lyghte the whiche I speke of gyueth you lyght and maketh you to go by the waye of truthe / and with that same lyghte ye sholde come to me / that am very endelesse lyghte / and with out that lyght ye maye not come to me that am lyght / but rather to derkenes ¶ These two lyghtes the whiche be dependaunte fro this lyghte / be ful necessary for you to haue / and in these two I shall gyue the the thyrde ¶ The fyrst is / that all ye be ylluniyned / in knowynge of worldely transytory thynges / the whiche ouerpasse as wyÌ„de / but ye may not wel knowe them / vnto the tyme ye knowe fyrst your owne freylte / how slypper it is vnder a coÌ„trarius lawe / the whiche lawe is bounde in your bodyly lymines / rebellynge to me that am youre maker ¶ Neuertheles ther is none constrayned by that lawe for to do that leest synne / but yf he wyll / and yet it impugneth agaynst the spyryte / and I gaue neuer that lawe that my reasonable creature sholde be ouercome therby / but rather it sholde be encreased in vertu / and be preued in the soule by vertu / for vertu is neuer preued but by the contrary ¶ The sensualyte is euer contrary to that spyryte / and therfore iÌ„ that sensualyte / a soule proueth the loue that it hathe in me her maker ¶ Whan proueth she that ¶ Certayne whan with hate dysplesaunce she aryseth agaynst the sensualyte / also I haue gyuen to her suche a lawe coÌ„trary to the spyryte / that she sholde be kepte in very mekenesse / for thou sees well that in makynge of a soule to the ymage lykenesse of me / set in so grete a dygnyte / I haue felyshypped her with a thynge of ryghte lytle valewe / that is gyuen to her by a contrary lawe / byndynge the same lawe with that body that is made of a ryght foule erthe ¶ That iÌ„ beholdyÌ„ge of suche fylthe / she sholde not lyftup her heed agaynst me by pryde ¶ And therfore a frayle body that hathe this lyghte whiche I speke of / hathe cause for to loue her / and not for to enhaunse her by pryde / for therof hathe she no mater / but rather mater of very ê‘fyte mekenesse ¶ Also this contrary lawe constreyneth neuer a creature to synne by no maner inpugnacyon that it sheweth / but rather it gyueth cause for to make you the better to knowe the vnstablenes of this wretched worlde ¶ This sholde se an eye of intellecyon / with the lyght of very feythe / the whiche I sayde to the before / is named the ball of the eye ¶ This is that necessary lyght / the whiche generally is necessary to euery creature that hathe reason / desyreth to take parte of the lyfe of grace / in what euer state that euer he stondeth in / yf he wyll receyue the fruyte of the blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu ¶ This is a comune lyghte / that is that euery parsone sholde haue comunely as it is rehersed before and he that hathe it not / he dwelleth in state of dampnacyoÌ„ / and this is the cause why that all those that haue not this lyghte be not in the state of grace / for by waÌ„tyÌ„ge of this lyghte / they maye not knowe the wyckednesse of synne / nor that that thynge whiche is cause of synÌ„e ¶ And therfore it may not eschewe offence / nor hate wycked lyuyÌ„ge ¶ In the same wyse / he that knoweth no good nor cause of good that is vertu / he may neuer loue me nor desyre me that am endeles good / nor he may not know the vertu whiche I gyue as an instrument and mene for to come to the grace of very good ¶ By this thou maye se how necessary this lyght is to you for youre synnes stonden in no other thynge / but in leuyÌ„ge that I hate / and in hauÌ„tyÌ„ge that I loue / I loue vertu and hate vyce / he that loueth vyce and hateth vertu offendeth me / is depryued fro my grace ¶ Suche one gothe forthe as a very blynde man / not knowynge the cause of synne / whiche is his propre sencyble loue / and yet he hath it not / nor he knoweth not vyces nor the euyl that foloweth vyces / nor he knoweth not vertu / nor me that grauÌ„teth hym vertu / the whiche vertu gyueth hym lyfe / nor also the worthy dygnyte of vertu / by the whiche he is conserued fro vyces / cometh to grace ¶ Thus thou maye se that he that knoweth not / is cause of his owne euyll / therfore as I sayd / this lyght is very necessary to you ¶ And nowe moder and systren I haue made an ende of the .iiii. boke / the whiche dothe speke for the most parte of prayers and teres And fyrste how god sheweth a doctryne of the sacrameÌ„t of the auter / as it is rehersed iÌ„ the begynnynge of the fourthe boke / nowe fynyshed / with dyuers maters ¶ The fyfth boke Quinta ¶ The fyrst chapytre of the fyfth ê‘ty speketh of mortyfycacyoÌ„ and fyrst of them that put theyr desyre more to suffre bodyly peyne / than in mortyfycacyon or dystroyenge of theyr owne wyll / whiche is one parfyte lyghte or lyghte of ê‘feccyoÌ„ / more thaÌ„ the generall lyghte / it is the seconde lyght of parfeccyoÌ„ ¶ Also of the thyrde and more parfyte lyghte of reason / and of the werkes that a soule dothe whaÌ„ it is come to that state / and of many maters and dyuers / as it is rehersed shewed to the before in the kalender Ca. i. AFter tyme that a soule is come and hathe goten this generall lyght as I haue rehersed before she sholde not holde her apayde without more / for the whyle ye be in this lyfe as pylgrymes / ye be able for to receyue more for to encrese not forthwarde / ye decrese goyÌ„ge backewarde ¶ Other they sholde encrese in the comune lyghte that they haue goteÌ„ by mene and medyacyon of my grace / orelles they sholden enforce them with all besynesse for to come to the secunde parfyte lyght / and so fro the vnparfyte / for to come to the parfyte / for wtout lyghte / maye none come to parfeccyon ¶ In this seconde parfyte lyghte be two maners of parfeccyoÌ„ / they be parfyte / whiche be rysen fro the comune lyuynge of the worlde ¶ In this parfeccyon be two thynges one is there be some that parfytely chatyse theyr bodyes with ryght greate penaunce and the cause is that theyr sensualyte sholde not rebell agaynst reason / suche haue set all theyr desyre rather in mortyfyenge of the body / than in dystroyenge of theyr owne propre wyl / as I haue tolde the iÌ„ an other place ¶ Al suche sede theÌ„ at the table of penaunce / they be good and parfyte / yf theyr purpose were founde in me with
is somoche / that they maye not desyre nor wyll ony goodnesse / but alwaye they dyspysen me with blasphemyÌ„ge And wyll thou knowe why they haue no appetyte nor desyre to goodnes / for that lyfe of a maÌ„ whaÌ„ it is deed that fre choyse to good or yll is coÌ„streyned / and fro that tyme passed / they maye go no forther ¶ Yf they dyen in hatered with deedly synÌ„e / alway after the soule is bounde with the boÌ„des of hatered / of that dyuyne ryghtwysenes / he abydeth obstynate iÌ„ the peyne that he suffreth / alway fretyÌ„ge hyÌ„selfe with peynes / whiche beÌ„ added encresed to hyÌ„ / fro tyme to tyme. ¶ And specyally they beÌ„ partyners of theyr peynes / of whom they wereÌ„ the pryÌ„cypal cause of theyr daÌ„pnacyoÌ„ as the ryche man that was dampned gaue you ensample / whan he asked for grace / that Lazarus sholde go iÌ„ to the worlde to his brederne for to shewe them his cruell peynes ¶ He asked not for compassyoÌ„ / nor for charyte that he had to his brederne / for he was pryued of that compassyon and of charyte ¶ And he myght desyre no goodnesse / nother to my worshyppe / nor to theyr helthe for as I sayde to the they may do no good to theyr neyghbour ¶ Me they blasfeme / bycause they dydé ende theyr lyues in hatered of me / in hate of vertues ¶ Why does thou aske thaÌ„ the ryche maÌ„ that Lazarê° sholde shewe to his brederne / what peynes he suffred this was the cause for that ryche man had many brederne / he was the oldest of theÌ„ / he noryshed theÌ„ in synne and wretchydnesse / in the whiche he was vsed alwaye hymselfe / wherfore he was cause of theyr daÌ„pnacyon parpetual / for whiche cause he sawe before what encrese of peynes he sholde suffre / whaÌ„ they wereÌ„ comen to tourmeÌ„tes to hym / in whiche peynes euermore they frete theÌ„selfe with hatered ¶ Of the blysse ioy of chosen soules IN the contrarywyse a ryghtfull soule / the whiche endeth her lyfe in affeccyon of charyte and is kâ—yte with the bonde of loue / maye not be encresed in vertues / after the tyme her lyfe is passed ¶ But suche a soule maye alwaye loue / with the same loue that she cometh to me / with the same mesure / she shall be mesured agayne ¶ He that coueteth me / alway hathe me / wherfore his desyre is not voyde / but whan he hathe me / he is fylled with repleccyon ¶ And whan he is replete / yet he is made hongry for desyre / but werynesse is fer tro repleccyon / and peyne is ferre frome suche hongre ¶ With loue they Ioye togyder / in the euerlastyÌ„ge syght of me / and to be partetakers of that I haue iÌ„ my selfe ¶ Euery soule as he hathe deserued / more or lesse that is to saye in the same mesure of loue / in the whiche they came to me / the very same shall be mesured to them / for al they dyden lyue in the loue of me / and of theyr neyghbours ¶ And so in that comyn charyte / with the whiche they were all ioyned togyder / and also with a specyall and a profounde loue the whiche cometh out of the bonde of the same charyte ¶ They beÌ„ in ioye togyder with gladnes / and they beÌ„ all made glad with ioye togyder / euery mannes goodnesse medled togyder the one with the other / with affeccyon of charyte besydes the vnyuersal goodnesse / the whiche they reioyce togyder ¶ They done ioye also with greate gladnesse / with the nature of angels / with the whiche angels / the soules of seyntes ben set after the multytude of dyuers vertues / whiche they hadden pryncypally beynge in the erthe / and all ben knytte togyder with chayne of charyte / the whiche maye not be dyssolued ¶ Also they ioye with them in a synguler partycypacyoÌ„ of blys with whome they were knyte togyder with a partyculer loue in that worlde ¶ Throwe the whiche loue they dyden encrese here in grace vertues whaÌ„ one gaue cause to an other / to shewe to gyue laude glory to my holy name / in theÌ„ in theyr neyghbours ¶ Therfore they losen not that same loue / whan they comen to the lyfe that shall euer endure ¶ But rather they haue that same / and parte togyder / with moche more plente of loue / thaÌ„ they dyd here ¶ And whaÌ„ they haue this specyall gyfte / whiche is added for encrese of theyr blys I wolde not that you suppose / that they shold haue this partyculer onely for theÌ„selfe / it is not so ¶ For that same goodnes is had of all the holy soules in heuen / whiche be my dere beloued chosen chyldren / of all the courte / of all the ordres of angels ¶ Therfore whan a soule is come to that blys of euerlastynge lyfe / all that be there / shall haue parte of the goodnes of that soule / that soule hathe parte of theyr goodnesse and blys that be in heuen ¶ But not so that the soules nede ony araye / but thou shall vnderstonde that they haue a maner of gladnesse / a synguler ioy whiche is called Iubâ—lus that is to saye a soule of a glad songe / whiche may not be tolde by worde nor shewed by sowne of voyce ¶ For gladdenes ioye / whiche ioye they haue by the knowynge whiche they had in suche a soule ¶ They beholde suche a soule take vp frome the erthe by my mercy with pleÌ„tuousnes of grace ¶ Also they ioye togyder in me / be glad in the possessyon of goodnes / that they knowe in that soule / for that grace / the whiche the soule receyued of my goodnes ¶ That same soule is glad in me / in the holy spyrytes / in the blyssed soules in heuen / beholdynge in theÌ„ that fayre heed / and tastynge the swetenes of my charyte ¶ And the desyre of theÌ„ crye alwaye to me / for the sauynge of al before my maieste for that lyfe of theÌ„ was ended / in that charyte of theyr neyghboure ¶ That charyte they lefte not / but with that charyte they dyd pas throwe the gate of my dere sone / in the maner that I shall tell the afterwarde ¶ Wherfore thou maye well conceyue that with that bonde of that same loue / wherin they dydde ende theyr lyfe / in that same they dwel abyd / euerlastyÌ„gely they endure ¶ They be somoche ê¯formed to my wyll / that they maye not desyre / but that is my wyll ¶ For theyr fre choyse is so bouÌ„de with the bonde of my charyte / that whan the reasonable tyme of a creature / fayleth after his deth he maye nomore synne ¶ And his wyll is somoche coÌ„formed with my wyll / that thoughe they se knowe the soules of theyr fader and moder of
