and continue as it nowe is And that is more lyke vnto the turkes araye than vnto christianes / or rather more defourme and abhominable thaÌ„ of any infideles For surely the world in many thynges draweth moche vnto Ientilite Natwithstandynge that saynt Paule sayde vnto his disciples Ro. 12. A. Nolite conformari huic seculo Haue nat you wyll / appetite / or desyre / to be in any thyng conformable / or lyke / vnto the synfull people of the worlde This answere is hederto as we sayd lyke vnto lyke ¶ Of the conueniency of habite accordynge vnto reason founded vpon auctorite The .xxi. Chapitre NOwe for our parte we shall put a reason for a foundacion or grounde / whiche I thynke none of them wyll deney / that is the more nere that the araye / habite / or byhauoure of any ê‘sone be vnto the institute ordinaunce of god the more is it of perfection / and the more of all godly persones to be alowed / effected / and desyred And contrarie the more it be contrarious and agayne the prohibicion and ordinaunce of god and holy scripture / the more is it of imperfection and the more to be dissalowed / dispraysed / and abhorred Nowe let vs se than what habite / or araye is fouÌ„de in holy scripture to be of the ordinaunce of god / and what of the mysorder of man The fyrste hole garment that euer was made for the hole body of man god hym selfe dyd make For whan man was in the state of innoceÌ„cie byfore he had done synne he nede no clothes / and thoughe he were naked yet was he nothynge ashamed nor abashed therof For innoceÌ„cy myght neuer suffer noyante ne displeasure But after synne committed and done Adam was sore abashed and ashamed of his wyfe / and she lykewyse of hym In so moche they hyd themselfe in a busshe / and made them selfe priue clothes of fyggetre leues And sone after that tyme Gene. 3. D. our lorde as the scripture sayth made for Adam for his wyfe / skynny cotes or cotes of skynnes / and clothed or couered them with the same / whiche garmentes shulde seme nat very ryche / natwithstandynge if the same garmentes were nowe present to be shewed they myght peraduenture be more worthe than a kynges roobe / they myght be so fyne furres and so do I suppose they were / natwithstandynge they were nat thaÌ„ of hygh pryce / nor of any curiouse fasshone / and what the coloure was we maye well suppose no dyed coloure at all ¶ Of the reason or cause of garmentes / and of the varians or diuersites of the same The .xxii. Chapitre HEre nowe semethe vnto me conuenieÌ„t to serche out / to shewe the reason / cause / or occasioÌ„ of garmeÌ„tê or clothyng / whervnto or vnto what ende what purpose or effect / clothiÌ„g garmeÌ„tes were ordened made For byfore man had done synne he was as we said byfore all naked / and yet without any shame or bashement / but sone after his synne he made a garmeÌ„t for very shame So than may we proue that the fyrst occasion of garmente was shame and abashement And the effecte where vnto the garment dyd inseruer was to couer and to hyde the meÌ„bres of maÌ„ / which by synne onely were shamefull / or bashfull in so moche that the man and wyfe lawfully maried by god hym selfe and bothe yet virgyns / and alone without company for no reasonable creature was than in the worlde that with bodely syght / or loke myght beholde or se them / but onely them selfe and yet were they eyther a shamed of other / and moche abashed to be sene naked Here let all christianes note wel / howe shameles / howe beastely / and howe vnnaturall some persones ben / that without shame or abashement by more than beastly boldnes wyll take delectacion / pleasure in abhominable syght / and byholdynge of nakednes Shame than or abashement is one cause or occasion of garment or clothynge to couer or hyde the bashefull partes of the synfull man And this cause is alowable in reason / thoughe none other cause were founde For it hathe grounde and auctorite of holy scripture An other reasonable cause of garment is the necessite or nede of our miserable nature For as man may nat longe lyue without fode so in some contres bene clothes more necessarie / where colde is so intens / so sharp thaâ— man shulde soner dye and be distroyed by cold than by honger or thurste / and where a man myght lenger lyue without fode than without clothes And therfore dyd our lorde god couer / and clotheâ— Gene. 3. the hole body of man / for defense agayne all maner of weders A thyrde cause yet maye be of garmente or clothyng / and that is coÌ„modite / wherby we done meane profyte or ease / whiche beyonde or bysyde the other two causes of abashement and necessite was by the promission and suffraunce of god founde out by mans inuencion / and ordeyned by wyll and reason / for ease and profyte / and so bygane some variete / diuersitie / and exchaunge of garmentes / as some for rydynge / some for goynge / some for somer / some for wynter / some for the daye tyme / and some for the nyght tyme / yet can no man deney / but those persones that can be content to folowe in clothynge moste nere vnto the ordinaunce of god of nature / is of the moste hyghe perfection that bylongeth vnto habite / clothynge or araye Syr saye some persones here Obiection there is no perfection in any habite or araye Habitus non facit monachum The habite or garmente dothe nat make a ê‘sone religious I say this is trouthe For els a freres habite Answere shulde make an Asse a frere But I saye yet this is the coÌ„mune excuse of dissolate persones For I may say to them agayne Habitus facit non monachum That is that the habite maye rendre and make a religious persone a very Asse / and no religious persone For if a persone that is professed in religion wolde without cause to be alowed in the lawe put awaie the habite of his professioÌ„ and were a seculer habite / that persone I saye were excommunicate or accursed / and so worse than an Asse But nowe let vs reason herein They saye there is no perfection in the clothynge And I saye there is no perfection in meate nor drynke / yet saye I a ê‘sone by due fedynge maye in the qualite quantite of meate drynke moche meryte / obteyne ê‘fection / contrarie lose meryte / and be more inperfecte So is it of the vse of the garment or clothynge For the clothynge or araye may sklaunder and gyue occasion vnto the negheboure / and also maye edefie Wherof doth folowe the fourth cause or occasion of clothynge or garmentes / and of the variete or difference of the same / that is to
selfe but yet so ferre moued / that he wolde be glad if it shuld happe / fortune hiÌ„ by any other meanes to be hurt you aske nowe iÌ„ this case whether the ê‘sone may with good coÌ„science / say masse or be coÌ„muned standyng that mocion displeasure or els whether he shuld were bouÌ„d to wtdraw hiÌ„ self / vnto such tyme the mocioÌ„ / displesure were rebated swaged I bysech our lorde / it neuer chaÌ„ce ne fortune me to apê“che vnto the holy sacrifice of peace with any suche trouble / nor with yre / or displeasure / stryft nor disceptacioÌ„ coÌ„brauÌ„ce of mynde to touche the holy sacrameÌ„t / where vndouted god him selfe is pÌ„sent / recouÌ„sâ—lyng vnto hiÌ„ al the hole worlde Certenly that oblacion or offrynge that any ê‘sone doth presente vnto our lorde Matt. 5. D. shall neuer be thankefully receyued excepte he fyrste apeace and reste his brother / whome he knoweth and remembreth well he had byfore in case greued and hurte So moch than the lesse thankfull shall his offryng or dede be if he do nat fyrst appease and rest hym selfe towarde his neghboure Forthermore yet you aske a question of the contrariete that semethe to be in these two sentences and sayng of saynt Paule The fyrste where he sayth vnto the Philippenses Nostra conuersacio in coelis est Phillip 3. Our coÌ„uersacion is iÌ„ heueÌ„ The secoÌ„de vnto the Corrinthes Quamdiu sumus in hoc corpore 2. Cor. 5. peregrinamur a domino As longe as we ben in this body we done labour in pilgrimage absent from our lorde Howe maye these tweyne saye you stande to gether howe may the soule in the same selfe tyme bothe labour in body on pilgrimage absent from our lorde and in heuines also be preseÌ„t with our lorde The selfe Apostle doth in a nother place assoyle and declare hym selfe Where he sayth Ex parte cognoscimus 1. Co. 13. et ex parte prophetamus On the th one parte sayth he we done knowe / and we haue perfecte knowlege And on the tother parte we done prophecie / that we onely byleue In that than that we knowe or haue knowelege as beholdyng thynges present we ben than with our lorde And in that we yet here bydyng done prophecy / as it were of thynges to come / byleuyng those thinges that we done nat