his wyfe betokeneth the knyttyng to geder of Christ his church / shal not than mannes soull vnderloute to Christ in worde dede / in this spirituall maryage more perfictly thaÌ„ this woman can or may in the sacrament of fleshe / saynct Iamys distroyeth this obiection sayeng / ☞ Iaco. 1 that god hath wylfully of his owne wyl gotten vs through the word of truth / that we may be sum begynnynge of his creature / and thys creature is one passynge creature holy churche / that was chosen in the tyme of grace / by the water of clensynge by Christes bloude of agayne byenge / and by the vertue of the holy goste hallowyng were it not agaynst reason Ye and open heresy to maynteyne that the worde of god that hath gotten this creature holy churche / Cant. 6. Pulcra vt luna shulde not be of auctoryte without auctorisyng of thys creature holy church / wherfore this conclusyon approued we graunt of beleue / that the churche is vnderloute to Christ his word in .iiij. maners Fyrste as the mone to the sonne / the churche is fayre as the mone Ysaye 55. The seconde as therth to the fyrmament of whome it is made plentuous or watrede as dewe comythe downe from the fyrmament and tourneth not thether agayne But watrethe therth and makethe hit plentuous of fruytes so the worde of god norysshethe holy churche and makethe hit to brynge forth good fruytes The .iij. maner as the flesshe to the spyryte / IoheÌ„s 6. of whome it is quyckened for it is the spyryte that quyckeneth and geueth lyfe The .iiij. ♣ Ephe. 1. maner as the bodye to the heed if whome it is gouerned for god the father hathe made hys sonne Chryste / the heed of the church / Collo 1. and efte saynct Paule saith Coll. 1. Chryste is the heed of the body of the church / and euery chosen man and woman is called a son or a doughter of the churche / ☞ Ro. 12. but all to gether ben the fullbody of thys church as sainct Paule sayth we many ben one body in Chryste Iesu forsothe eche of vs ben others members / but some chylder of this woman ben symple laborers / and for that they parten and deuyden their true labour or trauayle / therfore they represeÌ„te the good loue of the holy goste / and these dreden the lorde and walken in the wayes of hys commaundementes / as the ê“phete sayth Psal 127. Blessed be all labourers that drede the lorde walken in hys wayes / for thou shalt lyue by the labour of thyne handes / thou arte blessed and wel shal be to the / and this is the lowest estate that we cal comons / some of these womans chyldren taken materiall swerde and ben made ministers of Chrystes godhed hauynge power and drede into wrathe / and vengeans of them that done yuell / and praysyng of them that done wel / and so by thauctoryte of saynt Iohan baptyst in the gospell of Chryst Luce. 3. and of saynct Peter 12. and of saynct Paule Rom. 13. and by the decre of saynct Ysodore 23. q. 5. Principes / it apperteyneth to the order of knyghthode / to defende goddes lawe / to mainteyne good lyuers / and to iustifie or punyshe misdoers / and thys is cleped the seconde state in holy church / but some chyldre of this woman styren into hygh order of presthode / ben ministers of Christes manhede and these haue wytte and wysdome to open to the people the way of truthe / and thys estate representeth the seconde person in trynyte / that is the wysdome of the father our lord Iesu Christ For sayncte Austyn sayth Knyghthode represeÌ„tyng the power of the father / is the vyccar of the godhede / and presthode representynge the wysedome of the son is the vyccar of the manhede And these knightes techynge vnto vs / the drede of goddes ryghtwysnes that punyssheth obstinate and open synners / turnynge from his lawe in shrewdnes of theyr hertes / and prestes techen vs by way of offyce the loue that god hath to hys people / that forgeueth them all theyr synnes when they come to hym and do very penaunce / than helpe prestes with sacramentes to please god and wynne his loue / for Paule monesshyth the prest Tymothy and in him al other prestes to take good intent to .v. thynges / Tymo 4. in whiche fully theyr offyces standen / sayenge Awake thou preste in busy prayer prayenge for the people deuoutly The seconde is this Trauayle the prest in the lessons of holy writ studieng goddes lawe / only The thyrde is this Do thou the worke of the gospell prechyng goddes lawe truly The .iiij. is this Fulfyl thou the mynistery mynystrynge the sacramentes frely The .v. is this Be thou sobye in worde dede / doynge suffrynge lastyngly Vpon these .iij. estates standes the church that is appropryd to god / and by the vertue of Chrystes incarnacion hit growith in mede to come to blysse As Odo sayth / that Chryst Iesu toke flesshe and bloude in the maydene wombe and was borne bothe god and man