deuyll is Sathanas / wrathe is his lordshyp The fourthe is clepyd Abadon / the slowe ben his retynewe The fyfte deuyll is Mammon / hath vnder hym the auarous and the couetous The syxt is called Belphagor that is the god of glotons The .vij. deuyll is Asmodeus / that ledeth with him the lecherous But tho .vij. sacrametes casten out these deuylles from the seruauntes of god that receyuen them medefully and stablen them in .vij. geftes of the holy goste But mynysters in the fendes church mynystren these sacramentes and treten them vnworthely / and al suche both lerned and lewde ben Iudas gostely chyldren / for he toke the sacrament at Christes holy souper / where Christe dealed his body in brede / as other aposteles dyden dranke with them his blode in wyne / but with a vicious conscience / wherfore the deuyll entred in them / he betrayed hys lorde Thus it is with the fendes chyldren / whan they receyue the sacramentes they gone to them vnworthyly / and so to theyr dampnacyon Some with polluted handes and with a stynkynge careyne / as Parisens sayth / and rehersyth Austyne He that is on the nyght a louer of Lechery / and on the morowe a sacrar of the vyrgyns sonne / god tourneth away hys eares from such mennes prayers Many faythfull doctours forbeden straytly to take any sacramentes of suche prestes handes / but nowe it is and euer shal be to the worldes ende Fooles fynden conuentycles that hasten them to hell / some that ben as symondes heyres / that sellen these sacramētes / and some be redy with theyr money as chapemē in afayre to bye of these marchans marchādyse / meryte / as ther wene / but both the byers the sellers deserue endeles payne Some sayen / haue here my money for christenynge of my chylde Some sayen / haue here this money and assoyle me of my synnes Some sayen / haue here this money / and synge for me a masse Some sayen / haue here thys money for thou hast made this maryage Some sayen / haue here thys money and sacra me to prestehode Some sayen / haue here thys money for thou haste ofte vysyted me Some sayen / haue thys money / and good syr pray for me Some maken letters for soteller ypocrysye / to sell all theyr suffrages where euer they fynde theyr chapemen that wol pay largely therfore Than is the bargayne made Lorde howe studyen these fendes lemes the decre Saluator or godes law / or the Actes of the aposteles where suche marchandyse is dampned For thus it is sayed of cursed Symon Forsothe when Symon Magus had seen that by touchyng of the aposteles handes the holy goste was geuen to the people / he proferyd them money saynge Geue to me also this power that who so euer I touche with my handes may receyue the holy goste Forsothe than sayde Peter vnto hym Thy money be with the for vs / take it thy selfe to thy dampnacion for thou trowest the gyfte of god to be sette to sale for money / there is no parte ne lot to the in thys sermon of god Than these that we haue marked afore in this ben the very heires of Simon / for they wene whan they haue money to graunt to the people these gostely gyftes / and Symon is dampned and all hys folowers howe moche more these cursed takers For yf saynct Peter had taken thys money he had geuen leue to vse symony But Peter forsoke and blamyd thys man / and put a rule that shall laste / and cursethe and dampneth bothe gyuers and takers for bothe partyes bene symonyake Ones Iudas made a couenaunte with the Iewes / for thryttye plates / and solde hys mayster / Iesu Chryste / betrayenge hys bodye into theyr handes whan he came chefely to dye / and hys dethe was our redempcyon / therfore hys name is cursed Iudas / and well worthy for his false trayne But his chyldren do moche more were that sellen the sacramentes / and that for lesse pryce / that ben vndedely and mowt not suffer neyther any profyt cometh of the sale / but vengeaunce here or elles wher Alas whan woll these wretches be ware Studyers in Christes church studyen day and nyght in the lawe of the lord / as the prophete sayth Blessed be that mā that hath his wyll in the lawe of the lorde / for he shal be as a tree that is wisely plantyd besyde the course of waters that shall geue frute in hys due tyme / and his lefe that is his vertue / shall not fall away / but all thynge that he shall do / in grace shullen be welthy well is them that so may studye to fynde these precyous vertues / to make fayre their owne soule with the flowre of holy wryt Than Christ wyll take his restynge place in the chambre of theyr cōsciences / for the wysemā saith My flowers ben flowers of worshyp and honestye And therfore saynct Ierom / coūseyleth in his prologe vpon the byble I pray the dere brother / Ierome sayth Ierome / that thou haue thy study / thy mynde amonge the lessons that ben in holye wryt Busy the nothynge elles to knowe Busy the nothyng elles to seke / set thyne herte in holy studye / and pursue after with all thy myght thou shalt fynde it in short whyle more sweter than the honycomb as the wysemā sayth Haue thy thought in goddes hestes / and in his cōmaundementes be thou most busy / and he shall graunte an herte to the / and a luste of wysdome shal be geuen to the. But studyers in the fendes churche / studyen in theyr maden lawes / all for ryches for pryde and for theyr worldly worshyp Yea so ferforthe that vnneth any man is foūden that abydeth in goddes law / clene without medelynge / but draweth them to mannes lawe for that smatcheth wynnyng / and theyr they studyen sad and sore But at theyr last ende this shal be theyr paymēt / as god saith by Ieremy Ieremy Cursyd mote that man be that settyth his fayth in man / and puttyth hys truste and strength in mannes maden ordynaunces and suffreth theyr herte to departe away from hys lord god Certes this mā shal be as a brome that groweth in wyldernes / and he shall not se in inwarde syght / whan that good of the soul shal come to them / but he shall dwell in drynes in the londe of wyldernes / thus sayth the lorde god Such men sclaundren Christe that is bothe god and man and hath halowed his bothe lawes with hys precyous dethe / and put in them the spyryte of lyfe by quyckenynge of his blode / to rere soules from deth / and brynge them agayne to lyfe as the gospell telleth Iohīs 11. Iohīs 11. where Christe sayth who so euer beleueth on me / yea thoughe he be deed / neuertheles he shall lyue agayne both in grace and glory But
of dome And this dowre is cleped immortalite or vndedlynes / that body that is sowen vnworthy / shall ryse in glory and this dowry is called clerenes / that body that is sowen in infyrmyte or instablenes / shall ryse in vertue / thys dowry is called Agilite or swyftenes That body that is sowen bestiall shall ryse spirituall / and this dowry is called subtylite But there bene other foure dowryes of substanciall medes / with the which we shal be dowred in our soul The first dowry is called impossibilite / the seconde is tuicion / the .iij. perpetuall charyte / the .iiij. is fruytion Or after this maner to speke more playnly the first is knowlege without errour / the seconde is mynd without forgettynge / the thyrde is wel without coÌ„tradiccyon and the .iiij. is thus of the godhede and loue of god euerlastynge O what a woundrefull ioye is thys / where the soul shal be fedde with the syght of the godhed certes / this is ioye without wrechydnes / rest without busynes / mirthe without heuynes / surety endeles / of al discorde lotheles This is coÌ„forte in al gladnes of purueyans / careles Ysaye 64 Corinth 2. This wytnessith the prophet Ysaye seynct Paule in his epistle sayth that bodely yie hath not sene / ne eare hath herde / ne hert of man thought what thynges they be that god hathe ordeyned or prepared to them that loue him P Lorde who shall not auance his feble wyttes to thynke on that louely coÌ„pany that prayseth in heuen the goodnes of thys inscrutable godhede / father and sonne and holy goste To begynne at Mary Christes mother / quene of heuen / lady of therthe and Impresse