vnderstande / and hopyng and trustynge those thynges that we knowe nat we done nowe laboure in pilgrimage here in body as abseÌ„t from our lorde But whan that thynge shall come to passe sayth he that is perfecte / that is to say / the plenitude and fulnes of glorie / whiche shal be in the resurrection to come 1. Cor. 13. than shall that thyng be voyd and vanisshe that nowe is on the th one parte / that is to say / all maner of corrupcion of the body / where of without doute coÌ„meth happeth vnto vs / this laboure on pilgrimage in the body whiche yet remaineth and bydeth on the th one parte And that is it that the Apostle in hym selfe mournyng doth miserably by wayle and say Ro. 7. O I vnhappy man / who or what persone shall delyuer me from the body of this deth he doth nat coÌ„plaine so moche agayne the body / but vpon the body he sayth of this deth / that is to saye vpon the corrupcion of the body / that yet indureth and lasteth Shewynge therby that nat the body but that the greues of the body / ben cause of our peregrinacion and pilgrimage For the body that is corrupted and wasteth is greuous vnto the soule / nat the body syngly or alone of it selfe Sapi. 9. D. but the body that is corrupted doth greue the soule / by reason of the corrupcion / so that the corrupcion of the body / is the burthen / charge / and weght of the soule and nat the nature Wherby those persones that done mourne / and wayle within them selfe Ro. S. done desyre and awayte for the redempcioÌ„ / and nat for the amission and losse of theyr bodies / we therefore well and reasonably greued by the necessite of the body / and nat by the societe and company therof done coueyte and desyre to be desolued and loused and so to be with Christe / that the exile that yet doth remayne and byde on the th one parte shulde be finisshed and ended / and the heuenly habitacion dwellyng place that on the tother parte is nowe bygoÌ„ne shulde be made perfecte and fully accomplesshed / or els this text Our conuersacion is in heuen may be expouned as the same Apostle saythe vnto the Romaynes We ben sayth he made safe and put in the state of saluacion by hope So than that nowe we done dwel amonge the heuenly dweilers in heuen by our hope And yet natwithstandynge / we done in very dede labour here in pilgrimage for the tyme vpon yerth in our bodies Or yet may this sayd text our conuersacion is in heuen be expouned thus / we haue a cause / reason and meane howe we may both cleue leyne and be ioyned vnto oure bodies / and howe also we may clyue / stycfast / be ioyned vnto our lorde / that is whan we giue vnto the body / fode to kepe the lyfe and the sences / and vnto oure lorde true feyth and loue For surely our spirite and soule is no more present where it dothe gyue lyfe that is in the body than it is where it dothe loue in god Excepte peraduenture the soule were supposed thought to be and dwell rather where it is holden tyed by force vnwyllyngly by necessite than there whether it wolde with most glad minde and desyre be wylfully caried and conueyed / our sauioure also sayth Where so euer thy tresour is there is also thy herte Matth. 6. Also syth the soule that loueth god doth lyue of hym onely / and by hym as the body dothe by the soule by what reason I pray you may the soule be more present where it doth gyue lyfe than where from whens it taketh lyfe For certeynly charite is the founteyne of lyfe And I wolde nat say that the soule doth lyue that doth not drawe drynke of the fouÌ„teyne For it may by no meane drawe thens excepte it be present at the fonte and wel / whiche is charite / whiche is Christ god hiÌ„ selfe Who so therfore do loue god is pÌ„sent with god / in so moche as he loueth / in that he lesse loueth he is absent And the soule is conuinced opeÌ„ly ê“ued to loue god in that the lesse or so moche lesse that yet for the tyme it is occupied iÌ„ the necessites and nedes of the flesshe And that occupacion of the body is nothyng els but a maner of absence from god / and that absence is nothing els but a peregrinacion pilgrimage / so done we labour here in pilgrimage from our lorde / and
the disciples of this rule shuld kepe due teÌ„peraunce / euery day euery tyme. For he knewe wel the one tyme to fede at pleasure / an other tyme to fast shulde rather inflame than rebate or correcte the body And therfore wolde he theyr fast shulde be continuall / with as moche lacke and scarcety as nature myght beare So that the body be some what punished in euery mele / and neuer to be fully saciate and contented / after sensuall desyre of appetite Cassianus in secuÌ„da collaci abbatis Theo. Ca. 3. For the olde fathers wolde say it were nat possible for any persone to kepe the very purite and cleÌ„nes of chastite / the wolde fede coÌ„tent the appetite of the body with onely bread water / moche more thaÌ„ if it be fed with delicates Wherfore saynt Augustine coÌ„maunded the disciples of this reule Ca. 3. to take refection at due tyme. So that bysyde meletyme they shulde take no maner of fode for any cause excepte infirmite / or very and vnfeyned necessite / whiche hathe no lawe For those persones that done nat kepe certeyne houres in fedynge done selden / or neuer kepe due temperauÌ„ce without superfluite / but as bruyte bestes done rather fede / and pompre thaÌ„ rebate or correcte the body And yet may those persones that done kepe theyr due tymes moche offeÌ„d in quantite For the superfluite or surfet of one mele may distempre / and vndispose the body many daies after And where saynt Augustyne sayth Quando sederitis ad mensam c. Whan ye do sit at the table c. There doth he coÌ„maunde all the disciples of his reule to take theyr meles in one due place And that for two causes / one that iÌ„ the fedyng of theyr bodies they shulde also / by the same lesson of the worde of god be all in lyke maner / fed iÌ„ soule And other cause is to auoyde the coÌ„pany and familiarite / of seculer persones / wherby they ben oftymes prouoked to excede due temperaunce / bysyde other occasioÌ„s / wherof we shall speke hereafter And in this poynt of the rule done the suffreynes / and officers most offeÌ„de / which done many tymes more delite / and take pleasure to sit at mele tymes iÌ„ theyr parloures / chaÌ„bres / or priuate lodgynges / with seculers / or with theyr familiares than amonge the couent in the fraytour Whiche natwithstandynge is theyr moste due / and moste conuenient place of fedyng / where they shuld haue the conforte and perfecte / of that holy lesson / moche also / bothe editie / and be edified And contrary where they ben they done oftyme here many voyde and vayne wordes / and both gyue take occasion Here me semeth I do here theyr excuse The busines of the monasterie / syr saye they is in cause / we can nat kepe the houres and tyme of the couent / and do all our duete for necessarie ordinauÌ„ce of the monasterie yet say I they can nat fynde / ne yet make reason / that they may excepte in iourney beyng lawfully forth company with any lay persones For saynt Augustyne sayth in this rule / that the disciples therof ben nat prohibite / ne letted or forbodeÌ„ / to loke vpon the contrarie sexe whan they for any cause reasonable done go forth / as though bydyng within the monasterie / so to loke were vnlawfull For it were voyde and playne foly to gyue theÌ„ licence to loke vpon that thynge without the monasterie that they myght at liberte se / and loke vpon within And holy saynt Benedicte wolde nat suffre his owne natural syster and she natwithstandyng a holy religious woman to come wtin the monastery but euer whan she came he went forth vnto her I thinke therfore / it were more coÌ„uenient for any such officers / whaÌ„ they myght nat kepe the due houres tyme than to sit in silence at a later mele / in the same place where the couent was / or as the leest in some parloure or place / appoynted for suche chaunces / neuer in any wyse to be serued / ne yet to haue the coÌ„pany of any lay persones For els can they nat precisely kepe the mynde of the rule / whiche iÌ„ this thyrde chapitre doth ordre the disciples therof vnto abstinence / as a necessary keper and sure garde of chastite For who so doth excede due temperauÌ„ce shal neuer precisely kepe due chastite So thaÌ„ after saynt Augustyne abstinence is necessarie vnto the religious persone that hath vowed chastite But bycause there ben diuerse degrees of abstinence ye wolde ê‘adueÌ„ture / I shulde here appoynt you some fourme and maner of abstineÌ„ce Whervnto I must answere that we do nat here intreate of abstinence iÌ„ especial / but generally as it doth apperteyne vnto the custody of chastite