his herte / all thentencyon of hym that confesseth hym For the seke man ought to descoure his malady vnto the physycyen / ellys the physycyen myght not werke Ne the Surgyen ne myght not hele the sore but yf he sawe the wounde And therfore sayth the wyse man yf thou wylte that the Surgyan hele the / thou must dyscoure to hym thy wounde or sore ¶ Thenne the truaunte the lame techen the to confesse the whiche shewen theyr maladyes / and laye forth the foulest tofore to haue almesse Thus thenne ought the synnar to dyscouer his synnes to his confessour for to haue mercy / and this is the thyrde condycyon that ought to be in confessyon Also the synnar ought to confesse hym entyerly / hooly this is the fourth condycyon For he ought to saye al his synnes grete and lytell and al the cyrcumstaunces of the synnes Thenne he ought fyrste to beholde the deedly synnes / of whiche I haue spoken tofore / to confesse hȳ hooly of eueryche of them / after that he feleth hym culpable / without to hyde ony one thynge and without sayenge more / and without excusynge hym / and without to accuse ony other ¶ Rygh so confessed hym Dauyd that sayth in the Psaulter I shall confesse me and shall saye all mysȳnes ageynst me / and not ageynst other / lyke as ypocrytes whiche put alway the fayrest outwarde / and tell theyr good dedes hyde theyr euyl dedes And accusen other of that / whiche they them self be more culpable gylty of For they can espye se and apperceyue well a lytell festue or a lytell mote in the eyen of other / beholde not a grete beme or blocke that is in theyr owne eyen / that is to saye the grete synnes that ben in them Suche was the pharyse of whome the gospell sayth that he remembred his good dedes / dyspysed the publycan that humbly smote his breest in the temple / and cryed god mercy sayd Lorde god haue pyte and mercy on me poore synner Thus ought the synner Iuge hymselfe fofore god / not aledge his synne but to agreue / poyse / and recounte clerely withoue lyenge Also confessyon ought to be hole and not departed to dyuers cōfessoures For it ought to be sayd al to one confessoure / not one parte to one / and an other parte to an other / god loueth not suche departȳge Also a man ought not to say onely the synnes / but all the cyrcumstaunces whiche agreueth moche the synnes For the synnes ben paraduenture more grete in one persone than in an other / as in a relygyous man more than in a seculer In a prelate than in a symple man ¶ Also this is a more grete synne in one place than in an other / as in a monastery or in an other holy place more than in an other vnhalowed place / also in one tyme more than in another / as in lent or in feestful dayes Also whan one synneth wytyngly and in ernest / he synneth more than whan one synneth ygnourauntly Also one ought for to say the condycyon of the synne For it is greter synne with a wedded woman than with a syngle / or in a man or woman of relygyon / or in a persone ordeyned a preest / or a deken / after that the ordre and the estate is more grete / so moche is the synne more grete ¶ Aso yf that the synne be ageynst nature / and how longe tyme that he hath abyden and dwelled in the sayd synnes Also he ought for to saye yf that he haue lytell or nought resysted and withstonde temptacyon / or yf he haue sought temptacyon / or yf he haue be beten in temptacyon Also he ought to saye the cause and the entencyon that moued hym to do the synne / and all the other occasyons of the synne ¶ Also a man ought for to thynke consydere by al his membres how he hath synned Fyrst he ought to go to his herte / and saye all his synnes what someuer they be carnall or spyrytuell Spyrytuell as ageynst the fayth or of vayne glorye / or of enuye / of auaryce / of rancour / or of other maners / of whome there be many The synnes carnall or bodely / apperteynen to the delytes of the flesshe of the body or yf he haue not kept hym well in all thoughtes / that therin hath ben consentynge / or longe abydynge Or delyte / whiche somtyme is as moche as the consentynge and of all these thoughtes he ought to confesse Also one ought to take hede yf he haue synned by the membres of his body / for a man synneth in them in many maners Fyrst in the hede / whan one setteth ouer grete cure grete cestes to dresse it / as done these ladyes and wymmen whiche so curyously araye theyr hede with precyous adournementes for pure vanyte for to playse drawe men to synne In whiche they synne ofte greuously / specyally they that make thē hye hornes of theyr heer / or of other thynge / whiche resemblen comyn wymmen Ther be vanytees ynough aboute the heed / in wasshynge / in kembynge in dyenge in poorynge in a myrrour / of whiche thynges god is ofte dysplesed / of this vanyte folye the men be not all quyte / for they arraye theyr heer lyke women / force it to be yelowe / yf they be blacke / they by crafte make thē bloūde abourne / late thē growe longe more like to a woman thā to a man / whiche is a sygne of grete euyl moche pryde / of al this suche thynges a man ought for to confesse hym / and of all other vanytees and kepe hym that he do them noo more ¶ Also a man ought to remembre and well consyder to the fyue wyttes of his body / wherin he hath oft synned in many maners By the eyen in folyly seynge and beholdynge Or by the ere 's in herynge gladly the myssayers / losengers / lyers / and other folyes Or by the mouthe in foly spekynge / in ouermoche drynkynge and etynge Or by the nose in ouermoche delytynge hymself in swete odoures or wycked odoures Or by folyly touchynge in hym selfe / or in his wyf / or in other that is wors / be it man or woman ¶ Also a persone ought too confesse hym of the outragyous araye of his robes and of his garmentes in hosynge and shoynge / of all other defautes / of whiche he hath mynde / and thus the confessyon is good and hole / whan one sayth all his synnes grete lytell / this is the fourth condycyon that ought for to be in confessyon ¶ The fyfth condycyon is that one ought for to confesse hym humbly For the synner speketh to god whiche seeth all his herte Thenne the confessour is but the ere of god that whiche he hereth / ne knoweth not as a man / but as god
to destroye yf he may / thother ben also lyke theerys of corne that floure wel and prouffyte wel to god and to the worlde And theym the fende cryeth to destroye and to shame too his power The other been perfyte in grete estate and do moche good to god to the worlde For to bete doune theyr good loos and renoume for to mynisshe theyr good dedes / the enuyous dresseth all hys engynes For as moche gretter as the goodnes is So moche more sorow he hath This synne is soo perylous that vnneth may one that vseth it come a ryght to veray repentaunce For this synne is contrary to the holy goost / whiche is fountayne of all goodnesses And god sayth in the gospell Who that synneth ayenst the holy ghoost he shall neuer haue forgyuenes ne mercy in this worlde ne in the other For he synneth of his propre malyce And it ought holy for to be vnderstande that there is noo synne how grete it be / but that god forgyueth and pardoneth in this worlde yf a persone repenteth with good herte But vnneth it happeth that ony repente of this synne For suche one warreth with his power the grace of the holy goost / in that / that he warreth the spyrytuell good of another In lykewyse as the Iewes warred agaynst our lorde Ihesu cryste for the good that he dyde ¶ And ye ought to knowe that there be .vi. synnes specyally agaynst the holy goost That is to wete presumpcyon the whiche enlargeth ouer moche to synne / and prayseth lytell the Iustyce of our lorde / and ouer moche to truste in his mercy / therfore moche people synne in hope The .ii. synne ageynst the holy goost is dyspayre whiche benȳmeth and taketh awaye frome god his mercy Lyke as presumpcyon taketh frome hym his Iustyce The .iii. is obstynacyon This is hardenes of herte Whan one is so enharded in his synne and in his malyce / that he may not be humbled ne meked ne bowe and wyll not repent hym ne amende The fourthe synne agaynst the holy goste is dyspyte of penaunce That is whan a man purposeth in his herte / that he shall neuer repente hym of his synne The fyfth is to warre agaynst the grace of the holy goost in an other The syxth is to warre agaynst the trouthe in ernest wetyngly / and in especyall the trouthe of the Crysten faythe ¶ All these foresayd synnes ben ageynst the bounte and goodnes of the holy ghoost / and they ben soo grete that vnnethe they come too veray repentaunce And therfore ben they vnnethe forgyuen pardoned ¶ The .iii. heed of the beest of helle is Ire or wrath Ca. .xxv. THe thyrde heed of the beest is Ire But thou owest to knowe that there is an yre whiche is vertuous / that the good men haue ayenste thys synne / whiche geten the vertues ayenste the vyces There is another Ire whiche is a moche grete vyce / that is felonnye of herte / oute of whome yssueth many braūche And in especyal foure warres that the felons haue ¶ Of the fyrst warre of the synne of yre / whiche is suche Ca. .xxvi THe fyrst warre of the synne of yre / is to hym self for whan Ire surmounteth the man / she tourmenteth the soule and the body so moche that the man may not slepe ne reste Somtyme