to annex our kynde to hys godhed / for when he toke our manhede / he graunted vs his godhed And in this tyme in specyall maner he first gaue ernest to thys churche / after thys was Chryste Iesu daptysed in Iordan and tempted thryse of the fende to lerne vs mekely to suffre temptacyon / and toke the deth vpon the crosse / by cruell iugemente of the Iewes And than the churche was trought plyght to Chryste / cleped by name hys fayre clene spouse / and as she had grace by deuocyon of fayth / so she had worthynes of this name But when thys church is gon to heuen / and restyth in blysse with Christ / her spouse / than is thys maryage fully sacred with deyntes euerlastynge delytes whyles this lyfe dureth in erthe thys churche is cleped militant And when she slepeth in Purgatory then is she cleped the church slopande But when she restith of all her trauayle then she is cleped the churche triumphant Or thus more playnely A true soull here in thys lyfe / fyghteth agaynste the waues of synne to fle th assaultes of these .iij. enemys the fende / the worlde / and the wanton flesshe / in purgatory she clenseth her selfe from rust corrupcyon But in heuen she holdeth the towre the victorye of all her enemyes / and hath wone the crowne of lyfe that god hathe graunted to his louers c. ¶ What is the churche materyall Capitulo vii THe seconde church dyuerseth from thys for it is coÌ„mynge to gether of good yll in a place that is hallowed / far from wordly occupacyon / for there sacrameÌ„tes shuld be treated / and goddes lawe both red and preched Of this churche speketh the ê“phete Dauyd sayeng Blesse ye the lord god in churchis / Psal 67. in this place our gracious
and dede / bothe to teche and to rule them yf they be lewde or poore / and it longeth to these pareÌ„tes to gouerne wel theyr children ordeyne not only for theÌ„ the goodes of this world but moch rather dyspose theyr lyfe towarde the blisse of heuen / as the wysemaÌ„ sayth / prouerb xxiij wyll thou withdrawe techynge from the chylde for though thou bete him with a yerde / he shal not dye theron Thou betyst them with a belesse / and thou shalt delyuer hys soule from hel / he that sparyth the yerde / hatyth his chylde / forsoth he that loueth them woll teche them besyly / for a wyse chylde gladdeth the fader / and afeltyd childe is the sorow of his mother / against this coÌ„maundemet the fende with his meÌ„bers / what with ypocrytes / that is fayned holynes / what with blynde pyte / that regnyth in the seclers he hath encombred Christes churche with moch worldly mucke / and euer lad our mother with temporal possessions that she may not ryse to heuenly coÌ„templacyon / therfore theyr owne chyldren waxen wylde wanten / and wyl neyther take awe ne lawe / alas this is a greate sorowe but our father that is in heuen to whome nothynge is hyd seynge his sonnes so frowarde is steryd all to wrathe though that he abyde longe and differ his vengeaunce / sufferynge from day to day yf that they wold amende for he forbade to prestes of the olde lawe to take such possession amonge other trybes / but holde them payde of his parte / for he wolde be theyr herytage / for they shulde prynt thys lore / and neuer go therfro Thre times it is rehersed / though ones myght haue suffysed Fyrst in the boke of Numery .xviij. The seconde in deuteromij .xviij. The thyrde in ezechiell .xliiij. And Christ in his gospell twyse forbedyth his prestes to haue thys temporall lordeshyp / reygne euen as worldly kynges Ones in his wyrchynge he forsoke it hym selfe Io. 6. Io. 6. And also in hys techynge that enemyes shulde not say who may lyue as Christ dyde And neuertheles Gregory sayth Gregor Omeli vij Our lorde IhuÌ„ Christ somtyme with wordes somtyme with dedes techyth vs. Forsothe his dedes ben coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes for when he doth any thynge styl in that he maketh knowen to vs what we shall do / and notwithstandynge that Christ forbedyth suche possessyons by worde to his prestes Math. xx Mar. x. Luce. xxij And if enemyes wil not accept god in his both lawes neyther obey to theyr father / for his worde ne for his dede / to whome heuen erth hell knelen on theyr knees / but standen styll obstynate as yuel wyly traytours to clense theyr mother holy church owyth not to take of this foule corrupcyoÌ„ Then shullen we ley forth holy sayntes / that speken of this matter / and saye whether they wolde accorde to wordes that they haue sayde / and so ryse vp to goddes worde / by these sayntes Saynt Austen sayth The churche owyth not to take tho thynges that ben profered to her of hym that hathe none heyre Therfore who that euer wyll make the church his eyre / seke he another that may take it / but on no wise sayth Austen but by the mercy