hell and all his goodes It is wryten in the lyfe of saynt Ambrose that as he yode on a tyme vnto Rome he came to lodge in the towne of tuscie wherin was a ryche man whan he sawe so moche of goodes of seruauntes he axed the sayd man of his estate The man answered I am happy and glorious in all maners I habounde in rychesses I haue grete company of seruauntes / all that euer I desyred is well comen to me / ne there came neuer vnto me aduersyte Whan saynt Ambrose herde these wordes he was moche abasshed and sayd vnto those that were of his company Aryse and fle we for god is not in this place / haste you chyldren and make none abydynge lest the vengeaunce comprehende vs / and that they ne wrappe vs in theyr synÌ„es / and whan they were a lytell thens the erthe opened sodaynly and swalowed the sayd ryche man and all his goodes and those thynges whiche vnto hyÌ„ apperteyned sanke into hell in suche maner that there ne abode no thynge apparaunt ¶ Another example how the cursed ryche man the whiche was clothed with purple and lyued delycatyuely is buried in hell Quere .lxxxiiii. A. ¶ Another example of a man the whiche gaue hymselfe vnto the deuyll to th ende that he sholde enryche hym / and the deuyll gaue to hym treasours and baptysed hym in the name of all the deuilles .lx. ¶ Another example of a ryche vsurer the whiche loued his godes more than god of whome he demauÌ„ded ayde at his dethe .lxxxvi. f. ¶ Another example of an vsurer the whiche loued to moche his goodes comaunded his soule vnto the deuyl at his dethe / after that he myght no more possede theym .lxxxvi. g. F. ¶ Thyrdly we sholde loue god with all our herte more than our faders moders aboue all our chyldren / cosyns / parentes and frendes / and the reason is good For god is our pryÌ„cipal fader celestyall the whiche hath made vs create vnto his ymage and vnto his symylytude In lyke wyse as it is wryten Genesis nono Ad ymaginem quippe dei factê° est homo And of as moche as the soule that he hathe create is more dygne than the body / of as moche more we sholde loue god obey vnto his commaundement more soner than vnto oure fader carnall Saynt barnarde sayeth Ecce domine quia me fecisti debeo me amori tuo totum Thou lorde by cause thou hast made me create I ought to gyue all in thy loue And it is wryten eccle xxxvii de Dauid De omÌ„i corde suo laudauit deum et dilexit dominum qui fecit illum Dauid praysed god withall his herte and loued his lorde the whiche hathe created hym We requyre god euery daye our fader in sayenge the pater noster Pater noster qui es iÌ„ celis Of good ryght we call hym our fader in as moche as he hath vs made and created / and for as moche as he nouryssheth vs with his goodes that he maketh to growe For he is a good fader the nouryssheth / and in as moche as we hope to possede his herytage that is paradyse as his propre chyldren For these thynges here and many other we sholde loue god aboue our pareÌ„tes We sholde loue our faders carnalles naturally and by the commaundement of god / but we shold loue god aboue them Vnde Augusti Diligendus est genitor / sed preponeÌ„dus est creator ¶ Example of saynt Barbara the whiche loued god more than her fader Diascorus the whi wolde haue her ydolatre / she chose more soner to lose the loue of her sayd fader all her worldly goodes honoures / that her body were beten / cut / put vnto dethe than 〈…〉 as commaundemen◠〈…〉 Accu◠〈…〉 I◠〈…〉 man 〈…〉 syâ—â—â—â—â— mortally and shall go vnto dampnacyon Vndâ—â—gâ—ur in 〈…〉 distin◠〈◊〉 Stâ—â—â—m eniâ—uÌ„â—â—â—s fâ—â— capax precepâ— deâ—â—â—â—tur ad â—â—â—s 〈◊〉 noâ—â—â—am et obseruatâ—oneÌ„ Iâ— that â—â—ge that a â—â—â—de is capable of the commaundemente of god it is commaundeâ— hym that he kepe it And yf the sayd chyldren were not soo wyse that they myght â—nowe that they offende and that they dyde the sayd theft in obeyenge vnto theyr fader carnall they do not synÌ„e mortally but theyr sayd fader shall bere the synÌ„e and punycyon ¶ Example that a man sholde loue god more than his chyldren other parentes Quere in the examplary of the commaundementes .lxx â—a ¶ Another example in Abraham the whiche loued well his sone Ysaac / but he loued god aboue hym in lykewise as it appered whan god coÌ„maunded hym for to do sacryfyce Quere in the examplary of the commaundementes .li. a ¶ 〈…〉 ¶ Another 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 good And therfore they go vnto dampnacyon E. ¶ Fourthly we sholde loue goo with 〈…〉 more than our owne bodies and 〈…〉 hym and vnto his commaundmentes more sooner than vnto our own 〈◊〉 The reason is good for that that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is full of â—ouâ—â—â— infynyte hathe 〈◊〉 â—od vs more than his owne body For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—dured that his body hath be beter crucyfyed and put 〈◊〉 doth for to redemâ— vs from holle where all we defended sholde haue descended by the synne of Adam or forme fader Yf thou he wylt beleue that 〈◊〉 it true by symple worde or speche yet studâ— the scryptures in the chapyttes the whiche folowen It is wryten .i. peâ—tri .i. cap. Noâ—er corruptionibê° auâ—o vel argento redeÌ„pâ—â—â—â—s de vana vestra coÌ„uersatione paterâ—â— tradiâ—ionis sed preâ—â—o so sanguine agâ—â—â—â— macuâ—an christ That is to saye Ye be redemed from your vayne conuersacyon of the tradiccyon paternall not of thynges corruptybles as golde syluer but by the precyous blode of the lambe Ihesu cryst immaculate Et legitur .i. petri .iii. Christus semel pro peccaris nostris morruus est â—â—stus pro frustus vt nos offerret deo That is to say Ihesu Cryst is deed one tyme for our synnes the Iust for the vniust to then de that he offre vs vnto god Et legitur ad Gallarhas .iii. Christus nos redemit Ihesu cryst hath redemed vs. Et Barnardus dicit Ecce domine quia redemisti me dâ—beo me amori tuo totum et tantum debeo plusquam qu aÌ„to tu maior es me pro quo de disti teipsuÌ„ My lorde for that / that thou hast redemed me I sholde gyue me all in to thy loue / and I sholde loue the more than my selfe of as moche as thou arte greter than I for whome thou haste gyuen thy selfe Syth it is so that god hath loued vs more than hymselfe / it is good reason that we loue hym better than our selfe as it is sayd Example in the appostles the whiche hath loued god more than theyr owne bodyes / for some hath endured for to be flayne / as saynt Barthylmewe / some other to be heeded as saynt Poule / the other crucifyed
commauÌ„dement of god the whiche is wryten Exo. xx Sabbata sanctifices And therfore the dyleccyoÌ„ of god comprehendeth the thre fyrst commaundementes the whiche vs ordeyneth wel towarde the blyssed trynyte The fyrst vs ordeyneth anenst the puissaunce of god the fader the whiche is of the mageste incomprehensyble The seconde anenst god the sone the whiche is veryte and wysdom souerayne The thyrde anenst god the holy goost the whiche is bounte and loue infynyte Yf we ben well ordeyned anenst god the fader / the sone / and the holy goost the whiche is one onely god in trynyte we shall loue hym aboue all thynges / and we shall accomplysshe the thre fyrst commauÌ„dementes the whiche tendeth vnto his dyleccyon as it is sayd ¶ Also the dyleccyon of god comprehendeth the thre dyuyne vertues theologalles the whiche ben fayth / hope / and charyte with theyr braunches and dependauÌ„ces They ben sayd dyuynes for that / that they doo ordeyne dyuynely the herte of man anenst god Saynt Austyn sayth in eucheridon Fide / spe / et caritate colitur optime deus God is ryght well honoured by fayth / hope / and charite Fayth kepeth soueraynly veryte Hope souerayne hyghnes / Charyte souerayne loue And it is sayd charyte of chere / vnyte / and loue in god We se god but by faythe / and by faythe we beleue in hym and loue hym / we kepe his fyrst commaundement the whiche is VnuÌ„ credo de Also we serue god to haue the good to come / and therfore we put our trust in hym / and we abstayne vs to swere by hym vaynly / and so we kepe the seconde commaundement Ne iures vaâ—a per ipsum Also by charyte / faythe / and hope we loue / serue / and honour god / and we kepe the thyrde commaundement Sabbata sanctifices ¶ Also we loue god for thre thinges The fyrst is for the grete and infynyte goodnes the whiche we haue herde say the whiche is in hym and procedeth of hym / and therto we put faythe The seconde is for the grete good that we hope to haue of hym after our dethe The thyrde is for the grete goodnes that he hath done to vs in our creacyon and redempcyon / that he dooth cotydyally to vs of goodes that he maketh to encrease / therfore we put our charyte within hym By these thre thynges we haue faythe / hope / and charyte with god and loue hym with all herte aboue all thynges The faythe is the foundement of all vertues / for without faythe it is impossyble to please god VnÌ„ paulus ad hebreos .xi. Sine fide impossibile est placere deo B. ¶ Also we ne may be saued by good operacions without hauynge faythe Vnde ad galath ii NoÌ„ iustificatur homo ex operibus legis / nisi per fidem iesu xpÌ„i Et ad gallat iii. Iustus ex fide viuit The Iust man lyueth by faythe Also for to beleue in god after the faythe and by baptym man is saued / and by defaute of faythe baptym man is dampned VnÌ„ Marci xvi Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit saluê° erit / qui vero non crediderit condempnabitur How men ought to beleue in god in the artycles of the faythe it is wryten after in the fyrst commauÌ„dement / of faythe cometh obedyence / good desyre / and innocence / relygyon / mundycyte / confyaunce / and chastyte C. ¶ Also the synners ne may be saued without hauynge esperaunce or hope that god vnto them pardoneth theyr synnes after the artycle of the fayth the whiche is Remissionem peccatorum / and therfore they shold put theyr hope in god Cain Iudas ben daÌ„pned by defaute of hope Also we sholde hope that god shal delyuer vs from our enmyes vysybles inuysybles in lykewyse he dyde our forne faders VnÌ„pÌ„s In te sperauerunt patres nostri sperauerunt et liberasti eos IteruÌ„pÌ„s Quoniam in me sperant liberabo eum protegam euÌ„ quoniam cognouit nomen meum He hath trusted in me I shall delyuer hym / for he hath knowen my name Example whan Iob was tourmented he sayd that yf god wolde sle hym yet wolde he put his truste in hym Vnde Iob .xiii. Example that Dauyd hadde good hope whan in the name of god he slewe the proude puyssaunt man phylystyen Quere .lxxviii. Also we shold haue hope that god shall gyue vnto vs beatytude and lyfe eternall Vnde pÌ„s Beate omnes qui sperant in te domine Esperaunce is a fayre vertue of the Whiche cometh pacyence / moderaunce / contrycyon / coÌ„fessyon / ioye espyrytuall / and contemplacyon D. ¶ Also without hauynge charyte we ne may be saued / in lykewyse as saynt poule sayth .i. ad Corinthios .xiii. SiliÌ„guis hominum loquar angelorum caritatem autem non habuero factê° sum sicut es sonaÌ„s aut cimbalum timiens This mater of charyte is wryten here after .iiii. ca. Of charyte procedeth loue / pyte / grace / peas benygnyte / and debonayrte Example of charyte Quere .lxxv. A. E. ¶ Here foloweth the commaundement to loue thy neyghbour .ii. IT is wryten in the gospel of saynt Iohan that our lorde sayd vnto his dyscyples I gyue vnto you a commauÌ„dement of newe / that is that ye loue other in lykewyse as I haue loued you / all men shall knowe in that thynge that ye be my dyscyples / yf ye haue dyleccyon togyders Vnde IohÌ„ .xiii. Mandatum nouum do vobis vt diligatis inuicem sicut dilexi vos / iÌ„ hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis si dilectionem habueritis ad inuicem ¶ Also the gospel sayth that to loue his neyghbour as hymselfe is more greter thynges than sacryfyces Vnde Marci .xii. Diligere proximum tanquam seipsum maius est omnibê° olocaustimatibus et seruictis For to haue paradyse and to escape the paynes of hell it is requysyte that thou obey vnto god / the whiche commaundeth the thou loue thy neyghbour ¶ Whan a kynge temporall maketh to proclame ony thynge within his realme his subgectes therto obeyeth of drede to haue domage And god the whiche is kynge of kynges made to preche throughout al the worlde that we sholde loue eche other vpon payne of dampnacyon and to lese paradyse It is wryten Iohannis .xv. Hec maÌ„ do vobis vt diligatis inuicem Et legitur Mathei .xix. Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata Yf thou wylt entre in to the lyfe eternall kepe the commaundementes Yf thou drede the furour of a kynge temporall the whiche is transytory / by a more greater reason thou oughtest to drede the furour of god the whiche may sende the in to damnacyon eternal F. ¶ Many thyÌ„ges ought to moeue vs to loue our neyghboure The fyrst the whiche is moost pryncypal and fynall is for to obey vnto god / the whiche coÌ„mauÌ„deth it vs. Whan a good fader gooth out of the towne he commaundeth
