be full heuy / and after this your heuynes shal be tourned into ioye / and your ioye shal be sekyr that no man shall take it from you / and for this ioye shulde sauour well to them that ben his louers he sendith them tribulacion / as saynt Gregory sayeth God shewith to his chosen / sharpenes in this iourney / lest by hap yf they delyted them in this dedly way / they myght forgeyte thynges that ben in the heueÌ„ly couÌ„tre / tribulacions that brisen vs downe in this wretched world / they constrayne vs to go to god / that they lightly myght be daÌ„pned / for the eyen that synne closyth / payne maketh open / many that haunten theft with many other synnes if they were lame blynde / or croked of godes visitacyoÌ„ they shuld cesse serue theyr god / do penauÌ„ce ful trewly as Crysostome sayth Omeli 3. The soule is a spirite sayth he and dredeth spuÌ„all paynes of the flesshe And therfore saynctes dyspysen the paynes of this worlde / drede the last iugement where spyrytes ben tourmented / forsothe the flesshe can not drede gostely paines to come / but he dredith in this life to suffre any paines / therfore the yuel cessen not to do syn / but if iugement of the flesshe constraynen them to be styll for this cause the lorde shal sende vpon his seruauÌ„tes sore punysshyng to theyr flesshe other tribulacions The lust of the flessh may be sweled from the couetynge of yuell we muste nede breke the nut yf we wyl haue the cornell we must nedes suffre trauell / yf we desyren reste So must we nedes suffre payne yf we wyll come to blysse He is a false cowarde knyght / the fleeth hydeth his hed whan his mayster is in the felde beten amonge his enemyes / but our lord IhuÌ„ Christ was beâ—en of the Iewes / and after dyed in the felde on the mounte of Caluarye to pay our raumsome / he toke his deth for that he was nothynge gylty / and hys body whan it was offered / made at the full for redempcyon of mankynde Therfore the wyseman sayth Eccle. 20. Forgete thou not the kyndenes of thy borowe / forsothe he hathe geuen for the his life This borowe is our lorde god that without mede came from heuen in to this worlde to borowe his people / in takynge of flesshe blode of the virgyn mary / he shewed vs grace and kyndenes both in worde and wyrchynge But in geuynge his lyfe / he leyd his body in pledge / yea to the deth he woll not spare to suffre extreme payne / so moche he loued his people / yf that fayth be in vs thys maye not be forgoten Some forsaken synnes and suen Chryste in vertue and this is a great kindenes / though they styen no hyer Some do wake in abstynence and studyen holye lessons / thys is than a greatter kyndnes / yf thou fle from syn Some ben redy whan they ben called of the holy goste to suffre dethe for Iesu Chryste / and wytnes of his lawe / and whan they haue cleÌ„nes in lyuynge / this is the greatest kyndenes as the gospel sheweth Io. 15. ♣ Io. 15. A greater loue or charite may no man haue than to lese his lyfe for hys frendes soule / we were dere and leffe to god whan we toke the baptysme / but we haue moch dere worthyer whan we done the workes that god hath bydden in his lawe without any grutchynge / and yf we maynteyn this 〈…〉 not go therfro / neither become rennegates for the paynes that may fal / but thinke on Christes passyoÌ„ that swageth al heuynes / thaÌ„ we ben most dere worthy / and worthy hyest meryte / therfore saynct Paule sayth to the Galathies Fere be it to me / to make any glorye but in the crosse that is the passyon of our lorde Iesu Christe / by whome this worlde is crucyfyed to me / and I am crucyfyed to the worlde Some ben not crucifyed to the worlde / but the worlde is crucyfyed to them / for they despisen the world / but the worlde not them Some ben crucyfyed to the worlde / but not so the worlde to them / for though the worlde despysen them / they dispysen it not againe Some ben neyther crucified to the world / ne the worlde to them / for neyther they dispyse the worlde / ne the worlde them In the fyrste degree were the apostels And in the seconde degree ben other good lyuers But in the thyrde fourth degre / bene tho that shulde be dampned / therfore we shuld vnderstande that some suffren payne for to saue the people / and so dyd Iesu Christ / whan it myght not saue theÌ„ selfe / shewed his great kyndenes Some suffren payne to purge them of theyr synne that they haue done iÌ„ time afore / cryen god mercy Some suffren payne to kepe them from syn that they shulde be combryd with if no payne were / but some suffren payne for they haunten syn / and for they maken none ende Ioyne than the crosse of Chryst vnto our bare flessh / that our parte may be founden amonge these holy saintes that wylfully forsoke them selfe / and ioyed in trybulacion as saynct Iames sayth Ia. 1. My brethern hope ye all ioye whan ye haue slyden amonge dyuerse temptations knowynge that the prouynge