iÌ„ theyr goynge / al they acorde iÌ„ one maner of sowne for to serue theyr eueÌ„ crysteÌ„ for glory laude of my name / for to serue the soule with good / holy / vertuous workes for to answere as iÌ„strumeÌ„tes the obedyeÌ„t soule / they be ryght plesauÌ„t to the nature of angels / ryghte plesauÌ„t to very tasters / whiche abyde theÌ„ with greate loye / where one shall parte with the endelesse good of another / they also be plesaunte to the worlde whyther the worlde wyll or not wycked meÌ„ maye not / but that they must nedes fele of this plesauÌ„t sowne / yet many of them with that fysshynge hoke and with that instrumeÌ„t betake / that is they passe away fro dethe come to lyfe / all seyntes wroughten toke with that instrument ¶ The fyrste that sowned in the sowne of lyfe was my ryght swete ryght wel byloued sone / takynge vpon hyÌ„ youre manheed / with the whiche maheed oned to the godheed / he made a ryght swete sowne vpon the cros / so he toke the sone of maÌ„kynde fro that deuyll / the whiche he hadde so longe tyme kepte for his synÌ„e / all ye sholde folowe the doctryne of his mayster in youre best maner ¶ Of hym the apostels toke theyr doctryne / suyÌ„ge and sowynge his worde throughe all the worlde / Martyrs also Confessours / Doctours Vyrgyns / all by theyr maner of seynge ¶ Also the gloryous mayde Vrsula whiche sowned so swetely her instrument / that she caughte fyrste there with a .xi. thousande vyrgyns / after warde multyplyed the nombre meruaylously / bothe of them and of other with the same sowne ¶ In the same wyse thus do other / some in one wyse and some in another ¶ Who is cause of this ¶ Certayne my infynyte prouydence / whiche haue prouyded to gyue to them instrumentes / and also I gaue to them awaye and a maner / by the whiche they myght gyue sowne / and what that euer I gyue to them / or what that I do suffer for to fall to theÌ„ in this lyfe / it is to theÌ„ a way for to encrese theyr instrumeÌ„tes yf they wyll knowe it / that wyll do theyr lyghte awaye fro theÌ„ ¶ Wherwith se they ¶ Certayne with the cloude of theyr owne ê“per loue / with plesauÌ„ce of theyr owne conceyte ¶ The .iiii. chapyter is of the prouydeÌ„ce of god in generall that he vseth iÌ„ his creatures in this lyfe in the other ¶ Also of the prouydeÌ„ce of god for his poore seruauÌ„tes / helpige theÌ„ with teÌ„porall goodes / other maters as it is specyfyed in the kalender Ca. iiii DOughter thy herte shall be made larger / therfore open the eye of thy intelleccyon with the lyghte of feythe / for to beholde with what loue prouydeÌ„ce I haue made ordeyned maÌ„ / the is that he sholde Ioye iÌ„ me most souerayne endelesse good / for fully I haue prouyded for hym bothe in soule body as I haue tolde the bothe to vnparfyte parfyte / good euyll / ghostly or bodyly / in heueÌ„ iÌ„ erthe / iÌ„ this deedli lyfe also iÌ„ the lyfe of vndeedlynesse ¶ In this deedly lyfe as loÌ„ge as ye lyue here / I haue bouÌ„de you with the boÌ„de of charite why ther a maÌ„ wyll or no he is bouÌ„de in the same boÌ„de / yf he vnlose hyÌ„selfe fro affeccyoÌ„ / that is yf he be not in that charyte of his neyghbour / he is bouÌ„de of nede that bothe iÌ„ wyll dede he sholde vse charyte / yf ye lose it in your affeccyoÌ„ bycause of your wyckednesse / thaÌ„ be ye boÌ„de coÌ„strayned namely of nede for to vse it iÌ„ acte / for I haue not prouyded for to vse it to one maÌ„ alone / nor made eche man knowe the thynge whiche is spedefull for hym iÌ„ all his lyfe / but one hathe one thyÌ„ge of grace and another hathe another thyÌ„ge / that a maÌ„ may haue cause mater for veri nede / one to be enformed by another ¶ O this thou sees by ensample the a workemaÌ„ or a craÌ„ftymaÌ„ gothe for to lerne somthyÌ„ge of the tyller / the tyller of the craftymaÌ„ / so that one nedeth to be enformed of another / for the one can not do that the other can / in the same maner a clerke a relygy ous maÌ„ haue nede of seculers / seculers relygyous / for the one wtoute the other caÌ„ nothyÌ„ge do / thus of all other ¶ Myght I not gyue to euereÌ„ that that is nedefull ¶ Yes certayne / but I wolde with prouydeÌ„ce that one meked hyÌ„ to another mekely / that they shold be coacte by mekenesse eche of theÌ„ to vse togyder bothe acte affeccyoÌ„ of charyte ¶ I haue thus sheded iÌ„ theÌ„ my magnyfysence / my goodnesse / my prouydeÌ„ce / yet they suffer theÌ„selfe to be led in derkenes of theyr ê“per freylte / the lyÌ„mes of your body do you shame / for they vse charyte togyder not ye for whan the heed aketh the honde helpeth it / whaÌ„ the fynger whiche is the leest lyÌ„me suffereth ony peyne the heed is anyuyshed ther with thoughe it be the more worthy lyÌ„me of the bodye. ¶ In the same wyse euery lymme helpeth other with coÌ„passyon / bothe the eye heryÌ„ge with all other partes / so doth not a proude maÌ„ that seeth his pore lyÌ„mes seke feble / that is pore folke / and yet wtyl not helpe them in theyr nede / not onely with ony temporall good that he hathe / nor with the leest worde of his mouthe / but rather with lytell settynge by them repreuyÌ„ge them / he turneth his face fro them / he is ryche / and yet he suffereth hyÌ„ to dye for hoÌ„ger / but suche one seeth that his wretched cruelte casteth cruelte to me / so that his proude dedygnacyon descendeth done to the depenesse of hell / neuerthelesse yet I prouyde to that poore creature / to whome for the pouerte shall be rewarded in blys with endeles rychesse / and that proude wretche shall be sharply repreued of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / in suche wyse as the holy gospell saythe / but yf he amende hym or that he dye / it is wryten in the holy gospel thus O suriui noÌ„ dedistis michi maÌ„ducare c. I hoÌ„gred and ye gaue me no meet / I thrysted ye gaue me no drynke / I was naked ye coueÌ„red me not / I was seke and iÌ„ pryson ye came not to me / it shall no profyte be to hyÌ„ thaÌ„ in the laste daye for to excuse hym thus ¶ Lorde I sawe the neuer / for yf I hadde sene the / I wolde haue done al this to the. ¶ That wretche knoweth well that thus he seeth / that the whiche ye do to the lest of myne / ye do to me /
beloued of my fader / I shall loue hym / shall shewe myselfe to hym / and he shall be one with me / and I with hym ¶ And in manye places of scrypture / we fynde wordes lyke to the same purpose / by the whiche we openly knowe that a soule is alterate / and made hymselfe another than he was / in the sothefastnes of loue and desyre / and that we may se this more clerely / I remembre me that I haue red of an holy mayde / seruaunte of god Katheryne of Seene that whan she gaue her selfe ententyfly to prayer / with enhaunsynge vp her mynde to god / to beholde heuenly thynges in maner of contemplacyon Thā the holy god hyd not his loue the whiche may not be mesured / whiche he had to his seruaūtes with the gyfte of intelleccyon by the ghostly eye ¶ But specyally amonge other wordes / our lorde god spake to her / and sayde ¶ Open the eye of thy intelleccyon / or of ghostly vnderstondynge / and beholde in me / you shall se the dygnyte / the fayrenes of my reasonable creature / and the fayrenesse whiche I haue gyuē to thy soule / makynge it of nought / to my ymage lykenesse ¶ Beholde them that ben arayed with the precyous clothȳge of ghostly weddȳge That is to saye / vertuously arayed with charyte / with many dyuers vertues / contynually they ben ioyned to me by loue ¶ Therfore yf that shoulde aske me whiche ben they I shoulde answere the agayne They that be clene purged frome synne / they haue my lykenes ¶ For suche haue lost and mortyfyed theyr owne propre wyll / and ben conformed to my wyll / in all thynges with my wyll they ben clothed / and precyously arayed ¶ Therfore it is full sothe / that suche a soule oneth it selfe to god / with desyre and affeccyon of loue ¶ Also this soule / yet moreouer wyllynge to knowe the holy sothefastnes of knowȳge / and to folowe it by excercyse Consydered fyrst as for her selfe with an hyghe desyre / that a soule maye by no waye of doctryne / nor of ensample / nor of prayer / profyte to his neyghbour / but it profyte fyrste to his selfe / that is to saye ī purchasynge hauynge in possessyon the perfeccyō of vertues ī it selfe Therfore in that holy desyre of sothefast knowynge / mekely she asked .iiij. petycyons / of the euer beynge fader in heuen ¶ The fyrste petycyon was for her selfe ¶ The seconde for reformacyon of holy chyrche The thyrde in generall / for the helthe of all the worlde / and specyally for the helthe of crystē people / whiche with grete presumpcyon greate persecucyon / is rebell to holy chyrche ¶ The .iiij. petycyon was / that the prouydence of god shoulde puruaye for eche derke case or doubte / or nede in generall / and ī specyall ¶ How the desyre of this soule encreased / whan she knewe the necessyte that was in the worlde This desyre was in her ful greate and abydynge contynually / whiche desyre encreased in her the more feruently / whan the greate wretchednes of this worlde was shewed to her of almyghty god the maker of all the worlde ¶ And whā that she sawe so greate trouble in the worlde and somoche offēce done to god in the worlde ¶ Also in this tyme of this holy desyre / she had vnderstādynge by a wrytȳge whiche she had of her ghosty fader In the whiche wrytynge / he shewed her the grete payne and sharpnes of intollerable sorowe ordeyned for syn̄e And for the offence done to god / of the cause of losynge of soules / and for the persecucyon that is done to holy chyrche / whiche wordes haue kyndled in her a fyre of a desyre / with a louynge / a bytternes / for the offence done to god ¶ And thā she with a gladnes / and ioy of a trusty hope / mekely abode the mekenesse of god / the whiche mercyfully wolde puruaye for all the euylles and perelles ¶ And for asmoche / that in receyuynge of the holy sacrament / a soule more swetely / more feruētly cleueth to god / and better knoweth his sothefastnes Bycause that thā a soule is in god / and god in the soule Ryght as the fysshes abyden in the see / and the see in the fysshes Therfore vpon the nexte morowe folowynge / she had a full feruent a brūnynge desyre to here masse whiche daye was on a feest of oure lady goddes moder And whā she had herde masse / at a certayne houre / with a ful grete desyre / to haue an inwarde knowȳge of herselfe / of her owne iperfeccyō / it semed to her a greate shamfastes / that she was pryncypall cause of all the euylles / or dyseases done ī the worlde / cōceyued ī herself a synguler hate / dyspleasaunce of herselfe ¶ And than with a desyre of an holy ryghtwysnesse puryfy suche fylthes of synne the whiche she sawe in the worlde ī her owne soule she lyste vp her herte to the fader of heuen and sayde ¶ Euerlastynge fader in heuen / to the I make my cōplaynt of myselfe / to that I playne accuse my selfe / to the entente that ī this lyfe you punesshe my synnes / And for asmoche as I the pryncypal cause of the paynes throwe my synnes whiche chrystē people shoulde suffre Therfore mekely I beseche you to put those paynes vpon me ¶ How the werkes good or euyll in this worlde onely suffysen not to be punysshed ī purgatory / nor to be rewarded in blysse / without contynual desyre of charyte Than that sothefastnesse of the godheed toke this desyre / and feruētly drewe it to hym / and dyd lyke as it was in the olde testament ¶ For than whan the sacryfyces were accepted to god / fyre came downe from heuen drewe suche a sacryfyce to hym ¶ In the same maner that holy sothefastnes dyd to that soule / for that sothefastnes / the fader of heuen sende the fyre of the holy ghost / and toke the sacry fyce of her greate desyre / whiche sacryfyce she made of herselfe to god ¶ And whā our lorde had resygned this sacryfyce of her / he spake to her and sayde ¶ Doughter knowes thou not that all the paynes that mē suffren / or ony creature maye suffre in this worlde / ben not worthy at the full / nor euen worthy penauce / nor suffycyēt to punesshe the lest synne And the cause is / for the offence that is done to me / whiche am god / and goodnes that hathe none ende / asketh a blame wtout ende ¶ Therfore I wyll that you knowe / that all the paynes that ben gyuen / or sende of god in to this worlde ben not for penaūce / but for correccyon / to amede and correcke the chylde whā he trespaseth ¶ And yet forthermore it is sothe / that a man maketh
or dothe satysfaccyon by a feruent desyre of the soule that is to saye with a veraye contrycyon / a dyspysynge of synne ¶ For veraye contrycyon / maketh satysfaccyoÌ„ to the synne / and to the payne for synne / not for the payne the the soule suffreth for the tyme / whiche tyme hathe ende / but for the desyre that the soule hathe / whiche hathe no ende / and that is for god / whiche is without ende Aske you sorowe in herte for synne without ende / loue god contynually wtout ende ¶ Sorowe it asketh without ende that is to saye without ceasynge in this worlde / and that is in two maners ¶ One is that a man haue veraye coÌ„trycyon for his owne offence that he hathe done agaynst his god / and his owne maker ¶ The seconde is that a maÌ„ haue sorowe for the offence that he seeth or knoweth done to god of his neyghbour ¶ Of suche men / for asmoche as they haue suche contrycyoÌ„ iÌ„ bothe maners ¶ Also for they haue suche a desyre that hathe none ende / for they beÌ„ coupled to me with a desyre of loue / therfore they sorowen whan they offende themselfe / or whaÌ„ they se / or knowe ony creature offende god / for that contynuall sorowe for themselfe / and for other / for desyre of loue / all the payne of suche men that they suffren bodyly or ghostly / of what euer parte it cometh / that payne deserueth / or shal haue merytes the whiche haue none ende / and dothe satysfaccyon for the synne / whiche synÌ„e worthely asketh and dyscerneth a payne that sholde haue no ende Not withstondynge the dede of synne had an ende / and it was done suche a tyme that it hadde and ende / and the cause is thus / for that synne parauenture was done with some vertues / with desyre of loue / with contrycyon and with dyspleasaunce of all fautes that were done Therfore the payne of the trespasse that sholde haue no ende was modyfyed and shall haue an ende / and make full satysfaccyon for that synne ¶ Thus sheweth the apostle whan he sayde yf I shall speke with the tongues of men / and of aungels and yf I haue prophecy / and yf that I deale all my goodes in to poore mennes meet / and yf I take or put my body to the fyre / and it to brunne / yet all this profyteth me not / yf I haue not charyte ¶ Seynt Paule also sheweth / that all suche werkes / bodyly or ghostly / the whiche haue an ende in this worlde / ben not suffycyent to punesshe the wretchednesse of synne / nor to gyue rewarde / with out salte or fatnesse / and swete sauour of the desyre of the holy charyte ¶ How desyre contrycyon of herte maketh satysfaccyon for synne / and payne for synne / and somtyme it maketh satysfaccyoÌ„ for synne / and not for payne Now doughter I haue shewed the how synne in this tyme that shall passe / is not punyssed onely with suche penauÌ„ce that is done here / but it is punysshed with penauÌ„ce inwardely / that is suffred by desyre and with loue oned to god / and by contrycyon of mennes hertes / not by vertu of payne oneli / but throwe the vertu of a feruent dysyre of soules / and as holy desyres and other desyres of vertues haue lyfe / or be acceptable and merytory whaÌ„ they ben taken and vsed / for the loue of my sone crucyfyed ¶ For asmoche as the soule taketh loue of hym / and foloweth his steppes with vertues / fastynges / and prayers ¶ In suche maner suche penaunces done they profyte the and in none other so they make satysfaccyon to the payne for synne / and that is by the vnyon / or knyttynge togyder of that holy loue the whiche is goten and