thynge For nat to obey / or to be obedient coÌ„meth some tyme of errour or ignoraunce / and somtyme of infirmite or fraylte But to nyll / or nat to haue wyll to be obediente coÌ„meth euer / other of an odious and hatefull pertinacie and frowardnes or els of the contumacie and rebellion of a styffe herte and stubburne stomake / that iÌ„ no wyse shulde be suffred ne bourne / which thynge also is selfe repugnaunce and to withstande the holy ghoste And if it shulde perdure and contine vnto dethe it were blasphemye / neuer to be remitted and forgyuen / nother in this worlde / nor iÌ„ the worlde to come Luce. 12. Euery / maÌ„ therfore of breakyng of commaundement doth nat make inobedience criminall / but to repugne with stande And to nyll or nat to wyll doth make euer inobedience criminall For many persones bene many tymes inobedient without that vngracious and rebellous wyll / it can nat be than as you saye / that inobedience vnto euery religous persone is euer in ieoparty of criminall synne Syth iÌ„ the traÌ„sgression of a religious persone / is so oftymes none suche criminall synne as ofte as in the same transgression / there be no suche frowarde contencious and stryuyng wyll or mynde / without cause therfore done some persones as you saye make comparison of some maner of disobedieÌ„ces vnto that olde inobedience that was done in paradyse For that inobedience was valiaunt / and of strenthe and power nat onely to bynde the persones but also to viciate and infecte nature Natwithstandynge I suppose and thynke verely / that also that selfe fyrst and moste greuous preuaricacion / and disobedieÌ„ce was iuged to be moste great and greuous for none other cause / or at the leest moste chefly and most specially so iuged bycause of the frowarde wyll / that is to say that rebellious defence that folowed the said inobedience For whan our lorde god asked of theÌ„ the cause of theyr synne / and why they dyd that offence / bycause he wold ê“uoke theÌ„ to be peniteÌ„t For he wylled nat theyr deth / but rather that they shulde haue bene conuerted and lyued or had theyr lyfe they by frowarde wyll dyd chose rather to declyne and tourne away theyr herte as the ê“phete sayth vnto the wordes of malice / for to forge and make excuses in theyr synnes Psal 140. For the malice of the fyrst synner Adam was double / and in two maners Fyrste that nother he had mercy nor pyte vpon hym selfe to confesse his owne synne and so to haue ben cured and healed therof nor yet vpon his wyfe / but falsly to excuse hym selfe he cruelly accused her / why than done you saye / that the crime of inobedience dothe lye in wayte vpon the religious persone in euery acte or dede to put hym in ieoparty as thoughe inobedieÌ„ce shulde stele priuely vpon a maÌ„ / or he were ware / or wyst therof / or as it shulde fortune and fall by some vnhappy chaunce / or els as thoughe a deceytfull occasion and vexacion of that crime shulde in a thynge impossible be leyde in his waye that were nat able to fulfyll and perfourme / that thynge that is commaunded Howe maye it be than that the crime of inobedience shulde so lye in wayte and be so ieopardous vnto the religious persone Sythe the olde preuaricacion / and inobedience of Adam / so open / so knowen / and so noyous myght as we byleue sone and lyghtly haue gotten forgyuenes and ben pardoned if confession / nat defeÌ„ce with excuse had folowed For as I said the transgression of that selfe simple and synguler dede dyd nat so moche noy and hurte as dyd the obstinacie / and styfnes of the excuse adioined thervnto with pÌ„meditacion and forecaste But peraduenture you wolde say That this consideracion and difference of the more greuouse and lyghter / or more lyght inobedience is to be had / and made in the lawe of god and nat in lyke maner in our rule Surely no man wyll say or suppose / that more auctorite or reuereÌ„ce is to be gyuen vnto any tradicions and ordinauÌ„ces of man than of god Nor yet that thyng to be more estemed and set by that he coÌ„maunded by his ministres and seruaunt than that he coÌ„maunded by hym selfe In the rule of saynt Benedicte / shall we fynde proper and distincte sentences and clauses or articles / where some peynes or punisshementes ben inscripte and appoynted vnto the very lyght defaultes and some other appoynted vnto the more greuous defaultes That more lyght / or very lyght defaulte is nothynge els but more lyght / or very lyght inobedience The souereynes some tyme done gyue very lyght / or smale coÌ„maundementes the