yre taketh awaye the etynge and drynkynge / and maketh one falle in a feuer or in so grete heuynesse or malancolye / or despayr that he taketh the deth This is a fyre that wasteth all the goodes of the how 's ¶ The second warre that the felon hath that is to god For yre and felonnye surmounte and fyre somtyme all the people / by aduersyte temporalle / or by maladye and sekenesse / or by dethe of frendys Or by ony manere of meschaunce that his wylle is not done that he grutcheth and murmureth ayenst god our lorde sayth maugre / and in despyte of god and of all hys Sayntes And swereth and blasphemeth ayenst god and his blyssed sayntes The thyrde warre of Ire that the felon hath that is vnto theym that ben vnder hym / that is to his wyf and to his meyne and breketh pottes and cuppes lyke as he were oute of his wytte / so is he The fourth warre is withoutforth to his neyghboure by dwellers aboute hym and of this braunche growe .vi. bowes For whan Ire ryseth bytwene two men / there is then stryfe dyscorde / wordes / vylonyes / wronges And after rancour whiche dwellyth in the herte / after cometh hate medlynge and bataylle / after desyre for tauenge hym / after other whyle homycyde manslaughter After cometh ofte mortalle warre emonge the frendes / out of whiche yssuen ofte euyll in dyuers maners / and many that may not be amended For whan there is warre bytwene two hye grete men it happeth ofte that many men be slayne whiche neuer had blamed ne trespaced / monasteryes chyrches ben broken vp / and throwen doune / and ben somtyme brente townes destroyed and brent Abbayes and grete pryoryes destroyed / men women chyldren dysheryted and put to pouerte / robberyes / women maryed / and maydens defouled and corrupt / and ouer many other euylles that ben doo for that cause And al this be they bounde to rendre and to make amendes / al they by whome so many myscheues and harmes haue be done And all they that haue be in theyr helpe in suche wycked and euyll werkes / therfore they be in grete peryll of dampnacyon / and ferre frome theyr saluacyon For they may not amende ne rendre the domages that they haue done / they behoue to restore or to be forlore ¶ Of the synne of slouthe the whiche is sayd accyde Ca. xxvii THe fourthe heed of the beest of hell is slouthe / the whiche is called of clerkes accydye This sȳne is greuous to do wel This sȳne is an ouer yll rote casteth out many euyll braunches For this synne causeth a man to come vnto euyll amendemente / and more euyll begynnynge / and ouer euyll endynge The slowe persone hath euyll begynnynge by .vi. maners synnes The fyrst vyce is fayntnes / that is whan a man loueth lytyl and fayntly our lorde / whome he oweth to loue ardauntly / and this happeth whan he is flawe latchous and slowfull to do well The seconde vyce of slouthe is tendrenesse / that is the bedde wherin the deuyll resteth hym and sayth to the man or woman Thou hast be euer tenderly nourysshed thou arte of ouer feble complexyon Thou mayst not do grete penaūces / thou arte ouer tendre thou sholdest anone be deed / and for this the caytyf suffreth to be cherysshed / and to do all the eases and the delyte of his body The thyrde vyce is ydlenesse This is a synne of whome cometh many euyls as the holy scrypture sayth For whan the deuyll fyndeth a man ydle he putteth him anone in his werkes
/ that is to saye with veray teerys whiche comen of the grace of god and of ryght felynge of the herte For hym semeth that he is lyke a chylde that is all naked tofore his maystre that can not his lesson / or that he is lyke to the poore man endetted / whiche is fallen in the hondes of his credytour / hath not whereof he may fyne ne paye his debte Or that he be lyke a theef proued that is taken with an hondred trespaces / and that hath the corde aboute his necke / or that he be lyke the lame man that lyeth at chirche dore / whiche hath no shame to shewe his maladye and his soores to them that passe by / for cause that eche body sholde haue pyte on hym Yf the wylte thenne lerne to praye god / praye and adoure hym aryght / these .iiii. thynges aforsayd shall enseygne and teche the that is to wete / the chylde / the man endetted / the theef / and the lame man ¶ Of hym that is veray humble and meke Ca. C.i. THe custome is of a veray meke humble man to prayse another gyue hȳ loos / to hȳ afore alowe hym with his mouthe / by werkes to bere hym honour he is lyke the lytell bee that maketh the hony / whiche escheweth stynkes / and secheth floures of the felde souketh the dewe and the substaunce of them / and maketh hony for to garnysshe with his hous Thus dooth the veray humble / whiche taketh none hede of the stenches / the synnes / and defautes of other But all the godes that other do / he holdeth theym loueth and prayseth and souketh the swetenes of deuocyon of his herte with whiche his conscience is replenysshed The veray humble seeth none so ylle a thynge / ne so harde / ne so synfull / but that he can drawe mater to alowe and prayse god In his herte he preyseth other in thre maners For he beleueth more the wyt of an other man / than the wytte of hymselfe / he wyll that the wyll of other men be do soner than his owne All the contrarye dooth the proude man lyke as we haue shewed tofore After also the veray meke and humble man alloweth prayseth other men by worde The good dedes the other haue done he enhaunceth and prayseth them / and the euyll dedes he excuseth and maketh them lesse The veraye meke man tourneth to the meane thynge in to good / and vnderstandeth them alway to the best / this is ayenst the euyll tatches of the myssayers / whiche enhaunce the euyll dedes mynysshe the good / the meane preuerteth torne to the werst The veray meke and humble prayseth by werke / honoureth in dede euerych as he ought to do as he may doo without mysdoynge Thus dooth not the proude man / but all the contrary lyke as we haue sayd tofore in the treatyse of the synne of pryde ¶ Of hym that is humble of hert Ca. C.ii. THe custome is of hȳ that hath an humble hert that all his good dedes he hath behynde hym at his backe / and all his euyll / his sinnes all his defautes he hath alwaye in mynde tofore his eyen / the good dedes of other he hath alwaye tofore his eyen / and the euyll defautes and sȳnes of all other he setteth them behynde hym at his backe as in oblyaunce or forgetinge And herof happeth oftymes that the veray meke and humble man the more he prayseth other and honoureth / so moche more he dysprayseth hymselfe The veray humble and meke persone of herte is lyke the auarycyous and coueytous man that hath alway his eyen on the goodes that other haue / and that they do And alway hym semeth that he hath noo spyrytuall good in hym For lyke as there is an euyll proude man / so is there veray meke and humble He that is veray hūble of herte is lyke a lytell chylde whiche is sone of a kynge and heyre of the realme / whiche wepeth cryeth / and knoweth nothynge of his hyenes ne of his ryches He is also lyke vnto the symple shepe / in whome all is good prouffytable / the wolle / the felle / the flesshe / the mylke / and his donge / and the shepe knoweth nothinge of it / ne he thynketh on it / and in this maner sayth the grete Patryarke Abraham of hym selfe / that he was nothynge but asshes and poudre And holy Iob that was soo grete ryche in the worlde sayd in lyke wyse And saynt Andrew that sayd also of hym selfe / what am I but asshes / duste fylthe / rotynnes / a worme / wynde / shadowe / leues that the wynde bereth away / drye stupple which is nought but for the fyre And lyke as the veraye humble persone of herte prayseth honoureth other with his hert mouth also in dede as we haue sayd Ryght so dyspyseth he hȳ self in these .iii. maners It semeth to hym lyke as saynt Iherome sayth of hym selfe / whan that I ete or drynke or that I wake or slepe / alwaye me thynketh that the fereful trompe of the daye of Iugement bloweth in mynerys sayenge / come to thy Iugement / come to thy Iugement / and by cause that he wyll not be Iuged of his synnes / he seeseth not but euery daye purgeth hymself / kepeth and clenseth hym from all synnes and Iugeth / condempneth / and repreueth al his werkes and his wordes / he cryeth nombreth / poyseth counterpoyseth and repreueth / for he fyndeth more chaffe than grayne / that is to vnderstonde more of synnes than of good dedes And by cause that he wyll not be Iuged at the dethe of Iustyce / wyll he not leue but that lytell and grete be examyned and sayd / and also Iuged in the court of mercy that is in holy confessyon In that court who counteth well aryght / is all quyte of his synnes But in the courte of Iustyce whiche shal be at the daye of Iugement / whome someuer he oweth he must paye Ne neuer shall he mowe be aquyted / and therfore he shall be perdurably dampned For he must rendre or pendre / that is hanged Alas caytyf what shal he paye that hath no thynge / but the body whiche is charged and all full of deedly synnes who that well vnderstode felte these thynges / he sholde holde kepe hym fro all synnes / shold withdrawe hym fro mockeryes and lesynges / whiche they contryue ayenst the veray meke humble persones whiche drede god and loue hym / by cause they fere drede hym / they wyll kepe them clene without ordure of synne and cōfesse them gladly and ofte / but lytell auaylleth confessyon without repentaunce / and without penaunce / with-good Iugement / and that Iustyce be not done truly / therfore all in lyke wyse as the veraye meke and humble persone maketh