purchased in the knowynge of my amyable goodnesse / and in the bytternesse and sorowe of the herte / and iÌ„ knowynge and knowlegynge of his owne defautes / whiche knowynge bryÌ„geth forthe an hatered of his owne vnworthynesse mysery / and a greate dyspleasaunce of synnes ¶ Wherfore he demeth hymselfe vnworthy ony grace / and holdeth hym worthy to haue tourment and payne And thus the holy sothefastnes spake of all other / whiche suffred all thynges with pacyeÌ„ce / and demed them selfe with mekenesse in all thynges / vnworthy to receyue the gracyous gyftes of god / and worthy to haue punysshemeÌ„t throwe loue of herte with the ferueÌ„t bruÌ„nynge of pasyence and of mekenesse ¶ After this informacyon / forthewith god spake to her and sayde Take hede than intentytly in thy inwarde wytte / in what maner it is sayde to the / how that satysfaccyoÌ„ is made for synne ¶ Thou does aske paynes of me / the whiche myght make satysfaccyon / for the offences done to me of my creatures ¶ Also thou dyde aske of me whiche am the lyfe of all thynges / to knowe / to loue ê‘fytely ¶ This is the waye / thou shall be in wyll to ascende to the heyght of ê‘fyte knowynge / thou shall be in wyll to taste me / the whiche am euer lastynge sothefastnesse / so that thou neuer go oute of the way of knowynge of thy selfe ¶ And whan thou arte caste downe iÌ„ to the vallaye of mekenesse / than knowe me in the / of whome thou shall haue all thynges that ben to the necessary / or behourable ¶ There may no vertu stoÌ„de / nor abyde / but it come of charyte / or that it be grounded in charyte / and mekenes dothe nouresshe most and best / the vertu of charyte ¶ ThaÌ„ thou shall be made meke in knowynge of thy selfe / yf thou consyder the that thou hase no beynge of thy selfe / but thou shall knowe thy beynge of me / the whiche loued the you all / or euer that ye were borne / of my greate loue whiche maye not be meiured / my wyll was to reforme you agayne to grace / and in my reformynge you agayne / with the brennynge of so greate a loue / the which I had to you / I wasshed you with the blode of my sone / the whiche was shedde for you ¶ The shedynge of that blode / maketh a man to knowe the sothefastnes / the whiche hathe put awaye the cloude of his propre loue / by knowynge of hyÌ„ selfe / the whiche sothfastnes he myght not elles knowe And thaÌ„ in the knowynge of me / the soule is closed with suche a feruent loue / that for that brennynge loue / the soule is in contynuall payne / but not in payne whiche greueth the soule / nor maketh it to tall / but rather that payne maketh the soule more vertuous / and refressheth it / and comforteth more the soule / for he suffreth payne / bycause he knoweth my sothefastnes / and his owne synnes and vnkyndenesse / and the greate blyÌ„denesse of crysteÌ„ people And for the greate loue that the soule
hathe to me / he is troubled and soroweth for his vnkyndenesse / and other mennes And yf he loued me not / yet he sholde haue no payne / nor trouble Therfore you my other seruauntes / anone as ye haue knowynge of my sothefastnes iÌ„ suche maner as I haue rehersed to you before to my laude / and worshyp glory of my name / you must suffre manye wronges / trybulacyons / vnderstondynges / reprtues / in wordes and indedes to the daye ¶ Bere therfore easely and with pasyence you and my other seruauntes trybulacyons / and sorowe with teres of eyes for the offences that beÌ„ done to me / for the loue of vertues to my worshyp And yf you so do / I shall do satysfaccyoÌ„ to your synnes / in somoche that what penaunce ye suffren / shall suffyce for satysfaccyoÌ„ in you and other / by the vertu of your charyte And than for a rewarde / ye shall haue forgyuenesse of all youre ygnorauÌ„ce / and I shall no more remembre me of your trespace ¶ In other of my creatures I shall do satysfaccyon by mercy And for the affeccyon of youre charyte / and to theÌ„ I shall gyue grace after the dysposycyoÌ„ / whiche they sholde receyue / as thus They dysposen them mekely with reuereÌ„ce / to receyue the techyÌ„ge and the doctryne of my seruauÌ„tes / al those that so done / partely I shal forgyue them theyr synnes / and the paynes for synne / and the cause is For by that / they dyspose theÌ„ somekely to the techynge of my seruauÌ„tes / by that they shall haue suche grace that they shall come to very knowynge of themselfe / and to haue compunccyon of al theyr trespaces / and to be coÌ„tynually in deuoute prayer And by the seruent desyre of my seruauntes / I shall receyue them benyngely / and they shall receyue the fruyte of a specyall grace / and also a grace specyall / in some gre more or lesse after that they wyl labour / and haue excercyce with vertues ¶ This I saye generally / that they shall haue forgyuenesse of theyr synnes / but yf it so be / that they be so obstynate / that by theyr dyspayre they wyl be repreued of me / no regarde takynge to the blode of my sone / the whiche so louyngely hathe wasshed them with his pcyous blode for your saluacyoÌ„ ¶ Nowe doughter what fruyte of grace as you suppose / or thyÌ„ke they shal haue Theyr fruyte it is this That by the prayer of my seruauÌ„tes / I am constrayned / and in a maner compelled / by the whiche I abyde theyr tournynge / and chaungynge to vertuous lyuynge / and I gyue them lyghte of conscyence / and I styre them to bèware withstonde synne / and I make them to taste the sauour of vertu / to haue lykynge in the conuersacyon of my seruauntes ¶ Also sometyme I suffre that this wretched worlde / be contraryâ— us to them / and that they suffre fele manye passyons / that they maye knowe the lytle stablenes that is in this worlde / that they lyfte vp theyr hertes and desyres to me / to get and purchace theyr owne helthe of euer lastyÌ„ge lyfe And so in these foresayd maners / in many other maners / whiche no eye maye se / nor tongue speke / nor herte suffyseth to thyke / how many dyuers way as there ben whiche I haiâ—â— ordeyned onely of loue / that they maye be brought to grace / that my sothefastnes maye be fulfylled iÌ„ the. And to this I am coÌ„pelled / for I formed theÌ„ made theÌ„ of nought / of my charyte that may not be spoke / nor tolde with tongue ¶ Also for the prayers of my seruauntes / for theyr feruent desyres and sorowe / I forsake not / nor I dyspyse not theyr reres and labours / theyr meke prayers / but gladli I receyue them / and they ben to me full acceptable / for I am he the whiche do make my seruauntes to loue them / and to make inwardely sorowe for theyr harme / reparynge of theyr soules / but yet in all these generall laboures / and ghostly excercyses / satysfaccyon for payne for synne is not made / but onely satysfaccyoÌ„ for synne For in theyr partye they dyspose them not with a very parfyte loue / to be oned to me with my loue / nor with the parfyte loue of my seruauÌ„tes / also they haue not that bytter sorowe / with parfyte contrycyon for the offences that they haue done to me / as my seruauntes haue / but the loue and coÌ„trycyon whiche they haue is vnê‘fyte ¶ Therfore they haue not / nor yet receyuen not full satysfaccyon for payne / as the other that ben parfyte / but onely satysfaccyon for synne / for the dysposycyon muste come on bothe the partyes that is to saye aswell of the receyuer / as of hym that is the gyuer And for asmoche as they ben not parfyte / therfore they receyue imparfytely that parfeccyon of theyr desyres That is to saye / the parfeccyon of my seruauntes / the whiche done offre theyr desyres for them that ben not parfyte / with paynes before me ¶ Wherfore I saye to the that they do satysfaccyon for theyr synne / it shall be forgyuen them And that is ryght sothefastnesse that it so be / in the maner as it is sayde before / for throwe the cleâ—enes of theyr coÌ„scyence / other ghostly excercyses / theyr synÌ„e is forgyuen ¶ For whan they begynne to haue knowyÌ„ge of themselfe / they casten out fro them the rotteÌ„ fylthe of theyr synnes / and by that they receyue a specyall grace / and suche the so done beÌ„ in comyÌ„ charyte / yf they pacyently take all thynge that they suffren / as for theyr correccyon / and quenchen not the goodnesse and the grace of the holy ghost Ye se whan they leuen theyr synnes / they receyuen a lyfe of grace / but it so be that they beÌ„ wrapped with wyckednesse not takynge hede to my goodnesse / nor to the greate labours of my seruauÌ„tes For yf they ben so ygnorauÌ„t and so vnkynde / than anone al that whiche sholde haue beÌ„ for theyr correccyon / and was forgyuen theym by mercy / tourneth them to preiudyce and hyndrynge / not in the defaute of mercy / nor in the defaute of my seruauntes / whiche had goten mercy for hym that is so vnkynde / but onely throwe the hardenesse of his herte / whiche with the hande of his fre wyl set a stone as of an harde Adamaunt vpon his herte / whiche stone may not be brokeÌ„ but with blode / but it profyteth not the. Not that with stondynge / his hardenesse / whyle he hathe tyme here of fre choyse / yf he wyll aske the blode of my sone / with the same hande wylfully wyll put it vp to the very hardenesse of his herte / he shall receyue the swete
myght I do to do penauÌ„ce for the. And thaÌ„ in thy soule / in thy myÌ„de / I answered the and sayde I am he the whidelyte me in fewe wordes / and iÌ„ many good workes / and that I sholde shewe more largely / and more clerely / that he was not moche acceptable to me / the whiche onely called me with the sowne of wordes / and sayde thus Lorde / lorde / I wolde do somwhat for the. Also nother he that coueteth to greue his body for me with manye penauÌ„ces / without that he forsake his owne wyll But I dyd couet manye workes / in suffrynge manly and meghtly all thyÌ„ges with pasyence / and in other vertues / dyuers and many of the soule inwardly / the whiche I haue tolde and rebersed to the before / and how that all suche inwardly workynges worken bryngen fourthe fruytes of grace ¶ All other workes done in any other maner than is sayde before / I holde them not worthy to be called / but onely the sowne of wordes / for suche workes haue an ende ¶ I that haue no ende / I aske workyÌ„ges whiche haue no ende ¶ My wyll is that the dedes of penaunce / of dyuerse other excercyses the whiche ben bodyly / be take and vsed for an instrument of vertu / but not for the pryncypall desyre nor entent to that / for yf the pryncypall effecte of loue were set ther / than sholde be yelded to me the thynge that hathe ende And that shold be sene therby for as a worde that cometh fro the mouthe / that whan it is passed forthe vndyscretely / it is nought But yf that worde were sayde with effecte of the soule / whiche effecte conceyueth bryÌ„geth forthe vertues in sothefastnes ¶ For yf a worke that hathe ende / whiche I call a worde / were oned to me with vertu of charyte / thaÌ„ were it pleasynge to me / acceptable / for than it sholde not be alone / but coupled with the selyshyp of very dyscrecyon ¶ Reason wolde that ther were a hed / and a begynnynge onely in penaunce / and in ethe other bodyly workyÌ„ge For as it is sayde before / they ben dedes that haue ende ¶ An ende they haue / for whaÌ„ they den done in tyme / or for a tyme that nathe ende / what for a maÌ„ that must sometyme leue theÌ„ / for somtyme he leueth them of necessyte / bycause he mayemot parforme that was begonne for accydentall or casuall Thynges or causes whiche comen in that tyme / as parauenture by obedyence / bycause his prelate wyl not suffre hyÌ„ / for yf he vred suche penauÌ„ce agayÌ„st his prelates wyll or suffraunce / he sholde not onely haue no meryte for vettu / but soner rather he sholde do synne / and offende me Therfore thou mayeses that all suche workes haue an ende ¶ A man sholde take them as for to vse them iÌ„ tyme / but not for pryncypall begynnynge / for yf it were takeÌ„ so / as for a pryÌ„cypall begynnynge / than of necessyte / he must sometyme leue it And whan it were forsaken leste of / thaÌ„ sholde the soule stonde alone / and voyde as of ony meryte ¶ This sheweth wel seynt Paule whaÌ„ he sayd thus / mortyfy ye youre bodyly lyÌ„mes whiche ben on the erthe / fornycacyon / vnclennesse / lechery / euyll concupyssence that is to say mortyfy ye so your lymmes / that ye maye refrayne youre body whaÌ„ it wyl stryue agaynst the spyryte ¶ That wyll of the flesshe must be all deed / soget vtterly to my propre wyll / suche a wyll of a creature is mortyfyed iÌ„ a dewe maner as it is sayde before the whiche dewe maner / that vertu of dyscrecyon gaue to the soule that is to say dyscrecyon gaue hate dyspleasaunce of that offenses of his owne sensualyte / the whiche hatered he purchased fyrst by knowyÌ„ge of hyÌ„selfe ¶ This is that sharpe swerde that cutteth and sleeth eche maÌ„nes porpre loue / that is grouÌ„ded iÌ„ his owne ê“pre wyll ¶ Suche meÌ„ that thus sleen theyr propre loue / yeldeÌ„ to me contynually not onely wordes but many good werkes in the whiche I haue delyte am pleased ¶ Therfore I sayde to the that I loued fewe wordes / many werkes ¶ WhaÌ„ a maÌ„ sayeth many wordes / I noÌ„vre theÌ„ not For that loue / desyre of that soule / whiche gyueth lyfe to all other vertues / shall haue that thynge the whiche hathe none ende ¶ And yet I dyspyse not wordes vtterly Neuertheles I sayd I wolde that had fewe wordes shewyÌ„nge to the that all penauÌ„ce whiche hathe ende / was an actuall doyÌ„ge / therfore I called suche penauÌ„ce / fewe wordes ¶ Neuerthelesse they pleasen me / so they be take or vsed as for an instrumeÌ„t of vertu / and not for the pryncypall vertu ¶ Therfore a maÌ„ sholde not deame an other man in hyer degre of parfeccyon / whiche greueth his body with many penauÌ„ces / nor an other man in lesse degre of parfeccyon / whiche dothe lesse penaunce or none ¶ For as I haue sayde / it is not theyr vertu nor meryte ¶ For yl it were than to them / that for reasonable causes beÌ„ let / done not suche actuall penauÌ„ce ¶ But the meryte abydeth onely in the vertu of charyte / whiche is made fayre with the lyghte of dyscrecyon / or els it sholde not profyte ¶ Dyscrecyon yeldeth to me this loue without ende / and without maner that is to saye nother in this maner / nor in that / but without maner ¶ For in asmoche as I am that souerayne euerlastynge goodnesse / dyscrecyon putteth no lawe / nor terme / nor maner to that loue / with the whiche he loueth me ¶ Neuertheles as agayÌ„ste hig neyghbour / dyscrecyon putteth an ornate loue charyte / for the lyght of dyscrecyoÌ„ whiche cometh out of charyte / gyueth an ornate loue to his neyghbour / that is gyuyÌ„ge suche a charyte to other / that he gyue hym no cause of synne / but kepeth hym fro synne to his power / that he map ê“fyte to his neyghbour ¶ For yf a man dyd onely one sytie / so that by that trespas al that worlde sholde scape fro that payne of hell / or els so that some greate vertu sholde come therof / than were not theyr charyte ordeyned with dyscrecyon / but rather it were vndyscrete ¶ For it is not lawfull to do ony vertu / nor vertuous thyÌ„ge to thy neyghbour / with ony medlynge of synne / but holy dyscrecyon is ordeyned in this maner ¶ WhaÌ„ a soule that is besy / and ordeyned myghtly in all his myÌ„ghte streynghe me to serue / louynge his neyghbour with good affeccyon of loue / dyspyseth his bodyly lyfe for helthe of soules / or to suffre paynes or turmeÌ„tes a thousande tymes yf it were nede possyble / so that by that his neyghbour myght