of god he shall fynde no man And Ierome sayth From the tyme that the church grewe in possessions / she hathe lessed or dwyned in vertues / but Bernarde forbedyth these possessyons to be in prestes handes and spekyth vnto Eugeny the Pope in these wytty wordes Li. 1. Chalenge thou these possessions by a nother reason / but thou may not chalenge them by the aposteles ryght Howe myght the apostele gyue that he had not that he had he gaue / besynes vpon churches no whether secler lordshyp here what he saith / neyther lordyng in the clergy but made in fourme to the profyte of the flocke / and not only in mekenes trowe thou this to be sayd / but also in trouth of dede As Christ sayth in his gospell Kynges of the erthe lorden ouer them / forsothe ye not so It is playne to the aposteles that this lordshype is enterdyted / howe darist thou than take thys lordshyp vpon that / eyther lordynge apostle hede / eyther apostle hede to lordshyp Playnly thou arte forbodden the one for yf thou wylt haue both / thou shalt lese both that is to say the presthode thy lordshyp / or elles thou shalt ben except of this nuÌ„bre / of the which god pleyneth him They haue reygned / but not by me They haue bene prynces / but I haue not knowen theÌ„ / nowe yf auayle to raygne without god / than hast thou ioye but anemptyst god / when prestes holden this enterdityng / hear they then the lordes crye / he that is more among you be ye made as the youngers / he that is the forgoare / be he made as the master This is the fourme of the aposteles lyuinge Seculer lordshyp is forboden / but ministryng seruyng is boden wel we weten of beleue that god his law bene euyn accordyng to gedre / these with them / than lay besides your poysons / and your hethen tales with al other maÌ„geled lawes confirme you to god to clense the church bryng it agayn to the former estate / lyue ye on christes parte / the lordes might haue ther lordship agayn But yet ye maken pursute with money greate showres / sayen that saint Siluester toke this possession / saynt Swithune / saynt william with many other saintes To this we seyne that Siluester with such other folowers weren saintes To this we seyne / in this talkynge of temporall possessyons / as was Peter for sakynge Christ / Paul pursuyng the church of god Peter Paule dyd very penaunce suffreden deth for Christes sake / yf these men dyd the same / thus ben they very sayntes The first coÌ„maundement of god is this Exo. xx Thou shalt not kyll or slee / neyther in malice with pursuynge / neyther in worde with backbytynge / neyther with dede in vnlefull shedyng of bloude Of the fyrst spekyth 1. IohnÌ„ 3. He that hatith his brother / 1. IohnÌ„ 3. is a mansleer / some haten synne in man and this is a parfyte hate Psalmus 118. Psal 118. I hated them with a parfyte hate c. Some haten vertue in man and they be mansleers / for who that saythe he loueth his god and hatith thus his brother / he is a lyer ther is no truth in him Of the secoÌ„de spekith the ê“phete sayth Psal 13. Psal 13. The mouth of a backbyter is ful of cursidnes bytternes / his fete ben swyfte to shed out blode For saynt Bernard sayth The backbyter the wylful herer either of theÌ„ berith the deuyl in ther tong this backbyter sleeth thre at ones / that is to say his owne soule / the wylfull herer
hys prechynge so agaynwarde Antechriste is for to chase stourdy and doble men hauynge the wysdom of thys worlde for to preche his falsehede Haue we then ful faythe in our lorde Iesu with perfyte lyuynge and this Lorde throughe your prayer shal lead this warke after his owne pleasure / and brynge it to a perfyte ende to hys honour and glory / and to profyte edificacyon of his faythefull seruauntes Amen ¶ Capitulum tertium ¶ What Antecrist is in general with .vi. condycions TO speake generally yf ye demaunde me who is Antechrist I aunswere and say that he whose lyfe and doctryne is contrary to Christes IohiÌ„s 2. Nunc auteÌ„ sunt multi antechristi is an Antechrist / as seyncte IohnÌ„ said / forsothe nowe bene many Antecristes And therfore sayth seynct Austen who that lyueth contrary to Chryst is an Antechrist / be thou within or be thou without / be thou high / or be thou lowe / be thou spuÌ„all as they call it or be thou temporal / be thou riche or poore / Pope or page or of any degree thou canst rekene / yf thou lyue contrary to Christ / thou art but chafe wherof Christe speketh sayeng that the chafe shal brine with fyer that may not be quenched Maih. 3. And the soull that is but chafe shall euer suffre and neuer bye / as the prophete sayth Ysa ix Euery proude soule that ryseth in swellynge agaynst god / Ysaye 9. and euery body defouled in Glottony Lechery shal be into swellynge mete of the fyre that shall euer brenne him with most