proue them as he dyd Iob whan he suffred that the deuyll hym dyd so many of ylles and of tourmentes for to preue hym in his grete pacyeÌ„ce for without the permyssyon of god they haue noo puyssaunce but ben as the hange man the which without the byddynge of the Iuge may not hange nor bete ony euyll doer wherfore my chylde thou sholdest retourne the vnto god and vnto the sayntes and to lyue holyly as sayth the psalmyst Non timebis amore nocturno That is to say thou shalt not drede of those folysshe vysyons by nyght For they be not but Illusyons made by the ennemye as it is sayde ¶ Mayster may the ennemy be constrayned to come by wordes or by sygnes My chylde nay yf he ne wyll but they ben the couÌ„tenauÌ„ces that he hath with those that beÌ„ of his secte the which in sayenge some wordes or iÌ„ makynge some tokens or carateres thyder cometh and maketh that that he demaundeth to th ende that he them holde the better in his lyne the mayster the discyple ¶ Master what say ye of these dremes My chylde thou sholde take none hede vnto them for they ne be but vysyoÌ„s of some thyÌ„ges on the whiche a maÌ„ hath thought or sene before wakynge a man dremeth often of that the which is semblable vnto his complexioÌ„ master how knowe the ê“phetes tho dayes that that they sawe by dreme My chylde that was not by dremes all onely but it was by the reuelacyon of god for with the vysyon they had an Imagynacyon and beleue especyall in the bounte of our Lorde that that same thynge that they hadde seen in slepynge came ¶ Mayster syth that God dyscendyd in erthe for to saue the synners wherfore beÌ„ they daÌ„pned My chylde there is not so grete a synner in this worlde that if he reknowlege his synne and crye god mercy with good herte but that he be pardoned by the meryte of the deth passyon of Ihesu cryste but those that wyll not knowlege thyr synne but ben obstynate tyll vnto the deth know thou that they ben damned eternally for God saueth not the synner the whiche wyll not saue hymselfe and also paradyse is not deseruyd by synne but it is lost ¶ Mayster syth that god dyed for our synnes wherfore be we baptysed My chylde for the baptym is the homage yâ— we owe vnto oure lorde Ihesu cryst by the whiche all our synnes ben pardoned and in suche wyse ordeyned he it as telleth the gospell that sayth thus QuicuÌ„que baptisatê° fuerit That is to say who so shall be baptysed shall be saued and he that is not shall be dampned ¶ Mayster how many persones shall be saued My chylde there shall be as many saued as there fell of the cursyd aungelles of paradys by theyr pryde for the men and the womeÌ„ ben made for to be in theyr place and for that cause is the ennemy so enuyous ayenst man ¶ Mayster from whens came the fyrst Idolatres My chylde they were fyrst founde in abell the whiche is now callyd babylon yâ— grete and there shall the antecryst be borne and there was the toure with the gyauntes the which is of .xl. stages There regned the fyrst kynge of this worlde the whiche men called Neron the whiche caused to be made an Image of Appolyn and commaundyd all those of his realme that they sholde do hym sacryfyce and worshypped hym and in lykewyse dyd they the whiche came after hym in suche wyse that whan some grete princes were deed theyr successoures caused to make of Images maruaylously ryche iÌ„ the name of theyr predysessoures and made theyr subgettes to adoure theÌ„ to do sacryfice were callyd Idolles in to whom the deuyll entred spake tolde them many of abusyons so dyde they of grece vnto theyr kynge and they of rome vnto Romulus as men fynde by the wrytynges and auncyent cronycles ¶ Mayster wherfore ne made God that man ne sholde ete but one tyme in a weke My sone the honger is one of the passyons yâ— we suffre by the synne of Adam and so we haue euery day hoÌ„ger thyrste colde and heet and many other passyons to th ende that we trauayle alway for to thynke on oure nedes and of our neyghboures to the ende that by oure trauayle and laboure contynuall we haue the more meryte for yf the man hadde not of necessyte he sholde haue no care to trauayle but he sholde be euermore in slouthe and sholde not knowe what good were worthe and also he sholde mysknowe his creatoure And howe be hyt that the grete lordes and geÌ„tylmen and other that be ryche trauayleth not corporallye All be it that they trauayled spyrytuallye euermore That is to vnderstande in theyr vnderstandynge and wyll in hauynge euermore desyre to gete for he that moost hathe and more wolde haue moost hath in thynkynge and so my chylde none ne may lyue without payne trauayle but euery man hath moche to do in his ryght the mayster the discyple the mayster the dyscyple the dyscyple the mayster MAyster howe fro wheÌ„s shall the Antecryst come my chylde he shall be borne in babylon of a cursyd