synne be ware of the laste dome ne of the fyrste yâ— shall be deth no more than the men wolde be ware by the prechynge of Noe to flee the flood that drenched all
pryncypall more gentyll wyues Lya Rachell foure of Lya two of Rachell And therfore god ordeyned theym to blesse in token that no man sholde be chosen to preesthode but he were gentyll by wantynge of cursed condycoÌ„ns And also in token that it is more kyndely to worshypfull persones as all prestes sholde be to blesse than to curse And therfore bysshoppes other prestes sholde not curse but for a ful greuous open synne for grete nede Therfore saynt Poâ—le sayth to men of perfeccyon as all prestes sholde be Benedicite et nolite maledicere Blesse ye be ye not in wyll ne redy to curse but for grete nede that it be done in charyte to worshyp For cursynge in the selfe is a dede of ImperfeccoÌ„n And therfore god chose them that were moost Imperfyte leste worshypfull of byrthe to pronouÌ„ce the curse the moost perfyte worshypful in byrth to pronouÌ„ce his blessynge to the kepers of his lawe whiche sayd thus in goddes name to the people Caplm .ix. IF thou here the voyce of thy lorde god to conne to kepe all his byhestes that I bydde the kepe thy lorde god shal make the hygher than all nacyons that dwelle vpon erthe And all these blessynges shall come to the take the so that thou kepe goddes byhestes thou shalt be blessyd in cyte in towne in felde The fruyte of thy bodye the fruyte of thy londe the fruyte of thy beeestes shal be blessyd thy berne thy garner thy seller shall be blessyd all thy leuynges shall be blessyd Thou shalt be blessyd comynge in and goynge out God shall make thyn enemyes that ryse ayenst the to falle in fyght byfore the. They shal come ayenst the by one waye they shall flee awaye by seuen wayes God shall gyue his blessynge prosperyte and spede to all thy werkes so that thou kepe goddes byhestis go in his wayes in his lawes yâ— al people on erth shal see knowe that the name of our lorde is called on the they shall drede the worshyp the and our lorde god shal make the plenteuous in all goodes God shal vndo his beste tresour aboue from heuen gyue the rayne in tyme. Thou shalt lene to other nacyons thou shalt haue no nede to borowe of other nacyons God shall make the in to the hede not in to the tayle For he shal put the alwaye aboue not byneth so that yâ— kepe his byhestes his lawes And at the daye of dome he shall gyue to all the kepers of his lawes his endelesse blessynge of euer lastynge Ioye say to them in this wyse Venite benedicti patriâ— mei possidete paratuÌ„ vobis regnu a â—stitucoÌ„e muÌ„di Math .xxv. Come ye with me ye blessyd childern of my faders take ye in possessyon the kyngdome of heuen arayed ordeyned to you from the settynge or makynge of the worlde In whiche kyngdome as sayth saynt Austen shall be lyght without derkenesse endelesse Ioye without heuynesse endelesse lyf without wo endelesse myrthe gladnesse with the blysfull companye of angels apostles all sayntes There he sayth is lyght of lyght well bryght shynynge There is the cyte of sayntes that is called Ierusalem of heuen Theâ— is yâ— grete couent of martyres of holy prophetes patryarkes Abraham Ysaac Iacob of al sayntes Theâ— is no sorowe ne heuynesse after Ioye There shall be no nyght none age no feblenesse There is charyte without ende euerlastynge peas no debate no dyscensyon There euery man woman hath that he loueth what he desyreth There is all loue without wo without sorowe care There shall we be angeles peres felowes in blysse with the hygh potestates Che rubyn Seraphyn with all yâ— nyne ordres of angels There shal be maÌ„na our heuenly fode without corrupcyon There shall be angeles lyfe shortly to saye there shall be sowne no sorowe no dysease none euyll and what may be thought of ony goodnesse there it shall be founde Caplm .x. THe kyngdom of heuen is called in holy wrytte a cyte sette on a full hygh hylle in stabylyte â—sekernesse without drede and without peryll for there maye none enemye noo peryll noo dysease nyghtherto It standeth so hygh and in so grete welthe for men haue in this cyte what euer they desyre There is nought to seke from without it nedeth no helpe from without But all muste seke helpe from within this cyte Therfor sayth Ysaye the prophete lx.ca. Helth sanacoÌ„n occupy the walles of this cyte kepe theym defende them and praysynge of god without ceasynge occupyeth the yates so kepeth hem that ther may no sorowe entre In this cyte sayth he shalt thou not nede to haue yâ— sonne to shyne to yâ— by dayene the lyght of the mone shal not shyne to the by nyght but thy lorde god cryst Ihesus that bought the so dere shal be lyght without ende thy god shal be thy Ioye there thy sonne shall neuer go downe thy more shal neuer wayne for thy lorde god shall be thy lyght without ende yâ— dayes of thy sorowe here in this worlde there shall be ended for god there shall wype awaye the teres from the eyen of his sayntes Ther shal be no wepynge no cryeng no hongre no thrust no sorow for all yâ— wo dyseases yâ— were byfore ben all past from them that come to this cyte All the people of this cyte shal be good ryghtful there shal no shrewe no bryger no lechour no wycked lyuer entre in to this cyte Theâ— euery man woman shall shyne as bryght as yâ— sonne whan many sonnes ben gadred to gydre in companye with the hygh sonne of ryghtfulnes cryst Ihesus whiche sayth in the gospell Ego suÌ„lux muÌ„di Io .viij. I am lyght of the worlde there shall be a fayre company a blysfull company God brynge vs therto Than yâ— sonne shall be .vij. tymes bryghâ—er than it is now the mone as bryght as the sonne is now Than the sonne shal stande in the eest alwaye styll the mone in yâ— west alwaye shynynge without wanyng So that synful soules dampned to helle vnd therth shall no confort haue neyther by sonne ne by mone In this kyngdome in this cyte is no wynde no storme no tempest no thondre no lyghtnyng no rayne hayl frost ne snowe no hete no colde Ther be no skyes no cloudes to let our lyght but alwaye mery somer alwaye bryght daye In this cyte al men wymen ben free The kyng of this cyte axeth no presauÌ„tes ne gyftes of man ne of woman but theyr hertes theyr loue that they fare well He putteth no man ne woman there to trauayle but he wyl that all be in rest in peas in ease And what ony man or woman there desyreth to haue he gyueth it to them anone He axeth no rente no trybute no seruyce
woman do a mys for drede to lese yâ— blysse ¶ Pauper It fareth by folke born in pryson of the wycked worlde as it doth by a childe born in the depe derke pytte of the pryson whan it falleth a woman with childe be put in pryson The moder that knoweth the welfare yâ— she had out of pryson is in moche sorowe care and longeth full moche to be out of pryson ayen in her welfare But the childe born in the myscheef of the pryson and neuer hadde knowynge of better fare gyueth lytell tale of that myscheue in pryson But aslonge as he hath his moder with hym his sustenauÌ„ce though it be full feble he maketh no sorowe ne care he longeth after no better fare for he knoweth no better For yf his moder tells hym of yâ— Ioye welfare out of pryson of the sonne mone of the sterres of yâ— fayre floures spryngynge vpon erthe of the byrdes syngynge of myrthe of melodye of ryche arraye of lordes of ladyes welth that is out of pryson all hyr tale is but a dreme to the childe he byleueth it not therfore he longeth not therafter wyll not for all this blysse the welfare that she speketh of forsake his moder ne the feble fare that he hath with her that is for he byleueth it not yet it is as the moder telleth the childe But were the childe ones out of pryson and sawe the welth myrth the welfare whiche his moder tolde hym of he wolde be full sory for to go ayen to pryson there to lyue with his moder For all his lyfe in pryson that was fyrst lykynge ynough to hyÌ„ sholde than be full bytter he sholde neuer haue Ioye ne reste in herte tyll he came ayen to that welfare that he sawe out of pryson Ryght thus folke of this worlde borne and brought forth in sorowe care moche trauayl in the pryson of this worlde they haue so moche loue lykynge to theyr erthly moder to ther coÌ„panye that is to saye in erth in erthely thynges for erth is moder of al that they haue no lykynge in heuenly thynges ne longe not therafter And yet theyr gostly moder holy chirche ther goostly fader and god him selfe fader of all telleth them of the blysse of heuen It is to them but a dreme as is the moders tale to her childe in pryson they haue noo sad fayth therin And though it be so as our mod holy chirche telleth vs thoughe the childe byleue not that suche welfare be out of pryson the welfare is neuer the lesse though erthely couetouse men haue no lykynge but in erth in erthly thynges byleue not yâ— suche blysse be in heuen yet ther is suche blysse and neuer the lesse for theyr false byleue But had they ones sene assayed a lytell of that blysse al the Ioye lykynge that they haue in this worlde in erthly thynges sholde be to them full grete bytternesse full of sorowe care Example we haue of saynt Peter whom Cryste ledde vpon the hylle of Thabor with saynt Iohn saynt Iames and there he shewed them but a lytell of the blysse of his manhode His face shone as bryght as the sonne his clothes were whyte as snowe Moyses and Hely appered with hym in grete blysse magestee Than Peter sayd to our lorde Ihesu Lorde it is good to vs to be here Make we here thre tabernacles one to the an other to Moyses an other to Hely and let vs all dwelle here Luce .ix. And anone in syght of lytel blysse he forgat al the blysse of this worlde He cared neyther for mete drynke ne clothynge for hym thought he myght haue lyued without ende by the blysfull syght with that company Also whan saynt Poule was rauysshed in to heuen had seen yâ— vysyon of god afterwarde all his lyf in this worlde was to him a payne so moche he longed ayen to that blysse And therfore he sayd Infelix ego quis me liberabit demorte corê‘is huiê° Ro. vij I an vnsely man who shall delyuer me fro yâ— deth of this body I coueyte to be departed the soule from the bodye be without ende with cryste Moyses was with god in the mouÌ„t of Synay .xl. dayes and xl nyghtes metelesse drynkeles fedd by the speche of god by his presence yet sawe he but lytell of this blysse For he was not able to see his blysse ne noman lyuynge in this worlde as god sayd to hym yâ— tyme. But leue frende after our deth yf we kepe well goddes commaundementes and amende our mysdedes by our lyfe we shal see his grete blysse whiche neither Peter ne Poule ne Moyses myght see in erthe And we shal be syker of that blysse without ende Whiche blysse as saynt Poule sayth yâ— none erthely eye may see ne ere here ne herte thynke ne wytte comprehende In this blysse leue frende I hope to see you dwelle with you in the hyghe cyte of Ierusalem in the kynges courte of heuen To whiche blysse he brynge vs that for vs dyed on the rode tree Amen ¶ Here endeth a co 〈…〉 treatyse dyalogue of Diues and Pauper That is to saye the ryche the poore fructuously treatynge vpon the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes fynysshed the .iij. daye of Decembre The yere of our lorde god M. CCCC.lxxxxvi Eâ—prentyd by me Wyken de worde at Westmonstre ¶ Deo gracias W· C·
