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
this is not in maÌ„nes lawe that may geue this power Than is this afoule sclauÌ„dre of these wayward fooles that thus studyen in maÌ„nes lawe / and if it were the / and therfore suche frowarde thoughtes departen their soule from god Of al those spekith Ieremy / and sayth of them full sharpely From the leaste vnto the moste all studyen vnto couetyse that is to vnderstande of them that ben in the fendes churche / ferre from the preacher all worke gyfe / therfore they shullen fal amonge them that fallen / they shall fall in tyme of vysitacyon sayth the lorde god God rehersyth thys sentence agayne / for we shulde take hede therto But for they wol not amende their studyes / and tourne theyr thoughtes to god Therfore god wyssheth them wo / and saythe this by the prophete Mycheas wo to you that thynke the thyng that is vnprofytable and wurchen euyl in your studyes In the morowe lyght / Peacemakers in Christes churche mouen men to reste / that Christ behyte to his dyscyples whan he was amonge them Io. 14. IohiÌ„s xiiij My peace sayth Chryste I geue you / my peace I leue with you His peace he lefte with vs whan he wente to heuen / his peace he shal geue vs / whaÌ„ the world shall haue his ende / hys peace he betoke vs / to helpe vs in this world / his peace he grauÌ„ted to vs / to solace vs in blisse / he hath left vs his peace to be our trusty clothyng / for if we be clade therin / we shal ouercome our enemyes he shal graunt vs his peace / we shal be suer to reigne without ende / without any enemyes / he hath left vs his peace / that we deme not falsely of our neyghboure in thynges that ben vncertayne / he shall geue to vs hys peace / whan he shall make open the preuytees of mannes herte / and than shal be praysynge to euery man of hys god / after he hathe deserued Chryste hath lefte amonge vs peace / that we shulde loue togeder / hatynge synne and louynge vertue / for thus he loued vs / for there is no charyte / but yf synne be hated rented vp by the rootes in vs and in all other / than shall Chryste geue vs full peace / where we may neuer dyscorde Thus sayth sayncte Austyn vpon the same gospell / that is afore rehersed Nowe grounde we it in our mynde / these Peacemakers for they wold haue thys very peace among them standen armed at all pecys for dreade of theyr enemyes / in the armour of Iesu Chryst That saynct Paule techeth to the Ephesyans / in the syxth chapiter / wher he rehersyth syxe armours that armen the soule / fyue for to defende / with the syxt for to assayle The fyrste is a gerdle of chastite / therby may we knowe that Paule vsyth the wyt of the soule / leueth bodyly armour This gerdle gerdeth vp in theyr hynden saueth chastyte peace / the body froÌ„ Lechery in these thre degrees In maydens / it kepyth virginite / in wedded trew matrimonye / in wydowes coÌ„tynence / that is froÌ„ bodyly vncleÌ„nes Take ye this gerdle in goddes name / that ye may standen ê“fyte in the peace of your soul agayne al flesshely stirrynges The seconde armoure is an haberyon of ryghtwysnes that is thykke mayled for falshoode shulde not entre for to greue god or man / or trouble thys trewe peace The thyrde Armoure is a legge harneys and shoynge of affectyons in the gospel of Iesu Chryst / and than they ben dysposed to make peace amonge men / not as the worlde askyth / but that they stonde sure and perfytely in all aduersyte with Chryst and hys gospel / to the deth day The fourth armour is a shelde of fayth in which they shullen quench al the fendes brenning darth / that ben his temtacyons Certes there may no dedly dyntes stele in that man that hath the shelde of trewe beleue hangynge in his herte Therfore he ledyth hys lyfe in peace and quarte froÌ„ al gostely syckenes The fyfte armoure of the soule is an helme of helthe that is cleped trusty hope / for it berethe of strokes that the fende throwith at maÌ„nes soule with two dispicious gynnes THe one is obstynacyon or hardenes of herte The other is desperacyon or elles wanhope But who that hathe the helme of hope / thoughe strokes lyghten on them they shall in no wyse braste this palet ne synke into the soule / therfore he lyuethe peacebly in hope of goddes mercy The syxt armoure of goddes knyghtes with whiche they done assaile / is the swerde of the spirite that is goddes worde / with this swerde Iudith the wedowe smote Holofernes / and cut his heed from the body in sauynge of her people And in this swerde IhuÌ„ Christe assayled the fende of hell whan Christ said Go Sathanas / anon he fled away For thys swerde is full sharpe and byteth on bothe sydes / for it partyth at one stroke the soule and body a sondre / and it departyth in this lyfe vertue from synne / and it shal departe at domesday the good from the yuel / in this swerde kynge Solomon gaue true iugemente and dyuyded truthe from the falshode God geue vs grace to take thys swerde of kynge Salomon with Iudyth / and with Iesu Chryste / and than theyr is no doute / for al that taken this swerde and stande on this armour / Christ our captayne blessyth them and clepyth them hys chyldren Mat. 5. Math. 5. Blessed be al these peace makers sayth Christ for they shal be cleped the sonnes of god And efte Christ sayth Loue ye your enemyes / do ye well to them that haten you / and pray ye for your pursuers and your sclaunderers that ye may be the sonnes of your father that is in heuen But peace makers in the fendes church confedre them to geder in a false peace / after the maner of this worlde / that Christes gospel dampneth / where he sayth I came not to maynteyne vicious peace But to sende a sharpe swerde to smyte synne from mannes soule / and this these synnefull wretches throwen vnder fete / faith / trouth / rightwysnes they counten at no price for they ouer leden the couÌ„tre after theyr owne lust Therfore the prophete Dauid sorowith on this myscheue I haue saythe he sorowed on wycked men / seynge the peace of synners / but Prestes and knyghtes of this some ben moste to blame Prestes Prestes that shulde be gostely leches and reconsyle the people by good counseyle to theyr god and hele them with hys lawe / what with couetyse and many flesshly lustes these prestes ben so blynded that they knowe no wysedome / for Iob askynge this question Iob. wher wysdome may be fouÌ„de anon he answeryth with the spirite of god / Gregory not in the londe of lusty lyuers And vpon thys saythe Gregory
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
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
what proffyt were it to wyn thys worlde / and brynge thy soull vnto dampnacyon / and the body is a lothesume careyn when the soule is departed therfrom But godes grace passeth these .iij. for where hys grace fayleth / no wysdome auayleth Loke well that these thynges be not myspente / nether worke thou any of them besydes theyr ordre / but that the streynght all to one ende to wyn vnto the promyse and gyfte of god that is the blesse perdurable Romanos 1 An dinitias bonitatis c. But howe thou tournest thys ordre vpsydowne Seynte Poule asketh a questyon of the. whether dyspisest thou the ryches of the goodnes of god and patience / and longe abydyng of thy god Knowest thou nat that the goodnes of god ledyth the or dryuith the to penaunce truly after thyne hardnes and thyne vnrepentaunt herte / thou treasourest to the wrathe in the daye of wrathe / and reuelacyon of the ryghtwyse iugement of god / that shall yelde to eche man after hys workes The .v. synne is Enuy agaynste thy brothers grace as when thy neyghbour is wyse well gouerned / praysed or borne vp / ryche welthy stronge / fayre or vertuous in great abundaunce of grace / then thys enuyous man sklaundreth / vpbreydeth / repreueth / dispyseth / hatith / hindreth / scorneth pursueth / to defoule his brothers grace / Prouerbiocum 14. as moche as he may / as the wysmē sayth A man walkynge in the hygh waye and dredynge the Lorde / is dyspysed of hym that walketh in the wronge way / whan Iesu Christ had cast out a deuel from a man that was dombe as it is wrytten in the gospeles of Math. xij Mar. iij. Math. 12. Marci 3. Luce. 11. Luce. xj Anone thys man began to speke to puplysshe thys myracle amonge the people Than the Scrybes and Pharysees enuyous sectes / that were a false religyon sclaundred Chryste saynge that he dyd thys myracle in Belzebub prynce of deuelles Belzabub is to say a god of Flyes / or elles a god that maketh dyscorde Lorde sythen they durst saye thys of Chryste / hed of al mannes soull / howe moche warse yf warse may be shall they auenture to saye of hys poore seruauntes prechers the truth of hys lawe / but Prelates and Fryers