transgression and breakyng wherof doth accordyng vnto the rule cause very lyght / or smale offeÌ„ces And yet preuaricacion / and offence is done to god as often as the abbottes or souereines coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t is broken or nat kept And also / all coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes ben nat promulged and openly pronouÌ„ced of the selfe mouthe of god to be equall And therfore ben they nat by lyke cure and diligence to be obserued and kepte But without doubte a nother maner of cure and diligence is to be gyuen vnto that coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t / that he hym selfe caled the principall and moste hyghe coÌ„maundemeÌ„t And other cure to be gyuen vnto those that hy be iugement spake of / sayng Matt. 5. C. Who so breaketh any one of the leest of these coÌ„maundementes c. What than What folowethe herof say you I say as we haue herde of the rule / that there ben some defaultes or offences very greuous and some very lyght / and as we rede in the gospell / that some coÌ„maundementes ben moste great and excellent and some other moste smale and leest so may we say / that all the transgressions of the coÌ„maundementes ben nat equall nor of lyke greatnes / it is nat therfore necessarie that I graunt that you say For you say / that one of these tweyne must nedly folowe that euery coÌ„maundemente of the souereyne that is nat contrarie vnto god is nat to be taken as the coÌ„maundement of god or els that vnto a religious ê‘sone / no default may be founde lyght or venial For althoughe this be true we muste nede so graunt that as often as any subiecte doth ouerpasse / breake / or nat fulfyll the precepte and coÌ„maundement of hym that in the stede of god is souereyne in any thynge that doth nat repugne vnto iustice so often is he in obedient vnto god yet natwithstandynge as lyke cure and diligence is nat requyred in the execusion and perfourmyng therof so the synne or offence of the transgression therof is nat all one ne lyke For all though he be one alone that is offeÌ„ded that is god yet natwithstandyng / those thynges that ben commaunded ben nat of one weyght And therfore is nat the traÌ„sgression of them to be
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
mynde of the auctour father of the rule done seme to be sayd and coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnder peyne of deedly synne the subiecte maye in no wyse be obedient vnto the contrarie / without the ieopardy of that peyne Let vs put example of bothe / in the rule of saynt Augustyne Aug. Ca. 1. Regu In the fyrste Chapitre wherof whan he had moued and appointed the disciples of the same rule vnto the loue of god of the neghboure Whervnto all christianes bene bounde than dothe he forthwith inioyne them by speciall precepte to be of one wyll and one mynde / for that was the cause saythe he why they were gadred together in one house and one couent / and for the effecte therof to be folowed proued they shuld lyue all in coÌ„mune / and no persones to haue ne yet to name or call any thynge properly theyr owne / with this pÌ„cept of the rule may no souereines iÌ„ any wyse dispence / ne commaunde the subiectes vnto the contrarie And if they dyd gyue any suche commaundementes the subiectes bene nat bounde to folowe ne to be obediente thervnto / but rather to withstande in all they can with good religious maner christiane byhauioure / as they wolde withstande deedly damnable synne And this I say nat without large euident occasion For many souereines done contrarie many subiectes done more than wyllyngly folowe the same / whiche is done in all monasteries where the subiectes done receyue certeyne cellarâ—â— or wages by yere For as semethe vnto me that is directely nat onely agayne the rule but also contrarie vnto the determinacion of the churche In the said chapitre Cum ad monasteriuÌ„ as after shal more playnly be shewed in the seconde meÌ„bre of this ê‘te / were we shall intreate of wylfull pouerte 4. Ca. Re. Augusti An other exaÌ„ple maye we take for the other parte of the .iiii. Chapitre of the same rule / where is coÌ„mauÌ„ded that whan the disciples of the same rule shulde for any cause necessarie go forthe of theyr monasterie they shulde go no lesse in company than two or thre at the leest in nombre Contrarie vnto the whiche precept the souereynes may nat coÌ„mauÌ„de wtout some offence of the rule excepte it were in causes of necessite yet if the souereyne do so coÌ„mauÌ„de the