all that thou haste gyue it to the poore folke and come folowe me But as sayth the gospell whan he herde these wordes he wente awaye full sory for he hadde many possessyons and moche richesses Than Cryste sayd to his dyscyples It is full harde the riche man to entre in to the kyngdom of heuens it is more easy sayd he a Camele to passe thrugh nedels eye than the riche maÌ„ to entre in the kyngdome of heuens Than his dyscyples sayd to Cryste Lorde who may than be saue Cryste answered and sayd That as anentes man it is Impossyble but to god alle thynge is possyble ¶ Diues These wordes sounde full harde to myn vnderstondynge and soone may brynge me suche other in dyspayre I praye the declare me this maner of speche yf thou can ¶ Pauper Some exposytoures of the wordes of Cryste saye that in Iherusalem was a lytyll pryue yate whiche for straytnesse was called the nedell whan the Cameles came ycharged to this yate they myght not entre but they dyde awaye theyr burdeynes and theyr packes And so by these wordes Cryste excludeth not you riche men from heuen But he techeth you how ye may entre the yates of heuen For as he sayth in the gospell The yate the waye that ledeth to lyfe blysse is full strayte and fewe passe therby And soo by this nedell is vnderstonde the entrynge in to heuens blysse By the Camele charged yâ— riche men that ben charged with the richesse of the worlde whiche charge as longe as it is faste vpon theym Soo longe they may not entre in to the blysse of heuen For Cryste sayth in the gospell Nisi quis renunciauerit omnibus que possidet non potest meus esse discipulus But a man forsake alle that he hath he maye not be my dyscyple And therfore yf thou entre in to the strayte yate of heuen thou muste vnbynde and louse thy charge 〈◊〉 richesse from the and leye it besydes the vnder fote to that thou be lorde and mayster of thy richesses and not the richesses thy mayster Caplm .vi. DIues How sholde I louse my richesses fro me ¶ Pauper As the prophete sayth Diuicie si affluant nolite cor apponere Yf richesse and welthe falle to the sette not thyn herte to moche theron Loue theym not to moche Be redy to thanke god whan he sente theym to the and as redy to thanke hym pacyently yf he take theym fro the and saye as Iob sayd Nudus egressus sum de vtero matris mee Naked cam I in to this worlde oute of my moders wombe and naked I shall go hens agayne Sythen we than haue taken goodes of richesses and of welth of goddes honde why sholde we not suffre pacyentely wo and dysease yf he sende them to vs. God gaaf me goodes and god hath taken them awaye as god wolde soo is it done blessyd be goddes name Iob primo Vnlouse soo thy richesses from the that in goddes cause thou be redye for to forsake all that thou haste rather than thou sholdeste offende thy god Soo that for noo wynnynge neyther for noo losse thou woldeste doo ony dedely synne Alwaye be redy rather to forsake thy goodes than thy god And in this maner muste euery man forsake all that he hath yf he wyll be Crystus dyscyple That is for to saye he muste withdrawe his herte and his loue from all that he hath soo that he loue noo thynge as moche as god ne in lettynge of his loue neyther of his worshyppe For who someuer that wyll be saued he muste be poore in spyryte and in wyll And therfore sayth Cryste in the gospell Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum Blessyd ben they that ben poore in spyryte and in wyll For theyrs is the kyngdome of heuens Alle though this exposycyon as touchynge the morall sense be fulle true and fayre Neuerthelesse doctour de lyra bycause it hath none auctoryâ—e of holy scrypture that ther was suche a yate aâ—te Iherusalem that was called a nedell expowneth the wordes of Cryste in an other maner and sayth that Cryste speketh in that texte of riche men that sette theyr blysse theyr truste in richesse wherfore this is the menynge of the texte as lyre sayth As it is Impossyble for a Camele to passe thorugh the eye of a nedell Soo it is Impossyble for a man that setteth his truste and his blysse in richesses for to entre in to the royalme of heuens But yf he caste from hym suche inordynate loue and trustynge in richesse And that these wordes of Cryste sholde thus be vnderstonde the same doctour preueth by Crystus owne wordes in an other place Marci .x. where our lorde sayth thus How harde it is that men trustynge in richesse to entre in to the royalme of god It is easyer or lyghter that a Camele passe thorugh the eye of a nedell than a riche man for to entre in to the kyngdom of god that is to saye so trustynge in his richesses Inordynatly theym louynge Caplm .vij. DIues I assente to this exposycyon I was aferde that god hadde not loued riche men ¶ Pauper Abraham Ysaac Iacob yâ— holy patryarkes were full riche men yet god loued them full well Dauyd Ezechie Iosie were kynges of goddes people moche loued praysed of god Ioseph Danyell rulers of royalmes were of god chosen Iob Iachee Ioseph of Aromathye were full riche men now ben ful hygh in blysse For the riche men be not lacked in holy wryte for theyr richesses but for her wycked couetyse and myswyll of richesse And therfore sayth saynt Ambrose suê‘ Lucam that the faute is not in the richesse but in theym that can not vse theyr richesse in due maner And therfore sayth he that right as richesse is lettyng of vertue to wycked men so it is helpynge of vertue to good men Ne poore men be not praysed so moche in holy wryte for wantynge of richesse ne for myschyef that they ben in but for theyr good wyll theyr good loue that they haue to god Whan for his loue they forsake richesse and put them in pouerte myschyef to serue theyr god the more frely without lettyng of worldely couetyse For more shrewes fynde I none than poore beggers that haue no good that the worlde hath forsake but they not the worlde ¶ Diues Therfore me thynketh alwaye that it is better to be riche than poore For pouerte myschyef drawe many a man to robbery manslaughter lecherye other synnes many moo And therfore sayth Salomon Propter inopiam multi deliqueruÌ„t Ecclesiastes .xxviij. ¶ Pauper Some be poore nedy by theyr good wyll some ayenst theyr wyll And they that ben poore ayenst theyr wyll some haue pacyence some haue noo pacyence they bycause of myschyef they lyghtly fall in synne But neyther pouerte wylfully taken for the loue of god ne
and poore as saynt Poule sayth Circuierunt in melotis in pellibus caprinis angustiati They wente about in broken skynnes in shynnes of gote nedy anguysshed Neuerthelesse ymages standyng in chirches may be consydered in two maners eyther as they represente the astate of sayntes of whom they be ymages as they lyued in this lyf so they be to be paynted in suche maner clothynge as tho sayntes vsed whyles they lyued here Or ellys they may be consydered as they represente the astate of endelesse blysse in whiche sayntes be now so they be to be paynted ryaly solempnely as the cherubyns that represented the angellys that ben in heuen were made of golde Exodi .xxv. Nathelesse in all suche paynture an honest meane neyther to costly bycause of this consyderacoÌ„n ne to vyle bycause of the fourmer consyderacyon me thynketh is to be kepte Caplm .viij. DIues why ben angellys payÌ„ted in lykenes of yonge men sythe they be spyrytes haue no bodyes ¶ Pauper Ther may no payntour paynte a spyryt in his kynde And therfore to the better representacoÌ„n they be paynted in the lykenes of a man whiche in soule is moost accordynge to angellys kynde And though the angell is not suche bodely as he is paynted he is neuertheles suche ghoostly and hath suche doynge beyng spyrytuell They be paynted lyke yong men berdlesse in token that they ben endlesse elden not ne feble not but alwaye in one lykyng in one astate alwaye myghty stronge And also they be payÌ„ted with crulled here in token that theyr thought ther loue is sette alwaye in right ordre tourne alwaye vp ayen to god than kynge hym worshyppynge hym in all thyng For by the here of the hede in holy wryte is vnderstonde thought and affeccoÌ„ns of the herte Also they ben paynted with stoles aboute theyr neckes in token that they be alwaye redy to serue god man atte goddes byddyng And therfor they ben called Administratorij spuÌ„s Ad Hebre i.c That is to saye spyrytes of seruyce For they serue to god in rulynge of mankynde gouernauÌ„ce of this worlde They ben payÌ„ted fethered with wynges in token of lyghtnesse delyuerenesse in her werkes For in a twynclynge of an eye they may be in heuen in erthe here att Rome at IhrusaleÌ„ They ben paynted with wheles vnð theyr fete in token that they meue rule the rouÌ„de bodyes the wheles the cercles in heuen the course of the planetes as the phylosophre sayth also in token that as the whele tourneth alwaye aboute the centre his myddes so the angellys doyng is alwaye about god alwaye ben nygh hyÌ„ where euer they be Also somtyme they be paynted armed with spere swerde shelde in token that they be redy to defende vs fro the fendes that ben besy nyght daye to lese vs. For but yf holy angellys holpen vs defende vs kepte vs lettyng the fendes malyce we myght not withstoÌ„de ne be saued And therfor right as euery man woman hath a wycked angell assygned to hyÌ„ by the fende to teÌ„pte hyÌ„ So hath he a good angell assygned to hyÌ„ of god to saue hym yf he wyll folowe his rule Caplm .ix. DIues Why ben the four euaÌ„gelystes paynted in suche dyuerse lykenes sythen they were men all foure ¶ Pauper For dyuerse maner of wrytyng techynge Mathewe is paynted in lykenesse of a man For he pryncypally wrote and taught the manhode of Cryste tolde how he bycame man And moost specyally and moost openly wrote his genologye Saynt Iohan that wrote In principio erat verbuÌ„ Is paynted in lykenesse of an egle whiche of all foules fleeth hyghest in syght is sharpest and may see ferthest Soo saynt Iohan spake wrote hyghest of the godhede and hadde more Insyght vnderstandynge in the godhede than the other Euangelystes Saynt Luke is paynted in the lykenesse of a calfe or an oxe bycause that he speketh moost openly of the passyon of Cryste that was offred vp to the fader of heuen on the Aultre of the crosse on good frydaye as the oxe or the calfe was offred on the Aulâ—e in the Temple by the lawe for saluacyon of the people whiche offrynge was betokenyng of Crystus passyon And for that saynt Luke speketh moost openly of Crystê° passyon whiche was betokened by the sacrefyce of the oxe Therfore he is paynted presented by the lykenesse of an oxe Saynt Marke is paynted in lykenesse of a lyon bycause that he speketh moost openly of Crystus resurreccoÌ„n how he rose from deth to lyfe For whan the lyonesse hath whelped they leye .iij. dayes and .iij. nyghtes deed tylle on the thyrde daye the lyon theyr fader cometh maketh an hydeous crye ouer them anone with that voys crye they quycken waken in that maner ryse from deth to lyfe for this reason is saynt Marke presented by the lykenesse of a lyon for he spake more openly of Crystus resurreccoÌ„n And therfore his gospell is rede on esterdaye Also thou shalt vnderstande that Cryste was god man preest kyng Mathewe spake moost openly of his maÌ„hode began at his manhode therfore he is paynted in the lykenesse of a man Saynt IohnÌ„ spake moost of his god hode began atte his godhode And therfore he is paynted in the lykenes of an egle as I sayd fyrste Saynt Luke spake moost of his preesthode and therfore he is paynted in the lykenes of an oxe or of a calfe For that was the pryncypall sacrefyce that the prestes by the olde lawe offred in toÌ„ the Temple Saynt Marke spake moost of his kyngdom shewyng hym kyng of all thyng And therfore he is paynteâ— in the lykenesse of a lyon that is kyng of vnresonable bestes ¶ Diues Why ben they so paynted in the four endes of the crosse ¶ Pauper In token that he that deyed on the crosse is kyng of all thynge For the Egle is kyng of all foules The Lyon is kyng of all wylde bestes vnresonable The oxe is kyng of all tame bestes helpynge to mankynde Man is kyng of all bestes and of all vysyble creatures that were made for hym But Cryste is kyng of all thynge vysyble and Inuysyble And in token therof the four Euangelystes ben paynted aboute hym on the crosse in dyuerse lykenesse of four dyuerse kynges in kynde as four kynges herawdes blasynge his armes the grete batayle vyctory that he dyde ayenst the fende for maÌ„kynde vpon the crosse ¶ Diues why ben they paynted in houses in foure partyes of the house ¶ Pauper For the same cause for deuocoÌ„n for knowlechynge of his hyghe lordshypp that all we haue of hym and ayenst tempestes wycked spyrytes that free the euaÌ„gelystes ben sette in maner of a crosse ben ashamed abasshed of the crosse specyally of Crystus passyon by the whiche they were all dysconfyted Caplm .x.