thy humanite / by the whiche I gaue agayne to the / that grace that was lost ¶ And so ye beynge in my ymage / I toke your lykenesse whaÌ„ I toke maÌ„nes nature ¶ Also I am one with you / but â—f that soule go fro me by deedly synne ¶ But he that loueth me / dwelleth iÌ„ me / I in hyÌ„ Therfore the worlde parsueth hym for that worlde hathe no conformynge with me / therfore he parsueth myne onely sone to that most cruel dethe of that crosse And so he parsueth you to the dethe / for he loueth not me / for yf that worlde hadde loued me / he sholde haue loued you But be ye ioyfull / for your ioyes shall be fulfylled iÌ„ heuen ¶ Also I tell the that that more that sclaunders / and try bulacyons encreasen in the ghostly body of that moder of holy chyrche / that more shall he haue of swetenesse / of coÌ„forte afterwarde ¶ This softenesse of swetenesse / the swetenesse of softenesse / shall be the reformacyon of curates and good heddes of holy chyrche / whiche ben the floures of glory / for in yeldynge to my name glory and laude / they shewe oute the sauour of swetenesse of vertues / whiche beÌ„ fouÌ„ded in sothefastnesse ¶ And this is the sothefastnesse and softenesse of swete ftoures That is to say / the recormacyon of my mynysters / and curates ¶ Not for that fruyte of this spouse that is to say of the chyrche nedeth to be reformed / for the fruyte is not dystryed / and it is neuerthelesse / by the defautes of the mynystres ¶ Thus thou / and thy ghostly fader / and my other seruauntes shall coye in aduersyte and bytternesse For I that am euerlastynge sothefastnesse / haue promysed to gyue to you refresshynge And after suche sharp'enesse and bytternesse / I shall comforte you in the reformacyon of holy chyrche / by'cause ye suffreÌ„ many contrarytes for my loue ¶ The .iiii. chapytre is how that the workynge of the blyssed soule of this mayde by that answere of oure lorde / bothe encreased and fayled in that bytternesse of her soule / and how that she made her prayer for his holy chyrche / and for his people / and of other maters iÌ„ the same chapyter / as it is rehersed to you before in the kalender Ca. iii. After this holy techynge of our lorde / the soule of this mayde was kyndeled and sore styred by a greate desyre in to the loue of god / takynge hede / and knowynge his plentuous charyte / whiche charyte with greate coÌ„forte swetenesse / ordeyned to make an answere to her petycyon / gyuynge a trust hope of remedy to her / whiche she desyred / whiche was to the bytternesse of her soule / whiche she had receyued for offences done to her maker / and for harme done to holy chyrche and for her owne mysery whiche she conceyued throwe knowledge of her selfe ¶ Whiche hope of remedy swaged that inwarde bytternesse / whiche she had conceyued ¶ And thaÌ„ was shewed to her by that euerlastynge fader / that was so offended / what waye of parfeccyoÌ„ they sholde vse / and do satysiaccyoÌ„ for theyr owne offences for theyr neyghbours / as shall be more clerly shewed after ¶ Ryght parfyte is the knowledge whiche a soule hathe of herselfe / by the whiche she knoweth her god the better / tyght well felynge the goodnesse of god in her / in the holy amyable myrtour / or beholdynge of god / she knoweth her owne vnworthynes / the hyghe worthynesse of her god whiche formed her and made her of noughâ—e / seynge well herselfe the ymage of god / not of dewte / but onely of specy all grace ¶ Also the beholdynge in the myrrour of the hyghe dyuyne goodnes / this soule knews her owne vnworthynesse / in to whiche vnworthynesse she fell / throwe her owne defaute and synne ¶ For ryght as a spotte / or fylthe in a maÌ„nes vysage / maye lyghtly be parceyued in a myrrour / so a soule whiche with a very knowyÌ„ge of herselfe she lyfted vp her entent and affeccyon by a feruent desyre / to beholde inwardly / with the eye of her ghostly intelleccyon / to se herselfe in the holy myrrour of god / by the whiche suparuysyon / she parceyued more thaÌ„ euer she dyd the foule spottes of her soule / throwe the greate purenesse / or clerenesse / whiche she had in the syght and knowynge of god ¶ And in asmoche as this coÌ„fortable knowynge and desyre / with an inwarde bytternesse / for offence to god / was greately knytte togyder within the foresayde soule / yet throwe the hope the whiche our lorde had put in her / the bytternesse and the mournynge was lassed decresed in her ¶ And ryght as a fyre encreseth whaÌ„ fuell is added therto / so the fyre of loue the whiche was oned to god / waxcd so greately iÌ„ her soule / that it had not ben possyble her lyfe to remayne with her body / but that the soule must passe fro the body / but that she was preserued with strengthe aboue nature / onely of hym of whome cometh all strengthe / or els she myght neuer haue scaped with the lyâ— hy possâ—byly te ¶ Therfore whaÌ„ this soule was thus puryfyed / with thefyre of the dyuyne charyte / whiche she founde in the knowynge of herselfe / and of ger god / and whan that holy desyre / with hope of mannes faluacyon / hope of resormacyon of holp chyrche was thus encresed in her / anâ—ne she lyfte vp her herte with a geete loue before the fader in heuen / whiche had shewed her the mysery of that worlde / and that foule iÌ„ fyrmyte of holy chyrche moche lyke to that worde of Moyses she spake to our lorde sayde thus ¶ My lorde tourne thy mercyfull eyes to thy people / and to the ghostly body of holy chyrche / for iÌ„ sparynge so manye creatures / in gyuynge theÌ„ the lyght of knowynge / moche that more thy name shall be gloryfyed of all thy creatures / the whiche sholden gyue presynges to the / parceyuyÌ„ge beholdyÌ„ge / how by thy endelesse goodnesse / they haue scapen frome the boÌ„des of deedly synnes / frome parpetuall paÌ„pnacyon ¶ And whaÌ„ they knowen what grace thou hase done to me a wretche the whiche so greatly haue offended thy maieste / and I knowledge me the most cause of al meÌ„nes synÌ„es ¶ Therfore lorde I praye thy dyuyne charyte / that thou take no grefe with me / spare thy peple / I shal neuer go fro the presence tyll I se that haue merey on thy peple ¶ What were it to me to haue â—yte to se thy peple haue deth / or that derkenesse sholde aryse â—â— thy spouse holy chyrche / whiche is the pryncypall lyght / for my defautes / for other defautes of thy creatures ¶ Therfore lorde my
is asmoche / as the poynte of an nelde and no more / and so passeth the labour with the tyme / for pacyeÌ„tly they suffre and passe throwe the actuall sharpenesse of the thornes / and it toucheth not the hertes / for theyr hertes drawe out fro them that is to say fro the drede of sharpnesse / throwe the sensyble loue that is put in me / and confyrmed throwe desyre of loue ¶ Than the sothefastnesse is / that suche that passen pacyently the sharpenesse of the thorne / that they tasten the lyfe that shall laste / takynge in this lyfe a token / or an ernest / or a sykernesse of that euerlastynge lyfe ¶ Whan they stonde in the water / they bathen them not / whan they passen by the thornes / they fele not the sharpenes ¶ For with all theyr besynesse they soughte me / whiche am souerayne goodnes ¶ And this they haue soughte / wher it is pleynly fouÌ„de the is to say iÌ„ the worde of my onely begoten sone ¶ Of euyll that cometh of blyndenesse of the eye of intellecyon / and how good dedes done out of the state of grace / auayleth not to the euerlastynge lyfe THis I purpose to declare the / bycause thou sholde knowe it the better ¶ Also I haue declared to the how they taste the ernest of sykernesse of hell / of the whiche maner meÌ„ I haue tolde you they ben dysceyued ¶ Now I shal tell the how sorowe cometh to them and how they receyueÌ„ the ernest or sykernesse of hell ¶ And that is / for throwe theyr vntruthe that cometh of theyr owne propre loue / the eye of the intelleccyon is blyÌ„ded ¶ For ryght as all sothefastnes is purchased and wonne mith the lyght of feythe / ryght so lesynge and dysceyte beÌ„ get had with vntruthe ¶ I speke of vntruthe and of infydelyte / of them that haue receyued the holy baptym / in the whiche baptym the lyghte was impressed to the eye of the intelleccyon ¶ And whan the tyme of dyscrecyon was come / yf they haue excersyce in vertues / they kepe the lyght of feythe / and brynge forthe vertues of lyfe / fruyte to theyr neyghbour ¶ For ryght as a woman bryngeth forthe and bereth a quycke sone / and yeldeth that quycke sone to her spouse ryght so they that kepe the lyght of feythe gyueÌ„ to me vertues of lyfe / whiche am the spouse of the soule ¶ These other the whiche kepeÌ„ not the lyght of feythe / worke the coÌ„traty / for whaÌ„ they come to the tyme of dyscrecyoÌ„ / in whiche tyme they sholde vse the lyght of feythe bryÌ„ge forthe vertues with the lyf of grace / thaÌ„ bryÌ„ge they forthe deed soules they beÌ„ deed for all theyr dedes beÌ„ deed / whaÌ„ they beÌ„ indeedly synne / as to to the waye of sanacyoÌ„ ¶ And yf the lyght of feythe be takeÌ„ away fro theÌ„ / yet they haue the forme of the sacrament of baptym / but they haue no lyghte / for the lyght is taken awaye by a derke cloude of synne / the whiche is cause of theyr propre loue / whiche synne couereth the rouÌ„de blacke in the eye / by the whiche he had syght ¶ For suche it is layd feythe wtout werkes is deed / wherfore ryght as a deed man whiche seeth not / so the ghostly eye seeth not / whaÌ„ that is couered the gyueth lyght ¶ Also he knoweth not / that he hathe no beyÌ„ge of hyÌ„selfe ¶ Also he knoweth not his owne defautes / nor my goodnesse that I do to hym / of the whiche goodnes he had his beynge all other grace aboue hym ¶ So that whan he knoweth nother me / nor hyÌ„selfe / he hathe not his owne propre sensualyte / but he loueth it seketh it to make a way to his appetyte ¶ And so he bryngeth forthe deed chyldren of many deedly synnes / and me he loueth not / and whaÌ„ he loueth not me / he loueth not that that I loue / that is his neyghbour ¶ And he hathe no maner lykyÌ„ge to worke nor yet to do that is plesynge to me that is to saye to do vertues / whiche pleseth me to se theÌ„ done in you / not for my profyte / for ye maye not profyte me / for I am he that haue beynge / and nothynge is done with out me / saue synÌ„e whiche is nought in hymselfe / for it taketh fro me the soule ¶ Wherfore it â—elyteth me for your profyte / that I may haue you nombred in my euerlastynge lyfe ¶ And thus as thou sees euedently the feythe of that other party is deed / for it is without good werkes / and the werkes that they done / done not profyte to them / as to the euerlastyÌ„ge lyfe / for they haue not the lyfe of grace ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not to leue of good werkes / whether they be done with grace or without grace ¶ For there is no good dedes vnrewarded nor the euyll dedes vnpunyshedde ¶ Good dedes those ben done in the state of grace / without the infeccyon deedly synne / they done gyue to hym the lyfe euerlastyÌ„ge ¶ And al those good dedes that ben done in deedly synne / they done not profyte to hym to haue the euerlastynge lyfe ¶ Neuerthelesse in dyuers maners it is rewarded / as I haue sayde before ¶ Wherby sometyme I gaue them tyme of repentaunce / or els I impresse them in the mynde of my seruauntes and in theyr prayers / throwe whose prayers / they voyde theÌ„ fro theyr synnes ¶ Somtyme whan they ben not rewarded with tyme of abydynge / nor with the prayers of my seruauntes / for the lacke of grace / with suche other / they ben rewarded than with temporall prosperyte / or with temporall thynges and make of theym as of beestes to be made fatte in the flesshe / so those wretched and ryght synfull men the whiche alwaye haue ben contrary to my wyll / haue done good werkes / not in the state of grace / but in deedly synne / whan they woldeÌ„ not in theyr workynge receyue prayers nor other ghostly helpes nor socours with the whiche helpe I haue called them to grace in the tyme y they were repreuable / throwe theyr defautes ¶ Than of my goodnes my wyll is to yelde them and rewarde them / in temporall thynges / there they ben wretchydly made fat / and yf they ameÌ„de not theyrselfe / they gone to euerlastynge derkenesse and peyne ¶ Therfore doughter se how they beÌ„ dysceyued who dysceyueth theÌ„ They themselfe They cal themselfe the lyghte of very feythe / and gone as blynde men gropynge cleuyÌ„ge to that they touche / bycause they se no thynge but with a blynded eye whiche is set by affeccyoÌ„ / iÌ„ passynge thynges and vanytes ¶ Therfore they ben dysceyued done as fooles whiche onely done beholde that golde not the venyÌ„ ¶ Therfore knowe thou for certayne that worldely vanytes that ben take