of hell Nyne orders of Angelles in glorious wyse that dwellynge in theyr heuenly selles / to do the pleasynge wyll of god in heuen and in erthe / as theyr order asketh And patriarkes our elder fathers that streytly kept the byddinges of god there they resten of all theyr trauayle in lond of life with double mede Ther bene ê“phetes that sene in spirite the mystery of Chrystes incarnacyon they tolde the commynge of this lorde in hope abydynge mannes saluacion Euangelistes ben there hygh in blysse that walken with Christ and wryt his wordes Apostelles sent into all the worlde and Christes discyples to preche the gospell turnyng Iewes hethen me to Christes lawe / there they sitten on seetes vpon .xij. trones and shallinge with Chryste in the dome the xij tribêª of Israel Math. 19. There ben marters that shede there bloude suffered paynes to enlarge theyr ioye / and for they passed by fyre water they haue founde refresshynge to theyr soules / also ther be coÌ„fessours that opened christes lawe to thys worlde / and neyther for felony ne for shame wolde neuer deny / that blissyd lord / ther ben virgins in body and soull that kept theÌ„ in clennes from luste of fleshe And to this blisse be taken both leryd lewde that done ther vttermoste wyll to kepe goddes commaundementes no tonge may tel the sothe as it is 〈…〉 But thus we seien to amende our deuotion that we myght haue that blysse in mynde / take a parte among these saynctes But saynct Iohan when he was ledde in spirite sawe in heuen a wonderfull syght and for to chere mankynde in erthe / he left it wrytten in his boke that is to say ☞ Apocalipsis 13. Sainct Iohan sawe a woman clade in the sonne / and mone vnder her fete / and a crowne vpon her hed of the .xij. sterres / this woman betokeneth mannes soull / as we toke wytnes of Christ before / and certayne thys was a blyssedfull syght to se the church in her weddynge clothes / the sonne that thys churche is cladde in / is that moste worshypfull garnement our saluacyon / that excellent and moste commendable lyuerey our redempcyon / that holy and moste precious cloth our chrystendome / and our relygion / for thys Chryste betoke vs when we were baptized as Paule sayeth Gal. 13. QuicuÌ„que baptizati estis christuÌ„ induistis All ye that be baptyzed ye be clade Chryste / Iesu the son beryth lyghtnesse of our baptym for certayne propertyes that it hath of the sonne / other lyghtes borowe there shyniÌ„g / bothe mone sterres in theyr due course and elles they ben ouerleade with darkenes / that may not comforte to nyght ne day So all mannes warke in worde and dede borowith there lyght at Chryste Iesu for he is the sonne of ryghtwysnesse as Mardoche saythe in the spyryte of god .8 that is to saye Lyght and son is vpsprynge to vs and meke lowly men vphaunsed in hys saynctes the boke declareth what thys is to meane / Psal 113. lyght is vpsprongen to rightnesse / that wandren in darkenesse of his lyfe / and thys is our lorde Iesu Chryste that of hys owne mercy hathe shewed / the people And thys we rede of true beleue in the story of our blessed Lady / that is to say / Mary a virgyn hathe borne the souerayne sonne of richtwisnes that is godde◠〈…〉 heuen Christ Iesu bothe god man / 〈…〉 man doth that fayleth this lyght / it 〈◊〉 yndelinge and the doungiÌ„ on of hel / and whan thys sonne shyneth in hys workes he growith by hete of grace / and rypeth that shynen in thys crowne ben the .xij. artycles of the comon crede / that is to say Credo in deum c. Thus shulde that soull be arayed that is chosen to be Chrystes spouse / and worthyly is holy church lykened to a woman / for a woman bryngeth forth bothe sonnes and doughters of her wombe / but not without helpe and the worchynge of mannes sede So our mother holy churche bereth in her bely soules to be borne to the blysse of heuen / but neuer without the helpe and worchynge of the grace of our lorde Iesu Chryste / IohaÌ„ 16. Sine me noÌ„ potestis facere as the gospell wytnesshyth / sayenge without me ye may do nothynge / that is to say medefully or thankworthy Here some men obiecten and sayen / that the gospell is not of auctorytie / but inasmoche as the church hath auctorysed chanonised it for they sayen No man knowith suche wordes to be gospel / but as the church hath determyned in her determinacyon / this conclusion semeth to smacke heresy / Gene. 2. by the wytnes of saynct Austen sayeng on this wyse Heresy is false teachynge contrary to holy writ ful hardely defended most because of worshyp worldly wynnyng / sithen al these ben fouÌ„den in this forsayd obiection it is full suspect of heresye / for it is wrytten from the begynnynge that god ordeyned man to be hed and lorde ouer the woman And agaynwarde the woman to be vnderloute subiect vnto maÌ„ ♣ Ephe. 5. But Paule sayth This great sacrament of knyttyng to gether a man
/ and them that they falsely sclaunderen Of the thyrde it is wryten Gene. 4. Howe that cursed Caym slewe his innocent brother Abel / and howe his bloude cryeth to god from the erthe For saynte IohnÌ„ sayth Apoc. 6. I sawe vnder the aulter the soules of them that weren slayne for the worde of god / and wytnesse that they hadden / and they cryed with a great voyce sayeng / holy lorde and true / tyll whan shalt thou abyde or thou wylt iuge and venge our bloude on them the dwellen in erthe and it is sayd vnto them / that they shal be styll yet a litle whyle / tyl theyr felowes be comyn / and theyr bretherne that bene to be slayne / as they ben theÌ„ selfe Vnderstande thou that god forfendyth all vnlawful sleynge As Crysostome declareth Omeli To smyte is vnyustly to smyte forsothe who that smyteth for the cause of ryghtfulnes / he is not seen to smyte / by tytle of goddes lawe / forsoth he smyteth not to venge his owne wretchefull herte / but to do the wyll of god / and to saue his neyghbours soull / as iuste wrath is no wrath / but a feruent diligence / so is rightwyse smytynge no smytynge / but agaynst amendynge For by such a feruent loue / Phinyes slwe two lecherous / tourned the wrathe of god from the chyldren of Israel / as it is wryten Numeri xxv Also god sende his hostis Tytus and Vaspasyan two and fourty wynter after that Christ was slayne for to venge Christes dethe vpon the cursed Iewes / as it is wryten Math. xxij Fyue thynges men must auoyde whan they shullen go to batayle / for they ben agaynst this heste And thus saythe saynt Austen Couetyse of noyenge Cruelty of auengynge / vnpeaseablenes of mynde / ferueÌ„tnes of fyghtynge / lust of lordshyppynge / and what ben like to these for these ben tho thinges that of ryght ben blamed in batayle agaynst this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t the fende in his members settyth watche / besy spye / where that he may fynde any people that woll rede preuy or aparte goddes lawe in englysshe that is our mother tonge anone he shal be sumnyd to come afore his iuges to answere what is sayde to them / and brynge his boke with hym / and eyther he must forsake his boke and redynge of englysshe / and algates he shall forswere to speke of holy wrytte They seyne / lyue thou as thy father dyd / and that is ynowe for the / or elles thou shalt to preson as yf thou were an heretyke / and suffre paynes many and straunge and lykely the dethe / but thou wylte reuoke thy worde and make an open wonderment at thy parysshe churche at home or in the commyn place / and with this they prison many an hungry soule wherof groweth in this realme a greuous gostely morreyne / for who dare nowe in these dayes talke of Chryste or of his dome and certes the body cannot lyue without bodely foode / no more may the soule without goddes worde As saynt Austen sayth Austyn The soule dyeth for hunger but yf it be fedde with heuenly brede this brede is goddes word As Christ sayth in his gospel Math. 4. Deut. 4. Mar. 1. Luc. 4. A man lyueth not only in bodelye brede but he lyueth a better lyfe after his soule of eche word that passeth from the mouth of god God