ryght syde on the lyft syde On the ryght syde ben the werkes of mercy whiche touche the soule They ben the spyrytuell werkes of mercy / on the lyft syde ben the bodyly werkes of mercy whiche apperteyne to the body / on the ryght syde be vii brauÌ„ches The fyrst is to gyue good counceyll to them that haue nede / onely for the loue of god purely / not for to coueyte other thynge temporel therfore / as done these aduocates men of lawe that taken with bothe handes / of that one partye of that other And gyuen ofte tymes many euyll couÌ„seylles for to haue money / or for gyftes / or for drede / or for fauour of ryche men / but they haue god tofore theyr eyen / and counceyle the synners for to leue theyr synnes and saue theym Or they that ben out of synne / for to kepe theym to th ende that they fall not therto agayne Lyke as confessoures ought for to doo / and the prelates / and the good men in what someuer estate they be / they done the fyrst werke of mercy spyrytuell / this is the fyrste braunche of the ryght syde The seconde braunche is to teche and ensygne them that a man hath to gouetne As a prelate his subgettes whome he ought to fede with good doctryne and with good ensample In lykewyse ought the mayster do to his dyscyples in doctryne / in scyence / in good maners Also the faders the moders theyr chyldren in suche wyse that they kepe them fro synne vices / that they vse them to do well / kepe theÌ„ fro lyenge / fro sweryÌ„ge / fro euyll playes and games / and fro yll company / specyally the chyldre of grete lordes and of ryche men ought to be best enformed in good maners For the chyldren wyl alway holde theyr fyrst forme And therfore they ought to be enformed to do well ¶ The thyrde braunche is to reprehende chastyse the fooles and the wycked people of theyr folyes / and this appertayneth specyally to the prelates and to the prynces whiche ought to chastyse theyr subgettes / whan they knows that they be wycked For whan they suffre the synnes where they myght amende them / and wyll not so / they ben partyners Ne no prynce ne prelate ought not to suffre ony wyckednes in a maÌ„ about hym yf he may knowe it For yf he haue about hyÌ„ euyll and wycked meyne and yf he knoweth it or supposeth / yf he remedy it not It is a sygne that he is no good man / for it is comyngly sayd / suche lorde suche meyne / after the lorde the meyne folowe And many and often tymes it happeneth the lorde or mayster is defamed and shamed by his euyll meyne / therfore / ne for hauoyre / ne for fauoure / ne for famylyaryte of persones a lorde ought not to doubte to take awaye the synnes that ben about hym For he ought to doute more god and to loue hym / than ony man mortall Me ought to loue the persones and hate the synnes / euery prynce prelate / lorde ought to knowe that ygnouraunce in this parte shal not excuse theÌ„ For they be bounden to knowe how theyr people gouerne them in theyr houses and in theyr offyces / ought tenquyre by good men and true / and the loue god drede hym For they shall not be quyte at the day of Iugement for to say that they knowe not therof ¶ The fourthe braunche of mercy is for to comforte the seke men them that be in trybulacion or in aduersyte or malady to helpe them to theyr power / to comforte theym by good wordes that they fall not in dyspayre or dyscomforte and that theyr herte fayle them not Thus coÌ„maundeth saynt Poule the sayth Comforte them that be feble of herte And Salamon sayth that he that is in dysease of herte shall be gladde Ioyous for to here a good worde Also as he hymselfe sayth / lyke as a persone delyteth hym taketh pleasure in good odoures / in lykewyse deliteth the soule in grete swetenes of good councell in the good wordes of a veraye frende That is that he loueth also well in aduersyte as in prosperyte For at nede it is seen who is a frende / in aduersyte is the good true frende proued / thou oughtest to knowe the .iiii. thynges comforte moche a man / that is in aduersyte / in trybulacyon or in malady The fyrst thynge is to thynke on the paynes of helle / whiche ben so moche harde / sharpe / and horryble / that it ne is but a shadowe and an enoyntynge all that that may be suffred in this worlde as to the regarde of the paynes of hell / wherof the holy saynt Austyn sayth vnto our lorde O good lorde brenne me here / and hewe me all in pyeces / rather than thou dampne me perdurably Also saynt Austyn sayth that the tourmentes of saynt Barthylmewe whiche was flayne all quycke Of saynt lawrence and of saynt Vyncent whiche were brente rosted and layde on gredyrons / of saynt Steuen which was stoned to deth Al these tormentes ne ben but a bayne to the regarde of the paynes of purgatorye And therfore the rodde of chastysement of our lorde must be suffred for teschewe the perdurable payne of hell God sheweth grete semblauÌ„ce of loue to them / to whome he sendeth the aduersytees temporell / for he sayth I chastyse theÌ„ that I loue / note this ensauÌ„ple The oxe that shal be slayne shal be well kepte made fatte / but he that shall be kepte lyue / is put to the yocke for to labour the erthe A grete sygne of loue sheweth the kynge grete honoure doth he to hym / to whome he sendeth his cuppe to drynke of The cuppe of our lorde of whiche he dranke ben the trybulacyons thaduersytees the myschyeues of this worlde This is the fyrst sawce / with whiche one ought to ete suche mete that is to thynke on the paynes of helle This is a sawce of vynaygre / whiche taketh awaye the sauour of wyne of the delyces of this worlde Lyke as the vynaygre taketh away the sauour of good wyne The seconde thynge that moche comforteth in suffrynge pacyently trybulacion / is to thynke on the rewarde of heuen that one geteth for lyke as sayth saynt Gregorye / that allegeth asswageth moche the payne the trauaylle / whan a persone hath an hope to haue grete rewarde grete prouffyte The thyrde thynge is to thynke on the passyon of Ihesu cryst / whiche suffred deth for to redeme vs fro the paynes of helle / there is no thynge that soo moche allegeth the paynes the trybulacions of this worlde / this is well sygnefyed to vs in holy scrypture / there where as the chyldren of Israhel came to a water / that was so bytter that they myÈt not
the holy ghoost / the whiche arouseth and bewatâ—eth all the gardyn Now beholde the ryght grete curteysye of our lorde / the whiche came in to this worlde for to seche saue that whiche was loste / by cause that he knewe well our pouerte and our feblenesse / by whiche we may falle in to synne But by our self we may not releue vs ne yssue out of synne ne gete vertue / ne do none other good / but yf it be by the grace of god / or that it come of his yefte / therfore he cesseth not to excyte vs that we praye requyre hym these yeftes And promyseth moche to vs / that yf we requyre demaunde hym ony thynge that is good for vs / and that it be ryghtfull we shall haue it And yet the debonayre Ihesus doth vnto vs more of his curtosye For he is our aduocate that formeth for vs our requeste and our petycyon For we haue not the wytte yf he formed it not to vs. ¶ The petycion / the requeste or oryson that the swete Ihesus enformed and taughte vs with his blyssed mouth / is moche fayre / moche good / but shorte by cause we sholde reteyne it well That is the pater noster / wherin ben .vii. petycyons and requestys / by the whiche we requyre our good fader Ihesu Cryst / that he gyue vs the .vii. yeftes of the holy ghoost / that he delyuer vs fro the .vii. deedly synnes / that he take them awaye fro our hertes And in stede of the sayd synnes / that he by his grace wyll plante there and nourysshe the .vii. vertues / whiche brynge vs to the .vii. blessynges of perfeccion and of holy lyfe / by whiche we may haue the promysses that the debonayre Ihesu made promysed to his chosen people in the seuen wordes aforesayd ¶ Thenne our entencyon is with the ayde and grace of the holy ghoost to speke fyrst of the seuen petycions of the holy ghoost whiche ben conteyned in the holy pater noster ¶ After I purpose to saye of the yeftes of the holy ghoost After of the seuen vertues / ageynst the seuen deedly synnes ¶ The .vii. petycyons and requestes ben lyke as .vii. fayre maydens that neuer cease to drawe the lyuyÌ„ge waters out of seuen ryuers for to water and arouse these seuen trees that bere the fruyte of lyfe pardurable ¶ Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster Ca. lxxvi Our fader that art in heueÌ„ sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day forgyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts lede vs not in to teÌ„ptacoÌ„n but delyuer vs froÌ„ euyl ameÌ„ AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begyÌ„nynge he lerneth his Pater noster Who the wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his scolers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is What man or woman that this dotryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth well retayneth it For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by the barke or rynde wtout forth That is the lettre whiche is good But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete It is moche shorte in wordes moche loÌ„ge in substauÌ„ce lyght to saye subtyll for to vnderstonde This prayer and oryson passeth surmounteth all other in thre thynges That is to wytte In shortnesse In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶ The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes God the holy ghoost touchynge his demaunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause that none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte And for to shewe that god the fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym with good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed ¶ For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte ¶ The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it compryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demauÌ„ded of mouthe That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶ Thus begynneth the holy pater noster Fader our that arte in heuen ¶ Beholde now how that our blyssed aduocate / our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redeÌ„ptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence wysdom of god the fader omnypotent / that knoweth al the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde ¶ For saynt Bernarde sayth that the orayson that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes This swete worde fader whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche thou oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche thou oughtest to doo And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym fader thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of heuen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce myght ¶ After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fader by nature by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence And he is debonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or offende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy
treasoure that he myght leue to vs. For he gaue hym selfe to vs as the moost fayrest Iewel that he myght gyue to vs. And we ought deuoutly / clenly / reuerently kepe hym without synne / of this breed of auÌ„gelles we ought euery daye to vse for the loue of hyÌ„ / and in mynde of his holy passyon / he is verely ours For noo maner thynge may he taken away frome vs ayenst the wyll of ours / that is of hymselfe / we doo call our breed cotydyan / the whiche is for to saye of euery day / that is for to vnderstande the cotydyan dystrybucyon the whiche he gyueth to his preestes relygious people eche day whiche done his seruyses and synge his masses and his houres / that is to all good crysten men and wymmen that euery daye by veray loue deuoutely make remenbraunce of the dolorous passyon of Ihesu Cryste that he suffred for vs ¶ The groos of the prouende of this brede of aungellys we take in haruest / that is in heuen whan we shall see the swete Ihesu Cryst dyscouerd / in his ryght grete beaule lyke as he is Therfore is it sayd cotydyan / that euery daye is to vs necessarye And euery one ought to take the holy sacrament of the aulter lyke as done the preestys / whiche ben therto ordeyned ¶ Or otherwyse euery good crysten man or woman ought to take hym by ryght fayth This brede is ryght precyous / ryght noble and ryght well arayed This is meteryall in whiche ben all maner of delyces and all good sauours lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence This is none erthely mete that ought to be gyuen to raskayll / but to hertes gentyll and noble whiche ben purged clensed fro all ordure of synne by veray repentauÌ„ce / by deuoute confessyon / and by entyer satysfaccion and penaunce ✿ ¶ Of the vertue of this brede of aungellys sayth saynt mathe we theuangelyst / and calleth it brede sursubstancyall That is to saye / that it passeth and surmounteth all substaunce and all creatures of praysynge and of vertue / of all dygnytees / and in all maners of valure Nor none may better name it ne descryue it ne more suffysauÌ„tlye than to calle it / brede sursubstancyall ¶ It is sayd that a mete is substaÌ„cyous / whaÌ„ there is therin ynough of substaunce and of nourysshynge And for soo moche more as it is nourysshynge / so moche more it is sayd that it is substancyall ¶ And by cause that in this precyous brede of Aungellys is more of nourysshynge of vertue / and of good than euer may be thought and sayd is not sayd onelye that it is substancyous bytwene ony vnderstondynge supposynge / but it is sayd sursubstancious This brede requyre we at our good fader Ihesu Cryst and we praye hym that he wyl gyue it to vs in this day that is in this present mortall lyfe / to th ende that we may make a good Iourneye / and abyde more gladly our rewarde / that is in the ende of our lyfe the glorye pardurable of heuen ¶ Here foloweth the .v. petycyon request of the holy pater noster Ca. lxxxiii DImitte nobis debita nrÌ„a sicut et nos dimittimê° debitoribus nrÌ„is In this request petycyon we requyre and demaunde our good fader of heuen / that he wyl pardone forgyue vs our syÌ„nes our trespaces / lyke as we forgyue them that haue trespasced to vs / or that trespace to vs Thenne we saye thus Fayre fader quyte to vs our dettes lyke as we quyte our detters Our dettes be our synnes whiche we haue encreased vpon our soules This is the best and moost dere wedde that we may fyne / wherof the synner for one deedly synne whiche is soone passed as too the delyte / or as touchynge the dede is bounden to so grete vsure that he hath no power to paye ne to fynysshe / that is the payne of helle whiche is without ende ¶ After he oweth vnto god whom he hath dyspleased so grete amendes that he hath noo power for to paye it For in all his lyfe yf he lyued an hondred yere or more he myght ne coude not make suffysaunâ— penaunce For one deedly synne onely / yf god wolde vse his ryght full Iustyce / it sholde neuer be forgyuen to the ¶ And therfore it byhoueth that in bytter and grete repentaunce the wycked synner retorne vnto the mercy of the debonayr and blessed lorde Ihesu Cryste And that he cry hym mercy and demaunde pardon foryeuenes ¶ For by the ryght of the courte of Iustyce / the synner shal be Iuged condempned vnto deth perdurable And therfore our good fader Ihesu Cryst whiche is softe and debonayr for to foryeue and pardone / large and curtoys for to yeue / we praye hym that he wyll pardone and foryeue to vs our synnes and trespaces But thynke and consyder well how thou prayest For thou sayest pardone to vs our syÌ„nes as we ê‘don other God shall not foryeue ne pardone to vs / as he hym self sayth in the gospel yf we forgyue not and pardone to other that haue trespaced to vs. Thenne he that sayth his Pater noster yf he kepe in his herte rancour felonnye he prayeth more ayenst hym self than for hym self For he prayeth to god that he forgyue hym not his synnes / whan he sayth forgyue me lyke as I forgyue / and therfore all the tymes that thou shalt saye thy Pater noster tofore god the seeth thyn herte Thou oughtest to forgyue all euyll talentes and cast out of thyn herte all Ire and al rancour Otherwyse thy prayer is more ayenst the than with the / yf it seme to the an harde thynge and greuous to forgyue and pardone to theym that hate the / and that wyll the euyll or that haue moche trespaced to the / or myssayed Thynke that god pardoned his deth to theym that crucefyed hym / for to gyue to the an exaumple for to forgyue / and more yet for to praye for them that haue trespaced to the that god forgyue them / and more yet for to do well and good to theym / to helpe theym yf they haue nede For as he sayth in the gospell / that it is not a grete thynge ne grete meryte ayenst god to doo good to theym / that do vs good / ne to loue theym that loue vs. For so done the paynyms and the Sarasyns Iewes and other synners But we that ben the chyldren of god by fayth by grace and ben named crysten of our blessed Lorde Ihesu Cryst and ben heyres with hym of the herytage of heuen ought for to forgyue eche other And also ought for to loue our enemyes That is to saye theyr persones praye for theym and to doo good to theym yf they haue nede For so comauÌ„deth god in the gospell Thenne we ought onely hate the synnes and to loue theyr soules Lyke as the membres of