he suffred hym for to saye sothe Englysshe people sholde forsake god all attones and sette theyr truste and theyr fayth all in the fende For notwithstandynge that they fynde the fendes tales and all his craftes full false by grete and ofte experyence and spende full grete therabout and lesen all that they done and myshappen yet wyll they not leue nor cease for noo losse for noo prechynge for no shame neyther for no punysshyng Neuerthelesse it is no grete wonder for the fende holdeth theym full harde bounde in his boundes as his churles and his thralles For all suche done a passynge homage sacrefyce and seruyce to the fende and forsaken god as I sayd fyrste Caplm .xxxvi. DIues Suche craftes and coÌ„mracyons with holy prayers and they that done them ben holden for full good lyuers and they gyue theym to fastynge to penaunce dooynge and bedes byddynge and to many other good dedes And therfore men gyue the more fayth credence to them byleue them the better For it is not semely that the fendes crafte sholde be done with suche holynesse ¶ Pauper The more holy thynge the more holy prayer that man or woman vsed in the fendes seruyce the more worshypp and the more pleasaunce they doo to the fende and the more despyte and offence do they to god For the worshyppe and the prayers and the seruyce that they sholde do to god they do it to the fende And thynges that ben ordeyned oonly for goddes seruyce they spende it in the deuylles seruyce And therfore they that vse holy wordes of the gospell Pater noster Aue. or Crede or holy prayers in theyr wytchecraftes for charmes or comuracyâ—ns and all they that vse holy water of the fonte holy crysme masses syngynge fastynges contynence wullen goeynge and suche other in theyr wytchecrafte they make a full hyghe sacrefyce to the fende It hath ofte ben knowen yâ— wytches with sayeng of theyr Pater noster and droppynge of the holy candell in a maÌ„nes steppes that they hated hath done his feet roten of ¶ Diues What sholde the Pater noster and the holy candell do therto ¶ Pauper Right nought But for the wytche worshyppeth the sende so hyghely with the holy prayers with the holy candell and vsed suche holy thynges in his seruyce in despyte of god Therfore is the fende redy to doo the wytches wylle and to fulfyll thynges that they done it for so it standeth only in the deuyll in mysbyleue of the wytche not in the Pater noster ne in the holy candell yet the fooles mene otherwyse For the fende wolde not do theyr wyll but they do hym suche hyghe sacrefyce For whan that they lyght the candell and saye theyr Pater noster to that intente they do it not to god but to the fende And in that they forsake god and worshypp the fende as god and clayme the fende to theyr fader sayeng to hym that they ought to saye only to god as Pater noster qui es in celis â— Oure fader that art in heuens halowed be thy name And all that foloweth they saye it to the fende And therfore yâ— fende may clay me hem for his childern god may resonably forsake them say to them that he sayd to the Iewes Vos facitis opera patris vestri vos ex patre dyabolo estis et desideria patris vestri vultis facere Io .viij. Ye done sayth he the werkes of the fende your fader ye ben of the fader the deuyll the desyres of your fader ye wyll doo And in the same maner theyr chasty te theyr fastynge theyr penauÌ„ce doynge is in as moche as they doo it to please the fende for a wycked ende it is a seruyce a sacrefyce to the fende And full fewe men or wymen wyl do so moche penaunce for the loue of god as the wytches do for the loue of the fende and to please the fende in soo moche that somtyme they cutte theym selfe with knyues and prycke them selfe with launcettes and so offre theyr flesshe and theyr blood in sacrefyce to yâ— fende as we fynde in the thyrde boke of kynges the .xviij. chapytre And therfore byleue frendes sythen this maner of synne is so greuoê° so hydeous so abhomynable in goddes syght suffre it neuer to be do by none of your housholde for no losse ne no thefte for no sekenesse for noo helthe for no welthe for no wo. For yf ye do it your selfe or do it to be done or assente to the doynge or suffre it to be done whan ye myght lette it ye be acursed offende your god full hyghely full greuously For all they that do it or assente to the doynge sette theyr fayth therin they forfete ayenst the fyrste coÌ„maundement full greuously For in that they forsake god and make the fende theyr god and worshyppeh hym as god And by what thynge yâ— they do theyr wytchecrafte be it fyre be it ayer or water or erthe or deed bones or ony other thynge that is in theyr mawme trye that they make symylytude to god as moche as in theym is worshyp it as god And therfore god forbode in the fyrste coÌ„mauÌ„dement that man shode not make hym lykenesse yâ— is in heuen that is to saye neyther in the fyrmament ne in the fyre ne in the ayer And so in that worde he forbedeth the Iudycyall astronomye and pyromancye that is wytchecrafte done in the fyre and aeromancye that is wytchecrafte done in the ayer Also he forbedeth men to make them lykenesse of ony thynge that is in erthe In that he forbedeth geomancy that is wytchecrafte done in the erthe And also nygromancye that is wytchecrafte done by deed bodyes that ben but erthe and buryed in the erthe Also he forbedeth men to make them symylytude of ony thynge that is in the water vnder the erthe In whiche wordes he forbedeth ydrom aÌ„cye that is wytchecrafte done in the water He badde that men sholde worshyppe none suche thynges as god ne sette theyr truste ne theyr fayth therin For yf they doo they make suche thynges lyke god in as moche as in them is And not only they make suche thynges lyke god in this maner but also they make the fendes lyke god whiche dwelle some in the fyre some in the ayer some in the water and some in the erthe for to tempte mankynde and ben besy nyght and daye for to lese mannes soule and womannes ¶ Diues Shewe me some example of this maner of wytchecraftes ¶ Pauper I am besy for to destroye wytchecrafte and not for to teche it But wolde god that noo man ne no woman wyste what it is neyther knewe these ne none other for ther ben all to many that knowe these many mo therto and practyse newe yere by yere at the fendes techynge tylle moche of this londe is blente shente with suche folye For ouer moche wytchecrafte reygneth
this tabernacle he was circumcyded worshypped of the thre kynges dwelled with vs in erthe in our pylgrymage .xxxij. yere and more In this tabernacle he deyed for mankynde rose from deth to lyfe on Ester daye styed vp in to heuen on holy thursdaye very god and very man there he sytteth on his faders right honde aboue all heuens in this tabernacle lorde kyng of all thynge In this tabernacle he shall come ayen at the dome to deme the quycke and the deed And all the festes that we holde of ony sayntes we halowe them holde them for the good dedes that they dyde whyle they dwelled here in the tabernacle of theyr bodye in hope to come to the endelesse tabernacle full of Ioye blysse without ende Of whiche tabernacle god speketh in the gospell whan he byddeth the riche men make poore men theyr frendes that they may resceyue them in to the endelesse tabernacle of whiche speketh Dauyd QuaÌ„ dilecta tabernacula tua dnÌ„e virtutuÌ„ concupiscit et deficit aia mea in atria dnÌ„i Lorde of vertues how louely how lykynge ben thy tabernacles My soule sayth he desyreth longeth to entre in to the halles of our lorde And for his desyre is delayed he fayleth and faynteth for sorowe And so yâ— solempnyte that euer shall laste shall be a solempnyte of tabernacles whan we shall dwelle in endelesse tabernacles with endlesse reste Ioye blysse There the fyrste daye the .viij. daye shall be full holy whiche daye is the sondaye For that is the fyrste daye it is the .viij. daye shall be the laste daye euer lastynge in Ioye and blysse And therfor in the festes of yâ— newe lawe that ben festes of the tabernacles is yâ— sondaye pryncypally halowed as god badde than For it was the fyrste daye and it is the .viij. daye and it shal be the laste daye euer lastynge in Ioye blysse Caplm .v. DIues Why badde god that we sholde thynke to halowe wel the holy dayes the sabbot ¶ Pauper Ther is thre maner of sabbottes that is to saye of reste or of halowynge Scilicet pectoris temporis et eternitas That is to saye of reste of herte of tyme of endlesse restynge By reste of herte of thought men come to reste of tyme. And by reste of thought of tyme men come to endelesse reste So without reste of herte and of thought noo man may come to the endelesse reste that the sabbot and the holy daye betokeneth And therfore god bad vs that we sholde pryncypally trauayll to haue sabbot reste of herte of thought without whiche reste sabbot we may not well halowe ony holy daye And therfore Cryste sayd in the gospell that out of the herte whan it is out of rest come euyll thoughtis manslaughters auoutrers lecherers theftes false wytnesses dyspyte of god Mathei .xv. whiche synnes destroye charyte and peas and ben causes of moche vnrest in this worlde and lette reste of tyme so that vnnethes they may be ony tyme in reste And therfore god sayth thynke that thou halowe well thyn holy daye Bethynke the yf thou be in charyte reste of herte with god man And yf thou be styred ayenst thyn euen crysten by wrath hate or enuye or haue ony heuy herte ayenst thy brother go as god byddeth in the gospell be fyrste recouÌ„seylled to thy brother and than come make thyn offrynge of holy prayer of thankynge of praysynge and of thy gyftes to god And but thou do soo put awaye all rancour and heuynesse of herte ellys thyn halowynge thy sabbot is not pleasauÌ„t to god Also bethynke the yf thou be in dedely synne and repente the and be shreuen as soone as thou myght in good maner so offre vp thy selfe to god by charyte by sorowe of herte make thy selfe holy and than art thou able to halowe well the holy daye For as longe as thou art in dedely synne by wyll or by dede so longe thou halowest not thyn holy daye For thou dost seruyle werke of synne and dost dyspyte to the holy daye whiche is or deyned that men sholde than amende them and serue god more specyally than in the werken daye And as longe as man or woman is in dedely synne they serue the deuyll and not to pleasauÌ„ce of god Also god byddeth that men sholde bethynke theym to halowe well the holy daye For in the holy daye namely on yâ— sondaye men sholde drawe theyr wyttes to gydre from the worlde bethynke them yf they had ought trespassed that woke by recheleshede or by couetyse or by lechery or by ony other wyse and aske god forgyuenesse Also thynke on the good spede and benefyces that god hath sente theym that woke or euer byfore thanke hym therof Thanke hym of his endelesse mercy and of his endelesse charyte that he shewed to mankynde Thynke how he made man to his owne lykenesse to be heyre cytezeyn of heuen Thynke how he made all thynge for man Thynke what blysse he hath ordeyned to man and woman yf they doo well what payne yf they do euyll Caplm .vi. THerfore sayth Orygenes suê“ LeuiticuÌ„ .xxviij. On the sondaye thou sholdest doo noo worldly thynges but oonly gyue the to god and also to ghoostly thynges Than sayth he come to chirche and laye thyn ere 's to goddes worde thynke heuenly thynges thynke on the lyfe that we hopen all for to haue in endelesse blysse Thynke on the laste dome how harde that shall be and how strayte Take than none hede to this worlde ne to thynges bysyble But on the holy daye haue thy ghoostly eye pryncypally to thynges that ben to come that yet ben Inuysyble He that thus doth sayth he haloweth wel his holy daye and he maketh the sacrefyce of his sabbot And therfore the lawe sayth thus we haue ordeyned that all sondayes be kepte with all maner worshyp from euen to euen and that men absteyne theym from all maner vnlefull werkes that ther be noo markette holden on the sondaye ne plee ne no man dampned to deth ne to payne ne none othe taken solempnely but yf it be for peas or for some other grete nede Extra li. ij.ti de ferijs Omnes dies dnÌ„icos The lawe sayth that men sholde no thynge do on the sondaye but gyue theym to god ne do no seruyle werke But that daye sholde be occupyed in pray synge worshyppynge of god and in ghostly songes De con di .iij. Ieiunia Men sholde on yâ— holy daye serue god with herte mouth and werke With herte thynke as I haue sayd With mouth well spekynge in prayer praysynge and worshypynge of god and good informacyon of theyr euen crysten In werke also of dedes of almesse in peas makynge accordynge of neyghbours suche other But now alas it is fulfylled that Ieremye sayd Trenorum pri â— Viderunt eam hostes et deriseruÌ„t sabbata
