be full heuy / and after this your heuynes shal be tourned into ioye / and your ioye shal be sekyr that no man shall take it from you / and for this ioye shulde sauour well to them that ben his louers he sendith them tribulacion / as saynt Gregory sayeth God shewith to his chosen / sharpenes in this iourney / lest by hap yf they delyted them in this dedly way / they myght forgeyte thynges that ben in the heueÌ„ly couÌ„tre / tribulacions that brisen vs downe in this wretched world / they constrayne vs to go to god / that they lightly myght be daÌ„pned / for the eyen that synne closyth / payne maketh open / many that haunten theft with many other synnes if they were lame blynde / or croked of godes visitacyoÌ„ they shuld cesse serue theyr god / do penauÌ„ce ful trewly as Crysostome sayth Omeli 3. The soule is a spirite sayth he and dredeth spuÌ„all paynes of the flesshe And therfore saynctes dyspysen the paynes of this worlde / drede the last iugement where spyrytes ben tourmented / forsothe the flesshe can not drede gostely paines to come / but he dredith in this life to suffre any paines / therfore the yuel cessen not to do syn / but if iugement of the flesshe constraynen them to be styll for this cause the lorde shal sende vpon his seruauÌ„tes sore punysshyng to theyr flesshe other tribulacions The lust of the flessh may be sweled from the couetynge of yuell we muste nede breke the nut yf we wyl haue the cornell we must nedes suffre trauell / yf we desyren reste So must we nedes suffre payne yf we wyll come to blysse He is a false cowarde knyght / the fleeth hydeth his hed whan his mayster is in the felde beten amonge his enemyes / but our lord IhuÌ„ Christ was beâ—en of the Iewes / and after dyed in the felde on the mounte of Caluarye to pay our raumsome / he toke his deth for that he was nothynge gylty / and hys body whan it was offered / made at the full for redempcyon of mankynde Therfore the wyseman sayth Eccle. 20. Forgete thou not the kyndenes of thy borowe / forsothe he hathe geuen for the his life This borowe is our lorde god that without mede came from heuen in to this worlde to borowe his people / in takynge of flesshe blode of the virgyn mary / he shewed vs grace and kyndenes both in worde and wyrchynge But in geuynge his lyfe / he leyd his body in pledge / yea to the deth he woll not spare to suffre extreme payne / so moche he loued his people / yf that fayth be in vs thys maye not be forgoten Some forsaken synnes and suen Chryste in vertue and this is a great kindenes / though they styen no hyer Some do wake in abstynence and studyen holye lessons / thys is than a greatter kyndnes / yf thou fle from syn Some ben redy whan they ben called of the holy goste to suffre dethe for Iesu Chryste / and wytnes of his lawe / and whan they haue cleÌ„nes in lyuynge / this is the greatest kyndenes as the gospel sheweth Io. 15. ♣ Io. 15. A greater loue or charite may no man haue than to lese his lyfe for hys frendes soule / we were dere and leffe to god whan we toke the baptysme / but we haue moch dere worthyer whan we done the workes that god hath bydden in his lawe without any grutchynge / and yf we maynteyn this 〈…〉 not go therfro / neither become rennegates for the paynes that may fal / but thinke on Christes passyoÌ„ that swageth al heuynes / thaÌ„ we ben most dere worthy / and worthy hyest meryte / therfore saynct Paule sayth to the Galathies Fere be it to me / to make any glorye but in the crosse that is the passyon of our lorde Iesu Christe / by whome this worlde is crucyfyed to me / and I am crucyfyed to the worlde Some ben not crucifyed to the worlde / but the worlde is crucyfyed to them / for they despisen the world / but the worlde not them Some ben crucyfyed to the worlde / but not so the worlde to them / for though the worlde despysen them / they dispysen it not againe Some ben neyther crucified to the world / ne the worlde to them / for neyther they dispyse the worlde / ne the worlde them In the fyrste degree were the apostels And in the seconde degree ben other good lyuers But in the thyrde fourth degre / bene tho that shulde be dampned / therfore we shuld vnderstande that some suffren payne for to saue the people / and so dyd Iesu Christ / whan it myght not saue theÌ„ selfe / shewed his great kyndenes Some suffren payne to purge them of theyr synne that they haue done iÌ„ time afore / cryen god mercy Some suffren payne to kepe them from syn that they shulde be combryd with if no payne were / but some suffren payne for they haunten syn / and for they maken none ende Ioyne than the crosse of Chryst vnto our bare flessh / that our parte may be founden amonge these holy saintes that wylfully forsoke them selfe / and ioyed in trybulacion as saynct Iames sayth Ia. 1. My brethern hope ye all ioye whan ye haue