temptacyon was not soo stronge / as is this vaynglorye Of whiche Dauyd sayth in his psaulter / that the deuyll beteth doune the stronge on the lyfte syde by aduersyte And the ryght stronge on the ryght syde by vaynglorye This vertue prayseth moche Seneke the wyse man whiche sayth That there is noo vertue but that whiche gooth tofore proudly bytwene that one fortune and that other / and to the grete despyte of that one and of that other The .vi. degre of the vertue of prowesse Ca. Cxxiiii THe .vi. degre of prowesse is magnyfycence / this vertue expresseth and declareth also the phylosophere sayenge Magnyfycence is an hye werke happy achyeuynge our Lorde Ihesu Cryst the souerayne phylosophere calleth this vertue perseueraunce / by whiche the good knyght of god endureth the euylles vnto the ende / in that hye waye of perfecyon whiche he hath emprysed Of this vertue sayth saynt Poule that all the vertues renne / but this vertue wynneth the swerde All they fyght but this hath the vyctory and the crowne Al werken But this vertue of perseueraūce bereth awaye the rewarde and the meryte For our lorde Ihesu Cryst sayth / who that shall perseuere vnto the ende he shal be saued and none other The phylosophre coude noo ferther declare this vertue of prowes But the dyscyples of our grete maystre Ihesu Cryste seen moche more ferther For lyke as Salamon sayth whan they haue al remembred perfourmed Then them seme that all is to begynne agayne The vertues and the prowesse of phylosophres were all for to vaynquysshe the synnes and vyces / and for to gete the vertues But the prowesse of sayntes was not onely to vaynquysshe synnes and vyces and to gete vertues / but with all this pryncypally for to kepe Iustyse and trouthe towarde Ihesu Cryst He is not trewe ne Iuste / that rendreth not that he oweth to his power And certeynly it is a thynge moche ryghtfull and resonable that I gyue my lyfe and my deth for hym that gaf his lyf and deth for me And as moche as he is of more value and is more worthe than I / so moche I am more redeuable to him by ryght Iustyse Lyke as sayth saynt Ancelme This Iustyse I owe to desyre but I may not here rendre it ne paye it fully / as we haue sayd tofore And therfore is the seuenth degree of this vertue this whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst hath put to To the whiche the phylosophre myght neuer atteyne / whan he sayd blessed be they that haue hungre and thyrst of Iustyce They thenne be blessed that be mounted in to these seuen degrees of prowesse / and haue hungre and thyrste and grete desyre to theyr power to mounte vnto the seuenth degree ¶ Of the spyrytuell batayll ayenst synne Ca. Cxxv. IN this tree lyke as in the other we fynde .vii. braūches for in .vii. maners the vertue the prowesse of the good knyght of god sheweth hym For by .vii. maners of bataylle there cometh .vii. maners of vyctory / and by .vii vyctoryes / he cōquereth seuen maner of crownes of glory These ben the rewardes and the seuen merytes of whiche speketh saynt Iohan thappostle and euangelyst in thappocalyps For as sayth saynt Bernarde Moche is he a fole / and ouer wenynge that without vyctory atteyneth to haue the crowne / that without batayle weneth to haue vyctory / wherof saynt poule sayth That he shal neuer be crowned in glory that fyghteth not truely ayen synne and vyces / whiche is the champe of the batayle in this worlde The mayster of this felde of bataylle is Ihesu cryst / whiche preueth his newe knyghtes lyke as it is wryten in the boke of kynges This mayster is the debonayre Ihesu cryst / whiche is ryght true as sayth saynt Poule / and knoweth well the power of euery man / wherfore he suffreth not that ony enemye or fende tempt vs aboue our power / ne that no aduersary assayle vs so but that we may ouercome hym yf he wyll by the helpe of god whiche encreaseth our strengthe in the batayle as sayth saynt Poule / and saynt Iohan also as we haue sayd and deuysed .vii. vyctoryes / .vii. crownes That is to saye / vii maner of rewardes and of merytes the whiche god promyseth vnto theym the whiche ouercome the synnes and the vyces ¶ Of the fyrst batayle ageynst all vyces Ca. C.xxvi THe fyrst batayle and fyghte that a crysten man hathe is ageynst deedly synne ¶ There is none ouercome nor vaynquysshed in this foresayd bataylle but yf he wyll For who that wyll not consente to synne he vaynquyssheth the batayll / whiche is lyght to do to a good herte vygorous / and moche harde to hym that is slowe and latchous and euyll encoraged to doo well and to the seruyse of god / whiche is not stronge by drede / ne hoot in prayer to god and in well doynge as / saynt Iohan sayth For who that falleth is vaynquysshhed in this batayll / hath moche to do and is more harde for hym to releue hym and to defende hym / than he that is in hye spyrytuell estate For he hath no power to releue hym / but yf it be by the grace of god For lyke as the fysshe entreth by hym self in to the nette / yet may he not yssue ne goo out / but yf he be caste or put out / ryght soo a man falleth by hym self and by his wyll in to synne but he may not yssue ne go out without the grace of our lorde and his ayde and helpe / as whā he gyueth to hym repentaunce to do penaunce for his synnes / and that is the armour that saynt Poule comaundeth to take in this bataylle Now oughtest thou to knowe / that whan a man is armed for to vaynquysshe and ouercome hardely synne and parfyghtly hym byhoueth that he haue thre thynges whiche ben in veray penaunce The fyrst is repentaunce of herte The seconde confessyon of mouthe The thyrde is satysfaccyon and penaunce / that is the amendes of synne / yf one of these thre faylle the confessyon is nothynge worth ¶ Of veray repentaunce of herte Ca. Cxxvii REpentaunce requyreth grete sorowe / and grete by wayllynges of herte of that whiche he hath angred and dyspleased god / and of so moche as he hath more sȳned and dyspleased god / so moche more ought be the sorowe / and the repentaunce greter Thus repented hȳ the good kynge Dauyd whan he sayd in his psaulter I haue laboured and trauaylled in my bewaylynge / and haue wasshen in the nyghtes my bedde / and my couche with my wepynge teres He that hath dyspleased god by deedly synne / ought to wepe wayle in the depnes of his herte / and with grete syghynge crye god mercy / lyke as the theef / the murderer / and the traytour that had deserued to be hanged on the gybet of hell The synner is the theef to god For he
hath stolen and mysused the goodes of his lorde whiche ben but lent to hym for to wynne wt. Tho ben the godes of nature / of grace / and of fortune / of whiche he must rendre gyue acompte and rekenynge moche straytely / how he hath folyly dyspended them hath put them to euyll vse Also he is a murderer of the doughter of a kynge / that is of his owne soule / the whiche was doughter of the kynge of glory by grace / whome he hath slayne put to dethe by deedly synne Also he is a traytre For the castell of the herte and of his body whiche god hath gyuen hym to kepe / he hath yelded to the deuyll whiche is his mortall ennemy / well ought he to demeane grete sorowe that is in suche peryll / ought ofte for to wasshe his bedde / that is his conscyence The teeres chase dryue awaye the deuyll out of his hert / lyke as scaldynge water dryueth a dogge out of the kechyn After the repentaunce ought to come confessyon / that is the good chamberyer whiche maketh cletnehe hous casteth out al the ordures with the brome of the tonge / wherof Dauyd sayth in the psaulter ¶ Now vnderstonde well how a man ought to confesse hym ¶ Here after is conteyned how that a man ought to confesse hym Ca. Cxxviii VNto that / that confessyon auaylleth to the sauacyon of the soule byhouen syxe condycions ¶ The fyrst is that it be made wysely and this is in two thynges / the fyrst that he take good hede / to whome he ought to confesse hȳ after wherof he ought to be confessed / saynt Austyn sayth / that it whiche one sholde doo for to eschewe and flee the deth of the body / ought one do for to eschewe the dethe and the dampnacyon of the soule The seke man for teschewe and to flee the dethe / and for to haue helthe secheth gladly the best physycian and the moost wyse that he may fynde Thus sayth sayth Austyn / who so wysely wyll confesse hym and fynde grace anenst god / he ought to seche suche a confessour / whiche can and may bynde and vnbynde / and also counceylle That is that the confessour can well knowe synne / and counceylle the synnar and that he haue power to assoylle hym / and to gyue hym penaunce after the synne For accordynge to his synne he ought to haue penaunce Also who so wyll confesse hȳ wysely he ought dylygently remēbre his synnes tofore or he confesse hym and enserche all his herte and his conscyence / how he hath dysplesed god and his blyssed moder and all his company of sayntes and ought to remembre all his lyfe in grete drede Lyke as dyde the good kynge Ezechyas whiche sayd thus I shal remembre all my yeres in the grete bytternes of my soule and my hert The synner ought to entre in to the hous of his hert / and not to passe through lyke a mynstrell whiche a bydeth not gladly in his hous For he hathe no werse home than his owne But in his hert a man ought to dwell and consyder all his sȳnes defautes Wherof he ought to yelde accomptes and reason truely to god and to his confessoure / and ought to remembre to ordayne wel his acompte / lyke as he that is adiourned tofore his lorde for to rendre acomptes of all his receytes paymentes And also well to take hede tofore the wrytynge of his conscyence / that he fayle not to accompte all his lyfe For yf he fayle of his acompte / god shall not fayle of his Whan a man hath dylygently remembred his synnes / and beholden how and in how many maners he hathe dyspleased god / and how oftentymes / and how gretely he hath synned And how longe he hath abyden in synne Then̄e he ought to confesse hym anone and hastely ¶ And this is the seconde condycyon that ought to