shal be declared herafter Also god tolde it vnto Moyses Delebo enim memoriam amalech sub celo c. E. ¶ Another example of the obeyssaunce of kynge Saule liiii IT is wryten in the .xv. chapytre of the fyrste boke of kynges how god sente vnto kynge saule by the prophete Samuell that he his armye sholde go to slee and to dystroye the kynge synner Amaleche all his people / all his beestes / and that al were dystroyed loste withoute takynge ony vnto mercye And without coueytynge ne takynge ony thynge .vi regum xv Vade percute amalech demolire vniuersa eius et non concupisces ex ipsius ali quid noÌ„ parcas ei sed interfice a viro vsque ad mulierem paruuluÌ„ atque lactanteÌ„ bouem oueÌ„ asinuÌ„ c. Than Saule yode he and his armye the whiche was grete accomplysshed not the coÌ„maundement of god / for he toke the kynge Gag quycke / slewe Amalech / the good bestyall was spared Also they toke the precyous vestymentes clothes / the best of the goodes And slewe the wulgarye people bestyall dystroyed all that the whiche was not gode precyous agaynst the wyll and commaundement of our lorde Ihesu cryst by his prophete c. This thynge dyspleased vnto god for that that Saul was inobedyeÌ„t where as he punysshed not the synners as it was coÌ„maunded hym And for as moche that he pylled and toke theyr goodes the whiche was defended him c. After that that the prophete samuell had spoken vnto god / knewe that he was wrothe of the sayd inobedyence He came vnto Saule demaunded hym werfore he had not obeyed vnto god / that he was gone vnto the pyll erye Saule answered vnto Samuel sayd vnto hym So haue I obeyed vnto god I haue brought Gag the kynge also Amalech haue I slayne / the people hathe be pylled brought of fayre shepe and of oxes to th ende that he dide sacryfyce vnto god MelioreÌ„ eniÌ„ obedieÌ„tia quam victime / That is to saye obedyence is better than sacryfyce Also the prophete Samuell reproued another tyme the sayd saul for his inobedyence said vnto hym illud i. reguÌ„ xiii Stulte egisti nec custodisti mandaradnÌ„i dei tui qÌ„pÌ„cepit tibi quod si noÌ„ egisses iam nuÌ„c pÌ„parasset dnÌ„s regnuÌ„ tuuÌ„ suê‘ israhel in seÌ„piternuÌ„ sed nequaquam consurget c. Thou haste done folysshely haste not kepte the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of thy lorde god the whiche he coÌ„maunde the. Yf thou haddest not done it our lorde had prepared thy realme vpon the people of Israhell in eternyte But from hensforth he ne shall lyfte hym vp For as moche as the sayd saul lefte god dyde the wyll of the deuyll / the deuyl hym posseded tormented gretely as it is wryten in the bokes of the kynges / the ende of hyÌ„ was ryght yll / for he drewe his swerde slewe hymselfe Saul arripuit gladiuÌ„ suuÌ„ irruit super euÌ„ c. F. ¶ Another example of the dysobeyssauÌ„ce of Pharaon of his punycyon liiii IT is wryten in exodi in the .vii. viii chapitre c. How the kynge Pharaon had the herte so enhaâ—ded / rebelle inobedyent that he ne wolde obey vnto god / vnto his seruauÌ„t For he ne wolde let go the chyldre people of Israhell by many tymes in lykewyse as god hym commaunded And therfore at euery tyme that he dysobeyed vnto our lorde Ihesu cryste he sente a punycyon ¶ The fyrst punycyon that oure lorde sente them was that all the waters and ryuers of the kyngdome of Egypte was chaunged and torned vnto bloode ¶ The seconde that god sent them so many of frogges that they spradde ouer all egypte ¶ The thyrde god sente soo many of gnattes and flyes vpon bestes and people that they ne myght defende them ¶ The fourth other flyes and more terryble or al sortes ¶ The .v. was mortalyte vpon all the beestes of egipte ¶ The .vi. was wouÌ„des bladders vpon the beestes people ¶ The .vii. was thondres lyghtenyÌ„ges hayle and fyre in the myddes ¶ The .viii was grasseloppes and other the whiche ete all the verdure grenesse of egypte The ix was derkenes ¶ The .x. was mortalyte vpon the fyrste borne / for that that he had the herte so harde that he ne wolde obeye to god ne by worde ne by punycyon moyses stroke the water of the see the whiche departed on the one side and on the other And syxe hondred thousande men of the chyldren of Israhell without the women passed with drye fote And pharaon and all his armye entred afterwarde all we redrowned VnÌ„ exo .xv. Curus pharaonis excertitus eius proiecit in mare Et electi principes eius sub mersi sunt in mari rubro abyssi operuerant eos descenderuÌ„t in ê“funduÌ„ quasi lapis Filii auÌ„t israel ambulauerunt ê‘ siccuÌ„ in medio mari By Pharaon the whiche was soo obstynate that he ne wolde neuer obeye vnto the seruauÌ„tes of god / ne hym correcte for plage nor punycyon that god sente vnto hyÌ„ ben vnderstonde the synners obstynate the whiche ne correcte them for prechynges ne wrytynges that a man vnto them myght tel / ne for sekenes of fortune what so euer the god vnto them sente And for asmoche as they be in dauÌ„ger to haue in th ende conclusyon as pharaon had / that is that god shall punysshe them make to deye myscheuously and that they shall descende in to dampnacyon in to helle c. G. ¶ Another example of the inobedyence of the prophete ionas liiii IT is wryten in the fyrste chapytre of Ionas how god him commaunded that he sholde go to preche in the cyte of Nynyues / the whiche obeyed not redely fled from the face of our lorde / mounted vpon the see in a shyppe and incontynent these began to moue for the tempest of the tyme. For to make short Ionas was caste into the see / a fisshe named a whale him swalowed / was in his wombe thre dayes thre nyghtes And in the wombe of the said fysshe made his orayson vnto god Afterwarde god coÌ„maunded vnto the fysshe that he sholde vomete Ionas He was obedyent and vometed hym and caste hym on drye londe And whan Ionas came forthe of the wombe of the whale / god hym commauÌ„ded secondly that he sholde go to preche in the cyte of Nynyue / and he was obedyent forthwith H. ¶ Another example how chore dathan and abyron / theyr alyes dyscended in to hell for theyr inobedyence murmure Also how the chyldren of Israhell gadred of the manna agayne the coÌ„maundemente of Moyses Ca. liiii IT is wryten in the .xvi. chapytre of the boke of nombres / how chore / dathan abyron two C. l men murmured agaynste god Moyses ylle came
He is a frende alonely by name Also the sage speketh of the sayd frendes Ecclesi vi Est eniÌ„ amicus scdm tempus suuÌ„ non in die tribulationis / et est amicê° qui conuertit ad inimicitiaÌ„ / et est amicus qui odiuÌ„ et rixaÌ„ et coÌ„uitia denudabit The frendes of the purse ben cosyns as to giue or to lende / but hate and the deuyll it is to yelde agayn The frendes of operacyon fayleth not at nede and ben sory of the euyll of theyr frende and gladde of his welfare In nede a man shall se what a frende is Vnd eccle vi Amicus si permanserit / fixus / erit tibi quasi coequalis / et in domesticis tuis fiducialiter aget / sequitur amicus fidelis fortis protectio / qui autem iÌ„uenit thesauruÌ„ / amico fideli nulla est comparatio A faythfull frende is a grete and a stronge defence / he the whiche fyndeth hym fyndeth a treasour there is noo comparyson vnto a faythfull frende Also the true frende ought to helpe and remembre his frende at his nede as he sholde do vnto hymselfe Vnde ligitur nono ethicoruÌ„ Amicus se debet habere ad amicum sicut ad semetipsum God hath vs loued of worde and of operacyon togyders And in lykewyse sholde we loue our neyghboures E. ¶ Fourthly god hath vs loued parfytely more than his owne body as before it is sayd Quere G. Also ê“arfyte men putteth theyr bodyes in daunger of dethe for to saue theyr neyghboures / as dyde a man named Sanctulus Quere .lxxv. c. Another example of two men that had so grete charyte and amyte togyder that the one wolde haue deyed for to saue the other Quere lxxv b. F. ¶ Fyfthly god hath loued the saluacion of all his ennemyes the whiche wronged hym / and bette hym without that / that he defended hymselfe nor that he answered Iniury agaynst Iniury he dyde not / but yelded the good agaynst the yl / he prayed for his enmyes Vnde luce .xxii. Pater dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciuÌ„t Also perfite people sholde loue theyr enmyes in folowynge god / and they shall haue grete rewarde in paradyse Vn. math v. lu vi Diligite inimicos vestros benefacite hus qui oderuÌ„t vos et orate ê“ persequentibus et calumniantibus vos vt sitis filii patris vestri qr benignus est super ingratos malos That is to say Loue your enmyes / do good to them that hateth you / praye for your persecutours and dyspysers to th end that ye be the sones innytatoures of god your fader G. ¶ Questyon How may I loue those the whiche hathe bette me or made me to lose my goodes or my good renowne The answere Thou sholdest loue the euyll wyl of thy neyghbour but for the loue of god thou sholdest loue the persones and theyr saluacyon / and also yf by Iustyce thou makest them to yelde to the thy goodes and to punysshe the synne of thy neyghbour thou of tendest not For Iustyce is founded after god and vnto god / and Iustyce appertayneth to do punycyon not vnto ye. Wherfore thou ne sholdest venge the that god ne wrothe hym agaynst the. The grete lordes the whiche wyll not vnderstande for to do right and iustyce departeth it with the swerde / and is suffred of god vnto those the whiche hath good right Vn. catho Pugna ê“ patria The parfite people bereth al aduersytees pacyently dooth good agaynst yll for the loue of god Example in saynt Steuen that prayed for his enmyes that god sholde pardon theym the synne that they dyde to stone hym And to th ende that his prayer were the soner exalted he set him on his knees VnÌ„ acti vii Positis auÌ„t genibê° clamauit voce magna diceÌ„s / dnÌ„e ne statuas illis hoc petmÌ„ ¶ Example that Dauyd wept the dethe of his enmy Saul the whiche persecuted hyÌ„ Also he wept at the dethe of his frende Ionathas in lyke wyse as it is wryten in the fyrst chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges Also we rede in the .xviii. chapytre of the boke of kynges that Ionathas the sone of Saul loued Dauyd as his owne soule / on a tyme he dyspoyled hym of his gowne gaue it vnto Dauyd Also Dauyd loued hym as hymselfe Also Dauyd wept at the deth of his neyghbour Abner Vt habetur .ii. reguÌ„ iii. Also he wept at the dethe of his sone Absolon that dyde hym warre Vt habetur .ii. reguÌ„ .xviii. .xix. Also Dauyd wolde do none euyll to his enmye Saul whan he myght haue done it / in lyke wyse as is wryten in the xxvi chapytre of the fyrst boke of kynges This is an example here that we sholde loue our enmyes for the loue of god By these thyÌ„ges aforesayd it apereth how we shold loue our nyghboure H. ¶ Questyon Who is my neyghbour BY this that god commaundeth to loue his neyghbour a man may demaunde What is it that is my neyghbour The answere That is euery man woman / for we sholde loue the saluacyon of soules the we le and vtylyte of all persones / not the yll Saynt Austyn sayth ExteÌ„de caritateÌ„ per totum orbeÌ„ quia meÌ„bra christi per orbem iacent Extende charite ouer al the worlde / that is dyleccion / for the membres of Ihesu cryst lyeth by the worlde God wyll that those of scotlond / of of fraunce / of spayne be also well saued as them of Englonde yf they deserue it for all ben membres of god tendynge to saluacyon He loueth the lytell as the grete / he theÌ„ hath create and is theyr gouernour purueyour Vn. sapien vi PusilluÌ„ magnuÌ„ fecit dominus equaliter cura est illi de omnibus And therfore it behoueth to vnderstande that all ben our neyghboures / but for as moche as we ne may do almes ouer all the worlde it suffyseth to do it vnto those the whiche ben amonge vs after our power This mater is gyuen vnto vs by worde Luce .x. Homo quidem desceÌ„debat ab iherusalem in iherico qui incidit in latrones And the euangelyst sayeth that one of the maysters of the lawe demaunded of Ihesu cryst who was his neyghboure / and he answered vnto hym A man descended froÌ„ Iherusalem vnto Iheryco the whiche fel in to the handes of theues the whiche dyspoyled hym and bette hym so moche that he was replenysshed with woundes left hym as halfe deed / it befell that a preest passed by and toke none hede In lykewise a deaken passed that toke no hede After a Samarytane the whiche passed the countree founde hym and had pyte anoynted his woundes with wyne and oyle dyde bynde hym and after that put hym on his mare bare him in to a stable and gaue two pens vnto the mayster of the stable and prayed hym