enhaūseth rightfull dome And but god had ended his werkes in mercy in the vij daye slaked his harde dome ayenst mankynde for Adams synne ellys his werkes had not ben complete ne parfyght in asmoche as y◠pryncypal creature for whom he made all thynge was loste For whan the fynale cause of ony werke fayleth that werke is not complete ne parfyght For this mercy that god shewed to man whan he ordeyned rest in the .vij. daye that was called sabbot fygure of endelesse reste of mankynde Cryst sayth in the gospell That the sabbot was made for man not man for the sabbot Marci .ij. But synfull man be so blent with couetyse that he tourneth his dampnacōn his payne in to lykynge and hath leuer to trauayll to his vndoynge vnto his dampnacyon than to rest to his saluacōn And hath leuer to folowe the harde sentence of god to his punysshynge than to take his grace and his mercy to be eased Suche ben lyke oules backes whiche hate the daye loue the nyght lyke to the fendes of helle that neuer haue recte ne for malyce wyll seke reste Caplm .ix. QOre ouer my frende we fynde four maner of sabbottes in holy wrytte One sabbot of dayes that was the .vij. daye ordeyned of god for reste ease both of man of beest Also we fynde a sabbot of monethes ordeyned also of god for to reste both of man and beest that was the .vij. moneth that man and beest sholde reste theym than after the grete trauaylle that they hadde done in the two monethes byfore in whiche was theyr heruest to gadre corne wyne and oyle and other fruyte The vij moneth was Septembre as for than in that hote contree heruest was all done Also we fynde a sabbot of yeres that was the .vij. yere For that yere the londe rested y◠it myght bere the better the more plenteuously after for that yere was noo londe sowen Also we fynde a sabbot of sabbottes that was the fyfth yere ordeyned of god for reste of the londe of beest of man namely of them that were in trauayll of trybulacyon For than outlawed men myght come ayen home in surete Than bounde men were made free dettes forgyuen Than men resceyued ayen theyr herytage By the sabbot of dayes is vnderstonden reste from vyces in the lyfe actyf that hath .vi. dayes to werke in By the sabbot of mone is vnderstonden reste that men haue in the lyfe contemplatyf both from vyces temptacōns for that moneth was moche holy but not all holy Right soo they that haue the lyfe contemplatyf they haue more reste from vyces and temptacōns than they that haue the lyfe actyfe but ful reste haue they not in this worlde By the sabbot of yeres whan the londe rested the .vij. yere is vnderstonden the reste that our soules shall haue in the blysse of heuen whyles the erthe of our bodyes shall reste in the graue By the sabbot of sabbottes that was the .l. yere is vnderstonden the reste without ende that we shall haue in heuen whan we shal go ayen both bodye soule vnto our herytage that we loste thrughe Adams synne whan all our trauayll trybulaco n shall cesse all our woo tourne to wele by vertue of Crystus passyon Caplm .x. DIues Sythen the sabbot of dayes was moste solempne in the olde lawe for it was not lefull that daye to go ouer a thousande pass ne to dyght theyr mete more ouer that daye were offred two lambes passynge the comon sacrefyce that was done euery daye sythen than the solempnyte of the sabbottes is translated in the newe lawe in to the sondaye why is not the sondaye as worshypfull in the newe lawe as was the sabbot in the olde lawe For as that was called the sabbot of our lorde also the sondaye is called the daye of our lorde passynge all other dayes And yet we haue in the yere many dayes more solempne than is the sondaye ¶ Pauper All the festes of the newe lawe that ben the dayes and the sabbottes of our lorde For alle tho ben of hym selfe in hym selfe or ellys of hym selfe in his sayntes In the olde lawe was no feste of our lorde but only the sabbot whiche was halowed in mynde of the creacōn of the worlde in mynde that god the .vij. day cessed of creacyon And also than to thanke hym for his endelesse goodnesse that he shewed to mankynde in his creacyon whan he made all bodely vysyble creatures to serue man man to serue hym here in grace after in the blysse of heuen without ende Other festes of the olde lawe were but solēpnytees myndes of auentures prosperytes y◠felle to the Iewes in tyme of the olde lawe And therfor the sabbot amonges them was moost solempne And amonges vs also the sondaye is moost solempne and holy for the grete dedes and wondres that god dyde in the sondaye But for as moche as it cometh ofte we make it not alwaye lyke solempne for it falleth the sondaye in whiche god shewed his wondres as Esterdaye Wytsondaye to be more solempne than other comon sondayes Other festes also as Crystmasse daye Epyphanye daye in as moche as they ben our lordes dayes come but ones in the yere therfore we make more solempnyte in tho dayes than we doo comonly on the sondaye And so we do in many other festes for all they be festes and dayes of our lorde Neuerthelesse ther is no daye so solempne in themselfe as the sondaye for that is alwaye solempne for y◠wondres that god dyde therin Other dayes somtyme ben solempne and somtyme not solempne after that the festes therin falle by chaūgynge of the yere so that other dayes haue noo solempnyte of themselfe by custome ne by lawe but only by fallynge of festes as the yere chaungeth The thursdaye was some tyme as holy as the sondaye for Cryste styed vp that daye to the heuen And than began the processyon that we vse on the sondaye for than Cryste wente in processyon with his dyscyples out of Ierusalem in to the mounte of Olyuete and there he styed vp in the syght of theym all And the crosse y◠is borne byfore vs in y◠processyon betokeneth that Cryste deyed on the crosse and afterwarde he arose ayen from deth to lyfe And on the holy thursdaye wente he byfore his dyscyples ledyng them vnto the moūte of Olyuete But for as moche as many newe festes comen on and it was greuous for to kepe two dayes so lempne euery woke therfore the solempnyte of the thursdayes cessed the processyon in mynde of Crystes ascen s yon was translated in to the sondaye ¶ Diues Therfor me thynketh that the sondaye sholde be the more solempne ¶ Pauper So it is and so it ought for to be moost halowed thoughe holy chirche doo not alwaye than moost solempnyte for that daye is ordeyned for reste in the newe lawe both to man and
beest as the sabbot was ordeyned for reste in the olde lawe Caplm .xi. DIues Be we bounden by this coÌ„maundement to kepe the holy dayes that holy chirche hath ordeyned in the newe lawe ¶ Pauper Yes forsoth for though the coÌ„mauÌ„dement passed in that the it was cerymonyall as anentes tyme yet it dwelleth in that it was is morall byndeth vs to flee vyces serue our god one daye more than another whiche daye is yâ— sondaye in the newe lawe by ordenauÌ„ce of god holy chirche For as yâ— gospell sayth Ma. xij DnÌ„s est emÌ„ filius hoiÌ„s et sabbati The maydens sone Cryste Ihesus is lorde of the sabbot And for as moche as it was so euyll kepte in the olde lawe soo moche blood was shedde in the sabbot Cryste hyÌ„selfe suffred so moche despyte on the sabbot therfore he was dyspleased sayd by the prophetes Ysaye .i. and Ozee .ij. That he sholde noo lenger suffre theyr sabbottes but as a lorde of the sabbottes he chauÌ„ged that reste solempnyte of theyr sabbottes in to the sondaye for the causes whiche I sayd byfore whiche daye all yf it be the .viij. daye in the fyrste ordre of dayes yet it is but the .vij. daye in obseruauÌ„ce of the coÌ„maundement For we haue now .vi. dayes for to werke in in token yâ— god in .vi. dayes made all yâ— worlde the vij daye we halowe as god badde vs in token that god the .vij. daye cessed of creacoÌ„n ordeyned reste in yâ— sondaye As saynt Poule sayth in his pystle ad Colo .ij. That openly the sabbot other festes of the olde lawe were but shadowes fygures of the newe lawe And therfore after Crystus passyon tho festes cessed noo man ought to kepe them And who so kepeth them in that he forsaketh yâ— Cryste was borne of the mayden deyed for mankynde And saynt Gregorye in his pystle ad Ro sayth That all that halowe the satyrdaye for it was so holy in the olde lawe that ben Antecrystes dyscyples For Antecryste shall do men halowe both sondaye satyrdaye Sondaye for to drawe crysten peple to his secte for he shall fayne hym deed to aryse ayen fro deth to lyf on yâ— sonday And yâ— satyrdaye to drawe the Iewes to his secte De con di.iij Peruenit Caplm .xij. DIues Why wolde god make the worlde more in the nombre of .vi. dayes than in ony other nombre of dayes ¶ Pauper For as Salomon sayth God made al thynge in nombre in weyght and in mesure He made noo thynge to moche ne to lytyll But he made euery thynge parfyghtly in his kynde and ended all his werkes in parfyghtnesse And for the nombre of .vi. is the fyrste nombre euen yâ— is parfyght therfore he made all the worlde in nombre of .vi. dayes ¶ Diues How is yâ— nombre of .vi. dayes more parfyght than another nombre ¶ Pauper For all his partes yâ— mete him yf they be taken to gydre make euen .vi. as i.ij.iij make euen .vi. these .iij. mete hym For .vi. tymes one is .vi. thryes two is .vi. twyes thre is .vi. And this parfeccoÌ„n is in no nombre within .x. but in .vi. And fro .x. to an hondred is none but xxviij And fro an hondred to a thousande is but this euen nombre four hondred four score .xvi. The next is .viij. thousande one hondred and xviij thaÌ„ no mo suche but one with in an hondred thousande And who soo wyll fynde that he muste studye After an hondred thousande ben mo suche than all the clerkes vnder the sonne can telle and mo than ony herte may thynke or tongue can telle yet is it full harde to fynde one And for that .vi. is the fyrste parfyght nombre in this maner Therfore god wolde make this worlde in the nombre of .vi. in a token that all his werkes were parfyght And therfore sayth holy wryte GenÌ„ .ij. That heuen and erthe al theyr arraye were parfyght And for the same cause god made man the .vi. daye as for a parfyght and a noble creature For the same cause in the .vi. age of the worlde he bycame man And on the â—i daye a good frydaye the .vi. hour of the daye in the .vi. age he bought mankynde ayen with his precyous blood in token yâ— all his werkes were parfyght And the same nombre of dayes god hath grauÌ„ted vs for to werke in in token yâ— all our werkes sholde be parfyght good no thynge do amys that we sholde for noo couetyse do to moche ne for no slouth do to lytyll but holde vs alwaye in a meane in euenhe de for god grauÌ„ted vs no tyme to synne Therfore wyll he that we alwaye be euen with god and with our euen crysten as sixe is alwaye euen with his partes to gydre Caplm .xiij. DIues Why bad god reste on the .vij. daye more than an other daye ¶ Pauper In token that as .vij. cometh next after yâ— parfyght nombre of .vi. dayes of werkynge soo after parfyght werkes in this worlde shall folowe parfyght reste in the other worlde Also he badde reste in the .vij. daye for yâ— passeth the parfyght nombre in token yâ— he wyll that no thynge be done passynge parfeccoÌ„n And therfore all synne is comprehended in .vij. dedely synnes For as .vij. passeth yâ— parfyght nombre of .vi. so euery synne passeth parfeccoÌ„n is out of parfeccoÌ„n of all good werkes Also god badde reste the .vij. daye for he wyll that men reste them than both goostly bodely Goostly from besynesse thought of the worlde Bodely from bodely trauayll For why vij is made of four thre Four betokeneth bodely thynges made of four elementes Thre betokeneth mannes soule made to the lykenesse of the holy trynyte And therfor he badde reste in the .vij. daye that men sholde than rest both bodye soule Also god bad rest in the .vij. daye in token yâ— after parfyght werkes shal folowe endeles rest both of bodye of soule For this noÌ„bre vij in asmoche as all tyme all duracoÌ„n is coÌ„prehended in .vij. dayes therfore it betokeneth endeles lastynge And therfore reste on the .vij. daye betokeneth endeles rest Also my frende god ordeyned reste in the .vij. daye in token of .vij. blysses whiche we shal haue for parfyght werkes that we do here in .vi. dayes and .vi. ages of this worlde For anentes yâ— bodye we shall haue four blysses bryghtnesse beaute without ony spotte For as Cryste sayth in the gospell Men wymen shall shyne in heuen as bryght as the sonne Also men shall haue there inpassybylyte helth of bodye without all maner sekenesse no thynge shall dere them ne dysease them Also they shal haue delyuerhede of body lightne s se without lettynge for they sholde be as lyght as thought in twynkelynge of an eye be where as they wyll Also they shall haue sotylte of bodye without
ben lowe meke in myn owne syght to please god that made me kyng And for that Mychol scorned so Dauyd for his spryngynge his dauÌ„synge his lowenesse therfore god made her barayne that she had neuer childe as yâ— boke sayth there Also god gladded his people that was in moche care trybulacyon and sayd yet shall maydens make mery in songe dauÌ„synge and olde folke togydre For I shall torne theyr care in to Ioye and gladde them conforte them of theyr sorowe Ieremye .xxxi. ¶ Diues It may well be as thou sayst For myrth gladnesse conforteth men in goddes seruyce and heuynesse dulleth letteth all maner lykynge ¶ Pauper Therfore Dauyd sayth Seruite dnÌ„o in leticia Serue ye our lorde in myrthe and gladnesse But two thynges my frende muste be kepte in goddes seruyce and in good lyuynge sadnesse and gladnesse Sadnesse in chere and in doynge Gladnesse in herte thynkynge Sadnesse without sorynesse of malyce of wrath hate and of enuye And gladnesse without folye and rybaudrye And therfore my frende I praye you saddeth well but baddeth not Be alwaye gladde but neuermore made by no folye Alwaye sadde alwaye gladde so that your gladnesse and your sadnesse be alwaye meddled with lykynge and loue of god and with deuocyon Caplm .xix. DIues Why ben these thre coÌ„mauÌ„dementes called the coÌ„maudementes of the fyrste table ¶ Pauper For whan god gaue Moyses the lawe in the mount of Synay He toke hym the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes wryten in two tables of stone In the fyrste table were wryten the thre fyrste coÌ„mauÌ„dementes whiche techen vs how we sholde worshypp our god loue hym aboue all thyng And therfore they ben called the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of the fyrst table both for worthyne s se of themselfe for they were wryten in yâ— fyrste table In the seconde table were wryten other .vij. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes that techen vs to loue our euen crysten as our selfe ben called the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of yâ— seconde table And so all the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes ben coÌ„prehended closed in yâ— two coÌ„mauÌ„dement of charyte The fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement of charyte is this the thou shalt loue thy lorde god with all thyn herte with al thy soule with al thy mynde with al thy myght Whan he sayth thou shalt loue thy god with all thyn herte excludeth all maner of ydolatrye that is forboden by the fyrste coÌ„mauÌ„dement that no man sette his herte ne his faythe ne his truste in no creature more than in god ne ayenst goddes worshyp For who so loueth well an other he hath kyndely a truste a fayth in hym And after that he loueth so he trusteth And there he trusteth moost comonly he loueth moost And therfore god badde that thou sholdest loue hym with all thyn herte that is to saye with all thy fayth soo that thou sette all thy fayth thy truste in hym byfore all other as in hym that is almyghty may best helpe at nede And therfore the fyrste coÌ„mauÌ„dement of these thre is applyed pryncypally to the fader almyghty Also god byddeth that thou loue hym with all thy soule that is to saye as saynt Austyn sayth with all thy wyll without contradiccoÌ„n that thy wyll be not contrarye to his wyll but alwaye confourmed to his wyll And in that he byddeth that thou take not his name in vayne But as thou haste taken the name of Cryste art called crysten so confourme thy wyll thy lyfe thy speche to yâ— wyll of Cryste that thou wyll no thynge ne do no thynge ne saye no thynge ayenst his wyll by thy wyll thy wyttynge ne make none o the ne auowe ayenst his wyll his worâ—hyp And tho that thou haste made to his worshyp kepe them and hope sykerly that yf thou fulfylle goddes wyll here in erthe he shall fulfyll thy wyl in heuen And loke that thou spende all thy lyfe and thy beynge to his worshyppe and in his loue And than louest thou hyÌ„ with all thy soule in whiche pryncypally is thy lyfe and thy beynge And therfore yf thou spende not thy lyf and thy beynge in his loue thou louest hym not with all thy soule and therto thou takest his name in vayne for his name is Qui est That is to saye He that is For all thynge that is taketh his beynge of