the floode beforesayde / by the waues of trybulacyoÌ„s comyÌ„ge agaynst hym ¶ And by the couetous thornes of worldely comforte / the whiche be very thornes pryckynge the soule / and loueth them vnornately / and kepeth them ¶ How the drede of seruage wtout loue of vertues / is not suffycyent to euer lastynge lyfe / and how the lawe of drede and the lawe of loue be oned togyder I Sayde to the that ther maye no man go by the brydge / nor passe out of the floode but nedes he must ascende vpoÌ„ thre grees ¶ And sothe it is / that some asceÌ„de vnparfytely / some parfytely and some with greate parfeccyon ¶ All suche therfore that with seruyle drede ben onely lad and gouerned / ascende vnparfytely gaderyÌ„ge togyder the myghtes of the soule ¶ That is whaÌ„ the soule seeth peyne folowe synne / for fere of that peyne it ryseth out fro synne / and asceÌ„deth vp and gadereth the mynde togyder / therby to pull awaye the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce and mynde of synne ¶ The ¶ The vnderstoÌ„dyÌ„ge also is drawe to for to se and beholde what peyne is ordeyned for synne / and than his wyll is moued to hate synne ¶ And thoughe this be the fyrst ascencyon / and the fyrste gaderynge togyder of the myghtes of the soule / yet muste the soule excersyce and vse the same ascencyon and gaderynge togyder of the same myghtes / by the lyghte of the inwardely vnderstoÌ„dynge in the clere syghte of very feythe / not onely beholdynge the peyne for synne but also and rather the dede of vertu / the loue that they sholde haue to vertu / so that theyr affeccyoÌ„ may ascende vp with the fete of loue / put tynge away seruyle drede ¶ Yf they do thê° / thaÌ„ they be made my trewe seruauntes / and not vntrewe / seruynge me onely for loue / and not for drede ¶ To this they maye come / yf they myghtely orawe vp by the rote and put awaye with hate / the roote of theyr owne propre loue ¶ And also yf they be wyse and prÌ„udent / styd fast / and parseueraunt ¶ But ther be many suche begynners / the whiche begynne to asceÌ„de / that be so dul and full of slothe / and so feyntly yel den to me my dewte / with suche neclygence / and ygnoraunce / that they feynt and defayle / anone rennynge to the sayle for the lest wynde that cometh ¶ And so they gone backewarde / for they dyd ascende vnparfytely / toke the fyrst gre of the brydge of my onely fothefast sone / and most byloued Ihesu crucyfyed / therfore they maye not come to the secoÌ„de gre of the herte of loue ¶ How a man that hathe excersysed hym in the drede of seruage whiche is the state of imparfeccyoÌ„ / by whiche state is vnder stoÌ„de the fyrste grees of the foresayde holy brydge / he maye come so to the seconde gre / whiche is that state of parfeccyon SOme there be that be become trewe seruauÌ„tes / that be those whiche seruen me trewly / without ony seruyle drede or bondage / that serueÌ„ not me for drede of peyne / but for loue / and with loue ¶ That maner of loue by the whiche men serueÌ„ me for theyr owne profyte auauntage / and for loue plesaunce that they fynde in me / is vtterly vnparsyte / and that maye well be knowen in this wyse ¶ As sone as my comfortes be withdrawe fro theÌ„ / anone they gyue of theyr loue / therfore it is vnparfyte ¶ By suche maner of loue vnê‘fyte / they loueÌ„ theyr neyghbours / therfore suche loue is not suffycyent nor durable / but rather suche loue ceaseth ofte tymes fayleth ¶ It ceaseth anendes me / for this cause / oft tymes I wtithdrawe fro them ghostly coÌ„fortes of the soule / that they may the soner aryse from imparfeccyon / and be excersysed in vertues / suffrynge theÌ„ to haue tourment and heuynesse of herte / that they maye the more purely come to me ¶ The whiche is done also bycause they sholde the soner come to the parfyte knowlege of themselfe / for they knowe not themselfe / nor they haue no grace of themselfe ¶ And also that in tyme of trybulacyoÌ„s they myght lerne for to renne to me / that am theyr refute and comforte / knowynge me to be to them gyuer of al goodnes graces / so to serche me feythfully with very mekenesse / and for this cause / all suche trybulacyons to fall to theÌ„ / withdrawynge fro theÌ„ ghostly coÌ„fortes / but not my grace ¶ All suche maner of meÌ„ go than full sloly with greate vnpasyence of soule ¶ And otherwhyle they leue forsake theyr ghostly excercyses in many maners and dyuers / and ofte tymes vnder colour of vertu / they say within theÌ„selfe thus ¶ This ghostly excercyse workynge is nothyge profytable to me / and that is whan they fynde them and fele them faylynge lackynge of inwarde ghostly comforte ¶ Suche one holdeth kepeth the condycyon of an vnparfyte man / for he hathe not yet ryght well lyfte vp and put awaye the veyle and the clothe of his ghostly loue / fro the clere syghte of the eye of very bryssed feythe ¶ For yf he hadde well lyfted it vp / put awaye that clothe / in sothe he sholde severyly / that all the tryÌ„bulacyons comen fro me to proue hym / for the leest lefe of a tree maye not fall downe without my ordynauÌ„ce ê“uydeÌ„ce ¶ And therfore all that euer I graunted to them by suffrauÌ„ce of suche trybulacyons / I suffre it to come to them for theyr encrease oâ— vertu ¶ That is that they maye haue a good ende / to the whiche ende I haue made theÌ„ ¶ This they sholde beholde and se and veryly knowe that I desyre nothynge of them / but vertu and good / in the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / in the whiche blode they be wasshed fro all theyr wyckednes in the same blode they maye knowe my very truthe ¶ For that I wolde gyue to them euerlastynge lyfe / I made them to the ymage and symylytute of me / and haue made theym freslhe and quycke to grace as chyldreÌ„ of grace / in the bloode of my onely sone Ihesu ¶ But bycause they be vnê‘fyte / they do to me seruyse onely for theyr owne profyte / wtdrawynge theÌ„ in the same wyse fro the parfyte loue of theyr neyghbours ¶ The fyrste â—o fayle for drede the whiche they haue for suffcynge of peyne ¶ The secoÌ„de withdrawynge of theÌ„ fro the profyte / that they sholde shewe and do to theyr neyghbours / and so withdrawe theÌ„ fro charyte / bycause they parceyue in them that they be depryued / as they thynke fro ghostly comforte / whiche they were vsed to haue / and that is for theyr loue is not parfyte ¶ But with the same imparfeccyon that they loue me onely for theyr
stondeth in the well / it is neuer ydle nor voyde / but euer ful ¶ Ryght so loue of neyghbours / bothe spyrytuall temporall / wyll be drunke in me wtout beholdynge and rewarde of ony creatures ¶ I aske not that of you that ye loue me with the same loue that I loued you / for that maye ye not do / bycause I loued you / whan I was not loued of you ¶ All maner of loue that ye haue to me / 〈◊〉 it to me of dewte / not of grace / bycause ye sholde do it / but I loue you of grace / and not of dewte ¶ Therfore that loue whiche I aske of you ye maye not yelde it to me / and for that cause I haue put a meane bytwyxe you and me that is to saye youre neyghboure that ye do to hym / that ye maye not do to me / and that is that yÌ„e loue hym of grace / without ony beholdynge / and without ony abydynge ¶ For I holde it done to me that is done to hym for thy loue / this shewed well my sothefast sone to seynt Paule whan be parsued me sayenge thus ¶ Saule Saule why parsues thou me ¶ This he sayde holdyÌ„ge me parsued / in that he parsued my trewe seruauntes ¶ And therfore suche loue wolde be pure / for lyke with the same loue that ye sholde loue me / ye sholde loue them ¶ Yf thou wyll knowe the tokeÌ„s of vnê“fyte loue / I shall declare them to ye. ¶ Yf a man loue an other ghostly fele payne that tourmenteth hym / in asmoche as the creature that he loueth is not sene to hym for to satysfy to his loue / iÌ„ louyÌ„ge hym agayne as he loueth hym / his louyÌ„ge is vnparfyte ¶ Also yf he se his conuersacyon be withdrawe or pryued / or desolate fro ghostly comforte / or yf he se an other beloued more than he hymselfe ¶ All these be takens and many mo / that his loue bothe in me in his neyghbour is vnparfyte / and this is for to drynke of the vessell wtout the well ¶ All be it he toke the lycoure of loue of me / yet his loue was not abydnge parfytely in me / as in the well of loue ¶ Therfore it sheweth tokens of imparfeccyon in by / whom he loueth ghostly ¶ And all this maye be the cause / for the rote of his owne propre loue / was neuer yet pulled vp wel ¶ Therfore I suffre loue ofte tymes to be had / that he maye knowe his owne imparfeccyon / by my wtdrawynge of felynge fro hym / that he maye shutte hym vp and enclose hymselfe in the house of his owne knowlege ¶ In the whiche knowlege / he shall get al maner of parfeccyon ¶ And thaÌ„ shall I entre with a greate lyght / with very knowlege of my truthe insomoche that he shall holde it for a synguler grace / to mortyfy or sle for my loue his propre wyl ¶ And he shall cease neuer to cutte awaye the superfluytes of his vyne / to pull vp the thornes of his thoughtes / and buylde edyfy very myghty stones of vertu / grouÌ„ded set in that blode of my sones passyon / the whiche be founde by goynge vpon the brydge of my onely sone crucyfyed before sayde / grounded vpon the doctryne of my truthe in the vertu of his blode ¶ For by vertues ye lyuen in the strengthe of his passyon ✚ And here nowe mdder systren thus endeth the seconde parte of this orcharde / in the whiche all we be shewed the very way to heuen / and in that same boke we be shewed how to cut of the supfluytes of our vynes / and how we shall pull vp the pryckynge thornes of oure thoughtes / with dyuers maters / as it is rehersed in the kalender before ¶ The fourthe boke ¶ The fyrste chapytre of the .iiii. party / speketh of prayer / fyrste in what maner a soule shall gouerne her / that she maye come to pure loue and lyberall / and moche of this .iiii. partel speketh of prayers and of teres ¶ But fyrste god sheweth here a doctryne of the holy sacrameÌ„t of crystes body And how a soule shal come fro vocall prayer / to mentall prayer with other maters as it is rehersed to you in the kalender before Ca. i. AFter tyme a soule hath entred and gone by the doctryne of cristes passyon / crucyfyed with very loue of vertu / and hate of vyces / it stondeth with parfyte parseueraunce / namely suche a soule that is parfytely come to the house of his owne knowlege / abydynge myghtely and coÌ„tynually in holy watche prayer / drpted fully fro the coÌ„uersacyoÌ„ of the worlde ¶ Wherfore hath suche a soule closed her in the house of her owne knowlege ¶ In certayne for drede / knowynge her owne imparfeccyon / and also for desyre that it hathe / for to come to a pure and a lyberal loue / and also bycause it seeth well that it may come in no otherwyse therto ¶ Therfore with quycke feythe she abideth the comyÌ„ge of me / by encrease of grace iÌ„ herselfe ¶ But wherby shall a man knowe quycke feythe ¶ Truly by parseueraunce of vertu / and not goynge abacke for nothynge that falleth / nor for to cease nor leue iÌ„ dewe tyme fro holy prayers / but yf it be for charyte / or for obedyence or els not for ofte tymes by vnordynate tyme of prayer / that fende cometh by many heuynesses and batayles / more than she were founde without prayer / that he dothe for to dysceyue her / for to make her to leue holy prayers ofte tymes sayenge to her after this maner ¶ This prayer profyteth that not / for thou sholde take hede to no thynge elles / nor thynke nothynge elles but to that and of that thou sees / thus he saythe to make thy prayer to be heuy to the / and for bycause thou sholde cease of the excercyse of holy prayers / the whiche is an armure by the whiche a soule is defended and kepte frome all her aduersytes with stretchynge forthe of the honde of loue / and with the arme of fre choyse / defendyÌ„ge her selfe with the same armure / and with the lyghte of very feythe ¶ God sheweth here a doctryne / of the holy sacrament of the auter that is to saye of the holy sacrament of crystes body / and how a soule shall come fro vocall prayer / to mentall prayer / and here is shewed a vysyon / whiche this deuoute soule had on a tyme. THou knowes well dere doughter / that in meke contynuall prayer and feythfull with parseueraunce / a soule wynneth all vertu / and therfore she sholde parseuer and neuer leue it / nother for yllusyoÌ„ of the fende / nor for theyr owne freylte that is by thoughte or mouyÌ„ge that cometh iÌ„ theyr owne flesshe / nother by spekynge of no creature / for ofte tymes