as saynt Peter / and saynt Andrewe And for all the paynes that the tyrauntes myght do vnto them theyne lefte the loue and the commaundement of god Vnde ad ro .viii. Quis separabit nos a charitate christi tribulatio / an angustia / an persecutio / an fames / an nuditas / an periculum / an gladiê° Saynt Poule sayth what is it that may separe vs frome the loue charyte of god Shall it be trybulacyon / anguysshe / persecucyon / or honger c. I am certayne that dethe / ne lyfe / ne deuylles / ne sygnouryes ne may departe vs frome the loue of god And it is wryten .i. ad coriÌ„t xvi how saynt Poule sayeth Who soo loueth not Ihesu cryste be he cursed Si quis non amat cristuÌ„ anathema sit Also he sayth in an other epystle that god hathe prepayred vnto theÌ„ grete rewarde the whiche loueth hym Vnde .ii. ad corin ii cap. Quod oculus non vidit nec aures audiuit nec iÌ„ cor hominis asceÌ„dit que preparauit deê° diligeÌ„tibus se This auctoryte is declared towarde the ende of this treatyse .xlvii. a. ¶ Example we rede that the herte of a vyrgyn was cutte in her body for the grete loue that she hadde vnto god Quere in the examplary at the nombre .lxxv. e. ¶ Another example that Susanne loued better to be slayne dyffamed than to breke the commaundement of god whan the two harlottes dyde say vnto her Of two thynges choyse whiche thou wylt eyther that thou consent that we haue thy company at our pleasure / or that we make the to be stoned and put to dethe Quere lxxxxvi c. ¶ Another example wryten in the lyfe of faders of a good yonge man the whiche was bounde all naked in a fayre bedde and there was put vnto hym a fayre woman impudyke all naked for to make him to doo synne with her / but for to resyste vnto the synne and to kepe the loue of god to obey vnto his commaundement he bote and ete his owne tongue and spette the blode in the vysage of the sayd harlot the whiche fledde of horrour ¶ Example that mary magdaleyne loued moche god / wherfore god pardoned her all her synnes Vnde Luce .vii. Remittuntur ei peccata multa quoniam diliexit multum ¶ Another example of a duchesse the whiche loued ouer moche her body and lyued voluptuously she dyde stynke The dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye that a certayne duke had a wyfe the whiche lyued so tenderly and so dylycatyuely that she dysdeyned to be bayned in comune waters of ryuers and fountaynes / but her seruauntes gadered the dewe of the skye prepayred vnto to her a bayne Her meetes and drynkes were so delycyously dressed and made that meruayle it was Her bedde also smelled odoryferously and swete / and as she lyued so / by the Iugemente of god she was stryken with so grete stynche in her lyuynge dayes that none ne myght abyde the foule ayre of her Al her gentylmen and seruauntes left her excepte one chamberere or mayden onely / that serued her the whiche ne myght passe by her without hauynge the ayre of some spyces well smellynge / also as in renyÌ„ge admynystred vnto her / and in suche stynke she deyed H. ¶ Fyfthly we sholde loue god with all our herte / and put our truste and hope in hym more soner aboue all the kynges / dukes / erles / lordes / other men of the worlde / and the reason is euydent / for there ne is in all the worlde soo grete a lorde that may defende vs at the dethe froÌ„ our enmyes kepe vs from dampnacyon and gyue to vs paradyse / there ne is none alonely but god the whiche is replenisshed with goodnes infynyte And therfore the psalmyst sayeth Bonum est confidere in domino quam coÌ„fidere in homine Better thyÌ„ge it is to put confydence in god than too put confydence in man IteruÌ„pÌ„s BonuÌ„ est sperare in domino quam sperare in principibê° Better it is to trust in god thaÌ„ to trust in prynces Example Saynt barbara the whiche put her loue / her affyauÌ„ce and her esperaunce in god / and not vnto the lordes temporall she was comforted at her dethe of god / and the aungelles baren her soule in to paradyse / and her fader Dyascorê° the whiche beheeded her was brent with fyre celestyal and the deuylles bare his soule in to hell / his rychesses ne his sygnouryes ayded hym not at nede So it is better to put coÌ„fydence in god than in prynces and men in whome is no helthe Vnde Dauid in psal Nolite confidere in principibus nec iÌ„ filiis hominum / in quibus non est salus And the prophete Iheremye sayth that the man is cursed the whiche putteth his trust in men and putteth his flesshe / his arme / and his herte / and departeth hymselfe from god Vnde Iheremye .xvii. Maledictus est homo qui confidit in homine / ponit carnem brachium suum a domino recedit cor eiê° Helyodorus was punysshed of punycyon dyuyne for that / that he obeyed vnto kyÌ„ge Sceleniê° more soner than vnto god whaÌ„ he yode to take the treasours of the chyrche of Ierusalem Quere .lxxxii. b. ¶ Another example how kynge Ezechyas sente to seke counceyle of his sekenes vnto belzabub and he deyed myscheuously / and his messageres were brent with fyre celestyall Quere .ix. g. For to knowe the deference whan loue is good or ylle / or whan it is mortall synne or venyall thou shalte fynde it in the ix commaundement Quere .xlii. c. ¶ Example in Moyses the whiche loued god parfytely and obeyed vnto his commaundementes more sooner and aboue the wyll of kynge Pharaon / and therfore god loued hym so moche that he spake vnto hym face to face In lykewyse as it is wryten in the thre and thyrty chapytre of Exodi A. ¶ How the commaundemeÌ„t of god coÌ„prehendeth vnder it the thre fyrst commaundementes / and the thre vertues theologalles / the whiche ben faythe / hope / and charyte .ii. IT is wryten in the .xxiiii. chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Iohan that our lorde sayd vnto his dyscyples Si diligitis me mandata mea seruate Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundements Yf thou loue god with all thyn herte aboue all thynges thou shalte beleue in hym / thou shall worshyppe hym and shalte gyue hym honour the whiche is due vnto him / not vnto ydolles / ne vnto thynges create / for it is vnto the creatour vnto whome suche honour is due Thus thou shalte accomplysshe the fyrste commaundemente of our lorde the whiche is wryten Exodi viscesimo Non assumes nomen dei tui in vanum ¶ More ouer yf thou loue thy lorde god aboue al thynges thou shalte sanctyfye / honoure / and kepe the feestes commaunded And in so doynge thou shalte fulfyll and totally accomplysshe the thyrde
xx Non mechaberis Also thou woldest not that men sholde make the to lese thy goodes or herytages / or thy good renoÌ„mee for false wytnes reporte / ne do thou it to thy neyghbour thou shalt accomplysshe the .viii. commauÌ„dement the whiche is wryten Deutero v. Non loquaris coÌ„tra proximum tuum falsum testimoniuÌ„ ¶ Example how thre persones the whiche forsware them for to impose a false cryme vnto a patryarche were punysshed lxxxxvi A. Also thou woldest not that men sholde thynke yll vpon that for to haue thy goodes iniustly / or for to deceyue thy wyfe / ne do thou it vnto thy neyghboure and loue hym as thy selfe / and thou shalt accomplysshe the two last commaundementes Vnde deutero v. Non concupisces vxorem proximi tui c. Also yf thou loue thy neyghbour thou ne shalte do hym none yll Quia dilectio proximi maluÌ„ non operatur Vt dicitur ad romanos .xiii. Two thynges ben requysyte for to kepe the dylection of thy neyghboure as sayth Ysodore in his boke of dyfference Scêª vt beneficii impensione foueatur et nulla malicia ledetur That is to say that a man do good vnto his neyghbour yf he haue necessyte / and also that he hurte hym not by ony malyce Do the thynges beforesayd and thou shalt accomplysshe the .vii. last commaundemeÌ„tes of god / and the werkes of mercy the whiche thou shalte fynde after in the nombre .xxiiii. a. b. c. K. ¶ Also for to loue thy neyghbour as thi selfe it behoueth that thou haue prudence / attempraunce / iustyce / and force / they ben foure vertues the whiche ben sayd cardynalles for that / that they teche the man to gouerne hym in hym selfe / and after his neyghbour as the pope gouerneth holy chyrche by the counceyle of his cardynalles / a man ne may loue his neyghboure without these foure vertues For prudence kepeth a man that he be not deceyued of his ennemyes by none engyn / and hym counceyleth and ordeyneth that al that / that he dooth and sayth be in the ryght lyne of reason after the ordenaunce of god the whiche all seeth / iugeth / and knoweth Also prudeÌ„ce counceyleth to wepe the synnes coÌ„mytted and past / and that a man despyse the prosperytees worldly the whiche ben transytoryous / and that a man sholde coueyte to haue the Ioyes eternalles Also prudence maketh to ordeyne the thynges presentes for to lyue after god / maketh to prouyde for the thynges to come / also to recorde of the thynges past Vnderstande the worde of a wyse poete the whiche sayeth Prospice veÌ„tura / sic est prudens tua cura CuÌ„ quid vis agere / debes primo bnÌ„ videre An tibi conueniat / liceat simul vtile fiat OmÌ„a prudeÌ„ter / fac finem cerne frequeÌ„ter Primo metire / que finis possit ante venire A prudent man ought to be wyle or ware to loke about on all partes that he ne be deceyued of his aduersaryes the whiche ben ouer all the worlde Quia totus mundus in maligno possitus est It behoueth to loke about that a man be not deceyued by amyte carnall and socyall Quia iam pater patrem iam filius fellit matrem iam sociê° socium iam amicê° decipit amicuÌ„ Saynt poule sayeth take hede how ye walke wysely That is how ye lyue not as dombe foules but as sages redeme the tyme loste vnprouffytably spent wasted for the dayes ben ylle / therfore be ye not imprudente but take ye hede what is the wyll of god Vnde Paulus ad Ephe. v. Videte quomodo caute ambuletis non quasi insipientes sed vt sapientes redimeÌ„tis tempus quoniam dies mali sunt prorterea nolite fieri imprudentes sed intellgentes que sit voluÌ„tas dei Attempraunce kepeth a man that he ne be corrupt by ony cursed loue / or for fere / or Ioye / or swetnes For the man attemprate taketh moderacyon to loue that / that he ought to loue / how he sholde loue / as moche as he ought to loue After he dredeth that that he sholde drede / how he sholde drede / and as moche as he ought to drede Moreouer he taketh no Ioye ne delyte but in the thynge that he ought to haue / as he sholde haue / and as moche as he ought to haue it And also he ne taketh dolour but that / that he ought to take / as he ought to take / and as moche as he ought to take The man atteÌ„prate ne coueyteth ne yet wyll doo thynge wherof he may repent hym in ony maner ne passeth the lawe without measure / and also he putteth himselfe vnder the yoke of reason and doubteth all the coueytyses of the worlde the whiche ben deuyded in .iii. thynges the whiche are / the couetyses of the desyres of the body / the couetyse of auaryce / and of the synne of pryde In these .iii. thyÌ„ges there behoueth to put attempraunce that a man be not deceyued Of the whiche speketh saynt Iohn in the seconde chapytre of his fyrste canonyque and sayeth Omne quod est in mundo aut est concupiscentia oculoruÌ„ aut superbia vite Force maketh the herte of the man to be lyfte vp on hye aboue the perylles of the worlde expelleth debylyte of courage and maketh hym stronge to resyste agayne the temptacyons and aduersytees of the worlde / of the body / and of the deuylles Vnde Augusti Quod fortitudo est amor facile tollerans propter quod id amatur Also the vertue of force maketh to dysprayse the felycitees and prosperytees wordely / not to drede ony aduersytees Facit prospera mundi despicere et nulla eius aduersa formidare Iustyce putteth the man in ordre ryght estate towarde his neyghboure / for it yeldeth vnto euery man that the whiche is his after the ryght lyne of reason It wylleth prouffyte vnto all noyeth vnto no man Iustyce is sayd of Iust Iusticia dicitur a iusto For the Iust man ne wyll do but reason Euery vertue the whiche is well done in operacoÌ„n is sayd Iustyce Also all ryght and reason is sayd iustyce / but all iustyce is not ryght For the cursed offycers peruerteth iustyce / somtyme by gyftes / somtyme by drede of lordes or by euyll people / or by loue or by hate Prudence gyueth couÌ„ceyle vnto Iustyce for it aydeth it / attemprauÌ„ce amodereth it Saynt Austin sayth that vertue is an equalyte of lyfe soundinge vnto reason Virtus est quedam equalitas vite vndique consonans rationi Et iohaÌ„nes crisostomus dicit ê™ virtus animiest recte de deo sentire recte inter homines agere Et hieromimus dicit ê™ sola apud deumli bertas est non seruire peccatis et summa a pud deum nobilitas est clarere virtutibus ¶ For to loue god and his neyghbour and for to