hym And therfore yf yâ— spende thy lyfe thy beynge in synne vanyte thou takest his name of beynge in vayne Also loke that thou spende all thy wytte in his loue that thou studye to knowe the treuth that is Crystus name For he sayth Ego sum verytas And so study to flee falshode folye by helpe of Cryste goddes sone that is al wytty And therfore the seconde coÌ„maundement is applyed to yâ— seconde persone in trynyte that is the sone all wytty Also he byddeth that thou loue hym with alle thy mynde without forgetynge of his benefyces and his gyftes to the to mankynde And in that he byddeth the to kepe well the holy daye whiche is ordeyned pryncypaly that men sholde than withdrawe her thoughtes theyr mynde from the worlde and thynke than on god and on heuenly thynges Than thynke on theyr owne vnkyndnesse and of goddes goodnesse as I sayd fyrste And therfore he sayth Memento Thynke that thou halowe well the holy dayes that is to saye loue god with all thy thought and with al thy mynde that thou be in wyll no thynge to thynke ayenst his plesaunce and that thou haue lykynge to thynke of hym by grace of the holy ghoost to whome the thyrde commaundement is applyed without whome as saynt Poule sayth We may thynke noo good thought The fyrste coÌ„maundement is applyed to the fader almyghty that may best helpe at nede For mawmettes ydolatrye may not helpe The seconde coÌ„maundement is applyed to the sone alwytty whose name is treuthe souerayne wysdome For he knoweth all he may not be dysceyued treuth sholde not be taken in vayne but alwaye worshyped wysely mayntened The thyrde coÌ„maundement is applyed to the holy ghoost whiche is called Paraâ—litus that is to saye comforter For the holy daye is ordeyned for to comforte both the soule and the bodye and to comforte man and beste And the holy ghoost comforteth vs in sorowe and care and he is bote of euery bale He gyueth reste after trauayll he is solace in dysease he abateth carefull thoughtes gyueth peas and reste in herte And therfore the prophete sayth to hym Cogitacio hominis confitebitur tibi et reliquie cogitaciones diem festum agent tibi Mannes thought shall ben knowen to the his myschyues and the remenauntes of his thoughtes shall make an holy daye to the in yâ— sondaye other festes SecunduÌ„ multitudineÌ„ dolorum meorum in corde meo consolacoÌ„nes tue letificaueruÌ„t animaÌ„ meaÌ„ Lorde sayth he after the multytude of sorowes in myn herte so thy confortes haue gladded my soule For the holy ghoost byddeth that men sholde
lorde god And in the newe lawe he sayth thus Deum timete regem honorificate Drede ye god and worshyppe ye your kynge .i. petri .ij. That is to say For drede of god worshyp thou thyn elder and for drede of god worshyp thou thy kynge thy souerayne and al that be in hygher degre than thou art For sythen god hath put them in degre of worshyp thou muste for drede of god worshyppe them And but thou worshyp them ellys thou offendest god Omnes honorate Worshyp ye all men women after ther astate and ther dygnyte And saynt Poule byddeth that all thynge sholde be do honestly and in ordre OiÌ„a honeste et scdm ordineÌ„ fiant .i. ad corum .xiiij. Caplm .xxiij. ALso leue frende by this commauÌ„dement we be bouÌ„de to worshyp holy angels sayntes in heuen for they be our faders in age in worshyp in cure in kepynge of vs. For they longen after vs that ther nombre ther company that was lested by the pryde of lucyfer myght be restored ayen by saluacoÌ„n of vs. And therfore nyght and daye they prayen for vs to god for helpe and grace nedefull to vs. Of these faders speketh saynt Poule in his pystle and sayth thus I knele praye for you nyght and daye the fader of our lorde Ihesu cryste of whom is named all maner of faderhede in heuen and in erthe Ex quo omnis paternitas nominat in celo et in terra ad Ephe .iij. For as the glose sayth ther dysposycyon the angellys be our faders in heuen ordeyned for vs and in erthe prelates be our faders hauynge cure and kepynge of vs. And so bothe prelates in erthe and angellys in heuen ben our faders And therfore as all these clerkes sayen Eche man woman hath two angels assygned to hym one of god an other of the fende For the fonde Sathanas att goddes suffraunce assygneth to hym a wycked angell to tempte hym and to lese hym But god of his goodnes assygneth hym a good angell to saue hym and to kepe hym Of whiche good angell cryste sayth in the gospell that they see alwaye the face of the fader in heuen for they be alwaye in his presence speke for vs and praye for vs. And therfore sayth saynt Ierom vpon the same worde of cryste that angels bere our prayers and our good dedes in to heuen and kepe and defende vs ayenst the malyce and the sleyght of the fende And therfore the angell Raphaell whan he had ledde the sone of Tobye in to fer contree and saued hyÌ„ from many perylles broughte hym ayen in grete welth he sayd to Tobye whan thou praydest with bytter teres beryedeste the deed bodyes and leftest thy mete and haddest deed bodyes by daye in thyn house beryeste them by nyght for goddes sake ayenst the wyll of the wycked kynge Senacheryb Than offered I thy prayer to our lorde god Thobie .iiij. Also we rede in the fourth booke of kynges the .vi. chaptre That the prophete Helyzee was sodaynly by nyght besyeged in the Cyte of Dothaym with the oost of the kynge of Syrye In the morowe the seruaunt of Helyzee sawe the oost about the Cyte he was full sory sayd to his mayster Helyzee Alas alas alas what shal we do we be so besyeged with our ennemyes that we may not escape Than Helyzee sayd to hym Drede ye not for we haue more folke with vs than they haue with them Than Helyzee prayed to god that he wolde open the eyen of that seruaunt that he myght see what helpe Helyzee had with hym And anone he sawe the hylles about Helyzee full of horse charettes brennynge as fyre a grete people arayde to batayll that was the oost of angellys sent of god for kepynge of Helyzee through whos helpe the prophete Helyzee ledde all the oost that had besyeged hym in to the Cyte of Samarye amonges all ther enemyes for they were so blent that they wyst not whether they went They come to take Helyzee and Helyzee toke theym with helpe of angels and dyde with them what he wolde And therfor Dauyd sayth Montes in circuitu eius et dnÌ„s in circuitu ppli sui The hylles that is to saye the angellys be about the good man and the good woman to kepe them and god is about his people to saue theym And therfore saynt Cecyle sayd to her husbonde Valaryan I haue goddes angell that loueth me full well and kepeth my bodye with grete suerte that noo man shall defoule me And yf thou wyll by foule loue defoule me he shall â—lee the. And yf thou loue me with clene loue and wyll kepe my maydenhode hole clene he shall loue the as well as me And whan thou art crystened thou shalt see him Anone her husbonde Valeryan by her couÌ„seyll went and was crystened of the bysshop saynt Vrban And whan he was crystened he cam ayen fouÌ„de saynt Cecyle prayenge in closet the angell standynge besydes her with wynges fethers ful bryght his face shone glymered as the flaÌ„me of fyre He had in eyther hande a garlonde made of roses lelyes full fayre tresshe and full swete in smellynge He gaaf vnto saynt Cecyle one an other to Valeryan and bad them kepe them in clennes both of bodye of soule For why sayd he I haue brought theÌ„ out of paradyse And ye shall knowe by this token for they shall alwaye be grene fresshe neyther welke ne fade ne lese ther swete sauour and no man ne woman may see them but they that loue clenne s se and chastyte as ye doo We rede also in the lyfe of saynt Agnes that whan she was but .xiij. yere of age suffered deth for the loue of god and for the loue of chastyte foâ— she wolde not assent to be wedded to the grete lordes sone of Rome for he was hethen And also for she wolde kepe her mayndenhode to cryste She was made naked ledde to the bordell house to be defouled of synfull wretches But sodaynly her here wexe soo moche that it hylled and hydde all her bodye And whan she cam to the bordell house her good angell was redy and brought her a clothe as whyte as snowe full mete to her bodye and be lapped her with so grete lyght that ther myght no man loke vpon her ne no man durste entre the place Thanne the lordes sone as ful hardy ran in to that lyght for to defoule her And anone the fende whom he wolde haue serued slough hym But saynt Agnes with her prayer to god and helpe of her good angell reysed hym from deth to lyfe to shame shenshyp of all hethen people For anone he went out of that house cryed openly that there was no god but cryste and desspysed her mawmettes and ther false byleue Also whan saynt Agace was buryed her angell in the lykenesse of a yonge man clothed in clothe of
sylke with an hondred yonge men al clothed in whyte that were angels also or ellys holy soules came to the beryenge layde a stone of marble vpon her graue with a wrytynge of grete confort to all yâ— contre went not thens tyll all the buryenge was do neuer after was see ony of all that coÌ„pany Also the good angell brake the wheles that sholde haue slayne saynt Katheryne And whan she was deed for goddes sake yâ— angels toke her bodye bare it in the erthe in to yâ— mouÌ„te of Synay ther buryed it worshyp fully And therfor leue frende I praye you yâ— ye haue sayntes in heuen holy angels in reuerence deuocyon for they be to vs fader moder as I sayde fyrste Worshyp ye our lady moder mayde aboue all next after god than other sayntes bothe man woman and holy angels as god gyueth you grace worshyp ye them not as god but as our tutours defendours kepers our leders gouernours vnder god meanes bytwene god vs that is fader of all souerayne Iuge to queme hym and to praye for vs to gete vs grace to do well forgyuenes of our mysdede And therfore Dauyd sayth Pro hac id est ê“missione peccati orabit ad te oeÌ„s scuÌ„s in temê‘e oportuno Euery saynt shall praye to the lorde in behofull tyme for mercy and forgyuenesse of synne And leue frende praye ye hertely to your angell as to hym yâ— is next you hath moost cure of you is moost besy to saue you vnder god And yf ye wyl folowe his gouernauÌ„ce truste in hyÌ„ in all goodnes with reuerence clennes praye ye hyÌ„ faythfully playne you to hyÌ„ speke ye to hym homely to be your helpe as he is your tutour keper assygned of god saye ye oft that holy prayer Angele qui meus es â— Caplm .xxiiij. DIues Thy speche pleaseth me well thy wordes be good and deuoute but I parye the saye forth of this coÌ„maundement yf thou can more ¶ Pauper Also by this coÌ„mauÌ„dement men of holy chirche be bouÌ„de to worshyp ther patrones For the patron of the chirche is fader of the chirche of the benefyce in that that he begynneth it of noughte xvi qÌ„.vij.pia in glosa ¶ Diues For whiche thynges is a man called patron ¶ Pauper For thre thynges For foundacyon that is gyuynge of grouÌ„de for the fyrste dotacyon for makynge of the fyrste chirche Patronum faciunt dos edificacio fundus ¶ Diues What worshyp ought men of holy chirche to do to ther patrons what ryght longeth to the patron ¶ Pauper It longeth to hym for to present a persone able gyue the chirche the benefyce by waye of almes to whome he thynketh able by assent of the bysshop Also it longeth to hym to mayntene the chirche to kepe it fro dylapydacyon from destruccyon from all maner wronges as a good fader a good tutour as a true aduocate to kepe defende the chirche the mynystres of the chirche from all wronges dyseases vpon his power And yf he fynde persone vyker or curate or ony other clerke or prelate mysusynge the benefyce in whiche he is patron he ought to amende them in fayre maner yf he may And yf he may not he ought to tell the bysshop therof or some of his offycers to whom longeth the correccoÌ„n of suche defautes And yf the bysshop do not his deuoure ne his offyceres he shal tell it to the archebysshop And but he do his deuour he shal tell it to kynge xvi.qÌ„.vij filijs And therfore men of holy chirche that be auauÌ„câ—d by ther patrons muste nedely do they patrons worshyp haue theym in reuerence by waye or kyndenes for nede of helpe to be mayntened in ther â—yght And also for drede of thâ—r offence For yf they mysbere them ther patrons may depryue them of ther benefyce by assent of the bysshop in â—aas ayenst the bysshoppes wylâ— Also it longeth to men of holy chirche to susteyne ther patrons ther childern whan they fall to nede And yf they be taken prysoners to helpe to paye ther rauÌ„some xvi.qÌ„.vij qcuÌ„que Ex. li.iij de iure patronatê° canobis fuit Et x.ij qÌ„ .i. aplicos â— sacrorum et ibideÌ„ qÌ„ ij.aureu And it longeth to men of holy chirche to do ther patrons worshypp in lyttynge in goynge put them before in syttynge in goynge .xvi qÌ„ vij pâ—a mentis And it longeth to the patron to haue the pryncypall place sytte pryncypally in his chirche Tabula iuris dictione patâ—onatê° And for worshyp of the patron his ease the preest may synge two masses in one daye Extra li.iij de celebracoÌ„e missarum consuluisti And whan the patron presenteth a persone to the bysshop whiche persone he wyll auauÌ„ce the bysshop is bounde to resceyue that persone but yf he be proued knowen for a wycked man and vnable xvi.qÌ„.vij monasteriuÌ„ Also yâ— patron may in his fouÌ„dacyon before the halowynge of the chirche reserue to hym a certayne rente by yere by assente of the bysshop to resceyue it of yâ— chirche Ex de iure pat â— t. pÌ„terea Et hostiensis in suÌ„ sua li. iij e. ti â— Also yf a prelate be chosen in a chirche collegyat as in aâ—â— abbay pryory haâ—try he shall by yâ— lawe be presented to â—he patron or that he be confermed yf he be vnable he may ought to with stande the confyrmacyon Ec. de â—ure patronatus ca nobis fuit et.xvi.qÌ„.vij filus Also he may in his foudacyon of the chirche collegyat reserue to hyÌ„ to be in the eleccyon of the prelate of the chirche with assent of the bysshop or of the pope by the same lawe but he muste shewe that wryten whan he wyll vse it Hostiensis li. iij Ru. de iure patronatus Et tabula â—uris dictione patronatus Et extra de iure patronato nobis fuit in glosa ¶ Diues Patrons fynde full ofte ther auâ—uÌ„ces full vnkynde to them full proude And therfore many a patrone may saye Filios exaltaui et enutriui ipsi autem spreuerunt me Ysaye primo I haue auauÌ„ced childern brought them vp of nought and they haue despysed me ¶ Pauper Suche vnkynde men of holy chirche but they amende them they shall haue goddes curse that he gaaf to all suche in the same chaptre Ve geÌ„ti peccatrici pplo graui iniqtate semini neê™ filijs sceleratis Woo be to the synfull people heuy through wyckednes to the wycked sede to the vnkynde synfull childern ¶ Diues Yf a chirche be destroyed a man do it make ayen of his coste shall that man be called patrone of the chirche ¶ Pauper Ye though he doo make it ayen of the same mater that it was made of byfore And the patron that was byfore patron onely by makynge of