awaye fro her all suche maner delyte / she is anone take by the deuylles hoke iÌ„ to his hondes / and yf she with very mekenesse dyspyse suche delectacyon and with loue betaketh her in to the affeccyon of me / the whi am a louer and not the gyfte / the fende for his owne pryde / maye not suffre that mekenes of suche a soule ¶ Now yf thou wyll knowe a tokeÌ„ how they ben dysceytes of the fende and not my reuelacyoÌ„s / I shal tel ye. ¶ This is the token of suche a trasformacyon of lyghte that vysyteth the soule / be of the fende / anone the soule in the comyÌ„ge of it loseth her ghostly gladnesse / and is lefte nothynge but heuynesse and derkenesse and sharpe pryckynge in the soule / yf it is veryly vysyted of me that am sothefastnesse euerlastynge / the soule in the fyrste apperynge receyueth an holy drede / and with the same drede she receyueth ghostely gladnesse and sykernesse / with a maner of swete prudence / for she dredeth / and dredeth not / but in her owne thoughte / she holdeth her vnworthy suche vysytacyoÌ„s / saythe thus to me ¶ Lorde I am indynge and moche vnworthy to receyue suche ghoostly vysytacyons / and sythe I am not worthy / howe maye this be that I am thus vysyted / thaÌ„ she tourneth her to me / consyderynge the wonderful large brede of my charyte / and seeth inwardely therin / that I consydre nothynge her worthynes / of no meryte that she deserueth to hane suche vysytacyoÌ„ / but onely my owne dygnyte and worthynesse / by the whiche I make able and worthy / whome it lyketh me to receyue suche vysytacyoÌ„s bothe of grace and of felynge / for I dyspyse neuer that desyre that calleth to me / and this is the cause that she receyueth suche vysytacyons mekely sayenge thus / beholde the haÌ„demayde of god / in me be thy wyll done / and thaÌ„ she goeth forthe to prayer / euer ryghte mekely holdynge herselfe indynge and moche vnworthy suche holy ghoostly vysytacyons / onely as I haue sayde / consyderynge that it cometh of me ¶ This is a very token for to knowe whether that a soule be vysyted of me / or of the fende / for as I haue sayd in the fyrst apperynge / they fynde a greate drede / parceyuynge bothe in the myddes and in the ende hongre of vertu ¶ Also an other whyle a soule whan that it is blynded of the wycked fende / fyrst it receyueth gladnesse and ioye / and at the laste it is broughte in to confusyon and derkenes of the soule ¶ Lo thus haue I shewed the a token / for to knowe the dysceyte of the fende / that yf a soule wyll be meke go wysely / she maye not be dysceyued / and yf she wyll algates go rather with vnparfyte loue of her ghostly comfortes / than with the ê‘feccyon of my loue as I haue sayde / she must nedes be dysceyued of the fende ¶ This seconde chapytre telleth of theym that wyll not helpe nor coÌ„fort theyr neyghbours in theyr nede / bycause they wolde not be letted nor leue theyr owne coÌ„forte / pease / nor rest ¶ Also of the dysceyte the whiche goddes seruauntes haue / that loueÌ„ god with suche vnê‘fyte loue before sayde / and other maters as it is rehersed before in the kalender Ca. ii I Haue tolde the of the dysceytes of them that wyll receyue me and taste me iÌ„ theyr soules / after theyr owne maner and delectacyon / and nothynge after my wyll ¶ Nowe shall I tel the of the secoÌ„de dysceyte of them / that al theyr delectacyon is set for to receyue ghostly comfortes / insomoche that oft tymes thoughe they se theyr neyghboure in greate nede spyrytually or teÌ„porally / ryght vnder the coloure of vertu they excuse them thus they saye yf they sholde tende to suche outwarde besynesse / they sholde lose rest pease of soule / and also leue theyr houres vnsayd in dewe tyme / therfore they charge not to helpe them / leste they lose theyr ghostly comforte / and offende me / as they thyÌ„ke they sholde do ¶ All such be dysceyued of theyr ghostly delectacyon of soule / they offende me more in that they wyll not helpe theyr neyghbours iÌ„ theyr necessytes / thaÌ„ in leuyÌ„ge of all theyr ghostly coÌ„fortes / for all maner ghostly excersyce / be it vocall or mentall / was ordeyned of me / whiche a soule sholde vse for to come to parfeccyoÌ„ / and to the charyte of his neyghbour / and that the neyghboure sholde be kepte in charyte / so that a man offendeth me more / leuyÌ„ge vndone the charytable mynystracyon of his neyghboure in tyme of nede / for his actuall excersyce and reste of soule / than for to leue suche actuall excersyce and reste of soule for his neyghbour / for he fyndeth me in the charyte of his neyghbour and in the loue of hym / and yt they be not charytably mynystred iÌ„ tyme of theyr nede / in that they losen theyr charyte / whan charyte of neyghbourehode lacketh / my affeccyon is lessed / my ghostli coÌ„forte is lessed insomoche that that they wolde wynne / they lose / and that that they wolde lose they wynne / that is by mynystracyon to theyr neyghbours / in tyme of nede / leuyÌ„ge therfore ghostly comfortes / they receyue and wynne bothe me theyr neyghbour / so in all tymes / they maye because of theyr mynystracyon / taste the swetenesse of my charyte / and if they do it not / they stonden in peyne as thus yf they must nedes do them some mynstracyon / other by very force / loue / bodyly or ghostly infyrmyte / that they do suffre / it shall be done so heuyly with suche peyne of conscyence and tedyousnesse of soule / that the one vnneth maye suffre or bere the other / and yf ony man aske them why / it is so peynfull to them / that they sholde answere and saye / that as them sementh / they lose therby bothe pease and tranquylyte of soule / and many thynges that they sholde do / they leue vndo therfore / so offende god ¶ It is not so / but bycause theyr inwarde syght is set vpon theyr owne delectacyon / therfore they can not se nor dyscerne in truthe where theyr offence is / for offence stondeth not in leuynge of ghostly thyÌ„ges / or excersyce of prayers in tyme of nede of theyr neyghbours / but it stondeth whaÌ„ they be had wtout charytable mynystracyon of neyghbourhode / whom they sholde loue for the loue of me / and in tyme of nede for to serue them charytably ¶ Thus thou maye se and knowe / how a man is dysceyued onely by his owne ghostly delectacyon in hymselfe ¶ Of the dysceyte which goddes seruauÌ„tes haue and loue god with suche vnparfyte loue / as is beforesayde ALso my seruauntes often tymes be dysceyued / all
the grouÌ„d that is for to saye that the braunches of deedly synnes do not tourne to none other thynges / but to the erthe of euery frayle vnordynate substaunce of the worlde / and they do not loke after none other thynge / but in what wyse they maye be noryshed vnsacyably of the erthe / for they ben neuer fulfylled ¶ They be vnsacyable / and vntollerable to theÌ„ selfe / and therfore it is requysyte ryghte coÌ„uenyent / that euer they be vnquyet and vnrestfull / sythen they desyre suche a thynge that neuer maye fulfyll theÌ„ / as I haue sayde ¶ This is the cause whiche maye not be fulfylled / for they desyre euer a thynge that hathe ende / and yet they themselfe be endeles as to theyr beynge for theyr beynge hathe neuer ende / thoughe they ende anendes grace / by the cause of deedly synnes ¶ And for bycause a maÌ„ is set put aboue all create thyÌ„ges / and not vntreate thynges be aboue hym / therfore he maye not be fulfylled nor stonde in quyetnesse / but in a thynge that is greater than hymselfe / and that is no other / but I god euerlastynge ¶ And therfore I alone may fulfyll them / for bycause he is depryued frome me for his synÌ„e that he hathe done he stoÌ„deth coÌ„tynually in peyne and tourmeÌ„t / after the whiche peyne foloweth wepynges and welynges ¶ How suche worldely wepers ben smyten with foure maner wyndes ANd whan that the wyndes come they smyte the tree of the propre sensualyte / where he made all his begyÌ„nynge ¶ Of these foure wyndes other it is a wynde of prosperyte / or a wynde of aduersyte / or of drede / or of conscyence / these be the foure wyndes ¶ The wynde of prosperyte norysheth pryde / with grete presumpcyon / with magnyfyenge of hyÌ„selfe and lytle regarde on his neyghbour ¶ Yf he be a lorde / the wynde of prosperyte norysheth this pryde with moche vnryghtwysenesse and vanyte of herte / and with vncleÌ„nes of body and of soule / with his propre reputacyon / and with many other defautes whiche do folowe after them whiche thy tongue myghte not tell ¶ Whether this wyÌ„de of prosperyte is not corrupte in hymselfe no / nor this wynde nor that other / but the pryncypall rote of the tree is corrupted / where throwe that rote maketh all thyÌ„ges corrupte whiche cometh fro that rote ¶ For I that sende all thynges by my gyfte with abuÌ„daunce am all souerayne god / what euer it be in this wyÌ„de of prosperyte / wherfore waylyÌ„ge foloweth / for his herte is not fulfylled / for he desyreth that he maye not haue / and so whan he maye not haue that he wolde / than he hathe peyne / and that peyne he wayleth ¶ Now I haue sayde to the that the eye wyll make a saute to the herte ¶ After this there cometh a wyÌ„de of seruage drede / in the whiche wynde a man maketh hym afrayde with his owne shadowe or derkenes dredynge to lose that that he loueth / or he dredeth to lose his owne lyfe / or of his chyldren / or the lyfe of other creatures / or he dredeth to lose his owne state / or the state of his freÌ„des and all for his owne loue / or for worshyppe / or for ryches ¶ Here this drede hathe not his delyte in pease / for he hathe not that that he wolde redy ordeyned after my wyll / therfore that drede of seruage foloweth hym / and is made tymorate and the seruaunte of the wretchydful synne / and bycause he maye beholde as is the thynge that he serueth and that is synne whiche is nought / therfore he is come to nought / after the wyÌ„de of drede hathe smyten hym ¶ And after this anone thaÌ„ cometh the wyÌ„de of trybulacyon and of aduersyte of that same that he dredde / taketh fro hym pryueth hym of that he had / sometyme in a partyculer thynge / sometyme iÌ„ a generall thyÌ„ge ¶ Generally is whaÌ„ he is pryued of the lyfe for by the streÌ„gthe of the dethe he is pryued of all thyÌ„ges ¶ Sometyme also the wynde of aduersyte is partyculer / whiche somtyme taketh fro hym one thynge / and sometyme an other thynge / sometyme it taketh a waye of his helthe / or of his chyldreÌ„ or of his ryches / or of states or of worshyppes / after that I se that it be nedefull for youre helthe whiche am a softe leche / therfore I gaue theÌ„ to you ¶ And for asmoche as youre freyite it vtterly corrupte and with out ony knowynge / it dystroyeth the fruyte of pasyence / and therfore inpasyence dothe bryÌ„ge fourthe sclauÌ„ders and grutchynges / hateredes / and dysplesauÌ„ces / agaynst me and my curates / they haue receyued in to dethe that I haue gyue them in to lyfe / after the mesure that they had of loue ¶ Now it is come to the waylynge of inpasyence that tourmenteth / and the whiche dryeth vp the soule and sleeth it / and taketh awaye the grace of lyfe / and dryeth vp and consumeth the body / and maketh hym blynde bodyly and ghostly / and pryueth hym of all delytes / and taketh awaye all hope / for he is pryued of that thynge / wherin he had delyte / wherin he set his affeccyon / hope / feythe / so that euer he soroweth and wayleth ¶ And not onely his teres make to hym so many inconuenyentes / but his vnordynate desyre and the sorowe of his herte / for if his herte were ordynate had the lyfe of grace / than were his teres ordynate / and sholde constrayne me euerlastynge god / to do hym mercy ¶ But why sayde I that this was and is the tere of dethe For to the messanger whiche sheweth you the dethe or the lyfe that sholde be in the soule ¶ Forthermore I sayde that there came the wynde of conscyence / and that maketh the goodnes of my godheed / for whaÌ„ I haue ê“ued theÌ„ with ê“speryte / to that entent that I sholde withdrawe the fro theyr propre loue / throwe my loue ¶ Also whan I ê“ued theÌ„ with drede / that throwe iÌ„portunyte they sholde sette theyr loue to loue me with vertu ¶ Also after tyme I haue preued them with trybulacyoÌ„ that they sholde knowe theyr freylte / and the lytle stablenesse of the worlde to some / there al this ê“fyteth not / I gyue a prycke or a remors of conscyencè / for I loue more thaÌ„ can be spoken / and that remors I gyue them / for they sholde aryse for to open theyr mouthe / and caste out the rotten fylthe of theyr synnes by holy coÌ„fessyoÌ„ ¶ But they as obstynate ryghtfully renreued of me throwe theyr owne wyckednesse whiche wolde iÌ„ no wyse receyue my grace / fle fro that prycke remors of conscyence and lede it all aboute with wretchydfull delectacyoÌ„s and with dysplesauÌ„ce of me and of theyr neyghbours / and
vnreuerence myne for as I sayde ye gyuen them no reuerence to themselfe for theyrselfe / but for the auctoryte that I haue gyuen to theÌ„ / and therfore they sholde not be offeÌ„ded / for whaÌ„ they offende them / they offende me and them ¶ I haue forbyd them for to touche my crystes / the is my anoynted people / with handes of vyolence ¶ There oughte no temporall man to excuse hym and saye I do theÌ„ no wronge nor I am not enuyous to oure moder the holy chyrche / thoughe I punyshe the defautes of euyll curates ¶ Here suche one lyeth saythe not sothe / for he maye not se / he is so blyÌ„ded in his owne loue yet though he se he feyneth hymselfe blynde / for to couer the prycke of his conscyence ¶ For whaÌ„ that euer they parsu them / they parsu me / and so they do me wroÌ„ge / for ryghte as the reuerence is myne / so is al that harme myne / bothe scornes / repreues / harmes / shames also blames ¶ Al those I arecte to me that be done to them / for I haue forbyd theÌ„ warned theÌ„ / not for to touche iÌ„ vyolence by worde nor dede my mynysters / I sholde punyshe them whan they offeÌ„de / not they ¶ Thus thaÌ„ what that euer they be in lyuynge / the reuerence of them sholde neuer be mynyshed / for whaÌ„ they mynesh it / they offende me / therfore this synne is more greuous than ony other synne ¶ And thoughe they be wycked in lyuyÌ„ge done many wyckednesses / of whose wyckednes it shal be sayde in an other place / yet yf to them be done reuerence onely for me / it is arected to me not to theÌ„ ¶ But now thre pryncypall causes ther be / why that synne of vnreuerence is more greuous synne than ony other ¶ One is / for that reuerence whiche is done to them is done to me ¶ Another is / for they breke my byddynge / in that I forbade theÌ„ not for to touche theÌ„ vyoleÌ„tly / by the whiche vnreuerent touchyÌ„ge / they dyspyse my blode / whiche they haue take of holy baptym / for they dysobeye / doynge that thynge that is forbyd theym ¶ And therfore they be rebell to this blode / for they haue sette reuerence asyde / be rysen with greate parsecucyon / so they be stynkynge membres / cut awaye fro that mysteryall body of holy chyrche / as longe as they dwell obstynate in that rebellyon with that vnreuerence / withoute ony doubte they renne to endelesse dampnacyoÌ„ ¶ Neuerthelesse yf they meke theÌ„ lowe theÌ„ and knowlege theyr defautes / they shall receyue mercy and forgyuenesse ¶ Another cause is why that theyr synnes be more greuous thaÌ„ other / for it is a synne that is done of theyr owne malyce with a vysement / for to knowe wel that with good coÌ„scyence / they must not do as they done / and therfore in theyr doynge they offende greuously / whiche offence is a maner of cursed pryde / wtout bodyly delectacyoÌ„ / for it wasleth bothe body soule / the soule is consumed / for it is pryued fro grace / often tymes the worme of conscyence freteth suche folke ¶ Also the bodyly substauÌ„ce is coÌ„sumed in the seruyce of the fende / theyr bodyes be as deed beestes / thus this synne is properly aneÌ„des me / for it is done without ony coloure of his owne profyte / and with malyce and the smoke of pryde / whiche pryde spryngeth out of sencyble loue / of