slyden amonge dyuerse temptations knowynge that the prouynge of your fayth / wyrchyth pacience / forsoth pacience hath a parfyte worke / that ye mowe be perfite / in soule and hole in body / and in nothynge faylynge ¶ Of the fendes cautyles by the which he pursueth in his members the kepers of goddes coÌ„mauÌ„dementes Ca. xii THe yuel parte of thys churche shall neuer cesse with the malyce that they may to pursue good leuers but for his chosen chyldren god shall abregge the dayes of ther wodenes that shal men wel knowe as IohnÌ„ saith to the church geuith it good coÌ„fort Apo. 2. Drede thou not tho thynges which thou arte for to suffre / Lo the deuyl is for to sende of you iÌ„ to prysoÌ„ / ye shal haue tribulacion ten dayes by dene be thou faithful to the deth / I shal geue the a crowne of life / he that hath eares of heryng / here he / what the spirite sayth to the churches / who that hath ouercoÌ„meÌ„ / shal not be hurt of the seconde deth / vnderstande thou by this deuyl all the cursyd people that shal pursue good lyuers vnto the worldes ende / somtime more / somtyme lesse / with diuers paynes of tourmeÌ„try / vnderstande thou by these ten dayes / the ten coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes for they ben light of maÌ„nes wyt / in the derkenes of this worlde / as the day passith the nyght in his clere shinyng Of these ten coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes the fende fayneth his accion to troble the good of the church sende them to pryson / here it semeth spedyer to tell the fendes cautyles that he vseth
there seme peryls of dethe I conscience shall nothynge abasshe / for socour is kept for al faythful in the tresure of Christes passyon The fysshers that drawen thys forsaid net are sent afore the dome / that shullen weyghtly do goddes message and brynge all folkes by fore the face of godallmyghty in to the vale of Iosophat Iohel 3. Iohel 3. The lorde god sayth that he shal gather to geder al folkes he shal lede them into the vale of Iosophat / ther he shall make with them a ryghtwyse reckenynge vpon hys people / Israel / that is his owne heritage / and than shall Christe with his sayntes departe the yll from the good Chryst chesith the good of his churche into the vessell of blys / but the uyel are casten out into the chymnye of fyre ther shal be wepynge for bytternes of smoke / and gnastyng of tethe for quakynge of colde ¶ Of discrecyon to knowe good from yuell Cap. ix NO man descriuith these two partyes veryliche from other wandrynge in this seconde churche / for lykenes that they vsen / and also they haue in common many heueÌ„ly thinges For our lorde hath in his churche / labourers aboute hys vynetre / both fasters / prayers / and also wakers / almysdoers ben in thys churche / with preachours / and reders of lessons / and syngers trauelen here also / with ministers of sacrameÌ„tes with studyers in goddes lawe / men that maken loue dayes / and lyke seruauntes hathe the fende in the thyrde churche / but they doo theyr seruyce in a straunge maner / neuertheles they ben harde to knowe Therfore we shall marke them howe wonderfully they varyen in these forsayd conditions / certes / fasters in Christes churche absteyne them from lustes for to temper the coragis of the rebell fleshe kepe theyr body clene / chast / subiecte to there soule For sayncte Austyn techith this lore Thy body leuyth of thy soule / the soule hathe her lyuynge of the god / the body liueth ryghtfully after the soule whan the soule lyueth after god / god is our souerayne good / and our soule a great good that lyueth bytwext the souerayne good / and our body a lytle good for it is goddes creature / therfore it is cleped a lytle good / forsothe the soule is not debytrice to lyue after the flesshe / but euen on contrary wyse the fleshe must nede be mortyfyed / and whan thou leuest soule desires than thy flesshe is mortyfyed This is the dede that we shall do This is the offyce of our knyghthode ☞ Austen Thus sayth Austen But fasters iÌ„ the sendes church fasten for vngrouÌ„ded causes Some fasten for ipocresye sheweth them rufull to the people suche Christ blameth by his gospel clepith them sorowfull hypocrytes Math. 6. Math. 6. Cum ieniâ—…atis nolite â—eti sicut â—…pocrite â—istes For all the vayne praysyng of mannes mouth they haue receyued all theyr mede Some withdrawen from theyr wombe bothe mete and drynke / to spare theyr purse And Gregory saythe that thys fastynge is for theyr sachell / and not for god / and this is a carefull fastynge to payne our flesshe and lese our mede as the wyse man sayth Eccle. 6. Eccle. 