ther enemyes or for ony thynge ayenst goddes worshypâ— in theyr prayer submytte not ther wyll to the wyll of god Euery prayer that is made to the worshyp of god by waye of charyte for a good ende with purpose to please god that prayer is made with deuocyon though he that prayeth be dystracte thynketh not on his wordes and peraduenture vnderstandeth them not ne hath but lytyll lykynge therin Nethelesse man and woman ought to do theyr deuoure to thynke on god and of that that he sayth in his prayer Caplm .x. DIues Thy speche pleaseth me say forth what thou wylt ¶ Pauper As I sayd fyrste all that lette man or woman of ther good dedes and good purpose tyse them to synne and foly and brynge them in errour or heresye by mysse te chynge be mansleers lymmes of the fende Whiche as cryste sayth in the gospell is a manqueller from the begynnynge of the worlde For through his mysse counseyll and his fodynge he slough all mankynde both goostly and bodely at the begynnynge of the worlde Also he sloughe hym selfe through pryde and many a thousandes of angellys that assented to hym And yet he cesseth not to slee mannes soule by false suggestyons and temptacyons and that by hymselfe and whan men see hym not And somtyme vysybely in the lykenesse of some vysyble creature so he tempted cryst Eue saynt Martyn many other Somtyme he teÌ„pteth sleeth maÌ„nes soule by his lyÌ„mes that be wycked men wymen Also men of holy chirche slee men wymen goostly of goddes worde and of good techynge For as cryste sayth NoÌ„ in solo pane viuit homo sed in omni vbo ê™ ê“cedit de ore dei Math .iiij. Man lyueth not only in bodely brede but moche more he lyueth in euery worde that cometh of goddes mouth that is to saye in the wordes of the trewe prechour For euery trewe prechour sent of god is called goddes mouth And therfore god sayth to the prophete Si seperaueris preciosum a vili quasi os meum eris Ieremie .xv. Yf thou departe precyouse thynge from thynge that is foule and of noo pryse thou shalt be as my mouth For it longeth to the prechour of goddes worde to commende vertues despyse vyces to chese truthe and lette falsehode to coÌ„mende heuen blysse ghoostly thynges and repreue pompe pryde of this worlde and flesshely thynges And than is the prechour as goddes mouth and speketh with goddes mouth and his worde is goddes worde by the whithe man and woman lyueth goostly and escapeth endeles deth And therfore Dauyd sayth Misit verbuÌ„ suâ— et sanaunt eos et eripuit eos de entericionibus eorum God hath sent his worde and hath heled his people from ghoostly sekenes and delyuered them from ther deynge whan they sholde haue deyed through synne and helle payne And therfore he sayth in the gospell That who so kepeth his worde he shall not a taste the deth without ende Sythen that goddes worde is lyfe and saluacyon of mannes soule all tho that lette goddes worde and lette them that haue auctoryte of god and by ordre take to preche and teche that they maye not preche and teche goddes worde and goddes lawe they be mansleers ghoostly and gylty of as many soules as perysshe and deye ghoostly by suche lettynge of goddes worde and namely these proude couetouse prelates and curates that neyther can teche ne wyll teche ne suffre other that can and wyl and haue auctoryte to teche of god and of the bysshop that gyueth them theyr ordres but lette theym for drede that they sholde haue the lesse of ther sugettes or ellys the lesse be sette by or ellys that ther synnes sholde be knowen by prechynge of goddes worde And therfore leuer they haue to lese the soules that cryste so dere bought than to here ther owne synnes openly repreued generally amonge other meÌ„nes synnes As saynt Austen sayth goddes worde ought to be worshypped as moche as crystus bodye And as moche synne dooth he that letteth goddes worde despysed goddes worde or taketh it retchelesly as he that despyseth goddes bodye or through his neclygence leteth it falle to the grouÌ„de i.qÌ„.i.intâ—trogo vos There the glose sheweth that it is more profytable to here goddes worde in prechynge than to here ony masse And rather a man sholde forbere his masse than his sermon For by prechynge folke be sâ—yred to contrycyon and to forsake synne and the fende to loue god and goodnes and be Illumyned to knowe ther god vertues from vyces truth from falsehode and to forsake erroures heresyes By the masse be they not so but yf they come to masse in synne they goo awaye in synne and shrewes they come and shrewes they wende And also the vertue of that masse standeth pryncypally in true byleue of the masse specyally of cryste that is there sacred in the oost But that may man lerne by prechynge of goddes worde not by herynge of masse And in so moche herynge of goddes worde truly preched is better than he rynge of masse Nethelesse the masse profyteth them that be in grace to gete the more grace fotgyuenes of ve nyall synne encreassynge of mede and lesynge the payne of purgatory And the preest may be so good that his prayer for reuecence of the sacrament shall gese grace of amendemeÌ„t of hyÌ„ that he prayeth for Both be good but goddes worde ought to be more charged and more desyred than he rynge of masse For whan the people despyseth goddes worde loth goddes worde that is ghoostly fode to man yâ— people is but deed in goddes syght and nyghe to the gates of helle And therfore Dauyd sayth OmneÌ„ escam abhominata est anima eorum et appropinquauerunt vsque ad portas mortis Ther soules haue lothed all goostely mete that is to saye all trewe prechynge and techynge of goddes worde so they be neyghed to the yates of deth Caplm .xi. ALso tho prelates curates be gylty of manslaughter goostely that knowe ther sugettes in dedely synne wyll not snybbe them ne speke ayenst ther synne di .xliij. epheseis And therfor god sayth to euery curate prelate of holy chirche to prechours of goddes worde I haue made the a daye wayte to the people of Israell that is to saye to crysten peple yâ— shalt here the worde of my mouth tell it them in my name And yf I saye to the synfull that he shall dâ—ye thou telle it hym not ne speke not to hym that he may amende hym torne hym fro his wycked waye lyfe that synfull wretche for thy defaute shall deye in his synne And I shall seke the blood the dethe of hym of thyn hande yâ— shalt answere for his deth Eze. iij Also they called mansleers that defraude take awaye holy chirche goodes xij.qÌ„.ij.qui xpÌ„i â— qui abstulerit Also that preest
bysshoppes prelates that take gyftes of men by comon custome or by proufre yâ— they sholde mayntene them gyue them fauour in theyr causes they may do almes of goodes so goten all though it be full ofte euyll goten xiiij qÌ„.v.noÌ„ sane For to suche cryste badde that they sholde make them frendes in heuen of rychesses of wyckednesse that is to saye of rychesses so mys goten For he that taketh it hath no ryght therto ¶ Diues Why praysed cryste in the gospell the false bayly that so forgaue men theyr det in fraude of his lorde to haue thanke of hem helpe at nede For he forgaf one yâ— halfdele his deth an other the fyfth parte of his deth ¶ Pauper Cryste praysed not the false baylye but cryste sayth that his lorde praysed hym not for his fraude but for his slyght that he dyde in helpe of hymselfe ne cryste telleth not that parable in the gospell that men sholde take example of his fraude to helpe themselfe by fraude of robberye of other meÌ„nes good but to teche men to make theym frendes by dedes of mercy of almesse and forgyue other men theyr dettes as they wyll that god for gyue them ther dettes make them frendes in heuen with rychesses of this worlde ¶ Diues Why called cryste rychesses of this worlde rychesses of wyckednesse ¶ Pauper For they ben to moche foâ—ke occasyon of moche wyckednesse moche dysease of hate wrath enuye of debate of plee of grete dyscensyon And it is full harde to gete them or to kepe them without synne grete dysease And therfore saynt Poule sayth that they that coueyte to be ryche in this worlde falle in the fendes snare And the wyse man sayth Yf thou be ryche in this worlde yâ— shalt not be vngylty ne clene from synne Also leue frende ye shall vnderstande that wyckednesse in holy wrytte is taken not only for synne but also for payne dysease myscheues of this worlde And soo goodes of this worlde ben called rychesses of wyckednesse that is to say of payne dysease and of myscheef For they brynge men in to payne trauayle moche dysease for men haue moche trauayle in gettynge moche drede in kepynge moche sorowe in the lesynge Diues diuicias noÌ„ ogregat absque labore Non tenet absque me to nec deserit absque dolore They behote sykernesse brynge folke in to grete peryll grete drede and in grete enmyte They behote a man to haue his luste lykynge brynge hym in endelesse hongre For as Salomon sayth The couetous man hath neuer ynough Auarus noÌ„ impletur pecunia But alwaye coueyteth more more Also they byhote a man ease reste brynge hym in moche trauaylle for nyghe all the trauayle of this worlde is to gete good An other cause ther is why they ben called rychesses of wyckednesse For the lawe sayth x.qÌ„.i dilectissimis By waye of kynde al men ben euen in lordshyppes rychesses but by wyckednesse of false couetyse in the people men ben vneuen in rychesse For some haue moche some lytyll some ben ryche some ben poore god hath gyuen more rychesse to one man in dyspensacoÌ„n gouernaunce than to many other And that is to refrayne the wyckednesse of false couety s e in the people And for wyckednes is cause that one man is rycher than an other therfore they be called rychesses of wyckednesse For ne hadde be the wyckednesse of Adams synne of false couetyse of mannes herte els all men sholde haue ben euen ryche But now they ben vneuen in rychesse for synne and shrewednesse And therfore goodes of this worlde ben called rychesses of vneuenesse and of wyckednesse Iniquitatis .i. noÌ„ equitatis And therfore all the rychesses that one man hath passynge another it is rychesses of vneuenesse For in that he is vneuen with his euen crysten therfore they ben called rychesses of vneuenesse Therfore god byddeth the ryche men that ben but his bayllyes and his reues in this worlde make frendes of the poore folke both by gyuynge and forgyuynge as that bayllye dyd and be not to harde to theyr sugettes but mercyable and forgyue hem theyr dettes whiche they ought to god to them For god is so grete a lorde so ryche that ther may no man do hym fraude of his good ne hyndre ne lese his lordshyppe Caplm .xij. DIues In the fyfth coÌ„mauÌ„dement thou saydest that ryche men yâ— wyll not helpe the poore folke be mansleers Here thou sayest yâ— they be theues so it semeth that that they do ayenst both coÌ„mauÌ„dementes ¶ Pauper In yâ— the poore man may dye for the ryche man with holdeth his good from hym in yâ— the ryche man is a mansleer doth ayenste this coÌ„mauÌ„dement Non occides thou shalt not slee And in yâ— he witheldeth his good from the poore man in his nede he is a theef dooth ayenst this coÌ„maundement Non furtuÌ„ facies thou shalt do no theeft For all yâ— the ryche man hath passynge his nedefull lyuynge after the astate of his dyspensacoÌ„n it is the poore maÌ„nes And therfore sayth saynt Ambrose yâ— it is noo lesse synne to the ryche man for to denye yâ— poore man helpe at nede whan he may helpe hym of his habondauÌ„ce than it is to robbe a man of his good The brede sayth he that thou withholdest in superfluyte is the poore folkes that haue hongre And the waste clothynge that thou shettest vp in superfluyte is the poore wedowes And the moneye that thou hydest in the erthe in waste is the raunsome of the prysoners and of myscheuous folke for to delyuere them out of pryson and out of boundes and helpe them out of woo And therfore sayth he wytte thou it well that of as many goodes thou art theef rauenour as thou myghtest gyue to helpe of the poore folke yf thou gyue them not Noo man sholde saye ony thynge his owne that is comon to al ¶ Diues I assent well to thy wordes that ryche men sholde gyue almesse of theyr habondauÌ„ce sauynge the astate of theyr dyspensacoÌ„n and that is full harde to doo For moche thynge is nedefull to the ryche man more than to the poore bycause of his astate of dyspensacoÌ„n For mo thynges ben nedefull to a kynge than to an erle and mo to an erle than to a symple knyght and soo it is of other astates To kynges prynces and lordes is nedefull to haue treasoure to wage men of armes in defence of the Realme and to wage theyr offycers in gouernaunce of the Realme and of ther lordshyppe And therfore an Emperour sayd Qui omnibus pree s t. omnibus indiget He that is lorde by dyspensacyon of all thynge in this worlde hath nede of all thynge And soo the more lordshyppe in this worlde the more nede ¶ Pauper Therfor of suche thynges so nedeful to man after the astate of his dyspensacoÌ„n he is not