ne by the other / as yf for example some gyueth vnto the famylyers of the bysshop ony thynge for to moeue hym to gyue ony benefyces He the whiche knoweth nothynge of that gyft nesemblably the bysshop by the meane albeit of the whiche gyft sholde be made donnayson of the benefyce Suche donayson sholde be made symonyall / but alonely he the whiche hath made the donayson vnto the famylyers of the bysshop shal be in mortal synne / and symonyer as vnto that And he that is benefyced by suche maner vnknowen sholde be bounde whan it sholde come vnto his knowlege to renouÌ„ce vnto the sayd benefyce and to the other goodes preseÌ„tes of the same / but he is not bounde to restore the goodes dyspended durynge the tyme of the poore conscyence For to knowe clerely whan a man commytteth symonye in permyttinge of benefyces / or whan ony renounceth vnto his benefyce / or whan ony gyueth a benefyce / or whan ony receyueth it It behoueth to se and to consyder the condycyons / the maners / and the causes / and yf there ne be gyftes / ne promesses / ne prayers of lordes or of frendes c. Moreouer it behoueth pryncypally to regarde the fynall ende to the whiche a man hath entencyon for to come For yf the condycyons the fyne be made purely for the loue of god he is wele entred in the benefyce by the dore And yf a man entre otherwyse in benefyce than by god / symonye is to be dredde For he is not entred by the dore F. ¶ Also for to knowe that it is grete syn to sell a benefyce a man maye it clerely se in the example of hieroboam kynge / the whiche solde the bysshopryches dygnytes And therfore god was wrothe agayn hym in so moche that he was degraded vnclothed hym and his lygne / as it is wâ—â—ten in tertio regum .xiii. Quicunque voâ—bat implebat manum hieroboam et fiebat sacerdos excelsorum c. Quere lxxxv c. G. ¶ Also men rede in secundo machabeorum .iiii. how the kynge Anthyochus solde vnto Iason the dygnyte to be souerayne preest that is bysshop and yll came vnto hym The prophete Ysaye sayeth in his .v. chapytre Ve qui iustificatis impium ê“muneribus et iustitiam iusti aufertis ab eo Cursed be you the whiche iustyfye the yll by gyftes / and take awaye the iustyce of the iuste Those the whiche entreth in to benefyces vnduely by the force and puyssaunce of prynces or greate lordes / or by menaces / murmures / or by theyr prayers and supplycacyon / and not by the dore the whiche is Ihesu cryst ben theues For for the drede puyssaunce or fauoure of the sayd lordes the good ryght is corrupte / the good ben expelled / and the vnworthy beneficed and yll cometh vnto them We haue an example in primo machabeoruÌ„ .vii. how cursed Alchymus was constitute souerayne bysshop of the kynge demetrius The whiche dyde many of ylles Also the sayd Alchimus deyed cursedly / as it is wryten .i. machabeoruÌ„ .ix. ca. This example is wryten after Quere lxxxv h. ¶ Also some entreth in to benefyce vnduely by flateryes / glosynges and decepcyons And for asmoche as they entre not by the dore / that is by Ihesu cryste they ben theuys ¶ Also these bysshoppes and prelates the whiche payeth theyr seruauntes of theyr salayres seruyces by gyuynge vnto them some benefyce or prebeÌ„de / chapel or dygnyte wher it is so that the cause be for the payment / and not for the loue of god it is symonye But it is wryten in droit canon / that whan a bysshop consydereth the prudence of his clerke / the dygnyte of his seruyce / the stremyte / holynes / and boÌ„unte of hym / and that he be of grete meryte For the goodnes that he seeth knoweth in hym he sholde benefyce hym in that chirche and it is no symonye / but it is wele done For in the courtes of prelates a man sholde prouue the clerkes Also to ordeyne charyte a man sholde gyue fyrste vnto his famylyeres as vnto straungers yf they ben egally good H ¶ The people laye the whiche gyueth or prometteth or maketh prayers supplicacyons indue for to benefyce theyr kynnesmen / seruauntes or other theyr frendes / ben symonyackes and sholde be accursed / after that that saint Thomas sayeth and raymonde Si quis auaritia ductus amore seruitio vel precibus episcopalem vel sacerdotalem acceperit dignitatem et iÌ„ vita noÌ„ relinquerit eumque in asperam penitentiam mors noÌ„ inuenerit ineternuÌ„ peribit i. q. i. ca. Si quis Yf ony hathe taken the dygnyte epyscopale or sacerdotale lede by auaryce / by loue / seruyce or prayers / and he ne hathe lefte it in his lyfe / and at the dethe ne hathe founde it in sharpe penaunce he shal paye in pardurablete In gyuyng a benefyce vnto one the whiche is of his blode / albeit there be no symonye for that / that there is no sale / yet is there synne the whiche is coÌ„myt in thre maners / or for asmoche that he loueth tenderly his flesshe / or for that that he coueyteth to gyue a thyng vndue vnto his kynnesman / or for asmoche as he vylependeth the thynge spyrytuell in gyuynge it vnto one indigne And it semeth that he sholde haue therin symony yf he hadde the regarde how his cosyn hathe the prouffyte temporal for the spyrytuall / in as moche as cosyn / for he sholde receyue a thyng the whiche ne sholde be due vnto hym It is not the lesse symonye for to haue the regarde that his kynnesman hathe the prouffite temporall but as yf hyÌ„selfe had it Whan a man gyueth a benefyce a man sholde beholde whether the persone vnto whome the gyfte is made be worthy it And that it be gyuen symplye and purely tor the loue of god We rede math x. How our lorde sayd Gratias date / the whiche is expounded in two maners Or whan a man there putteth no cause of sale / or whan a man hathe no regarde in gyuynge but alonly god / or only grace And therfore he the whiche gyueth vnto his kinnesman ne gyueth in suche wyse / albeit that god hathe sayd / gratis date Also who soo wyll gyue vnto his kynnesman withoute symonye / it behoueth that the persone be worthy it And that the gyfte be made for the loue of god purely / as it is sayd Vt intret per ostium id est christum in ouile ouium Our lorde Ihesu cryste gaue the dygnyte and gouernement of the chirche vnto saynt peter and not vnto saynt Iohan nor vnto his other parentes / in gyuynge vs example that in lyke wyse shold we do ¶ Also whan the appostles chose Mathyas and Ioseph the iuste / to the ende that one of them two were apostle in the place of iudas Sors cecidit super mathiaz For Ioseth was of the parente of Ihesus
He is a frende alonely by name Also the sage speketh of the sayd frendes Ecclesi vi Est eniÌ„ amicus scdm tempus suuÌ„ non in die tribulationis / et est amicê° qui conuertit ad inimicitiaÌ„ / et est amicus qui odiuÌ„ et rixaÌ„ et coÌ„uitia denudabit The frendes of the purse ben cosyns as to giue or to lende / but hate and the deuyll it is to yelde agayn The frendes of operacyon fayleth not at nede and ben sory of the euyll of theyr frende and gladde of his welfare In nede a man shall se what a frende is Vnd eccle vi Amicus si permanserit / fixus / erit tibi quasi coequalis / et in domesticis tuis fiducialiter aget / sequitur amicus fidelis fortis protectio / qui autem iÌ„uenit thesauruÌ„ / amico fideli nulla est comparatio A faythfull frende is a grete and a stronge defence / he the whiche fyndeth hym fyndeth a treasour there is noo comparyson vnto a faythfull frende Also the true frende ought to helpe and remembre his frende at his nede as he sholde do vnto hymselfe Vnde ligitur nono ethicoruÌ„ Amicus se debet habere ad amicum sicut ad semetipsum God hath vs loued of worde and of operacyon togyders And in lykewyse sholde we loue our neyghboures E. ¶ Fourthly god hath vs loued parfytely more than his owne body as before it is sayd Quere G. Also ê“arfyte men putteth theyr bodyes in daunger of dethe for to saue theyr neyghboures / as dyde a man named Sanctulus Quere .lxxv. c. Another example of two men that had so grete charyte and amyte togyder that the one wolde haue deyed for to saue the other Quere lxxv b. F. ¶ Fyfthly god hath loued the saluacion of all his ennemyes the whiche wronged hym / and bette hym without that / that he defended hymselfe nor that he answered Iniury agaynst Iniury he dyde not / but yelded the good agaynst the yl / he prayed for his enmyes Vnde luce .xxii. Pater dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciuÌ„t Also perfite people sholde loue theyr enmyes in folowynge god / and they shall haue grete rewarde in paradyse Vn. math v. lu vi Diligite inimicos vestros benefacite hus qui oderuÌ„t vos et orate ê“ persequentibus et calumniantibus vos vt sitis filii patris vestri qr benignus est super ingratos malos That is to say Loue your enmyes / do good to them that hateth you / praye for your persecutours and dyspysers to th end that ye be the sones innytatoures of god your fader G. ¶ Questyon How may I loue those the whiche hathe bette me or made me to lose my goodes or my good renowne The answere Thou sholdest loue the euyll wyl of thy neyghbour but for the loue of god thou sholdest loue the persones and theyr saluacyon / and also yf by Iustyce thou makest them to yelde to the thy goodes and to punysshe the synne of thy neyghbour thou of tendest not For Iustyce is founded after god and vnto god / and Iustyce appertayneth to do punycyon not vnto ye. Wherfore thou ne sholdest venge the that god ne wrothe hym agaynst the. The grete lordes the whiche wyll not vnderstande for to do right and iustyce departeth it with the swerde / and is suffred of god vnto those the whiche hath good right Vn. catho Pugna ê“ patria The parfite people bereth al aduersytees pacyently dooth good agaynst yll for the loue of god Example in saynt Steuen that prayed for his enmyes that god sholde pardon theym the synne that they dyde to stone hym And to th ende that his prayer were the soner exalted he set him on his knees VnÌ„ acti vii Positis auÌ„t genibê° clamauit voce magna diceÌ„s / dnÌ„e ne statuas illis hoc petmÌ„ ¶ Example that Dauyd wept the dethe of his enmy Saul the whiche persecuted hyÌ„ Also he wept at the dethe of his frende Ionathas in lyke wyse as it is wryten in the fyrst chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges Also we rede in the .xviii. chapytre of the boke of kynges that Ionathas the sone of Saul loued Dauyd as his owne soule / on a tyme he