of your fayth / wyrchyth pacience / forsoth pacience hath a parfyte worke / that ye mowe be perfite / in soule and hole in body / and in nothynge faylynge ¶ Of the fendes cautyles by the which he pursueth in his members the kepers of goddes coÌ„mauÌ„dementes Ca. xii THe yuel parte of thys churche shall neuer cesse with the malyce that they may to pursue good leuers but for his chosen chyldren god shall abregge the dayes of ther wodenes that shal men wel knowe as IohnÌ„ saith to the church geuith it good coÌ„fort Apo. 2. Drede thou not tho thynges which thou arte for to suffre / Lo the deuyl is for to sende of you iÌ„ to prysoÌ„ / ye shal haue tribulacion ten dayes by dene be thou faithful to the deth / I shal geue the a crowne of life / he that hath eares of heryng / here he / what the spirite sayth to the churches / who that hath ouercoÌ„meÌ„ / shal not be hurt of the seconde deth / vnderstande thou by this deuyl all the cursyd people that shal pursue good lyuers vnto the worldes ende / somtime more / somtyme lesse / with diuers paynes of tourmeÌ„try / vnderstande thou by these ten dayes / the ten coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes for they ben light of maÌ„nes wyt / in the derkenes of this worlde / as the day passith the nyght in his clere shinyng Of these ten coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes the fende fayneth his accion to troble the good of the church sende them to pryson / here it semeth spedyer to tell the fendes cautyles that he vseth
than the soule is dede gostely within the house of the body / and this deth is signyfyed by a parsons doughter that was dede within her fathers house / Christe by myracle gaue her lyfe Math. 9. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. Some norysshen theyr couetyse tyll it sprynge into a dede / as a carreyne opynly dede / that lyeth by the way effectyng the people / and this is taught in the wedowes sonne that was borne deed on a bere without the gates of the cyte for to put him in his graue Luke 7. Luke 7. Christe â—ered him by hys myracle / and gaue hym agayne to hys moder Some feden theyr foule couetyse with lust and delectacion / in thought / in word / in werke / and this moste abhomynable / for it waa shewed in Lazarus Io. xi that lay .iiii. dayes in hys graue And Christ by myracle / Io. 11. to tourne the Iewes rered vp his body and gaue him the spirite All these thre ben agaynste thys commaundement of god / and ben worthy endeles payne / but yf god thorough his gracious mercy moue them to vertue and to very penaunce / that ben deed in these forsayd foule couetyses / that is to say / in couetyse of hert / of dede / and of custome And therfore the wyseman sayth Eccli xviij Go not away from thy god after thyne owne couetyses Lorde howe shulde he kepe hym from a vycyous dede that doth not out of hys herte the couetyse therof Certes it is as impossyble as to saue the house from brennyng that thou settyst afyre with thyne owne haÌ„des A wede may not be distroied but yf it be drawen vp by the rotes No more may synne be lefte / but yf the delectable couetyse of synne be pulled out of the herte For yf theyr abyde any parte of this foule couetyse vndrawen vp in herte / anone theyr spryngeth vp therof / thefte / false purchase / and suche other And therfore sayde Moyses vnto the chyldren of Israell Deut. xix Thou shalt not take / ne thou shalt not passe the termes or the bondes of thy neybour the which thyne elders haue set in thy possessyon that thy lorde god shall gyue to the / for who that takythe away his neybours grounde / that is to say / lande or place / wode or water / corne or grasse / in fylde or in towne thorough any of these forsayd couetises he standeth in that a cursed of god and hys lawe / for thus it is wryten Deut. xxvii Cursed be that man or woman that passyth the bandes of lawfull measure betwene theyr neyboures them Agayne this coÌ„maundement the fende with hys cautyles hath larged this couetyse to all the estates that vnneth any man takyth hede howe that he come by good that he were ryche Commyns haue purchased at Antechristes proctour to be fermours of the churche and all for couetyse of wynnyng / by this parysshons ben brought in many customes / that dystroyen peace / norysshen debate / and quenchen goddes lawe / but who so euer sayth or byddeth besydes goddes wyl / that is not ê“ued in holy wryt / openly declared / he is a false wytnesser / and doth cursed sacrilege / so sayth saynt Austen whan the lorde god hathe sayed in his gospell I am trouthe / he sayd not I am custome Than whan the trouth is shewed custome muste nedes geue steed to trouth Peter that circumcysed consented to Paule prechynge the trouth Therfore sithen Christ is trouth we owen moche more to sewe trouth than custome / for euermore reason and trouth shullen exclude custome whan reason and trouth