greuous payne Sex petaÌ„ contra spiritum sanctum Six synnes there be agaynst the holy goste that toke the wretched soull in to thys chafe / but for asmoche as no daunger is feared but it be fyrste knowen / therfore we shall name them vnto you in thys lytle treatice for the lernynge of the small vnderstanders Presumptio 1. The fyrste is presumpcyon / that is the bolnynge or swellynge of a proude spirite without dred of godes ryghtwysnes / and of thys synne all maner of malyce and wretchydnes taketh rote that reygneth in mankynde amonge lerned and leude / Qui non timet non poterit iustificare Ecclesiastica 15. for the wyseman sayth / that he that dredeth not can not be iustyfyed or made ryghtwyse For sothe I saye in whome thys synne of presumption hath no lordeshyp in hym the deuyll is ouercome for he that dredeth the lorde shall do good thynges and agayne but yf thou holde thy selfe continually in the drede of god thy house shal be sone tourned vpsydowne / IbideÌ„ 27. that is thy body and soull shal be tourned from god into the deuelles seruyce Disperacion 2. The seconde syn is Dysperacyon or wanhope / that is ouer lytle trust of godes mercy Seynct Austyne saythe that the drede of godes ryghtwysnes / and hope of hys mercy bene .ij. yates of lyfe / for by them we entren here into grace and after into blysse / as the prophete saythe Our Lorde is wel pleased apon them that drede hym / that trust in his mercy / and againwarde presumpcion disperacion bene .ij. yates of deth by the which me entren into sinne incoÌ„brance / after into payne of hel IohiÌ„s 2. Seyncte Iohan geueth vs lore agaiÌ„st this syn sayth My litle soÌ„nes / these thynges I wryte to you / that ye synne not in the synne of dyspayre / but yf it so be that any of you haue synned we haue an aduocate agaynste the father Iesu Chryste our iust Lorde / and he is the purchaser of mercy for our synnes / not only for ours / but for the synnes of all the worlde Iesu / is for to say a sauyour for he hathe plenty of medecyne to saue al mankynde / yf they wyll take thys medecyne and be saufe Gregorius For seyncte Gregory saythe He sleyth him selfe that wyll not kepe the byddynges of hys leche The thyrde syn is Obstinacy or hardnes of hert that wyl not be contrite for coÌ„punction / nor softe with pyte / nor moued with prayer / nor feared with thretteniÌ„ges / it settith not by betinges but vnkynde agaynste all the workes of God / vnfaythefull in councell / ferse and woode in Iugement / vnshamefast in synne / hardy in peryll a Cowarde in manhode / folehardy agaynste god / forgetfull of tyme paste neclygente in tyme presente and inprouydente for the tyme to come and shortely to saye / Bernardus 5. de 9. LincoÌ„lnÌ„ deoÌ„ 190. thys is the synne that neyther dredyth god / ne shameth man / for thys synne one LynconlnÌ„ teacheth a medecyne sayenge / that an harde hert wolde be brayed in a morter of stone with an heuy pestle thys morter is the bodye of Chryste penetrate / and wounded in hys passyon / the pestle is the drede of dampnacyon / that foloweth after the synne O thou harde harted wretche / nyghthe to the bodye of Chryste / and for drede of dampnacyon confyrme the to hys passyon c. The .iiij. synne is fynall Impenitence / that is he that wyll neuer be penitent or sorowfull for hys synne / but contynually leadeth hys lyfe after the lustes of hys fleshe / ouercommen with the deuell / the worlde and the fleshe / for no man dothe very penaunce to god / but he that fully leuyth that syn / for the whiche he suffreth penaunce / thus sayth Sayncte Austyn / but for they holden moche worshyp to blase theyr name in erth they maken a fayned shryfte to a pryste taken parte of sacramentes they buylde churches with other ornamentes / and fynde prystes to rede and synge / they releuen the poore nedy / Math. 6. NoÌ„ne ala plus est quam esca corpê° plusque vestimentum and amenden places that be peryllous / but euer more they lye harde tongeled as froste / in olde custome and synne To these vnrepentaÌ„t or impenitent persones speketh Gregory / most sharpely in hys Pastoralles vpon Mathewe / whether is not the lyfe more then mete / and the body more than cloth / here thys doctour sayth He that geueth mete or clothe to the poore nedy and is polluted or defouled in wyckednes of bodye and soule / the thynge that is moste he geueth to synne / and the thynge that is lefte he geueth to ryghtwysnes / hys goodes he geueth to god / but hym selfe to the deuel / for he settyth more pryce by worldly rychesse then he dothe by bodye and soull / and loueth moste that god loueth leste / wherfore he is tourned to hate god hathe gyuen vnto man .v. precyous gyftes / the leste of them is wordly goodes / better then these is mannes bodye that god hathe endowed with kyndely strength and graunted hym reason to vse / thys worlde hym selfe to chastyce clothe or fede / aboue these twayne is mannes soull that berythe godes image and hys lykenes Lorde