dyspoyled hym of his gowne gaue it vnto Dauyd Also Dauyd loued hym as hymselfe Also Dauyd wept at the deth of his neyghbour Abner Vt habetur .ii. reguÌ„ iii. Also he wept at the dethe of his sone Absolon that dyde hym warre Vt habetur .ii. reguÌ„ .xviii. .xix. Also Dauyd wolde do none euyll to his enmye Saul whan he myght haue done it / in lyke wyse as is wryten in the xxvi chapytre of the fyrst boke of kynges This is an example here that we sholde loue our enmyes for the loue of god By these thyÌ„ges aforesayd it apereth how we shold loue our nyghboure H. ¶ Questyon Who is my neyghbour BY this that god commaundeth to loue his neyghbour a man may demaunde What is it that is my neyghbour The answere That is euery man woman / for we sholde loue the saluacyon of soules the we le and vtylyte of all persones / not the yll Saynt Austyn sayth ExteÌ„de caritateÌ„ per totum orbeÌ„ quia meÌ„bra christi per orbem iacent Extende charite ouer al the worlde / that is dyleccion / for the membres of Ihesu cryst lyeth by the worlde God wyll that those of scotlond / of of fraunce / of spayne be also well saued as them of Englonde yf they deserue it for all ben membres of god tendynge to saluacyon He loueth the lytell as the grete / he theÌ„ hath create and is theyr gouernour purueyour Vn. sapien vi PusilluÌ„ magnuÌ„ fecit dominus equaliter cura est illi de omnibus And therfore it behoueth to vnderstande that all ben our neyghboures / but for as moche as we ne may do almes ouer all the worlde it suffyseth to do it vnto those the whiche ben amonge vs after our power This mater is gyuen vnto vs by worde Luce .x. Homo quidem desceÌ„debat ab iherusalem in iherico qui incidit in latrones And the euangelyst sayeth that one of the maysters of the lawe demaunded of Ihesu cryst who was his neyghboure / and he answered vnto hym A man descended froÌ„ Iherusalem vnto Iheryco the whiche fel in to the handes of theues the whiche dyspoyled hym and bette hym so moche that he was replenysshed with woundes left hym as halfe deed / it befell that a preest passed by and toke none hede In lykewise a deaken passed that toke no hede After a Samarytane the whiche passed the countree founde hym and had pyte anoynted his woundes with wyne and oyle dyde bynde hym and after that put hym on his mare bare him in to a stable and gaue two pens vnto the mayster of the stable and prayed hym
adiust and put theyr faythe Vnde deuteronomie .xxvij. Maledictus homo qui facit scultilie et conflatile abhominationem domini opus manuum artificium And it is wryten Leuitici .xix. Nolite conuerti ad ydola nec deos conflatiles facietis vobis ego dominus deus vester Conuert you not vnto ydolles / conflatyles and sculptures / that is that ye make no goddes by blowynges and grauynges as dyde the chyldren of Israel whan Moyses yode to fetche the commaundementes in the mountayne / they wende to haue made a god of golde and of syluer they made a calfe the whiche they worshypped daunced about Than Moyses was wrothe of the sayd ydolatryse and of the daunces / he kest doune the tables wherin was wryten the commaundementes and brake theÌ„ he made to cease the sayd daunces and called on his party all those the whiche were not there to consentynge vnto whome he sayd that they sholde put vnto dethe al theÌ„ the whiche hadde ydolatrised and daunced and that the sonne ne shold spare the fader ne other parent / for in so doynge they sholde consacre theyr handes in obeyenge vnto god / and so it was doone For of the people of god the whiche hadde so ydolatrysed and daunced there were .xxx. thousande slayne / and by the wyl of god as thou shalt fynde Exodi .xxxij. Vocem cantantium ego audio dicit moyses Et cum appropinquasset ad castra vidit vitulum choreas Iratusque valde proiecit de manu tabulas et confregit eas ¶ Questyon To knowe yf that it be offence to make and worshyp the ymages of the sayntes of paradyse for that before it hath be sayd Non facies tibi scultile / nec omnem similitudinem que est in celo de super c. The answere We sholde not worshyp the ymages in lyke wise as the thynge that we adoure / for that sholde be ydlatrye / but we worshyp other thynge that the ymage representeth / as so me saynt The ymage is alonely the token of the thynge that we worshyppe / wherfore we offende not Many folkes haue broken this commaundement and yet dooth / as ben the ydolatres the whiche worshyppeth and serueth vnto ydolles and gyueth vnto them the dyuine honour / theyr faythe / esperaunce / and loue that they sholde gyue vnto the creatoure These ydolatres beÌ„ excommunycate by the sentence of ryght It appereth also by many examples that they deyed of an euyll dethe / as Egeas the whiche made to crucyfye saynt Andrewe Quere .lvij. c. And Dyascorus the whiche beheded his doughter saynt barbara .lvij. e ¶ Also the prouoste Tarquyn / the kynge of Perse Cosydore Quyncyen Maxymyen c. In lykewyse as men shall fynde in the examplary in the fyrst commaundement .lvij. f. Also the Iewes the whiche wold not beleue in our sauyour and redemptour Iesu cryst / and wyll not worshyppe hym / serue hym / and honoure hym / and abydeth the cursed Antechryste transgresseth this commaundement and gooth vnto daÌ„pnacyon and perdycion perdurable Also these sarazyns the whiche worshippeth Mahoumet the whiche was a man false and heretyke the whiche is dampned breketh this commaundement Also the apostates the whiche leueth theyr crystendome / or relygious theyr relygyon / or other the whiche lâ—ueth ony thyÌ„ges that they haue promysed to kepe in crystyanyte breketh this coÌ„mandement ¶ Example of people the whiche hath ben apostates .lviij. a. b. Also wytches and sorceresses the whiche rideth vpon bromes / worshyppeth the bucke / and haue oyntementes and thynges dyabolykes ben excommunycate of the sentence of right and synneth mortally and the case is reserued vnto the bysshoppes ¶ Example of a Iewe sorcyer the whiche mysse counceyled Theophyle Quere .lvij. b. Those the whiche vseth wytchcraftes sholde be gretely punysshe Vt habetur extra de sortilegijs Ex tuaâ— ê™ si imperfectiones sortilegas faciunt eâ—si ex celo sole simplicitate hoc faciunt gâ—â—uissimum peccatum incurtum Et si sacerdos ex simplicitate hoc fecerit per annum debet segregari ab altaris misterio Laicâ—vero si hoc fecerit quadraginta diebus a â—â—munione fidelium priuetur et excoÌ„icetur Clericus vero officio beneficio priuari pâ—test vt pm iÌ„ decreto .xxvj. Questione .v. with dr Non licet cristiano gentilium tradiâ—â—nes obseruare vel elementa colore c. Alâ—â— Inuocatours of the deuyll of hell and those the whiche of him demauÌ„deth helpe and ayde and wylleth his alyaunce / or the whâ—che maketh couenaunt with hym / or thoâ—â— the whiche vnto hym maketh sacryfyce honour / and those the whiche maketh hym ymages / or those the whiche of hym demauÌ„de answere of ony questyon / suche people ben excommunycate by sentence of ryghâ— and offendeth gretely Also chermours the whiche gyueth helthe and ayde by words incredybles / dyabolykes and folysshe â—â—â—dences / or dyuynours the whiche demaundeth of the deuyll by reuelacyon of ony thynge secrete / or the trouthe of thynges to combreketh this commaundemeÌ„t And those the whiche gooth vnto charmours for to be 〈◊〉 led / or vnto dyuyners to haue reuelacyon leueth god vnto whome suche thyÌ„ges apperteneth syÌ„neth mortally renyeth theyr faythe / cresme / and baptisme / for they had renounced the deuyll in saynge AbrenuÌ„tio sathane et omÌ„ibus poÌ„pis eius And they therto retorne After the olde lawe the dyuyners were stoned and put to dethe Vnde legitur leui .xx. Vir siue mulier in quibus phitonicê° vl diuinationis fuerit morte moriatur lapidibus obruent es / sanguis eoruÌ„ sit suê‘illos Example of charmours the charmeth hogges in tyme of mast that wolues neete them Quere .lx. a. ¶ Example of kyÌ„ge Ochozyas that sent to seke couÌ„ceyle of his sekenes at Beezebub / and euyl came vnto hym / and his messengers were brent with fyre of heuen Quere .lx. b. RaymoÌ„de sayth that regulerly all suche dyuynement is defended cursed of god and of holy chyrche as is ydolatry infydelyte Vnto god alonely apperteyneth to knowe the thynges secretes and to come / and suche people laboureth to knowe them and also grauÌ„teth the dyuyne thynges whiche apperteyneth vnto god The prophete Iheremye sayth that a man sholde not here suche sorte of people VnÌ„ iheremie Nolite audire prophetas vestros diuinos sonniatores augures maleficos qui dicunt vobis / non seruietis regibabilonis qr mendaciuÌ„ prophetant vt loÌ„ge faciaÌ„t vos et pereatis c. Also people of folysshe beleue that putteth adiusteth faythe in crye of byrdes / or in the metynge of beestes or those that holdeth paynyms customes as those the whiche kepeth the dayes egypcyens or the kalendes of Ianuary in the whiche they do make gyftes the one to the other in the begynnynge of the good yere in hauynge many folysshe credences contrary vnto the faythe catholyke / suche thynges ben contrary vnto the helthe of the soules shold be
proferreth cursed wordes Whan a man seeth smoke and sperkles come out of an hous it is a token that there is fyre in it / also whan a persone proferreth blasphemes it is a token that he is euyll c. And for as moche as these blasphematours speketh the language infernall of the dampned the whiche is the language that the deuyl theyr mayster techeth them maketh them to speke / they goo not in to paradyse with god / but in to hell with the deuyll with al the dampned Quia legitur Iob .xxxvi. Qd deus non saluat impios God saueth not the euyll / that is to knowe yf they deye Impenytent and without contrycyon / confessyon / and satysfaccyon Vnde Luce .xiii. Nisi penitentiam habueritis omnes simul peribitis Yf ye doo not penaunce ye shall all perysshe ¶ Fyfthly blaspheme is so grete a synne that it is agaynst the goly goost / for it is ayenst his bounte / and therfore it is irremyssyble as vnto the payne VnÌ„ legitur mat xii SpuÌ„s blasphemie noÌ„ remittetur in hoc sclo neque in futuro .i. vix remittetur The spyryte of blaspheme shall not be pardoned in this worlde ne in the other Et legitur marci .iij. Qui blasphemauerit in spmÌ„ setmÌ„ non habet remissionem in eternuÌ„ sed reus erit eterni delicti He the whiche hath blasphemed ayeÌ„st the holy goost hath no remyssyon in perdurabylyte That is to vnderstande that he hath not playne punycyon in this worlde or in the other as vntoo the payne / for his synne is not commytted by fragylyte or biygnourauÌ„ce / but by certayne knowlege malyce / wherby he hathe none excusacyon in his synne / and therfore vnto hym apperteyneth playne punycyon without remyssion / not that one sholde vnderstande that yf the blasphematour wolde repent hym that absolucyon to him sholde be denyed that he ne may be saued and haue grace and mercy as to the gylte But a man sholde vnderstande that it shal be with grete payne / for vnto hym apperteyneth playne punycyon playne penaunce as vnto the payne but yf he haue mercy So it appereth note it well that the syÌ„nes agaynst the holy goost be not pardoned in this world ne in the other as to the payne as it is sayd / but they may be pardoned as to the gylte / and therfore the blasphematours shold not dyspayre them but do penaunce absteyne them fro synÌ„e Vnde ezech xviii Si autem iÌ„pius egerit penitenciam vita viuat c. Men fynde in wrytynge dyuers sortes of penauÌ„ce the whiche apperteyneth vnto blasphematours ¶ Fyrst theyr penaunce ought to be of .vii. yeres in lykewyse as for the other mortall synnes / as it is wryten .xxii. PredicaÌ„dum But a man sholde consider the maner of the othe / the qualite of the persone and the other cyrcumstaunces for to gyue vnto hym penaunce / eyther sharper or lyghter easyer as it is wryten R. i. De penitentijs et c. sequenti .v. The othe the whiche is made 〈◊〉 delyberacyon is more to punysshe than 〈◊〉 the whiche is made by hastines Also the pâ—naunce of a