excluden these fermoures and all theyr false customes he is a very membre of the deuyll that maynteneth the contrary / and makyth the house of Iesu Christe the coÌ„men shoppe of marchandyse But lordes here ben more to blame that shulde chastyce this synne / for some bene fermoures them selfe / and fauoren for theyr couetyse that the person shall haue leue in grutty places as an hogge in the myre / and leue hys cure vnkepte The lordes in these dayes bene so smytten with couetyse that they holden false goten goodes agaynste theyr owne conscyens / and fele sythys reren stronge hande armyd in stronge wodenesse to call men bothe slepynge and wakynge to encrease theyr lordshypes Kynge Acab for couetyse of Nabothys vineaerde that he desired to haue had agayne this knyghtes wyll / layd him selfe gronyng on his bed and wolde not taste any mete / for Nabothe sayed he wolde not chaunge ne sell hys kynde herytage But zezebell the wycked quene gaue the kynge suche counsayle that they casten this knyght deth by a false sclaundre / and thus brought them to an ende and reioysed hys vyneaerde God sente worde to Achab Iezebell by the ê“phete Hely / that for they had thus couetously agaynst his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t ther blode shulde beshede on the erthe / and handes shulde lyke it And more god toke vengeaunce for greuous synne vpon the sede that came of them into the thyrde and fourthe generacion / and yf that we toke hede howe lordes haue slayne eche other / in shedynge of theyr blode in the fylde for couetyse of lordynge / we shulde not wonder though godes hande be stretched ouer his people to smyte with vengeaunce as he dothe / and no man may auoyde it Couetyse of lordynge hath / is / shal be cause of moche bloude shedynge And yf thou wylte wete what is this vengeaunce God saith by the prophete Osee iiii That his vengeaunce is whan he withdrawith hys chatysynge and the yerde of amendyng and suffrith his enemyes to raigne in theyr synne tyll theyr deth day / and after to dampne them body and soule euer without ende And to this accordyth saynte Gregory in hys moralles vpon Iob. God sparyth to some in thys lyfe that he may smyte them withouten ende And Iob sayth .xxi. why lyuen wycked men auaunced and comforted in rychesse The sede of them dwellyth before them / and the coÌ„panye of nye frendes and cosens in theyr syght theyr houses bene sekyr / and the yerde of god that is cleped his chastysynge / is not vpon them theyr eekfare conceyued / cast not her frute or tyme / theyr koâ—…e bare her frute / and was not berafte the profyte of her womb There strepelynges gone afore them as flockes of beastes / theyr youngelynges ioyen in pleys in gaÌ„mes they holden the tymbre and the harpe / and they ioyen at the sounde of the Organne They leden theyr dayes in goodes / that is to saye / in helthe and in welthe / and in worldly worship / and sodenly in a poynte they dyscenden or gone downe to helles / but agaynwarde Salomon in his prouerbes .iii. And saynt Paule to the Hebrues .xii. Sayen that god reproueth chastyseth all them that he loueth / and receyueth to blysse And therfore sayth Iohan. 2. Math. 6. It is a token
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
parte is ther of a faithful maÌ„ with an vnfaythful maÌ„ or what coÌ„sent of the temple of idoles with the church of god Certes none / for eche of these agayne sayen other after there owne wyrchyng Nowe shall we tell what they ben that dwellen with the fende for to serue him in hys church that is the temple of idoles waryours / cursers / chyders / sclaunders / and blasphemers / ther bene vylayne spekers / lyars / glosers / backbyters / mottrars / swerars / and forswerars / there ben also mychers / robbers / extorcyoners / tyrantes / and oppressers / there ben vntrwe tyllers / vnfaythfull seruauntes / rechelesse hyred men / rebell dyscyples / and vnprofytable labourerâ— / there bene lecherours / fornycatours / aduoulterers / incestours / that is / defoulers of theyr owne kynne / and vnclene men and women that ben within the ordre of perfeccion there ben ypocrites / sodomytes / sacrylegers / sellers of the holy sacramentes / there ben al the prayen seruen or geuen gyftes for churche or spuÌ„all offyce / or benyfyce / all false possessyoners / all myghty wylful mendynners and al stourdy maynteners There ben all tho men that bosen ther brestes / pynchen theyr belyes partyn ther hosys crakowyn there shoys al disguysers of theyr garnamentes There ben tho that sterchen or poppen theyr faces / that brydelen ther hedes with gyg halters that setten aboue honykombes with moche other atyrynge / to make them selfe sale kene to synne / and setten abrode there pappes to catche men with theyr lymes yardes There ben false lawe makers / goddes lawe haters / offynders of customes / distroyers of vertue / and auctours of syn / in