to his worshyp proufyte to the reder C ¶ What is drede and how a man sholde drede god I Rede that the drede of god is begynnynge of wysedom ¶ Drede as clerkes haue wryten before this tyme is in many maners But I suppose thre kȳdes of drede bē moost nedefull for to knowe The fyrst is drede of man or drede of the worlde The seconde is called drede of seruage The thyrde is called a chasted drede or a frendely drede .i. ¶ The fyrst whiche is drede of man or of the worlde is whan a man or woman dredeth more the punysshynge of the worlde as betynge the body or prysonynge than the punysshynge of the soule Also whan a man dredeth more to lese his temporall goodes in this passynge worlde than to lese the blysse without ende this drede is coūted for nought for god almyghty forbad this drede whan he sayd thus Dredeth hym not that may slee the body but rather drede hym that may sende the body soule in to euerlastynge fyre .ii. ¶ And the seconde drede whiche is the drede of seruage is whā a man withdraweth hym or absteyneth hȳ fro synne more for drede of the payne of helle thā for loue that he sholde haue to god Euery suche mā what goodnes he doth it is not for drede to lese euerlastȳge blysse whiche he desyred not but for drede onely of suffrynge of grete paynes whiche he dreded sore this drede suffyseth not as thou shalt see afterwarde but yet it may be good proufytable .iii. ¶ The thyrde drede whiche is called a chaste or a frendely drede is whan a man dredeth the longe abydynge here for grete desyre that he hath to be with god Also whan he dredeth that god wyll go fro hym as peraduenture he withdraweth his grace fro hym Also whan he dredeth to dysplease god for the grete loue desyre that he hath for to please god suche drede cometh of loue that pleaseth moche god Take than hede how here be reherced thre maner degrees of drede fle the fyrst for it is not proufytable The seconde may be proufytable for some men there be whiche drede god by cause they sholde not be sente into hell to brenne there with the deuyls in euerlastynge fyre This drede may be good for by this waye they may come in to the loue of our lorde god as by this waye that I shall shewe All be it that thou drede our lorde god onely for payne yet louest thou not god whome thou dredest thou desyrest not yet goodnes of vertues but thou withstandest that wyckednes of vyces whā thou withstandest the wyckednes thou begynnest to desyre goodnes Whā thou desyrest goodenes vertues than cometh in to the the thyrde maner of drede whiche is called as I sayd a chast or a frendely drede For than thou dredest to lese the goodnes grace that god hath put in the thou dredest thā also to lese the blysse that is ordeyned for the so by this thou shalt drede god that he forsake not the whan thou dredest god in this maner thenne hast thou hym sykerly with the so for his loue thou shalt desyre to be with hym Thus mayst thou well knowe how drede of god may brynge the in to the loue of god yf thou loue god than thou hast wysedom so thus the drede of god is the begynnynge of wysedom Take hede than and drede god in the maner as I haue reherced for yf thou drede wel god thou shalt not be slowe in his seruyce He that dredeth well god leueth no goodnes vndo whiche he may do to the pleasure of god Yf thou drede god thou wilt kepe his commaundementes and the drede that thou hast to god shall brynge the in to euerlastynge sykernes where thou shalt neuer drede Of the drede of god wexeth a grete deuocyon and a maner sorowe with full contrycōn for synnes thrugh that deuocōn and contrycon thou forsakest thy synnes and perauenture somwhat of thy worldely goodes By that forsakynge thou lowest the to thy god comest in to mekenes thorugh mekenes thy flesshely lustes ben destroyed by the destruccōn all vyces be put out vanysshed awaye by puttynge out of vyces than vertues begyn to wexe and sprynge Of the shynynge of vertues the clennes of the herte is purchased By clennesse of thy herte thou shalte come to full possessyon of the holy loue of Cryst By these wordes thou mayst knowe howe thou shalte drede for loue how thou mayst come to loue thrugh drede of god But the more loue encreaceth in the the more drede gooth from the so that yf thou haue grace to come