man of a cursyd woman the which shall be of the lygnage of Dam of the woÌ„be of his mother he shall be full of the cursed spyryte shall be nourysshed and confermed in enchauntementes and shall be Emperour of all the worlde shall put the people vnder him in foure maners That is to vnderstande the prynces other ryche couetous by gyftes for he shall haue by his enchauntementes all the tresoures hydde in the erthe The poore by grete drede rygoure of Iustyce for he shall make them greuously to be martred The clergy by connynge whereof he shall be full For he shall conne yâ— .vij. artes all the other scryptures the deuoute persones by tokens by myracles that shall be marueylous For he shall make the fyre to dyscende that shall brenne his ennemyes before hym also he shall make the deed men to aryse not truely but the deuyll shall entre in to the bodyes of some daÌ„pned and the deuylles shall bere them anone make them to speke by his enchauntement to walke as if they were on lyue shall reedyfye Ihrlm and there he shall make hym to be honoured as god there shall be receyued in grete honoure men shall come to hym frome all partes he shall make semblauÌ„ce to the people by his enchauÌ„tementes that he shall dye that he shall aryse shall make hym to be lyft vp in heyght by the deuyls sayenge yâ— he wyll wounte in to the glorye of paradys than god seynge his grete pryde thyder shall sende his auÌ„gels of paradys for to confounde hym in suche wyse that the deuyls yâ— shall lyfte hym shall fle shall lette hym fall to the erthe in suche wyse that he shall gyue so grete a stroke
state of grace he gothe in to paradys or in to purgatory to accomplysshe his penaunces and vnto hym the sharpe deth is merytoryous agaynst his syn̄es venyalles vnto the dymynucyon of the paynes of purgatory vnto the augmentacyon of the glory of paradyse yf he dye sodeynlye in mortall Synne the sodeyn deth hym putteth in as moche as he is vnpourueyed and without cōfessyon ne repentaūce takynge than he is damyned eternally by this and for this cause my chylde thou sholde be euermore redy for to deye in kepynge the from syn̄e for thou knowest not whan ne of what dethe thou shalte dye ¶ Mayster what auayleth it a man to be buryed in the chyrche yarde My chylde if he be ī purgatorye he is the soner delyuered as well by the prayers of the chyrche as of his kynnesmen and frendys the whiche vysyteth his sepulture in prayenge god for hym And oftē it happeth that the chyrcheyardes bē sanctyfyed by the bodyes of some sayntes that there be prayeth for them wherof if those that there ben buried ben saued they be right Ioyfull whā theyr bodyes ben with the bodyes of other sayntes but yf they ben dāpned it profyteth them nothynge For the good dedes that men there done for them ne may helpe them ¶ Mayster what maner of lyfe is the moost excellent and best for to make his saluacyon My chylde to haue a true affeccyon of true loue in our lorde in seruynge hym honourynge with all his herte in eatynge y◠breed that thou hast Iustly laufully gotten by the trauayle of thy body as wytnessyth the psalmyst the which sayth Labores manuum tuarū qr manducabis That is to say that thou shalt be right happy if thou eate the labour with thyn owne handes wherunto it is shewed the y◠thou ne sholdest vse of the goodes the which by the or by thyne be gotten falsely but thou sholde yelde them yf thou knowest vnto whome to vse of them the whiche ben Iustly loufully gotten the mayster the discyple MAyster he the which is in mortall synne may he belonge wtout cōmyttynge syn̄e ▪ my chylde naye For as one good dede drawes another In lyke wyse one yll draweth another for so the deuyll maketh of the man the which is in mortall synne as a man dothe of a beest y◠he ledyth by the toppe where him semeth best master whyder go the soules of them that be deed My chylde the soules of the Innocentes that deyeth without baptym gooth vnto the lymbe that which is a chambre of hell where they haue no Ioye nor heuynes for they haue nothynge meryted but for as moche as they be not purged frome orygynall syn̄e by baptym they be put from paradys from the vysyon of god and the soules of them the whiche ben baptysed the which dyeth in the state of Innocencye gooth in to paradys all ryght and the soules of them the whiche dyeth in the state of grace without syn̄e where if they haue synned and if they haue done penaunce suffycyent in this worlde gooth all ryghte in to paradyse ben in glory after that that they haue meryted by theyr holy werkes and the soules of thē the which haue had contrycyon dyspleasaunce of theyr synnes ben returned vnto god in cryenge hym mercy that they haue not accomplysshed theyr penaūces ī this worlde gothe in to an other parte of hell named purgatory there they accomplysshe theyr penaunces and