be without penaunce or sorowe and contrycyon for his lynne And all that were assentynge to false wytnesse to periurye sholde do the same penauÌ„ce IbideÌ„ The wordes of wytnesse sholde be taken to the beste vnderstandynge mooste benygne Extra li. ij.ti de testibus ca. cuÌ„ tu The wytnesse that ayensayth hymselfe is of no credence Extra li. ij ti.de ê“bacionibs ca. licet Men sholde stande to the fyrst speche that man or woman sayth in his cause yf he varye an other tyme e. ti per tuas Yf the wytnesse by dystraccoÌ„n saye amys it is leful to hym anone to ameÌ„de his speche but yf he abyde with an Interuall though he chauÌ„ge his worde amende it he shall not be accept ne herde Extra li. ij.ti de testibus cogendis ca. preterea Wytnesse in dome sholde not be herde ayenst hym that is absent but he were obstynate and wolde not come Extra de testibus ca. ij He that sayth fyrste the treuth muste be taken for one wytnesse e.ti. in omni Yf a man haue sworne to the partye not to bere wytnesse of the treuth with the other partye his othe is vnlefull And therfore not withstandynge his othe he may bere wytnesse of the treuth e Intumauit Noo man shall bere wytnesse to an other in his cause yf he haue the same cause or ony lyke that to spede for hymselfe For suche a persone is suspecte that he wolde do fauoure to an other mannes cause to haue hym fauorable to hym in his cause e.ti. personas Noo mannes wytnesse shall be resceyued in dome in preiudyce of an other but yf he swere though the wytnesse be a man of relygyon e ti nuê“ The honeste the worshyp of the wytnesses is more to charge than the multytude e ti in nostra For to dyscusse yrre gularyte of bygamye both lewde maÌ„ lewde woman maye be taken for wytnesse e ti tam is Seke folke and poore folke may not be compelled to come byfore the Iuge to bere wytnes But the Iuge may sende to them wyse men to wyt of them the trenth e ti si â— Euery man woman sholde hate false wytnesse for god hateth false wytnesse as Salomon sayth Deus odit testem fallacem Prouer .vi. Aud euery lyer is a false wytnesse full of gyle And the sodayne wytnesse dysposeth ordeyneth a tonge of lyenge For he yâ— is redy to bere wytnesse byfore he be auysed he dyspeseth hyÌ„ to lye Prouer .xij. But as Salomon sayth The false wytnesse shall not be vnpunysshed and he that speketh lesynges shall perysshe Prouer .xix. Ferthermore leue frende ye shall vnderstande that ther ben thre maner of wytnesses Caplm .xiij. THer is a wytnesse aboue vs yâ— knoweth all and may not be dysceyued that is god that seeth all and he shall at the daye of dome be to vs both Iuge wytnesse Ego sum iuder et testis I am Iuge and wytnesse sayth our lorde god Ieremie .xxix. And Iob sayth In heuen is my wytnesse and he that knoweth all my couÌ„seyll is aboue in hyghe And ther is a wytnesse within vs that is our conscyence For as saynt Poule sayth Oure Ioye is wytnesse of our conscyence And ther is a wytnesse without vs yâ— is our neyghbour all creatures yâ— shall bere wytnesse ayenst vs at the dome byfore the hyghe Iuge but we amende vs by tyme deme wel our selfe For Moyses sayd Testem inuoco celuÌ„ et terraÌ„ I calle heuen and erthe to wytnesse yâ— yf ye make to you ony lykenesse or ymage to worshyp it and breke goddes lawe ye shall soone perysshe Deutro .iiij. And in an other place he sayth thus I calle heuen and erthe to wytnesse that I haue sette byfore you lyfe and dethe good and euyll blessynge and curse And therfore chese the lyfe that ye may lyue and loue your lorde god and obeye to his voyce and clyue to hym by fayth and loue for he is your lyfe and lengthe of your dayes And your herte be tourned awaye from hym and ye wyll not here his lawes but worshyppe false goddes I saye to you byfore that ye shall soone perysshe Deutro .xxx. And therfore leue frende yf we wyll be syker at the last dome come sykerly byfore our souerayne Iuge that knoweth all we muste deme well our selfe in this worlde For saynt Poule sayth That yf we demed well our selfe dyscussed well our lyfe we sholde not be dampned Pri â— ad Corum .xi. ¶ Diues How sholde we deme our selfe ¶ Pauper As the glose sayth there Thou shalt be thyne owne domesman Thy seete shall be thyne herte and set thy selfe gylty byfore thy selfe domesman Thy thought thy conscyence shall be thy two wytnesses for to accuse the Thy tourmentours sholde be drede and sorowe that in maner sholde she we thy blood by wepynge of salt teeres whan by wytnesse of thyne owne conscyence and of thy thought thou haste demed thy selfe gylty and not worthy for to come to goddes borde ne to heuens blysse And there sayth the glose That sekenesse feblenesse and sodayne deth falle comonly after Eester amonges the people For men in Eester resceyue vnworthely goddes flesse his blood Ideo multi infirmi et imbecilles et dormiunt multi s per morteÌ„ Prima ad Corum .xi. But for euery man is fauourable to hymselfe and to his owne cause therfore thou shalt haue with the two assessours by whose couÌ„seyll thou shalt deme thy selfe and tho shall be treuthe and reasone Take with the treuthe that thou make no false excusacyon of thy synne Ne lye thou not for to excuse thyselfe ne for to excuse thyselfe falsely ne to greuously but as thyne other assessour reason wyll accorde And yf tho two wytnesses yâ— is to saye thy thought and thy conscyence suffyse not to bere wytnesse ne to ful enfourme the of thy synfull lyf Take to the the thrydde wytnesse that is thy fayth And soo lete thy dome stande in wytnesse of two or of thre And fayth sayth thus Fides sine operibus mortua est Fayth without good werkes is deed For alle though you byleue as a crysten man but thou lyue as a crystin man ellys thou art deed in soule and worthy to dye without ende Fayth that fayleth in worde and in thought is deed and helpeth not to blysse And anone conscyence and mynde shall accorde to hym and saye thus He that vseth amys his free wyll that he dye it is reson without remedye sauynge goddes mercy And take hede that thy clergy may not saue the. For holy wryt and clergye saye Anima peccatoris morâ—etur The soule of the synner shall dye Also thy clergy may not saue the yf thou be in dedely synne For thou art bygamus and twyus wedded Fyrste to cryste in thy baptym after to the fende by assent to synne And so thou art wydowe fro cryste wedded to an other wydowe that is the fende forsaken of god
for his pryde to whom he was wedded at the begynnynge of the worlde Ne truste thou not in thy dome on a good contree For yf the quest comyn of the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes whiche thou hast broken of the two coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of charyte ayenst whiche thou haste offended of the .xij. artycles of the fayth ayenst whiche thou haste erred of the .vij. dedes of mercy whiche thou haste not fulfylled of thy fyue wyttes whiche thou haste myspended and the foure cardynall vertues ayenst whiche thou haste trespassed this solempne queste of .xl. true wytnesses shal dampne the as a man queller of thyne owne soule And as a theef traytour thou haste robbed thyne owne lorde of his good For robberye is called al maner mystreatynge of an other mannes good ayenst his wyll And thou haste robbed cryste of that precyous soule that he bought with his dere blood and mysused and myspente his creatures ayenst his wyll For as saynt Gregorye sayth in his Omelye All thynge that we take of god to vse of good lyuynge we tourne it in to vse of wycked lyuynge Quicquid ad vsum recipimus vite in vsuque conuertâ—mus culpe For the helthe of bodye that sent vs. we spende it in synne and in wyckednesse fayre weder in vayne occupacyon of pryde and of couetyse peas in vayne sykernesse plentee of vytayles in glutonye lecherye And so this solempne queste of fourty wolde dampne the for gylty Therfore ther is none other remedye but truly deme thyself yelde the gylty take the to the mercy of god punysshe thy selfe by drede sorowe of herte put the in the dome of goddes Iuge that is thy confessour make amendes after his dome by his assent For god ayenst whom thou haste so hyghly offended wyll stande to his ryghtfull dome accepte suche satysfaccoÌ„n as he assygneth the by yâ— lawe of god to do yf thou do it with good wyll Caplm .xiiij. THus deme thou thyselfe and than shalt thou be syker at the dredefull dome whan cryste our brother verry god and verry man shall come downe to deme the quycke and the deed And as saynt Poule sayth He shall come downe with the voyce of a trumpe that is to saye with the voyce of angelles and of archangelles the whiche shall crye and saye Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Ryse ye vp that ben deed and come ye te the dome And anone in a twynkelynge of an eye we shall all awake of the longe slepe and ryse vp come to the dome Pope prynce Emperour kynge Lorde and lady free and bounde ryche and poore grete and smalle all they shall awake and ryse vp bodye and soule ayen knytte togydre That voyce shall be so hydeous so dredefull sterne that heuen and erthe shall begynne to quake The stones shall ryue and all the deed aryse from deth to lyf eche man woman to answere for hymselfe no man per attourney Now our Iuge Cryste is a lombe mercyfull meke than he shall be as a lyon dredefull sterne And the lyon with his crye abassheth all other bestes and maketh theym to stande stylle saue his owne whelpes whiche with his crye he reyseth fro deth to lyfe So the voyce of cryste at the daye of dome shall arere vs all from deth to lyfe whiche voyce shall be full dredefull to them yâ— lyue bestely take none hede to god ne to his lawe Them it shall arrest make them stande stylle as prysoners on the erth abyde theyr Iuge For they shall so be charged with synne that they shall not wende vp ayenst cryste as the good shall wende vp mette with cryste For to them yâ— ben goddes childern that voyce shall be full swete ful lykynge to here make them soo lyght that they shall wende vp mete with cryste in the ayre as saynt Poule sayth To his childern Cryste shall saye Venite â— Come ye my faders blessyd childern and take ye the kyngdome of heuen that was ordeyned to you byfore the begynnynge of the worlde But to these bestyal folke wycked lyuers to the proude to the couetouse to the enuyouse to lechoures glotons to vengeable folke his voyce shall be full dredeful fnll bytter whan he shall saye to them Discedite a me maledicti â— Wende ye hens fro me ye cursed wretches in to the fyre of helle without ende there to dwelle with the fende his angellys And so he shall sende them to sory place to sory companye without ony remedye Was ther neuer thondblaste so dredefull as his voyce than shall be to theym yâ— shall be dampned And was ther neuer songe so mery ne melodye so lykyng as his voyce shal be than to all that shal be saued And therfore deme well thy selfe here that thou be not dampned there Stande here to the sawe of the grete queste of true wytnesses whiche I haue nempned to the and deme thy selfe therafter And be true domesman of thyselfe or els thou shalt haue the same queste ayenst the at the dredefull dome And therto all angelles and archangelles and all the sayntes in heuen and all creatures shall than bere wytnesse ayenst the and axe vengeaunce on the Than as sayth Iohn Crysostom suê‘ illud Plangent se omnes tribus terre â— The angelles shal brynge forth the crosse the spere the nayle the scourges the garlonde of thornes with whiche cryste suffered his passyon Than shall cryste sytte on hyghe to deme the quycke the deed he shall departe the gooe from the wycked sette the good on the ryght syde the wycked on the lyfte syde He shal torne hym to the wycked on the lyfte syde shewe theym the crosse the spere the nayles the scourges the garlonde of thornes his wouÌ„des al fresshe whiche he suffered for all mankynde and saye to the wycked on this wyse Ecce miseri et ingrati quanta ê“ vobis sustinui propter vos homo factus sum â— See ye vnkynde cursed wretches what I suffered for your sake For whan I was god and kynge of kynges lorde of lordes neuer had wyste of woo for your sake I becam man for your sake I suffered to be beten and bounde to be spateled and despysed to be nayled to the crosse crowned with thornes stongen to the herte with a spere and was slayne dyspytous deth as ye may see to bye you from endeles deth Where is the rauÌ„som of my blood where be the soules that I bought so dere where is the seruyce that ye sholde haue done to me where is the loue that ye sholde haue shewed to me I loued you aboue al creatures I loued you more than I dyde myne owne worshyppe For why for your loue I putte myselfe to sorowe and care And ye loued more a lytyll mucke and a lytyl luste of â—he flesshe than ye dyd me or my
dyd For it was the lawe that who so spake euyll of god or of the kyng or cursed them he sholde be slayne Whan Iesabell had tydynges that Naboth was slayne she came to the kynge badde hym ryse vp and be mery take the vyneyerde to hym for Naboth was deed And anone the kyng rose went in to the vyneyerde toke it to hym Than at that byddynge of god Ely the prophete met with hym sayd to hym in goddes name Thou hast slayne thou hast that thou coueytest but I telle the it forsoth in the same place there that houÌ„des haue lycked vp the blood of Naboth houÌ„des shall lycke vp thy blood houÌ„des shall ete thy wyfe Iesabell and houÌ„des and bryddes shall ete thy bodye and god shall destroye thyne housholde and slee all thy kynrede and thyn alyaunce and soone after it fell so And thus of false couetyse came periurye false wytnesse murder manslaughter and destruccyon of the kyngdom We rede also in the passyon of saynt Beatryce that there was a false couetouse man whos name was Lucres And he coueyted moche yâ— place of saynt Beatryce And for couetyse to haue yâ— place he accused her to an hethen Iuge that she was a crysten woman And soo by his accusacoÌ„n she was slayne For she wolde not forsake cryste ne crystes lawe Whan she was thus deed Lucres entred in to her place to haue it in possessyon And for Ioye of the place he made therin a grete feest to his frendes And whan he was moost mery Ioconde in the myddes of the feste a yonge soukynge childe that was there in his moders arme sayd all alowde that all men myght here it Audilu â—eci Here now Lucres Thou hast sâ—â—ne thou haste entred falsely in to this place and haste it at thy wyll But now thou art gyuen in to the myght in to possessyon of thy moost m 〈◊〉 And anone in tyme of the feest â—â—fore all his frendes and his gestâ—â—â—â— fende entred within hym thre houres togydre so fortrauayled hym soo rent hym byfore them all tyll he slewe hym for his false couety s e bare his soule to helle Here thou myght see what peryll it is to purchace ony thynge amys by false couetyse And therfor yf thou haue purchaced ony thynge falsely or yf thou occupye ony thynge mys purchaced loke that thou make restytucoÌ„n for saluacyon of thy selfe and of thyne heres For it is a comon prouerbe De male quesitis vix gaudet tercius heres Of euyl goten good the thyrde heyre vnneth hath Ioye Caplm .iij. DIues Yf I hadde ought purchaced a mys my selfe I holde me bounden to restytucyon but of my former faders purchace haue I nought to doo whether it were ryghtfull or not ryghtfull But that they lefte to me I wyll kepe it as the good man Naboth dyde of whom thou spake full late ¶ ê“auper Naboth wolde haue kepte uylle his faders herytage that longeth to hym by ryght and by dyscente of herytage But yf thou kepe ony thynge wyttyngly that thy former faders purcha s ed falsely in that yâ— kepest not thy faders herytage as Naboth dyde but thou kepest other mennes herytage to whiche neyther yâ— ne thy fader had ryght And therfore but thou make restytucyon thou shalt rewe it and all thyne heyres as Achab dyd and his heyres whiche loste not onely yâ— they had mysgoten of Naboth by murder by gyle but therto they loste theyr lyfe theyr worshyp and theyr herytage for euer I rede that ther was a grete man whiche dyd moche almesse for his almesse god wolde haue hyÌ„ saued It byfell in an euenynge he romed allone vnder his wood syde by his place ther cam an angel in a maÌ„nes lykenesse bad hym go with hym Sodaynly they were togydre in a depe valey in the myddes of the valey was a depe pytt ful of fyre smoderynge medled with pytche brymstone full foule stynkynge Than the angell badde this man loke in to this pytt He loked downe there he sawe thre galowes standynge in the fyre On the ferthest henge a man by the tonge on the seconde henge a man by the hondes but on the thyrde henge no man Than the angell axed hym what he sawe and he tolde hym all the soth Than sayd the angell He yâ— hangeth by the tonge yâ— is thy faders fader whiche purchased the