to a feruent loue thou shalt but lytell thynke on drede for the swetnesse that thou shalt haue in the loue of god but yet be thou neuer so parfyte it is nedefull that thou drede discretely as longe as thou art in this worlde for as moche as I sayd thou mayst come to loue yf thou drede god see now furthermore what is charyte loue to god How in what maner thou shalt loue hym why thou shalt loue hym How thou shalt knowe whan god of his mercy graūteth the that grace to conne loue hym D ¶ What is charyte and how why thou shalt loue thy god ¶ Of foure degrees of loue in the fyrst ben fyue poyntes ¶ Ordeyned loue CHaryte as I rede is a loue that we sholde haue to god for as moche as he is almyghty god also charyte is a loue wherby we sholde loue our neyghbour as ourselfe for god And these be two prȳcypall cōmaūdemētes of god The fyrst longeth to the loue of god whiche is the gretest cōmaundement of the lawe of god The seconde longeth to the loue of thy neyghbour and this is lyke to the fyrst thus thou hast what is charyte and loue See now how thou shalt loue god thou shalt loue god with all thy herte all thy soule with all vertue as thus Whan thou puttest away from the or withstandest with all thy power all thynge that is pleasynge or lykynge to thy flesshe for the loue of the blessyd flesshe of cryste than thou louest hym with al thy herte al thy soule Of this mater thou shalt her more afterwarde but se now ferthermore how thou shalt loue hȳ ¶ The causes why thou shalt loue god ben without nombre hauȳge rewarde to his benefaytes but two causes we haue pryncypally aboue other One is for he loueth vs fyrst with all his herte and al his soule swetely strongely Swetely whan he toke flesshe blood became mā for oure loue Strongly whan he suffred deth for loue of man The seconde cause is for ther is no thynge that may be loued more ryghtfully ne more proufytable More ryghtfull is there none than the loue of hym that made man and deyed for man More proufytable thynge is there none that may be loued than almyghty god for yf we loue hym as we be
and toke theyr lyuelode as feblenesse of man asketh now in our dayes Some of these men as I haue herde and redde were vysyted by the grace of god with a passynge swetenes of the loue of cryste whiche swetenes for an exāple they shewed afterwarde by theyr wrytynge to other men folowynge yf ony wolde trauayle to haue that hyghe desyre or degree of loue This loue whiche they haue wryten to other is departed in thre degrees of loue whiche thre degrees they hadden one after an other standynge stablysshed in theyr desyre and suffrynge pacyently for the loue of god many trybulacyons temptacyons tyll they come by holy contemplacyon to the hyghest degre of loue of tho thre By this I suppose he that hath grace to come to the fyrst may by goddes helpe come to the seconde so with a feruent desyre good perseueraunce he may come to the thyrde Shortely I wyll shewe here these degrees of loue for by cause all men and women that sholde rede this haue not knowynge of theym ne neuer herde speke of suche degrees of loue before tyme. ¶ Degrees of hyghe loue .i. ¶ The fyrste loue is so feruent that no thynge whiche is contrary to goddes wyll may ouercome that loue welth ne wo helthe ne sykenes Also he that hath this loue wyl not make god ones angry for all the worlde withoute ende but rather suffre all the payne that myght come to ony creature than ones wylfully dysplease his god in thought or dede .ii. ¶ The seconde loue is more feruent for y◠is so stronge that what man loueth in that degre all his thought herte myght is so entyerly so besely so perfyghtly stablysshed in Ihesu cryste that his thought cometh neuer from hym but whan he slepeth .iii. ¶ The thyrde degre of loue is hyghest and moost wonderfull for what man cometh to that loue all comforte and all solace is closed oute of his herte but onely the Ioye of Ihesu cryste Other Ioye may his herte not receyue for swetnesse that he hath of the Ioye euermore lastynge This loue is so brennynge so gladynge that who so hath that loue may as well fele the fyer of brēnynge loue in his soule as an other man may fele his fynger brenne in erthely fyre This loue may well be called a brennynge loue And yf men had suche