deo veniale c. The thyrde is by that / that a man is fallen in delectacyon of venyall synnes he dysposeth hyÌ„ ofte tymes to come vnto mortall synnes / wherof speketh saynt Gregory the whiche sayeth Vitasti gaudia / vide ne ebruaris arena He sayth so for that often tymes fro small synnes men come in to grete In lykewyse as by a lytel sparkle of fyre there ryseth a grete flambe Wherof the sage speketh in his prouerbes saynge Qui minima negligit paulatim decidit in maiora He that dyspreaseth the small thynges falleth in to grete The fourth whan that venyall synnes ben not repelled comynly procedeth after the synnes mortall As it appereth in the fyrst mouementes the whiche ben deputed amonge the venyall synnes whan the delectacyon hathe conualescence in soo moche that the consentement also approcheth / so sourdeth incontynent mortall synne Also the accustomaunce to swere is dauÌ„gerous for who so swereth often often him for swereth / and who so often lyeth often synneth mortally Therfore sayth the holy Ysodore Vsus iurandi periuruÌ„ ducit The vsage to swere maketh forswerynge Et legitur hie remie .xiij. Si ethiops mutare poÌ„t pellem suam et pardus varietates suas vos poteritis benefacere cuÌ„ didiceritis maluÌ„ Yf the ethyopyen that is blacke myght chaunge his skynÌ„e / and the leoparde her varyeteâ— that is whyte blacke / and ye may do well 〈◊〉 lykewyse as ye haue lerned accustome yll Also of lytell cornes men may makeâ— grete somme or burden lade an hors so moche that he ne may bere it Also of lytel venyall synnes men make grete mortal sines the whiche ladeth dampneth the pesones VnÌ„ mgrÌ„ alanus De minimis granis fit maxima suÌ„ma cabali / de breuibê° mâ—dis non veniale maluÌ„ So it appereth thâ—â— the venyall synnes and the accustomauÌ„â— to swere ben to fle as it is sayd before E. ¶ To the regarde of othes a man sholde vnderstande that some ben more horryble / greter / solempnell / and byndynge the the other For he the whiche swereth gods well bounde / but he that swereth by god bâ— the euangelyst he is yet more bounde / and so of other swerynges whan the solempâ—â—te groweth the oblygacyon groweth Bâ—â— what is it of one that swereth by god the othe by the euangelist IohnÌ„ Crysostome sayâ—â— that he the whiche swereth by god is moâ—â— bounde than he that swereth by the euaÌ„gelyâ—â— agaynst some that beleueth the contrary Sâ—â— ti scripture proptur deum fcteÌ„ sunt non deu ê“pter scripturas .xxij. q j. Aliqua Foles scryptures ben made for god and not goâ— for the scryptures Also the doctours saytâ— that the one othe and other solempnely mâ—de the one and the other egally byndeth / â— be it yf the one be solempnely made and other not / that the whiche is solempneâ— made byndeth more as vnto the chyrche more penaunce vnto hym ought to be 〈◊〉 ioyned the which transgresseth / but as â—â—to god they ben egally bounde extra quâ— dei vel vo Yet agayne vnto the contrary the holyer that a thynge is wherby a maâ— swereth of soo moche is he more worthye greter payne that soo forswereth hyÌ„ / thâ—â— sayth saynt Austyn Than more bound xxii q. i. Mouet te Yf thou be forsworne repeÌ„t the / do penaunce the whiche effaceth the syn synnes as it wryten before queÌ„ ante .viij. b Also kepe the from swerynge vaynely and vnprouffytably or thou shalt lose the Ioyes of paradyse the whiche ben grete / quere .lxvij. a Also thou sholdest drede to be sent in to the fyre of hell the whiche is a cruell tourment as it is wryten after QueÌ„ xlix b. ¶ Examples shal be founde by the table in the ende of thexamplary quere C. vii A. A. ¶ The maners to blaspheme god / and that the blasphematours ben ryght cursed and euyll .xij. IT is wryten eclesiastice .xxiij. ca. Vir multum iurans implebitur iniquitate non discedet a domo illiê° plaga ¶ A man moche swerynge as he the whiche blasphemeth god / or the whiche forswereth hym shall be replenysshed with inyquyte and the plage shall not departe from his hous To blaspheme god is a ryght grete synne detestable the whiche a man commytteth in many maners Fyrst in gyuinge vnto god ony thinge that apperteyneth not vnto hyÌ„ as to say that god is a lyer Secondly whaÌ„ a man taketh from god that thynge the whi apperteyneth vnto hym / as to say that he is not Iust and good Thyrdly whan man graunteth or gyueth vnto ony creature that thynge the whiche apperteyneth vnto god the creatour / as to saye suche a man or suche an ydoll is god Or as dyde the seruauntes of the kynge of Assyryens the whiche grauÌ„ted vnto theyr kynge that the whiche apperteyned vnto god / for they sayd vnto the kynge Ezechyas Whiche ben the goddes of all the erthe the whiche haue power to delyuer theyr regyons from the handes of our kynge / there is none And whiche is the god that may delyuer Iherusalem froÌ„ his honde c. This blaspheme dyspleased so moche vnto god that the aungell of our lorde stroke the people of the army of the sayd kynge slewe an C. lxxxv M. as it is wryten in the .xix. chapytre of the .iiij. boke of kynges Fourthly whan a man bryngeth forth towarde god contumelous moeuynges to debate or stryfe Vnde mathei .xii. Hic noÌ„ ei cit demones / nisi in belzebub principe de monioruÌ„ Et luce .xi. In belzebub principe demoniorum ei cit demonia Some Iewes sayd that they had founde hym subuerty syÌ„ge the people / and defendynge to gyue the trybute vnto cesar / and they lyed VnÌ„ luce xxiij Hunc inuenimus subuertanteÌ„ genteÌ„ nostram et prohibenteÌ„ tributa dari cesari Also some wende for to haue sayd Iniury vnto hym that he receyued the synners that he eate and dranke with them Vnde luce .xv. Hic peccatores recipit et manducat bibit cum illis Also some sayd that he was good / and other sayd that he was not good but that he seduced the people in yll Vnde IohÌ„ .vii. Quidam dicebant bonus est / alu dicebant non / sed seducit turbas Fyfthly in the swerynge cursedly / execrably / and irreuerently as whan ony cursed crystyens ben angry anenst god / and by that maner of Iniury and of vengeaunce swere by the vertue of god / by the blode / by the guttes / by the lunges / by the herte / by the fete / by the heed / the eyen / the tethe / or ony of his membres The persone that so swereth by delectacyon delyberacyon obstynatly yf he be a clerke he ought to be deposed / yf it be a lay man he ought to be excommunyed as it is wryten .xxij. q. i. Si quis per capillum We rede that saynt Poule thappostle cursed some
tauerne whaÌ„ he sholde haue gone vnto the chyrche Quere in thexamplary .lxvii. E. ¶ Many other examples of glotons shall be founde in the thyrde commaundement of thexamplary Quere ê‘ tabulam .lxvii. a.b.c.d.e. B. ¶ Of fastynge and abstinence that god commaundeth xxxix IT is wryten GenÌ„ iii. ca. De ligno scieÌ„tie boni et mali / ne comedas Incontynent that Adam was fourmed god him defended that he sholde not ete of the fruyte of the tree of scyence bothe good euyll He dysobeyed vnto the sayd commaundement and euyll came vnto hym / in lykewyse as it is wryten in the examplary Quere liiii a. Also god wyll that we fast and do abstynence in some dayes that the chyrche determyneth vs. Fastynge is instytued for the helthe of our soules / in lykewyse as sayeth the scryptures Vnde hiero Ieiunio et oratione sanande sunt passiones corporis et pestes mentis The passions of the body / and the pestelence of the thought ben heled by fastynge and prayer And Ysodorus sayeth Abstinentia enim carnem superat / luxuriam refrenat / et alia vicia calcat AbstyneÌ„ce surmouÌ„teth the flesshe / refreyneth lechery / and fouleth the other vyces A man may not well ouercome the temptacions but by fastynges abstynences Vnde Ysidorus Non potes teÌ„ptationes viÌ„cere nisi ieiunus insisteris Also fastyng lyfteth our thought vp vnto god in deuocyon and contemplacyon / and also augmenteth the vertues the rewarde eternall / in lykewyse as sayth the preface of lenten Qui corporali ieiunio vicia coÌ„primis / menteÌ„ eleuas / vtuteÌ„ largiaris premia c. Also abstynence fastyng ben moche prouffytable in lykewyse as it appereth by many storyes of the byble It is writen in the .xiii. chapytre of the boke of Iuges how the aungell of god appered vnto the wyfe of MaÌ„ne brehaigne vnto whome he commauÌ„ded that she ne sholde drynke wyne ne sydre and that she sholde not eete ony vnclene thynge and that she sholde haue a sone / and so it was done And she conceyued Sampson the stronge Another hystory is wryten in the .xx. chapytre of the boke of Iuges that after that the chyldren of Ysrael had fasted and wept they fought with the sones of Beniamyn and they had victory Another hystory how the prophete Helye dyde grete abstyneÌ„ces whan he demauÌ„ded of a woman wydowe a lytell of water to drynke a shyuer of breed / the sayd wydowe gaue it hym / and her mele or floure multyplyed / as it is wryten in the .xxii. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kynges And it it wryten in the .xix. chapytre of the sayd boke how the aungel of god brought vnto hyÌ„ breed and water after that he had moche fasted and trauayled Another history wryten in the .xxi. chapytre of the .iii. boke of kyÌ„ges that after that kynge Achab had made Naboth to be slayne he was manassed and thretened and knowleged his defaute / he cutte his vestementes / ware the hayre / fasted / and slepte vpon a sacke / and god atteÌ„pred his payne and sentence c. Another hystory wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the prophete Ionas that whan those of the cite of Nynyue herde that theyr cyte sholde be subuerted that they sholde be punysshed for theyr synnes / they fasted al grete and lytell / and they clothed them with sackes / chauÌ„ged theyr cursed wayes / and god had pyte on them / and dyde not vnto theym the euyll that he wolde haue done vnto them c. Another hystory wryten in the fourthe boke of Iudyth that after that the chyldren of Ysraell had herde the terryble puyssaunce of Holofernes they fasted and prayed god they had vyctory Another hystory wryten in the fourthe chapytre of Hester how before that Hester made request vnto the kynge for some people the whiche sholde be slayne she sayd vnto a man Mardocheus that he sholde go vnto the sayd people to make theym pray for her / and that by thre dayes they ne sholde ete ne drynke / and that she and her seruauÌ„tes sholde fast / so it was accoÌ„plyshed and her request vnto her was grauÌ„ted c. Another hystory wryten in the fyrst chapyter of danyell how danyell and his company Ananias / azarias / mysaell also abstened them to ete of metes of the kynge and to drynke of the wyne / and god gaue vnto the thre chyldren scyence in all bokes / and vnto danyell he gaue entendement of visions of dremes c. Another example wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the gospelles of saynt Mathewe how the mete of saynt Iohan baptyst was greshoppes and wylde hony / and he neyther dranke wine ne sydre / and was so full of grete abstynences holynes that it is wryten of hyÌ„ Internatos mulierum non surrexit maior iohanne baptista A question / who soo demaundeth what fastyng dayes the chyrche commaundeth to faste / and what people ben bounde to faste them The answere The chyrche commaundeth fastynge vnto all those and them the whiche may do it by helthe of theyr bodyes / the fourtymes of the yere / that is the ymbre dayes / and the vygylles of the feestes the whiche foloweth That is to vnderstande / the vygyll of crystmas / of whytsontyde saynt Iohan baptyst / saynt Laurence / the assumpcion of our lady / the vygyll of saynt Peter saynt poule / saynt Andrew / saynt Symon saynt Iude / saynt Mathew / the day of saynt Marke / but it yf come vpon the sonday the fastyng and processyon shal be on the monday after Also the custome is now to fast all the vygylles of the feestes of our lady / and in many places the thre dayes of the crosse c. Also the quarantyne of the lenten is of commaundement of the chyrche to faste / in lykewyse as sayeth these doctours Alijs diebus ieiunare remedium at premiuÌ„ est / in quadragesima non ieiuna re peccatum est alio tempore qui ieiunat accipiet indulgentiaÌ„ / iÌ„ quadragesima q i potest et non ieiunat sentiet penaÌ„ ¶ A questyon / A man may demaunde in what aege a persone is bounde to faste the lenten Saynt Thomas answereth ii.ii q. xlvii Et dicit quaÌ„diu aliquis stat in statu augmenti non tenetur ad oiÌ„a ieiunia / scilicet ad finem tercij septeÌ„nij i.xxi yeres And after the sayd saynt Thomas sayth / it is conuenable that euery persone vnder the sayd aege of .xxi. yeres excercyse hym to fast the moost that he may doo / as he of xiiii yeres sholde faste more than he of .x. yeres And howbeit that a man ne may fast all / yet he sholde enforce hym to do euery of them after his puyssaunce We rede in the .xxiiij. chapytre of Exodi how Moyses fasted .xl. dayes whan he receyued the lawe and the commaundements of god Also we rede in the thyrde boke of
blaspheme / homycide / theft / fornycacyon / or ony mortall synne / he is bounde body and soule to receyue payne punycyon before god for his synnes And as yf he were bounde before the notaryes to pay ony somme of money / so that he shal neuer escape without hauyÌ„ge punycyon as it is sayd Dauyd the prophete sayth in the psalter the wordes of god Si iusticias meas ê“phana uerint ipit et mandata mea non custodieriÌ„t visitabo in virga iniquitate eoruÌ„ That is to say Yf the cursed inobedyentes haue taken in scorne my Iustyces and take no hede to my commaundementes / I shall vysyte in a rodde the inyquytees of them in strykynge theyr synnes Also a man sholde vnderstande after the scryptures that god punyssheth the synners for theyr Inobedyences cursednesses Quicqid patimur peccata nostra merueruÌ„t And yet they apperceyue not from whens procedeth suche punycyon / as it is declared before where is treated that they the whiche breketh the festes oen punysshed Quere ad numeruÌ„ xix A. Also god punyssheth the synnes in this worlde by famyne / warre / mortalyte By famyne for he maketh the cornes to fayle / apples / vynes other fruytes and laboures / by frost / myst / heet / ayre corrupt c. Vnde deutero xi Cauete ne forte decipiatur corvestruÌ„ et recedatis a domino et mandata eiê° / iracusque dnÌ„s claudat celum pluuio noÌ„ descendant / nec terra det germen suuÌ„ pere atisque velocitur c. ¶ Example how the sonnes of Iacob were punysshed by famyne / for that they solde theyr broder Ioseph and made theyr fader to beleue that a beest had deuoured hym / that beest was enuy VnÌ„ gene xxxvii Fera pissima deuorauit filium meum ioseph dicit iacob c. ¶ Another example wryten in the thyrde boke of kynges how grete drynesse famyne came vnto the people for the ydolatryes synnes the which reygned in the tyme of the cursed kyng Achab and of his wyfe Iesabell that made to sle the good man Naboth / and it was at the prayer of the prophete Helye VnÌ„ iacobi v. Multum valet deprecatio iusti assiduo / helyas erat homo passibilis similis nobis / et oratione orauit vt non pluerit suê‘ terraÌ„ / noÌ„ pluit annos tres et menses sex / et rursum orauit et celum dedit pluuiaÌ„ et terra dedit frutum suuÌ„ Secondly god punyssheth the synners inobedyentes by mortalyte / as he dyde vnto the people of Rome the whiche people after Eester went to play / to be dronke to excercyse lecheryes / synnes / euylles in suche maner that god wrothed hym agaynst the sayd people / made to come grete waters grete multytude of serpentes snakes the whiche deyed and enfected the ayre After there was so grete mortalyte that innumerable people deyed / many deyed in yanynge sodaynly After that saynt Gregory was pope that institued the ê“cessyon fast on saynt Markes day ¶ Another exampâ—e of the punycyon of some that retorned after ester to theyr ylles synnes Cu. t. Also of them that brake goddes commaundements lxiiii k ¶ Another example wryten in the last chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges how after that Dauyd had vyctory of his ennemyes he made to nombre his people by vayne glory god sent vnto hym the prophete Gad that sayd vnto hym that he sholde chose of thre ylle thyÌ„ges one whiche he wold / that is to haue vii yeres famyne honger in his lande / or .iii. moÌ„thes so stronge warre that he sholde fle before his aduersaries that sholde persecute hyÌ„ / or thre dayes of mortalytee in his people Than Dauyd sayd I am anguysshed harde beten on all sydes He toke mortalyte that was so grete that in iii dayes there dyed of his people .lxx. M. men by sekenes of pestelence And Dauyd sayd vnto god Ego suÌ„ q i peccaui ego iiqui egi Isti q i oues suÌ„t qid fecerÌ„t / vertatur obsecro manê° tuas coÌ„tra me coÌ„tra domuÌ„ meaÌ„ ¶ Another exaÌ„ple wryten in the boke of Moyses how the chyldreÌ„ of Israell had punycyon by mortalyte for theyr murmure c. Thyrdly god dooth punysshe the inobedyent sinners by warre as we haue by example how by the proude answere that kynge Roboam gaue vnto the people of Israell they raysed another kynge the sayd Roboam hadde warre all his lyfe Que. lxxxxix m. ¶ Another example wryten in the .xix. chapytre of the boke of Iuges that mo than .lx. M men were slayne in batayle of the people of Beniamyn for to punysshe them of the sinne of lechery that they commytted in the wyfe of Leuyte que lxxxâ—â— b For to be shorte god punyssheth the inobebyent sinners in many maners / for they beÌ„ bounde to punycyon by synne as it is sayd ¶ Example wryten in the thyrde boke of Ionas how god sent vnto the people of Nynyue that they sholde be dystroyed / they theyr cyte wtin xl dayes for theyr synÌ„es Adhuc xl dies et nyniue subuertetur c. They dyde penaunce god had mercy on theym The punycyon of synners is soÌ„tyme temporall transytorye And somtyme it is eternall The punycyon temporall is somtyme voluntary / as that the whiche is done by penaunce the whiche is merytoryous Somtyme it is done by constraynte as the theues the whiche ben punysshed hanged ayenst theyr wyll / this punycyon payne is not merytoryous VnÌ„ legitur ê™ oiÌ„s actê° meritoriê° oportet qd sit voluÌ„tate iÌ„peratê° But yf a thefe bere with good wyll the dethe suche payne for his owne synnes as that good thefe that was put to dethe whan our lorde deyed / suche payne dethe sholde serue for penauÌ„ce / the whiche is greter than to fast c. The good thefe sayd Illud luce xxii NaÌ„ digna tactis recipimê° morteÌ„ / hic auÌ„t nichil malifecit / and for that that god knewe and sawe his faythe / his contrycyon the dethe that he bare so wyllyngly for his synnes of good ryghte he sayd vnto him Hodie mecum ens in paradiso c. Of the punycyon eternall that the synners Inobedyentes shall haue it is wryten herafter Quere ad numerum xlix a. ¶ Examples shall be wryten towarde the ende of the boke Quere in penis inferni A. ¶ The coÌ„dycyons that the pylgryme of paradyse sholde haue touchynge that a man sholde apply his .v. wyttes of nature vpon the commaundementes of god / as a good pylgryme dooth on his way .xlv. IT is wryten in the .xix. cha of sayÌ„t mathew how a maÌ„ axed of cryst what good dedes he sholde do to gete eternall lyfe And he answered Yf thou wylt entre in to eternal lyfe kepe the coÌ„maundements Si vis ad vitaÌ„ ingredi serua maÌ„data For the obseruacion the coÌ„mauÌ„dements is the ryght way