be in confessyon The kynge Dauyd rose at mydnyght for to confesse hym Lyke as he sayeth in the psaulter / and abode neuer vnto a moneth / ne to the ende of a yere And the wyse man sayeth thus in an other place Ne tary thou not to conuerte to god / ne withdrawe the not ne seke no delayes fro day to day For in taryēge is moche peryll for many reasons Fyrst for the condycyon of synne For synne is a fyre brēnynge / whiche may not be quenched but by lacrymable cōfessyon And moche were he a fole that sawe his hous brēnynge / wolde not hastely ren to fetche water to quenche the fyre Also it is a grete malady sekenes to dwell in synne and the veray medycyn is confessyon / and certayne lytell prayseth he his helthe / that feleth hym selfe seke to the dethe / and desyreth not to be guarysshed and heled Also the dethe whiche is nyghe and all about for to espye the synner / ought to moeue and excyte hym hustely to confessyon For he knoweth not the day / the houre / ne the poynte or mynute whan the dethe shall come the whiche surpryseth oft the synner / there where he taketh no hede And certaynly who that knewe what day he sholde deye he sholde make hym redy in the best hastyest wyse that he myght Also yf a synner sawe well the peryl wherin he is For he is in the holde pryson of synne and in the throte of the lyon of hell and of the dragon that wyl deuoure hym / he sholde hastely go to confession / and that as soone as he myght Also a synner ought for to se what he hath lost by his synne / the goodes pardurable the goodes spyrytuell His tyme and hym self whiche he myght al recouer by deuoute confessyon Moche thenne were he a foole yf he hasted not to recouer that whiche he had loste Also the mercy of god that abydeth for the sȳner and knocketh at his dore as sayth thappocalyps For he that ought to haste hym to be confessed For of as moche as god abydeth so longe the sȳner / of so moche is his Iustyce more harde and more cruell / whan he seeth hȳ slowe and neclygent For lyke as the archer gyueth his bowe more bente / and tharbelaster to the crosse bowe so moche more smitteth it the harder and stronger And certaynly god hath his bowe bent and redy to lose as sayth the psaulter for to sle the synners yf they wyl not conuerte them and yf they take not good hede Also the synner that ouer longe taryeth to confesse hȳ forgeteth ofte his synnes Soo that it happeth that vnneth that he is well and truly confessed For he forgeteth many synnes whiche he shall neuer remembre / so of them shall he neuer repente / ne neuer be confessed / of whiche it is to hym grete perylle ¶ Also whan a synnar is tofore his confessour he ought to expresse saye his synnes clerely / soo that his confessour see euydently
it is the vertue that moost playseth god as the scrypture sayth Herof sayth god by the prophete I wyl sayth he mercy not sacryfyse And saynt Austyn sayth that there is no thynge that so moche maketh a man amyable vnto god as doth pyte / to haue mercy on other Moche people do seruyse and sacrefyse to god in fastynges / or in plygremages / or in sharpe penaunce of the body / but to do almesse / they ben scarce caytyf strayte Also moche people of grete estate to whome god hath gyuen largely of his temporel gooddes do sacrifyse seruyse not to god / but to the worlde / or to the deuyll in that / that they dyspende folyly theyr goodes in vanytees in oultrages / in honoures of the worlde But for to gyue for godes sake to the poore they ben harde as ademont Also lyke as mercy pleseth to god / ryght so despleaseth it to the deuyl / for it is the armure the vertue by whiche he is moost soonest vaynquysshed / as is sayd in a glose vpon the plaulter / he may not suffre the good odour of suche an oynemēt / nomore thā the crapaulde may fele the smellynge or odour of the vygne / this odour myght not Iudas smelle ne fele whā the holy Maudelyne enoynted the heed of Ihesu cryst with the precyous oyntemēt For it semed to Iudas that it was a thynge loste / had leuer the money that it cost in his purse by couetyse Of suche people that be thus couetous and auarycyous is lorde mayster a deuyll that is called Closepurs / whome a holy hermyte sawe / that he had the offyce to close shyt the purses of couetous men / that they sholde not be opened to do almesse The fourth thynge that ought to moue a man to mercy is the grete largesse of our lorde / whiche gyueth largely to euery man after that they be / as sayth saynt Iames / maketh his sone to shyne vpon the good euyl / lyke as it is sayd in the gospell Syth that the debonayre Ihesus is so large to vs / that he gyueth to vs hath gyuen / all that we haue that is good / we ought to be large and curtoyse that one anenst that other For so cōmaundeth to vs god in the gospell whan he sayth Be ye mercyfull / lyke as your fader of heuen is mercyfull He ought to resemble his fader / ought to ensue hym whā he is good and wyse Or otherwyse he forsaketh hym / therfore sayth the wyse man in scrypture Be ye mercyfull pyteous to the poore / to the orphans / lyke as thou were theyr fader or theyr moder / be thou as theyr husbonde thus thou shalt be called the sone of god The fyfth thȳge that ought to moeue a man to mercy is the honoure of god For as Salamon sayth / he honoureth our lorde that dooth well to the poore For that whiche is done to the pore is done vnto god lyke as hym self wytnesseth in the gospel That that ye haue done to one of the leest of my seruaūuauntes / ye haue done vnto me This sayth our sauyour and redemptour Ihesu cryste The poore ben the lytell meyney of our lorde / who so honoureth thē by the werkes of mercy he honoureth god For who honoureth the meyne he honoureth the lorde / who that doth vylonye to the famylye seruauntes / doth vylanye to the lorde ¶ Hereof haue we a fayre a good ensaumple of the holy saynt Martyn To whome god apperyd in the nyght after that he had departed and gyuen his mantell to the poore man / he was couerd with the sayd mantel / and god sayd to his aungellys Martyn hath clad me with this vestement ¶ The syxthe thynge that ought moche to moeue a man to mercy / is the drede of the Iugement For as sayth saynt Iames Iugement without mercy shall be do to hym that doth not the werkes of mercy For lyke as god sayth in the gospell / whan the daye of Iugement shall come / the sentence shall be gyuen ayenst them that haue not to theyr power done and accomplysshed the werkes of mercy For god shall leye a deef eere to theym that now leye a deef eere to the poore / lyke as it appyereth in the exaumple that he recounteth of the ryche man that wolde gyue none almesse to Lazare / and by cause he refused to gyue to hym almesse / god refused to hym a drope of water whan he was in the fyre of helle In lyke wyse dyd he to the folysshe vyrgyns that had none oylle in theyr lampes God closed to them the yate at the weddynge and sayd to them I knowe you not / and so they abode without and came not in ryght so shall it be do at the daye of Iugement to the auarycyous and to the couetous men whiche haue not the conduytes of mercy whiche ledeth the soules to heuen / and maketh to theym a ryght waye to come tofore god as holy scrypture sayth Lyke as waye is made the yate opened to hym that bryngeth a presente Certeynlye acursed shall he be by ryght to whome pyte mercy shal torne theyr backe at the daye of Iugement / whā god shal gyue sentence so ferme / stable / dredefull For it shall be soo establysshed by Iustyce confermed / that it shall neuer be repeled And thenne shall god doo as souerayn pope bysshop kynge / caste out his grete excomynycacyon For he is kynge bysshop as sayth the scrypture / for he toke nature humayn in the lynage of kynges of bysshoppes This excomynycacyon shall be cast vpon them that shall be on the lyft syde None of them shall be except They shal be wycked people whome god shall curse for theyr synnes for theyr falsehede Thus shall he saye to them Go ye wycked and cursed in to the fyre of helle perdurably / whiche is ordeyned to thoryble deuyls / to them that haue done theyr wyll Alas this sentence how well that it is shorte / certeynlye it shall be ouer anguysshous ouer harde whan Ihesu cryst shal chase them out of his companye Suche harde a departynge ought moche to be doubted ¶ The seuenth thynge that ought moche to moeue a persone to mercy / is the fruyt and the good that groweth of this tree / whiche appyereth in many maners Fyrst in that whiche mercy geteth pardon to synnars Of whiche mercy hath the lettres of pardon and of Indulgence For god sayth in the gospel Blessed be the mercyful / for they shal haue mercy After in the same letter sayth he / yf we pardone not that one the other / god shall not pardone vs. ¶ Also mercy is the good marchauntes purs / whiche wynneth ouerall / neuer leseth For as sayth saynt Poule / mercy auaylleth to all thynges A precyous stone sholde be moche worthe that