swetnesse in the loue of god of so late tyme I suppose wel that the same we may haue now by the gyfte of god yf we were as feruent in loue as they were But these degrees of loue ben set vpon so hyghe loue to god that what man sholde haue the fyrst of these thre behoued that he were a sad contemplatyf man or womā And by cause mankynde is now euermore the lenger the febler or perauēture more vnstable therfore vnethes sholde we fynde now a sad contemplatyfe man or woman Men of relygyon haue taken dyuerse habytes of contemplatyf lyfe Men womē also that ben enclosed as it semeth lyuen a cōtemplatyfe lyfe so with goddes grace they do so for the more partye But for to speke of hyghe contemplatyfe lyfe as holy men lyued before this tyme it semeth there ben ryght fewe Therfore I trowe that I may sykerly say that fewe there ben now that wyl or may trauayle now to haue suche hyghe degrees of loue as I haue reherced before Neuertheles what so euer thou be that redest or herest this be neuer to slower to trauayll For yf thy desyre be sette feruently louyngly holdynge the vnworthy to haue so hyghe a ghoostly gyfte before an other man puttest thy desyre to goddes dysposycyon trustyngly he wyll dyspose that is best for the whether thou haste thy desyre or haue it not But it is fyrst nedefull to the that thou haue other thre degrees of loue that the same holy men wrote in theyr treatyse whiche be not of so hyghe a degree as tho that be reherced before .i. ¶ The fyrst degree of these is whā a man or a womā holdeth the commaundementes of god kepeth hym selfe out of dedely synne is stable in the fayth of holy chyrche Also whan a mā wolde not for none erthely thynge dysplease god but truly standeth in his degree whether he be religyous or seculer In this maner euery man behoueth to loue his god that wyll be saued therfore I counseyll the to haue kepe this loue or thou clymbe to ony hyer degree .ii. ¶ The seconde degree is whan a man forsaketh all the worlde for the loue of god that is for to saye his fader his moder all his kynred foloweth cryst impouerte Also standeth nyght daye how clene he may be in herte howe chaste in body how meke buxom howe clene in all vertues hate all vyces so o that all his lyfe be ghoostly none thynge flesshely iii. ¶ The thyrde degree is hyghest for that is a ful contemplatyfe lyfe as whan a mā or a womā loueth for to be alone from all maner noyse And whan that he is saddely sette in this lyfe and in this loue with his ghoostly eyen than may he se in to the blysse of heuen And than his eyen be soo enlumyned and so clere lyghted with grace of ghoostly loue and also thrugh kyndeled with the gracyous fyre of crystes loue that he shall haue a maner of brennynge loue in his herte euermore lastynge and his thought euermore vpwarde to god ¶ Thus as I haue reherced god hath vysyted his seruauntes gyuynge theym a specyall sauour lo toue hym by theyr holy lyuynge Many other men and women there be whiche please god full well standynge truely in theyr degree as men women of the worlde both lordes ladyes other husbonde men women wyues For al be it they may not come to suche hye contēplatyfe lyfe it suffyseth them to haue the fyrst degree of these thre whiche I reherced last for that euery man is bounde to kepe ¶ Yf thou desyre to haue an hygher degre of loue in to the worshyp of god trauayle as other men dyde aske helpe and grace with good perseueraūce yf it please god to performe thy wyll brynge the to thy purpose But for as moche as there be many that haue not a sadde grounde ne but lytell felynge how they sholde loue and drede god whiche is spedefull nedefull for all men to knowe Therfore to suche as be not knowynge I wyll shewe fyrste in what maner they sholde loue drede god that they may be the more stable in the loue of god After that I shall shewe by the grace of god foure degrees of loue whiche euery crysten man relygyous seculer sholde holde and kepe may performe for the more partye yf his wyll be feruently set to the loue of god ¶ Now than as I sayd I shall in the begynnynge with the helpe of god wryte shewe somwhat of the drede of god that shal be