the good agayne the ylle vnto our enemyes c. C. ¶ Another example of hym the whiche commaunded vnto two dragons that they sholde kepe the dore of his house liiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of the faders that a holy fader dwelled in an hermytage and the theues came often vnto hym the whiche ete his brede and his substaunce wherof he lyued After that the said fader had moche endured of the sayd theues he yode in to the feldes founde two dragons the whiche he ledde with hym to whome he coÌ„maunded in the name of our lorde Ihesu cryste that they sholde kepe theym styll at his dore / and that they sholde kepe the entre against the forsaid theuis Whan the theues came as they hadde of custome and that they fouÌ„de the sayd dragons the whiche kepte the entre they had ryght grete drede fell downe as deed to the erth without speche Whan the auncient apperceyued it he came vnto them fouÌ„de them as halfe deed And he lyfte them vp and blamed in sayenge Loke you and beholde that ye are more harde than these beestes here / they obeye vnto vs for the loue of god / and ye ne drede god and also ye haue no shame of the seruaunt of god Allbeit the sayd fader made them entre in to the monasterye and set them at the table / and commaunded them that they sholde ete Than they repented them dyd penauÌ„ce and conuerted theym vnto god and soo moche they prouffyted by penaunce that in shorte tyme after they dyde myracles D. ¶ Another example how the water oÌ„f a flode obeyed vnto a bysshop Ca. liii IT is wryten in the boke of the dialogue of saynt Gregorye howe a flode or a streme ranne nere vnto the walles of a cite and by the dysriuasyons the water made hys cours to shede thorowe the felde toke the that it founde sowen and set After that the water had done of grete ylles and that the necessyte constrayned the people of god / the men began to studye by grete labours to make torne the sayd dysriuasioÌ„s by other places / but they ne myght Albeit that there they laboured longly Than the bysshop that was a deuoute man made a lytell rake afterwarde put hym in orayson came vnto the laste ende of the streme coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto the water that it sholde folowe hym by the places that he sholde shewe it and he drewe the rake aboue vpon the erth The whiche water lefte hastely his propre cours And all the water folowed hym tyl that it lefte the place accustomed And made his course where the sayd bysshop drewe his rake And more ouer the said water ne hurted more that the whiche was sowen and planted Sins that the water obeyde vnto the sayd bysshop wherfore shalt not thou obeye vnto god and vnto thy supery dures Cesse thou of doynge yll as the sayd water and obeye vnto god and vnto hys coÌ„maundementes or thou ne shalte be saued / so sayeth the gospell mathei xix Sivis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata c. E. ¶ Another example how the fyre that whiche brente a house was obedieÌ„t vnto a freer the whiche prayed god Ca. lii MEn fynde by wrytynge this the whiche foloweth that the dyscyple reciteth in his promptâ—arye and sayth how a deuout frere precher lectour was one tyme in a house of a knight of Englonde and the fyre toke sodaynly in the house where they souped / the water to fayll and all the counsayll humayne And as the fyre grewe more and more the compaignon ranne and cryed with the housholde And the sayd relygyous fell prostrate in oraysoÌ„ and chased the fyre in suche maner that there abode none apperceuaunce / the sayd frerene lyfte hymselfe vppe in vaynglorye ne yet tolde it vnto no persone / but wrote it vnto the mayster of the ordre of prechers vnto the edyfycacyon of other F. ¶ Another example how the rayne touched not vnto two freres prechers in wal kynge on theyr waye Ca. liii IT is wryten in some bookes this the whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in his promptuarye and sayeth the two freres of the ordre of prechers were sente by obedyence vnto a conuert and as they accomplysshed Ioyously the sayd obedyence it befell that grete impetuosyte of rayne began to sourde / the whiche fered them gretely And they began to saye the one vnto the other Parauenture god hathe not agreable our obedyence And whaÌ„ they see no place where they myghte hyde them / the one thoughte on a myracle that god dyde vnto saynt domynyke in takynge awaye the rayne from aboue hym and aboue his compaygnon And he was moued in hope put hym in orayson / he made the token of the crosse agayne the tempeste and impetuosyte the whiche came vnto theym / and forthwith the water of the rayne deuyded it on the ryghte hande and on the lefte hande and suffred that they ye de without beynge wete soo that there ne felle one droppe of water vpon them / albeit that they sawe on the one parte and on the other fall rayne By these examples before sayd and many other the whiche tary bycause of shortenes / it appereth that for to obeye vnto god and vnto our superyoures a man dothe myracles A man geteth also the loue of god / paradyse and Ioye eternel And vnto the contrary by inobedyence a man byndeth vnto punycyon and dampnacyon Also a man leseth al goodes purchaseth all yll In lyke wyse as men shall here herafter c. G. ¶ Of the obedyence of a relygyous named Pol iiii IT is wryten in the lyfe of faders that ther was a man simple named pol amonge the dyscyples of saynt Anthonye The begynnynge of his conuersyon was that he sawe a rybaulde lyenge vpon hys wyfe / than he was sory in herte departed from his house and yede vnto the monasterye of saynt Anthonye and demaunded to speke with hym / whan saint Anthony vnderstode that he asked the waye of helthe he consydered that he was a symple man of nature and answered hym that he myghte be saued yf he obeyed vnto the thynges the whiche sholde be spoken vnto him And the sayd Pol sayd vnto hym that he wolde do all thynges that he sholde commauÌ„de hym And to the entente saynt anthony myghte prouue yf he wolde accomplysshe his promesses sayd vnto hym Holde the here before this gate and praye vnto god tyll that I come agayne vnto the. And he entred in to his chambre / and pol abode in the place and was so obedyente that he yode not forth all the daye and the nyght from the sayd place / where he prayed god And saynt Anthony behelde him often by a wyndowe secretely / the whiche knewe that he remeued not / ne in the hete of the daye / ne at the dewynge of the nyght and helde hym without mouynge in orayson as it is said The other day
demaunded them yf they knewe those persones there They answered that ye And that they ben suche suche Than the holy man sente them vnto the houses of theyr neyghbours for to seyf they were there they founde them in theyr houses Whan they had reported it vnto the holy man / he constrayned the deuylles to tel what they were And they confessed that they were deuylles and that they deceyued in suche wyse the men c. G. ¶ Another example of a kynge the whiche sente to seche counsayll of belzebub / his messengers were brente of the fyre celestyall And he deyed myscheuously lx IT is wryten in the fyrste chapytre of the .iiii. boke of kynges how the kynge Ozochias was seke in bedde The whiche sent for messengers for to take couÌ„sayll of belzabub god of Acharon That is to vnderstonde yf he sholde lyue or dye of the sekenes And the aungell of god came vnto the prophete Helye / vnto whome he seyd Aryse goo thou before the messengers of the kyng of Samarye thou shalt say vnto hym Is it not the god of Israel that is to vnderstonde vnto whome ye shold go to take counsayll / not vnto belzebub god of acharon For this thynge our lorde hathe said from thens that thou art mouÌ„ted thou shalt not dyscende / but thou shalte deye The said prophete made his message and the sayd messengers retourned to tel it vnto the kynge And the sayd kynge said why are ye come agayne And they tolde how a man herye cladde vnto the raynes with a skynne is comen agayne vs. c. the whiche sayd it is Helye Than the sayd kynge sent vnto the sayd prophete a Capytayne and fyfty men vnder hym / the whiche capitayn came vnto hym said Gods man the king hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded that thou dyscende Homo dei Rex pÌ„cepit vt disceÌ„das And Helye answerde Yf I be gods man dyscende the fyre from heuen the deuoure thy fyfty men And incontynent the fyre dyscended from heuen hym deuoured with his .l. men And agayne the sayd kyng sente another capytayne with fifty men the whiche were brente as the other in the same maner / yet agayne the sayd kynge sente another capytayne and fyftye men vnder hym / the whiche came before the sayd helye / yode on knees prayed humbly / not as the two other the spake proudely / said Man of god ne dyspreyse thou my soule / the fyre is dyscended from heuen that hathe deuoured those that haue ben sent towarde the before me / I praye the haue mercy on my soule / and the auÌ„gell of god spake vnto the sayd prophete sayd Dyscende with him drede thou not Than he came vnto the sayd kyÌ„ge with hym / vnto whome he sayd For that that thou hast sent messengers to take thi couÌ„sayll with belzebub god of Acharon / as yf there ne hadde be of god in Israhell of whom thou mayst axe a worde And therfore from the bedde wherin thou art mouÌ„ted thou shalt not dyscende but thou shal deye of dethe Than he deyed alter the worde of the prophete This example denoteth manyfestly howe a man sholde euermore seche counsayll after god good maneres And so men sholde take hede to byleue ylle counsayll in lyke wyse as sayeth the saige Vnde ecclesiastici .xxxvii. A coÌ„siâ—io malo serua aiÌ„am tuaÌ„ And by that that these two fyrste capytaynes the whiche spake proudely in sayenge / the kynge hathe coÌ„maunded that thou dyscende / is here to be noted that god punyssheth boweth downe dystroyeth the proude men And exalteth preserueth the humbles as he byde the thyrde capytayne the whiche humbled hym on knees and spake humbly c. H. ¶ Another example of a man the whiche gaue hymselfe vnto the deuyl bycause that he sholde enryche hym lx THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuarye sayeth that a ryche man came vnto pouerte afterwarde submytted hym of his good wyll vnto the deuyll to th ende that he sholde enriche hym And the deuyll toke hym baptyzed hym in sayenge I baptyse the in the name of Lucyfer of all the deuylles that thou be ours in body and soule Afterwarde the deuyll toke hym many rychesses sayd vnto hyÌ„ For as moche as thou art ours thou sholdest bere oure token the whiche is pryde in clothyng and in all thy membres After that he had be in suche estate by some yeres it befell that he entred in to the chirche and herde a predycacyon of the mercy of god / And afterwarde abode in the chirche contryte and sorowfull of his synnes He fell prostrate vnto the erthe and prayed god lyenge that he vnto hym wolde yelde hys grace / and that he wolde correcte all that that he had done Whan our lorde had sene his humylyte / his teres / his wyll that he wolde correcte amende his lyfe / profered from the aulter sayd Aryse thou vp thy synnes be pardoned the. Go and sinne thou no more The whiche arose and with the grete contrycyon that he had he was chaunged that is as an auncyent man so that ryght fewe of his housholde knewe him more The whiche dide afterwarde so grete penaunce tormented his body by correccyon that it was knowen that he had the lyfe eternall Oure lorde sheweth hys mercy vnto synners whyles that they benlyuynge in this worlde shall shewe tyll vnto the iugement / but whan the sayd Iugement shall be come He shall shewe and do Iustyce vnto the good vnto the yll I. ¶ Another example of a woman the whiche renyed the fayth / slewe her chylde and betoke herselfe vnto the deuyll / and after had mercy lx THe dyscyple recyteth in his promuarye how a woman had a husbande the whiche vnto her was moche coÌ„trarye For whan he came fro the masse / From the market / frome the tauerne / he bet her euermore And she toke couÌ„sayl of an olde woman what she sholde do to the ende that her husbande sholde loue her She promysed her to fynde the meane / ledde her in to a garnyer Whan she was there the olde woman called the deuyll the whiche was present incontynent Vnto whom the olde woman said This woman wolde serue you soo that ye make that her husbande loue her He sayd that he sholde do it with good wyll so that fyrste she muste slee her chylde that she had Whan she had slayne it she retorned vnto hym Ye shall do yet a thynge / the whiche is that ye shall renye the fayth and the ayde of god and of al the sayntes And she sayd that she consented / that she coÌ„mytted her vnto hym bothe body soule And the deuyll sayd vnto her Go ye now al assured vnto your house / than she theder yo de Ioyous And her husbande came to bete her that came from the tauerne And as he had be before ylle