sholde be good for all thynges That is mercy whiche wynneth the goodes temporall / the goodes spyrytuell / the godes perdurable of glorye / of the godes temporell sayth Salamon / honoure god of thy rychessys of thy godes tēporel gyue to the poore / god shal replenyssh thy garners of wheet / the cellers of wyne But vnderstande well this worde / that he sayth of thy rychesses and of thy godes / and not the goodes of other / as dooth some that wyll doo almesses of that whiche they haue taken fro other by force / by rauyne / by vsure / or by other euyll cause / maketh oft of other mens leder large thonges But of thyn owne propre good whiche thou holdest truely honoure god For that other thou arte bounden to yelde rendre agayne Also he sayth that thou gyue to the poore not to the ryche / god shall yelde to the an C. double therfore lyke as he sayth in the gospell Mercy is a sede that fructefyeth better in the lene londe than it dooth in fatte How that mercy multyplyeth the goodes temporell we haue many fayre ensamples / of whiche I wyll remembre some here ¶ It is sayd of saynt Germayne of Ancerre / that whan he came frome Rome / as he went out of Melane he demaūded his deken yf he had ony money / he answered that he had but thre pens For saynt Germayne had gyuen all to poore people Then commaunded saynt Germayne to his deken that he sholde gyue tho .iii. pens to the poore people / for god had well wherof to fede them that day The deken with grete payne grutchynge gaue two pens / reteyned the .iii. peny / and as they wēt on the way the seruaunt of a ryche man brought to saynt Germayne fro his lorde CC. shelynges Then called saynt Germayne his deken / sayd to hym that he had stolen fro the pore a peny For yf he had gyuen the .iii. d. to the poore / the knyght hadde sent hym CCC shelynges After it was sayd in the way to saynt Germayne / that to saynt Iohn̄ thamener came a gentylman whiche was robbed of theues so that he had nothynge / and tolde to saynt Iohan thamener his case / he had grete pyte and compassyon on hym / and he commaunded his dyspencer that he sholde gyue hym .xv. poūde / of golde / his dyspencer for couetyse gaf hym but .v. Anone a noble lady sent vnto the sayd saynt Iohan fyue C. pounde / of golde Thenne he called his dyspencer and demaūded hym how moche he had gyuen to that man He ansuerd sayd that he gyuen hym xv poūde The holy man sayd nay / that he had gyuen hȳ but .v. pounde / whan he knewe the trouth by hym that had receyued it / he sayd to his dyspenser / that yf he had gyuen that .xv. poūde Our lorde had sente to hym by the good woman M. vC poūde / whan he demaunded of the good lady whome he called to hym / how moche she had gyuen lefte to hym in her testament / she answerd that she had ordeyned a thousand fyue hondred poūde for to sende hym And whan she sawe the M. pounde raced put out of the wrytynge she thought that god wolde that she sholde sende to hȳ no more but .v. hondred pounde ¶ Also saynt Gregoyre reherceth of saynt Bonyface / that fro that tyme that he was a chylde he was soo pyetous / that he gaf his sherte his gowne vnto the poore / how be it that his moder bete hym ofte therfore ¶ Now it happed that the chylde sawe many poore people that suffred moche dysase / he espyed that his moder was not at home / he ranne to the garners / all that his moder had assembled for the yere he gaf to the poore people And whan his moder came knewe what he had done / she was as out of her wytte Thenne the chylde prayed our lorde the garners were full of whete ¶ Also there as a poore man as it is sayd that had but one cowe / whiche harde saye of his curate in his sermon that god sayd in the gospell / that a man sholde haue an hondred folde double for all that he sholde gyue for goddes sake The good man by the counceyll of his wyfe gaue his cowe vnto his curate in hope to haue an hondred kyen for his cowe / whan he had longe taryed / that promesse abode longe after / he wende that his curate had deceyued hym / and thought that he sholde sle hym / arose on a nyght for to sle hym / and whan he was in the way he founde a grete masse of golde / thenne he thought that god hadde rendred and yelded his promesse and retorned in peas Also of an other poore man bycause that he hadde herde that god wolde so gyue an hondred for one / he gaue his cowe vnto his curate whiche was ryche The preest toke gladly this cowe sent her to his pasture where as his other kyen were And at the euyn the poore mannes cowe came agayne home brought an C. kyen longynge to the preest with her / whan the poore man sawe that / he thought that god had kepte his promysse accordynge to the gospell And the sayd kyen were Iuged tofore the bysshop to the poore man ageynst the preest These ensamples to fore sayd sheweth well / that mercy is good marchaundyse for it encreaseth well the goodes temporall Also mercy empetreth and geteth of god the goodes spyrytuell perdurable Wherof saynt Poule sayth that it auayleth to all thynge For she gyueth lyfe and grace in this present lyfe / the lyfe of glorye without ende in that other And therfore sayth Dauyd in his psaulter / that god loueth mercy trouthe For she gyueth grace in this worlde / glory in that other Also mercy and almesse kepeth a mā fro all perylles delyuereth hȳ fro spyrytuell dethe that is of helle For many deed men haue ben raysed vnto lyfe by the werkes of mercye / the whiche haue ben doone / wherof there ben many ensaumples in wrytynge of the lyues of sayntes / the whiche is of the deth pardurable of helle Therfore sayd Thobye to his sone Be thou sayd he pyteous and mercyfull as moche as thou mayst For almesse delyuerth kepeth fro all synne fro the deth of helle / and defendeth the soule that it goo not in to the derknesse of helle ¶ Now hast thou herde the braūches and the degrees of mercy / by whiche she groweth and prouffyteth Now the byhoueth to see the braunches of this tree / by whiche she mounteth / and by whiche it descendeth ¶ Here after folowen the braunches of the vertue of mercy and of almesse Ca. C.xxxi THis tree hath mo braunches than thother toforesayd / for it extendeth more than the other wherof there ben braūches on
drynke Then shewed god to Moyses a staffe of tree / sayd to hym that he sholde put it in to the water that was so bytter And whan he had put it therin / it was all swete The bytter water ben the trybulacyons of the worlde The staffe of the tree that made it swete / that is the crosse on whiche the debonayre Ihesu cryste was hanged on for vs. For who that remembreth well this sorowe that he suffred on the crosse There is no payne ne aduersyte / ne tribulacion temporall / but it it is swete and lyght to suffre The fourth thynge is to thynke on the spyrytuall godes that the trybulacyons dooth to them that suffreth them pacyently For the trybulacyons proueth the knyght of god A knyght knoweth not well his strengthe / vnto the tyme that he hath ben in batayle in prees Wherof saynt Poule sayth / that the pacyence proueth a man / and an aungel of heuen sayd to Thoby / by cause that thou were pleasaunte to god It behoueth that temptacyon shall proue the. ¶ Also trybulacyon purgeth the soule as the fyre purgeth the golde in the forneys / and as the flayle the corne whan it beteth it And as the hamer the yron / as sayth saynt Gregory Also trybulacyons ben the medycynes of the maladyes of synne For lyke as sayth the holy scrypture The greuous malady maketh a man sobre whome sȳne hath made dronke oftymes Wherof saynt Gregory sayth Lete it not be harde to the that thou suffre dysease on thy body whan thou arte guarysshed of the malady of synne within forth Also by trybulacyons is won the crowne of glory / whan one hath good pacyence Wher of saynt Iames sayth / blyssed is that man that suffreth temptacions / that is aduersyte trybulacyon / lyke as a good knyght that suffreth the strokes / for whan he shall be well assayed proued / he shall haue the croune of glory These .iiii. remembraūces aforsayd comforte moche thē that ben in trybulacion The .v. spyrytuell braunche of mercy is to pardone his maltalente euyl wyll to euery body For lyke as saynt Gregory sayth / who gyueth his pens or his almesse to the poore and pardoneth not his euyll wyll / his almesse is nothynge worth For god receyueth not the gyfte as longe as the felonnye is in the herte / for god weyeth / preyseth / and taketh the gyfte after his wyll And therfore our lorde sayth in the gospel ¶ Yf that we forgyue not eche other / our fader of heuen shall not forgyue vs our synnes Thenne he that wyl not pardonne and forgyue sayth ageynst hym self / as ofte as he sayth the pater noster / for he prayeth that god pardonne hym / lyke as he pardonneth his euyll wyll to other It is sayd of themperour theodose / that he helde it for a grete shame / yf one dyd to hym vylonye or Iniurye that prayed hym to forgyue hym / and whan he was moost angry / then he forgaue moost sonnest For he had lyuer drawe to hym people by debonayrte and by loue / thenne by drede ¶ The .vi. braunche of this vertue is to haue in the herte pyte and compassyon of the synnars / and of them that be in trybulacyon or in pouerte / or in aduersyte For that one membre ought to bere the maladye of that other wherof saynt Poule sayth / who that is seke / and I am seke with hym And saynt Gregory sayth / that so moche is a man more parfayt / as he feleth more in hym self the sorowe of another ¶ The .vii. braunche of mysyry corde is to praye for the synnar / and for his enemyes / and for all trespasses For soo commaundeth our lorde Ihesu Cryste in the