ordynaunce To this acordeth saynt Bernarde and sayth No man sholde set lyght by his prayer for he to whom we praye after tyme the prayer is passed from our month or from our herte he wryteth it in his booke and trustyngly we may hope that he wyll graunte that we aske or ellys that is more proufytable to vs. Thus than what euer thou prayest put all thy wyll in to goddes wyll Also whan that thou prayest thou shalt praye generally that is to saye as thou prayest for thy selfe so thou shalt praye for other ¶ Thus thou must do for thre causes Fyrst for loue and charyte wyll that thou do so And therfore sayth the apostle Prayeth eche of you for other that ye may be saued The seconde cause is for the lawe of god wyll that euery man helpe other in nede This thou hast by the techynÌ„ge of saynt poule where as he sayth thus Eche of you bere others burthen that is for to say that eche of you praye for other or helpe other in nede so ye shall fulfyll the lawe of cryste The thyrde cause is for whoso prayeth for al other as for hym selfe the goodnes of god wyll that he shall be partyner of all other mennes prayers ¶ To this acordeth sayÌ„t Ambrose sayth thus Yf thou pray onely for thy self and for none other than shall none other pray for the but thy selfe yf thou praye for all other thaÌ„ all other shall praye for the. Thus than whan thou prayest praye for all other Also whan thou shalt praye thou must praye with full herte put away fro the all vanytees of the worlde all ymagynacyons all ydel thoughtes ¶ To this acordeth an holy clerke sayth Whan we stande to praye we must with all our herte gyue our entent to that we praye that is to say we must voyde all flesshely all worldely thoughtes suffre not our herte otherwyse to be occupyed than about our prayer But to this perauenture thou sayst that though thou be neuer in so good wyll to praye thyn herte is awaye from thy prayer encombred with dyuerse thoughtes that thou mayst haue no whyle thyn herte sadly vpon thy prayer To this I grauÌ„te that what the fende whiche euer is besy to lette all goodnes what thrugh the vnstablynes of man thyn herte shalt not be stable vpon thy prayer I trowe scarsely the tyme of a Pat noster But whaÌ„ thou go to thy prayer take good hede what nede thou hast to praye what thou wylt praye how grete how myghty how ryghtfull mercyfull he is to whom thou wylt praye Yf thou set thyn herte thus in the begynnynge of thy prayer thou shalt not I trow gretly be letted though it be so that somtyme thou be letted with other thoughtes fyght ayenst them with all thy besynes anone tourne to thy prayer Yf thou wylt fyght wylfully in this maner god of his grete grace endeles pyte wyll alowe thy good wyll moche the rather for thy trauayle grauÌ„te that thou askest Thus than whan thou wylt praye thou must praye with full herte Also an other maner prayer there is that who soo hath grace to come therto his prayer shal soone be herde yf he praye resonably This maner of prayer is whan thou art vysyted by the grace of god with grete conpunccyon of herte and swetnes of deuocyon Conpunccyonis a grete loue of thy soule spryngynge out of thy herte with teeres of thyn eyen Whan thou bethynkest the vpon thy synnes vpon the dredefull dome of god Whan thou hast this conpunccyon these teeres than thou hast full deuocyon with suche deuocyon besely praye for all tho that haue nede for what thynge thou prayest in that tyme so it be worshyp to god thou art anone herde without ony taryenge For as I rede prayer peaseth almyghty god maketh hym torne to mercy but whan deuoute teeres come with prayer than of his grete pyte he may no lenger suffre but anone as he were ê¯strayned he grauÌ„teth what we aske Ferthermore yf thou be vsed to suche deuocoÌ„n thou shalt feruently desyre to conne loue god so by goddes grace thou shalt soone come to loue thus thaÌ„ loue prayer yf thou wylt come to the loue of god And for as moche as many men women be moche trauayled by dyuerse temptacyons or they come to loue therfore beware of theym sooner to wtstande them som what I wyl shewe of temptacyons as me thynketh is nedefull X ¶ How thou mayst beware knowe of temptacyons wakynge or slepynge how thou shalt wtstaÌ„de them BY the ordynauÌ„ce of almyghty god there be ordeyned good aungels to defende vs fro euyll to styre vs to vertues and to kepe vs in goodnes ¶ Also other badde