And also it is very harde to put any certeyne fourme therin / bycause of the diuerse disposicions of persones For vnto some persones a lytel quaÌ„tite is ouermoch And vnto some other a large quantite is to lytell To moderate therfore / and to kepe therin due measure is lerned by experience discrecion For the very hyghe poynt of abstinence and of all vertues doth stande euer in a due meane That is after the lernynge of saynt Augustyne in this place to take fode euer with the moste scarcite But yet so that nature therby do nat suffre any hurte or notable decaye But to be serued with aboundauÌ„ce of diuerse and delicate meates and drynkes And there to kepe coÌ„stauÌ„tly that due measure with out excesse I thynke verely is an hygh poynt of ê‘fectioÌ„ / in maner of the merite of virginite / or rather of martyrdome But if we do nat atteyne vnto this hyghe poynt yet may we with diligence grace come vnto that degre of abstinence / whervnto al religious persones ben bouÌ„de after my conscieÌ„ce / that is to say So to kepe abstinence that except a very vnfeined nede they neuer take fode out of due time ne out of due place And that they neuer surfet lo ne ouercharge the body that they be therby vnable to do to ê‘fourme the duete of religion ¶ Of the thyrde keper of chastite laboure The .vi. Chapitre NOwe than let vs go forthe Next vnto abstinence saynt Augustyne in the same chapitre dothe for an other / custos / keper / garde / of chastite oppoynt / and set forth labour / in auoydynge of ydlenes / the great enemye of chastite / whiche ydlenes saynt Augustyne dothe there call an abhominacion / and the moste hatefull pouerte / and misorder of any monastery Where as he saythe nat onely the persones of pore and lowe byrthe but also the persones that were of great ryches / honoure and noble byrthe shulde accordyng vnto theyr strength and power be laborious that is to say / continually occupied in laboures For after all doctoures / no pestilence is more
desyre / or whan they ben compelled to do what they wolde nat do / than done they saye they ben bonde or in thraldome And contrary whan they maye without let or stoppage / without blame or rebuke / folowe theyr owne wyll and do what it please theyr sensualite / than done they iuge they ben at liberte / whiche thynge in very dede is clene contrary / for the liberte of the flesshe is moste vylayne / thraldome / and bondage And the moste thraldome and moste streyte bonde vnto the spirite is moste hyghe fredome and moste noble liberte / for the fredome and liberte of the flesshe is whan a persone by the offence of our lorde / and by the transgression and brekynge of his lawes is in folowynge his owne sensualite at liberte and lowence from iustice and from al vertue / and is by leude custome bonde caytyfe vnto iniquite / wykydnes / and synne For saynte Paule sayth Ro. 6. that a persone is bonde caytyfe and seruaunte vnto that thynge where vnto he doth bynde hym selfe / wether it be vnto syne / the rewarde wherof is euerlastynge dethe / or whether it be iustice / that is to saye vnto the knotte and congregacion of all vertues / the rewarde where of is euerlastynge lyfe And contrarie therfore the liberte of the spirite is whan a persone in forsakynge all his sensuall appetites of very deuocion and zele / to pleace our lorde and to perfourme and kepe his lawes / is fre lowce / and in conscience at liberte from all vice and synne / and is bounde as of dute vnto Iustice and so thrale seruaunte vnto vertue / for as the holy virgine saynt Agath sayd The moste hyghe fredome and the moste noble liberte is that wherin the bondage and thraldome of Christe is proued and perfourmed in full effecte For the auctorite of saynt Paule wyll bere vs out herein / where he sayth vnto the Romayns Ro. 6. Whan you were the seruauntes and bonde thrales of synne / than were you fre from iustice / and at liberte from all vertue goodnes But nowe that you ben delyuered voyd of synne / you ben made the seruauntes and bonde thrales of our lorde god and of our sauiour Iesu Christe Thus nowe maye we boldely conclude by auctorite contrary vnto theyr false suppositiō / that bondage and thraldome vnto the lawes of god and vnto the lyfe of our sauiour Iesu / is the very fredome and noble liberte of the spirite And on the cōtrarie parte / that the fredome of sensualite and the liberte vnto the lawes of the flesshe and vnto sinne / is very bondage moste captyfe thraldome And so nowe dothe folowe both by reason and of auctorite that the more faste and streitly any persones done wylfully bynde / and make thrale them selfe by moste solemne vowe / and moste sure promyse vnto any of the commaundemētes or coūsels of Christe / so moche the more ben they in fredome and at liberte in his lawe and religion / whiche in very dede is as they also done call it a lawe of loue / and a lawe of liberte For by that loue inspired by grace by that liberty of Christes lawe doth euery persone bynde hymselfe So that he is bothe the bonde thrale of Christe / and yet fre man in moste ioyfull liberte of conscience And contrary wyse the more any persone do folowe the fredome liberte of the flesshe the more is he bonde caytyfe vnto synne And for a certeynte this liberte is the cause and occasion why these heretikes done take the way of malicious errour / and frowardenes cōtrary vnto the ordinaunces lawes of the churche These sure groundes nowe well considered take good hede vnto theyr reylynge reasons / and false feyned supposicions For nowe say they we haue mo folysshe and supersticious ceremonies than euer had the Iues. Note here that these heretikes done call the holy ceremonies of the olde testamente / folysshe and supersticious and yet they can not deney / but that those ceremonies were ordeyned by our lorde god as necessarie figures of the newe testamēt / as after you shall here more pleynly whan we shall more specially intreate of ceremonies / yet forther se what they saye / we ben saye they retourned frō Christe vnto Moyses / here done they take Christe and therby signifie and meane theyr leude liberte / or rather vnlawfull licence of the flesshe And by Moyses they meane the rigoure of the olde lawe after the letter And frō Moyses saye they vnto Pharao / by Pharao they done signifie the bondage of religion / all that foloweth dothe moste directely and streight frame and fashon vnto them selfe / and nat vnto vs as by the auctorites byfore is euidēte that is to say that they the selfe heretikes say lothynge the Manna and moste swete spiritual meate of the gospell / done take delectacion and pleasure in the pottes of flesshe and potage of Egipte / that is to say in the voluptuous appetites and desyres of the worlde and the flesshe / and this done they proue in effecte And so nothyng contente with the quietude / ease / and reste of the gospell / they done wylfully gyue or rather sel and binde thē selfe vnto the seruitute and thraldome of Egipte that is as we sayd the worlde And vnto the intolerable and lost laboures / of tyles and brykes / of clay / myre / and mucke / that is to say vnto the vyle voluptuous flesshely ond beastely pleasure of the same And despysynge the swete and confortable yoke of the lyfe and gospell of Christe and of the lyght easy burthen of his doctrine / and ordinaunce they done stowpe / bowe downe / more than wylfully charge theyr neckes vnder the roughe / harde / and rigorous yoke nat of the maners of mē as they saye of vs but of the maners of the dyuell / that is to saye vnto the heuy lode and blockys burthen / nat as they saye of vs vnto the constitutions / statutes / and ordinaūces of men / but vnto the temptations / suggestions / and persuagions of the dyuell This is nat sayd in any passion but onely in reiection and retourne of theyr owne word◠vnto them selfe O good lorde howe folysshe / howe madde / and frantyke ben these errante heretikes / what tende / what yuell spirites / what enchauntementes / or wychecraftes / or what myschefe of the dyuell hathe thus bywyched them / that after the firmite constauncy and confirmacion of all the lawes of the churche / by so many counsayles / of so profoūde lerned wysdome ministred by the holy ghoste / and continued so many hoūdreth yeres that is to say M.v. hoūdreth mo / yet these myserable wreches done sterte / lepe / and I lee therfrom / dampnably done fall downe from the hyghe / towne pleasaūte palayse of the fredome liberty of Christe / vnto the