publyke blasphematour is â—â—uen by the bysshoppes / the whiche is suche That he ought to be at the chyrche dore sâ—me soÌ„dayes or solempne feestes bare foâ—â—bare heded / vngyrded / with a tapre in his hande c. Also the penaunce of the blasphâ—matours after the auncyent lawe was they sholde be put to dethe / as it appereâ— Leuiti xxiiij Of one of the sones of Israeâ— the whiche had blasphemed god he was â—â—ned and slayne by the commaundements god And it is wryten in the sayd chapytâ—â— that god coÌ„maunded Moyses in shewyne hym what punycyon the blasphematour shal haue / saynge Loqueris ad filios 〈◊〉 el / homo q i maledixerit deo suo portabit pecatuÌ„ suuÌ„ / et qui blasphemauerit nomeÌ„ dimorte morietur / lapidibê° obruet euÌ„ oiÌ„s muâ—tudo ppli Moyses spake vnto the childre of Ysraell saynge That man the whiche sayeth yll vnto his god shal bere his synne he the whiche hath blasphemed that name our lorde shall deye of dethe / all the multitude of people shall stone hym sle hym stones And the gospell sayth He the which hathe sayd yll vnto his fader or to his mâ—der shall deye of dethe VnÌ„ mathÌ„ xv Quâ—mala dixerit patri vel matri morte moâ—◠¶ Syxtly these blasphematours beÌ„ dysâ—sed to speke contumelyous wordes / inuâ—â— and rebuke vnto theyr lorde and mayster And meruayle is it none yf they ben in hâ—te and lose his loue / his grace and his company For in lykewyse as god dwelleth 〈◊〉 grace in the conscyence of the good catholyke Vt habetur .i. iohÌ„ .iiii. Qui maneth inâ—ritate in deo manet et deus in eo Vnto the contrary God departeth hym from the â—â—scyence of the blasphematoure the whichâ— is a ryght yll catholyke Qui noÌ„ manet 〈◊〉 caritate deus non manet in eo And also as men say of the good catholycke IohÌ„ .xiiii. Si quis diligit me sermoneÌ„ meum seruabit / pater meus diligit euÌ„ et ad euÌ„ venâ—amus et mensioneÌ„ apud euÌ„ faciemus Who so loueth me he shall kepe my worde / my fader shall loue hym we shall come vnto hym / and we shall make our dwellynge in hym Also a man may say of the cursed blasphematour Apud euÌ„ non veniemê° meÌ„sionem apud euÌ„ faciemus That is to saye that the blyssed trynyte shall not come to dwell ne rest by grace in the conscyence of the cursed blasphematour as in the conscyence of the good catholyke ¶ Seuenthly blaspheme chaseth the vertues / letteth the good dedes spyrytuall / and maketh many euyls in the soules of the blasphematours the whiche ben declared afterwarde Quere .xliiij. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. k. ¶ Examples of the blasphematours Quere in thexamplary .lxii. b. c. d. h. i. k. A. ¶ Questyon yf a man commytte synne at euery tyme that he swereth .xiii. NOn assumes nomen dei tui in vanuÌ„ Vpon this coÌ„maundement a man may demauÌ„de yf ony may swere without commyttynge synne The answer A man may swere without sinne whan necessyte is / the whiche is verytable / Iust / lefull / and for good ende / as whan a maÌ„ swereth for to afferme Innocency whan ony cursed cryme is brought vp / or for to conferme the alyaunces of peas / or for to shewe or persuade vnto the herers that the whiche is vtyle for the helth of theyr soules To swere for these thynges it is none euyll synne for it is necessary and lefull Albeit that the swerynge of it selfe is not good / and neuertheles it is not yll whan it is necessary / yet it is not to appetyte as is the good More ouer it is not to fle as an yll thynge whaÌ„ it is lefull / but he defendeth the
best purpose of delyberacion of stedfast courage to god or vnto his sayntes with enteÌ„cyon hym to oblege Vnde secunduÌ„ magistruÌ„ in quarto di .xxxviii. tho et alios theologos Qd votum est coÌ„ceptio spontanea melioris propositi animi deliberatione deo vel saÌ„ctis eiê° firmita cum intentione se obligandi And it is to be noted that many thynges ben requysyte vnto lefull vowe accomplysshed the whiche ben touched in the sayd dyffynicion ¶ Fyrst it is requysyte concepcyon of some made in the entendement by the holy goost ¶ Secondly it is requysyte that the vowe be not yll And therfore the dyffynycyon sayth melioris Yll and synne desordoneth vs towarde god Vnde legitur Qd votum non est vinculuÌ„ iniquitatis Vowe is not the lyen and bonde of inyquyte And therfore it is wryten Dissolue vinculuÌ„ iniquitatis Vnbynde or louse the lyen of inyquyte Et legitur .xxxij. q .iiij. Ysodo In malis promissis resciÌ„de fideÌ„ / in turpi voto mutu decretum / quod incaute vouisti noÌ„ facias / impia est promissio que scelere adimpletur In cursed wordes rescyndeth the fayth chaunge thy wyll in that vowe the whiche is foule and euyll / do not the thynge the whiche thou hast vowed vnwysely The promysse is euyll the whiche is doone accomplysshed by synne ¶ Example wryten in the .xxiij. chapytre of the dedes of the appostles that .xl. Iewes vowed that they sholde neyther eete ne drynke tyll they hadde slayne saynt Poule / theyr vowe was euyl and in synne / and they myght not accomplysshe it c. ¶ Thyrdly it is requysyte that he there haue concepcyon fre in as moche as the dyffynycyon sayeth spontanea / that is that euery man may vowe the thynges the whiche ben in his lyberte and in his ryght and not otherwyse / and therfore seruauntes / chyldren / relygyous prisoners c. in some thynges may not vowe Quia non sunt sui iuris ¶ Fourthly it is requisyte that he there haue delyberacyon and therfore the dyffynycyon sayth / animi deliberatione vnto the dyfference of those the whiche voweth sodaynly without delyberacyon and consentement of reason ¶ Fyfthly vowe ought to be made vnto god or to his sayntes and not vnto men for many thynges the whiche abydeth bycause of shortenes ¶ Syxtely with entencyon to bynde hym for loue bereth oblygacyon to do some thyÌ„ge or to loue it c. E. ¶ Vowe the whiche is lefully made of ryght ought too be accomplysshed as it is sayd / but in .ix. maners a man is not bounde to accomplysshe his vowe ¶ The fyrst is whan ony hath vowed vnder condycycyon as to say I shall do suche a thynge yf suche one haue his helthe / or yf he lyue not or yf he deye not of suche a sekenes / whan the condycyon hathe none effecte a man is not bounde to accomplysshe the sayd vowe ¶ The seconde is whan it hath be made sodaynly and without delyberacyon ¶ The thyrde is the vowe of them the whiche hath lost theyr wytte / or the whiche ben furyous ¶ The fourthe is whan by infyrmyte / pouerte / or other lefull lettynge a man may accomplysshe the sayd vowe ¶ The fyfth is whaÌ„ a man voweth by yre / or other passion so grete that they leue true delyberacyon ¶ The .vi. whan it sholde be to the hurt of ony grete good or comyn welfare ¶ The vij is whan the vower is subgect to another as yonge people / a mayde vnder .xiij. yere / a man chylde vnder .xv. yeres / a relygious a wedded woman / a seruaunt yf the vowe sholde be lettynge of the seruyce that he oweth whan the souerayns beforesayd ben not so content / or gaynsayeth there vnto the subgectes ben not bouÌ„de to theyr vowes of saynt Iohan in the floode of Iourdayn Nono / on the sondaye our lorde made his fyrst myracle to chaunge the water in to wyne at the weddynge c. Decimo / on the sondaye our lorde Ihesu cryst fedde fyue thousande men with fyue loues of breed / and with two fysshes Vndecimo / on the sondaye our lorde Ihesu was honoured with palmes the whiche is the sonday before Eester daye Duodecimo / on the sondaye the redemptoure of the worlde rose frome dethe to lyfe Terciodecimo / on the sonday the holy goost descended vpon the appostles the daye of penthecost or whyt-sonday Quartodecimo / the clerkes presupposeth that god shall holde his Iugement on the sonday / but for certayne no persone knoweth ony thynge but all myghty god onely By these thynges beforesayd it appereth that the sonday is establysshed for to be kepte / sanctyfyed / honoured / and laudably feested amonge all the pryncypall festes Vnde secundumius canonicum CoÌ„stat diem dominicuÌ„ inter summas et precipuas festiuitates contineri dicitur in decreto In dominica die nichil est agendum nisi soli deo vocandum de consecratione distinctione tercie Ieiunia Noo thynge is to be doone on the sonday / but to be besyed towarde god / hym for to honoure and his gloryous sayntes And by this the whiche is before wryten Sabbata sanctifes A man sholde vnderstande that in the auncyent testament men kepte and sanctifyed the saterdaye But for the mysteryes beforesayd the whiche hathe ben doone on the sondaye / and to th ende that we do not as the Iewes dooth the whiche kepeth the sa-saterday we shall kepe and solempnyse the solempnyte the daye of the sondaye ¶ Examples of dyuers people the whiche hathe wrought on the sonday And fyrst of a maÌ„ the whiche wrought on the sonday and his handes claue vnto the wood Quere in the examplary .lxiiij. C. ¶ Another exaÌ„ple of a man the whiche ledde haye on the sonday and he was thretened dyuinely to be brent Quere in thexaÌ„plary .lxiiij. D. ¶ Another example of two women the whiche baked on the saterday after the sonne goynge doune / one of them became drye / and the pele of the ouen cloue to the handes of the other Quere .lxiiij. G. ¶ Another example of a mowyer the whiche left werke on the saterdaye / his felawes wolde not do soo and he founde some golde Quere in the examplary .liiij. M. ¶ Secondly it is good reason to sanctyfy the festes of god and of the gloryous vyrgyn Mary for the mysteries of theyr solempnytees the whiche sholde be longe for to declare by the whiche our redempcyon hathe ben made ¶ Thyrdly mayster Wyllyam of Anserre techeth .vi. reasons in the somme of the offyce wherfore it was establysshed that we make solempnyte of the sayntes of paradyse The fyrst is for the honoure of the dyuyne mageste / for whan we doo honour vnto sayntes we honoure god in his sayntes / and we saye that he is meruaylous in theym He the whiche dooth honour vnto sayntes he honoureth specyally hym the whiche theym hath sanctyfyed The seconde for to haue ayde
certes thou sholdest do it Vnde .iiij. regum v. Pater si reÌ„ graÌ„dem dixisset tibi ê“pheta certe facere debueras He murmured agaynst the prophete He liscus c. Vnto these faders seculers here euery man sholde bere honour and reuereÌ„ce by this commaundement whan the tyme the place / and the oportunyte it gyueth / after the dygnyte of euery man Vnde .i. petri ii Omnes honorate fraternitatem diligite deuÌ„ timete / regem honorificate That is to say / honour all folke / loue fraternite / drede god / honour the kynge And it behoueth them to obey vnto thynges the whiche toucheth the gouernement of theyr realme or sygnourye in god and after hym for the helthe of soules / and not otherwyse Legitur mathei xxii Reddite que sunt cesaris cesari / et que sunt dei deo Yelde vnto cesar the thynges the whiche ben due vnto cesar and yelde vnto god that the whiche apperteyneth vnto him That is to vnderstande that men sholde yelde vnto the temporall lorde suche honour and the thynge the whiche vnto hym apperteyneth And for to yelde vnto god the dute magnyfycence the whiche belongeth vnto his soueraynte And saynt Peter sayth Be ye subgectes vnto all humayne creatures for the loue of god or vnto the kynge also as vnto the superlatyfe the whiche is aboue the other / or vnto the dukes as sent of the kynge vnto the vengeaunce of the euyl / and vnto the praysynge and laudacyon of the good Vnde .i. petri ii Subiecti estote omÌ„i humane creature propter deum / sine regi quasi precelenti siue ducibus tanquam ab eo missis ad viÌ„dictam malefactorum / laudem vero bonorum And how be it that oure lorde commaundeth that a man honour / serue / and loue his faders it behoueth for to vnderstande as it is sayd that god is the souerayne fader Vnde mathei xxiii Vnus est pater vester qui est in celis Vnto god apperteyne the souerayne honour / for what persone that honoureth / prayseth / loueth / serueth / or putteth his hope or truste in persones / as in prynces more than in god