afore rose hyÌ„ vp and came to mete with hym the whiche he knewe and demaunded hym Acte not thou suche one deed of late / he answered yes I am sente frome god to tell the that thou burye not thy sone in this chircheyarde with vs for his soule is damned and borne into helle for his synnes And god hathe suffred that the deuyl hathe kylled hym Goo in to suche a place where he is / thou shalte fynde hym by suche tokens that all his membres ben departed frome his body / the whiche ben all stynkynge / burye hym in a place prophane / so was it done This example denoteth thre thynges The fyrst is that the sayd blasphematour deyed myscheuously / was punysshed corporally for his synnes The seconde that his soule is buryed in helle with the dampned of perdycyon in paynes and tormentes The thyrde denoteth that the body of one dampned the whiche is deed many festly in mortall synne sholde not be buryed in holy grounde with the good crysten men that be in paradyse H. ¶ Another example of a knyght with one eye the whiche was enlumyned for that that he smote a Iewe that blasphemed the vyrgyn Mary lxii MEn fynde by wrytyÌ„ge this that foloweth / how the dysciple recyteth in his boke of a knyght with one eye the whiche with good wyll herde the masse of the vyrgyn Mary And on a tyme as he herde salue sctaÌ„ pareÌ„s he kneled on his knees WhaÌ„ 〈◊〉 Iewe sawe hym he began to mocke hym blasphemed the vyrgin Mary The sayd knyght ne myght bere the iniury that he dyde vnto our lady / but gaue hym a buffet entred into the chyrche herde masse deuoutly And the meane tyme the Iewe yede to coÌ„playne vnto the Iuge / he ne myght tell other token of hym but that he had but one eye Whan the people came forthe from masse â—he sayd knyght abode dredde The vyrgyn Mary enlumyned hym commaunâ—ed hym that he sholde go forth hardely WhaÌ„â—he Iewe sawe hym he sayd / yf this maÌ„ had â—ot two eyen I sholde say that he were culpaâ—le And the knyght sayd It iâ— I that smote the loue of her that hath restored myn eye / for whome I haue prepared to spende my body my goodes Whan the myracle was seen knowen grete praysyÌ„ges was there gyuen vnto the vyrgyn Mary / the knyght alowed c. H. ¶ Another example of two players at the dyse vnto whome there came yll for swerynge and blasphemynge lxii IT is wryten in the boke of hony flyes that in a towne of the partyes of Champayne a Iewe played with a crysten man And after that the sayd Iewe had lost many penyes he was moeued by impacyence In th ende he recouered his losse wrothe hym ayenst our lorde Ihesus blasphemed and cursed And as he gadred the dyse for to cast them his hande closed vpon the dyse wtout beynge in power to helpe hymselfe And thaÌ„ne by cursed furour he was enbrased enforced hym to smyte the table wheron he had played with the sayd seke haÌ„de Agayn he blasphemed vntruely Ihesu cryst his moder forthwith he torned the eyen ouerthwart fell to the erthe all deed And the crysten man that played with hym for feere loste his wytte / laÌ„guysshed afterwarde ended his dayes by cruell dethe c. ¶ By this example a man may se clere that yl cometh vnto players blasphemers Also the dethe is euyl as vnto the body / it is to presuppose that it is ryght cruell terryble as vnto the soule For in the fyre of hell they ben so moche tormented that they haue dethe wtout deyeng without endynge defaute without defaylynge And euermore in dyeÌ„ge they shal lyue / And neuer dye they may not K. ¶ Another example how yll came vnto kyÌ„ge Semacheryb the whiche sent wordes blasphemynges agaynst god vnto Ezechyas lxii IT is wryten in the .xxxvi. chapytre of the boke of Ysaie how kynge semacherib was meruaylously proude for his grete puyssaunce of people of armes of rychesses / the whiche toke many townes castelles / after came to besyege Iherusalem / kynge Ezechias was within Vnto the whiche Ezechias he sent that he sholde delyuer the towne and to say vnto hym by grete pryde elacion What is he of al the goddes of these landes here the whiche hath power to delyuer his lande and his people fro my hande / as yf he wolde say that none had power to resyst agaynst hym who is so grete the shall delyuer Iherusalem fro myn hande And whan ezechyas herde his wordes here / he cut his clothes and clothed hym in a sacke / yede vnto the hous of god / sent Elyachym and the auncyent prestes clothed with sackes vnto the prophete Ysaie to tell the proude wordes ful of blaspheme agaynst god that the kyÌ„ge Sennacheryb seÌ„t / that he was besyeged c. And the prophete Ysaie sayd vnto the messageres Illud Ysaie .xxxvii. Hec dicitis dnÌ„o vestro / ne timeatis a facie verborum que audistis quibus blasphema uerunt pueri regis assirioruÌ„ Ecce ego dabo ei spiritum et audiet nuncium reuertetur ad terram suam et corruere eum faciaÌ„ gladio in terra sua c. Say to your mayster that he drede not the wordes of the sayd kyÌ„ge For to abredge this mater it is wryten in the sayd boke of Ysaie that the aungel of god strake and slewe .lxxxv. thousande meÌ„ of armes of the sayd kynge Sennacheryb And those of Iherusalem came in the mornynge and founde the sayd deed bodyes / the sayd kynge Sennacheryb fledde in to the cyte of Nynyue And it was done that as he prayed his god in the temple his two sones drewe theyr swerdes slewe hym in the sayd temple / so he was punysshed of his pryde And the sayd Ezechyas the which clad hym with a sacke / the whiche humbled hym was delyuered It is that / that the gospell of mathew speketh .xxiii. OiÌ„s qui se exaltat humiliabitur / et qui se humiliat exaltabitur ¶ Periurium A. ¶ Example how a tauerner lost the vse or spekynge / for swerynge and blasphemynge lxiii THe dyscyple reciteth in his boke that it is wryten how in the toune of Cluny there was a tauerneâ— yll of foule lyfe For whan the people that yede to dryÌ„ke in his tauerne payed not his wyll he blamed get the vyrgin Mary spake many vylayne wordes So it happened that a man tolde hyÌ„ that he had well payed him that that he ought hâ—â— Than the sayd tauerner sware by the tongue of our lady that he lyed that he had nothiÌ„g payed hym And incontynent by the punâ—cyon dyuyne his tongue lept fro his mouth and he lost the vse of spekynge / dyed horybly for the vyle wordes that he had sayd of god / of saynt Mary B.
the pytte in playnynge and cryenge dyscouered the house he stroke with his staffe meruayllously and woke the monkes In the mornynge the body of the sayd man was foūde caste ferre of in to a felde beyonde the cyte And he was agayne put in to the pyt And after that many tymes it was in suche wyse done / he was coniured of an holy man that he tolde wherfore he and his monkes had no rest And he sayd of me it is to dyspayre For in lyke wyse as by my vsuryes I haue tormented by nyght and by daye the poore people In lyke wyse nowe shall I not reste And ye maye rest yf that ye cast my body out of the cloyster The whiche thynge was done And afterwarde they ne were more of hȳ troubled Who so wele sholde consyder these examples beforesayd of this thyrde commaundement he shall fynde that a man sholde kepe honoure and sanctyfye the feestes the whiche ben of cōmaundement of the chirche without beynge slouthfull to go to here the seruyce / and not neclygently to put hym in deuocyon and to do good operacyons Item without doynge worldly operacyons the whiche let the sanctyfycacion of the sayd feestes And withoute cōmyttynge synnes mortalles the whiche ben operacyons not of sanctifycacyons / but of dānacyon and perdycyon ¶ Quartū preceptū Filii ¶ Example of those the whiche hath not borne honoure and reuerence vnto faders and moders / the whiche ne hathe socoured them in theyr necessytees after the cōmaundement of god A. ¶ And fyrste examples of Absolon the sone of Dauyd the whiche deyed myscheuously for that that he made warre with his fader Ca. lxx IT is wryten in the xiiii chapitre of the seconde booke of kynges that in all the people of Israhel there ne was soo fayre a man as was Absolon the sone of kynge dauyd For from the sole of the fote tyll vnto the heyght of his heed was there not in al his body and his membres ony foule spotte / And also his heere were of grete weyghtynes beaute And he the whiche was noble / yonge / fayre / and strong was so proude and dysobeyssaunt vnto his fader Dauyd and made agayne hȳ soo grete warre that he fledde one tyme before hym Also he was lecherous and so fulfylled of couetyse that he wolde be kynge and expell his owne fader from his realme / but he abode not vnpunysshed as reason was For he deyed myscheuously In lyke wyse as it is wryten in the .xviii. chapytre of the seconde boke of kynges It befell that Absolon ranne after the seruauntes of Dauyd in makynge warre agayne them / was vpon his mule the whiche yode vnder an oke gretely braunched / and his heere toke and medled with the braunches of the sayd oke And as he was there hanged betwene the skye and the erthe / the mule where vpon he was rested not but yode forth stil And some men the whiche sawe this thinge yode vnto ioab the whiche was Capytayne and ledde the warre for Dauid / vnto whome they sayd that Absolon was abyden hanged on the braunche of an oke Than the said ioab toke in his hande thre speres and festened them in the herte of absolon And for as moche as he yet remoued and panted ten stryppelynges of the armye of the sayd Ioab wente to kyll out of hande the sayd Absolon / and caste hym in to a grete dytche / and layde vpon hym a grete hepe of stones in sygne of punycyon and maladyccyon This is here the example of all the euyll chyldren that wyll not bere honour and reuerence vnto faders moders after the cōmaundement of god By this that he was hanged by the heere myraculously / is to vnderstonde that the pryde that he toke in his heere dyspleased vnto god / by this that his hert was perced with thre speres / is to vnderstonde that it was reason that the proude herte inobedyent vnto god the whiche ne dyde honoure vnto his fader / but made warre with hym was trebly punysshed For he was replenysshed with thre vyces / the whiche is pryde / auaryce / and lecherye And by that that he was buryed in grounde prophane without prayers / without honoure / ne wtout solempnyte ecclesyastycall was in token of maledyccyon For it is wryten deutero xxii ca. Maledictus homo qui nō honorat patrem suū et matrem suam et dicet omnis populus amen That is to say that man be cursed the whiche honoureth not his fader and his moder / and al the people shall saye Amen / so be it c. B. ¶ Another example of a sone the whiche defaylled vnto fader and moder / and he bare a tode thre yere in his vysage lxx THe dyscyple reciteth in his sermōs that it is wryten in dyalogo cesarii / how a ryche man his wyfe lefte of their goodes and herytages vnto a sone that they had to th ende that he were maryed vnto a damoysell And then to prouyde for thē haboundaūtly whyles they lyued And after that he was maryed vnto the yong damoysell she had the fader and the moder of the sayd sone in dyspleasure And dyde so moche that they were departed and put in to a caban in the whiche they had moche of defaute And one tyme the auncyent woman sayd vnto her husbande I sawe borne from the market of good mete in our sones house / it is a greate tyme syth thou etest ony flesshe / goo thou theder this sondaye and in dede thou shalte fynde there of good roste and a grete dyner Than at the houre of dyner the sayd auncyente came to knocke at the dore / and incontinent the yll sone made to hyde the mete rosted And whan the fader was entred the euyl sone demaūded hym what he wolde / and he sayd that he was come to dyne with hȳ hopynge that there was some good thynge And the sayd sone sayd vnto hym Loke what we haue / holde here is two pens bye some thynge for the for my moder / go thy waye And whan he was gone the sayd roste was set agayne vpon the table a chekyn rosted by the wyll of god was chaunged in to a grete tode the whiche lept in to the vysage of the yll sone / toke him soo strongly with the two fete before on his chekes / that the flesshe of the man of the tode was one flesshe togyder / without that they myght separe them And the behynde of the sayd tode hanged before his mouthe The preest was called that ledde him to the Archebysshop / vnto whome he confessed his synne the case by ordre euenso as it was happened Then the archebysshop gaue hym in penaunce that he shold go thorowe all the grete townes and cytees of Fraunce / and that he sholde cal the yonge chyldren and recounte vnto theym the case beforsayd / to the ende that none sholde dyspyse theyr