taught longe afore this hungre / for to come that vntaught men shulde aske this brede / and no man shulde geue it them / as he sayth by the mouth of the ê“phete Amos. Loo dayes commen sayth the lorde / and I shall suffre hungre to be sent into the erthe / neyther of brede ne of water / but of herynge the worde of god / than men shullen be moued from the one see to the other / and from the northe / to the eest / sekynge the worde of god / and they shall not fynde it / sayth the lorde god For there ben many prechours but theyr bene fewe trewe prechours / and yf any preche the trouthe / the multytude shal agayne say him / and thus meÌ„ abyden styl in theyr gostly hungre for they wete neuer whom to folowe theyr prechynge is so wonderful / ioynynge in theyr curyous wordes the trouth to the falshede who that hauntyth to thys brede for to sleke hys hungre thoughe he were so holye as euer was saynt IohnÌ„ the baptyst he shulde not fayle to be sclaundrede for a cursed lollarde / and pursued as an heretyke of these cruell enmyes But in this they bene moche worse than the hethen folkes / that trowen in theyr mawmettes for wantyng of byleue / but these haue receaued the fayth / and falsely gone therfro / and also dryuen beestly men / to pynde them in theyr poundfolde / without gostely meate and drynke / tyll they sterne for hungre But we reden the contrary of an hethen kyng for he dyed moch beter to the chyldren of Israell 4. Reg. whan the chyldren of Israell beganne to dwell in samary they dreden not the lorde / and the lorde sent amonge them lyons that slewe them / and than it was tolde to the kynge of Assyre / and sayde The folke that thou haste translated and made them to dwell in the cytees of samarye / they knowe not theyr lawfull thynges of the god of the erthe Forsothe the kynge of Assyrye commaunded / sayeng / ledeth thether one of the prestes that ye haue brought into this thraldome that ye may go and with them dwell / and teche them the lawfull thynges of the god of the erthe God graunt our christen kynges to marke well this story / that they mouen passe this hethen kynge in thys forsayde matter / than shulde lyons / that bene synnes / sone be dystroyed / yf all men had the lawe wryten in theyr hertes As the lorde sayth Ieremy .xxxi. Iere. 31. I shall gyue my lawe in the bowelles of them / and I shal wryt my lawe in the hertes of them O ye prestes ye bene moche to blame that taken from the people the lawe that god hathe wrytten hym selfe in the myddes of theyr hertes So thorowe you these foresayde lyons nowe bene commen amonge vs / that all to teren Chrystes shepe / and murtheren them to the dethe Certes ye neuer lerned thys lore in dedes of thaposteles / for thys it is wryten Acte viij Lo a clene chaste man the quenes treasourer of ynde / thoughe he weren and hethen man and had not taken the fayth / yet he rad in Esaye / syttyngr in the chayre Philip toke not away his boke / neyther he warned hym to rede therin But what than Philip declared him the prophecye / and taught him for to vnderstande it / tyl he beleued on IhuÌ„ Christ to be goddes sonne of heuen what betyde than of Philyp by styryng of the spyryte whan this maÌ„ beleued / confermed in Christes name / gaue to him the baptyme
hys prechynge so agaynwarde Antechriste is for to chase stourdy and doble men hauynge the wysdom of thys worlde for to preche his falsehede Haue we then ful faythe in our lorde Iesu with perfyte lyuynge and this Lorde throughe your prayer shal lead this warke after his owne pleasure / and brynge it to a perfyte ende to hys honour and glory / and to profyte edificacyon of his faythefull seruauntes Amen ¶ Capitulum tertium ¶ What Antecrist is in general with .vi. condycions TO speake generally yf ye demaunde me who is Antechrist I aunswere and say that he whose lyfe and doctryne is contrary to Christes IohiÌ„s 2. Nunc auteÌ„ sunt multi antechristi is an Antechrist / as seyncte IohnÌ„ said / forsothe nowe bene many Antecristes And therfore sayth seynct Austen who that lyueth contrary to Chryst is an Antechrist / be thou within or be thou without / be thou high / or be thou lowe / be thou spuÌ„all as they call it or be thou temporal / be thou riche or poore / Pope or page or of any degree thou canst rekene / yf thou lyue contrary to Christ / thou art but chafe wherof Christe speketh sayeng that the chafe shal brine with fyer that may not be quenched Maih. 3. And the soull that is but chafe shall euer suffre and neuer bye / as the prophete sayth Ysa ix Euery proude soule that ryseth in swellynge agaynst god / Ysaye 9. and euery body defouled in Glottony Lechery shal be into swellynge mete of the fyre that shall euer brenne him with most greuous payne Sex petaÌ„ contra spiritum sanctum Six synnes there be agaynst the holy goste that toke the wretched soull in to thys chafe / but for asmoche as no daunger is feared but it be fyrste knowen / therfore we shall name them vnto you in thys lytle treatice for the lernynge of the small vnderstanders Presumptio 1. The fyrste is presumpcyon / that is the bolnynge or swellynge of a proude spirite without dred of godes ryghtwysnes / and of thys synne all maner of malyce and wretchydnes taketh rote that reygneth in mankynde amonge lerned and leude / Qui non timet non poterit iustificare Ecclesiastica 15. for the wyseman sayth / that he that dredeth not can not be iustyfyed or made ryghtwyse For sothe I saye in whome thys synne of presumption hath no lordeshyp in hym the deuyll is ouercome for he that dredeth the lorde shall do good thynges and agayne but yf thou holde thy selfe continually in the drede of god thy house shal be sone tourned vpsydowne / IbideÌ„ 27. that is thy body and soull shal be tourned from god into the deuelles seruyce Disperacion 2. The seconde syn is Dysperacyon or wanhope / that is ouer lytle trust of godes mercy Seynct Austyne saythe that the drede of godes ryghtwysnes / and hope of hys mercy bene .ij. yates of lyfe / for by them we entren here into grace and after into blysse / as the prophete saythe Our Lorde is wel pleased apon them that drede hym / that trust in his mercy / and againwarde presumpcion disperacion bene .ij. yates of deth by the which me entren into sinne incoÌ„brance / after into payne of hel IohiÌ„s 2. Seyncte Iohan geueth vs lore agaiÌ„st this syn sayth My litle soÌ„nes / these thynges I wryte to you / that ye synne not in the synne of dyspayre / but yf it so be that any of you haue synned we haue an aduocate agaynste the father Iesu Chryste our iust Lorde / and he is the purchaser of mercy for our synnes / not only for ours / but for the synnes of all the worlde Iesu / is for to say a sauyour for he hathe plenty of medecyne to saue al mankynde / yf they wyll take thys medecyne and be saufe Gregorius For seyncte Gregory saythe He sleyth him selfe that wyll not kepe the byddynges of hys leche The thyrde syn is Obstinacy or hardnes of hert that wyl not be contrite for coÌ„punction / nor softe with pyte / nor moued with prayer / nor feared with thretteniÌ„ges / it settith not by betinges but vnkynde agaynste all the workes of God / vnfaythefull in councell / ferse and woode in Iugement / vnshamefast in synne / hardy in peryll a Cowarde in manhode / folehardy agaynste god / forgetfull of tyme paste neclygente in tyme presente and inprouydente for the tyme to come and shortely to saye / Bernardus 5. de 9. LincoÌ„lnÌ„ deoÌ„ 190. thys is the synne that neyther dredyth god / ne shameth man / for thys synne one LynconlnÌ„ teacheth a medecyne sayenge / that an harde hert wolde be brayed in a morter of stone with an heuy pestle thys morter is the bodye of Chryste penetrate / and wounded in hys passyon / the pestle is the drede of dampnacyon / that foloweth after the synne O thou harde harted wretche / nyghthe to the bodye of Chryste / and for drede of dampnacyon confyrme the to hys passyon c. The .iiij. synne is fynall Impenitence / that is he that wyll neuer be penitent or sorowfull