he offendeth in lykewyse as it is declared before in the fyrst commaundemente Quere .i. H. Moreouer the scryptures sayth that the auncyente people ben our faders in aege Vnde paul .i. ad thimo v. SenioreÌ„ ne in crepaueris sed obsecra vt patrem Thou shalte not blaspheme the auncient / but prayse hyÌ„ also as fader And it is wryten Leuiti xix Coram cano capite surge et honora personam senis / et time dominum deum tuum That is to say Aryse thou before the balde heed / and honour the auncyent persone / drede thy lorde god The auncyent hathe seen passed / and can / and knoweth / wherfore a man vnto hym sholde bere honoure and reuerence And whan the yonge presumeth to speke / to knowe / or to do ony thynge before the auncyent men they ben proude presumptuous / and ought gretely to be reproued Also it is wryten Ecclesiastice .xxxii. In medio magnatorum loqui non presumas / et vbi sunt senes non multa loquaris Glosa Si vis interrogatus fueris habeat caput tuum responsum / et multis esto quasi inscius et auditacens simul et loquens / et pro reuerentia accedet tibi bona gratia That is to say Presume not to speke amonge the grete / and where the auncientes ben speke but lytell Yf thou be questyoned two tymes than answere And be thou in many thynges as not knowynge and herken in scylence And soÌ„tyme speke / and good grace shall come to the for to do reuerence Also this worde here pater the whiche is here of the masculyne gendre is taken in .iiii. maners after Grecisme Est pater hic cura / pater est alius genitura Est pater etate / pater ille vocatur honore Ad summum regem facit illa creatio patrem The fyrst after Grecisme is he the whiche hath the cure to baptyse / to confesse / and to admynyster the sacraments The seconde fader is he the whiche hath engeÌ„dred The thyrde fader is the auncient of aege the whiche is called the fader of honoure The .iiii. fader the whiche ought to be the fyrst is the creatour souerayne kynge ¶ Of these faders before sayd many examples shall be founde in the fourth commaundement of the examplary Quere ad numerum .lxxi. A. B. C. A. ¶ The maners how these chyldren sholde loue theyr faders xxi HOnora patrem tuum et matrem tuam Honour thy fader and thy moder After the coÌ„maundemente of god a man shold bere reuerence vnto his faders in many maners / of the whiche we shall tell .vii. B. ¶ Fyrst a man sholde do honoure vnto his faders whan he passeth before theym / or that he speketh vnto theym / or that he bowe the knee / and vncouer and bowe his heed in humylyte / drede / and loue This maner of doynge is comune in all honest persones moche praysed For it is wryten luce .xiiii. mathei .xxiii. Omnis qui se humiliat exaltabitur All men the whiche huÌ„bleth them and boweth downe shal be exalted The more that a tree is charged with fruite / or an ere with corne / the more they bowe downe and enclyne towarde the erth Also a persone the more that he is replenisshed with vertues and with grace / the more gretely he humbleth hym Vnde iacobi iiii ca. Deus superbis resistit / humilibus autem dat gratiam God resisteth vnto the proude people / and to the humble he gyueth grace Also the persone the whiche boweth doune and humbleth hym more lowe than he ne sholde he offendeth not as to passe in at a dore And yf he rayse hymselfe hygher than he sholde he hurteth hym selfe and offendeth Our lorde had humylyte in al maners That is to vnderstande in his natyuyte / and whan he wasshed the fete of his dyscyples / and whan he put hymselfe vnder saynt Iohan for to be baptysed c. Vnde mathei .xi. Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde Lerne of me / that is take ye example of me for I am soft and humble of herte Yf our lorde hath so moche bowed doune and humylyed hym vnder his dyscyples as to wasshe to theyr fete / by a more greter reason we sholde humble vs and bowe vnder our fader and moder Also it is wryten that euery man drede his fader and moder Vnde leuitice .xix. Vnusquisque patrem suum et matrem suam tâ—meat And whan that ony ne humbleth hyÌ„ and boweth doune before his faders whan tyme and place it requyreth it is pryde and gooth agaynst thiq commaundement Secondly a man dooth honoure and pleasure vnto his faders whan that a man speketh vnto theym swete wordes / good and curteys / symple and amyable
nombre of your brederne be accoÌ„plysshed Expectate ad huc modicuÌ„ teÌ„puis donec iÌ„pleatur numerê° fratrum vestrorum Than the syn of homycyde demaundeth vengeaunce / in the ende the innocentes were venged / And the sayd herodes deyed myscheuously In lyke wyse as it is wryten in the examplayre Que. lxxvi d. Euery persone be he kyng / prynce or labourer sholde fere to do homycyde vniust For incontynent that it is coÌ„mytted / the sayd persone is bouÌ„de vnto payne and punycion in suche wyse that he ne may escape but that he haue punycyon in this worlde or in the other The sayd kynge herodes whiche slewe the innocentes was punysshed by lytell wormes that slewe and ete hym c. Also Pylate the whiche made wrongfully our lorde Ihesus to dye / he slewe himself with his owne knife And the iewes by whome he was slayne / god was venged / for some deyed by famyne / the other by swerde / and all deyed myscheuously By the whiche it appereth that by the synne of hate and homycyde there foloweth punycion and vengeaunce And therfore sayd god vnto saynt peter whan that he cutte of malcus ere in his passyon Illud mat xxvi Conuerte gladium iÌ„locum suum omnes qui acceperint gladium gladio peribunt Who soo sleeth with the swerde shall deye of a swerde That is to saye of the swerde corporelly or spyrytuelly yf he ne do grete penauÌ„ce Item legitur gene ix Sanguinem enim animaruÌ„ vetraruÌ„ requiram de manu hominis / de manu viri / de manu fratris eius requiram animam hominis QuicuÌ„que affuderit humanum sanguinem fuÌ„detur sanguinis illius Certaynly I shall demauÌ„de of the hande of man the blode of our soules That is to vnderstonde how god shall demaunde of the hande of the murderer the blode of his broder crystyen that he hath slayne It is so grete synne that by the ryght of Iustyce the sayd murderer ought to be slayne therfore of good ryght god sayeth / what so euer persone hathe shedde the blode humayn of the man his blode shall be shedde Et legitur apoca xiii Qui gladio occiderit oportet eum in gladio occidi c. B ¶ Whan it is lefull to bete / and whan it is defended Ca. xxv DAuyd the prophete sayth in the psalter Irascumini et nolite peccare Wrathe ye or be ye wrothe agayne your synnes / agayne those of your neyghbours and chyldren kepe you from syne That is to trouble your entendement by passyon of ire to the ende that thou ne do correccyon vniuste Nolite peccare / that is to saye yf there come the a sodayne ire / ne gyue thy consentement to do vengeauÌ„ce without the boundes of iustyce Ne strike thou not / ne murdre thy neyghbour vniustely / god it defendeth and soo coÌ„maundeth the to loue hym / that thou ne hate hym It is that thynge the whiche is spoken in the begynnynge of this coÌ„maundement Crysten man or crysten woman / to hate / bete / or kylle to the is defended entyerly / yf thou wylte holde rancour thou shalt be punysshed bytterly To bete his neyghboure is somtyme coÌ„maunded of god and somtyme defended God coÌ„mauÌ„deth that a man bete by charyte and fayre correccyoÌ„ the chyldren synners mobedyentes vnto god and vnto good maners It is a grete werke of mercy to saue a soule / to correcte an yll persone the whiche gothe vnto dampnacyon / more grete than to gyue grete almes The sage sayeth sapien i. Probata virtus corripit insipientes That is to say the vertues prouued correcteth the fooles vnlerned / vnwyse / and synners Those the whiche haue subgectes in theyr correccion them sholde correcte and instructe in good maners And yf they ben rebelles inobedyent and synners they sholde bete them / punysshe and correcte saigely and dyscretely by loue and charyte without hate ne vengeaunce This matere is declared in the fourth coÌ„maundement Quere xxii c. Example how saynt benet bette a monke by fayre correccyoÌ„ Quere lxv g. In another maner god defendeth by this coÌ„maundement that a man ne bete nor murdre vniustely his neyghbour by ire / furoure / courage moued / by cursed wyll In the auncyent testament the chylde that bette his fader / or his moder by yll wyl / was put to dethe VnÌ„ exodi xxi Qui percusserit patrem suuÌ„ matreÌ„ suaÌ„ morte moriatur Also in the same chapytre it is wryten Qui ê‘cus serit hoiÌ„em voleÌ„s euÌ„ occidere morte moriatur Also whan ony bete a persone yf he deyed he was slayne exodi xxi Si mors fuerit subsecuta reddet aiÌ„am pro aiÌ„a And yf he put out the eye of his neighbour / men sholde a put out his eye And yf he had broken his neyghbours tothe / men sholde a plucked out one of his / yf he had cutte an hande / his hande sholde a be cutte / or fote for fote / or brennynge for brennynge wounde for wounde c. VnÌ„ ex xxi Beddet oculuÌ„ pro oculo / denteÌ„ ê“dente / manuÌ„ ê“ manu / pedeÌ„ ê“ pede / c. whan ony bete his neighboure agayne the coÌ„maundement of god It is a thyng reasonable that he be beten VnÌ„ psal ScdmÌ„ opera manuuÌ„ eorumtribue illis God coÌ„maundeth vnto euery person that he ne do vnto another more than he wolde another dyde vnto hym / and none ne wolde be beten ergo c. It is wryten thobie iiii Quod ab alio tibi odis fieri vide ne tu aliquando alterifacias The syn of betyng is more grete in some persones than in some other / for to bete a clerke or a preest / it is a case reserued to the pope / to bete fader or moder is case reserued vnto the bysshop Also to bete his parentes of eche degree by yll / the nerer they be the gretter is the syÌ„ne Also those the whiche bete theyr wyues and chyldren / or the scolemayster his clerkes by ire furour not by correccyon offendeth this coÌ„maundement / yf they doo it by fayre correccyon / it is the werke of charyte Also those the whiche defende them in betynge and kyllynge more by ire than to defende them iustely offendeth agaynst this coÌ„maundement Example how a knyght was gretely tormented in purgatorye for that that he fyled the chirche yerde / hurt one wtin it Que .lxxvii. f Another example of a man the whiche â—â—te and tormented his wyfe soo often yâ— she renyed the fayth / slewe her chylde / consented vnto the wyll temptacyon of the deuyll lx.i A ¶ How god defendeth all ire vniuste a yenst his neyghbour xxvi SAynt Iames sayth in his epystyl l. Be euery man swyfte to here / late to speke / and late vnto ire Certaynly the ire of the man ne dothe the iustice of god VnÌ„ iacobi i.c. Si auÌ„t oiÌ„s homo velox ad audienduÌ„ /