6. He sawe vnder the sonne a nother yuel that is full ryue and commen amonge the people / a man that god hathe gyuen ryches with catell and moche worshyp / and nothynge fayleth hys lyfe of all that he desyeryth / but then wantyth grace and power to eate or to take hys parte therof / but a man that is a straunger shall deuoure hit after hys day / but thys is a vanyte and great wretchednes Some fasten for a medycyne to gete them bodyly helth / neyther for god nor for theyr soule / but for to clense theyr beawtye Ierome Saynct Ierom blameth this fastyng / and saythe Abstynence of body is clere to god whan the mynde fastethe from vyces what profytyth hit to tere the bodye with hungre whan the mynde within swelleth with pryde what fastynge is thys to withdrawe / lyflode and to be wode in enuy or foole hastyte God saythe by the prophete Ysaye Lo whan ye fasten ye make stryfe and debates amonge your selfes Thys is not the fastynge that I chose say the god the Lorde / and sythen the fende neuer eatythe ne drynkyth / neyther is lapped in precyous clothes / yet he shal be euer in payne for them lackyth charyte Than is thys an euydence / that all suche fasters bene members in the fendes churche in folowynge theer fathers prayers that bene in Chrystes churche prayeng with deuocyon / with al theyr strength of herte and of mouthe / accordynge / knockynge with a perfyte dede / after helpe of god / of mercy and forgyuenesse of tyme myspended / and after grace and gouernaunce for tyme that is present / and for good contynuaunce of tyme that is to come / fresshely bryngynge to mynde the kyndenesse of theyr god / howe he hathe ruled them in thys lyfe / and kepte them from myschyefe as thoughe he had no mo but one / so he saueth all that louen them That they thynken of foule synnes and fele that they haue done bothe wyttyngly and wylfully agaynste goddes wyll they haue ben recheles on his seruices and that them rueth sore / and whan they thinken on this world howe sodenly it passeth / and of the tourmentes of hell / that dampned soules shall suffre / and on the blysse that god hath ordeyned for his trewe seruauntes anone they fynden a wasshynge well that spryngeth from theyr herte and renneth forth from theyr eyen by many warme stremes / Gregorye as Gregorye sayeth Than we fynden rendles of waters / when we wepen for all our synnes to wasshe clene bothe body and soule / and clense theÌ„ from corrupcyon But prayers in the fendes churche maken muche noyse / mumlynge with theyr lyppes they rekkenen what / so that men prayse fast theyr fayned occupation as Chryst sayth in hys gospel This people worshyppeth me with theyr lyppes / but theyr herte is farre awaye from me Lorde whan thy body is in the churche thyne herte be in the worlde or cumbred with vnclene thoughtes with fantasyes / and thy tonge with mynstrelsy on lewde iangelynge / thy wytte ouercome with seculer nedes Arte thou not then wrechydly dyuyded in thy selfe Saynct Iames saith ☞ Iames. Suppose not this vayne man / that he may take any thynge of the lord / he may in no wyse be herde in prayer that suffreth his herte to slepe in synne / and efte god sayeth by Ysaye in generall wordes to wycked synners whaÌ„ ye haue multiplyed your prayers I shall not here you graciously / and the cause why is thus / for your handes be ful of bloude / that is / your workes be ful of syn / that partyn you and me atwyne / thus sayth the lord god / but
and dede / bothe to teche and to rule them yf they be lewde or poore / and it longeth to these pareÌ„tes to gouerne wel theyr children ordeyne not only for theÌ„ the goodes of this world but moch rather dyspose theyr lyfe towarde the blisse of heuen / as the wysemaÌ„ sayth / prouerb xxiij wyll thou withdrawe techynge from the chylde for though thou bete him with a yerde / he shal not dye theron Thou betyst them with a belesse / and thou shalt delyuer hys soule from hel / he that sparyth the yerde / hatyth his chylde / forsoth he that loueth them woll teche them besyly / for a wyse chylde gladdeth the fader / and afeltyd childe is the sorow of his mother / against this coÌ„maundemet the fende with his meÌ„bers / what with ypocrytes / that is fayned holynes / what with blynde pyte / that regnyth in the seclers he hath encombred Christes churche with moch worldly mucke / and euer lad our mother with temporal possessions that she may not ryse to heuenly coÌ„templacyon / therfore theyr owne chyldren waxen wylde wanten / and wyl neyther take awe ne lawe / alas this is a greate sorowe but our father that is in heuen to whome nothynge is hyd seynge his sonnes so frowarde is steryd all to wrathe though that he abyde longe and differ his vengeaunce / sufferynge from day to day yf that they wold amende for he forbade to prestes of the olde lawe to take such possession amonge other trybes / but holde them payde of his parte / for he wolde be theyr herytage / for they shulde prynt thys lore / and neuer go therfro Thre times it is rehersed / though ones myght