in these dayes ben accombred with thys synne agaynste the holy goste / and shamefully sclaundren / her symple brether / the trauaylen through Christes holy lawe to cast yuel maners from theyr soules prechynge the gospell to Chrystes intente / to tourne the people to vertuous lyuyng / they say Thys man hathe eaten a flye / that geueth hym lore of godes lawe / thys is more foly to eate a flye then be a god and chase these flyes / thus haue they brought theyr malice aboute / to sclaūder for heretyckes that speke of god so dryue they the people from the fayth that they dare not wyrche ne speke for sclaundre But truly they be not wordye Chryste that feare barkynges of these houndes for none is worthy to be with his Lorde / that shameth his seruyce in well or in woo / and suche men shewe them selfes traytours to god / that with theyr deuelysshe lāgage defamen theyr brethern / and sayenge / that the fende may and wyll make wyse hys members that serue hym in synne but so wyll not Christ hys beloued seruauntes that lyuen in clennes to serue hym in vertue O I praye the who harde euer a fouler blasphemy / certaynly thys dyspyte stretched into the godhede / to be ponysshed in the daye of iugemente / for goddes lawe teachethe / forbede hym not that can doo well / but yf thou mayst doo well / doo it The preste shulde not be letted to preache the truth / neyther the people to speke of theyr beleue as it is taught in the booke of Numeri vi Numer 11. where it is wrytten that Heldad and Medad prophesyed / al be it that they were not lycenced by Moyses Iosue the Duke and minister of Moyses / grutched agaynst these men / and complayned on them to Moyses And Moyses sayde to Iosue why arte thou so enuyous towardes me / who may lete or withdrawe that all the people prophecye / if god gyue them hys spyrite This maner of doynge is also confyrmed in the gospel of our lorde Iesu Chryste Seynte Iohn̄ the Euaungelyste complayned / to Chryste sayenge Master we haue seen a man / castynge out deuelles in thy name that foloweth not vs / and we haue forbydden hym Alas se then howe dare our bysshhopes for shame offende agaynste these both godes lawes / and doke theyr prestes on euery syde / geuynge them charge on payne to do pryue thē theyr offyce / that they preach not the treuth But after the bely fasshyon And Seyncte Ierom cōmendyth in prestehode prechynge the gospel blessyng the people before the sayeng of masse Dist 56. 1. Corin. 1. Non me mi sit christus baptizare sed euangelizare And Seynct Paull sayth / that Christ sent hym to preche not to baptyse So by this it apereth that prechynge the gospel is the hyghest feruyce that may be done to god But here the enemyes of trouth obiecten and leyen / for thē this text of Seynct Paule How shall they preche / but yf they bene sente with thys texte they blynden moche people cuttynge the sentens frome the wordes Ro. 10 Quomodopredicabūt nisi mittantur For Poull meanethe that prestes shulde preache For they be sente bothe of god and of the bysshopes for to do that offyce / as the Mayster of the sentence sayeth in hys .iiij. boke / and the .iiij. and .x. Distinctyon It is thoffyce of a deken to preche the gospell / then by the more stronger reason it apperteineth to a preste For Seincte Ierom and Seyncte Bede accorden together sayenge ryght as thapposteles is the forme of bysshops / so in .lxxij. discyples is the fourme of prestes But Chryste gaue charge / bothe to these / bysshopes / and also to these prestes sayenge Math. 10. Ecce ego mitto vos Lo I sende you as shepe amonge wolues And Christe Iesu assygnynge .lxxij. dysciples / sent ◅em to preche Howe shall these bysshopes maynteyne these constitucyons agaynste god and holy saynctes Luce. 10. Designauit 72. et misit c. It shal be more sufferable to Sodom and Gōmer / than to thys people that thus dyscorden godes ordenaunces The syxt synne / is fyghtynge agaynste treuth that man knowith that is as when trouthe is tolde to the gyltye / that is not dysposed to be amended / then he maketh blynde and vngrounded reasons with sutle sophisticall damnynge / the truth agaynst hys owne conscyens / with a bolde face hauynge no shame / as the prophete Ieremie sayth Ieremie 3. Frons mulieris meretricis facta est tibi no luisti erubes cere c. The face of an harlot is made vnto
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
comen to gether to thys churche bothe of good and yll Fyrst we taken for our grounde Christes holy gospell where he spekythe in a parable to his owne dyscyples Math. 13. Math. 13. The realme of heuen is lyke to a net that is sent in to the see gatherith to geder of al the kynde of dyuerse fysshes / and whan thys net was full of fysshes the fysshers drewe it to the lande they syttynge besyde the see brynke / chose the good into theyr vesselles / the yuell they sente out and kept them agayne in the see This parable is thus to meane after the wyt of IhuÌ„ Christ Seconde churche here in erthe is lyke to a net senden into the see for as the see ebbith and floweth So thys churche nowe ryseth and falleth to prayse / for as the tempestes of the see ben hydeous perylous for the nette ☞ Pryde ☞ So Pryde that wauith in thys worlde is full noyous to Chrystes church Of beawty of fortune / of goodes / of grace / all day men bolnen in hyenes of herte ☞ Enuye ☞ The see water is full bytter and full frowysshe in the castynge / and thys worlde is full of enuy that is full bytter for to tast with hate as the soote that none vnnyth can acorde with other / and ouer the see cometh greuous stormes with pyryes that greuen sore ☞ And in thys worlde ryseth wrath with anger of herte that doth moche tene / ♣ wrathe in the see no grasse may growe neyther as farre as it maye flowe / but it wastyth all the grounde maketh it naked without fruyte ☞ And in this worlde is vicious slowthe that stroyeth vertues in body and soule / Slowthe and maketh man foltyd in hys wyttes in euery parte where so euer he streche the see ay purchaseth with his waues / wynnith of grounde that he neghith / and is not apayed of the termes that god hathe sette yf it myght scape ☞ And in this worlde is couetyse of them that purchasyn with wrong theyr neyboures grouÌ„de catteles with sleyght cautyls of maÌ„nes lawe Couetyse Thus they wynnen more and more / and wyll not wysely spende theyr owne / neyther thanke god in due fourme tyll they be caught in the fendes snare The see belchith vp moche fylthe and castyth from it moche corrupcyon / and that is full abhomynable and lothely to loke vpon ☞ And in thys worlde is lechery that defouleth body and soull / ♣ Lechery it tourneth the precyous temple of god into the lodge of grysely deuylles / the people that haunteth this wretched syn ben maden as bestes without lawe / and in thys bestely coÌ„dicyon they fyghten as bestes without reason / there they walken and twynen away all lothsumly to god and man The see fell sythes with his great tempestes drowneth man and also vesselles / loseth them or they come to londe ☞ ♣ ☜ Glotony ☞ And in thys worlde is glotony that drowneth the wyttes of the people tyll that they be vnreasonable can not knowe when they haue wronge Certes excesse of meate and drynke sleyth many mo than dothe the swerde For in diuers meates drynkes gredyly taken at meales is none heale but sickenes / as the wyse man sayth / both body and soul / we must espye to fle these perelles that ben in thys greuous see / and draw this net in water of wisdome by vertuous lyuynge to the hauen of helth with cordes that ben of very mekenes / with pacience / and with long abydyng / saylynge with loue charyte in holy spede good occupacyon / largynge our handes iÌ„ dedes of mercy pyte that poore nedy may be our bedmen / ledyng our lyfe in discrete measure / in what that we shall take or leue / clad in clennes chastite Math. 28. Ero vobisâ—…m vsquamâ—…d coÌ„suÌ„maâ—ionem secuâ— And than shal Christ be al our comforte where euer we be by londe or water as he hathe grouÌ„ded by his gospel Mat. 28. sayeng I shal be with you in wele wo / tyl this world be brought to an ende The fysshes swymmen in this water be al the people that be in this world both good yuell in euery degree / of eche state or dignyte But as the great fysshes eaten the smale so mightty ryche men of this world deuouren the poore vnto the bare bone eatynge the morselles that the best lyketh / as the wyse man sayth Eccle. â—3 The huntyng or the pray of the lyon is the fylde as in wyldernesse / so the fedynge of rychemen ben poore nedy And when the sonne shyneth warme in a mery season the great fysshes drawen nyghe the ayre / dryuen downe the small / and yf ther come any hayle / storme or any