cuÌ„ quis fit capax pÌ„cepti dei tenetur ad eiê° noticiaÌ„ et obseruantiam Et dauid dicit in psal Tu mandasti maÌ„data tua custodiri nimis Thou haste coÌ„maunde moche to kepe thy coÌ„maundementes Whan that ony temporell kynge maketh to bane proclayme / or shewe ony coÌ„maundement thorowoute his realme his subgectes moue them to obeye vnto hyÌ„ of drede to renne in paynes and doÌ„mages that they may haue for theyr inobedyeÌ„ce Also many thynges sholde moue vs to kepe the coÌ„maundements that the kynge of heuen and of erthe hath made to proclayme / and to crye ouer all the worlde ¶ The fyrste thynge the whiche sholde moue vs to kepe the coÌ„maundementes of god is for the grete goodnes in fynyte that is in hym / that is to saye that there is soo moche of goodnes in god that it is innumerable For a man ne can fynde the ende soo moche there is of goodnes in hym Of this matere is somwhat spoken in the ende of this treatyse / and howe the sayntes of heuen beholde aboue them the fayre myrrour the whiche is god quere xlvii a. Example .xlvii. b. c ¶ The seconde thynge esmouynge to kepe the coÌ„maundementes of god is for to obeye to his wyll / he is our fader celestyall the whiche hathe create our soules as it is sayd before Also it is he that whiche nouryssheth vs with his godes that he maketh to growe / and it is he the whiche hathe agayne vs bought vs by his precyous blode / and the whiche wyll that we possede his herytage in paradyse as his dere chyldren It is good reason that the chyldren obeye vnto the fader / and by that that we ben the chyldren of god we sholde obeye vnto his coÌ„maundementes The thyrde thynge the whiche moueth vs to kepe the coÌ„maundementes of god is to the ende to be in his loue and in his grace / for he loueth those the whiche kepe them in lyke wyse as it is wryten iohannes .xv. Si precepta mea seruaueritis manebit is iÌ„ dilectione mea Yf ye haue kepte my coÌ„mauÌ„dementes ye shall dwelle in my loue dyleccion IteruÌ„ in codeÌ„ capitulo Vos amici mei estis si feceritis que precipio vobis / Ye be my frendes yf ye doo that thynge the I commauÌ„de you Example by that / that abraham was obedient vnto god / he was so parfytely in his loue that he had his benediccion Quere .lxi. a. Another example by that that saynt Mor was obedyent he dyde many myracles amonge the whiche he ranne one tyme vpon the water wtoute synkynge or ylle hauynge Que. lii c. Another example by the obedyence of a relygyous / god loued so moche that a drye belet blocke that he arroused with water bare floure and fruyte Quere in the exemplayre .lii. e. God sayd in the gospell / yf ye loue me kepe my coÌ„maundementes He the whiche loueth me not / kepeth not my coÌ„maundementes vnde iohannis .xiiii. Si diligitis me mandato mea seruate Sequitur Qui non diligit me sermones meos non seruat Ony lorde or kynge ne maye loue his seruauÌ„t whan he dysobeyeth vnto his coÌ„mauÌ„dementes / no more doth god / how maye he loue ydolatres blasphematoures chyldren vnnaturall / inobedientes / murdrers / theuys / payllars / and false witnesses / whan they dysobeye vnto his wyll breke his coÌ„maundementes he ne may loue them Beholde what hate and inconuenient that there came vnto adam for a bit of an apple that he dyde agayne the commaundemente of god Quere .liiii. a. Also beholde how chore / dathan / and abyron / were punysshed for the inobedyence and murmure that they made agayne god Moyses Quere .liiii. God ne may loue hyÌ„ the whiche dysobeyeth vnto his coÌ„maundementes But he loueth hym the whiche obeyeth vnto hym We rede how god demaunded of saynt peter yf he loued hym / Petre amas me He answered thou knowest that I loue the. Tu sis quia amo te And by that that saynt peter loued god / obeyed vnto hym / our lorde Ihesu cryste sayd vnto hym in this maner of wyse pasce agnos meos pasce oues mea I shall gyue the keyes of the reame of heuen vnto the / and that that thou byndest in erthe shall be bounde in heuen c. For that that he was obedyente vnto oure lorde Ihesu cryste / god gaue vnto hym the gouernement of the chirche and the keyes of paradyse Also we sholde kepe the commaundementes of god to the ende that it wolde please hym to abyde with vs / for to kepe vs and saue vs. Vnde iohannis .xiiii. Si quis diligit me sermonem meum seruabit et pater meus diliget cum et ad cum veniemus et mansionem apud cum faciemus That is to saye / who so loueth me kepeth my wordes and my fader shall loue hym sayeth Ihesus / and vnto hym we shall come and we shal make with hym our dwellynge / and it is wryten iohaÌ„nis .xv. Manete in me et ego in vobis Dwel ye in me and I shall dwelle in you Et legitur ioh iiii Deus caritas est et qui manet in carytate in deo manet et deus in eo God is charyte and loue / and who so dwelleth in charyte / he dwelleth in god and god in hyÌ„ We rede that our lorde sayd vnto the appostles that they sholde goo to preche and to conuerte the infydeles And that they ne sholde thinke what they sholde answer vnto the tyrauntes / and that it sholde be gyuen vnto them that that they shold answer of the holy ghost the whiche abodem them as sayeth the gospell Dabitur eniÌ„ vobis in tiÌ„la hora quid loquamini Non enim vos estis quiloquimini sed spiritê° patris vestri qui loquitur in vobis So it appered that god abode in theym And who so dothe agayne the wyll of god he ne abydeth in hym c. ¶ The fourth thynge that sholde moue vs to kepe the commaundementes of god / is to th ende that the good dedes that we done be vnto hym agreable / and vnto vs vtyle and prouffytable / For yf we dysobeye vnto hym our operacyons pleaseth hym nothynge Thre thynges ben requysyte before that we may do thynge the whiche is vnto god agreable / ¶ The fyrst is the good dedes that we do be done genere bonorum That is that it procede of a good kynde or stocke as to gyue almesdedes of his owne laboure withoute doynge it of thefte or pyllery ¶ The seconde is quod sit ad laudem dei non ad vanam gloriam That is that it be done vnto the preyse of god / not vnto vayne glorye The thyrde thynge is that a man be in the estate of grace For the good dedes that a man dothe in synne is not merytoryous vnto the eternyte vnto the persone the whiche dothe it Also it is not aggreable vnto god how be it that a
helde them prysoners put them in theyr bondes / seruyce and captyuyte And they were so longe that the fole deyed / and in contynent the cause was put in Iugement before the Iuge / and was declared as it is sayd that for as moche as the sage beleued the fole / and that they wolde not beleue the pastoures that they were fallen in suche inconuenyent Than the Iuge gaue sentence that the sayd fole and the sage were cast togyder in to the fyre to be brente and broyled wtout mercy / it was done Here is the example but it behoueth to expounde it By the fole is vnderstande the body of euery of vs / by the sage is vnderstande the soule / the vyage is this worlde the whiche is but a pylgrymage / the cyte is paradyse / the Iuge that condempneth theym is god The pastoures ben these bysshoppes curates / prelates / prechours the streyte way is to lede a lyfe of austeryte in fastynges / abstynences / so bryete / chastyte / and penaunce The large way is to lyue in all voluptuosytees / carnalytees / of lechery / glotony / daunses c. that the body appetyteth / the enmyes ben the deuylles / the worlde / the flesshe / the theues ben the .vii. deedly synnes the whiche taketh from them al theyr goodes / that is all good vertues paradyse / the Iuge the whiche them condampneth is god that shall condampne the body the soule at the Iugement to be brent togyders c. More openly it behoueth to expounde it That that these prelates counceyleth the strayte way / is that thynge that the gospell of Mathew speketh vii Arecta et angusta est via que ducit ad vitam / lata et spaciosa est via que ducit ad perditioneÌ„ / vt dcmÌ„ est Et prouer xii Iter impiorum decipiet eos Sequitur Iter auÌ„t deuiuÌ„ ducit ad mortem A fole ne wyll beleue tyll that he receyue In lykewyse these folysshe synners wyll not beleue the clerkes prechers tyl that they be in the fyre of hel in dampnacyon By that that is the sage that is the soule the whiche wolde go by the streyte way / the body the whiche is a fole gaynsayeth it It is that the whiche is wryten ad gall v. ca. Caro coÌ„cupiscit aduersus spÌ„m c. illd roma viii SisecunduÌ„ carneÌ„ vixe ritis moriemini By that the the theues that synnes take a way the vertues / it is that that is wryten ecclesiastes .ix. Qui in vno peccato peccauerit multa bona perdet By that that they were put in seruytude is that that is wryten IohÌ„ viii OiÌ„s qui facit pctmÌ„ seruê° est peccati Et .ii. petri ii A quo eiÌ„ quis superatê° est eiê° seruê° est And that that god shal Iuge it is writen Marci xvi Qui crediderit / baptizatus fuerit saluê° erit / qui vero non crediderit condempnabitur B. ¶ How the pylgryme of paradyse sholde consyder .iiii. thynges xlvi DAuyd the prophete sayth in the psalter In corde meo abscondi eloquia tua / vt non peccem tibi I haue hydde thy wordes that ben thy coÌ„mauÌ„dements in my herte to th ende that I synÌ„e not ayeÌ„st thy wyll Thou synner for to kepe the from synne and for to bere lyghtly all the laboures / paynes / trybulacions / sekenesses / and aduersytees the whiche cometh vnto the in doynge the pylgrymage of the worlde CoÌ„syder .iiii. thynges ¶ Fyrst consyder the shortenes of thy lyfe / how at thy dethe all endeth That is to vnderstande all fastinges wakynges / erly rysynge / sekenesses / aduersytees tourmentes that thy body hathe borne and endured What thynge is it as of thy lyfe / it is a vapour apperinge in a lytell thynge VnÌ„ iacobi iiii Queest vita vestra / vapor est ad modicuÌ„ parens And toâ— sayd Remembre the how lyfe is wyÌ„de VnÌ„ iob vii Memento qr ventus est vita mea For in lykewyse as a blaste of wynde is soone paste / so is our lyfe in regarde of eternyte IteÌ„ iob vii Parce michi dnÌ„e nichil suÌ„t enim dies mei Good lorde spare me my dayes ben nothynge / they ben ryght shorte Breues dies hominis sunt c. Thou man labour strongly whyle that thy lyfe dureth and bere all sekenesses trybulacyons pacyently / for thou shalt haue the rewarde eternall of that that thou hast laboured borne for the loue of god ¶ Secondly consyder the laboures / paynes / trybulaclons / dethe that Iesus for to agayne bye the vs all He that is the sone of god eternal / kynge of aungelles / and of sayntes of paradyse Yf a grete kynge bere for thy sake a grete weyght or burdeÌ„ / thou outest to bere for his sake a strawe And the kyÌ„ge celestyall hath borne for the the crosse / fasted laboured / pÌ„ched / suffred deth ThaÌ„ sholdest thou endure euyll for the loue of hym ¶ Thyrdly consyder the paynes / laboures trybulacyons that the dampned bereth in hell / for the whiche paynes we may be delyuered for to labour to endure aduersyte in this worlde for gods loue VnÌ„ ec xxix MinimuÌ„ ê“ magno placeat tibi Lytel thyÌ„ge the pleaseth for a grete thynge For all the paynes of this worlde be nothyng in regarde of them vnto the dampned the whiche beÌ„ eternalles ¶ Example of a man dampned that spake of the fyre of hell of the dampned the whiche ben brent broyled lvii ¶ Another example of tourments that a womaÌ„ had that was dampned lxxxx a. ¶ Fourthly coÌ„syder the grete Ioyes that ben prepared in paradyse vnto those the whiche labour wel in this worlde for the loue of god Wherof speketh saynt Isidore in the boke of souerayne goodnes sayeth Qui vite future premia diligentur excogitat mala oiÌ„a pnÌ„tis vite equanimitur portat qmÌ„ ex illius dulcidiÌ„e huiê° amaritudineÌ„ teÌ„perat That is to saye He that thynketh dylygently on the rewardes of the lyfe to come bereth egally in his courage all the ylles of this preseÌ„t lyfe For it attempereth the bytternes of that by the swetenes of paradyse And saynt Poule sayth Ad romanos viii Non sunt condigne passiones huius teÌ„poris ad futuram gloriam The passyons of this tyme be not coÌ„dygne vnto the glory to come / of the whiche is spokene hre after A. ¶ Of the rewarde eternall that they shal haue the whiche kepe the commaundements of god xlvii IT is wryten in the .xliiii. chapytre of Ysaie And in the seconde chapitre of the fyrst epystle of saynt Poule ad co Quod oculê° noÌ„ vidit nec auris audiuit / nec in cor hoiÌ„s ascendit qÌ„ pre parauit deus diligeÌ„tibê° se This auctoryte speketh grete thynges Fyrst it sayth that neuer eye ne sawe in the worlde soo moche good as god hath prepared