ben purged of theyr synnes that done they go in to the glory of paradys And the soules of them the whiche dyeth in one mortall synne or many goth in to the depenes of hell where they bē punysshed after theyr deseruynge and the soules of the Iewes and of the myscreaūtes the whiche dyeth in the estate of Innocencye gone in to a parte of hell with all the other chyldren the whiche dyeth without baptym but the soules of the other Iewes myscreauntys that haue wytte vnderstādynge goth in to hell with the dāpned ¶ Mayster in how lytell tyme ben the soules delyuered from purgatory My chylde some there abydeth more longely than other after as they haue deserued for some ben delyuered at the ende of .vii. dayes therfore maketh a man the semell otherwyse called the returne in makynge prayers almesdedes for their delyueraunce for greatlye vnto them may profyte the prayers almesdedes that is done for them These other ben delyuered at the ende of .xxx. dayes therfore is made the trentall These other ben delyuered at the ende of one yere therfore is made the yeres mynde these other abydeth there by many yeees by longe tyme after that they haue deseruyd therfore make men remembraunce euery yere of them and whan they ben all purged that they ben delyueryd as by theyr penaūces accomplysshed as by our prayers and oraysons they go all ryght vnto the glory of paradys ¶ Mayster in what place is paradys My chylde there ar .iij. maner of paradys that is to wyte paradys celestyall paradyse terrestre and paradys spirituall Paradyse celestyal is aboue all the heuens in the whiche is god and all the sayntes holy men and women as I haue sayd before paradyse terrestre is in the erth towarde the oryent paradys spyrytuall is ayenst god to loue hym perfytely that is ouer all In that paradys ben our good aūgelles the whiche seeth loueth god ¶ Mayster where is hell My chylde there are .ij. maner of helles that is to wyte hel spirituall hell corporall hell spūall is ouer all where the soules the cursed aungels bē in payne tourment be it in erth or in the see this may be in many places as we rede of a soule that was turmēted with a flage of yse the a bysshop delyuered by .xxx. masses who was boūde to be there lōge tyme. Hell corporall is in the myddle of the erthe as the carnell of an apple is in the myddle of the apple is a grete caue blacke darke in which ben iiij stages the one aboue the other At the fyrst stage is the place wherin were the holy soules of the holy fathers aūcyētes of them that by theyr holy lyfe cōuersacion haue meryced the realme of paradys the whiche our lorde Ihesu cryst delyuered whan he dyed on the tre of the crosse and now there is none For at that tyme were all delyuered At the seconde stage is purgatory wherin the soules the whiche sholde be saued goth to accomplysshe theyr penaūce the which they haue not accomplysshed in this worlde in theyr lyfe In the .iij. stage ben the soules of the Innocentes the whiche dyeth without baptym And ī the .iiij. stage the which is the moost lowe in depnes ben the deuylles and the soules of the poore myserable dampned the mayster the discyple MAister what paynes haue they the which bē in purgatorye My chylde
scalded with the fyre of the candell in suche wyse that often he falleth vnto the erthe also he ryseth agayn the best wyse he can and with all his power he putteth hymselfe agayne in the fyre of the candell all holly that he there abydeth not withstandynge that he seeth well the daungere Also done those the whiche dampneth themselfe for how be it that they se and knowe the daunger that therin is and also that they ben often scalded by trybulacyous and aduersytees to th ende that they conuert theÌ„ and that by inspyracyon dyuyne they haue some remors how be it for that they cease not tyll vnto that that of theyr owne wyll wtout ony constraynt they put them so depe in the fyre that they there abyde and shall neuer go forthe And how be it that good wyll of symple wyll that all men be saued and hath one so grete a gyfte as the realme of paradys without ony meryte and by suche wyse my chylde knowe thou that god hath made the man not to th ende that he be dampned but to th ende that by his holy operacyoÌ„s in suffryng pacyentlye trybulacyons and aduersytees and in resystynge and fyghtynge valyauntlye ayenst the deuyll the worlde and the flesshe he may meryte to be saued ¶ Mayster those the whiche ben predestynate to be saued may they be saued without deseruynge it to trauayle therefore My chylde nay for god knowith well that by theyr merytes and trauayles they shall be saued And in lykewyse may a man say of the dampnyd ¶ Mayster syth that those the whiche beÌ„ predestynate to be saued may they not be daÌ„pned and those the whiche shold be dampned may they be sauyd what auayleth it elles so moche