colde weder these great fysshes fallen to ground / and putten aboue the smal So whan ryche meÌ„ seen any worldly wynnyg they rysen hye aboue the clowdes in vauntyng of theyr riches / and also lacken the symple coÌ„myns seye that they may not paye / wherfore do they entermete them / they ben but very beggers / but whan there coÌ„ a charge to the countre / as taxis or any other paymeÌ„t / than the ryche man fallyth downe and fayneth hym selfe nedy / and magnifyeth the poore man that wonneth besyde them sayenge / he is a preuy man / and hydeth moche ryches And thus sayth almyghty god by the prophete Abacuc 1. The ê“phete sayth iÌ„ spirite how ryche eÌ„m wasten the poore nedy / he taketh the voyce of great mone maketh his mournyng to hys god Lorde what shalte suffre men to be made as fysshes that swymmen in the see / as they were crepyng bestes that haue no leder here in erthe / and iugement is made the crueller / agaynseyng the mightyer / wherfore the law is al to torne / and iugement commeth to no perfyt ende / for nought hathe the wycked wretche myght / to ouercome the wyse man / and therfore passeth forth amonge mankynde weywarde iugemente that distroyeth peace / but for that fysshes ben ryght quyuour and quycke in plenty of the water / dreden not the hydeous waues / whether they rysen hye or low In this place they shal be taken as to syanyfye the true beleue of mannes herte And to thys wytte spekith Christe in hys gospell and steryth vs to pray Luce. 11. Luce. 11. For sothe sayth Christ which of you asketh my father a fysshe / whether nowe shall he geue them for a fysshe an adder nay playnly Chrisostome sayth vpon this texte / that this fysshe is mannes fayth / and after this we shulde pray to our father that is in heuen that he wold stable vs in true beleue and in the articles therto / for than we shal be dysposed in the water of tribulacyon to do and suffre as pleasith god ioyenge for this beleue / and though
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
wete ye welye vycyous prestes that gone from the lorde in vycyous lyuynge and wyll not folowe hys holy steppes but tarynge them from day to day / therfore your prayers ben dispysed as Christ sayth that can not lye Mat. 24. Mat. 24. wo to you scribes and pharyses ypocrites that eaten the houses of wedowes by longe prayers for thys thynge ye shulde take the larger iugement Vpon thys sayth Crisostome / the sleyght or the wyles of ypocrytes women may not only knowe / bycause of theyr relygyon / they wyl sone bowe to theÌ„ for they be nesshe Thys doctour makyth two specyal causes why they drawen to wydowes howses One is for women that ben wedded vnder the power of mannes daunger dare nat geue these worldly goodes wtouten couÌ„sayle of their husbaÌ„des And other wedowes ben ful of pyty / to geue when they be petiously asked / haue no man to werne theÌ„ this dede for her good is at her owne wyll / for thys ende / these flaterynge glosers most haunten wedowes howses Christe wyssheth them wo / warneth our prestes that they forsake thys synneful maner / for it is a cursyd dede to hyde synne vnder paynted relygyon / and clothe wyckednes vnder ypocresye / tyll it be trowed for very pety / and in the armour of IhuÌ„ Chryste They done the fendes workes of hell / whan they largen there longe prayers as nettes that bene sprede abrode and with crafte they catchen awaye the goodes of these sely wydowes These wydowes we shulde vnderstande / both for woman and for meÌ„ that wanten wysdome of Iesu Christ / that which is spouse of mannes soull For Iesu nowe here delytyth but in them that louen his lawe wakers that ben in Christes church / waken in vertue deuout prayers / and auoyden all dyuyses for they wyll not be negligent / but holden and waken there inwarde eye that faythfully seeth the workes of god / then riseth vp As sayncte Paule sayth A newe man fourmed after god / shineth them in these thre vertues / rightwysenes / truthe / and holynes This is wakynge to goddes worshyp to theyr owne saluacion / to ê“fyte of theyr euen christen For thus meaneth Paul in these .iij. wordes Thys watche so chaseth the fende that he fleeth from all such wakers / hath no might for to noye body ne soule / as the wyse maÌ„ sayth The holsome watche of honesty shal make the flesshe melte from syn / and busy thought in this fayre watche shal dryue awaye vnleful dremes Certes the thought of the fore knowynge turneth awaye the wyt from syn a great infirmite makyth a sobre soull But wakers in the fendes churche vsen a foule flesshly watche / for euer they ben slombryng when any good dede is gone / is ouercome with slepe / that bryngeth them to myschyefe / for the wyseman sayth Howe longe shalt thou slepe thou shlowe man / whan shalt thou ryse froÌ„ thy slepe Thou shalt nappe a lytle whyle / thou shalt slumber a lytle whyle / thou shalt knyt thy handes to geder tyll thou fall into dead slepe / and than shall come to the nede / as a wayfayrynge man and pouertye shall stele to the as an armyd man / nappynge / and slumbrynge / daed slepe ben the fendes offycers Than men nappen whan they coÌ„senten to do the fendes stirynge / whan they wyrchen openly that the fende desyreth in the syght of the worlde / than they ben in slombrynge But whan they maynteyne boldly what euer they done amys / than they ben in deed slepe / waken in theyr synnes / changynge the nyght vnto the day / as horys theues trauelyng from place to place to reuel to rout / assayeng wher with that they may leue tokenes of theyr syn Almesdoers in Christes church releuen iÌ„ due tyme with the plenty of theyr catel them that suffren nede as saynct Paule sayth Loke that your habundauÌ„ce fulfyll the nede of other / for ye thus doynge shallen receyue the blessyng of god / as the ê“phete sayth Blessed be he that taketh hede on the nedy poore Vpon this sayth Bernarde Not vpon the couetous man the proude / but vpon the nedy and poore / that is to wyte / those that asken constrayned with nede / takeÌ„ thyr almes with shame geuyng thaÌ„kes to god lyue poorely therby In foure thynges goddes seruauntes medefully done theyr almes First / they seken godes wil done it to his worship The secoÌ„de of true goten good clerely in theyr coÌ„science The .iij. that they knowe theyr brother lyue in gracious lyfe The .iiij. that he suffreth nede wtouten any fayning for yf any of these faylen / they lese both good mede But almysdoers in the fendes churche feden many wretches / as stronge styffe beggers that strykes ouer the lande / groners without cause than neden not of theyr good / ye to mynstrels iuglers and other vayne iapers / that they delen largely theyr goodes to cleppen it an almes / but trewe men seynge all a mys goodes thus spended / for it draweth them to heuen / as a boket into the well / and yf they do any thynge there as nede is / anone they seken vayne glory lese all there mede ☞ Isedor For saynct Isodor sayth whan the poore man is fedde bycause of vayne glory than is the worke of mercy tourned into synne / as Christ saith Luce. 11. yf thyne eye ben aweywarde / all thy body shal be derke / thyn eye is thyn entent that shuld rule thy coÌ„science / and this body is thy worke of entent taketh his lyght Than it is thus to meane / whan thyne enteÌ„t is not wel ruled thou getest no mede what euer thou do / prechours that ben in Chrystes churche / commen frely amonge the people as Chryste came from the toure of heuen and gaue this charge to hys discyples Frely ye haue taken your wysdome ☞ Paule Frely geue it agayne Paul chose rather to be deed / than any man shulde auoyde hys glorye for mede that myght be geuen or taken agayne the gospel of Iesu Christ / and these preachours prechen to edifyethe people in vertues / as Christe commaunded on holy thursday to hys discyples afore the styenge / Mathewe vltimo ☞ Math. vltimo Ye goynge forth into all the worlde preche ye the gospell to eche creature / that is to eche maÌ„ that is chefely eche creature / and they lyuen vertuously them selfe after their prechynge / for to streyght theyr holy wordes / with the spiryte of life / whan they geuen a true ensample in dede after theyr sayenge / and thys is the techynge of Iesu Chryst in the gospell of sayncte Mathewe Loke your lyght shyne so afore men of this world / that they may se your good workes and gloryfye not you but your father that is in heuen / of whome commeth all