subiectes muste be obedient / bycause they ben nat bounde to knowe the causes of the pÌ„cepte I knowe well the opinion of diuerse auctores is / that in suche thynges as ben directely knowen to be contrarie vnto the rule / be they great or smale the subiectê shulde nat be bouÌ„de in conscience to be obedient / bycause the souereynes say they may nat or shuld nat coÌ„mauÌ„de any suche I grauÌ„t well they shulde nat also that they maye nat / without as I sayd some offence / but the offence is nat alwaye mortall / but veniall / wherfore it is of more surety say I / in conscience for the subiectes to be obedient and to folowe the precepte / althoughe they knewe well it be contrarie vnto the rule For as I sayd they knowe nat the cause of the precepte And therfore may they with religious byhauiour put the charge ieopardy of conscience vnto the souereyne Bernardê° de precept et dispens Antoniê° ê‘te 3. ti 6. Ca. 12. For in all suche thynges as ben vnto the subiectes doutfull the souereynes may discharge theyr coÌ„scieÌ„ce / wherfore in myne opinion they done best to be obedieÌ„t For generally the subiectê ben bouÌ„de vnto the obedience of the souereynes in all thinges lawfull and honeste That is to say in all thynges that the souereynes may lawfully coÌ„maunde / and that ben honeste for bothe parties to be done So that euer the subiectes haue a respecte vnto the order degre of them that haue power to coÌ„maunde them / as if the priour or seniores do gyue a coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t / and the abbot afterwarde gyue or byfore had gyueÌ„ a contrarie coÌ„maundement / thaÌ„ is the subiecte more bounde to the coÌ„maundement of the abbot / and lyke wyse of the Pope / bysshope / ordinary / the visitourê of the orders and suche other So that euer the moste hyghe precepte be moste chefly obserued Antonius 2. ê‘t ti 4. Ca. 2.55.3 And let this also be noted / that the subiecte is nat onely bouÌ„de vnto the expresse coÌ„mauÌ„demet of the souereyne / spoken vnto the selfe subiecte but also vnto the same pÌ„cepte knowen or perceyued by message or by wrytinge / by signe or token / I speke this for some / suche persones that wyll saye I herde nat my souereyne speke nor coÌ„mauÌ„de any suche a precepte For the wyll mynde / and meanynge of the souereyne is more to be pouÌ„dred and weyde than the selfe wordes And yet hathe the souereyne no power of precepte ouer or vpon the priuate thoughtes of the subiecte nor of the inwarde mocions of the soule or mynde Idem 3. ê‘t tâ— 9. ca. 12. And therfore if the souereyne wolde gyue any precepte vpon them the subiecte is nat in ieopardy of conscience in the omission But iÌ„ all that done apperteine vnto the outwarde actes the commaundement of the souereyne is valeant and hathe good strength and place But here nowe some religions persones done put cases Obiection What and if the souereynes wolde commaunde suche thynges as were aboue our power / or that passed our lernynge and knowlege Answere Narracio we rede in vitas Patrum / that an auncient father for the profe onely of obedience commaunded his disciple to remoue a stone that was ouermoche for .xx. or xxx men to haue stered And the disciple mekely without grudge dyd what he coulde / labored sore and longe tyme therat and yet sped nothinge but semed to be all without frute and all iÌ„ vayne / yet was nat his laboure last / but rather moche frutfull and effectuous / bycause he had the meryte of obedience which is no smale rewarde as after shall be shewed And as vnto lernynge or knowlege saiÌ„t Bernarde sayd he preached better by the vertue of obedience than euer he dyd by the study of lernynge The coÌ„mune prouerbe is Nihil difficile uolenti Nothyng is ouer harde for the persone that is well wyllyng A good remedy in suche case for the subiecte is to shewe vnto the souereyne with meke and lowely byhauiour the infirmite and the very pleynes of his inhabilite / and so truste vnto the discrecion of the souereyne Obiection yet an other question Syr sayth some persone what shulde I do if the commaundement of my souereyne were vnto the ieopardy of my lyf Be nat affrayde man / Answere haue a good feythe and sure truste in our lorde And I dare promyse nothynge shall hurte you For our sauioure sayde hym selfe / that the feythfull persone shulde in his name caste out and auoyde yuell spirites / destroye serpentes / and drynke poyson without noyaunce or grefe