shulde be be cause of theyr entre into religion / but onely the loue and desyre of our lorde / and for the more surety of theyr saluacion And specially whan they fele theyr mocion vnto religion doth growe increace vnto a contempte and despisynge of al worldly and carnall pleasures / and dothe drawe theyr hertes / mynde vnto suche a coÌ„stancy therin that nother ê“sperite / nor aduersite of the worlde / ne any fere or drede of peynes / or laboures in the religion ne any persuacion of frendes dothe moue them to leue and forsake theyr entrepryse and holy purpose / but that the mynde be in maner obstinate in the same / all thoughe the selfe persone knoweth no cause nor reason why his mynde is so set but onely that he feleth as I sayd a desyre to serue our lorde Than saye I we may well coniecture that this calynge is of our lorde / natwithstandynge yet do nat I saye that for all these mocions any persone shulde forthwith sodeynly entre religion ne yet receyue the habite wtout a forther deliberacion with lerned counsayle For the holy Apostle saynt Iohan sayth 1. Io. 4. A. Probate spiritus c. examine you sayth he and ê“ue the spirite and mocion of your calynge whether they be of god or no. And yet done nat I approue ouer longe deliberacion For althoughe the Apostles of Christe came nat all at the fyrst call or calynge yet dyd they come shortely at the seconde or thyrde calynge / and some at the fyrst as saynt Mathewe Matth. 4. Matth. 9. A. Matth. 19. Luce. 18. Matth. 8. Some ê‘sones whan they were caled wolde nat come / as the riche yonge man of whome we spake byfore And some other dyd are a respecte and tyme of declaracion to prouide for theyr parentes and frendê / and for theyr worldly goodes / whiche tyme natwithstandynge our sauiour wolde nat graunt them Ibidem And yet other some dyd offre theÌ„ selfe to folowe our sauiour / he wolde nat receyue them The moste redy token to knowe the very calinge of god I euer excepte reuelacion is whan a persone voyde in coÌ„science of all the causes and occasions byfore sayd hathe a secret surete ministred by the spirite of god / vnto the soule as saynt Augustynes mother had of his calynge In libro coÌ„fessionuÌ„ Thus haue you my poore mynde to knowe by coniecture the calynge of god / yet doth the ghostly enimye craftely and subtily assayle some other ê‘sones that ben full deuoute / but disposed to instabilite / as to seke the moste perfecte and sure way of theyr saluacion / and they ben full of wauerynge myndes Nowe they wyll go vnto religion / and to morowe they shal be in the contrarie mynde or this daye in minde of one religion / and the nexte day of an other They wyll put many doutes / suspecte many thynges Some other contrarie ben of ouer large presumpcion that put no doutes / make no stoppage / but seke religion / and entre there vnto / nat able to accomplysshe and perfourme theyr duetes And both these maner of persones ben lyghtely deluded deceyued by the enimye For the fyrste sortes of persones whaÌ„ they ben ê“fessed / ben neuer coÌ„tent with the coÌ„pany where they ben / but other they wyl go vnto an other religion / or els vnto an other house of the same religioÌ„ / or peraduenture starte out and renne abrode agayne / and neuer byde the seconde chauÌ„ge of the mone in one place The other persones / that done entre without due deliberacion done coÌ„monly for thynke theyr enterpryse / and bene ryght sory that they ben as clogges vnto theyr company For euery good and ryght deuoute or perfecte persone is nat apte ne mete to be a good religious ê‘son / yet suche persones by very mekenes and pacience and good religious maner and byhauoure / done many tymes serue god ryght well and very wel also done content theyr company / howe be it as we shewed vpon the rule euery persone shulde byfore they receyue the religion knowe the rule of the same / and put them iÌ„ exercise / and surely ê“ue them howe they ben able to perfourme the same / therafter to make true relacion vnto the couent / and that maye moche discharge conscience ¶ Of suche ê‘sones as done receyue religion / onely to auoyde and fle the occasions of synne The .xvi. Chapitre SOme ê‘sones yet there ben that bene voyde of all the occasioÌ„s byfore sayd that is that done nothynge presume vpon any abilite or vertue of them selfe / ne set or care any thynge for honoure or preeminence and haue sufficieÌ„t substance without drede to lacke or want any thynge necessarie And that ben full wel mynded to serue god / and yet natwithstande they done ê‘ceyue by dayly experience that of very fraylte they done fall into synne and offence of god / contrarie vnto the good mynde and purpose / where vpon they haue fixed them selfe / and made promyse there vnto As by example of them that haue determined to auoide pryde / enuye / and wrathe / and yet in company they wyl by fraylte receyue theyr owne prayse / some tyme set forthe the same beionde good measure / and whan they here detraction done nat rebuke it / but sometyme adde there vnto / and by a lyght occasion fal out of pacience into Ire and discorde And of theÌ„ that wyll dispyse the worlde yet by a frayle disposicion of nature they shall stele a thynge they fynde at libertie And of the frayltie of the flesshe many persones haue had ouer moche experience Nowe vnto our purpose If a persone wolde onely to fle and auoyde suche occasions entre into religion I thynke the cause may be well allowed / and the persones profyte ryght well therby Psal The Prophete sayth Cum sancto sanctus eris c. with good company a persone shal be good And with the mysordered persones shall he be mysgyded Matth. 14. Saynt Petre had good hope and truste in hym selfe whan he byganne to go vpon the water of the see And yet our lorde dyd nat forsake hym / whan he faynted and byganne to drowne in the see / whiche dothe sygnifie the worlde / nor yet dyd nat our lorde continue forth his iourney vpon the see but toke him by the hande brought hym into the surety of the shyppe / where by religioÌ„ is signified And for the furie of the flesshe our sauiour gaue a notable lesson in the gospell of Mathewe shewynge the meritorious degrees of chastite by a parable of .iii. Matth. 19. maner of Eunuks / that is to say suche persones as ben depriued of theyr naturall membres of generacion The Eunuks that were so of nature done signifie suche persones as of nature ben melancoly that is colde and drye / by reason wherof they bene very lytle or nothynge vexed with the fleshe and so haue they
chastite wtout great merite And by them that were made Eunuckes by force ben suche ê‘sones signified / as ben restreyned of theyr owne wyll and concupiscence / as yong persones that ben vnder tuicion and gouernaunce / and many other that wolde do amys if they were at libertie and power / whiche haue chastite by force / yet althoughe this chastitie be nat meritorious / yet maye it be profitable vnto the persones For it doth restreyne them from synne vnto theyr lesse payne / also by custome they shal be the lesse vexed and the furie of the flesshe / the rather quenched For the custome and vse dothe alter and chaunge nature / and dothe make in a persone in maner a newe or an other nature / and so that thinge that was vnto theyr disposicion greuouse / and paynfull shall by vse be vnto them comforte / pleasure / and ioy in conscience for it shal ministre vnto the soule vertue / and good maners And vnto the name or fame / honoure / and prayse And vnto the body puritie / clennes / and honeste That is than a fortunate and happy force that doth cause so great profyte and goodnes The thyrde sorte of Eunukes that as our sauiour sayd dyd wylfully depriue them selfe of al possibilite vnto the acte of generacion doth signifie suche persoÌ„s as done wylfully bynde them selfe vnto chastite by vowe and promyse / and specially iÌ„ religion where they do nat onely auoyde occasions / but also vtterly depriue them selfe of all possibilitie vnto the contrarie / if they kepe theyr rules and ordinaunces Here some persones wyll say that by this sentence all religious persones shulde be inclosed or els be they nat depriued of all possibilite as the Eunukes bene 〈…〉 Vnto this I saye they muste remembre what were my laste wordes byfore If they kepe sayd I theyr rules and ordinaunces For by the rule and ordinaunce of euery religion euery religious persone shulde be close / and sure kepte from all possibilitie vnto that myschefe For as we haue shewed in our exposition vpon saynt Augustynes rule and also as we shall more playnly shewe in the thyrde parte of this werke no religious persone may any tyme be alone iÌ„ any place / with the contrarie sexe / that is to saye male and female / sole or alone For as we there done proue no religious persone maye lawfully go out of theyr clausure vnto any