your grace But prechers in the fendes churche prechen vnder colour for to take gyftes But Gregory reproueth them sayenge who so euer preche for goodes of this worlde or to make a gatheryng for such an heuenly office vndowtedly they pryuen them selfe from the mede that is to come of euerlastynge rewarde / and they prechen cronycles with poyses and dremynges and many other helpeles tales / that ryght nought auaylen They clouten falshed to truthe / with moche vngrounded mater tarynge the people from true beleue that they may nat knowe it / and these preachers waueren aboute in many flesshely lustes as Iude saith ☞ Iude. These ben spottes in theyr meates / feastynge / and fedynge them selfe withouten drede / worshyppynge the persones of men / for they wolde haue wynnynge / reders in Christes churche reden holy lessons / and tenden to theyr redynge with medefull deuotyon as Iierom saythe So rede thou holye wryt that euer thou haue in mynde that tho wordes that thou redyst ben goddes law / that coÌ„mauÌ„ded it not only to be rede / but also that the readers shuld kepe it in theyr workes what ê“fiteth it to rede thynges to be done / not to fulfyll them in dede as a clene myrrour of life the lesson of holy wryt is to be reade had / that all that is good / may be made better / that this yuel may be amended / these reders reden dystynctly / that is treatable openly in scripture withouten interrupcyon / or any faynyd intermission / without corruptynge or ouerhippyng of letter / worde / or sillable they shal accorde in charyte do all thynges in ordre But reders in the fendes church Iangle theyr lessons as iayes chatteren in the cage / and wote not what they meane / stryuing with them for nought eche agaynst other / for rules of ther ordynall and many vayne questions / and if they vnderstanden the lesson whan it is reade or any parte of godes lawe / whan it is declared sone they treden it vnder the fote / and haten it in theyr workes / as Ieremy the prophete sayth in wytnessynge agaynst all suche / howe may ye saye saythe Ieremy we bene wyse and the lawe / and the lawe of the lorde is amonge vs. Certes the false style of the scrybes hathe wrought opyn lesynge / and your wyse men / bene confounded and aferde / and caste in theyr owne snare / they haue throwen abacke the worde of the lorde / there is no wysdome leaste amonge them / and efte god saythe by Ieremy to the veyne reders Cursyd be he that dothe the worke of god fraudulently / that is to say-falsely or disceyuable And here sayth Gregory Onely in goddes seruyce that man do no fraude that wakyth full busyly in study of good dede and neyther boweth to medes of bodylye thyng / nor seketh the wordes of mannes lewde praysynge / nor loketh after the fauour of a foules iugement Syngers ben in Christes church that syngen heuenly songes with theyr swete melody pleasen god at the full / ☞ Paule as Paule sayth in his pystle to the Colo. Suffre ye the worde of god to dwell plenteously amonge you in all maner heuenly wysdome / encresynge you in vertue / techynge and monestynge your selfe / in psalmes and ympnes gostely songes syngynge in grace with feruent deuotion in your hertes to your god / and what euer ye shal do in worde or worke do ye that thyng perfytly in the name of our lorde Iesu Chryst / yeldynge thankynges to the fader by the same Iesu Christe And sythen he is bothe god and lorde and kynge of all the worlde The prophete Dauyd counseyleth vs that we shulde synge wysely For he that is occupyed in heuenly desyres / though his tonge be styll make no noyse He syngeth a songe / sayth / sayncte Austyne / that lyketh god best Austyn Ananye / Azarye / Mizael also soÌ„gen blessed songe to the lorde in suche maner song when they weren in Babylon in the bournynge surneys But syngers in the fendes church broken curyous notes / that is but a puffe of wynde / As sayth sayncte Bernarde wysely / to please the people with lykerous voyce / and fyll theyr eares with veyne deÌ„ne But se what sainct Gregory saith which accordith with saynct Barnard whan fayre glosyng voyce is sought / parfyte lyfe is forsaken / and the people is ledde into synne / Ezechi 33. as god sayth by his ê“phete / Ezechiel 33. My people sytten afore the and heren thy wordes / but they do not after them / whan there backe is tourned / for the prestes turnen them in songe of theyr mouth / and the hertes of the people folowe theyr prestes auarice / and is to them as a songe of musyke / that is songen busyly / and meryly with a lusty sounde / and they heren the sermons / but they kepen them not / sayth the lorde god / and efte god sayth by hys ê“phete Amos. ☞ Amos. Do away from me the pryde of thy chauntynge / and I shall not here the songe of thyne harpe Lord what may this meane that prestes in theyr churche gyue them selfe thys moche to songe / and so lytle to prechynge / and in fewe places or none of the newe testamente shullen we grounde thys maner of songes / neyther among our doctours / but efte they ben charged to preache / ye vnder great payne / and all gates that they haue good wyll to do that they may that the people were truly taught to lede a sober lyfe Therfore Gregory in hys decree smyteth them with a curse that busyen them in the courte of Rome aboute suche syngyng where shuld be vsed the office of prechynge / mynisters of sacramentes that ben in Christes churche be thynken them full besyly of the great worthynes Howe these sacrameÌ„tes coÌ„mmen of Christ / and of his holy passyon taken of his blessed body for treasour of his churche / and they ben salue and medycyne for all the sycke members thaâ— wol shewe theyr great sores / to goddes prestes of wyse discrecyon / and vse these sacramentes in theyr kynde As saynct Paule techeth Christ sayth he is offered our paske that noryssheth vs with his sacrameÌ„tes / and therfore make we vs mery in this gostely foode / not in angre and tene of malyce and wyckednes But in the fayre pured past of clennes and of trouthe These two vertues techen vs to clense body soule / whether that we shulde geue or receyue the seuen sacramentes / baptysme / confermyng / penaunce / ordre / Christes body / Matrymony / and the last anoyntynge These helpen vs in this fightynge churche agayne the seuen dedly sinnes / that ben vij cruell deuylles The fyrst is Lucyfer / that raignyth in his malyce / ruleth ouer the chyldren of pryde The secoÌ„de is called Belzabub / that lordeth ouer enuyous The thyrde
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
me sayth the lorde god / and I shall cast yrou away out of this erthe / into a lande that is vnknowen to you and to your fathers and there ye shal do auarice to alyen goddes that shal gyue no rest neyther nyght ne day And to the secoÌ„de we answeren as Christ sayth in his gospel Frende howe entrest thou hether not hauynge thy brydale clothes / he waxt domb Than this kynge Iesu Christe sayd to his mynisters Take this wretch / bouÌ„den hande and fote sende him into vttermost darkenes / their shal be wepyng and gnastynge of tethe / vnderstande thou by this / frende / both man and womaÌ„ that hath taken christendome / and holdethe the name / but they wanten in theyr lyuynge the workes of treue beleue therfore Christ wardeth them in to the payne of hell ¶ How the good of the secoÌ„de church accordyth with the first churche Ca. x. HEre shal we tel howe the good of the seconde church accordeth with the fyrste churche appropred to god / Faythe / Hope / Charite / as we haue sayde aforne knytten togeder god and man in one heed of this church Thys knotte is knytte so sekyrly that it shall neuer more fayle neyther here ne elles where as the wyseman sayth The thre folde corde is ful lothely burston For to make this thre folde corde we must haue thre lynkes / eke theÌ„ forth perfyte tyll this corde be wrought / by whiche this church shal be drawen vnto the holy Trynite These ben the fyrst thre / a chast body / a clene soule / and goddes truly dysposed than it shal be eked with good holy thought a perfyte dede / more ouer we must large forth shryfte of mouthe sorowe of herte / amendes makynge / after this it askyth prayer / fastynge / almysdede / than must we put to / nombre / weyght / mesure Also we must eke this worde with minde / wyll / reason / and helpe forth to th ende with Faythe / Hope / Charite / than we shal neyghe to our god thorough grace / mercy / ryghtwysnes / tyll we se god in Trynite / Fader / Son / holy Goste Euery meÌ„bre of this churche helpith / that it may to wyrche one parte of this corde for the coÌ„men ê“fyte as sayncte Austen saythe Holy churche is a ferme of all ryghtwysenesse / that is to say a comen accorde of al good thinges and thys churche prayethe in commen / and wyrcheth theyr workes in coÌ„men For without felowshype of thys generall churche baptisme may not profyte neyther the dedes of mercye / but it be that the paynes of hell be lesse / all the members of a man trauelyn in theyr ordre eche for to