for hys synne / but contynually leadeth hys lyfe after the lustes of hys fleshe / ouercommen with the deuell / the worlde and the fleshe / for no man dothe very penaunce to god / but he that fully leuyth that syn / for the whiche he suffreth penaunce / thus sayth Sayncte Austyn / but for they holden moche worshyp to blase theyr name in erth they maken a fayned shryfte to a pryste taken parte of sacramentes they buylde churches with other ornamentes / and fynde prystes to rede and synge / they releuen the poore nedy / Math. 6. NoÌ„ne ala plus est quam esca corpê° plusque vestimentum and amenden places that be peryllous / but euer more they lye harde tongeled as froste / in olde custome and synne To these vnrepentaÌ„t or impenitent persones speketh Gregory / most sharpely in hys Pastoralles vpon Mathewe / whether is not the lyfe more then mete / and the body more than cloth / here thys doctour sayth He that geueth mete or clothe to the poore nedy and is polluted or defouled in wyckednes of bodye and soule / the thynge that is moste he geueth to synne / and the thynge that is lefte he geueth to ryghtwysnes / hys goodes he geueth to god / but hym selfe to the deuel / for he settyth more pryce by worldly rychesse then he dothe by bodye and soull / and loueth moste that god loueth leste / wherfore he is tourned to hate god hathe gyuen vnto man .v. precyous gyftes / the leste of them is wordly goodes / better then these is mannes bodye that god hathe endowed with kyndely strength and graunted hym reason to vse / thys worlde hym selfe to chastyce clothe or fede / aboue these twayne is mannes soull that berythe godes image and hys lykenes Lorde
not in mē by way of power or dignite spirituall or temporall for many Princes / and high Bysshopes other of lower degree state and dignite are founden to be apostates or haue gone backe from the fayth / wherfore the churche standeth in those persons in whome is knowynge and very confessyon of fayth and trouth But for the more clere declarynge of this matter / and auoydynge of obiections that may be put forth we shall vnderstande / that ther bene .iii. churchis of the which goddes lawe ofte maketh mencyon Tres Ecclesie and moche they dyuersen eche from other / to them that taken good hede but here wytles foles bene accombred that labour not to lerne to knowe theyr dyuersytees The fyrst churche is called a lytle flocke as Chryste sayeth ☞ Prima ecclesie Luce. 12. Drede ye not my lytle flocke / hit pleaseth your father to gyue you a kyngdome / and thys churche is cleped the chosen nombre of them that shal be be saued as it is wrytten / that the sonnes of wysdome bene the churche of ryghtwysemen / Ecclesia 3. and the nacion of them is buxoume to god and louyng to hys euen christen ♣ Ephe. 5. This church is called a clene mayden as Paule sayth Chryste hath chosen hym a glorious churche hauynge neyther spot nor wemme or any suche other / Distinc 13. but that thys churche may be holy and vndefouled to thys accordeth Lyncoln̄ sayenge that holy churche of god is a chaste virgin christes glorious spouse without spot or bleyne The .iij. tyme thys churche is called chrystes spouse of thys mariage Paule beryth wytnes saynge I haue maryed you to one man that is not to an auoutrer / Corin. 10. but to a laufull man Christ Iesu / that I may present you to god / a clene chaste mayde at the day of dome / and thus we say in the dedycacyon of the materiall churche Thys day holy churche a glorious spouse is maryed to Chryst her souerayne Iohānes 6 This churche is lykened to a woman with chylde as Chryste sayeth A woman when she trauayleth she hath paynes Apo. 12. Thys churche is lykened to a woman clade in the sonne / as sayncte Iohn̄ in Thapocalips sayeth / I sawe a wounderfull syght and that was a woman clade in the sonne Thys churche is also lykened to Peters lytle bote beynge in the myddes of the see / this bote both sanke and swame Math. 14 Mar. 6. Luce. 8. But drowne myght hit neuer / so holy churche suffereth many perells / and some tyme bodely dethe by pursute of enemyes / but it shal neuer be dāpned This church is lykened to Paradyce / Eze. 30. thus sayth the prophete Cedre trees were not hygher then he in paradyse of god wher vpō saynct Austen sayth Paradyce is holy churche the .iiij. flodes ben the iiij gospelles wryten of Mathewe / Marke / Luke / and Iohan / that were fygured in lykenes of .iiij. bestes / that is a mā / a Lyon / a Calfe an Egle / for these precheden Christ the whiche is to gether / man / knyght / preste / and god / and by these .iiij. Story Allegory Morall Anagogical we ben taught in story what is done / in allegorye what we shulde beleue / in morall what we shall do / and in Anagogye what we shall hope The trees that beren fruyte / bene good lyuers here in erthe The fruytes of these trees / bene good workes of saynctes the tree of lyfe is the sayncte passynge all saynctes our lorde Iesu Chryste The tree of knowynge good and euell / is the free choyse of mannes wyll Thys is holye churche onely propred to god that serueth hym in vertue nyght and daye / but howe euer we speken in dyuers maners or lykenesse of thys holye churche / they teachen not elles / but this one name that is to saye the congregacyon or gadrynge to gether of faythefull soules / that euer more kepen faythe / and trought in worde and dede to god and man and reysen theyr lyfe in syker hope of mercy and grace and blysse / at theyr ende and helen thys buyldynge in perfyte charyte / that shall not fayle in wele ne wo / of thys spake sayncte Paule / Corinth 3. Templum enim dei sanctum est / quod estis vos to the Corintheans and in them to all other sayenge The temple of god is holy and that be ye so than by thys hit apperethe that the soull of euery faythefull of euery cristen man / is the sete and very temple of god / we le oughte than euery man to be ware and wyse that hathe the greate god lorde of Israell dwellynge in hys soull And so sayth sayncte Austen O thou christen soull a wake / and yf there by any vertue of charyte in the that susteyneth all thynges / folowe thou the steppes of thy lorde / take hede howe many thousande marters haue made asmoche playne waye to the / there haue passed before the virgynes / chylder / yonge dammeselles and maydens / and yf thou dredyste / aryse thou soule for he shall leade the / that is the waye / the trought and the lyfe / the waye that errethe not / the trought that neuer begyled / and the lyfe neuer faylynge / waye in example / troughte in promyssyon / lyfe in mede And to thys entente / Cryste lykened mannes soule to a woman with chylde / for in her trauayle she hathe stronge paynes / but whan she hathe borne the chylde into thys worlde / she hathe no mynde of her payne / for Ioye of the chylde Thus wandrythe holye churche / in erthe in prayers / fastynges / and in waylynges / in abstinens / in tribulaciōs and in anguyshe / in persecucyon / in nede and in pryson / in colde / in hungre / and in heuynes / in bondes / in fetters / great dystres / in thyrst in payne / in blame / in reproche / in sclaundre / and in shame / in pacyens / pyte / and long abydyng / in simplenes / lykenes / sighes / in wepynge / waylynge / in wo / in fortune / in sobrenes and in chastite / in spedynes in largenes / and in charite These be the gronynges of mannes soull / that longeth in harte after Chryste her spouse / tyll she haue brought forthe her selfe a chyld of god into blysse perdurable / than for the greatnes of godes rewarde / the more she suffred the more is her Ioye / for so sayth seynct Paul that the passions of this time bene as no paynes in regarde to the glory that is to come / that shal be shewed in vs for thā we shal be endowed with .iiij. doweryes in our bodyes 1. Cor. 15. Of the which seynct Paull spekyth / sayenge that the body that is sowen in corrupcyon / shall ryse without corrupcion / in this church of god at the day