not in mē by way of power or dignite spirituall or temporall for many Princes / and high Bysshopes other of lower degree state and dignite are founden to be apostates or haue gone backe from the fayth / wherfore the churche standeth in those persons in whome is knowynge and very confessyon of fayth and trouth But for the more clere declarynge of this matter / and auoydynge of obiections that may be put forth we shall vnderstande / that ther bene .iii. churchis of the which goddes lawe ofte maketh mencyon Tres Ecclesie and moche they dyuersen eche from other / to them that taken good hede but here wytles foles bene accombred that labour not to lerne to knowe theyr dyuersytees The fyrst churche is called a lytle flocke as Chryste sayeth ☞ Prima ecclesie Luce. 12. Drede ye not my lytle flocke / hit pleaseth your father to gyue you a kyngdome / and thys churche is cleped the chosen nombre of them that shal be be saued as it is wrytten / that the sonnes of wysdome bene the churche of ryghtwysemen / Ecclesia 3. and the nacion of them is buxoume to god and louyng to hys euen christen ♣ Ephe. 5. This church is called a clene mayden as Paule sayth Chryste hath chosen hym a glorious churche hauynge neyther spot nor wemme or any suche other / Distinc 13. but that thys churche may be holy and vndefouled to thys accordeth Lyncoln̄ sayenge that holy churche of god is a chaste virgin christes glorious spouse without spot or bleyne The .iij. tyme thys churche is called chrystes spouse of thys mariage Paule beryth wytnes saynge I haue maryed you to one man that is not to an auoutrer / Corin. 10. but to a laufull man Christ Iesu / that I may present you to god / a clene chaste mayde at the day of dome / and thus we say in the dedycacyon of the materiall churche Thys day holy churche a glorious spouse is maryed to Chryst her souerayne Iohānes 6 This churche is lykened to a woman with chylde as Chryste sayeth A woman when she trauayleth she hath paynes Apo. 12. Thys churche is lykened to a woman clade in the sonne / as sayncte Iohn̄ in Thapocalips sayeth / I sawe a wounderfull syght and that was a woman clade in the sonne Thys churche is also lykened to Peters lytle bote beynge in the myddes of the see / this bote both sanke and swame Math. 14 Mar. 6. Luce. 8. But drowne myght hit neuer / so holy churche suffereth many perells / and some tyme bodely dethe by pursute of enemyes / but it shal neuer be dāpned This church is lykened to Paradyce / Eze. 30. thus sayth the prophete Cedre trees were not hygher then he in paradyse of god wher vpō saynct Austen sayth Paradyce is holy churche the .iiij. flodes ben the iiij gospelles wryten of Mathewe / Marke / Luke / and Iohan / that were fygured in lykenes of .iiij. bestes / that is a mā / a Lyon / a Calfe an Egle / for these precheden Christ the whiche is to gether / man / knyght / preste / and god / and by these .iiij. Story Allegory Morall Anagogical we ben taught in story what is done / in allegorye what we shulde beleue / in morall what we shall do / and in Anagogye what we shall hope The trees that beren fruyte / bene good lyuers here in erthe The fruytes of these trees / bene good workes of saynctes the tree of lyfe is the sayncte passynge all saynctes our lorde Iesu Chryste The tree of knowynge good and euell / is the free choyse of mannes wyll Thys is holye churche onely propred to god that serueth hym in vertue nyght and daye / but howe euer we speken in dyuers maners or lykenesse of thys holye churche / they teachen not elles / but this one name that is to saye the congregacyon or gadrynge to gether of faythefull soules / that euer more kepen faythe / and trought in worde and dede to god and man and reysen theyr lyfe in syker hope of mercy and grace and blysse / at theyr ende and helen thys buyldynge in perfyte charyte / that shall not fayle in wele ne wo / of thys spake sayncte Paule / Corinth 3. Templum enim dei sanctum est / quod estis vos to the Corintheans and in them to all other sayenge The temple of god is holy and that be ye so than by thys hit apperethe that the soull of euery faythefull of euery cristen man / is the sete and very temple of god / we le oughte than euery man to be ware and wyse that hathe the greate god lorde of Israell dwellynge in hys soull And so sayth sayncte Austen O thou christen soull a wake / and yf there by any vertue of charyte in the that susteyneth all thynges / folowe thou the steppes of thy lorde / take hede howe many thousande marters haue made asmoche playne waye to the / there haue passed before the