socoure othere / none for to hyndre / but for to do theyr coÌ„myn helpe to the profyte of the body Thus it is of the members that ben in Christes churche / for it is a godly body that growith with theyr meÌ„bers / theyr one fayleth an othere helpeth tyll the corde be made Some haue moch of wysedome / to knowe holy wryt Some haue fayre eloquence to preche it to the people Some haue moch of gostely strength to suffre tribulacyon Some haue pety and releuen theyr nedy neybours Some tenden vertuosly to minister sacramentes Some styen hyely to rest in heuenly thynges or lykynges / but all suche thynges ben in coÌ„men to them that shal be saued / as the prophete sayth Spekynge in the person of the generall churche Lorde I am partener of all them that fere or dreden the / and of all that kepe thyne holy commaundementes Thus teacheth also the commen crede in an artycle of the sayth that must nede be grauÌ„ted whiche is / the communion of saynctes For what that euer be done in Rome or in any other places / yf that thynge be couenable in the syght of god / than it is couenable to all these members that seruen god in vertue to helpe them to their endelesse ioye as we haue sayde afore / Ierome herto accordyth saynct Ierome vpon this texte of Christes gospell Math. 16. Math. 16. Christ sayd to Peter and in him to all his folowers / to the and to all suche as thou arte I shal gyue the keyes of the realme of heuennes is this church here in erthe Ierome Ierom sayth / and the mayster of the sentence reherseth this All mynisters of the church in bysshopes and prestes haue the iudiciary power as saynte Peter had / but therfore Peter specyall toke of god this power that all men may vnderstande that who so euer departeth them from vnyte of stedfast fayth and felowshyp of this church / he may neyther be assoyled froÌ„ bondes of his synnes neyther he may entre into the blysse of heuen Se nowe here both leryd lewde how prayers ben in coÌ„myn and all other suffrages to thys gostely church whence cometh thaÌ„ this out crye that is set on broch / sale / kene / in euery church to sell these gostely thynges with suffrages and soylemeÌ„tes / many yeres of pardon a plenarye indulgence A pena et culpa / but moch rather it shulde be sayd / a glorie et pecunia Certes they come from byneth of the fendes temptynge ben borne all about of his cursyd members / to poyson the people in mysbeleue as sainct Ierom sayth and parte them from goddes felowshyp by wytnesse of saynct Austen / dryue them to theyr endeles payne / as we haue sayd aforne ¶ Of ioye in tribulacyon The .xi. chapitre BVt for that we repreue these synnes thys yuell parte grutchyth and pursueth with strong hande to pryson and to slee / therfore muste we lerne thys lore of Chrystes holy gospell Math. 5. Ye ben blessed whan men haue cursed you / Math. 5. and haue pursued you / haue sayde all yuell agaynst you lyeng for me / ioye ye and be ye mery / for your mede is moche in heuennes And also saynct Peter sayth whan that ye suffren any thynge for ryghtwysnesse Blessed mote ye be / saynt Paul affirmeth this sentence that goddes seruauÌ„tes shullen haue payne in this lyfe to kepe them in vertue 2. Thimo. 3. All that euer wol lyue mekely in Chryst Iesu shal suffre persecucyon ☞ Luke And saynt Luke sayth of the wordes of Paule in dedes of the aposteles Act. 14. By many tribulacions it behoueth vs to entre into the realme of god And thus saythe the ê“phete Many ben the tribulacions that fallen to the ryghtwyse fro them al / whan tyme cometh god shall delyuer them Christ behyght the maner of lyfe / to his owne discyples / and gaue them coÌ„forte that they shulde haue a gracyous delyuerance for than shall blysse be moche the sweter whan they comyn therto ☞ Io. 6. Io. 6. Truly I say vnto you the trouth / that ye shulde sorowe and wepe / forsoth the worlde ioye / ye shulde
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
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
that we ben borne / as the commyn glose sayth vpon Genesis Euery cytezyne of the heuenly countre is a pylgreme of thys worlde / for all tyme of thys present lyfe / and whan we trauelyn sore to kepe goddes hestes thaÌ„ we done our pylgrimage / as the prophete sayth Psal 118. Psal 118. Lorde thy commaundementes weren my songes in tyme of my pylgrymage The seconde tyme / we ben pylgrymes when we gone to the churche as it is wrytten Luc. xxiiij Luc. 24. Tu solus peregrinus es in Ierusalem c whan we done in the churche in fourme as god hathe taught vs / than we done our pylgrymage For thus sayth sayncte Luke Luc. 2. Cum sanctus esset Iesus annorum duodecim c. The thyrde tyme we ben pylgrymes / when we vysyte the nedye / and whan we delen almysdede / we done our pylgrimage Luc. xiij ♣ Luc. 13. Go thou forthe anone into stretes and wayes and brynge in to thyne house these thre maner of people / poore feble / poore blynde / poore lame The fourth tyme Prestes bene pylgrymes that studyen holye wryt tyll they haue plenty in theyr mynde of this heuenly wysedome / and than they hyen them fast about in all the brode worlde to dele this gostely treasour amonge the wyttles people that is in poynt to spyll for hunger in wantynge gostly teachyng as it is wrytten Io. 4. Dere frende thou doste ryghtfully what euer thou doste into our brethern / and namely into pylgremes that prechen the gospell / and bene apayde where they come with poore symple lyflode The fyfte tyme tho ben pylgrymmes that wonnen in a towne where is neyther preste ne lorde to teche them / neyther to rule them / and than they gone vnto the place where they may be taught and ruled vnder gouernaunce This is pilgrimage as it is wryten Gene. 12.20 and. 26. There is no other pylgrymage that maye please god out take this that we haue sayd / and all holy wryt berythe wytnesse / for whan the body is layde in graue and the soule forth passyth to blysse or to payne wether that it be than the syxte pylgremage is ended The seconde coÌ„maundemente of god is thus Exo. 20. Thou shalt not take the name of thy god in vaine And Chryste sayth in his gospell Math. 5. Math. 5. Forsoth I say vnto you / not to swere in any wyse / neyther by heuen for it is the trone of god / neyther by the erthe / for it is the stole of his feete / neyther by Ierusalem for it is the cyte of a greate kynge / neyther by thyne heed / for thou mayste not make a heare whyte or blacke / forsothe be your worde / ye / ye / and nay / nay / with herte and mouth accordyng agaynst this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t the deuyll in hys members constraynen men to swere and leyen there handes on bokes / than he puttyth them to open shame / and if they leue his byndyng he sayth by lawe they ben relapse / and than they shal be brent And thys is an hydeous clowde vpon this schynefull day to payne men for kepyng of goddes coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes For saynte Austen saith vpon the gospel Christ hath taught that thynge that is of more perfection / that thyng that is of infyrmyte he hath suffred that thynge that is superstycyous he hath cutte away / it is of perfeccyon / not to swere in any maner / it is of infyrmyte for to swere constrayned / but it is of superstycyon to swere vaynly For the wyseman sayth Sap. 14. Swerynge is no vertue but payne of synners / eyther of theÌ„ that wyll not gyue credens / but yf men swere / or elles of them that sweren withouten cause And therfore Crisostome blameth prestes for they bryngen forth bokes / to compell men to swere vpon them / askyth this question whether is not he that settyth an house on brenning gylty of this brennynge whether is not he that bryngeth a swerde with that which man slaughter is done / gylty of this manslaughter So they that bryngen forth bokes on whiche meÌ„ forsweren them ben gylty of this swerynge / and he sayth Yf the people wyll saye the sothe without any othe / wherto shulde they swere And yf they supposen they wolde say false / why shulde they be compelled to forswere them selfes and the greatnes of synne standyth greatly and chyeftly in suche ordynaryes / eyther secler or spuÌ„all as this doctour proueth / nought exceptynge purgacion without such othes / and of this sweryng cometh wyckednes / and goddes greuous vengeance / as the wyseman saythe Aman moche swerynge shal be fulfylled with wickednes / and vengeaunce shal not go from his house Yet enmyes pursuen agayne this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t / sayen that Christ him selfe swore / his sayntes also Swere by this boke thou obstinate maÌ„ or elles thou shalt to pryson / thou shalt swere in our courte bycause of thyne infyrmyte as