other place or coÌ„pany but onely for a cause reasonable and necessarie / and yet nat so alone but alwaye accompanied with suche persones / as the souereyne doth assigne Nor yet shulde no seculer persone entre or come within the clausure of any monasterie but vnder the same fourme / and neuer to be alone with any of the couent Thus therfore done we coÌ„clude that euery religious persone is an Eunuke Euangelicall And so dothe folowe that to entre religion / to flee auoyde the occasions of the synnes of the flesshe the worlde / and the dyuyll / is nat vnlawfull but rather good and meritorious ¶ Of suche persones as done entre religion nat of theyr owne mynde / or desyre there vnto / but onely put or aplied there vnto by the auctorite / or mocion of theyr parentes or frendes The .xvii. Chapitre DIuerse ê‘sones haue diuerse tymes axed my mynde and iugemente of suche persones as bone entre into religion / in youthe vnder the yeres of discrecion applied / and put there vnto by theyr parentes or frendes / and lykewyse of ydeotes that haue nat the full vse of reason Vnto this thynge the auctorite and the actes of holy fathers done gyue aunswere For many holy sayntes / and religious fathers haue receyued chyldren into theyr habyte / and theyr rules And I suppose they dyd nat so without auctorite For that the parentes may promyse / and appoynt theyr chyldren vnto religion within age 1. Reg. 1. and also byfore they ben bourne or yet gotten doth appere iÌ„ scripture / as of Samuel / our blessed lady / and other And our lorde hathe also shewed vnto the parentes by his holy Angelles / byfore the byrthe of theyr chyldren / that they shulde be religious / as of Sampson Iudic. 13. Luce. i. And of saint IohaÌ„ baptiste And our sauiour dyd nat dysdaine the coÌ„pany of chyldren / but rather he semed to be well content with them and coÌ„maunded that his disciples shuld nat prohibite or let / ne forbede the chyldren to come vnto his presence / he also cured many chyldren / and receyued thankfully the laude prayse of infauÌ„tes And he sayd that no persone shulde entre into the kyngdome of heuen but suche as were lyke vnto smale chyldren And trouthe it is that in chyldhode a persone maye be more lyghtely framed vnto vertue / and broken in good maners than in forther age For the potte or vessell saythe the Poete / dothe continually sauoure or smell of that thynge Oratius thynge wherwith it was seasoned in the begynnyng And certeynly the beste and moste ê‘fecte educacion or bryngynge vp of youthe vnto vertue good maners is in religion Sythe than after an other lerned man Educacio et doctrina efficiunt mores The educacion and bryngynge vp of a persone / and the doctrine / teachynge / and lerninge of the same doth fourme and make the maners and condicions there after And syth therw t as is sayd the best bryngynge vp is in the monasteries amonge religious ê‘sones it semeth vnto me that chyldren may conuenientely be receyued into religion And specially sythe that by the lawe and ordynaunce of the churche / they must be of age sufficient and of discrecion / byfore they be bounde and make profession vnto any religion But yet haue I herde of some persone that haue entred in to religion in youthe / and yet after theyr ê“fession made in the due and lawfull tyme haue nat withstandinge for thought theyr enterprise / haue cursed theyr parentes and frendes that brought theÌ„ there vnto Here vnto muste I say that so done we knowe of them that in sad yeres and with great lernynge and semynge vertue and perfection / haue entred religion and lyued therin full vertuously / and haue done moche good in the churche of Christe and ryght well haue edefied the people and yet nowe ben apostatas and open heretikes Syr wyll some persones say these persones haue good knowelege of them selfe / and had byfore theyr entre but the other had nat so / it semeth therfore they may rather be excused than the other Certeynly nother may be excused / but whan the profession and promyse is made / it muste nede and without remedy be kepte For the scripture saythe Deut. 23. Si nolueris polliceri absque peccato eris c. If thou wylt make no promyse thou mayst so do without synne / but that promyse that hath passed thy lyppes / that thou hast spoken with thy mouthe muste thou nedely obserue
after that consederacion / as by exaÌ„ple some thought that a whyte habyte was moste conuenieÌ„t for virgins / bycause that colour dothe signifie and bytoken purite and cleÌ„nes / whiche minde they toke of the habyte of Angelles / vnto whome virginite as saynt Ierome sayth is familier / well knowen / and of good acquayntance Marci 16. Io. 20. Act. 1. Apoca. 3.4.6 For scripture sheweth iÌ„ diuerse places that Angelles dyd appere in whyte Some fathers dyd make habites of simplicite and mekenes without any curiosite And some habites of wysdome and sadnes For as we sayd byfore it bycoÌ„meth nat a wyse man to were a foles cote / nor a sad ê‘sone a gygges garment / natwithstaÌ„dyng we se in this miserable tyme the mater moche misordred For certeynly in my mynde if al the wyse counsell of Englande shulde deuyse a garment for a gygge / or an vnclene coÌ„mune woman / to be represented shewed in a comedy / or interlude / or coÌ„mune play / they coulde nat all deuyse a better nor more apte gramente than suche as the ladies / great estates / suche as shulde be / and so seme sad persones done dayly were / and the men in dede ben nat behynde for theyr partes But this mea culpa bysede our matter Some holy fathers also had great deuocioÌ„ to marke theyr habytes with holy and deuoute memorialles / some of the crosse of Christe / some of his woundes / some of the blessed sacramente / fo forthe of other lyke / as you dayly may se Thus than haue we shewed howe the variete or diuersite of habite dothe bycoÌ„me or byseme diuerse orders of religion accordinge vnto the institucion ordinauÌ„ce of holy fathers / that nat without reasonable cause or occasion grounded in scripture vertue dyd deuyse ordeyne the same / for the edificacion of all christianes and for to auoyde the occasions temptacions of the worlde / that ben gyuen takeÌ„ / by inordinate aray / whiche as we byfore haue shewed was fyrst fouÌ„de bygynne so hathe alwaye ben continued by misordred ê‘sones And howe moche misordred araye dothe displease god Esa 3. C. D is shewed by the ê“phete Esay and the punyshemeÌ„t or peyne that shal come therof / specially vnto women / moche more than vnto religious women if cause were 1. Ti. 2. C. 1. Co. 11. A. Saynt Petre dothe speke also agayne the same / saynt Paule both and many holy doctours This haue we sayd for answere vnto theÌ„ that detracte without cause or good reason the holy habite of religion ¶ Of the fourme or maner of weryng of religious habite The .xxv. Chapitre HEre nowe doughter may I giue you some monicion / for the fourme maner of the vse werynge of your habyte For though I haue spokeÌ„ somewhat therof vpon your rule yet wolde I that you shulde ponder / wey / well note the very wordê of the texte in the .iiii. Chapitre Regn. Ca. 4. Let nat your habite sayth the letter be notable / thaÌ„ is the habite notable whan it is in matter fourme or shape / or coloure / or yet in maner of werynge / that is bowynge / dressynge / and orderynge of the araye vpon the places of the body different / variaunt / or diuerse nat accordynge or lyke vnto the company of the same couent / or vnto the moste laudable couent of the same same order The mater shulde be all of one clothe / as ferre as conuenientely maye be / and that clothe / be it wollen or lynen / nother to be ouer fyne or ouer precious / nor yet ouer cours or ouer vyle For the tone is a signe of pryde / and the tother of ypocrysie or superstision A meane is euer beste accordyng vnto good honeste and profytte And all I saye to be one throughe out the couent without notable difference / seniorite euer accordynge vnto due maner obserued And the fourme or fashon al one / and that nother to shorte / nor to syde / nor yet to narowe / nor to wyde The lengthe iÌ„ moste due coÌ„uenient meane is that no parte of the legge appere to be sene aboue the backe of the fote / and yet no parte of the habite trayle and folowe vpon the grounde For that doth the holy father saynt Hughe de faÌ„cto Victore moch reproue Hugo De institut nouicio The wydnes accordynge without superfluite and vnto profytte / and all vnto the quantyte of the persones in lyke The coloure also to be all one / and that can nat be to sad / the generall constitucions of the order al waye obserued For surely starynge and lyght coloures be nothynge conuenient for