aungels euyl spyrytes there be whiche trouble mankynde with dyuerse temptacoÌ„ns to preue mannes stablenes that to grete mede to mannes soule The power of this wycked spyryte that is to saye the fende is so grete that the more a man besyeth hym to please god the rather he is about to greue hym For as I rede oftymes it happeth that many men whan thy gyue them hole to contemplacyon or to other deuocyons than they be trauayled with stronge temptacyons by suffrauÌ„ce of god that they may knowe theyr owne feblenes to kepe theym meke lowe for they sholde not lese the grete mede of god for ony maner spyce of pryde whiche mede is ordeyned for theyr ghoostly trauayle Also in what euer maner of lower degree man or woman be that wyll withstande synne to his power lyue after the techynge of goddes lawe to al suche the wycked spyryte hath enuye euermore gyueth theym some maner of batayll grete or lytell slepynge or wakynge ¶ Other men women there be that he suffreth to be in reste peas tho ben suche as drede not god but nyght daye gyue them to all maner lustynges lykynges of theyr flesshe for they ben so redy to synne to do his wyll that hym nedeth not to styre them to euyll therfore he suffreth them in peas without ony trauayle of temptacyons Of suche men speketh saynt Austyn sayth thus Some men women profer theymselfe to synne wylfully abyde not the temptacyons of the fende but they go before the temptacyons be redyer to synne than the fende is to tempte them And sythen it is so that euery man whiche is besy to please god shal be trauayled and pryued with dyuerse temptacyons I wyl shewe the to my felynge and as I rede of other auctours the maner of begynnynge of euery temptacyou that thou mayst beware of them rather withstande the begynnynge so ouercome the hole temptacyon ¶ I rede that our enemye the fende whan he wyll make vs to folowe his wyll or ellys for enuye wyll trauayle and greue vs he begynneth with fals suggestyons that is to saye he putteth in
temptacyons and he be withstande than be his paynes moche the more encreased in hell withstande than his temptacyons with the vertue of pacyence so thou shalt ouercome hym ¶ As for the thyrde way of pacyeÌ„ce I sayd that we sholde kepe vs sadly in charyte whaÌ„ we suffre wronges or despytes of other neyghbours suche wronges it is nedefull to suffre for the loue of god For as saynt Austyn sayth he that is so pacyent that gladly wyll suffre wronges shall be ordeyned grete and myghty in heuen If than thy goodes be taken from the wrongfully suffre esely and thynke in thy herte that thou came naked in to this worlde no better than naked shalt thou go away out of the worlde Also thynke vpon the wordes of the apostle where he sayth Nought we brought in to this worlde and no thynge we may bere with vs thynke vpon these wordes I trowe they shall styre the moche to pacyence ¶ If thou be dyspleased or defamed wrongfully thynke vpon the wordes of cryst whan he sayd thus to his dyscyples Ye be blessyd whan wycked men curse you or despyse you wrongfully whaÌ„ they pursyewe you or saye ony euyll makynge lesynges ayenst you wrongfully Ioyeth than be glad for your mede is plenteuous in heuen These wordes me thynketh sholde make the to suffre gladly despytes euyll wordes It falleth somtyme that some mennes hertes be full grete stoute by pryde Inpacyence But goddes seruauntes whan they se suche men so dyseased and trauayled in theyr soules haue grete conpassyon of them knowynge wel that it cometh of vnstablenes of herte and of wycked sterynge of the flesshe therfore they suffre wycked angry wordes for the tyme hopynge that after so grete noyse shall come some maner ease lownes of herte they suffre also for the tyme for they knowe well it is full harde a man to euercome hymselfe for thyse causes euery good man sholde gladly suffre angry wordes Also some men and women there be that wyll not suffre but for one wycked worde they saye an other and take noo hede to the rewarde that they sholde haue of god yf they wolde suffre suche men al daye fall in temptacyons for angre of herte and for inpacyence therfore what euer thou be that art despysed of thy neyghbour suffre gladly feyne the as thou herdest hym not vnto the tyme that his herte be eased and