saynctes hath taught when thou arte constrayned to thys we seyen that IhuÌ„ Christ forbedyth on al wyse sweryng by any of these .iiij. thynges that he hym selfe reherseth / that is to say / heuen / or erthe Ierusalem / or by thyne owne hed / whaÌ„ these foure ben out taken / with al that is in heuen / ye shal not grouÌ„de your vicious sweryng / tyll that heuen befallen To this that sayncte Austen sayth Thou shalt swere compelled / we grauÌ„ten wel a fore a iuge / if elles meÌ„ wyl not trowen vs / but neyther on bokes shulde we swere / neyther by goddes creatures but after the fourme that god hath taught by Ieremy the ê“hhete Ieremy iiii Thou shal swere The lorde leuyth in trouth dome / and rightwysnes The lorde lyueth is to mene / by god or by thyne holy dome / or by thy trouth Thus shalt thou not swere but with thre condicions The fyrst is trouth in the conscience of them that swerith without any gyle The seconde / that it be done in dome / to exclude al maner of idle and vayne swerynge The thyrde that it be in ryghtwysnes / and in no maner of deceyte / ne hindrynge to our neybour / ne dyscordyng to the ryghtwysnes of god / but we may in no cause swere by bokes / as we haue sayde afore / neyther by lyfely creatures / as by sayntes or by any such other For the wiseman saith Custome not thou thy mouth to swere by names of sayntes for Chrisostome sayth Omeli 12. He that sweryth by a creature / doth ydolatry / he that swereth by creatures / synneth double folde / ye though it war so / that sweryng were leful / ones / for he swerith / a nother tyme / for he makytst him selfe a false god / for what so euer it be that a maÌ„ sweryth by / that thyng he maketh his god / lorde how mony meÌ„ women maken theÌ„ false goddes / sythen welnye all this
/ 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
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
Thou shalt not speke false wytnesse agaynst thy neybour / neyther for geftes takynge / ne for mannes steryng / neyther thy selfe in synne exclusynge Of the fyrste it is wryten Isaye 5. wo to you that iustyfyen the wicked mā / for geftes / and take away the ryghtwysnes of a iuste man for he may not pay Of the seconde spekyth a wyse man Prouerb xix A false wytnes berer shall not be vnponysshed / and he that spekyth lyes shal perysshe as the prophete saith Psal ◠Psal 5. Lorde thou shalt lese all tho that spekyn lesyng For the wyseman sayth Sap. ◠The mouthe that lyeth sleeth the soule And therfore Christe sayth Io. viii Io. 8. Ye lyers bene the sonnes of your father the deuyll and ye wyll do the desyres of your father He was a manslear fro the begynnynge / for he stode not in trouthe / for trouth is not in hym / whan he spekyth lesynge / he spekyth of his owne authorytye / for he is a lyer father of lyenge Of the thyrde spekyth the prophete Psalmus 14. Psal 14. Lord put thy warde to my mouthe / and odour of circumstaunce to my lyppes / bowe thou not my herte into the wordes of malyce / to excusacions to be excusyd in syn For the wyseman sayth Prouerb 2. They that maken mery whan they haue done yuell ioyen in worst thynges be they punysshed with endeles paynes Agayne thys commaundement the fende with his cautylles hath gyue leue to xij men for .xij. grotes to passe forth on a quest agayne ryghtwyse blode / and say a false wytnesse / that the man is gyltye and anone he shal be ded thoughe it wer Christ him selfe In this the fendes members grounden them on Iezebel iij. Reg. xxi For she sent letters in the name of Achab sealed with his signate to Inreours of the countre and charged them that they shulde cesse two men sonnes / that myght say false wytnesse agaynst the knyghte Nabothe that he had both waryed god and the kynge / and by thys false wytnesse they slowen this gyltles knight Certes so in our dayes who that medyth thys Iurours that ben the sonnes of belyall and quest mongers / he may slee / and he may saue Thus false wer neuer the Iewes / for whan the two olde prestes that brent in lechery of the woman Susan As the story tellyth Danyel .xiii. And she wolde not consente to do theyr foule luste / than they gaue a sentence of her false wytnesse / wherby she was iuged worthy to be deed / as she was lad to the fyre / she made her deuoute prayer / and than god reryd vp / the herte of a yonge man that was clepyd Danyell / and he reuoked her dome / repreued these olde prestes of theyr false wytnes / so that godes angel with a sherp swerde slewe them for theyr false dome in syght of all the people / they praysed god almyghty of this fayre delyueraūce Howe shulde ye Iurryours scape the fyre of hell / that for a lytle money wol dampne ye reckneuer whom / and dysheryte trwe heyres of theyr iuste herytage / for tho / that wollen not say the truthe / but yf they taken mede / sellen Chryste / that is truthe / and bene worse then the Iewes / for they slowen him whan he came to dye / but now he reygneth vndedly / wher shal thā your payne be that woll say false wytnes for to catche auauntage of worldly wynnyge ye sel your selfe your body your soule into the fēdes seruice / yet may we se more encūbraūce of the fēdes wirchyng for ther is none offycer temporal nor spūall but that he is redy whan he may to take gyftes of the poore cōmyns / and pyll them euer amonge and elles they shall no peace haue / from greuousser oppressynge / as is taken of theyr beastes with corne and other vitayles and other payment get they none / but a whyte stycke / tyll they haue lost halfe on halfe with moche more trauayle Lorde yf ye marked well that Ietro sayde to Moyses Exo. xviij Sonne ye shulde amende this / or elles ye ben vncurable Ietro counceled Moyses that he shulde wysely ordeyne myghty men that dreden god in whome was very trouth and that hated auaryce with al his cursed branches and they shulde haue offyce in rulyng vnder Moyses / Moyses cōsented and wrought after his counseyl Therfore / peace / welthe / grace raigned in hys dayes Rere vp your wyttes ye Prynces and lordes of this worlde / se howe Kyng Iosephath charged to his offycers Paral. xix Iosephath ordeyned iuges in all the cytees of Iurye / and gaue them the byddyng / beware what ye do / forsothe he saythe this dome that ye haunten is not the dome of man / but the dome of god / what that ye demen shal tourne vpon your selfes loke the drede of god be amonge you and dothe all thynges with dylygence / forsothe anemptyste god is no wyckednesse / neyther acceptynge of parsons / neyther couetyse of geftes and he chargyth prestes and decans that they shulde make knowen al the doubtes of the lawe / left that the people synned Yf this lore were wel lerned of our christen prynces and lordes the hard hādes of Antechrist shuld be al to broken christē people shulde haue leue to do theyr offyce truly and eche man his fredome to serue god in vertue then wer this good gouernaunce and sauynge to the realme in peace / in welth in euery estate / as Prestes Knyghtes and commyns For thus sayth Crysostom Omeli 1. It is to note that who that of kynges hath pleased god they haue reygned the longer and they haue ben welthy / god hath lowed theyr enemyes vnder thē For soth as many as haue done wyckedly they haue ben cut vp hastely both from their raigne from theyr lyfe with a better deth / god hath lowed thē vnder their enemyes thraldome The .ix. cōmaundement of god is this Exod. xx Deut. 5. Thou shalt not couyte the house of thy neybour In the .vij. commaundement / god forbedeth the vnlefull takynge of other mennes goodes and so in that he refrayneth desyer of mennes dede / but in this commaundement god forbedyth the couetyse of vnlawful takynge / and in that he refrayneth the vnordynate appetite of mannes desyre namely in all tho thynges that bene vnmoueable / that is to say that mowen not moue them selfe by theyr owne myght from one place to another / as bene house / londe / golde / and suche other lyke to these and this vicious couetyse yf it be conceyued groweth to dethe of the soule / from the rote of mannes herte / for whan the wyll hathe consented to do that thynge that god forbedyth though the dede folowe not after in outwarde syghte of mannes dome / and nothynge lettyth to do the dede / saue wyll may not as it wolde /