virgynes / chylder / yonge dammeselles and maydens / and yf thou dredyste / aryse thou soule for he shall leade the / that is the waye / the trought and the lyfe / the waye that errethe not / the trought that neuer begyled / and the lyfe neuer faylynge / waye in example / troughte in promyssyon / lyfe in mede And to thys entente / Cryste lykened mannes soule to a woman with chylde / for in her trauayle she hathe stronge paynes / but whan she hathe borne the chylde into thys worlde / she hathe no mynde of her payne / for Ioye of the chylde Thus wandrythe holye churche / in erthe in prayers / fastynges / and in waylynges / in abstinens / in tribulaciōs and in anguyshe / in persecucyon / in nede and in pryson / in colde / in hungre / and in heuynes / in bondes / in fetters / great dystres / in thyrst in payne / in blame / in reproche / in sclaundre / and in shame / in pacyens / pyte / and long abydyng / in simplenes / lykenes / sighes / in wepynge / waylynge / in wo / in fortune / in sobrenes and in chastite / in spedynes in largenes / and in charite These be the gronynges of mannes soull / that longeth in harte after Chryste her spouse / tyll she haue brought forthe her selfe a chyld of god into blysse perdurable / than for the greatnes of godes rewarde / the more she suffred the more is her Ioye / for so sayth seynct Paul that the passions of this time bene as no paynes in regarde to the glory that is to come / that shal be shewed in vs for thā we shal be endowed with .iiij. doweryes in our bodyes 1. Cor. 15. Of the which seynct Paull spekyth / sayenge that the body that is sowen in corrupcyon / shall ryse without corrupcion / in this church of god at the day
comen to gether to thys churche bothe of good and yll Fyrst we taken for our grounde Christes holy gospell where he spekythe in a parable to his owne dyscyples Math. 13. Math. 13. The realme of heuen is lyke to a net that is sent in to the see gatherith to geder of al the kynde of dyuerse fysshes / and whan thys net was full of fysshes the fysshers drewe it to the lande they syttynge besyde the see brynke / chose the good into theyr vesselles / the yuell they sente out and kept them agayne in the see This parable is thus to meane after the wyt of IhuÌ„ Christ Seconde churche here in erthe is lyke to a net senden into the see for as the see ebbith and floweth So thys churche nowe ryseth and falleth to prayse / for as the tempestes of the see ben hydeous perylous for the nette ☞ Pryde ☞ So Pryde that wauith in thys worlde is full noyous to Chrystes church Of beawty of fortune / of goodes / of grace / all day men bolnen in hyenes of herte ☞ Enuye ☞ The see water is full bytter and full frowysshe in the castynge / and thys worlde is full of enuy that is full bytter for to tast with hate as the soote that none vnnyth can acorde with other / and ouer the see cometh greuous stormes with pyryes that greuen sore ☞ And in thys worlde ryseth wrath with anger of herte that doth moche tene / ♣ wrathe in the see no grasse may growe neyther as farre as it maye flowe / but it wastyth all the grounde maketh it naked without fruyte ☞ And in this worlde is vicious slowthe that stroyeth vertues in body and soule / Slowthe and maketh man foltyd in hys wyttes in euery parte where so euer he streche the see ay purchaseth with his waues / wynnith of grounde that he neghith / and is not apayed of the termes that god hathe sette yf it myght scape ☞ And in this worlde is couetyse of them that purchasyn with wrong theyr neyboures grouÌ„de catteles with sleyght cautyls of maÌ„nes lawe Couetyse Thus they wynnen more and more / and wyll not wysely spende theyr owne / neyther thanke god in due fourme tyll they be caught in the fendes snare The see belchith vp moche fylthe and castyth from it moche corrupcyon / and that is full abhomynable and lothely to loke vpon ☞ And in thys worlde is lechery that defouleth body and soull / ♣ Lechery it tourneth the precyous temple of god into the lodge of grysely deuylles / the people that haunteth this wretched syn ben maden as bestes without lawe / and in thys bestely coÌ„dicyon they fyghten as bestes without reason / there they walken and twynen away all lothsumly to god and man The see fell sythes with his great tempestes drowneth man and also vesselles / loseth them or they come to londe ☞ ♣ ☜ Glotony ☞ And in thys worlde is glotony that drowneth the wyttes of the people tyll that they be vnreasonable can not knowe when they haue wronge Certes excesse of meate and drynke sleyth many mo than dothe the swerde For in diuers meates drynkes gredyly taken at meales is none heale but sickenes / as the wyse man sayth / both body and soul / we must espye to fle these perelles that ben in thys greuous see / and