to trauayle for to haue paradys or hell My chylde if thou be predestynate to be saued in the glorye eternall thou sholdest not encrease thy paynes in purgatory to lesse thy glory in paradys by faute to do well yf thou be predestynate to be daÌ„pned thou sholdest not therfore euermore lyue in synne but thou sholdest euermore enforce the to do well to do penaunce for to lesse thy paynes in hell for as moche as thou knowest not whereunto thou art destynate thou sholde alwayes thynke on the better ê‘ty that is to vnderstaÌ„de that god the hath made vnto his seÌ„blaunce hath bought the with his precyous blode for to saue the not to dampne the. wherfore my chylde thou shold euermore do good dedes to fle the yll knowe thou my chylde that god the hath gyueÌ„ wytte vnderstaÌ„dynge reason fre wyll lyberall arbytre to chose the good or the yll to th ende that thau haue not ony cause of Ignoraunce or of ImpuyssauÌ„ce ¶ Master what say ye of them the which neuer hereth the coÌ„maundementes of god ne none they done My chylde the men ben made vnto the Image vnto the semblauÌ„ce of god to th ende that they hym loue serue drede and therfore if they knowe not theyr creature in this worlde we shall not knowe them in the other ne yet by theyr Ignoraunce they shall not be excused but more soner accusyd for the IgnorauÌ„ce excusyth not the synne ¶ Mayster yf a chylde were nourysshed in a wood he had neuer harde speke of the fayth of Iesu cryste shal he be daÌ„pned yf yâ— he dye in suche wyse My chylde it is a thynge to beleue that god maketh reuelacyoÌ„ vnto euery persone of the fayth of Iesu cryst by techynge of man or by reuelacyon dyuyne or otherwyse if he go ayenst the sayd reuelacyon knowe thou that he shall be dampned ¶ Mayster ben the soules made from the begynnynge of the worlde My chylde nay but god them createth all the dayes theÌ„ putteth in the bodyes of the chyldren wtin the wombe of theyr moder that is to vnderstaÌ„de vnto men at .xl. dayes after theyr coÌ„cepcyon Mayster what auayleth vs coÌ„fessyoÌ„ My chylde it is the secoÌ„de baptym For in lykewyse as by baptym all synnes be pardoned In lykewyse by the vertu of the sacrament of coÌ„fessyon all our synnes be pardoned for as moche as a man knowlegeth his defaute before god or before his lyeutenaunt for God loueth more obedyeÌ„ce thaÌ„ sacryfyce for obedyeÌ„ce is mother of all vertues ¶ Mayster auayleth more penauÌ„ce don by enioynynge of the coÌ„fessoure than penauÌ„ce don by wyll My chylde if thy coÌ„fessoure the hath enioyned in penauÌ„ce one pater nâ— all onely thou leue it to say an hole sauter synÌ„est thou shalt not acquyte the of thy penauÌ„ce but yf thou saydest the PeÌ„nrÌ„ yâ— which to the was enioynyd and thou leuest to say the sauter or other many fayre orysons that thou sayst by symple wyll thou shalt not synÌ„e but thou shalt acquyte the of thy penauÌ„ce for as I haue tolde the more better is obedyeÌ„ce done to our lorde than doth the sacryfyce ¶ Mayster what auayleth contrycion at the poynt of deth My chylde those the which abydeth theÌ„ to repent tyll vnto the houre of deth ben trechoures vnto our lord as the trechoure yll payer that promyseth for to paye at a certayne terme but he wolde that the terme sholde neuer come and for this mater cause he maketh a M. trecheryes vnto his creature to th ende that he ne paye hym so sone or neuer and of the other parte saynt Luke sayth that god is not well payed of hym the which hym payeth of that thynge that he ne may no lenger holde Howe be it it is wryten that at what houre that the synner shall declare his synne in grete repentaunce and coÌ„trycyoÌ„ that it vnto hym shall be pardoned But my childe it is a ryght grete parell to abyde hym to repeÌ„t for thaÌ„ a man is so troubled that a man knoweth not hymselfe nor none other for as sayth the psalmys OmÌ„noÌ„ est in morte q memor sit tui in iferno auÌ„t quis confitebitur tibi That is to say that as the deed man hath no remembraunce of god and that is no tyme hym to repent and to confesse his synne whan that a man is in hell for the senteÌ„ce of god is gyuen Than my chylde thou shold repent coÌ„fesse the whaÌ„ thou hast tyme space thou sholdest not tarye tyll to morowe for thou knowest not whether thou shalte deye to morowe or sooner the discyple the mayster MAyster sythen that the synne of pryde is ê‘doned by baptyme wherfore dyeth those the which ben baptysed My chylde the good deyeth to the ende that they ben taken from the trybulacyon of this worlde they be crowned in the realme of paradys and the euyll deyeth by theyr synnes to the ende that they be put from the Ioyes and delytes of this worlde ben in greate doloure punysshed eternally in hell ¶ Mayster what noyeth the sodyen dethe vnto the man My chylde that man the whiche dyeth so daynly so that he be in the