this churche also bene mawmotres / heretykes / idolatrers / sortylegers enchauÌ„tours arriolers / charmours rerers of the deuyl / al tho that trowen that helpe may come of vsynge godes worde / that we clepyn writtes only hangyd or borne on maÌ„ or that they ben medycynable to body or soule so honged or so borne / there ben marchauÌ„des / chapmen / vytellers vynteners tauerners chauÌ„gers / byers sellers / that vsen dysceyte in weyght / nombre / or measure / there bene in this church vsurers / okerers iuryours / quest mongers / and all false wytnes berers there ben pleters / lawyers / sequesters / commyssaryes / offycyalles / dens / sumners / and all that sellen trouth or synne to make money / theyr ben also audytours / receyuours / treasurers and proctours / iudges / and all that excepten parson for a cause impartynent Thys churche whan it is beten / it waxeth harder / whan it is blamyd / it waxeth the duller / whan it is taught / it is the lewder / whan it is done well to / it is the shrewder / and than it fallyth downe / and cometh to nought / whan it semeth in mannes eye moste stronge to stande saynt Austen saythe Chrystes church pursueth yuell lyuers in charyte by way of amendement But the fendes churche pursueth the church of Chryste in malyce / by way of sclaunder and sleynge / and thys cayme that false enuyous man slewe his brother Abell that blyssed and symple innocent man as the fyfty expositours sayen in a prologe on this Psalme Quid gloriaris in malicia That Cayme was the begynnynge of Babylon and Antechryste shal be the ende / and Abell was the begynnynge of Ierusalem / and Chryste shal be the ender Forsoth Ismael pursued Isaac but not so Isaac Ismaell / Esau pursued Iacob / but not so blyssed Iacob cursed Esau / for by counsell of hys moder he fled in to Mesopony from the wrathe of hys brother / tyll that it was swaged Thus our moder holye churche counseyleth her chyldren to fle from the malyce of the fendes church tyll that it be slaked Math. 10. Forsoth yf the fendes churche shall pursue you in thys cytee / flee ye tyll another / but thys must be done by dyscrecyon for hurtynge of our brothers conscyens Chryste pursued not the Iewes but the Iewes Iesu Chryste / hethen men slewe the apostelles but not the apostelles hethen men / se nowe frowardnes of thys worlde that hathe bene from the begynnynge whan Isaye the holy prophete prophecyed and preched vnto the people / they wolde not here is wordes ne suffren hym on lyue / but the people that rysen after hys dethe radde hys bokes and sayden / yf we hadden lyued in hys dayes / he shulde not haue bene dede / and yet they slewen Ieremye that with the spyryte of god tolde thynges to come / and taught them very trouth / his successours token hys bokes and radde them in there temples / and â—eyled hym for an holye man / but they slewen Ezechyel and other mo / than the Iewes maden fayre the tombes of these prophetes / as were scrybes and pharyses and sayd in ypocrysy / yf they had ben in their dayes they shulde not haue ben slayne / but they gaue the counsell that Christ shulde be deed / the hed of all sayntes with most dyspytyous deth The fendes churche in these dayes / praysen aboue the clowdes Chryste and his holy sayntes with wordes and with sygnes / but they pursuen to the deth the louers of hys lawe And thus sayth Chryste in his gospell Ryght as ye done nowe / so dyd your fathers to the prophetes in theyr dayes And therfore wo to you hell houndes for Chryste sayth / in thys worlde ye ben ryche fatte fed laughynge in pursuynge of eche other / wepe ye and make ye sorowe for your payne is moche in hell O these shall haue a dredefull day whan they be arrayned at the barre of iudgemente whan Chryste shall rere vp hys crosse the baner of hys passyon Of thys day spekyth the prophete Sophonias The great day of the lorde is nygh / and fast besyde / and hyeth towarde wounders faste / it shall not longe tary / in that day shal be troubled he that is strong and myghty / for the voyce of the lorde is bytterful to the dampned That day is a day of wrath / a day of trybulacion That day is a day of hungre and ire / of extremyte and wretchydnes That day is a daye of darkenes and of thycke smoke That is the day of the trumpe / and of hydeous noyse / for than they shall se theyr iudge aboue them styrred to wrathe / than shall they se hell open bynethe them / and aungelles on the ryghtsyde hastynge them to hell / sayntes approuynge goddes dome / and all the worlde accusynge / and theyr owne conscyens as opyn as a boke / in the whiche they shall rede theyr owne dampnacyon These wretches beholdynge the greate glory of them that they dyspysed in thys worlde / than shall they saye these wordes These bene they whome we some tyme had in scorne / and in hate and derisyon / we wytles dampned hell houndes beleuyd that theyr lyfe had bene woodnes /