religious persones Blacke for your religioÌ„ me semethe best to accorde with your voels In any wyse let all be one For it is surely an vncomely syght / nothynge accordinge to se iÌ„ one quere some with theyr manrelles of violette / and yet those bene dyuerse of the same coloure Some blacke / some tawney / and so forthe all out of good frame / let all I saye be one excludynge euer all maner of curiosite and vanites in all other thynges also / as in rynges / brouches / gyrdels / bedes / knyues / purses / pyncases / gloues / with all suche other / one rynge is sufficient / and of the other as of all thynges to haue that is necessarie in due religious maner with honeste profytte The vse maner of the werynge of your habyte / that is the dressynge or bowynge shulde euer be one I haue sene some religious women were rolles / and pastes / as worldly people / some other frounted / or flyrted vp so hyghe that theyr heere maye be sene / whiche thynge saynt Augustine vtterly forbedeth in the original of your rule / as I haue there set forthe vpon the margyne And some done were theyr rochettê or brestclothes so lawe / and the wymples so narowe that theyr skynne may appere and be sene / whiche thynge nothynge becoÌ„meth relegion / nor yet in my mynde any christiane By ware I praye you of all superfluite in araye / for that shal be euer a clogge of conscience / loke nat what other persones haue For al be nat of lyke nede / your rule is playne therin Ca. 1. Be you content to haue that is nedefull for you And euer thynke / that as your rule sayth better is somewhat to want Ca. 3. in fi thaÌ„ to haue any thynge ouer moche / that is wherof you haue no nede / let this suffice for the habyte of religion ¶ Of silence vsed in religion the seconde example The .xxvi. Chapitre WHere we promysed to shewe by the example of a fewe ceremonies whiche the heretikes done mocke / that all the residue ben fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ scripture good reason we nowe shal shewe theÌ„ an other exaÌ„ple of silence / whiche they saye is a mere and playne supersticion Obiection
in comparison vnto the realme of Englande it is very great So that loue maye vnto some persone seme lyttell that vnto an other semethe very moche So is it in the loue of god For that loue that semeth vnto the very spirituall louer very lyttell is vnto our lorde very moche / whan the selfe louer complaynethe moste vpoÌ„ hym selfe bycause he dothe nat loue god / and doth sygh and mourne / and is very sory yâ— he can nat as he saythe or wenethe loue god / than doth god exsteme and wey that loue for very great / so that the perseueraunce of that loue shal haue sure rewarde / where many other persones that done begynne in great feruoure and by lytell lytell dothe dekaye shall haue lytell thanke So is it of obedience For some wyll be very diligent and lowely at the begynnynge / done thynke they ben very good obediencers and done well kepe the byddynge of the souereine / and thervpon they waxe bolde and done byleue they ben in the fauoure of the souereyne and therof ben they ioyfull and glad / but whaÌ„ iÌ„ a whyle after they waxe more dull and than ben chalenged or rebuked thaÌ„ done they thynke and sometyme say that all theyr diligence was lost / bycause they haue no suche thaÌ„ke as they loked fore / and so dothe theyr diligence dekaye But the very true obedience / byleuethe or at the leest dredethe and ferethe that he neuer dothe his duete / but that all he dothe is to lytell / and he hathe no regarde in all his obedieÌ„ce vnto the souereyne as for the selfe souereyne / Propâ—er quod unuÌ„quodque est illud magê° est nor vnto the wyll / pleasure or displeasure of the souereyne / but onely for god so secondary vnto the souereyne as vsynge the persone and bearynge the rowme of god And therfore / if the souereyne be ouersene and be displeased without any iuste cause or reason yet doth nat the louynge subiecte withdrawe any ê‘te of due obedience lest he shulde displease god / as wtdrawynge from hym his due ryght The respects therfore / the lokynge and beholdyng vnto god / and the consideracion of his euerlastyng rewarde doth cause the deuoute and religious subiectes as well in peyne and displeasure as in welth and pleasure to perseuere / continue and go forth euer styll in due obedience Perseueraunce therfore is necessarie / wtout whiche all laboures ben lost Of this louynge lady perseueraunce haue we translate a boke into Englysshe of a good auctoure and great lerned maÌ„ caled Mapheus / whiche boke you haue and may se therin more of this mater ¶ Of the benefyttes / frutes / vauntage or auayle / profyttes of due obedience by order / and fyrst of the fyrste frute and ê“fytte The .xv. Chapitre NOwe may conuenieÌ„tly folowe as a conclusion of obedience what is the effecte and ende of obedience / that is what profitte and good the persones shall haue or wynne by due obedieÌ„ce And herevnto shall we vse the sure foundacion and grouÌ„de whiche is diuerse tymes remembred in this werke / that is to say that all the obedience that is done vnto the soueryne is done principally vnto our lorde god / whose rowme place they done beare vse accordyng vnto his owne saynge in the gospell of Luke the .x. Chapitre Luce. 10. Qui uos audit me audit c. Whoso euer is obedient vnto you sayth he vnto his Apostles is obedieÌ„t vnto me / who so dispiseth you dispiseth me There ben diuerse frutes or ê“fyttê whervnto we haue regard done make ê“uision care fore in this lyfe But we shall here for oure purpose name foure onely / that is to say / the profytte of worldly goodes or substance / wtout whiche we can nat lyue in this worlde The secoÌ„de is our selfe bodies / wherby we set more than by any goodes The thyrde is the profyte of fame good name / which is of durauÌ„ce aboue both the other / therfore more noble / more precious / and more to be regarded and setby The fourthe is the profyte of the soule / that without comparison is aboue all the other / moste to be cared ê“uided fore we shall nowe begynne at the lowest so ascende The fyrste frute or ê“fytte than of obedience is the welth ê“sperite of this worlde / which by our lord god is iÌ„ diuerse places of scripture ê“mysed vnto obedience / as vnto ysaacke / where our lorde sayth Byde dwell where I byd the Ge. 26. A. I wyll be with the I wyll blesse the multiplie thy goodes / I wyl gyue the all these landes possessions whiche I ê“mysed vnto thy father Abraham / bycause he was obedient vnto my voyce commaundement Deu. 28. A. And in an other place he saythe vnto the chyldren of Israel by his seruauÌ„t Moyses If you be obedient vnto the voyce coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of your lorde god / you shal be in honour / dignite / possessions aboue al the people of this worlde / and haue many other commodites which there done folowe by order And althoughe vnto religious ê‘sones this ê“fytte be but of smale weight regarde yet muste they nedely haue theyr naturall fode and clothynge / whiche thynges charitably ministred accordynge vnto the necessite of the persones dothe cause them to lyue more quietely / to be the better content with theyr estate and maner of lyuynge But as we sayd byfore the moste obedient subiectes bene moste fauoured of theyr souereynes and therfore of good ryghte ben best serued of all necessaries ergo due obedience is profytable vnto the worldly parte / whiche is the fyrst and leest frute and profytte of obedience Obiection But here some persones wolde thynke / that if the souereynes do fauour one more than a nother they shulde than vse parcialite / whiche is to be auoided in religion Answere Vnto this we saye / they ben nat parciall but as iustice requyrethe For as we coÌ„cluded byfore good reason wyl that the moste obediente subiectes shulde be moste in fauoure with the souereynes The wordes of our sauiour done confirme the same Where he sayd Vos amici mei estis Io. 15. B. si feceritis que precipio nobis you ben my dere louyng frendes saythe he if you by due obedience perfourme and fulfyl what so euer I byd and coÌ„maunde you And by the same reason dyd our sauioure preferre in rowme and office saynt Peter that was caled / Symon / whiche by interpretacion is as moche to say as obedience And surely naturall parentes done coÌ„munely fauoure moste and preferre theyr moste obedient chyldren And so done maysters and maystresses / lordes and ladies amonge theyr seruauntes / so folowethe that obedience is profytable vnto the increace of the worldly substance or goodes necessary vnto our dayly lyuynge ¶ Of the seconde profytte or frute of obedience The .xvi.