great sorrowe / many after that they be entred into the knyghthode of Chryst / that is to forsake thys worlde and wilfully suffre payneful lyuynge / efte they be drowned in worldly couetous and ben wrapped / with worldly nedes and busynes / they reuen vp walles but they ben neclygent in good thewes what profytith it to haue hye temples and the walles all gylte with golde / where the spyryte of god wantethe Forsothe god hathe no delyte in suche wretched synful sectes But god wyll that our temples / the which ben our soules / to be honored with holy vertues laste to th ende in good workes The thirde reason is myghty and stronge that spryngeth with other in goddes lawe / that suche as parte them by them selfe from common lyfe of other men / shulde be algates in thys waye as strangers that ben far from home pylarymes in there pylgremage Hebre. 13. As Paule sayeth vnto thebrues we haue here no dwellynge place or cite / but we seken that is to come Lord howe dare these sectes for shame with poore mennes goodes and pyllage of lordes defende this foule apostacye agaynste theyr god holy saynctes tell the lewde people by wordes of ypocresy / that thus they do to god worshyp / and this is doble wyckednes for Bernardê° sayeth we that ben in pylgremage of thys worlde / as abiecte outcast / shulde make no waste houses for to dwel in as lordes of this worlde / but lytle cottes to serue in and sone to leue them go to blysse / Barnard we seruen in a strauÌ„ge contrey we trauelen in a straunge countre Thus sayeth Bernarde The fourthe reason and the last is full lyuely / and on this maner Godes lawe chargeth on all wyse to loue thy neybour as thy selfe / but this loue is lest made knowen by good ensample of worde and dede / in what thynges may these sectes profyte that reuersen here Christes rule / and geuen ensample to their neybour in proude and in false couetice shewen them rychest and most wordly in mete / cloth / in curious buyldynge / but thys forbedyth the doctour Bernarde whome we haue ofte rehersed / forsothe sayth he lowly houses and poore refraynen the couetyse of other / and we owen rather to meruell the greate workes of god / in the syght of heuen than in the sight of buyldyng of mannes handy worke / and moche more we shulde meruayle the great workes of god than the werkes of dedly men that duren but a whyle / Bernard all holy saynctes accordynge in thys that our churche materyall that is ordeyned for pharysshens where they come to geder shal be made with vertuous meanes and in an honest measur But on all sydes it must be flede that in thys church ther shewe no pryde nor outrage passinge the bondes of pouertye / neyther in stone timbre nor lede / neyther in glasse lyme nor playster / neyther in bell / lampe / nor lyght / neyther in chalice / boke / nor vestyment / neyther in steple seetes / nor payntynge / nor in other ornamentes that longen to thys churche And diligently thys must be kept that they bowe to pouertye to eschewe vayne glory of thys worlde / and gloryfye the crosse of god But thys worde of Christes crosse is foly to hym that shulde be dampned / that tenten to signes as commyn hoorys and lesen the vertue of theyr soules Paule coÌ„mendythe the commynge of Chryste / and the lowe mekynge in hys manhode Forsoth sayth he to the Corinthians Ye owen to knowe the grace of our lorde Iesu Chryste / for whan he was riche in all thynges he was made poore in man for vs that ye shulde be ryche in gostely thinges thoroughe this vertuous nede of Christ Christe that blameth all wanton meanes in the seruyce of hys people / wyll not authoryse it hym selfe ne defende it in hys owne house / as saynct Math. 24. Marke 13. Luce. 21. accordyng to gether in this one sentence Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Luce. 21. That when IhuÌ„ went out of the temple theyr pÌ„ized him his dyscyples for to shewe him the buyldynge therof and the curious worke in stones wenyng thus to please theyr mayster in seyng so fayre a temple But Chryste / that had an inwarde syght howe the deuelles brekynge hys lawe went a way with doleful chere and taught his discyples of thynges to come howe thys temple shulde be distroyed and bad hym beware that no man be gyle them / and sore Chryste wept vpon thys cyte for mannes buyldynge stode full stronge / both body soul that he had made to his owne dwellynge place were fall from kepynge of his lawe in to the swolowe of stynkynge synne But scrybes and phareseis were in cause of this greate myschefe as Mathewe saythe wherfore Chryste warned them as hys greatest enemyes all ther folowers to the worldes ende Christ sayth Math. 23. Mat. 23. wo to you scrybes and phareseys that clensen clene all that is outwarde / but certes within ye ben replete with muche raueyne and vnclennes / ye bylden the toumbys of holy ê“phetes wonderly honoren there graues and ye sue your fathers steppes in pursuynge of ryghtwyse bloude / and these sectes doo the same but with more malice in worde and dede O ye edders whelpes howe shall ye flee the iugement of hell / thus saythe our lorde Iesu Chryste wherto make ye shrynes to saynctes yet ye drawen hangen brenne them that holden the way of Chryst and wandren after thys holye saynctes / and you shewe not in your outwarde dedes / ye done thys slaughter in worde and wyll / as phareseys with bysshopes in the thyrde houre foriudged our lorde with there tonges / and after knyghtes after the syxte houre hanged hys bodye vpon the crosse So these sectes gone before to smyte the people with tonge / and after knyghtes of herodes house bene full redy to make an ende / but the cause of thys pursuyte ben two vycyous extremytees One is temporall possessyon the wrongefully standeth in prestes handes The othere is synnefull beggerye of myghty men / with huge byldynge of many waste places / and nedes they muste be amended by charyte of god for to saue theyr soules For tho that maynteyne these .ij. outstrayes bene full of many sclaunders by teachynge of the deuyll of hel / lest his retynewe forsake them / for than we shall fynde peace in erthe whan we kepe Christes ordenaunce / and care nought / though thou be slaundrede / and thou leade a iuste and perfyte lyfe to righten this mysse put to thyne hande / thynke what Christ behitith Marc. 8. Marc. 8. who that hathe lost hys lyfe for me and for the gospell He shall make hys soull safe in the blysse of heuen ♣ ⸫ ♣ ¶ Of good and euyll comynge to this materyall churche Capi. viii AFter thê we shal speake of two dyuerse partyes that
in his mēbers agaynst godes heftes / as the cloude in the day so marrith he mānes wites The first heft of god is this Exo. xx Math. xxij Mar. xxiij I am the lorde thy god that haue lad the out of Egipt frō the house of thraldome / before me thou shalt haue none alyen goddes / thou shal not make to the any grauen thyng / that is in heuen aboue nor in erthe beneth or of tho thynges that ben in waters vnderneth I am the lord thy god a strong Ielous louer visytyng the wyckednes of fathers vpon sonnes into the thirde fourth generacion of thē that haten me / I doynge merry into thousandes to them that louen me kepen myne heftes Agayne this cōmaūdement the fende hath leyde two snares / in them he catcheth the people that they may not scape but ether they must graūten to his wyl / or elles they shuld to prison The first is cleped obedyens that the fende chalengeth chiefly for to be done to him / or to his leef tenauntes / as to prelates or to prestes that ben his officers / asken this obedyence / what euer they cōmaūden / the symple mē obey to thē / hye low Al this world crieth loude after this obedience sayen what euer thy souerayn biddeth thou shalt obey therto Here we graūten of beleue that we owen obedyence to our soueraynes that techen vs to knowe god drede him / ye whether they that ben ministers in the spūall parte or officers in the temperalty / we must obey to them in that they obey to god / and lerne vs obedyence / for thus is wryten 1. Reg. 15. No whether wyl the lorde brent offerynges or