that wyeked drede that Pylate hadde / that for drede of losynge of his lordeshyppe / he dyd slee my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / so done all suche ¶ All other synnes that they done be done of ygnorauÌ„ce or symplynes / but this cursed synne is done by malyce / for he knoweth the euyll that he dothe / it is all done of vnordynate dylectacyon and plesaunce that they haue to that synne / orelles of some maner of profyte that they fynde iÌ„ that synne / and so the offender / dampneth / and hurteth / his owne soule / me / and his neyghboure ¶ Me he hurteth offeÌ„deth / for he yeldeth no thaÌ„kes to me his maker ¶ His neyghbour he offendeth and hurteth / for he yeldeth not to hyÌ„ loue of charyte ¶ Also he offendeth hurteth hymselfe / thoughe he do it not by actuall smytynge / the whiche offence dyspleaseth me / for that harme that I se iÌ„ hyÌ„ ¶ And thus as I haue sayde without ony mene / this offence is onely done to me ¶ All other synnes haue some coloure / for they be done with some coloure with a mene / for I haue sayd in another place that euery synne euery vertu was done by medyacyon mene of neyghbourheed / for synne is the cause of the pryuacyon of the loue of god of thy neyghboure ¶ Therfore they that offeÌ„de theyr neyghbours offende me by mene of them ¶ But ymonge al my creatures that haue reson wtin theÌ„ / I haue chosen my mynysters as I haue told the whiche be called my anoynted people for to mynystre the body and blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / that is knytte oned to the flesshe of youre maÌ„heed with my dyuyne nature ¶ And so suche mynystres whan they consecrate that blessyd body blode / stonden in the parsone of my onely sone Ihesu ¶ Thus thou maye se and knowe the offence whiche is done to my mynysters / is done to my sothefaste sone Ihesu / yf it be done to hyÌ„ / it muste be done to me / for he I be oned togyder ¶ All suche wretches that parsu my mynysters / they parsu that precyous blode / pryue theÌ„selfe fro that tresour and fruyte of that precyous blode / wherby thou maye knowe that the offence so done to me is more greuous than ony other synne ¶ For yf all the synnes that euer they dyd stode vp on that one syde of them / this synne alone vpon that other syde / this synne sholde more greue me than all other synnes ¶ Thus than for to gyue the cause to sorowe and haue compassyon of my offence / and of dampnacyon of suche myserable wretches / I haue declared the how and in what wyse I am offended / that throwe the sorowe and bytternesse bothe of thyselfe and also of other of my seruauntes by my goodnesse mercy / suche wretches maye be knowen in theyr owne derkenesse / so put out fro the body of holy chyrche / orelles the soner maye be recounseyled to grace / for I fynde no maner persone that soroweth veryly of the parsecucyon whiche is done to my precyoê° blode / I fynde ynowe that contynually do smyte me with arowes of vnordynate loue and seruyle drede / with theyr owne propre reputacyon / as thoughe they were blyÌ„defelde / dyd arecte to theyr owne
sorowe of derkenes of these wretched subiectes with the holy lyuynge of my mynystres / of whome I sayde to the they haue the condycyon of the sonne / for with the odour of theyr holy vertu / the stynkynge fylthe of theyr wretchyd lyuynge is swaged / and the derkenesse of them is swaged with theyr lyghte ¶ Open therfore the eye of thy intelleccyon / and beholde in me the lyghte or the sonne of ryghtewysenesse / and thou shal se my gloryous mynysters how they mynystre by mynystracyon of the sonne that they mynystre / they take vpon them the condycyon of the sonne as Peter the prynce of all the apostles that receyuen the keyes of heuen ¶ And ryght so of other that in the holy orcherde of holy chyrche mynystred lyghte / that is the body and the blode of my onely sone Ihesu / and also the sacramentes of holy chyrche whiche auaylen greately / gyuen lyfe in vertu of that precyous blode / eche of them be sette and put in dyuers degrees after the state of theyr callynge / for to mynystre the grace of the holy ghost ¶ Wherwith haue they mynystred ¶ Certayne with the lyght of grace whiche they haue take oute of this very lyghte / is that lyghte alone ¶ Naye ¶ For the lyghte of grace may not be alone / nor it maye not be departed / but it muste nedes other be hole or not he that is in deedly synne / is depryued fro that lyghte of grace / and he that hathe grace / hathe the eye of intelleccyon illumyned / in knowynge me that haue bothe gyuē hym grace and vertu / the whiche vertu conserueth and kepeth that grace / and in the lyghte he knoweth wretchednes of synnes and causes of them that is the propre sencyble loue therfore he hateth it / and so by hatȳge / he receyueth also the het◠of dyuyne charyte in his affeccyon / whiche affeccyon renued after intelleccyon / he receyueth also the hete of this gloryous lyghte / she wynge the doctryne of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / Wherby his mynde is reformed to remembre hym of the benefytes of his precyous blode of my sone Ihesu / and he may not haue one power of the soule fulfylled in receyuynge of me very sonne / but yf he haue all thre / wherby that they be sette in ordre / gadered togyder in my name ¶ For as soone as the eye of intelleccyon aryseth hym with the lyghte of feythe for to se sencyble hymselfe beholdynge in me / anone affeccyon rēueth after / louynge the thynge whiche the eye of intelleccyon seeth and knoweth / and also the mynde is fulfylled with the same thynge that affeccyon loueth ¶ And than anone whan they be dysposed / they taken parte of me endelesse sonne / and so they be illumyned in my power / and in the wysedome of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / and in the myldenes of of the fyre of the holy ghoste ¶ And thus thou maye knowe that they haue take vpon them the condycyō of the sonne that is to saye they be arayed with me that am that very sonne / they do as the sonne ¶ The sonne heteth and yllumyneth with his hete / it maketh the erthe for to brȳge forthe fruyte ¶ In the same wyse my deuoute ministers chosē / anoynted / and sende in to the mysteryal body of holy chyrche by me / do mynystre me that am very sonne / that is the body and blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu with other sacramētes / whiche receyue lyfe of this sacramēt ¶ They do mynystre that sacramēt of the auter actually / for they gyuē lyghte in the mysteryall body of holy chyrche / whiche is lyghte aboue naturall cūnynge / that is called cūnynge aboue kynde / with honest lyuynge and holy shewynge of the doctryne of my sothefaste sone / and so they do mynystre heet of brēnynge charyte / with the whiche brennȳge charyte / they make barayne soules to burgyon floures of vertu / yllumynynge them with the lyghte of vertu and cūnynge / and wich theyr holy ordynate and well ruled lyuynge / they put away derkenesse of deedly syn̄es and moche infydelyte ¶ And also they sette in rule the lyfe of thē that lyue vnruly / that also lyue in derkenesse of synnes / and in dulnes of pryuacyon of charyte ¶ Thus thou maye knowe that they be the sonne / for they haue take vpon thē the cōdycyō of the sonne / of me that am very sonne / and by affeccyon of loue they be one with me and I with them / as I haue tolde the in another place ¶ Eche of them after theyr state and lyuȳge as I haue chosen them do gyue lyghte ī holy chyrche ¶ Peter gaue lyghte with his techynge and prechyng◠and at the laste by shedȳge of his blode ¶ Gregory with his cūnynge declaracyon of holy wryte / and also with the myrrour of holy lyuynge ¶ Syluester gaue lyghte in holy chyrche whan he dysputed agaynst the paynyms / so bryngynge in by dysputacyon / and lyghte / and prefe of holy feythe amonges them / the whiche he shewed to the bothe by his wordes by his dedes ¶ Yf thou tourne that to Austyn and to gloryous Thomas / or to Ierome / or to other doctours / thou shall se how moche lyght they haue sende ī to my spouse holy chyrche dystroynge errours as lanternes sette on hyghe vpon a cādelstycke / with very parfyte mekenes ¶ And as they that hongre my worshyp and honoure also helthe of soules / that very meet with grete delyte they ete vpon the table of the blessyd crosse ¶ Martyrs also with theyr blode shedynge / whiche blode in my syght gaue ryght swete smell and broughte in lyghte with vertu ī to my spouse holy chyrche ¶ They spredde abrode the feythe / and they that were in derkenesse came to the lyghte of feythe / in thē the lyghte of feythe dyd shyne ¶ Prelates also sette in the state of prelacy by my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / he beynge ī erthe yelded to me with holy honest lyuynge the sacryfyce of ryghtewysenesse / the ghostly precyous stone of Margaryte / that is called the Margaryte of ryghtewysenesse / the ghostly precyous stone shyned in them and in theyr subiectes with very mekenesse / brēnynge charyte / and lyghte of dyscrecyon in thē pryncypally ryghte wysely they yeldē to me my de we dewte / that is glory and laude to my name ¶ To thē they yelde hate and dysplesaunce of theyr owne propre sensualyte / dyspysynge vyces and takynge vertu with the charyte of me and of theyr neyghboure / with mekenesse they dyspyse pryde / and as angels they wente to the auter with purete bothe of herte and of body / and so with grete clennes of soule they sayd theyr masses / ryghte feruently brennynge in the ouen of charyte / bycause they dyd ryghtwysenesse of thēselfe /
And the worste of all is / that they with the goodes of holy chyrche araye theyr concubynes / as an husbande wolde aray his wyfe / so these incarnate deuylles of holy chyrche goodes aray theyr deuylles / that is theyr coÌ„cubynes / with whome they lyue vnclenly wyckedly / and wtout shame they make them go stonde come iÌ„ to that chyrche / whyles they be at the auter ¶ They take no thought thoughe theyr wretched deuylles do come to theyr hondes with other chyldren of holy chyrche / for to offre as other folke done ¶ O ye fendes / and yet more than fendes / ye sholde at the ofâ—e hyde youre synnes in the syghte of youre subiectes / for yf ye hyde it / that offeÌ„ce is to me alone / the harme to yourselfe ¶ But nowe ye do euyl to your neyghbours for to gyue theÌ„ suche ensamples of cursed lyuyÌ„ge / throwe youre ensample / they fall in to the same synnes or greter ¶ This also is another wyckednesse that they vse / they aryse erly by the morowe / with a defouled soule and a corrupte body that hathe layen all nyghte in deedly synÌ„e / they go and saye masse ¶ O deuylles tabernacle / where is the watche of the nyghte that sholde be waked with deuocyon dyuyne seruyce / where is contynual prayer and deuoute in the whiche thou sholde dyspose the aneÌ„des tyme / for the mystery that thou sholde do on the morowe / with knowlege of thyselfe to knowe thyselfe vnworthy to that offyce / also with knowlege of me / for of my goodnesse I haue made the a mynyster / not by thy deseruynge and merytes / but for my goodnesse I haue ordeyned the a mynyster for to mynystre to my creatures the sacrameÌ„tes of holy chyrche ¶ How the synÌ„e agaynst kynde reyneth in some of the foresayde mynysters / and of a fayre vysyon whiche the soule hadde vpon this mater DEre doughter I make the knowe that I requyre so greate purete of you and of them in this blessyd sacrament / as maye be hadde to man in this lyfe / and therfore asmoche as you maye on youre syde and on theyr syde / eche of you sholde contynually with all youre myghte wynne suche purete / and thynke yf it were possyble an anâ—els kynde to be puryfyed to that mystery it were ryghte necessary / but it is not possyble / they nede not to be puryfyed / for in them maye neuer fall the venym of synne ¶ This I saye the that thou maye knowe what cleÌ„nesse and purere I requyre bothe of you and of them in this worshypful sacrament / and namely of them that be my mynysters / but they do the contrary / for al they be vnclene / and no onely of vnclennes and freylte to the whiche ye be prone and redy of youre owne freyle nature ¶ But they wretches be so vnclene / that they do the wycked synÌ„e agaynst kynde / and as blynde fooles of theyr intelleccyon they knowe not the fylthe stynkynge wretchednesse that they be in ¶ And it dyspleaseth not onely me that am endelesse purete / the whiche synne is so abhomynable to me / that for the synne by my Iudgement fyue Cetees were ouer tourned / for I myghte not suffre the vyle stynke of that cursed synne nâ— longer / it dysplesed me somoche not onely me as I sayde but it dyspleseth deuylles not bycause the euyll dothe dysplease theÌ„ / that god sholde please them but bycause theyr nature was somtyme angels nature / and therfore that nature escheweth to se that actuall cursed synne / thoughe it so were that the fende thre we fyrst an arowe to them enuenymed with the venym of concupyssence ¶ But whan they come to the dort of that cursed synne / than he gothe his way for the cause that I haue tolde the / for yf thou remembre the I towe the how that cursed synne somtyme before the incarnacyon myslyked me / for all the worlde was corrupte thaÌ„ therof ¶ And thaÌ„ thou lyfted vp thy selfe aboue thy selfe with holy desyre where I shewed the all the worlde / and iÌ„ that syghte thou sawe that almoste euery parsone was corrupte with that wretched synne / and thou knowes well that it was so greate a peyne to the for to se it / for to smell the stynke of that synne in thy soule / that the semed it shold be thy dethe / for thou dyd se no place wher thou other of my seruauÌ„tes myght stoÌ„de for corrupcyoÌ„ / that this lepre sholde not defoule you / nor to enfecte you ¶ Thou dyd se no place where thou myghte stoÌ„de nother ymonge small nor greate / yonge nor olde / clerkes nor relygyous / prelates nor subiectes / lordes nor seruauntes / but all these were defouled bothe body and soule of this cursed synne ¶ This I shewed the thaÌ„ in generall / I tell the not what they be in specyall / for whose vnryghtwysenesse / I withholde yet my ryghtwysenesse / for I coÌ„mauÌ„de not stones to oppresse theÌ„ / nor the erthe to deuoure them / nor beestes to dystroy them / nor fendes for to bere them awaye bothe body and soule ¶ But I fynde wayes for to shewe theÌ„ mercy yf they wyll amende theÌ„ and for intercessoures bytwene me and them / I sende my seruauÌ„tes suche as be vndefouled in that cursed synne / and in all other deedly synnes / for to praye for them to me / otherwhyle I shall shewe them suche wretched synnes for to make them more besy aboute theyr soule he le / with the more coÌ„passyon for to offre theÌ„ to me by prayer / for it is a ryght cursed synÌ„e ¶ I shewed the but one sparcle of the styÌ„ke of that synne / thou was broughte to suche a plyte / that thou myght no loÌ„ger suffre to bere it / therfore thou sayde thus to me ¶ O endeles fader haue mercy vpon me on thy creatures / orelles take my soule out of my body / for I maye nomore / therfore refresshe me endeles fader / and shewe me in what place I thy seruauÌ„tes maye rest vs / that this lepre noye vs not / nor take away fro vs purete bothe of body of soule ¶ I answered the thus tourned to the the eye of my pyte and sayde and yet saye ¶ Doughter youre reste is in gyuynge to my holy name ioye and praysynge / and besy you in that ye can and maye for to throwe encens to me of contynuall prayer / for these wretches that haue put themselfe in somoche wretchednesse makynge theÌ„selfe vnworthy to be my mynysters / 〈◊〉 that cursed synne ¶ The place there ye sholde stonde / is cryste crucyfyed my onely sothefast sone Ihesu / there sholde ye dwell / hyde you in that holes of his wouÌ„des / namely in the grete wouÌ„de of his syde / in the whiche wouÌ„de by affeccyon of loue ye sholde be