draw this net in water of wisdome by vertuous lyuynge to the hauen of helth with cordes that ben of very mekenes / with pacience / and with long abydyng / saylynge with loue charyte in holy spede good occupacyon / largynge our handes iÌ„ dedes of mercy pyte that poore nedy may be our bedmen / ledyng our lyfe in discrete measure / in what that we shall take or leue / clad in clennes chastite Math. 28. Ero vobisâ—…m vsquamâ—…d coÌ„suÌ„maâ—ionem secuâ— And than shal Christ be al our comforte where euer we be by londe or water as he hathe grouÌ„ded by his gospel Mat. 28. sayeng I shal be with you in wele wo / tyl this world be brought to an ende The fysshes swymmen in this water be al the people that be in this world both good yuell in euery degree / of eche state or dignyte But as the great fysshes eaten the smale so mightty ryche men of this world deuouren the poore vnto the bare bone eatynge the morselles that the best lyketh / as the wyse man sayth Eccle. â—3 The huntyng or the pray of the lyon is the fylde as in wyldernesse / so the fedynge of rychemen ben poore nedy And when the sonne shyneth warme in a mery season the great fysshes drawen nyghe the ayre / dryuen downe the small / and yf ther come any hayle / storme or any colde weder these great fysshes fallen to ground / and putten aboue the smal So whan ryche meÌ„ seen any worldly wynnyg they rysen hye aboue the clowdes in vauntyng of theyr riches / and also lacken the symple coÌ„myns seye that they may not paye / wherfore do they entermete them / they ben but very beggers / but whan there coÌ„ a charge to the countre / as taxis or any other paymeÌ„t / than the ryche man fallyth downe and fayneth hym selfe nedy / and magnifyeth the poore man that wonneth besyde them sayenge / he is a preuy man / and hydeth moche ryches And thus sayth almyghty god by the prophete Abacuc 1. The ê“phete sayth iÌ„ spirite how ryche eÌ„m wasten the poore nedy / he taketh the voyce of great mone maketh his mournyng to hys god Lorde what shalte suffre men to be made as fysshes that swymmen in the see / as they were crepyng bestes that haue no leder here in erthe / and iugement is made the crueller / agaynseyng the mightyer / wherfore the law is al to torne / and iugement commeth to no perfyt ende / for nought hathe the wycked wretche myght / to ouercome the wyse man / and therfore passeth forth amonge mankynde weywarde iugemente that distroyeth peace / but for that fysshes ben ryght quyuour and quycke in plenty of the water / dreden not the hydeous waues / whether they rysen hye or low In this place they shal be taken as to syanyfye the true beleue of mannes herte And to thys wytte spekith Christe in hys gospell and steryth vs to pray Luce. 11. Luce. 11. For sothe sayth Christ which of you asketh my father a fysshe / whether nowe shall he geue them for a fysshe an adder nay playnly Chrisostome sayth vpon this texte / that this fysshe is mannes fayth / and after this we shulde pray to our father that is in heuen that he wold stable vs in true beleue and in the articles therto / for than we shal be dysposed in the water of tribulacyon to do and suffre as pleasith god ioyenge for this beleue / and though
me sayth the lorde god / and I shall cast yrou away out of this erthe / into a lande that is vnknowen to you and to your fathers and there ye shal do auarice to alyen goddes that shal gyue no rest neyther nyght ne day And to the secoÌ„de we answeren as Christ sayth in his gospel Frende howe entrest thou hether not hauynge thy brydale clothes / he waxt domb Than this kynge Iesu Christe sayd to his mynisters Take this wretch / bouÌ„den hande and fote sende him into vttermost darkenes / their shal be wepyng and gnastynge of tethe / vnderstande thou by this / frende / both man and womaÌ„ that hath taken christendome / and holdethe the name / but they wanten in theyr lyuynge the workes of treue beleue therfore Christ wardeth them in to the payne of hell ¶ How the good of the secoÌ„de church accordyth with the first churche Ca. x. HEre shal we tel howe the good of the seconde church accordeth with the fyrste churche appropred to god / Faythe / Hope / Charite / as we haue sayde aforne knytten togeder god and man in one heed of this church Thys knotte is knytte so sekyrly that it shall neuer more fayle neyther here ne elles where as the wyseman sayth The thre folde corde is ful lothely burston For to make this thre folde corde we must haue thre lynkes / eke theÌ„ forth perfyte tyll this corde be wrought / by whiche this church shal be drawen vnto the holy Trynite These ben the fyrst thre / a chast body / a clene soule / and goddes truly dysposed than it shal be eked with good holy thought a perfyte dede / more ouer we must large forth shryfte of