sacryfyces / and moch better it is to take to lawe thā to offre the fatnes of rammes / for it is as the syn of wytchcrafte / to fyght agayne god / as the felony of Idolatry not to consent to goddes worde for this cause / therfore that thou hast cast awaye the worde of the lorde / the lorde hath cast the away that thou be no longer kynge And to this the wyseman accordeth and sayth Moch better is obedyence than sacryfice of fooles / for yuell folkes wote not what they done And saynct Paule teacheth an open rule of this maner of obedience with the cause of souerantye and knyttyth them both to geder Obey ye sayth he to your soueraynes vnderlowte ye to them / and the cause why / is this Forsothe they waken perfyttely as for to yelde a rekenynge for your soules yf thys cause be taken away / obedyence cessyth there also as the philosopher sayth / whan the cause cessyth / the spede therof shal also cesse But saynt Peter teacheth obedyence that we shuld done to lordes that in more larger maner than we owen to the clergy Seruauntes sayth he be ye subiectes in all drede to your temporall lordes / not only to good and easy lordes / that is to say in loue / but also to tyrantes that is to say in pacyence / but fendes lymmes faynen them to be on Chrystes syde and to do corrections after Christes wil / seyn / they aske obedyenee to amende soules whan they do thys thyng in dede that they here speken than we shal obey to them / and elles we shall answere as Peter sayde to prestes bysshopes / of the law Act. 5. It behoueth more to obey god than man Sayncte Ierom sayth Ierome Yf the prelate or the Lorde bydde any thynge that accordeth with goddes wyll / obey thou then to them / yf they bydde the contrary to god and to hys lawe than say thus / I must rather obey to the lorde of the soule / than to the lorde of the body For Christ sayth Mat. 10. Luce. 12. Math. wil ye drede them that slayne the body / forsoth they may not slee the soule / but rather drede ye hym that may slee bothe body and soule / into hell / thus I say to you drede ye him And saynt Gregory sayth This forsayd rule of obedyence shal be streytly kept In chyldren to theyr parentes In seruaūtes to theyr lordes In clerkes to ther maysters In prestes to there prelates And yf we passe this rule in doynge of obedyence / than we were vnbuxum to god / and folowers of Lucyfer The seconde trappe of the fende is clepyd pylgremage / but moch rather it shulde be sayed the outrage of fooles For pylgrimage in dewe fourme is euermore good The payntours makith an ymage forged with dyuers colours tyll it seme in foles eyen as a lyuely creature that is set in the church in a solempne place fast bounde with bondes for it shulde not fall Prestes of the temple begylen the people with the foule syn of Balaam / in there open prechynge they sayen that goddes power in wyrchyng of his miracles lowyth downe in one ymage / more than in a nother / and therfore commyth and offrith to this for here is shewed moche vertue Lorde howe dare these fēdes for drede thus blaspheme theyr god and vse the synne of Balaam that goddes lawe hath dampned Sithen Christ and his discyples forsoken this / the welthe of this worlde and lyueden a poore lyfe / as our beleue techith why gadren ye prestes rychesse with your painted ymages to make your selfe worldy ryche in spoylynge of the people / and yet ye done moche worse / and for ye and your consentours / thus doynge bene very Idolatrers / ☞ Paule as sayncte Paule sayth Corinth 1. This people sayth he sayeng them selfe to be wyse / they bene mad fooles / for they haue chaunged the glorye of god that maye not be defouled / into the lykenes of mannes image that maye be defouled And Paule saythe when they knewe the ryghtwysnes of god / they wolde not vnderstande that they that done suche thynges bene worthy of dethe / not onely the doars but also they that consenten to the yuell doers / for god saythe thou shalte neyther worshyp ne lowte them for thou shalte neyther do sacryfyce to image ne offerynge and that meaneth god when he sayth / thou shalt not worshyp them with no godly worshyp / but / yf they be paynted truly as nye as man maye to brynge to mynde as Gregory sayth the passyon of Iesu Chryste / Gregory marterdome of sayntes as lewde mennes bokes But sayncte Austen sayth vpon all wyse they haue deserued to erre that seken god not in bokes / but in paynted wowis / he also sayth thou shalt not vowe to these ymages / thou shalte not seke these ymages / thou shalt not swere by them / neyther knele to them ne kysse thē / neyther put fayth / ne Hope / ne truste in one ymage / more than in another / and thus menyth god whan he saythe thou shalt not loute them But true pylgrymage is done on .vj. maners Fyrst we ben pilgrimmes when
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
Howe do ye Prestes parfourme Chrystes hestes and the aposteles lore that stoppen trewe christen men from workes of theyr christendome The aposteles vsed not that maner whan they went aboute to the temple and to mennes houses prechynge and teachyng both to Iewes and to the hethen men the lawes of Iesu Chryste Act. 5. Forsothe eche day in the temple and aboute houses / they cessed not prechynge and techynge Iesu Chryste The syxte cōmaundement of god is this Exo. xx Thou shalt do no Lechery / neyther with thyne eye / in lecherous lokynge / neyther with thyne hert in lusty thynkynge / neyther with thy body in dede doynge And thys synne is forboden In sengle In wedded / and in wedowes Of the fyrst spekyth saynt Austen and saith An vnchast eye is the messanger of an vnchast herte Of the seconde spekyth Christ in his gospll Math. 5. Math. 5. who that hath seen a woman to do his lust with her / anone he hath done lechery with her in hys herte In this techyth Chryste howe the rote of synne spryngeth from the herte Of the thyrde spekyth Paule Ephe. 5. Forsoth knowe ye this vnderstandynge that neyther fornycatour neyther vnclene fylthy / neyther auarous wrethe that is seruage of ydoles / hath herytage in the realme of Christ and god Howe euer thou lust to trete the members of thy body agayne the reason of thy soule / thā thou arte a lecherour / and therfore shulde bothe man and woman lerne to kepe theyr body in clennes and in vertue to the worshyp of theyr god / and not in foule brennynge desyres as folkes that knowen no reason And saynt Austen sayth Austen God hath geuen to the power by the holy gost that thou holde thy mēbers from passyng of reason / lust rysyth / holde thou thy mēbers nyll thou geue thy mēbers / armour of wyckednes to syn / arme thou not thyne aduersary agaynst the to thyne owne harme holde thy fete that they go not to vnlawful thynges / luste hath rysen / witholde thou thy members / holde thyne hādes from al felony withold thyn eyen / that they tende not to yuell witholde thyne eares that they here not the tales of lecherye / witholde all thy body / holde thy sydes holde hye / holde lowe / what can lust do Ryse it can ouer come it can not Agaynste this commaundement the fende in his mēbers holdeth a courte as he saith of holy church lawe from one weke to a nother / for to correcte synners / and ther they clepen by name the lecherour his feere / that ledyth theyr lyfe in horedome to ioyne thē to theyr penaunce That is to walke thre market dayes aboute the cōmen market / bareheded in theyr shertes / without hosen and shoen / and other thre sondayes aboute theyr paryssh church with a taper in theyr hande of a pounde of waxe and go before the parysshe preste to beten them with a yerde / also standynge on theyr fete tyll masse besayde / and than offre thre candeles to the hye aulter The sumner is full busye in all this meane tyme / to rowne in theyr eares byd them aske grace / for ye shal haue better grace / do by my coūseyl / pay downe money from your purses to my lorde / ye shall fynde him gracious to relese your penaūce Than they take their leue both / whā they ben taxed to cōtynue styl in theyr horedome / as they deden tosore / ye tyll theyr deth day so that this rent be payd Certes this is a cursed syn that our bysshopes vsen for to maynteyne lecherours in theyr owne howses and maken them theyr ordenaryes that letten syn to great hyre for theyr lordes almes Here ye what god saythe to you Ezech. xliiij Suffoce they to you / house of Israell / all your greate felonyes / that ye vsen amonge you by cause that ye brynge in alyen sonnes vncircumsysed in herte / and in theyr flesshe also / that they bene in my sentwary / and defoule myne house / and ye offren my loues / my blode / and my grece / but ye vndo my couenaunte in all your foule felonyes / and ye haue not kepte in dede the byddynge of my saynctwary / but ye haue sette the wardeyns of my seyntwarye and obseruauntes to your owne auauntages these thynges sayth the lorde god Thys is thē morall wyte of this forsayde sētence hye prelates of the churche shullen thynke theron / of theyr owne great synnes to gyue a rekenynge afore god at domesday / and they wolde well auyse them though they dyd not sacre to the order of presthode vnclene men in body and soule that seke to be prestes neyther in vertue / neyther in spirite / but for to lyue in lustes / these polluten Christes churche / his flesshe / and his blode / causen why that goddes lawe is taken for theyr false courte / not christen lawe but cursed lawe / is holde amonge the people This was not theyr couenaunt at one dayes tyme whan they hyghten fayth and trouth to sue Christes steppes and kepe his byddynges in them selfe / and also to teche them to othere men / but nowe they setten ordynaryes for theyr wordly profytes that hepen their purse with money of many foulde synnes / but the soules that god chargyth thē with to haue cure on / and brynge them to the blysse of heuen as shepe vnto the folde / they chare not whether they synke or swymme / so they may reygne as lordes Thus ben all thre estates enfected with Lecherye / from the lewde man vnto the clerke none amende other / therfore the lorde sayth Ieremy 5. I haue fed them and they haue done lechery / they haue ben horeles / Iere. 5. in the cōmen bordle house They ben as fiers on women / as horses ben on mares / and they ben made stalowens that seruen for that office / eche man waxyth wode after hys neybours wyfe vpon these thynges I shall vysyte saythe the lorde god / vpon these folke I shall venge my wyll / sayth the lorde god The .vij. cōmaundement of god is this Exo. xx Thou shalt do no thefte / neyther Knyghtes by tyranny / neyther prestes by ypocresy / neyther cōmyns by stelthe or robbery Of the fyrste it is wryten Ysay 1. Thy prynces ben vnfaythfull / and felowes of theues / al they that louen gyftes they folowen rewardynges / they deme not ryghtfull dome to the moderles chylde / the cause of the wedowe entryth not to them Of the seconde spekyth Christ in his gospell .x. Io. 10. He that entryth not by the doore into the folde of shepe / but commyth in a nother way / he is a nyght these / and a day these / this is expounded in the thyrde cōmaundement Paule Of the thyrde spekyth Paule Ephe. 4. He that stale / stele he nomore / rather trauayle eche worchynge with hys handes that thynge
that is good / that we may haue wherof to dele to him that suffryth nede Lorde yf they shulde be dampned as the gospel sayth Luc. xvi that spenden not the true goten goodes after the fourme of Christes techynge wher shall they than be punysshrd that wasten theyr owne / or hyden theyr owne / falsely stelen other mennes Saynt Paule sayth 1. Corynt â— Theues shall not possesse the realme of heuen / and in this be contayned the threfolde stelynges / but sythen that god hath ordeyned al thyng in numbre weyght / and mesure / as the wyseman sayth who that falsyth any of these thre / or falsely vseth them he is a thefe and worthy payne as the wyseman sayth Prouerb .xi. A trecherous or a false balance is abhomynacyon enemptyst god / an euen weyght is the lordes wyll as it is sayd Leuitic xix wyll thou do any thynge vneuinly in any of these foure / In dome / In rule / In weyght / In mesure Loke thy balance be iuste / and thy weyghte euen Loke thy busshell be iuste / and thy measur euen / I am your lorde god Agaynst this coÌ„maundement the fende with his cautyles hath whyled into the church many straunge theues that done stele bothe nyght and day yet they ben not hanged / but god hath ordeyned for them galowes in hell / they that ben ons hanged theer / shal neuer be delyuered / but they that hangen on maÌ„nes galowes by iugemeÌ„t of this world / oftyn by this shameful deth by very repentaunce ben saued from endeles payne and so was the thefe that hanged on Chrystes ryght syde in tyme of his passyon / but they that fallen bacwardes and mowen not se theyr fall / they hangen on Christes lefte syde in peryll of theyr soull / from whom Christ tourneth / hys gracious face As the prophete sayth / spekynge by the mouth of Chryst to these forsayd theues Isay .lix. Your wyckednes hath made a deuorce betwyxt the lorde and you / your synnes haue hyd away from you his gracious face / that he shulde not here you whan ye cryen vpon hym Forsothe your handes ben ful of blode / your fyngers bene ful of syn Your lyppes haue spoken lesynges and your tounge spekyth wyckednes / the face of god is take here for his grace in mannes mynde in another place it is taken for Christes incarnacyon / and in another place it is taken for the glory of god in hys euerlastynge maiestye / and these thre ben tourned away from these forsayde spoylours / and the cause why / the ê“phete sayth Bene these two thynges theyr handes and theyr fyngers ben ful of bloude and wyckednes vpon this sayth parisiens who that hath eyther by thefte or robberye / eyther by streynght or tyranny / eyther by fraude or gyle as ypocresye tho thynges of whiche the poore owed to be nourysshed he hathe his handes polluted in poore mennes blode And who that clokyth hym with such goddes or fedyth him with suche goddes / or reryth vp buyldyng with such goddes than is he clad in poore mennes bloude / than is he fed with poore mennes bloude / than groundeth he hys buyldynge on poore mennes bloude Some men sayen it is no synne to take what men wyll gyue them Some sayen they woll spende theyr goodes there they haue moste deuocyon Some mortesyn / howse lande / water and wode into ded handes To you we aske this questyon what profyteth the hande without the fyngers / or the fyngers without the hande Yf we may say that eyther of them may wyrche hys werke without other to maÌ„nes ê“fyte / than may ye say the deuocyon may ê“fyt without discretion elles not / for thus it is wryten Cant. 5. Myne handes haue dropped myrre / my fyngers most ê“ued myrre / these ben the wordes of a true soul VpoÌ„ this sayth saynt Bernarde DeuocyoÌ„ wtout discrecion lyeth voyde doth no good descrecyoÌ„ wtout deuocion throwyth downe hedelyng he is blessed that waÌ„tith neither of these loke what it ê“fytith to haue Christ in manhode wtout his godhede / or to haue a body without a soule or to haue fayth in word without any dede / or to haue letter wtout any vnderstaÌ„ding or to haue a lampe without oyle / so ê“fiteth deuocion with out discrecion Some men yet besy theÌ„ to mainteyne this thefte sayen / these meÌ„ that ye marken ben deuoute prayers / good prechours / algates among them god is fayre serued As to theyr prechynge Christe answeryth and sayth Math. 7. Luc. 12. Many shal come to Christ / say to hym in the day of dome Lorde / Lorde / haue we not preched in thy name Saint Austen sayth The lorde shall not deny this For who so euer the precher be / a deuoute herer may wyn hym mede But Christ shall knowlege to them and say / for I knowe you neuer / that is to say I approued neuer your werkes / go ye from me all ye that wroken wyckednes / and as to theyr prayers saynt Austen sayth in a boke that he made of monkes lyfe It ê“fitith not to pray / lete the land lyg lay as to theyr fayre seruice / as it is said afore god is now here faire seruid / but ther as his law is fayre kept but in these .iii. they disceyuen the people of ther beleue / robben theÌ„ of ther vertue / also spoylen theÌ„ of theyr goodes as it is wryten Miche 4. These thynges sayth the lorde god vpon prechours that disceyuen my people as with theyr prechynge that byten with theyr tethe / as for theyr prayenge / and prechen peace / as for theyr fayre seruynge / who that wol not geue somwhat to the mouthe of theÌ„ they halowen batayle vpon hym / therfore the lorde sayth Nyght shal be to you for your vysyon / and derkenesse for your dyuynacyon These woll be meke without dyspyte / poore without defaute / well clade without besynes / delycately fed without trauayle / whyly flatterers to theÌ„ that they begylen yuyl whyly traytours to them that they haten / hastye pursuers of them that they sclaunderen sore byters as dogges / dysceytefull as foxes / proude as lyons / enuyous as adders / without forth as shepe / within as rauysshynge wolues / they woll be iuges without authoryty / and at the last false accusers / and wastynge all vertue / therfore the wyseman sayth Prouerb 6. That the lorde both hatith loueth them that soweth dyscorde amonge neybours These ypocrytes wyll not fuffre any darte of coreccyon to thrylle them / but in eche syn that they done / they leyen forth the bokeler of proude defence / and whan any of them is blamed of his wyckednes / he wyll not thinke anone how / he may amende it but he spekyth besyly helpe howe he may defende it The viij coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of god is this Exo. xx
/ it floryssheth / whan it is brysed downe / it growyth whan it is dyspysed it profyteth / whan it is hurte / it ouercommyth / whan it is blamed / it shyneth / and then it staÌ„deth most strongly whan it semyth in mannes eye to be ouercommen Thys churche is a trewe soule / as we haue sayde afore / some that ben tendre feble for to suffre cryen with abachuc / and sayen to god Lorde howe longe shal I crye / and thou shalt not here me Lorde tyll whan shall I call vpon the thus suffrynge stronge trybulacyon / and thou shalt not make me saufe why haste thou shewed me wyckednes and traueyle / and suffrest thefte agaynste me and vnryghtwysnesse why beholdeste thou these dyspysers / and arte styll the wycked man defoulynge him that iuster than he Saynte Ierome saythe in hys prologe / that these bene the wordes of mannes impacyence / and settyth an ensample of a sycke man swellynge in the feuers and askynge colde water sayenge to hys leche / I suffre wo / I am all to tourmentyd / I am full nye dede / howe longe shall I crye leche and thou shalt not here me The wytty and the moste mercyfull leche answeryth to him / I wote in what tyme it behouith me to gyue to the that thou askyst / I haue no ruthe on the nowe / for thys mercy were cruelty and thyne owne wyl makyth agaynst the. Also our lorde god knowynge the weyght and the measure of hys mercye / sometyme he heryth not the cryer anone / that he maye proue and more stere hym to praye / and as examyned by the fyre / that he maye make hys seruaunte bothe iuster / and purer / to receyue grace / and mede ☞ ♣ ☜ ¶ What is the fendes church with her propertyes The .xiii. chapytre TO speke of the thyrde churhe enpropryed to the deuyll the whiche is the nombre of them that bene encombryd to serue hym after hys tysynge agaynst goddes hestes Fyrste we shall take our grounde of the prophete Psalmo 28. I haue hated the church of malygners These bene they that strayen away after theyr owne desyers / walkynge in the waye that ledyth them to hell / neyther they wylbe gouerned by law ne by grace / neyther they wyl for drede ne loue cesse and go from synne / bycause thys worlde is full of lustes and proferryth hys louers a ioye sone passynge / but they that traueylen after blysse here they suffren payne / therfore fooles withouten nombre ioyen with thys worlde / as Chryste saythe in hys gospell Mathewe 7. Entre ye by the strayte gate / for large is the gate and brode is the waye that ledythe to dampnacyon / and many entren therin But O lorde howe paynfull is the gate / and streyt is the way / that ledyth to lyfe / and fewe theyr bene that fynden it For saynt Iohan sayth All the worlde / that is / all tho meÌ„ and women that ben ouercome with this worlde / ben set in malyce / that is brennyng in the fyre of foule couetyse / for all thyng that is in this worlde / eyther it is the couetyse of eyen / other elles it is the couetyse of the flesshe / or elles it is the pryde of thys lyfe / and therfore thys churche is grounded vpon the deuyl in the grauel of false couetyse As Paule sayth The roote of all euylles is couetyse / the which some desyrynge haue erryd from trewe byleue / and haue ioyned them selfe to many sorowes / the rerynge vp of this church is in glotony / and lechery as the wyseman sayth rehersyng the wordes of them that shal be dampned Go we saye the fendes lymmes fyll vs with precyous wyne and oyntementes / and suffre we not the flowre of our fayre bewty to passe awaye from vs / crowne we vs with rosys of iolyte or that they walken away / there may be no medowe but yf our lechery passe therby / none of vs may be lotles / of our lechery / euery where leue we tokyns of our gladnesse The helynge of thys churche / is pryde and hyenes of life / as the prophete sayth Psal 36. I haue seen the vnpetyous / the wycked man enhaunsed vp lyfted as the cedres trees of Lyban / and they bene the hyest trees of the worlde / but as smoke ryseth sodynly / and sone vanyssheth to nought so they proude ben praysed for a tyme / and than they fallen away / and we weten not wher they become / of the busynes and occupacion that dwellers of this church vsen / spekyth the prophete Nyght day wyckednesse shal compasse aboute thys churche vpon theyr walles / and trauayle in myddes of it / and vnryghtwysnes Okyr Iuglynge / and Trechery / hath not stynted in the wayes of her Of thys church with his maner of buyldyng spekyth Christe in his gospell Math. 7. Luc. 6. who that heryth my wordes and dothe them not / is lyke a folysh man that hath buylde his house vpon the grauell of couetyse and mysbeleue / and rayne of glotony and lechery came downe on this churche / and ferly thys forsayd synnes fallen in to this church and dryuen it downe / and the fall of her was great for she fell from grace and glory to payne mischefe without ende / as saynt Austen sayth For soth that is not the body of the lorde / that shall not be with him withouten ende / for ypocrytes ben not sayde to be with hym though they bene seen to be in his church Certes the deuyl is hed of all wycked / whiche ben on some maner / hys body / to go with them in to the tourment of euerlastynge fyre / for whan they token baptysme they hyghten fayth trouth to kepe goddes coÌ„maundementes / as the ê“phete saythe spekynge in the parson of the generall churche Psal 118. Lorde I haue sworne and ordeyned to kepe thy commaundementes / and vpon this couenaunt Christe toke him to his mariage / with the ryng of stedfast fayth he sacred the holy spousayle / but nowe they leue this chast loue our lord Ihâ—… Chryste / in brekynge of this couenaunt / and haue chosen an hore mayster the fende that is a spouse breker and lyggeth in auoutre with her like spoyles For saint IohnÌ„ Chrisostome saith Forsothe euery soule it is Chrystes spouse / or elles it is an aduoulteresse of the deuyl for Christ and the deuyll may in nowise rest to geder in the bed of mannes soule / for they ben so contrary that what so euer the one byddyth / that the other forbyddeth Christ sekyth saluacion / the fende dampnacyon / Christe loueth vertue / the fende loueth synne / Christ gatheryth to geder / and the fende scateryth abrode And Paule saith ii Corinth what pertycypacion is ther of ryght wysnes with wyckednes what felowshyp is there of lyght with darkenes what coÌ„munyon is there of Christ with bely al or what