haue suffysed Fyrst in the boke of Numery .xviij. The seconde in deuteromij .xviij. The thyrde in ezechiell .xliiij. And Christ in his gospell twyse forbedyth his prestes to haue thys temporall lordeshyp / reygne euen as worldly kynges Ones in his wyrchynge he forsoke it hym selfe Io. 6. Io. 6. And also in hys techynge that enemyes shulde not say who may lyue as Christ dyde And neuertheles Gregory sayth Gregor Omeli vij Our lorde IhuÌ„ Christ somtyme with wordes somtyme with dedes techyth vs. Forsothe his dedes ben coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes for when he doth any thynge styl in that he maketh knowen to vs what we shall do / and notwithstandynge that Christ forbedyth suche possessyons by worde to his prestes Math. xx Mar. x. Luce. xxij And if enemyes wil not accept god in his both lawes neyther obey to theyr father / for his worde ne for his dede / to whome heuen erth hell knelen on theyr knees / but standen styll obstynate as yuel wyly traytours to clense theyr mother holy church owyth not to take of this foule corrupcyoÌ„ Then shullen we ley forth holy sayntes / that speken of this matter / and saye whether they wolde accorde to wordes that they haue sayde / and so ryse vp to goddes worde / by these sayntes Saynt Austen sayth The churche owyth not to take tho thynges that ben profered to her of hym that hathe none heyre Therfore who that euer wyll make the church his eyre / seke he another that may take it / but on no wise sayth Austen but by the mercy of god he shall fynde no man And Ierome sayth From the tyme that the church grewe in possessions / she hathe lessed or dwyned in vertues / but Bernarde forbedyth these possessyons to be in prestes handes and spekyth vnto Eugeny the Pope in these wytty wordes Li. 1. Chalenge thou these possessions by a nother reason / but thou may not chalenge them by the aposteles ryght Howe myght the apostele gyue that he had not that he had he gaue / besynes vpon churches no whether secler lordshyp here what he saith / neyther lordyng in the clergy but made in fourme to the profyte of the flocke / and not only in mekenes trowe thou this to be sayd / but also in trouth of dede As Christ sayth in his gospell Kynges of the erthe lorden ouer them / forsothe ye not so It is playne to the aposteles that this lordshype is enterdyted / howe darist thou than take thys lordshyp vpon that / eyther lordynge apostle hede / eyther apostle hede to lordshyp Playnly thou arte forbodden the one for yf thou wylt haue both / thou shalt lese both that is to say the presthode thy lordshyp / or elles thou shalt ben except of this nuÌ„bre / of the which god pleyneth him They haue reygned / but not by me They haue bene prynces / but I haue not knowen theÌ„ / nowe yf auayle to raygne without god / than hast thou ioye but anemptyst god / when prestes holden this enterdityng / hear they then the lordes crye / he that is more among you be ye made as the youngers / he that is the forgoare / be he made as the master This is the fourme of the aposteles lyuinge Seculer lordshyp is forboden / but ministryng seruyng is boden wel we weten of beleue that god his law bene euyn accordyng to gedre / these with them / than lay besides your poysons / and your hethen tales with al other maÌ„geled lawes confirme you to god to clense the church bryng it agayn to the former estate / lyue ye on christes parte / the lordes might haue ther lordship agayn But yet ye maken pursute with money greate showres / sayen that saint Siluester toke this possession / saynt Swithune / saynt william with many other saintes To this we seyne that Siluester with such other folowers weren saintes To this we seyne / in this talkynge of temporall possessyons / as was Peter for sakynge Christ / Paul pursuyng the church of god Peter Paule dyd very penaunce suffreden deth for Christes sake / yf these men dyd the same / thus ben they very sayntes The first coÌ„maundement of god is this Exo. xx Thou shalt not kyll or slee / neyther in malice with pursuynge / neyther in worde with backbytynge / neyther with dede in vnlefull shedyng of bloude Of the fyrst spekyth 1. IohnÌ„ 3. He that hatith his brother / 1. IohnÌ„ 3. is a mansleer / some haten synne in man and this is a parfyte hate Psalmus 118. Psal 118. I hated them with a parfyte hate c. Some haten vertue in man and they be mansleers / for who that saythe he loueth his god and hatith thus his brother / he is a lyer ther is no truth in him Of the secoÌ„de spekith the ê“phete sayth Psal 13. Psal 13. The mouth of a backbyter is ful of cursidnes bytternes / his fete ben swyfte to shed out blode For saynt Bernard sayth The backbyter the wylful herer either of theÌ„ berith the deuyl in ther tong this backbyter sleeth thre at ones / that is to say his owne soule / the wylfull herer