auÌ„cient whiche sayd vnto hym Go thou with hyÌ„ in to the worlde / god ne shall suffre hym to be lost for thy labour than he yode with him And whan they came in to a strete god the same the charite of the frere whiche yode to saue his broder toke awaye the coÌ„cupyscence of the frere syÌ„ner Than he sayd vnto his broder that they sholde retorne vnto theyr hermytage I wende nowe to haue synned with the woman but I haue no more of wyll syth that I haue conquest in suche dede And they retour in to theyr hermytage in deuocyon wtoute coÌ„myttynge synne By these examples be forsayd it appereth that a man sholde haue loue charyte with his faders neyghbours And as a man sholde honour them socour them in theyr necessytees ¶ QintuÌ„ preceptuÌ„ HomicidiuÌ„ iÌ„iustuÌ„ A. ¶ Examples of those the whiche haue done homicide iniustely And fyrst example of Cayn the whiche slewe abel his broder Ca. lxxvi IT is wryten in the .iiii. chapitre of gene that after that Cayn had slayÌ„ his broder abell by enuye cursednes god demauÌ„ded / where is thy broder Abell / he answered I can not tell / am I the keper of my broder And god said vnto hyÌ„ what haste thou done / the voyce of the blode of thy broder cryeth vnto me from the erthe It is that that demaundeth vengeaunce / incontynent god cast forth maledyrcyon VnÌ„ gene iiii NuÌ„c maledictê° eris suê‘iraÌ„ cuÌ„ operatê° fueris eaÌ„ noÌ„ dabit tibi fructus suos spinas tribulos germinabit tibiva gus et ê“fugê° eris suê‘ terram That is to saye thou shalte be cursed aboue the erthe Whan thou it shalt laboure it ne shall gyue vnto his fruytes It shall brynge forth thornes thystylles / thou shall be wandryng and fugytyue vpon the erthe Cayn sawe that his broder Abell was better than he / and more loued of god bycause that he payed better his dysmes thenne he dydde / And therfore god multeplyed his goodes and fruytes / sente vnto hym habouÌ„dauÌ„ce And vnto cayn and vnto his gyftes he regarded nothynge Soo Cayn wrathed hym hugely and had enuye vpon his broder slewe hyÌ„ VnÌ„ ge iiii Propter hoc deê° respexit ad abel et ad munera eius ad cayn et ad munera eius noÌ„ respexit iratusque est cayn vehemeÌ„ter inuidit suê‘ fratreÌ„ suuÌ„ et occidit Enuye procedeth to se to consyder that his neyghboure is better than hymselfe in ony thynge be it temporell gode or spyrytuell VnÌ„ grego iÌ„ mora Inuidere eniÌ„ non possumê° nisi eis quos nobis in aliquo meliores esse putamê° That is to saye we ne maye haue enuye but vnto those that whiche we wene to be better than we in some thynge By this example and by the scryptures a man sholde vnderstond that those the whiche foloweth the lyfe of Cayn haue maledyccyon VnÌ„ in epi. iude ii ca. Ve his qui via cayn abieruÌ„t erroris baâ—aaÌ„ mercede effusi suÌ„t et contradictione chore perieruÌ„t For to vnderstonde what maledyccyon is A man sholde vnderstonde the maledyccyon is puttynge from benedyccyon from all goodes spyrytuel / and assocyacyon with al yll And whan a persone is cursed of god of the chirche knowyng that he is pryued from benedyccyon / and from all goodes spyrytuelles done in holy chirche / is assocyate with all yll And yf he deye in suche estate impenytent he shal be put from paradyse / as sayth saynt poule i. co vi Neque maledicti regnuÌ„ dei possi debuÌ„t Also whan a man obeyeth soner to the deuyll than to god / he is moche cursed or whan he leueth god for to folowe the deuyll / or whan he loueth syÌ„nes leueth vertues VnÌ„ psal Dilexit maledictioneÌ„ veniet ei â–ª noluit benedictionem et elongabitur ab eo c. That is to saye He hathe loued malediccion and it shall come vnto hym / And he hathe not wylled to haue benedyccyon / and it shall be lenthed from hym B. ¶ Another example how the kynge achab iezabell his wyfe made to sle Naboth for to haue his vyneyarde lxvi IT is wryten in the .xxi. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kynges that the kynge Achab coueyted to haue to possede the vyneyard of a good man named Naboth And for as moche as he ne might haue it ne by sale ne by eschaunge was sory And layde hym downe wolde not eate The sayd Naboth wolde not sell the herytage of his predecessours And Iesabell wyfe of the sayd Achab comforted her husbande And to be shorte in the matere she sente lettres vnto the grettest of the cyte And caused to make false wytnes agayne the sayd Naboth And so made hym to be stoned slayn And whan he was deed by the counsayll of Iesabell Achab wente to take possessyon of the sayd vyneyarde / the worde of god was made in the prophete Helye in saynge Aryse dyscenbe thou agayne the kinge Achab thou shalt saye vnto him Thou hast slayne Naboth and possedeth his vyneyard / god hathe sayd that in the place where the dogges haue lycked the blode of Naboth / they shall lycke thy blode More ouer god hathe sayd that he shall sende yll vpon the vpon thy house as vnto Hieroboam the whiche was cursed brought vnto nought c. Grete thretenynges ben here wryten And the sayd prophete Helye sayd vnto Iezabell that god had sayd that the dogges sholde ete Iezabel in suche a felde Whan the kynge Achab herde these wordes here / he cutte his clothes cladde his flesshe with a sacke / fasted and slepte in a sacke the heed bowyng downe And whan god had sene his humilite said vnto the prophete Helye Haste thou not sene Achab humble hym for bycause of me I ne shall sende hym the said yll in his dayes / but in the dayes of his sone I shal bringe in yll vnto his house And so was it done And it is wryten in the .ix. chapytre of the .iiii. booke of kynges that Iezabell deyed myscheuously For the kynge Cheu made her be caste forthe at a wyndowe in to the strete / the horses of his armye yode ouer her notwithstondynge that she was a kynges doughter And after the dogges brake her body she ne was buryed thys example denoteth many thyÌ„ges The first is the auaryce and couetyse to haue possede the vyne of Naboth that whiche is fraccyon of the .x. coÌ„maundement of god Non â—oÌ„cupisces reÌ„ proximi tui The seconde is fals wytnessyng NoÌ„ falsuÌ„ testimontuÌ„ dices And also homycyde NoÌ„ sis occisor / the thyrde is grete punycyons temporelles corporelles folowe after without the punicyon eternell for the fraccyon of the thre coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of god And it is here to be noted that by the penaunce and humylyte of the kynge Achab god spared hym in his lyfe / but his
he was not there He answered thou lyest He is gone vnto suche a chambre to th ende that he here not the clamoures of the poores And now fro the party of our lorde I cyte hym that he appere before god / and that he come to yelde reason of all the goodes temporelles that vnto hym hath be taken The ryche man was hastely seke vnto the dethe / than his frendes parentes came to vysyte hym to moue hym vnto penaunce coÌ„fessyon / the whiche he wolde not here / and sayd vnto them I am cyted vnto the Iugement of god / vnto whome I haue appered and am there Iuged vnto the dethe eternall without ony hope of helthe For in lykewyse as I ne haue excercysed mercy ne had coÌ„passyon on the poores of Ihesu cryst / also wtout ony mercy am I sentenced / and so the accursed deyed / lost his lyfe / his bâ—dy / his goodes and his soule D. ¶ Another example how a monke saw ryche men haÌ„ged in the fyre of hell lxxxiiii IT is wryten in the dyalogue of saynt Gregory that a monke desired to go in to an hermytage / before that he demaunded lyceÌ„ce to go thyder he was seke deyed and was ledde in to hell / but anone he was brought agayne put in to his body And he remembred hym to haue seen the tourmentes of helle and innombrable places full of fyre And within those flambes of fyre he sawe some ryche men hanged / the whiche he had seen knowen in his countree / were stroÌ„gely tourmented And as he was ledde to be put within the sayd fyre there a ryued an aungell fro whome proceded grete clerenes the whiche defended that he ne were put in the fyre The whiche sayd vnto hyÌ„ retorne in to thy body and take good hede wysely from hensforthe whyles thou lyuest that thou come not hyder After this voyce he retourned in to his body / lytell and lytell came in to conualescence And afterwarde put hym in so moche fastynges / wakinges oraysons / good operacyons the meruayle it was / for the tourmentes that he had seen that the synners sustayne c. ¶ This example sholde moue cursed ryche men to restore the thynges euyll goten c. E. ¶ Example how two men were lepres for that they dyspysed lepres lxxxiiii THe dyscyple recyteth in the boke of sermons that there was a preste the whiche had in so grete horrour the lepres that he herde theyr coÌ„fessyon through a wall himselfe was lepre ¶ Also it is wryten of a seruaunt the whiche had in soo grete horroure the lepres that he wolde not bere theÌ„ ne to gyue the almesse / and he hymselfe became lepre ¶ Simonia A. ¶ Examples of people the whiche haue ben symonyakes And fyrst example of Symon magus lxxxv IT is wryten in the dede of the appostles that the fals and dysloyal symon magus offred grete somme of money vnto the apostles wenynge by that to gete the grace of the holy goost that he sawe in them And vnderstode that yf he myght haue the grace that he sholde sell it vnto other sholde receyue grete fynaunces But in fygure of all those the whiche selleth or byeth thyÌ„ges spyrytualles he his money were accursed of god by the mouthe of saynt Peter VnÌ„ actuuÌ„ .vii. Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditioÌ„e That is to say Thy money be with the in perdicion And for that he was the fyrst in the newe testament that wolde bye spyrytuall thynges this espece of theft is named in al holy chirche symony for bycause of the cursed symon fygure of all the dampned symonyakes B. ¶ Another example of the punycyon of Gyezy that was symonyake lxxxv IT is wryten .iiii. reguÌ„ .v. ca. how the prophete Helyseus gaue helthe of the sekenes of lepry to a ryche maÌ„ named Naaman the whiche offred grete gyftes vnto the sayd prophete after that he was hole But for none erthly thynge he wolde nothynge take Also he knewe that it was symony to sell the grace of the holy goost And the dyscyple of the sayd prophete named Giezy was coueytous ranne after Naaman of whome he demaunded money clothinge And for to be shorte he toke two talentes of syluer / two vestementes for the grace that his mayster had done to hym The whiche thynge dyspleased vnto god his mayster And whan the euentyde came the sayd prophete demauÌ„ded of Giezy fro whens he came He answered Thy seruaunt hath ben nowhere And the ê“phete sayd My hert was that thou were gone after Naaman that thou hast takeÌ„ syluer clothes for to bye oxen shepe / and for to haue seruauntes maydens c. For as moche as thou hast done this thinge the lepry of Naanam shal drawe to the to thy sede in perdurabylyte Lepra naamaÌ„ tibi adhereat et semini tuo in seÌ„piternuÌ„ And so was it done For he was incontynent mesel / so he was punysshed for his symony ¶ This example shold wtdrawe eche persone to bye or sell spyrytuall thynges / for it is a grete synne that taryeth not vnpunysshed C. ¶ Another example of the symonyake Hieroboam the whiche solde bysshopryches lxxxv IT is wryten .iii. reguÌ„ .xiii. ca. how kinge Hieroboam toke money for to constytute the persones to be souerayne bysshoppes Also it was ydolatry and for that / that he was a symonyary a grete synner for these causes he deyed myscheuyously and he and all his was put doune / degraded / and effaced VnÌ„ .iii. reguÌ„ .xiii. QuicuÌ„que eiÌ„ volebat implebat manuÌ„ hieroboaÌ„ / fiebat sacerdos excellorum et ê“pter haÌ„c causaÌ„ peccauit domus hieroboaÌ„ et euersa est et deleta de superficie terre c. Yf the vendycyon of the prestehode of ydolles was in suche wise venged of god that the sayd Hieroboam was so punisshed put doune as it is sayd / it foloweth wel that they the whiche selleth the true prestehode shall be cruelly punysshed / for suche people ben theues VnÌ„ iohan x. Qui noÌ„ intrat per hostiuÌ„ iÌ„ ouile ouiuÌ„ / sed asceÌ„dit aliuÌ„de ille fur eâ—t et latro Also they ben sacryleges For the thefte that they done is by vendicyon of holy thinges SacrilegiuÌ„ dicitur quasi sacruÌ„ledeÌ„s vel sacruÌ„ violaÌ„s It shold be a defe thiÌ„ge to say that he is sacrylege that steleth a chalyce that he is none that steleth the hole chirche Also he that selleth a chyrche is a thefe / symonyake sacrylege / wherby he commytteth grete synne Vnto whome it behoueth satysfaccyon vnto hym that is culpable / that desyreth to be saued D. ¶ Another example how kyÌ„ge Anthiochus was symonyake and proude ouer puyssaunce humayne lxxxv IT is wryten in the .iiii. chapytre of the seconde boke of Machabees / how the kynge Anthiochus solde vnto Ialon the dygnyte to be souerayne bysshop / also
condemnare scêª iniuste noÌ„ comdeÌ„nabimini That is to vnderstande Ne Iuge ye iniustly and ye shall not be Iuged Certaynly ye shal be Iuged in the Iugement that ye haue Iuged And wyll ye not to condempne other ye shall not be condempned For ye shall be coÌ„dampned of that condempnacyon that ye condeÌ„pne other as y Iuges were ¶ This example denoteth that the two auncyents were harlottes / fals wytnessers / fals Iuges / homycydes And the blyssed Susanne was chaste / clene / good / the whiche loued better to be dyffamed slayne than to coÌ„mitte lechery to dysobey vnto god In likewyse sholde honest women do / they shall haue prayse rewarde eternall in paradyse Susanne was neuer so moche shamed as she is loued / praysed / and rewarded of the sayd dede c. ¶ Periurium A. ¶ ExaÌ„ples of people periured And fyrst example of thre persones the whiche periured them for to impose fals crymes agaynst a patryarke lxxxxvii IT is wryten in thy story ecclesyastycall that in Iherusalem there was a patryarke ryght Iust and good And some of his subgectes hated hym for that he helde good iustyce And thre persones imposed on hym fals crime that they affermed with othe And the fyrst sayd Yf it be not so I perysshe by fyre For they were not beleued for the excelleÌ„ce of the patryarkes lyfe And the seconde sayd I be hurte seke of a sekenes / scêª morbo regio The thyrde sayd I lose the eyes And all hapened as they had requyred for theyr periuryÌ„ge lyenge The fyrst fals wytnes was brent with all his hous / progeny / meyny / and his goodes The seconde was coÌ„sumed of the sayd sekenes from hede to fete The thyrde whan he herde what was become vnto his felawes dredde shewed all wept so moche that he lost his eyen c. ¶ By this example is denoted that the thre men beforesayd were detractours yll spekers to take away the good renowne of the patryarke Also they were periured / lyers / fals wytnesses / and therfore of good ryght god sent vnto them suche payne as they had requyred / but the punycyon infernall is yet more to drede for it is eternall c. B. ¶ Another example of a man the whiche periured him / he myght not drawe backe his hande lxxxxvii MEn fynde by wrytinge this that whiche foloweth how the dyscyple recyteth in the boke of his promptuary and sayeth that a man periured hym on the sepulchre of saynt Pancrace / forthw t he ne myght drawe his hande backe And so appered his malyce lyenge before all / soo was coÌ„fused And as it is sayd / he that lyfteth his hande or that toucheth the gospel or the holy thynges periureth hym the sayd hande apperteyneth vnto the deuyll tyl that he be repented C. ¶ Another example of a man that wolde for were hyÌ„ for borowed money lxxxxvii IT is writen in the promptuary of the dyscyple that a cytezyn lende vnto his neyghbour a quaÌ„tyte of money And whan the terme came to pay the borower denyed the debt And for hat he was cyted agayne in Iugement he denyed it wolde swere And as he bowed the kne he lost speche myght nothyng say After he was redressed the speche came to him Secondly he wolde swere in denyeÌ„ge it / as he kneled agayne he lost the speche / so it was knowen to al that he wolde pariure hyÌ„ before god he was pariured as it is wryten in the decrete Paratê° iurare falsuÌ„ iaÌ„ pariurê° est .xxii. q. v. D. ¶ Another example of two men the whiche pariured them / the one was lepre and the other seke of the fyre of saynt Anthony lxxxxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his sermons this the whiche foloweth the whiche is also wryten in other bokes sayth that an vsurer repented in his dethe prayed his freÌ„des to restore the money that he had taken of them And the fyrst promysed sayd Elles be I stryken with the fyre of saynt Anthony The seconde promysed prayed / elles be I a lepre They were neclygent to restore after his dethe / wolde wynne some thynge or they restored forthw t they were seke as they had prayed ¶ This example denoteth that a man sholde holde promesse restore to other / or punycyon shall folowe And it is to note that semblably as the prayers of the good ben exalted to theyr honoure prayse of god so whaÌ„ yl meÌ„ defayle of theyr promesse on payne of punycyon god exalteth theyr requestes to theyr coÌ„fusyon E. ¶ Another example of a kynge many of his people that pariured them deyed sodaynly lxxxxvii SOme maysters wryteth this the whiche foloweth how the discyple reciteth in the boke of his promptuarye and sayeth that a kinge of FrauÌ„ce named Troatariê° was acursed for a synne / he yode to the pope with many lordes and excused hym with othe that he was not culpable And the pope assoyled theym all and them admynystred by condycyon that yf they had sworne fals vnworthely accede vnto the eucaristie that they sholde deye wtin the yere And vnto them there came of vengeaunce dyuyne For the sayd kynge the nobles the parte takers in retournynge from the court of the pope deyed of sodayne dethe wretchedly F. ¶ Another example of Maryners the whiche forsware them for drede to gyue almesse to a poore man lxxxxvii THe dyscyple recyteth in his proÌ„ptuary that a poore man demauÌ„ded almes of maryners And that mayster of them made an othe that they had not in theyr shyp but stones / that he shold cease to demaunde of them Than the poore man sayd And syth that ye swere all etynge thynges be stones And euen forthwith all that was to be eaten in the sayd shyppe was chaunged in colour forme of stones / these thynges abydynge as they were before The sayd maryner was a lyer / periured / euyll spekynge wout mercy / therfore the prayer of the pore man was herde so that that the whiche was to be eaten became stones c. G. ¶ Another example of hym that constrayned a man to swere knewe wel that he sholde forswere hym lxxxxvii IT is wryten in the sermons of the dysciple that a man made to cyte in Iugement another for money leÌ„de the whiche he denyed And the lender hym constrayned made hym to swere / howbeit that he was certay-y t he sholde forswere hyÌ„ And in the nyght folowyÌ„ge the sayd lender was rauisshed by vysyon in the Iugement of god / there sawe Ihesu cryst that sate in his syege of mageste that whiche hym demaunded the reason of the soule of hym that he had made to forswere of his propre soule The whiche were bothe twayne to condempne to perdycyon And the Iuge him demaunded wherfore he had receyued the othe syth