be violate or defouled But where nede is sayth he forthwith vnto the vtilite ê“fitte of the churche or coÌ„gregacion let hym that hath power dispeÌ„ce therw t / for chauÌ„ge of lawe maye be made for necessite The secoÌ„de membre of this subdiuision necessarie Forthermore now the necessary or necessite / that byfore I named iÌ„uiolable or vnderfoulable in no maner to be brokeÌ„ ne chauÌ„ged I vnderstande meane the necessary or nedefull statute that nat by maÌ„ ordened but by god him selfe coÌ„mauÌ„ded publyshed may iÌ„ no wyse be chaÌ„ged ne brokeÌ„ but only by god that made ordened it As by exaÌ„ple of these coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes Thou shalt slee no man Thou shalt do no lechery Thou shalt do no theft / so forth of the other coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of the table of the lawe / whiche sayd coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes although they do nat admitte ne suffre iÌ„ any wyse any dispeÌ„sacion of maÌ„ nor yet al though it be nat lawfull ne euer may be lawfull for any maÌ„ to breke or chauÌ„ge any of theÌ„ by any meane god natwtstaÌ„dyng hath of theÌ„ brokeÌ„ which he wold whaÌ„ he wolde / as doth appere in scripture Exo. 12. Other whan he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the Ebreus / the chyldreÌ„ of Israel to robbe the Egipciens the people of Egipte Osee 1. A. Or whaÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the holy ê“phete to haue mixtion act of generacioÌ„ with a womaÌ„ fornicary that is to say of vnclenlyuyng Of the whiche .ii. thyngê one had ben theft the other fylthy lechery / excepte the auctorite of god the so coÌ„mauÌ„ded had excused both the dedê / wherfore if we rede of any lyke dede done by any holy ê‘sones holy scipture nat shewyng the god so coÌ„mauÌ„ded other we muste grauÌ„t byleue that as frayle men they dyd offende therin or els as holy ê“phetes they had some priuey counsayle and reuelacion of god thervnto And therof yet one example that nowe commeth to mynde Iudi. 16. shall I put and shewe of Samson That oppressynge hym selfe amonge his enemies dyd so kyll or slee hymselfe / whiche dede if we shulde defende and holde nat to be deedly synne we must vndoutedly byleue and truste that he had priuate couÌ„sayle reuelacion of god thervnto / although scripture sheweth nothyng therof The thyrde membre of this sayd subdiuision of necessary Nowe for the thyrde necessarie / whiche I caled / incoÌ„mutable or vnchauÌ„geable / what suppose you I do meane therby Surely nothyng more congruent and conuenient than necessarie or necessite that we knowe for surete is by the deuine and eterne reason of god so firmed and stablisshed that for no cause may in any thyng be immuted or chauÌ„ged / no I say nat by god hiÌ„ self vnder this kynde and maner of necessarie or necessite is conteyned all that spirituall tradicion and ordinaunce of the holy sermone that our lorde and sauiour made in the mounte And also what thyng so euer apperteyne / vnto loue / humilite / mansuetude / myldenes / with suche other vertues / ordened / and coÌ„maunded / as well in the newe as in the olde testament / spiritually to be obserued and kept These necessaries for a surete ben suche that nat to be had or any tyme to be myssed and lefte is nother lawful ne yet expedient For syth they be unmouable or vnchauÌ„geable bycause they be naturally good / neuer bene they but innocently and harmeles / neuer bene they but helthfully or holsumly and meritoriously other coÌ„maunded or obserued For in all tymes and vnto all persones if they be dispised set at nought they worke and cause deth and dampnacion And if they be obserued and kepte Of the fyrst membre agayne they worke and cause soule helthe and saluacion Proper wyll than in ê“mysyng causeth vnto euery persone the fyrst necessite The auctorite of the coÌ„maunder doth cause the seconde And the thyrde doth the dignite of the precepte or comauÌ„dement make or cause And yet these thre necessites as nowe is sayd byfore done diffre eche from other in some certen degrees / and so doth nat one firmite or stablenes of immutabilite or vnchaungeablenes folowe them all / they ben nat all of one stabilite as vnto the chaungyng of them For what so euerthyng is caused of the fyrst necessite although it be nat vtterly immutable and vnchauÌ„geable yet it is for a surete vnneth or scant chaungeable / bycause it may nat be chauÌ„ged but by the prelates alone / and by none other persones And yet nat by them but by feythful / prouident and discrete dispensacions And that thynge that is caused of the seconde