all this / they wolde not make thē a god therof ¶ What thynge hathe wtdrawe fro thē this knowlege ¶ Certayne pryde / of all suche I haue made incarnate deuyls / I ordeyned them for angels / that they sholde be erthely angels as in this lyfe / they fall fro the heyghte of heuē / to the depenes of derkenesse ¶ And in so moche is the derkenesse of thē encreased / that other whyle they fal to defaute / as I shal tel the after ¶ Ther be some īcarnate deuyls that feyne ofte tymes to cōsecrate and they do not consecrate for fere of my Iudgement / and also bycause they wolde do away fro thē all maner drede / and the brydell of theyr euyl dedes ¶ For they ryse not by the morowe fro vnclennesse / and at euen fro mysse ruled etynge and drȳkȳge / yet they thynke it is ryght nedefull for to satysfy the people for to say masse / not wtstōdȳge the people do consyder theyr wyckednesse that is to saye they thynke they sholde not so soone by good conscyence saye masse / for fere drede of my Iudge mētes ¶ Sees thou not dere doughter how blynde they be / they renne not to cōtrycyō of herte / and dysplesaūce of theyr defautes / for to amēde thē ¶ But they go boldely to masse / as for a remedy to satysfaccyon of the people not for to consecrate but for to saye masse / for to ouerpasse at consecracyon the wordes of consecracyon / consyderynge nothynge that the laste erroure and defaute is more that by moche than the fyrste / bycause he maketh the people to do ydolatry / makynge them to do worshyp to an hoste vnconsecrate / as they wolde do to the very body and blode of my onely sothefaste sone Ihesu / all god and all man ¶ For that that they worshyppe is very bredde / sees thou not what abhomynacyon here is / how greate my pasyence is the dothe suffre them / yf suche one amende hȳ not / he maye loke after sharpe dāpnacyon at the daye of Iudgement ¶ But nowe what sholde that people do that they fall not in to suche incōuenyence / they sholde praye with cōdycyō thus whā they be in doubte ¶ Yf this mynyster haue sayde that he sholde saye / I byleue that thou arte goddes sone on lyue / gyuen to me to my ghostly lyuelod fro the fyre of thy meruaylous charyte / in the mynde of thy swete passyon where thou shedde thy blode for to wasshe vs fro oure synnes / yf they do thus they shall so worshyp veryly me though the mynyster haue wretchedly synned ī doynge ther they shold not do ¶ O ryght swete doughter who wtholdeth the erthe that it maye not swalowe thē quycke / who wtholdeth my myght / that it myght make thē vnmouable that they may be deed ymages for theyr cōfusyō before all the people ¶ Certayne my mercy / I holde myselfe that is with my mercy I holde my dyuyne ryghtwysenesse / that they may be ouercome by strēgthe of mercy / but they as deuyls obstynate wyll not knowe this nor se my mercy / for they thynke they sholde haue it of dewte / what that euer they haue of me / so they be blyndefelde for they se not that they haue it of grace onely / but of dewte ¶ Of many other defautes / the whiche do come of pryde of a mannes owne propre loue ALl this haue I tolde the that thou maye haue the more cause of waylynge and compassyon of theyr blyndenesse / so for to se them stonde in state of dampnacyon / also that thou may the better knowe my mercy / so for to truste therin / and for to receyue therof greate sykernesse / offrynge the same mynysters of holy chyrche and all the worlde to me askynge mercy for theym / and the more sorowfull and delectable desyres thou offers to me fro them / the more thou shewes thy loue that thou hase to me / for that same profyte the whiche thou maye not do me / nor none of my seruauntes / the same ye sholde shewe to me by the meane of them / and thā shal I forgyue so cōstrayned of your desyres / by pepynge and by prayenge bothe of the and other of my seruauntes / and also haue ruthe of my spouse holy chyrche / reformȳge her with good and holy curates / that by suche reformacyon of good curates / wycked subiectes maye be correcked / for the euylles that be done by euyll subiectes / wycked curates be the cause / for yf they were amended and in them dyd shyne the ghostly Margaryte stone of ryghtwysenesse with holy and honest lyuynge / they wolde not do so / and wyll thou knowe what is the cause of suche wretched lyuynge / that one foloweth so another in lyuynge / bycause the subiectes be not obedyent / for whā the prelate was a subiecte / he was not obedyent to his prelate / therfore he receyueth of his subiectes / suche as he gaue to his soueraynes / badde is that one / and badde is that other ¶ Of all this / and of all other defautes pryde is the cause / grounded in theyr owne propre loue ¶ The subiectes were vncūnynge proude / moche more is the souerayne vncūnynge proude / and ther is so grete ygnoraunce vncunnynge ymōge the prelates / and they he so blynde / that they wyll gyue the order of prestheed to a man that is an ydyot / whiche can vnneth rede saye his seruyce / and oftentymes of theyr ygnoraūce / suche preestes be made that can not say the wordes of the sacramēt / and so of this cometh that defaute / whiche is rehersed before / that they cōsecrate not ¶ And there as suche prelates sholde chose wysemē groūded in vertues / and that couthe vnderstonde suche as they dyd rede / they do all the cōtrary / for they take no hede of theyr cunnynge / nor to that dyscrete age of them / but of lust they make chyldren and not sadde men / nor they do not take hede of that good pure lyuynge that they sholde haue / nor of the dygnyte and mystery to the whiche they be chosen / but onely for to multyply people and not vertuous they themselfe be blynde they gader togyder the blyndenesse / and they cōsyder not that I of that shall aske a rekenȳge at the daye of Iudgemente ¶ Yet they do more / for whā they haue so made blynde preestes / anone they commytte to them cure of soules / and they se well they can not gouerne themself / and yet they make them gouernoures of other ¶ And thus the shepe that do lacke a trewe shepeherde / whiche sholde take hede to them and that couthe lede thē the ryght waye lyghtly they peryshe oftentymes be all to rent and deuoured of wolfes / bycause the shepeherde is wycked / he recketh
brought to lyfe euerlastynge / also thou hase lefte many of theym in the state of grace ¶ O my dere swete doughter to these the syghte offendes may do no domage nor hurté / for by the gloryous syghte of me that they se by feythe and holde by loue / bycause in them is no venyme of deedly synnes / the derkenesse and theyr horryble syghte gyueth thē nother noyaunce nor drede / for they haue in thē no seruyle drede / but good holy drede / wherfore they nother drede nor fere of theyr dysceytes / bycause they do knowe theyr dysceytes with lyghte aboue kynde / and lyghte of vnderstondynge of holy wryte / and therfore they do not of them receyue nother derknesse nor trouble of the soule ¶ And thus they do passe gloryously bathed in the precyous blode of my onely sothefast sone Ihesu cryst / with honger of helthe of soules fully brenned in charyte of neyghboureheed / goynge by the gate of my sothefaste sone Ihesu cryste / and so they entre in me and of my goodnesse / all be sette eche in his owne state / and to them is mesured of me of the affeccyon of charyte / after the mesure that they brynge with them ¶ Of the dethe of greate synners / and of theyr peynes in the ende or poynte of dethe DEre doughter the excelence of these be not so greate / but the cursed wycked wretches haue more mysery / of the whiche I haue tolde to the somewhat before / how dredeful and how derke is the dethe of theym as thou thynkes at the poynte of dethe as I sayde fendes accusen theym / shewynge to theym with grete drede and terryble derkenesse theyr proper lykenesse / for thou knowes wel it is so horryble / that a creature had leuer suffer all maner peynes in this worlde / thā for to se that syghte / and therto the prycke of cōseyence is renued that wretchedly freteth and turmenteth hym in his conseyence vnordynately / also delyces and his owne proper sensualyte whom he made his souerayne lady / and his seruaunte reason wretchedly accuseth hym / bycause he knoweth the truthe of that / that somtyme he knewe not / wherby he is come to greate confusyon in hymselfe of his erroure / for in his lyfe he lyued not to me as a trewe man / but as an vntrewe and vnfaytheful man / for his owne propre loue couered the clere syghte of holy feythe / that fende therfore vexeth hym than of mysbyleue / for to brynge hym to dyspayre ¶ O how harde a batayle is this to hym / for than he fyndeth his soule vnarmed / hauynge no maner armure of the affeccyō of charyte / for he is in all wyse depryued of charyte / and arayed with the deuyls armure / they haue not than the super naturall lyghte / nor yet the lyghte of cunnynge / bycause they vnderstonde it not / for the hornes of pryde wyll not suffer them to vnderstōde the swetenesse of cunnȳge / why maye they not do some maner of resystēs ī this batayle ¶ For certaynly they be not noryshed in hope / they hadde neuer hope nor confydence in me / nor of the blode of the whiche I haue made them mynysters / but onely in themselfe an in theyr states / and in delyces of the worlde ¶ And that wretched incarnate deuyll consydereth not / that of all that euer was cōmytted to hȳ / he sholde gyue rekenynge to me / now he seeth hymsefe naked without ony vertu / for on what syde that euer he turneth hym / he hereth nothȳge elles but reprefe shame / the vnryghtwysenesse that he vsed in his lyfe dyd accuse hym / therfore he dare none other aske of me / but ryghtewysenesse and one thynge I saye theyr confusyon and shame is somoche / that but they hadde it in vse by theyr lyfe for to hope in my mercy / they shold be brought to dyspayre / yf suche hope came by presūpcyon ¶ For he the offendeth in hope of mercy / maye not saye effectually that his hope is hope of mercy / but it is rather called presumpcyon of mercy ¶ Neuerthelesse yet he toke vpon hym the dede of mercy / for in the ende of dethe yf he knewe his defautes / and that he dyd dyscharge his conscyence by confessyon / put awaye presumpcyon of hope / than mercy abydeth / and of that mercy they may receyue hope yf they wyll for yf that were not there sholde none be / but that he sholde dyspeyre / and go to the dampnacyon of the fende ¶ This mercy maketh thē to hope in theyr lyfe of my mercy / thoughe than I gaue them none / leste that they hadde offended with my mercy / but is was gyuen to them onely for that they sholde extende thēselfe in my charyte / and in the consyderacyon of my goodnesse / and they do vse my mercy in the contrary / for with hope that they toke of my mercy in the cōtrary / for with hope that they toke of my mercy / they dyd offende me / and yet neuerthelesse yet I kepe them in hope of my mercy / that in the ende of the dethe they may haue somwhat for to lene to / and that they vtterly defayle not by vndernymynge offendes / and so fall to dyspeyre / for it is more dysplesaūce to me / more harme to thē this synne of dyspeyre than all other euylles and wyckednesses than they dydde euer before ¶ And the cause why that it is more harme to them / and to me greate dysplesaūce is this ¶ For all other synnes that they do is done with delectacyon for theyr owne proper sensualyte / for the whiche somtyme they sorowe / and they muste sorowe somoche therfore / that they maye wynne mercy therby ¶ But to the synne of dyspeyre they be not moued by freylte / for they fynde therin no maner of delectacyon / nor none other thȳge / but onely intollerable peyne / and in desperacyon they dyspyse my mercy / makynge theyr defaute the more by dyspysynge of my mercy my goodnesse ¶ And after tyme that they be fall in to this synne they repente them not / nor they haue no sorowe for the synne that is done to me / by that synne as they shold do / they sorowe for theyr owne harme / but nothȳge for the offence that they do to me / and so they receyue endelesse dampnacyon ¶ Thus thou maye se that this synne onely ledeth a mā to hell / and there he is bothe turmēted bothe for this and for other / he sholde haue had my mercy yf he had repented hym / and sorowed for the offence that is done to me ¶ And yf he had hoped in my mercy / for with out ony comparysō as I sayde my mercy is more than all the synnes that euer were done / and therfore it dyspleaseth me moche / that they putte theyr defautes more than my mercy