vnto them For the erthe opened vnder them And they dyscended all quycke in to hell hosed shod and clothed / and in suche wyse they perysshed Vnde numeri .xvi. Dirupta est tra sub pedibus eorum et aperâ—es os suum de uorauit eos cum tabernaculis suis vniuersa substantia eorum descenderumque vi ni in infernum operti et perierunt c. Also it is wryten in the .xvi. chapitre of the boke of exodi how the children of Israhel murmured that they had not of flesshe and of brede And god sente vnto them of the manna the whiche dyscended from heuen / and Moyses commaunded them that they ne sholde gadre ne kepe but that the whiche sholde suffyse them for the daye withoute kepynge it tyll vnto the morowe And many were inobedyentes kepte it tyll vnto the morowe / the whiche manna stanke therin gadred the wormes These examples here shewe that inobedyence murmure maketh to haue punycyon dampnacyon temporell and eternell and therfore it behoueth to obeye vnto god and vnto his seruauntes I. ¶ Another example of a frere the whiche was punysshed dyuynely for the murmure that he made agayne god liiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that there was a frere honest verytable / after that he had serued god longe tyme in the ordre of prechours / that he ne had apperceyued ony thynge of consolacyons and swetnes of god the whiche redde and that he had herde how these other had tasted ofte tymes In a nyght they were before the crucyfyxe and lamentably began to enquyre before god in saynge these wordes here My lorde I haue herde of the the thou procedest al creatures in bounte and mansuetude And I haue serued the by many of yeres in kepynge harde thynges for the wordes of thy lippes / and wyllyngly I am all mortefyed for the loue of the And my lorde I knowe that yf I had done as moche of seruyce vnto a tyraunt he wolde haue shewed me some sygne of benyuolence eyther in spekynge swetely / or in gyuynge me some thynge / or in coÌ„myttynge me to do some secrete / or at the leest in laughyng on me And certaynly my lorde thou haste not shedde in me ony doulsour / thou haste not shewed in me ony benyuolence Thou lorde the whiche prechest swetnes thou arte in me cruell Thou arte more harde than yf thou were to me a tyraunt / thou lorde what thynge is it or wherfore dost thou it ¶ Than as he sayd these wordes and began agayne many other semblables / he herde one tyme two grete tremblynges / in lyke wyse as the chirche had threted ruyne / and aboue the couerynge of the chirche he herde sco moche of tredynge as yf many dogges there had grated with theyr nayles and gnawen with theyr tethe Whan he herde that he was a ferde hugely and all his body trembled / sodaynly he sawe behynde hym an horryble vysage And with a thynge that he helde in his handes stroke it and fell prostrate vnto the erthe And as he wolde haue rysen / he ne myght in no manere / and in brekynge he drewe hym towarde an aulter / And more ouer he ne myght ferther procede for the grete dolour that he had Whan the freres arose at pryme that they fouÌ„de hym replenysshed with dolours / they bare hym in to the fermerye knewe not the cause of his maladye He laye the space of thre wekes / and vnto hymselfe vnto other he stanke so moche that with grete payne myght they serue hym yf they dide not stoppe theyr nosethrylles ¶ After that he hadde recouered his strength and that he was corrected of his presumpcion retourned vnto the place where he had be stryken and where he hadde deserued the wrathe and ire of god / to the ende that he sholde gete mercy And he sayd My lorde I haue synned in heuen and before the I am the leest of all those of whome thou haste pytye / and am indygne of thy greate graces My lorde thou haste beten me iustely but debonayrly thou hast heled me Than he fell prostrate on his face and requyred pardon many tymes of thynges that he had folysshely thought and lightly spoken agayne god / and a voyce vnto hym was made Yt thou wylte haue the consolacyons that thou hast made And these doulicurs of the holy ghost it behoueth that thou the repute vyle in lyke wyse as a worme and as the myre where vpon thou tredest Whan he herde that he was strongly comforted he rose hym vp yelded graces vnto god / And afterwarde dyd the sayd thynges huÌ„bly brennyngly / and lyberally he shewed this thynge the whiche happened hym vnto the mayster of the ordre of prechours / men byleue that it came vnto hym as it is before rehersed in the lyfe of the faders / therfore inobedyence maketh to haue punycyon c. ¶ VErbum dei A. ¶ Examples for the worde of god and the prechynges And fyrste A. ¶ Example how a grete synner repented hym and was saued by the herynge of a predycacyon or a sermon lv MEn fynde by wrytyng in many bokes this the whiche foloweth the whiche the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth that as saynt Bernarde preched in the churcheyarde in a cyte / ii rybauldes were nere Of the whiche the one theder wolde go as the other people / the whiche yede theder And the other mocked hym and sayd vnto hym How ledeth the theder nowe the deuyll the whiche nededyste in all thy lyfe ony good dede And nowe thou wylt go vnto the predycacyon And he toke no hede of the rebukes that he sayd vnto hym theder yode And saynt Bernarde preched agayne those the whiche spoke cursed wordes and the whiche lede an yll lyfe The synner began to haue contrycyon and doloure for his synnes / he began for to wepe And saynt Bernard sawe that he had aboute his necke a grete chayne the whiche had more than an hondreth linkes / but at euery iere that he wepte there fell a lynke from the sayd chayne Than saint bernarde began to preche more strongely and ardauntly and to deteste his synnes And the synner more strongly wepte In the ende the chayne was al vndone and broken After the sayd predycacyon saynt bernarde called hym and comforted hym And by his admonycion he coÌ„fessed all his synnes and afterwarde liued holyly and his compaignon abode in syÌ„ne and bonde with a more cheyne than was the other By this example a man sholde vnderstonde that mortall synne is a bonde or a chayne by the whiche the soule of synners is bounde and holden in the handes of the deuyll of helle In lyke wyse as approueth the scrypture in many places / Vnde dauid in psal Funes peccatorum circumplexi suÌ„t me The cordes of my sinnes hathe beset me aboute and compassed in all thynges Et legitur prouerbioruÌ„
wrothe Albeit at the prayer of some sayntes the whiche there were present god dyfferred his sentence sayd vnto that relygyous the he sholde make theym to be warned to correcte them by his abbot the whiche thynge was done The erle corrected hym by the sayd admonycyon for the drede of the sayd vysyon And the sayd prelate contempned the sayd visyon correcte hym not he deyed sodaynly in his bedde E. ¶ Another example how a man sholde correcte drawe backe the synners swetely as saynt Iohan the whiche drewe wele by swetnes the prynce of the theues lxxiiii SAynt Clement telleth in the fourth boke of the hystorye ecclesyastyce that saynt Iohan the euangelyst conuerted a fayre yongman the whiche was cruell the whiche he betoke vnto a bysshoppe for to enstructe And a lytell whyle afterwarde the said man lefte the bysshop became prynce of theues And one tyme that saynt Iohan came agayne demauÌ„ded of the said bisshop where he was that he had recoÌ„maunded so curyously vnto hym He answered Fader he is deed in spyrite dwelleth in suche a mountayne with theues is theyr prynce Than saynt Iohan was wrothe sayd vnto hym Thou arte a gode keper / thou hast suffred to lese the soule of thy brother And anone he toke a horse yode surely in to the mountayne And the yonge man sawe hym had grete shame lepte on horsbacke fledde hastely And than the appostle forgate his aege stroke the sayd hors with the sporres began strongly to crye after him the whiche fled Ryght swete sone wherfore fleyst thou thy fader sone doubte the not / for I shal yelde the vnto Ihesu cryste by reason And certes I shall deye with good wyll for the / in lyke wyse as dyde Ihesu cryste for vs / for god hathe sent me vnto the. And whan he herde that he repented hym wepte ryght bytterly And the appostle fell at his fete began to kisse his honde / as yf he hadde be lately purged by penauÌ„ce Than the sayd appostle fasted for him prayed and gate hym pardon And after the sayd penitent was ordeyned a bysshop by the sayd appostle was a good man and a deuoute c. By that / the saynt Iohan kyssed the hande of this synner and drewe hym agayn swetely called vnto penaunce In like wyse sholde those do the whiche wyldrawe backe these persones from synne and brynge them vnto saluacyon ¶ Caritas A. ¶ Examples of charyte fyrste example of a clustre of grapes the whiche was sente vnto many by charyte lxxv IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders the a frere relygyoÌ„us gaue a grape vnto sayÌ„t Machayre / of his charyte he sent it vnto the moost seke weyke of his brethern And he toke it gaue it agayne vnto another vnto whome it semed as hym thought that it sholde be better employed than vnto hym And he sente it agayn vnto another And this sayd grape yode soo from one to another tyll that it came agayn at the laste vnto the sayd Machayre the whyche hadde it fyrst gyuen And also they ne knewe the one of the other Than the said Machayre thanked god of the grete charite abstinence that he sawe in his bredern relygyous c. Vnto the example of these good religyous here a man sholde gyue so me noueltees to his neyghboures yf they ben seke weyke for to chere them comforte them c. B. ¶ Another example of the charyte of two men the whiche wolde deye the one / for the other lxxv PEter Alphons telleth in his booke that two marchauntes of dyuers countrees mette accompanyed togyder loued so moche the one the othe that the one toke in maryage the doughter of the other And after that the maryage was past done the sayd marchauntes yode backe euery of them in to his countre And it be fell that in short tyme he that toke the others doughter in mariage loste all his godes came vnto soo grete pouerte that he begged / He came in to the towne where his sayde compaygnon dwelled And it happened that whan he arryued that men sought an homycyde the whiche had slayne a man / and on hym was this cryme put And how be it that he was innocent he confessed it For vnto hym it forced not to dye bycause of his pouerte And was Iuged and ledde vnto the gybet And whan he was there for to be hanged his compaygnon beforsayd knew hym sayd It is not this here the whiche hathe done the homycyde It is I the whiche hathe done the deed / wolde well dye for his compaygnon so moche he loued hyÌ„ Than that laste was taken the fyrst delyuered And the homycyde the whiche had done the dede the whiche was presente had remors in his conscyence cryed sayd He there ne this here hathe not done the homicyde / it was I. Than the two fyrste were delyuered the laste was taken holden The Iuges were meruayled / ledde vnto the kynge the two fyrste delyuered and the laste reteyned And after that the kynge had knowen the trouthe he pardoned al the payÌ„ And this fyrste the whiche was come vnto pouerte was releuid of his compaygnoÌ„ the whiche gaue vnto hym the halfe of his goodes by loue and charyte This example denoteth that it is parfyte loue charyte as to put his body the one for another / wherof speketh the euangelyst Iohan. xv ca. MaioreÌ„ caritateÌ„ nemo habet vt aiÌ„am suam ponat quis pro amicis suis C. ¶ Another example how an holy man named sanctulê° lyuered himself to be slayÌ„ for the loue of his compaygnon lxxv IT is wryten in the dialogue of sayÌ„t gregorye that the Lombardes toke a deken for to slee hym And a holy man named sanctulus requyred theym gretely of his delyueraunce / the whiche ne wolde here hym / but was betaken vnto hym to kepe by suche lawe that yf he escaped that the sayd sanctulus sholde be slayne for hym were so agreed Whan the nyghte came the they slepte the sayd sanctulus sayd vnto the sayd deken / ryse thou and go thy waye / he sayd vnto hym O fader yf I goo my wayes they shall slee the / he sayd go thy wayes We ben all in the handes of god / they ne maye nothynge do vnto vs but that god shal suffre Than he fledde And after the Lombardes sayd vnto the sayd sanctulus Chose the of what dethe thou wylte deye / for thou shalte deye for the deken / he sayd Sle me of what dethe that god shal suffre Than they chose a stronge man to stryke of his heed at the fyrste stroke The sayd sanctulus fell prostrate in orayson requyred god And whaÌ„ his orayson was made the hangman made him to stretche the necke / he lyfte vp the swerde in the ayre for to slee hym