necessite whiche is more than this is nerehande or / amoste nowe incoÌ„mutable or vnchaungeable For as we haue sayd byfore it is vnto god alone and nat vnto any other persone chaungeable But that thyng that is caused of the thyrde last necessite whiche is moste of all the other is vtterly in coÌ„mutable by no meanes can be chauÌ„ged For it is nat iÌ„ the liberte power of god hym selfe to chauÌ„ge it That thyng than that no persone may lawfully chauÌ„ge but onely the pÌ„lates may coÌ„ueniently be caled vnneth or scant chauÌ„geable And that thynge that vnto god alone is lawful to chauÌ„ge may wel be named almoste or nerehande vnchauÌ„geable But that thing that god him selfe may nat chauÌ„ge may be caled vtterly vnchaungeable Syth than these forsayd thyngê done come thus to passe that we nowe may retourne vnto these thynges wherof question is chefly and principally made in your demaunde it is nowe open and playne that euery reguler tradicion and ordinaunce for the great parte therof is subdued althoughe nat vnto the wyll yet for a certeynte vnto the discrecion of the presedent / prelate / or souereyne But nowe you say here vnto / what thing syr is nowe left vnto necessite Here me good bretherne / and say very moche is lefte vnto necessite Fyrste as vnto the spirituall thynges that ben coÌ„teyned in the rule ben nat as byfore is sayd left in the hande or power of the abbotte or souereyne Than for the other parte that doth apperteyne vnto corporall and bodely obseruauÌ„ces that part also is nat in the power of the souereyne as seruyng vnto his wyll or pleasure / but rather as it doth serue apperteyne vnto charite For the abbotte or souereyne is not aboue the rule Whervnto by voluntarie profession he ones dyd subdue and submitte hym selfe And yet is the rule of god / charite no maÌ„ can deney to be preferred by good ryght and put byfore the rule of saynt Benediete / let it therfore be so in case / that somtyme the letter of the rule do for that tyme gyue place vnto charite whane the reason of necessite or of charite doth so requyre god for bede natwithstandyng that the rule therfore shulde be subdued vnto the wyll of any persone For the ê‘sone that is electe and chosen for souereyne is coÌ„stitute and ordened vpon
wyll / nor yet minisshe or make theÌ„ lesse / without certeyne sure necessite For necessite hathe no lawe And therfore it dothe excuse dispensacion But bycause that wyll alone doth deserue rewarde wyll nat vnworthely also alone dothe oftymes vse a more hyghe degre of perfection / whiche is to meane thus Bycause that the wyll in euery persone dothe cause the meritte of the dede a persone may of good wyll do more than duete and lo inforse and clymbe vnto a more hyghe degre of perfection And els / the remissioÌ„ of the vowe without necessite is nother dispensacion but rather preuaricacion nor yet is the restreynt contrarie vnto the wyll / any profecte but rather murmure and grudge / let the prelates therfore put the meere or myddell meane and measure of the obedience of theyr subiectes accordyng vnto the vowe made with theyr owne lippes And nat accordyng vnto theyr wylles and desyres that is to say the pleasures of the selfe prelates / mouyng and sterynge theyr subiectes and nat constreynyng them vnto thynges of more hygh perfection Condescendyng with them whan necessite requyreth or nede is / vnto thynges of more remission / or more lowe ê‘fection / and yet nat fallyng downe with them vnto the same them selfe Another good note for the subiectes But yet natwithstandyng all that is sayd let euery subiecte knowe / that all suche obedience as is cohibitte and conteyned within the said meeres / termes / and markes is nat a perfecte obedience For perfecte obedience knoweth no lawe / nor is arted / constreyned / ne bouÌ„de / wtin any termes / meeres / or markes For perfecte obedieÌ„ce is nat coÌ„teÌ„t to kepe the streytnes pÌ„syse fourme of ê“fession but rather doth desyre inforce by a more large liberte of wyll to apê“che climbe vnto a more large bredthe of charite And euer wyllyng and redy vnto all thynges that ben inioyned coÌ„mauÌ„ded / nothyng coÌ„sideryng the meane maner termes byforesayd doth by the myght strengthe of a liberal / fre / couragious herte or minde exteÌ„de applye / and streche forthe it selfe vnto infinite and moste large liberte of wyll This is that obedience wherof faynt Peter the Apostle so notably spake 1. Pe. 1. D. Saynge vnto his disciples Chastesynge and kepyng downe your hertes in the obedience of