but also a great blotte vnto the fame of any ê‘sone althoughe it were in a kynge or hyghe estate But saynt Bernarde sayth / that in the soule and mynde of euery persone inobedient In sermo de lepra Naaman is a double leprie / that is to say proper wyll And proper sence or ê“per couÌ„sayle Bothe ben lepres sayth he and of the worste maner and moste perilous lepries And yet is proper counsell or proper sens sayth he the more ieoê‘dous lepre / bycause it lyeth and lurketh priue and secrete in the soule and the more it doth haboundes is multiplied therin the rather doth it and more depely deceyue the selfe persone For ê“per sence dothe cause all maner of persones to stande well in theyr owne fauoure / and in theyr owne consceyte to be very wyse and excellent / and to approue them selfe in all thynges And to haue as saynt Paule saythe a great zeale / but without ryght knowlege Ro. 10. A. And therfore done they folowe obstinately theyr owne blyndenes and erroures And wyll nat leyne / folowe / ne gyue credence vnto any counsell For they done swell and bene puffed vp with pryde in theyr owne vanite / so that they ben pleased and done reioyse in them selfe And in theyr owne syght and estimacion or supposicion they ben great folkes synguler excellent in all maner of vertues And therfore done they disdeyne / and set at nought all other ê‘sones as dyd the proude Pharisey vnto the poore Publicane And so ben they ignoraunt of the iustice of god settynge forthe and folowynge theyr owne iustice and folysshe fantasy Lu. 18. B. For what can be more folisshe / and as I sayd iÌ„ the lawe of the churche more vnryght wyse / and contrarie vnto iustice Ro. 10. A. Leo Papa 24. qÌ„ â— Quid aut inquius Ibidem than that any one persone shulde so ferre folowe his owne sence / ê“per couÌ„sell and mynde that he wyll nat byleue ne gyue credence / vnto them that of auctorite ben more wyse and more depely better lerned But suche maner of persones saith the same lawe ben letted by some fantasticall blyndnes or darkenes to haue the knowlege of the trouth / and therfore done they nat resort ne leyne vnto any counsell or auctorite / but only vnto theÌ„ selfe And therfore ben they of good iustice ryght made the maysters of erroures / bycause they wolde nat be the disciples of trouth Wherfore holy saynt Bernarde dothe counsell his trendes / sayng De precep et bispens Be you well ware sayth he that you begynne nat to habouÌ„de iÌ„ your owne sence / ne to haue ouermoch confidence and truste in your owne wyt / lest ê‘aduâ—ture whan you done insue / folowe seke for lyght true knowlege you by the mocke deceyt of the dyuell your enemie do stumble and fall into derkenes and erroures For as nothynge is more necessarie for religious persones in theyr begynnyng than is humble or meke siplicite or simplenes also bayshfull grauite So is nothing more perilous or more pestilenous poyson thaÌ„ is ê“per sence / selfe truste proper counsell For those done vtterly destroye all good religion and done put the persones in state in ieopardy of euerlastynge dampnacion by disobedience For disobedience is in scripture coÌ„pared vnto ydolatrie 1. Re. 15. Quasi peccatuÌ„ ariolandi est repugnare et quasi scelus idololatrie nolle acquiescere That is To repugne withstande the coÌ„maundement of god is lyke vnto the synne of wychecrafte And nat to haue wyll to be obedient is lyke vnto the great mischefe of ydolatrie / where the glose thervpon sayth that euery persone disobedient is condempned and accounted as an infidele or feythles persone So the here coÌ„meth in the fourth maner of thyncoÌ„modite of obedience / that is vnto the soule Ex specto spuÌ„aliuÌ„ 3. p. Ca. 9. For nothyng doth in a religious persone more depely displease our lorde than dothe the disobedience of proper wyll Ne any thynge dothe make hym more in fauoure familier frende vnto the gostely enimy Nor yet dothe any thynge in this lyfe more noy and hurte the selfe religious persone For as obedience dothe make the religious persone the louynge seruauÌ„t of our lorde so dothe inobedience make hym familier frende and felowe vnto the dyuell Eccl. 18. The wyse man therfore dothe counsayle saynge Folowe thou nat thy concupisceÌ„ces and desyres / and be nat thou glad to be tourned and counsayled vnto thy misordered proper wyll For if thou satisfie and folowe thyne owne mynde in the concupiscences and inordinate desyres therof it shall cause and brynge the to be vnto thyne enemies coÌ„forte pleasure And also bring the out of the grace and fauour nat onely of maÌ„ Sup. Can. but also of god For saynt Bernarde sayth of our lorde and sauiour / he that so moche loued obedience / that he wolde rather lose his lyfe than lacke obedience he sayth he wyll nat loue ne shewe his familiarite / ne gracious fauoure vnto the persone inobedient Proper wyll therfore saythe he is a great yuell / Ibidem a greuous thyng Syth it causeth the to lose the merites of all thyne owne good workes or dedê So that vnto the shall they be nother good ne ê“fitable Se than what shall ê“fytte or auayle vnto the inobedieÌ„t wylfull religious persones all theyr pouerte / all theyr penury / nedenes and lacke of pleasures / also of many thyngê necessarie What shall auayle theyr strayte custody garde of chastite / by fastyng watchynge / harde weryng of garmentes harde leyng what shall auayle theyr disciplines corrections / theyr silence and solitary lyfe / theyr great and continuall laboures peynes / all the holy ceremonies obseruauÌ„ces of religion What I say shall these thynges auayle ê“fytte if the ê‘sones do folowe vse theyr ê“per wyll surely nothyng shall they ê“fyt at all as vnto the meryte of euerlastyng lyfe but all worse than lost For saynt Gregory sayth / Grego it is full like that those ê‘sones ben parteles of the graces benefites of our lorde the ben nat obedieÌ„t vnto his wyl but rather vnto theyr owne froward minde Which thyng our lorde doth shewe by his prophete Esaie Esa 28. Se saythe he amonge your fastes laboures peynes your owne proper wyll is fonde / I fynde your proper wyll amonge all your workes / whiche doth cause disobedience Of all the creatures that euer god made none done seme to be disobediente / but tweyne alone / that is to saye The dyuell and the synfull man Wherfore good reason wyl / that as the dyuell is in hatred of all folkes / and cursed / banned / yuell spoken of / and abhorred of all creatures so shulde the persones disobedient be compared ioyned vnto hym / and taken or accouÌ„ted as his seruauÌ„tes / felowes / and chyldren / let therfore the frowarde hertes that
whervnto I answere and say / that nothyng doth the deceyt of the souereyne apperteyne or bylonge vnto the subiecte Bycause he knoweth nat wether he be deceyued or nat But rather shulde euery subiecte suppose the best / syth he hath good auctorite of scripture Quia labia sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam That is the lips and mouthe of the preste done kept and conteyne / science / knowlege / and lernyng â—â—ala 2. And of his mouth done the people require the lawe For he is the Angell and messenger of our lorde The people I sayd muste requyre the lawe But what lawe nat that lawe that is set forthe and coÌ„maunded by the auctorite of any scripture nor yet that manifeste and open reason may proue For of all suche lawes we nede no mayster to teache vs what we shulde do / ne yet to prohibite ne forbede vs that we shulde nat do But whan a mater is obscure and harde to vnderstande / and than we doute whether god wolde so or otherwyse than muste we requyre the lawe of the lyps that done kepe lernyng / haue the certeynte rendred shewed by the mouthe of the Angell of god that is the prelate or souereyne For diuine counsell moste surely may be required of hiÌ„ that hathe the dispensacion and charge of the misteries and secretes of god / we shulde therfore in all thyngê that ben nat euidently contrarie vnto god be obediente vnto hym that we haue in the stede of god as we wolde be obedient vnto god And yet surely do nat I therin speake contrarie vnto the holy prophete Samuell as thoughe I wolde gyue the auctorite of god vnto man 1. Reg. 2. Syth he in the forsayd chapitre doth playnly put difference betwene both those auctorites For that thynge that I do affirme and say of doutfull thynges that thyng doth he deney of thynges open as whan he sayth If one man trespasse or offende agayne a nother man / wherin we muste vnderstande for god rather than he wold offende god For men many tymes done presume to coÌ„maunde other men theyr subiectes thyngê that ben contrarie vnto god But you hereof takyng a grounde and occasion of argumente done make this reason If this be trouthe / that we muste esteme / pouder / and wey / or iuge all the commaundementes / institutes / and ordinaunces of oure soue-uereynes as the commaundementes of god and in like weyght of auctorite it muste nede than folowe that fewe men or none vnder the obedieÌ„ce of man maye scante or rather by no maner of meane maye be saued For amonge so many a great multitude of commaundementes as the prelates done gyue / and that often tymes by negligence and with out deliberacion it is very harde or els vtterly impossible for any subiecte / neuer nor at any tyme to offende or trespasse And surely I do it nat deney / but that vnto so great a perfection to be fulfylled is so greate a difficultie / and hardynes required howe be it that is great difficultie whane the mater is interprised and presumed with a herte and mynde vnperfecte For of a surete these ben the signes and tokens of an vnperfecte herte and of a feble and very feynt wyll / that is to say whan the subiect wyll discusse / trie out / and reason the statutes and ordinauÌ„ces of the seniores and olde fathers And to stoppe and stycke or doute