than the soule is dede gostely within the house of the body / and this deth is signyfyed by a parsons doughter that was dede within her fathers house / Christe by myracle gaue her lyfe Math. 9. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. Some norysshen theyr couetyse tyll it sprynge into a dede / as a carreyne opynly dede / that lyeth by the way effectyng the people / and this is taught in the wedowes sonne that was borne deed on a bere without the gates of the cyte for to put him in his graue Luke 7. Luke 7. Christe â—ered him by hys myracle / and gaue hym agayne to hys moder Some feden theyr foule couetyse with lust and delectacion / in thought / in word / in werke / and this moste abhomynable / for it waa shewed in Lazarus Io. xi that lay .iiii. dayes in hys graue And Christ by myracle / Io. 11. to tourne the Iewes rered vp his body and gaue him the spirite All these thre ben agaynste thys commaundement of god / and ben worthy endeles payne / but yf god thorough his gracious mercy moue them to vertue and to very penaunce / that ben deed in these forsayd foule couetyses / that is to say / in couetyse of hert / of dede / and of custome And therfore the wyseman sayth Eccli xviij Go not away from thy god after thyne owne couetyses Lorde howe shulde he kepe hym from a vycyous dede that doth not out of hys herte the couetyse therof Certes it is as impossyble as to saue the house from brennyng that thou settyst afyre with thyne owne haÌ„des A wede may not be distroied but yf it be drawen vp by the rotes No more may synne be lefte / but yf the delectable couetyse of synne be pulled out of the herte For yf theyr abyde any parte of this foule couetyse vndrawen vp in herte / anone theyr spryngeth vp therof / thefte / false purchase / and suche other And therfore sayde Moyses vnto the chyldren of Israell Deut. xix Thou shalt not take / ne thou shalt not passe the termes or the bondes of thy neybour the which thyne elders haue set in thy possessyon that thy lorde god shall gyue to the / for who that takythe away his neybours grounde / that is to say / lande or place / wode or water / corne or grasse / in fylde or in towne thorough any of these forsayd couetises he standeth in that a cursed of god and hys lawe / for thus it is wryten Deut. xxvii Cursed be that man or woman that passyth the bandes of lawfull measure betwene theyr neyboures them Agayne this coÌ„maundement the fende with hys cautyles hath larged this couetyse to all the estates that vnneth any man takyth hede howe that he come by good that he were ryche Commyns haue purchased at Antechristes proctour to be fermours of the churche and all for couetyse of wynnyng / by this parysshons ben brought in many customes / that dystroyen peace / norysshen debate / and quenchen goddes lawe / but who so euer sayth or byddeth besydes goddes wyl / that is not ê“ued in holy wryt / openly declared / he is a false wytnesser / and doth cursed sacrilege / so sayth saynt Austen whan the lorde god hathe sayed in his gospell I am trouthe / he sayd not I am custome Than whan the trouth is shewed custome muste nedes geue steed to trouth Peter that circumcysed consented to Paule prechynge the trouth Therfore sithen Christ is trouth we owen moche more to sewe trouth than custome / for euermore reason and trouth shullen exclude custome whan reason and trouth excluden these fermoures and all theyr false customes he is a very membre of the deuyll that maynteneth the contrary / and makyth the house of Iesu Christe the coÌ„men shoppe of marchandyse But lordes here ben more to blame that shulde chastyce this synne / for some bene fermoures them selfe / and fauoren for theyr couetyse that the person shall haue leue in grutty places as an hogge in the myre / and leue hys cure vnkepte The lordes in these dayes bene so smytten with couetyse that they holden false goten goodes agaynste theyr owne conscyens / and fele sythys reren stronge hande armyd in stronge wodenesse to call men bothe slepynge and wakynge to encrease theyr lordshypes Kynge Acab for couetyse of Nabothys vineaerde that he desired to haue had agayne this knyghtes wyll / layd him selfe gronyng on his bed and wolde not taste any mete / for Nabothe sayed he wolde not chaunge ne sell hys kynde herytage But zezebell the wycked quene gaue the kynge suche counsayle that they casten this knyght deth by a false sclaundre / and thus brought them to an ende and reioysed hys vyneaerde God sente worde to Achab Iezebell by the ê“phete Hely / that for they had thus couetously agaynst his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t ther blode shulde beshede on the erthe / and handes shulde lyke it And more god toke vengeaunce for greuous synne vpon the sede that came of them into the thyrde and fourthe generacion / and yf that we toke hede howe lordes haue slayne eche other / in shedynge of theyr blode in the fylde for couetyse of lordynge / we shulde not wonder though godes hande be stretched ouer his people to smyte with vengeaunce as he dothe / and no man may auoyde it Couetyse of lordynge hath / is / shal be cause of moche bloude shedynge And yf thou wylte wete what is this vengeaunce God saith by the prophete Osee iiii That his vengeaunce is whan he withdrawith hys chatysynge and the yerde of amendyng and suffrith his enemyes to raigne in theyr synne tyll theyr deth day / and after to dampne them body and soule euer without ende And to this accordyth saynte Gregory in hys moralles vpon Iob. God sparyth to some in thys lyfe that he may smyte them withouten ende And Iob sayth .xxi. why lyuen wycked men auaunced and comforted in rychesse The sede of them dwellyth before them / and the coÌ„panye of nye frendes and cosens in theyr syght theyr houses bene sekyr / and the yerde of god that is cleped his chastysynge / is not vpon them theyr eekfare conceyued / cast not her frute or tyme / theyr koâ—…e bare her frute / and was not berafte the profyte of her womb There strepelynges gone afore them as flockes of beastes / theyr youngelynges ioyen in pleys in gaÌ„mes they holden the tymbre and the harpe / and they ioyen at the sounde of the Organne They leden theyr dayes in goodes / that is to saye / in helthe and in welthe / and in worldly worship / and sodenly in a poynte they dyscenden or gone downe to helles / but agaynwarde Salomon in his prouerbes .iii. And saynt Paule to the Hebrues .xii. Sayen that god reproueth chastyseth all them that he loueth / and receyueth to blysse And therfore sayth Iohan. 2. Math. 6. It is a token
parte is ther of a faithful maÌ„ with an vnfaythful maÌ„ or what coÌ„sent of the temple of idoles with the church of god Certes none / for eche of these agayne sayen other after there owne wyrchyng Nowe shall we tell what they ben that dwellen with the fende for to serue him in hys church that is the temple of idoles waryours / cursers / chyders / sclaunders / and blasphemers / ther bene vylayne spekers / lyars / glosers / backbyters / mottrars / swerars / and forswerars / there ben also mychers / robbers / extorcyoners / tyrantes / and oppressers / there ben vntrwe tyllers / vnfaythfull seruauntes / rechelesse hyred men / rebell dyscyples / and vnprofytable labourerâ— / there bene lecherours / fornycatours / aduoulterers / incestours / that is / defoulers of theyr owne kynne / and vnclene men and women that ben within the ordre of perfeccion there ben ypocrites / sodomytes / sacrylegers / sellers of the holy sacramentes / there ben al the prayen seruen or geuen gyftes for churche or spuÌ„all offyce / or benyfyce / all false possessyoners / all myghty wylful mendynners and al stourdy maynteners There ben all tho men that bosen ther brestes / pynchen theyr belyes partyn ther hosys crakowyn there shoys al disguysers of theyr garnamentes There ben tho that sterchen or poppen theyr faces / that brydelen ther hedes with gyg halters that setten aboue honykombes with moche other atyrynge / to make them selfe sale kene to synne / and setten abrode there pappes to catche men with theyr lymes yardes There ben false lawe makers / goddes lawe haters / offynders of customes / distroyers of vertue / and auctours of syn / in this churche also bene mawmotres / heretykes / idolatrers / sortylegers enchauÌ„tours arriolers / charmours rerers of the deuyl / al tho that trowen that helpe may come of vsynge godes worde / that we clepyn writtes only hangyd or borne on maÌ„ or that they ben medycynable to body or soule so honged or so borne / there ben marchauÌ„des / chapmen / vytellers vynteners tauerners chauÌ„gers / byers sellers / that vsen dysceyte in weyght / nombre / or measure / there bene in this church vsurers / okerers iuryours / quest mongers / and all false wytnes berers there ben pleters / lawyers / sequesters / commyssaryes / offycyalles / dens / sumners / and all that sellen trouth or synne to make money / theyr ben also audytours / receyuours / treasurers and proctours / iudges / and all that excepten parson for a cause impartynent Thys churche whan it is beten / it waxeth harder / whan it is blamyd / it waxeth the duller / whan it is taught / it is the lewder / whan it is done well to / it is the shrewder / and than it fallyth downe / and cometh to nought / whan it semeth in mannes eye moste stronge to stande saynt Austen saythe Chrystes church pursueth yuell lyuers in charyte by way of amendement But the fendes churche pursueth the church of Chryste in malyce / by way of sclaunder and sleynge / and thys cayme that false enuyous man slewe his brother Abell that blyssed and symple innocent man as the fyfty expositours sayen in a prologe on this Psalme Quid gloriaris in malicia That Cayme was the begynnynge of Babylon and Antechryste shal be the ende / and Abell was the begynnynge of Ierusalem / and Chryste shal be the ender Forsoth Ismael pursued Isaac but not so Isaac Ismaell / Esau pursued Iacob / but not so blyssed Iacob cursed Esau / for by counsell of hys moder he fled in to Mesopony from the wrathe of hys brother / tyll that it was swaged Thus our moder holye churche counseyleth her chyldren to fle from the malyce of the fendes church tyll that it be slaked Math. 10. Forsoth yf the fendes churche shall pursue you in thys cytee / flee ye tyll another / but thys must be done by dyscrecyon for hurtynge of our brothers conscyens Chryste pursued not the Iewes but the Iewes Iesu Chryste / hethen men slewe the apostelles but not the apostelles hethen men / se nowe frowardnes of thys worlde that hathe bene from the begynnynge whan Isaye the holy prophete prophecyed and preched vnto the people / they wolde not here is wordes ne suffren hym on lyue / but the people that rysen after hys dethe radde hys bokes and sayden / yf we hadden lyued in hys dayes / he shulde not haue bene dede / and yet they slewen Ieremye that with the spyryte of god tolde thynges to come / and taught them very trouth / his successours token hys bokes and radde them in there temples / and â—eyled hym for an holye man / but they slewen Ezechyel and other mo / than the Iewes maden fayre the tombes of these prophetes / as were scrybes and pharyses and sayd in ypocrysy / yf they had ben in their dayes they shulde not haue ben slayne / but they gaue the counsell that Christ shulde be deed / the hed of all sayntes with most dyspytyous deth The fendes churche in these dayes / praysen aboue the clowdes Chryste and his holy sayntes with wordes and with sygnes / but they pursuen to the deth the louers of hys lawe And thus sayth Chryste in his gospell Ryght as ye done nowe / so dyd your fathers to the prophetes in theyr dayes And therfore wo to you hell houndes for Chryste sayth / in thys worlde ye ben ryche fatte fed laughynge in pursuynge of eche other / wepe ye and make ye sorowe for your payne is moche in hell O these shall haue a dredefull day whan they be arrayned at the barre of iudgemente whan Chryste shall rere vp hys crosse the baner of hys passyon Of thys day spekyth the prophete Sophonias The great day of the lorde is nygh / and fast besyde / and hyeth towarde wounders faste / it shall not longe tary / in that day shal be troubled he that is strong and myghty / for the voyce of the lorde is bytterful to the dampned That day is a day of wrath / a day of trybulacion That day is a day of hungre and ire / of extremyte and wretchydnes That day is a daye of darkenes and of thycke smoke That is the day of the trumpe / and of hydeous noyse / for than they shall se theyr iudge aboue them styrred to wrathe / than shall they se hell open bynethe them / and aungelles on the ryghtsyde hastynge them to hell / sayntes approuynge goddes dome / and all the worlde accusynge / and theyr owne conscyens as opyn as a boke / in the whiche they shall rede theyr owne dampnacyon These wretches beholdynge the greate glory of them that they dyspysed in thys worlde / than shall they saye these wordes These bene they whome we some tyme had in scorne / and in hate and derisyon / we wytles dampned hell houndes beleuyd that theyr lyfe had bene woodnes /
and madnes / and supposyd that theyr ende had ben without worship / howe nowe they ben counted among the sonnes of god / and they taken theyr lotte amonge his sayntes / therfore we haue erred from the way of trouthe and the lyght of ryghtwysenesse lyghted not to vs / we bene wery of the waye of wyckednes and dampnacyon / what profyte hathe our pryde done to vs or great auaunte or bost of rychesse / what hath it gyuen to vs all tho thynges bene passed from vs as a shadowe Than the iudge shall saye vnto them with a sterne chere Go ye awaye from me ye cursed lymmes / into the fyre of hell euerlastynge / that is ordeyned to the deuyll and hys aungelles Than may the soule saye to the bodye these wordes Come on thou cursed careyne / come and go with me / I am compelled to come agayne to the / that we may go to geder eyther to others shame / to take our ioyes as we haue deseruyd / payne for euermore That thynge that we loued / nowe it is gone from vs / and all that we hated is come vpon vs / nowe is ioye tourned into sorowe / and our myrthe into wepynge / nowe is our laughter tourned into mournynge / and all our game into weylynge / nothynge abydeth to vs / but fyre hote brennynge / water colde chyllynge / wormes and edders / toodes and snakes / euer gnawyng / euer dyenge and neuer dede / darkenes palpable that is so thycke / that it may be felte wantyng the syght of all comeforte / seynge al thyng that may dyscomforte / fyre intollerable / drede vntellable / quaking of the fendes felowship alway discorde wont any frendshyp / and full despeyre of any ende / neuerthelesse / assay we in this lyfe / yf we may leue thys fendes churche / and brynge our selfe bothe bodye and soule into the churche of Iesu Chryst / whyle grace and mercy may be graunted / aske we of hym / that offryd hym selfe vpon a crosse with a wylfull chere to saue vs all when we were loste / for thus it is wryten of the wordes of god / that he spekyth to a synnefull soule Turne the agayne / turne the agayne thou synnefull soule turne the agayne / tourne agayne that we may beholde the / forsothe god knowyth thy mysgouernaunce / and wyll not forsake the / yf thou wylt turne agayne / as he sayth by the prophete Ieremye / forsothe thou haste do fornycacyon with many louers / neuertheles tourne thou to me saythe the lorde / and I shall receyue the / and take the to grace Vpon this sayth saynt Gregory In thys god showith howe moche he louyth vs / for whan we forsaken hym / he forsakyth not vs. As saynt Austen sayth O man mystruste thou not of the mercy of god / for more is his mercy / than thy wretchednes And thus saythe kynge Dauyd to Abner whan Abner had sende messengers to kynge Dauyd / to entreate hym of fryndshyp / kynge Dauyd answered to the messangers / as spoken vnto Abner / I wyll gladly make frendshype with the / but this one thyng I tell the forsoth thou shalt not se my face / tyll thou shalt brynge with the Michol / and so commyng thou shalt se me / this sayenge is thus shortely to mene / ye that woll haue kynge Dauyd / amercyful lorde to you / ye muste brynge with you this woman Mychol / yf ye woll se hys gracyous face / for Dauyd loued moche thys woman as the story tellethe Dauyd the kynge in this place berith the fygure of Iesu Christ And Mychol is to say whan it is declared the water of all / than is this thus to mene / ye that desyren in all your herte to fynde and haue the mercy of god / and se his gracyous face in blysse / ye must haue water of very penaunce from your herte with ful contrycyon of wyll neuer to tourne to syn / yf that ye wol be true no more breke this couenaunt god wol not that ye be dede / but the ye haue euerlastyng lyfe Amen ¶ Here endyth the Lanterne of lyght Tabula ¶ Here begynneth the table of this present boke ¶ Fyrst a prologe or a preface Ca. i. Fo. ii Item a peticion Ca. ii Fo. iij. what Antechryste is in generall with .vi. condycyons Ca. iii. Fo. iiij what Antechryste is in specyall with .iii. propertyes Ca. iiij Fo. viij what Antechryste is in specyall with .v. condycions Ca. v. Fo. ix what the church only apê“pryed to god is Ca. vi Folio .xii. what is the materyal church Ca. vij Fo. xx Of good and yll commynge to thys materyall churche Ca. viii Fo. xxiiij Of dyscrecyon to knowe good from yll Ca. ix Fo. xxvij Howe the goodes of the fyrst and seconde church accorde Ca. x. Fo. xl Of ioye in trybulacyon Ca. xi fo xli Of the fendes cautelles by whiche he pursueth by his members the kepers of goddes hestes Ca. xij Fo. xliij what is the fendes church with her propertyes Ca. xiij 〈◊〉 lxviii ¶ Here endyth the table of this present boke ✚ ¶ Imprynted at London in Fletestrete / by me Robert Redman / dwellynge at the sygne of the George / nexte to Saynt Dunstones church ✚