charitie eche loue other / by whiche wordes he puttethe a goodly difference bytwene the obedience of charite and the other dull and seruile obedience whiche is nat alway quycke and redy vnto charite / but rather subdued and bounde vnto necessite This obedieÌ„câ— also doth properly apperteyne vnto that iust ê‘sone after saynt Paule vnto whome or for whome no lawe is ordeyned nat so to be vnderstande that any persone maye lyue without lawe / but that he is nat vnder the lawe / nor content with the vowe of any ê“fession 1. Thi. 1. but rather to ouerpasse that streytnes of necessite by herty deuocion and liberallite of mynde whiche said obedience of perfection the selfe rule of saynt Benedicte dothe nat forgette / but speakethe playnly therof in that chapitre Ca. si frat aliquid impossibile Where monicion and warnynge is gyuen that if vnto any brother or persone professed any thynges impossible be inioyned or coÌ„maunded he shulde hauynge confidence and truste in the helpe or of the helpe of god be obedient for charite And in the same rule also the thyrde degre of humilite or mekenes Ca. de gradibus humilitatis discribed and declared to be whan a religious persone is subdued vnto the souereyne in all maner or euery obedience And speakyng that terme in all maner or in euery the reule wyllethe that in obeynge oure souereyne we shulde nat be content with the same measure or meeres of oure profession / nat to attende and precisely to consider the duete and bonde of oure promyse nat to take the fourme and maner of our obedience of oure pacte and promyse of profession But cherefully and gladly to ouerpasse our vowe / and to forget the fourme of ê“myse / and to be obedidiente in all thynges Many wyl be well ware they pas nat the bonde and duete of theyr promyse There is a certeyn marke or mere of obedieÌ„ce after the tyme or accordyng vnto the tyme and so the same is the mere and terme of obedience that is the terme of lyfe / whiche terme the example of our sauiour doth specially coÌ„mende vnto vs. For he was made obedient vnto his father vnto deth Philip. 2. As often than as this obedience or this terme and mere of obedience is broken so often is it caled inobedience or disobedience / and synne and transgression or preuaricacion yet surely there is a difference / for what cause / or by what effection / by what intent and purpose / by whose precepte or coÌ„maundement / or by what maner of coÌ„maundemeÌ„t this yuel synne of inobedieÌ„ce be coÌ„mitted or done And surely I say that no maner of inobedience or disobedieÌ„ce is vtterly to be despised or lytell set by / natwithstaÌ„dyng that euery disobedience is nat to be estemed / weyed / and considered of lyke peryll and ieoparty / example For this is a coÌ„maundement of god Non occides Thou shalt nat slee or kyll any persone yet make here in case two homicides two mansleers The th one hathe slayne a man by couetous mynde to robbe hym of his goodes / but the tother hath done the same vnhappy dede for necessite in defendyng of hym selfe Doth nat here the cause very euidently departe and put difference bytwene the th one lepre and the tother lepre / that is bytwene these two offeÌ„ces / makyng the synnes and trespasse of this one selfe same transgression moche vnlyke it dothe in dede And in lyke wyse / if sodeyn yre or wrath had caused the th one to do this mischefe and studious malice or olde wrath had caused the tother Shuld that thyng than that is ê“ued to be done with so vnlyke affecte and desyre be weyde considered and iuged by lyke iugemente nay verely Forthermoreâ— no maner of incest or fylthie pollusioÌ„ nothing could be more obstene shamefull than that the doughters of Loth shulde so abuse theyr owne father yet euery man may perceyue / that the pitie religion of theyr intent and the intent of theyr deuoute mynde dyd moche euacuate / or at the leest dyd mynisshe make lesse the default and gylt of that fylthy cursed dede In lyke maner nowe of the souereyne that doth coÌ„maunde and of the mater that is coÌ„mauÌ„ded a lyke distinction and difference may be considered accordyng vnto reason So that the more auctorite the persone be of that doth coÌ„maunde so moche the more shulde the subiectes fere and drede the offence of inobedience For the transgression and breaking of the coÌ„maundement of the more auctorite must be estemed and supposed more dampnable For it is better to be obedient
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
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