gospell Praye ye sayd he for theym that done to you euyll / and so shal ye ben the sones of your fader whiche is in heuen / as who sholde saye / otherwyse ye ben not the sones of god / and thenne ye haue nothynge in his herytage ¶ Now is it then̄e grete almesse and grete prouffyte for the soule to praye for the synners / for Mekenes rote Mercy and pyte atrēpaūce Iustyce Compassyon Prudēce Force Forgiuenes Faythe Hope Charyte his enmyes / and for all them whiche ben departed out of this presente lyfe These ben the seuen braunches of mercy of this tree on the ryghte syde ¶ Here after foloweth the seuen braūches of mercy vpon the lyfte syde Ca. C.xxxii LYke as this tree of mercy hath seuen braunches on the ryght syde / so ben there seuen braunches on the lyfte syde These ben the seuen werkes of mercy corporell / whiche holdeth the body / lyke as the other beholdeth the soule too foresayd ¶ The fyrst braunche is to fede the hungry the nedy and the myseased / this admonesteth vs the holy scrypture in many places Fyrst Thobye whiche sayd to his sone Ete thy brede with the nedy the poore that deye for hungre and Salamon sayth / yf thyn enemye haue hūgre gyue hym to ete / yf he haue thyrst gyue to him drynke Also our lorde sayth in the gospel / whā thou shalte make a grete dyner / calle the poore people / the blynde / the lame the Impotent and thou shalte be blessed For they may not yelde it to the ageyn But god shal yelde to the in the resurreccyon generalle / an hondred folde double This is ageynste ryche men that done grete oultrages of mete / for bobaunce / pryde / vaynglorye of the worlde haue no pyte on the poore people But they ought to haue grete drede that they falle not in meschyef / lyke as it byfell to the ryche gloton / of whome god sayth in the gospel / whiche ete euery daye delycyously / and suffred the poore Lazare deye for hungre at his yate But as to the deth of that one of that other was a grete chaunge For Lazare was borne with aūgellys in to Abrahams bosome / the ryche man auarycyous gloton had his sepulture in helle / where he desyred to haue one drope of water for to refresshe his tongue Alas yf all the water of the see had ronne ouer his tongue / it sholde not haue ben coled in that fyre perdurable of helle whiche may not be quenched Therfore it is good to fede the poore peopell For there by may one escape fro the paynes of helle / and wynne the glorye of heuen / lyke as sayth holy scrypture / wherof our lorde Ihesu Cryste shal saye at the daye of Iugement Come ye blessed of my fader in to the royame of heuen whiche is redy to you For whan I had hungre And thyrste ye gaue to me to Eete and to drynke For that whiche that ye dyd to the leste of my poore people / ye dyd it to me ¶ The seconde braunche of mercy .. Cxxxiii THe seconde braunche of mercy is to clothe the poore naked people That is
in many horryble synnes / and ofte in to pyt of hell For lyke as Iob sayth They lede theyr lyues in playes / in deduytes and in delyces / and in an onely poynte they descende in to the pytte of hell / that is at the poynte of dethe / where as they take none hede ¶ The .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte Ca. C.xlvii THe .vii. degree of the vertue of chastyte / is deuout prayer and orison / that moche auayleth to ouercome all synnes / specyally the synne of lechery / wherof saynt Ambrose sayth / that prayer is a good shelde ageynst all the brennynge dartes of the deuyll of helle And saynt Ysodore sayth / that it is the remedye ageynst all temptacyon of synne / a man for to renne to prayer as soone as the fende tempteth hym vnto synne For the accustomaunce of deuoute prayer and of oryson quencheth all the assautes of synne Deuout prayer is moche myghty vnto almyghty god whan it is vnder sette and accompanyed with foure thynges as of foure pylers ¶ The fyrst thȳge is true fayth / wherof our lorde sayth in the gospell All that ye aske and demaunde in your prayers / haue ye good fayth and stedfast byleue in god / and ye shal haue that ye demaunde And saynt Iames sayth / that one ought demaunde or aske in stedfast fayth without doubtynge For who that doubteth is lyke the fome of the see whiche the wynde ledeth hyther thyder And therfore he that prayeth doubtynge Geteth no thynge of god The seconde thynge that ought to be in prayer is hope to haue that / whiche is demaunded and requyred Herof sayth Dauyd in the psaulter / haue good hope in god and he shall do that whiche / thou requyrest of hym ¶ And also he sayth in another place Lorde haue mercy on me / for my herte trusteth in ye. God gyueth to vs grete hope for to requyre hym / and to haue that / whiche we demaunde of hym whan he sayth in the gospell That who demaundeth / he taketh it / and who so secheth / he fyndeth that is to vnderstonde who demaundeth wysely / and secheth delygently / and knocke and shoue at the dore perseuerantly And whan these thre thynges ben in the prayer / wytte Dylygence / perseueraunce god enhaūceth it / yf thou demaunde wysely Many men praye demaunde whiche be not herde ne graunted of god / by cause they aske euyl not leefully / wherof saynt Iames sayth to theym that can not demaunde / ye aske ofte sayth he of god / but ye gete no thynge by cause that ye can not aske it .. Some aske more hye thynge than apperteyneth to theym as dydsaynt Iohan and saynt Iames / whiche demaunded of god that / that one sholde sytte on the ryght syde of our lorde Ihesu Cryste in his royame / and that other on the lyft syde They asked not wysely but it was with grete presumpcyon And therfore our lorde Ihesu cryst answered to them harde and sayd to theym / ye wote not what ye aske / thenne who that wyll pray to god / lete hȳ kepe hym frome presumpcyon / that he suppose not grete thynges in hym / as dyde the pharesee / whiche auaunted hym in his prayer / and dyspysed other But humbly ought a persone to pray to god in Iugynge / accusynge hym selfe tofore god / whiche seeth euery herte / and knoweth the maladyes of synne / the defautes / and also knoweth that wherof we haue nede / and that whiche is profytable for vs / better than we our selfe / and take ensample of the poore truauntes whiche sheweth theyr soores and maladyes for to moeue the people to pyte towarde them Ryght soo ought one to doo tofore god humbly to shewe his synnes / his defautes to remembre there for to gete grace and pardon There ben other that can demaunde but vyle and lytell thynges / as ben the goodes temporall And god wyll gyue to the a greter thynge he wyll not appease the with an apple or with a peere as a chylde / but he wyll that thou demaunde grete thynges whiche ben for the helthe of thy soule / as his grace his glory For who that demaundeth of god rychesses / or honoures / or dethe / or vengeaunce of his ennemyes / he demaundeth of god foule prayers and agaynst hym selfe / and therfore god graunteth theym not Therfore sayth saynt Austyn / vnderstonde not of god to be a grete thynge / the goodes that he gyueth as well to the wycked as to the good / and to his ennemyes as well as to his frendes And yet more gyueth god of temporall godes to the wycked man than he dooth to the good God gyueth them to the wycked / to th ende that the good persones sholde lerne to dyspyse them as saynt Austyn sayth / whan thou prayest sayth saynt Ambrose / ae grete thynges that ben they that endureth withouten ende / not the thynges transytorye But them that endureth without ende For suche a prayer as to demaunde temporal goodes / he graunteth thē not And therfore our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth vs for to demaunde wysely And formeth vnto vs oure demaunde / whan he sayth in the gospel yf ye demaunde ony thynge of my fader in my name / he shall gyue it you He demaundeth in the name of Ihesu Cryst that demaūdeth that whiche appertayneth to the helthe of his soule And what thynge we ought to aske demaunde / he ensygneth and techeth vs whan he sayth in the gospell Seche ye fyrst the reame of god his Iustyce / and all thynges temporall shall come to your aduauntage For as it is wont to be sayd / vnto the moste nede one ought alway to renne / we haue nede of two thynges of the godes spyrytuell and temporell But we haue gretest nede of the godes spyrytuell And therfore we ought fyrst and pryncypally requyre them / and god shall gyue them and doo to vs auauntage of the seconde good / that ben the godes temporel we ought not to make of the seconde godes the prȳcypall / as dooth the couetous men / whiche seche not too haue none other lyf but this present lyfe / whiche fayleth and escapeth from them / wyll they or nyll they / but the reame of god is lyfe pardurable That ought we requyre of god and desyre by meryte of good prayer And that is that god sayth Seche ye fyrst the realme of heuen / his Iustyce That is to do good werkes / by whiche we may come in to that gloryous realme / the whiche neuer shall fayle / who that secheth in this wyse / almyghty god dooth vnto hym auauntage of temporall godes For he gyueth vnto his vse suffysauntly For no thynge lacketh to theym the whiche dooth drede god and loue hym Lyke as sayth the holy scrypture But the auarycyous people of the worlde the more they haue the more they lacke faylle