place that thou dwellest in by gyle of his tonge by false othes by lesynges by periurye by false wytnesses and dyd many a men forswere them and therfore is he pryncypally punysshed in his tonge and hangeth by his tonge in this horryble fyre and shall doo without ende for he wolde not make restytucyon He that hangeth on the seconde galowes by the hondes is thy fader whiche kepte stylle by myghty honde that his fader amys purchased and wolde not make restytucyon The thyrde galowe in whiche hangeth no man ben ordeyned for the but yf thou amende the and make restytucyon Anone the aungell passeth awaye from hym and he was delyuered ayen vnder his wood syde The next daye after he sente after the heyres of the place and made restytucyon His wyfe and his childern were full sory and sayd vnto hym Allas allas now ben we all beggers Than he answered and sayd Leuer I haue that we begge in this worlde than for to brynge you all and me in to that endelesse payne that I sawe And better it is to vs for to lese a place in erthe to whiche we haue no ryght than to lese our place in heuen blysse without ende ¶ Diues I assente well to thy speche saye forth what thou wylt Caplm .iiij. PAuper Many harde vengeauÌ„ces haue fallen for false couety s e. Giezi was smyten with foule myselrye For couetyse made hym to selle the helthe of Naman whiche helthe came only by the grace of god .iiij. ReguÌ„ .v. For couetyse Iudas solde Cryste goddes sone for thrytty pens and betrayed hym and after he went henge hymselfe tylle his bely brast And there his bely brast there the deuyll that was in hym flewe out and bare his soule with hym to helle ¶ Diues Why went not the fende out of his mouth ¶ Pauper For his mouth hadde touched crystes mouth whan he kyssed cryste in gyle and sayd Hayle mayster ¶ Diues Thy reason is good saye forth what thou wylt ¶ Pauper Also for couetyse Ananya dnd Saphyra his wyfe dyed sodayne deth despytouse deth for they lyed to yâ— holy goost forsoke theyr moneye to saynt Peter For couetyse Nachor was stoned to deth for he stalle golde clothe ayenst goddes forbode Iosue .vij. We fynde in the lyfe of saynt Barlaam that on a tyme an archor toke an nyghtyngale wolde haue slayne it God gaue speche to the nyghtyngale whiche sayd to the archer what shall it profyte to the to slee me Thou mayst not fylle thy wombe with me I
englysshe a deuourer of the people and troubelour of the folke Interpretatâ— deuorans ppl'm et turbans gentem And therfore Balaam betokeneth false couetyse of this worlde whiche deuoureth yâ— poore people and troubled euery nacyon For nyghe all the debate in this worlde is for myne and thyne And therfore sayd a phylosopher Tolle duo verba meuÌ„ et tuum et totus mundus erit in pace Put out of this worlde two wordes myne and thyne and all the worlde shall be in peas Balaam fyrst in his prophecye worshypped goddes people and prophecyed to them moche prosperyte as he was coÌ„pelled by yâ— myght of god to saye But at the laste with his shrewde couÌ„seyll that he gaue to Balaac to haue his gyftes he desceyued goddes people brought theym to lecherye to ydolatrye and so to offende god wherfore foure and twenty thousande of goddes people were slayne and all the prynces of the people were hanged vpon gebettes ayenst the sonne at the byddynge of god Ryght so couetyse of this worlde fyrste putteth men in hope of grete prosperyte byheteth them welth worshyp See sayth couety s e suche a clerke is there yâ— may spende so moche by yere and yet he was but a poore maÌ„nes sone as thou art be of good herte for suche as he is thou myght be And soo couetyse putteth example of knyghtes of marchauntes of prelates of lordes and of ladyes Yf thou haue rychesse sayth couety s e thou may do moche almesse haue many preestes to praye for the out of purgatory But beware for by suche byhestes the fende worldely couety s e ben about to desceyue the and to brynge the in glotonye lecherye and ydolatrye as Balaam brought goddes people to shenshyp He wolde make the to truste more in thy good than in thy god For what thynge that man or woman loueth moost setteth his herte moost therin that is his god as saynt Ierom sayth Therfor saynt Poule sayth That auaryce is seruage of mawnetrye For golde is god to yâ— couetouse man to whom he doth moost worshyp whiche fals god is betokened by the ymage of golde yâ— was .xl. cubytes in hyght and .vi. in brede whiche the kyng Nabugodono sor reysed vp in the felde of Durayn and compelled all men to worshyp it And who so wolde not worshyp it he dyd put theym in an ouen ful of fyre in token yâ— who so worshypeth not in this worlde the false god of golde of false couetyse and gyueth no tale of this worlde and wyll not obeye to false couetyse to serue it with gyle falsehede periurye but lyue in treuth in charyte that man shal haue moche woo in this worlde And therfor saynt Poule sayth that they that wyll lyue mekely and goodly in cryste shall suffre moche trybulacyon in this worlde Therfor saynt Gregory sayth This worlde is a forneys and an ouen to trye in goddes childern by anguysshe and tryâ—ulacyon Beware of the byhestes of couetyse for fayre byhestes make sottes blythe He wyll so entryke the in dette in synne that it shal be full harde to the for to escape and so to brynge the to dye in dedly synne And yf thou dye in dedely synne all the golde vnder the cope of heuen though it were thyne ne all the preestes vnder sonne maye not helpe the. Therfor saynt Poule sayth Qui vo lunt diuites fieri inciduÌ„t in temptacoÌ„nes et in laqueuÌ„ dyaboli â— They yâ— coueyte to be ryche in this worlde fall in to harde temptacoÌ„ns and in to the fendes snare in to wycked desyres vnprouffytable full noyous whiche drenche men in to yâ— deth of helle brynge them to perdycoÌ„n For why fayth he Rote of all euyll is couetyse Prima ad Thi .vi. Caplm .vi. DIues I wene that all men myght be holpen with her ryche s ses after her deth ¶ Pauper It is not so But only they shall be holpen with theyr good after theyr deth that deserue it by theyr lyfe to be holpen with theyr rychesses after ther deth as they that doo almesse after theyr astate and spende well the goodes that god hath sente to theym and paye well theyr dettes and doo suche other good dedes and kepe wel theym from dedely synne to theyr lyues ende or namely than Thus sayth saynt Austen in glosa prima ad thessalo quarto suê‘ illud Nolumus vos ignorare de dormientibus And therfore beware and take hede to thre warnynges and tokenes that god gaue to Balaam to flee the swerde Fyrste his asse went out of his waye After that he hurte his fote and dyseased all his bodye At the laste he felle downe vnder hym and wolde no ferther bere hym By the asse I vnderstande welth of this worlde that standeth pryncypaly in rychesses in bodely helth whiche bereth a man vp in this worlde as the asse bare Balaam But beware for ryght as the asse is a full dulle beest whan a man hath moost nede and moost haste in his Iourney than he wyll not go but at his owne luste and so desceyueth his mayster Ryght so worldely welth desceyueth them that truste therin fayleth them at nede This asse of worldely welth fyrst goth out of the waye that is whan god sendeth a man aduersyte and his causes his trauayle goth not forth as he wolde ne as he wende they sholde do but whan he we neth to wynne he leseth spedeth not as he wende to spede And there he weneth to fynde frendes he fyndeth enemyes And in caas yf he wyll passe the see the wynde is ayenst hym dryueth hym out of his waye And yf he plete some slyght putteth hym out of his purpose that he wende to spede in a moneth he shall not spede in a yere and perauenture neuer brynge his cause in to the right waye there he wolde haue it Whan this asse gothe out of the waye take hede to thy waye and to thy purpose and yf thy waye and purpose be ayenst the pleasauÌ„ce of god as was the waye of Balaam than wende ayen and cesse of thyn euyll purpose And yf it de not ayenst the pleasaunce of god dyspose the to pacyence and thanke god of al and take hede what the angell sayd to Balaam But the asse sayd he ne hadde gone out of the waye I hadde slayne the. For but the welthe of the worlde wente some tyme oute of the waye by aduersyte and by sekenesse ellys it sholde be cause to moche folke of dethe bothe bodely and goostly For yf man hadde alwaye his welthe and his wyll in this worlde he sholde gyue noo tale of god ne of man The seconde token was that he hurte his fote and so dyseased his bodye that is whan god sendeth man sekenesse and casteth hym downe in his bedde and maketh hym so feble that his feet may not bere hym than take thou hede to thy waye and to thy lyfe yf it
eye of worldely good than to couetyse of the flesshe for in olde folke whan al other temptacyons cesse than is temptacyon of couetyse of the eye of worldely good moost brennynge For ryght as theyr bodye by age nygheth to the erth soo theyr herte clyueth than moost to erthely thynges And therfore in the begynnynge of theyr pylgrymage in desert as to begynnynge folke god forbadde them fyrste pryncypaly couetyse of the eye in the ende of theyr pylgrymage as to folke nyghe theyr ende he forbydeth them pryncypally laste and moost openly without oft rehersynge couetyse of the eye For comonly the more that men nygh ther ende the more couetouse they ben Caplm .iij. DIues Thy reasons be good saye forth what thou wylte ¶ Pauper God in the sixth byheste forbydeth the dede of lechery of spousebreche in this byheste he forbydeth the wyll the consent of herte to lecherye to sponsebreche For as the dede of leshery is dedely synne so is the foule consent the desyre of herte dedely synne For as cryste sayth in the gospell Mathei .v. He that seeth a woman coueyteth her by desyre to do lecherye with her he hath do lecherye in his herte though he do it not in dede And therfore eche man sholde take hede besely what thoughtes entre in to his herte and yf ony thoughtes ben about to drawe the reson of his soule to consente to synne anone putte he awaye tho thoughtes myghtely let hyÌ„ thynke on the bytter paynes that cryste suffered in his syde hondes feet soo tourne his mysluste in to deuocoÌ„n of crystus passyon quenche the brennyng thoughtes of lechery with the blood the water that ranne out of crystus syde whan his herte was clouen a two with that sharpe spere thynke on that endeles loue that cryste shewed than to hym to all mankynde And so to torne his foule stynkynge loue that he begynneth to fall in shame shenshyp in to the swete clene loue of IhuÌ„ full of Ioye worship The mayster of kynde telled li .xij. that ther is a byrde in Egypt that is called a pellycane of al foules he is moost chere ouer his byrdes moost loueth them Ther is a grete enmyte bytwene him the adder wherfor the adder wayteth whan the pellycane is out of his neste to seke mete for him for his byrdes than he goth in to the neste of the pellycane styngeth his byrdes enuenemeth them sleeth them whan the pellycane cometh ayen fyndeth his byrdes thus slayn he maketh moche sorowe and mone by waye of kynde thre dayes thre nyght he morneth for deth of his byrdes And at the thyrde dayes ende he setteth hym ayen ouer his byrdes and with his bylle he smyteth hymselfe in the syde letteth his blood falle downe on the byrdes And anone as yâ— blode toucheth his byrdes anon by waye of kynde by vertue of the blood they quycken ayen rysen from deth to lyfe By this pellycane that loueth so well his byrdes is vnderstande cryste Ihesu goddes sone yâ— loueth mannes soule womans more than euer dyd yâ— pellycane his byrdes And he sayth hymselfe Similis factus suÌ„ pellicano solitudinis I am made lyke to yâ— pellycane of deserte By the byrdes I vnde Adam Eue all mankynde By the nest I vnderstande yâ— blysse of paradyse For right as byrdes be brought forth in yâ— nest so mankynde had his begynnynge was brought forth in paradyse By yâ— adder I vnderstande the fende whiche appered in yâ— lyknes of an adder to Eue stange her full euyl Adam also with his wycked fondynge slewe them both bodye soule And not only he slewe them but also he slewe al mankynde in them For yf Adam had not synned we sholde neuer haue dyed ne haue wyst of woo wherfore this pellycane Ihesu cryste seynge yâ— myscheef yâ— mankynde was fall in by gyle of yâ— fende he had ruth on mankynde for grete loue that he had to maÌ„kynde as sayÌ„t Poul sayth he auentysshed hyÌ„selfe toke flesshe blood of yâ— mayden Mary bycam man in yâ— lykenesse of a seruauÌ„t in our manhede in our kynde suffered to be taken be bouÌ„de beten forspyted dispysed byscorged at the pyler be crowned with thornes be nayled to the tree hondes feet and hanged on the crosse as a theef amonges theues be stonge to the herte with the sharpe spere so dyed bytter deth all for our gylt not for his gylt for he dyd neuer amys in worde ne in dede as saynt Peter sayth in his pystle And thus for our loue that ben to hym ful vnkynde he shed his precyous blood out of euery parte of his blysfull bodye born of the mayden And his Inner hert blood he shed so to wasshe vs fro our synnes to reyse vs fro yâ— deth of synne into yâ— lyfe of grace after fro bodely deth into yâ— lyf of endles blysse Therfore saynt Iohn sayth Dilexit nos lauit nos a pccis nâ—Ì„is i sanguie suo Apoc. i. He loued vs so moche that he wasshed vs froÌ„ our synnes with his precyous blood Loue droue hym downe fro heuen into erth loue led hyÌ„ into yâ— maydens bosom brought hym into this wycked worlde Loue bouÌ„de hyÌ„ in cradel wonde hyÌ„ in cloutes ful poore layd hyÌ„ in an oxe stalle Loue helde hyÌ„ here in sorowe care honger thryst moche trauayl .xxxij. yere more At yâ— last loue toke hyÌ„ bouÌ„de hyÌ„ set hyÌ„ at yâ— barre byfore yâ— synful Iustyce Ponce Pylate Loue layd him on the crosse nayled hyÌ„ to yâ— tree Loue led hyÌ„ to his deth cleef his hert a two And for whose loue leue frende Forsoth for loue of you of me of other synful wretches that neuer dyd hyÌ„ good but offended hym nyght day ben to hym ful vnkynde Therfor he may well saye the wordes that Salomon sayd Fortis eÌ„ vt mors dilectio Canâ— .viij. Loue is stronge as deth ye forsoth moche strenger than deth For loue led his lyfe to his deth he that neuer myght dye by waye of kynde loue made hym dye for mankynde And so sayth Salomon there Brondes of his loue ben brondes of fyre of flammes both For the loue that he shewed to mankynde and also for the loue that we ought to shewe to him For ryght as the hete of the sonne with his lyght whan he shyneth in the fyre in the house wasteth the fyre quencheth it so the loue of god and the endelesse charyte of his passyon yf it shone in maÌ„nes soule with his hete it sholde quenche waste the brondes and the fyre of lecherye brennynge in mannes soule by foule luste and wycked desyre And therfore he sayth to euery crysten soule â—one me vt signaculuÌ„ suê‘ cor tuuÌ„