be with you They promysed hym and dyde so / And the deuyll letted so the byars that in all the yere they solde as nothynge And afterwarde sayd to theyr curate whan they came agayne vnto him that the obedyence hadde ben vnto them ryght doÌ„mageous / for that that they had nothynge solde And the sayd preest them coÌ„fermed in the fayth / and sayd vnto them Perseuer ye in suche maner that for none aduersyte ne pouerte ne swere ye / nor lye and god shall blysse you And so they promysed to do it And incontynente god appesed theyr temptacion solde more than all the other / in shorte tyme they were moche ryche c. This example denoteth that the deuylles ben wrothe whan ony wtdrawe them fro synne as to swere It is here to be vnderstonde that by that that the deuyll letteth the marchauÌ„tes to sell / yf ony be ferme in the fayth for to resyst we le / the deuyll is vaynquysshed he departeth as he dyde whan the sayd marchauntes byleued theyr curate / and swere not ne lye more for pouerte the whiche vnto them may come In lyke wyse sholde these marchauÌ„tes withdrawe them from swerynge and we le shall come vnto them / bothe temporelly and spyrytuelly L. ¶ Another example how a bysshoppe was tormented in purgatorye for that that he had herde detraccyons of his clerke THe disciple recyteth in his sermoÌ„s that a bisshop was borne in to purgatorye to do penaunce / he was gretely tormented of the stynche of his clerke beyÌ„ge in helle the whiche mounted tyll vnto hym for that that he herde somtyme his detraccyons / had not hym ynoughe egrely corrected / how be it that of other thynges the said bysshop had be good This example denoteth that punycyon foloweth vnto theym the whiche hereth with good wyll detraccyons and yll wordes Quia ageÌ„tes coÌ„seÌ„tieÌ„tes pari pena punientur c M. ¶ Another example that yll came vnto kynge Roboam the whiche gaue answer proude vnto the chyldren of Israhel / and byleued the folysshe couÌ„sayll of yonge men IT is wryten in the .xii. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kyÌ„ges that after the dethe of kynge salamon the people of Israhell came vnto Roboam the sone of the sayd Salamon for to constytute hym kyng And the sayd people made vnto hyÌ„ a requeste in saynge Thy fader vs hathe gretely kept vnder gyuen vs grete charges / now dymynysshe vs a lytell of the said charges and we shall serue the. Than the sayd Roboam sayd vnto them that on the thyrde daye he sholde gyue them answer / And fyrste he counsaylled with the aâ—â—cyentes wyse counsayllers of salamon / that whiche sayd vnto hym Yf thou obeye at this daye vnto the people / that thou accorde vnto theyr petycyon / that thou speke swete wordes vnto them they shal serue the in all tymes Afterwarde the sayd Roboam counsayled hym with yong men the whiche had be nourysshed with hym / the whiche counsaylled hym that he shold saye vnto the people My lytell fynger is more grete than the backe of my fader / my fader hathe bet them with staues / I shall put to aboue that shall flayle you wyth scorpyons Than whan the thyrde day came he lefte the couÌ„sayll of the auncyentes wyse / and gaue vnto the people a proude answer of yonge men folysshe couÌ„sayllers And for this proude answer the people of the two lygnees of Israhell was moued in ire / made another kynge named Hierobam And of the sayd people of Israhell ne abode with Roboam but the people of the lygnee of iuda and of beniamin warre was betwene the sayd Roboam and Hierobam in al theyr lyues Also it appereth as for to byleue the false counsayll of yonge men the whiche were proude / the sayd Roboam was not lorde of his people and had warre all his lyfe c. N. ¶ Another example of an erle replenysshed with many synnes that the deuyll bare awaye lxxxxix THe dyscyple reciteth in his promptuary that in a solempnyte as the abbot of Clugny many other were in the palays of an erle / a man not knowen on horsbacke entred sodaynly in to the palays before them all / the whiche coÌ„maunded the sayd erle that he sholde ryse vp folowe hym for he had to speke with hym The erle ne wolde resyste rose hym vp yode vnto the dore of the palays / wher at he founde an horse redy for to lepe on / then the erle lepte vpon his backe / he that was come toke the rayne of the brydell lyfte hyÌ„ vp in to the ayre before them all and bare hym awaye And the sayd erle cryed myserably Succurrite ciues succurrite He byleued in the cytezyns of the towne that they sholde socoure him / but they ne myght for anone he was ronne out of theyr syght / borne awaye of deuylles in body and soule / was no more afterwarde sene ne fouÌ„de Yf the deuylles lyfte hym in to the ayre it was for to make hym fal alowe and for to punysshe hym in helle for his synnes O. ¶ Another example of a woman impacyent that the deuyll bare awaye lxxxxix IT is wryten in the dialogue cesarii of a woman impacyent in her yre / as she was troubled put her fete in a bacyÌ„ afterwarde lepte out bakwarde / sayd I lepe in suche wyse from the puyssaunce of god in to the puyssaunce of the deuyl / incontynent the deuyll toke her bare her awaye thorowe the ayre in the syght of many the whiche were presente neuer after was she sene c. P. ¶ Another example of a man the whiche condampned hymselfe vnto the deuyl for his impacyence lxxxxix THe dysciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that an archedeken his dyspencer â—â—â—oue as they yode vnto rome for the dyspence of the goodes of fortune And the sayd dyspencer was impacyent and commaunded hymself vnto the deuyll / and in that iourneye as he past the water the deuyl drowned hyÌ„ And wtin a lytel tyme after his dethe he appered vnto a chanoyne his frende vnto whome he tolde all the case before sayd / that he was in grete paynes and tormentes for his impacyence / also for that that he was coÌ„maunded vnto the deuyll Q. ¶ Another example of a clerke impacyent that wrathed hyÌ„ agayne god lxxxxix THe disciple reciteth in his sermoÌ„s that a clerke was foure yere seke and in his sekenes was impacyente / and sayd vnto god Thou hast taken my body I shall take the soule shall gyue it vnto the deuyll And in his impacyence sayd Deuyll take my soule And it was done forthwith by the dyuyne Iugement of god NonuÌ„pÌ„ceptuÌ„ et decimuÌ„ cogitatio mala A. ¶ Examples of yll thoughtes / fyrste how a woman a greate gyuer of almesse was dampned for the delyberacyon of wyll to coÌ„myt lecherye C.
operacyon Thou shalte ete yâ— erthe by laboures all the dayes of thy lyfe The erthe shall brynge forthe thornes thy stylles And than thou shalte ere the herbes of the erthe Thou shalte gete thy brede in the swete of thy face tyll vnto that that thou shalte retourne vnto erthe wherof thou arte come For thou arte poudre and asshes / vnto poudre thou shalte retorne And god axed Eue of her inobedyence the whiche excused her vpon the serpente that tempted her but her excusacyon vaylled nothynge / For god said to her illud genesis .iii. Multiplicabo erumnas tuas et conceptus tuos In dolore peries filios tuos et sub viri potestate eris ipse dnÌ„abitur tui That is to saye / I shall multeplye thy poorenes / myseryes / thy conceyuynges Thou shal chylde thy sones in sorowe and thou shalt be vnder the puyssauÌ„ce of the man c. By this example a man sholde vnderstonde that those the whiche synneth mortally in brekynge the coÌ„maundementes of god in obeyenge vnto the temptacyons of the deuyl / of the worlde and of the flesshe shal not haue of execusyoÌ„ before god for to say I haue be tempted but that they shall be put from paradyse and lente vnto the fyre of helle / by the dysobeyssaunce of the bytynge of an apple the whiche is a lytel thyÌ„ge as vnto the bytynge / but a grete thyng to do agayne god the whiche it had defended Paradyse celestyall was close / and adam and eue were put out of paradise terrestre and put in to this worlde full of myserie And by theyr synne it behoueth that we all ben baptysed or put from paradyse Vnde iohaÌ„ .iiii. Nisi quis renatê° fuerit ex aqua et spyrytu sctoÌ„ noÌ„ potest iÌ„troire in regnuÌ„ dei Who soo wele sholde consyder this example he sholde kepe hym to offende agayne the commauÌ„dementes of god B. ¶ Another example how by the dysobeysaunce of the man of god a lyon strauÌ„gled hym in the waye liiii IT is wryten in the .xiii. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kinges that at the prayer of a man of god the kynges hande was heled the whiche was drye Whan he had done this myracle the kynge prayed hym to go dyne with hym that he sholde gyue him of gyftes He answered / Yf thou wolde gyue me the halfe of thy house yet wolde I not ete of brede ne I shall drynke of water in this place / it is in suche wyse sente me in the worde of god the whiche it commaunded Vnde .iii. reguÌ„ Nec comedes panem neque bibes aquaÌ„ nec reuerteris per viaÌ„ qua venisti Than he yode by another waye And the prophete ancyen the whiche dwelled in Bethell there as the kynge had be heled herde the said wordes that the man of god had no wyl ne to etene to dryÌ„ke mounted vpon his asse and yode after hym / and prayed hym to go in to his house and to drynke to eate He excused him and sayd that god hym had defended and he sayd vnto hym I am a prophete as thou arte / and the aungel tolde me brynge him agayne in to thy house to the ende that he ete of brede and drynke of water / he dyde so moche that he brought hym with hym and ete of brede and dranke of the water / And as they sate at the table the worde of god was broughte forthe in this manere Quia noÌ„ obedieÌ„s fiusti ori dnÌ„i noÌ„ custodisti mandatuÌ„ quod precepit tibi dnÌ„s deê° et reuersus es et comedisti paneÌ„ et bibisti aquam non inferetur cadauer tuum in sepulchrum patrum tuorum That is to say for asmoche as thou haste not ben obedyent vnto the mouthe of thy lorde and hast not kepte his coÌ„maundement c. Thy body shall not be borne to be buryed in the sepulcre of thy faders After that they had ete and dronke the man of god mounted vpon his asse and departed for to go / and founde a lyon in the waye the whithe slew hym the body deed abode in the waye the asse by And the lyon ne ete of the sayd body dyde none yl vnto the asse but sat by him c. By this example we sholde vnderstonde that yf god punysshed so holy a man for the fraccyon of so lytell a commaundement that he shal punysshe of grete obedyences And for asmoche as the lyon ne ete of the body it is to vnderstonde that the said man of god is not dampned that his inobedyeÌ„ce was pardoned hym / but he was punysshed for that that he was not obedient he byleued to lyghtly vnto the temptacyon of the other man Non oiÌ„ spuÌ„i credendum est A manne sholde byleue vnto euery spirite C. ¶ Another example of the disobeyssauÌ„ce of two nonnes the whiche demaunded of the pope that they sholde confesse eche other Ca. liiii IT is wryten in some bookes this that foloweth the whiche the discyple recyteth in his sermons sayeth that the nonnes of a monastery were dysposed one tyme that two amongest them sholde go vnto the pope to gete that they myght confesse eche other For they estymed that it was a thyng vnlefull that they sholde declare theyr synnes sekenesses vnto a man / that is vnto a preest Whan they came vnto the pope that he had vnderstonde theyr symplesse and the fraude of the deuyll he toke vnto them a boxe shitte closed and said vnto theim that they sholde bere it with theym vnto theyr lodgynge / and that they sholde brynge it hym agayne in the mornyge with our openynge it that they sholde obteyn that / that they demauÌ„ded Whan they were at theyr lodginge they behelde it dylygently and had grete wyll to open it the one of them sayd vnto the other open wâ—â— it let vs se what is within it The other said we dare not / for the pope hathe defended it vs. In the ende by temptacyons they opened the sayd boxe and thought to haue shytte it agayne as it was And a byrde the whiche was within enclosed toke her flyghte and fledde / than they had drede And in the mornynge whan they retourned vnto the pope and that he had knowen theyr inobedyence / he sayd vnto them In thys thynge men knowe your instabylyte and sekenes In lyke wyse sholde ye do the one with the other yf ye sholde coÌ„fesse eche other / whan the one sholde offende the other / she sholde hyde her synne / and so the pope sente them agayne withoute grauntynge vnto them theyr demaunde D. ¶ Another example how the kynge Amaleche resysted agayne the wyll of god / and yll came vnto hym Ca. liiii IT is wryten in the .vii. chapytre of exode how the kinge amalech fought meruaylously agayn the people of Israhell / and resysted agayne him as he mounted into Egypte / and ylle came vnto hym the whiche