at euery precepte and coÌ„maundemente / and to aske why / wherfore / for what cause / and by what reason he shulde so do And suspecte yuel of any precepte where the cause is vnknowen And neuer to be gladly obedient but if peraduenture the precepte do please and content the ê‘tie / or els whan euedient and open reason or vndouted auctorite doth shewe vnto them / that other it maye nat lawfully / or els is nat expedient to be otherwise Suche maner of obedience is very delicate and teÌ„der / or rather a molest / greuous / or combrouse obedience This obedience is nat that obedience thaâ—es taght and coÌ„maunded in saynt Benettes rule / caled / there obedieÌ„ce without tareyng / stopage / or let / whan the mater is desputed and reasoned there is rather the wyly and crafty obedience of an hyghe mynde and proude herte than the obedience / of the prophete Psal 17. In auditu auris At the fyrste hearynge / it is therfore necessarie that suche a carnall mynde be nat only greued and letted but also opressed and holden vnder As the ê‘fection of religious obedience with the weght of some good perfection interprised and takeÌ„ in hande byfore by ê“myse For the infirme and feble flesshe / can nat beere that swete yocke and lyght or pleasaunt burthen which the spirite alone prompt and redy vnto all obedieÌ„ce doth dayly put in experieÌ„ce For the yocke of Christ is both a heuy burthen / and also importable or vnberable vnto al theÌ„ that haue nat the spirite of Christ Heresome of you peraduenture wyll say If this be true the lawe of our rule is giuen vnto vs that our sinne and offeÌ„ce shulde abouÌ„de and increase therby / bycause it is occasion of our more greuous offence Surely you saye trouthe But yet is nat the rule therfore in default / nor yet the makers of the rule But the default is in them that without prouidence and due profe of them selfe vnwysely done professe the rule / and after theyr profession wyckedly done breake the same Rom. 7. For surely as saynt Paule fayth the commaundement is holy and iuste But thou shulde knowe and perceyue thy selfe to be a carnall persone / solde by custome and subdued vnto synne And that thynge shuldest thou haue sene byfore thy profession So that thou shuldest nat haue bygoÌ„ne and leyde the fouÌ„dacion of this euaungelike toure byfore that thou sittynge and by good deliberacion considerynge all thynges haddest accounted with thy selfe / whether thou had / expense and sufficient abilites to perfourme the same But nowe there is no remedy / but other that thou corrected refourmed by obebedient vnto thy souereyne and seniores or els confounded / and mocked thou here vnto thy shame and rebuke the wordes of the gospell Lu. 14. F. This persone byganne lyke a fole to bylde was nat of power to perfourme ne make ende therof But peraduenture here you wyll saye vnto me Syr done you suppose or thynke / that any subiecte maye be founde and proued so perfecte that among so many and so smale commaundementes as by the souereynes some tyme negligent and forgetfull ben gyuen wyll neuer ouerpasse ne offende in any of them Nay surely / but I graunt well that no subiecte is so perfecte Specially syth the holy Apostles sayd of themselfe In multis offendimuis omnes Et si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus Iaco. 3. 1. Io. 2. ipsi nuâ— seducimus We done say they offende in many thynges And if we say that we
make lowe / vnto theÌ„ the done truste iÌ„ theyr owne vertues doth he disdayne to gyue his gyftes but those that nothyng truste in theyr owne workeâ— but done hange holly vpon hym those doth he nourysshe / conforte / and defende Submitte you therefore in due maner eyther vnto other / nat for the dred of maÌ„ but for the dred of god For he hath cure of you / doth care for you / he wyl nat suffer you to perisshe Youth iÌ„ worldly ê‘sones is redy vnto plesures / disportê / ydle pastimes / waÌ„tones but it bycoÌ„meth religious ê‘sones of euery age to be sade / sobre / diligent / circumspecte / well ware of them selfe For the great enimy / and aduersary of our saluacion dothe neuer slepe / but euer walketh aboute / as an hongry rauenous Lyon / sykynge and spyryng where / and how he may cayche and deuoure the christiane soule / and no angle ne corner leueth he vnsoght / to fynde an entre among religious persones For somtyme dothe he craftely awayte theÌ„ by vayne voluptuous pleasures / sometyme openly assayle them by troublous / and vnrestfull persecucions But gyue no place vnto hym good religous persones Rather withstande strongly / with hole and vnfeynted hertes For althoughe his power be very great mightye yet is he more stronge and myghtye / that hathe the cure of you / our lorde Iesu Christe Put your truste in hym with all your hertes And than your aduersary can nothyng preuayle / agayne them that haue faynt hertes / and lyke truste in our lorde he is very stronge / and of great power But agayne theÌ„ that baue full feyth / truste in god he is but feble faynt If he dyd persue assayle religious ê‘sones alone the affliction myght peraduenture in good reason be greuous But nowe that he doth by like malice assayle all maner of persones / be they neuer so holy or deuoute For Christe doth he persue assayle in vs he doth inuie the soule helth of all maner of persones we shulde therfore suffer beare more lyghtly the coÌ„mune ê“secution / affliction / trouble of all christianes / with coÌ„mune good wylles hertes stande styfly agayne our coÌ„mune enemy These tentacioÌ„s assayles shall sone ouerpasse For this lyfe is nat long yet in the meane tyme our lorde wyll nat leue ne forsake vs / but he that is the mouer gyuer of al grace goodnes wyll ê‘fourme in vs / that he hath bygoÌ„ne / he gaue iÌ„spired vnto vs / the mynde wyll of religion that we shulde pacientely bere and suffre agayne for him suche paynes afflictions and troubles as myght bryng vs vnto eterne euerlastyng glorie / he wyll nat suffre vs to lose our palme / crowne of victorie if we wyll manly fyght / and styfly stande therby / he wyll be present with vs / wyll helpe vs to fyght / giue vs both streÌ„ghe stabilite So that here for a shorte tyme somwhat afflicted troubled / we shall hereafter come vnto the crowne of imortalite For by his helpe we done vanquyshe And by his liberallite goodnes we shall receyue the mede and rewarde therof And therfore there is no cause in vs why we shuld gyue / thynke or applie any laude or prayse vnto our selfe For al the glorie and prayse is due vnto our lorde alone / nat only in this worlde but also in all worldes for euer more Amen For this ê‘sent tyme I haue no more to writ but that it maye please you of your charite / forgyuyng my rudnes to pray for me vnto our lorde god moste swete sauiour Iesu / who sende vs grace mercy euer to worke his wyll This haue we drawen out of the fyrst epistle of saynt Petre / the last Chapitre your wreched brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde ¶ Of the seconde borde of our vessell whiche is the seconde membre of this thyrde parte / that is the seconde essenciall vowe of religion / called wylfull pouerte ¶ The preface WHere we iÌ„ the fyrst ê‘te of this worke dyd assimile religion vnto a Tonne / or Pype / conteynyng the moste delicate / and holsome wyne of the lyfe of ê‘fection for the imitacion / and folowyng of the lyfe of our sauioure Christe Iesu / and the same Tonne or Pype to be made of .iii. tables or bordes / those ben / the essenciall vowes / and those to be closed and bounde with the hopys / of reules / constitucions / statutê / yet those hopys to be also bouÌ„de with the wykers of the holy ceremonies / and laudable customes of religion we haue nowe here sent vnto you the seconde borde / or table of the sayd Pype / called wylfull pouerte Wherof to intreate we shall shewe fyrste our mynde of the selfe terme pouerte ¶ Of the selfe terme pouerte The fyrste Chapitre FOr the selfe terme may be taken diuersly One way it is taken for nydenes / want or lacke of necessaries and so is it misery wrechednes / which coÌ„mune beggers / and many persones haue borne / and suffred with peyne and wo. Whiche natwithstandyng taken paciently with laude and prayse of god may be moch meritorious An other way pouerte maye be taken for scarsity / and that thyng that is sufficient for the lyfe of the persone with harde shyfte of labour and occupacion And this pouerte is a thynge of great honesty / and moche profyt and auayle / as well vnto the welth / ond good state of the body as vnto the quietude and rest of the mynde For what can be vnto the helth of the body better than exercyse by moderate laboures whervnto pouerte doth driue and in maner constreyne And also doth teache the ê‘son to vse all thynges gotten by laboures discretely moderately / and to despise all superfluite And also dothe cause persones to remembre theyr owne infirmite / from whens they came / and howe they shulde lyue by them selfe alone / and of them selfe / that is to say without helpe of all other creatures / onely by the grace and helpe of god / and so doth it also moue theÌ„ to despise al delicates / and doth shewe and teache al persones what is very ryches / that is to say suche as theues can nat stele / ne tyrannes robbe / nor that may lyghtly be lost And yet is nat this pouerte meritorious excepte it be wylfull / without force And interprised / taken suffred as after we shal shewe for the loue of god For the wylfull forsakynge of worldly ryches and goodes doth nat cause the merite / but the ende / purpose / the intent / and cause why the goodes ben forsaken is the cause of merite For paganes / gentyles / philosophers / and other infideles haue clene forsaken the worlde / all the ryches and pleasures therof / bycause they myght be voyde of the cares / busines / and turmoyles of