than yf it be suche mater that chargeth thou mayst speke to hym in easy maner and yf it is no chargynge than it is no force though thou holde thy peas and answere ryght nought Thus I haue shewed the examples for to styre the to pacyence Fyrst how thou shalt gladly suffre the chastysynge of almyghty god as sykenes of body or ellys losse of goodes The seconde how thou shalt gladly suffre the temptacyons of the fende And the thyrde how thou shalt gladly suffre wronges and despysynges of thy neyghbour ¶ But now ouer all the ensamples I counseyll the for to haue one thynge specyall in thy herte the whiche shal be a generall ensample of pacyence to suffre gladly all maner trybulacyons for the loue of god This ensample is for to haue euermore in thy mynde in eche dysease the grete pouerte trybulacyon and the bytter passyon of Ihesu cryst goddes sone whiche he suffred gladly wylfully for the loue of all mankynde ¶ Of this good lorde speketh sayÌ„t Bernarde sayth thus Cryst goddes sone of heuen frome the tyme that he came out of the gloryous maydens wombe Marye had neuer but pouerte trybulacyon tyll he went to suffre deth whiche maner of deth it nedeth not at this tyme for to shewe it to the. For thou hast it openly by the techynge of all holy chyrche Haue than sadly in thy mynde as moche as god wyll gyue the grace how gladly howe lowely what he suffred for the that thought I trowe shall make the to wynne the vertue of pacyence to encreace in other vertues so forth within a whyle to come to the loue of god And now ferthermore for as moche as all the vertues be moost pleasynge acceptable to god whiche be coÌ„tynued brought to good ende therfore to strength the in these vertues I wyll shewe the now some wordes of the vertue of perseuerauÌ„ce Z ¶ How perseuerauÌ„ce is nedefull how thou mayst be perseueraunt PErseueraunce is fulfyllynge ende of all vertues keper of all goodnes without whiche ê‘seuerauÌ„ce no man may se god But thou be perseueraunt thou mayst haue noo mede thanke ne worshyp for thy seruyce Yf thou be perseueraunt thou shalt haue mede for thy true seruyce a grete rewarde for thy ghoostly trauayle a worshypful crowne of vyctorye for thy stronge batayle Of this mater thou hast before in the fyfth poynt of the thyrde degree of loue therfore at this tyme it nedeth not to speke but lytell more as of this purpose But I couÌ„seyll the in fewe wordes yf thou wylt be ê‘seueraunt in goodnes that thou trauaylest to wynne the vertue of pacyence wherof I haue touched somwhat in the last chapytre before For many men begynne full well and ende theyr lyfe full peryllously the cause is for the more partye Inpacyence for they wyll not suffre gladly temptacyons other trybulacyons For whan they fele neuer so lytel dysease ghoostly or bodely anone they fall awaye from vertues torne agayne to synne And often it falleth that some men fall so sore that they deye by that fall that is to saye that they fall in to grete sykenes peryll of soule that to our syght they deye in grete synne errours without ony amendement ¶ Of suche men speketh god almyghty sayth No maÌ„ that putteth his honde to the plowe loketh behynde hym is dysposed to come to the kyngdom of heuen ¶ Here perauenture thou woldest aske what is he that holdeth the plowe loketh behynde hym He putteth his honde to the plowe that amendeth his synnes with contrycyon confessyon to brynge forth fruyte of penauÌ„ce to encreace in vertues He loketh behynde hym that torneth agayne to synne whiche were forsaken after tyme he had begonne good werkes Therfore what euer thou be that hast begonne to leue vyces torne not agayne to them for a lytell dysease yf thou wylt haue the grete mede that longeth to perseuerauÌ„ce ¶ Also yf thou wylt be perseueraunt thou must be stable in herte yf thou wylt be stable in herte thou must beware of the lykynge pleasynge of the worlde flee from wycked coÌ„pany thou must take no hede to praysynges ne to blamyÌ„ges for of all these cometh vnstablenes And yf thou haue ony lykynge in ghoostly werkes that vnstablenes wyll put it awaye therfore be ware flee suche maner of occasyons yf thou wylt be stable ¶ I saye not that thou shalt flee bodely from the world or fro worldely goodes for they be pryncypall occasyons but