mouthe sorowe of herte / amendes makynge / after this it askyth prayer / fastynge / almysdede / than must we put to / nombre / weyght / mesure Also we must eke this worde with minde / wyll / reason / and helpe forth to th ende with Faythe / Hope / Charite / than we shal neyghe to our god thorough grace / mercy / ryghtwysnes / tyll we se god in Trynite / Fader / Son / holy Goste Euery meÌ„bre of this churche helpith / that it may to wyrche one parte of this corde for the coÌ„men ê“fyte as sayncte Austen saythe Holy churche is a ferme of all ryghtwysenesse / that is to say a comen accorde of al good thinges and thys churche prayethe in commen / and wyrcheth theyr workes in coÌ„men For without felowshype of thys generall churche baptisme may not profyte neyther the dedes of mercye / but it be that the paynes of hell be lesse / all the members of a man trauelyn in theyr ordre eche for to socoure othere / none for to hyndre / but for to do theyr coÌ„myn helpe to the profyte of the body Thus it is of the members that ben in Christes churche / for it is a godly body that growith with theyr meÌ„bers / theyr one fayleth an othere helpeth tyll the corde be made Some haue moch of wysedome / to knowe holy wryt Some haue fayre eloquence to preche it to the people Some haue moch of gostely strength to suffre tribulacyon Some haue pety and releuen theyr nedy neybours Some tenden vertuosly to minister sacramentes Some styen hyely to rest in heuenly thynges or lykynges / but all suche thynges ben in coÌ„men to them that shal be saued / as the prophete sayth Spekynge in the person of the generall churche Lorde I am partener of all them that fere or dreden the / and of all that kepe thyne holy commaundementes Thus teacheth also the commen crede in an artycle of the sayth that must nede be grauÌ„ted whiche is / the communion of saynctes For what that euer be done in Rome or in any other places / yf that thynge be couenable in the syght of god / than it is couenable to all these members that seruen god in vertue to helpe them to their endelesse ioye as we haue sayde afore / Ierome herto accordyth saynct Ierome vpon this texte of Christes gospell Math. 16. Math. 16. Christ sayd to Peter and in him to all his folowers / to the and to all suche as thou arte I shal gyue the keyes of the realme of heuennes is this church here in erthe Ierome Ierom sayth / and the mayster of the sentence reherseth this All mynisters of the church in bysshopes and prestes haue the iudiciary power as saynte Peter had / but therfore Peter specyall toke of god this power that all men may vnderstande that who so euer departeth them from vnyte of stedfast fayth and felowshyp of this church / he may neyther be assoyled froÌ„ bondes of his synnes neyther he may entre into the blysse of heuen Se nowe here both leryd lewde how prayers ben in coÌ„myn and all other suffrages to thys gostely church whence cometh thaÌ„ this out crye that is set on broch / sale / kene / in euery church to sell these gostely thynges with suffrages and soylemeÌ„tes / many yeres of pardon a plenarye indulgence A pena et culpa / but moch rather it shulde be sayd / a glorie et pecunia Certes they come from byneth of the fendes temptynge ben borne all about of his cursyd members / to poyson the people in mysbeleue as sainct Ierom sayth and parte them from goddes felowshyp by wytnesse of saynct Austen / dryue them to theyr endeles payne / as we haue sayd aforne ¶ Of ioye in tribulacyon The .xi. chapitre BVt for that we repreue these synnes thys yuell parte grutchyth and pursueth with strong hande to pryson and to slee / therfore muste we lerne thys lore of Chrystes holy gospell Math. 5. Ye ben blessed whan men haue cursed you / Math. 5. and haue pursued you / haue sayde all yuell agaynst you lyeng for me / ioye ye and be ye mery / for your mede is moche in heuennes And also saynct Peter sayth whan that ye suffren any thynge for ryghtwysnesse Blessed mote ye be / saynt Paul affirmeth this sentence that goddes seruauÌ„tes shullen haue payne in this lyfe to kepe them in vertue 2. Thimo. 3. All that euer wol lyue mekely in Chryst Iesu shal suffre persecucyon ☞ Luke And saynt Luke sayth of the wordes of Paule in dedes of the aposteles Act. 14. By many tribulacions it behoueth vs to entre into the realme of god And thus saythe the ê“phete Many ben the tribulacions that fallen to the ryghtwyse fro them al / whan tyme cometh god shall delyuer them Christ behyght the maner of lyfe / to his owne discyples / and gaue them coÌ„forte that they shulde haue a gracyous delyuerance for than shall blysse be moche the sweter whan they comyn therto ☞ Io. 6. Io. 6. Truly I say vnto you the trouth / that ye shulde sorowe and wepe / forsoth the worlde ioye / ye shulde