the fauoure of god / and of his pÌ„sence than for the peynes of hell the continuauÌ„ce than of that obedience shulde obteyne grace / so that the fere and drede shulde tourne vnto loue So at the least that the persones shulde wyl and wysshe they kepte that obedience onely for the loue of god / whiche semethe vnto theyr myndes they done kepe onely for drede And I dare well say that wyll shall nat be with out rewarde of grace / specially if it be caled fore insued It is therfore a good surety for euery ê‘sone to kepe duely obedieÌ„ce / whether it be kepte ryghtly wylfully for loue / or caytyuely byforce / for drede ¶ Howe to knowe or to coniecture whan obedieÌ„ce is wylfully done for due loue / and whan nat so consequentely to coniecture whan disobedience or any other sinne is dedly or veniall The .iii. Chapitre HEre althoughe in maner by a digression we thynke it profitable for suche symple persones as be scrupulouse in conscience to knowe or at the leest to coniecture whan theyr obedience is done ryghtely of good wyll / and whaÌ„ nat For the knowlege wherof we must fyrste consider nat onely after the doctrine of philosophie Ro. 7. D. 2. Cor. 4. D but also of holy scripture / that euery persone is a double man / that is to saye compouÌ„de and made of two men / that is of the outwarde man that is caled the body or the flesshe / and of the inwarde man that is caled the soule or the spirite / betwene whiche two men is euer warre and batayle continual / without any truce accordynde vnto the whiche two men euery ê‘son hathe two wylles One is the wyll of the flesshe / that continually is moued ruled by seÌ„sualite by corrupte blynded reasoÌ„ or fantasy The other is the wyll of the spirite / whiche euer is moued by grace ruled by ryght reason Nowe for the exaÌ„ple of obedieÌ„ce accordyng vnto these two wylles / let vs put the priÌ„cipal pÌ„ceptes or coÌ„mauÌ„dementê of god / the loue of hym aboue all thyngê / the neghbour as our selfe The wyll of the spirite moued by grace ordred by ryght reasoÌ„ wyll forthw t wtout stoppage assent redely be obedieÌ„t there vnto But whaÌ„ the tyme and place done requyre moue the ê‘sone iÌ„ coÌ„scieÌ„ce to put these coÌ„mauÌ„dementes in effecte to worke fulfyll theÌ„ in dede thaÌ„ dothe that wyll of the flesshe moued by seÌ„sualite / ê‘suaded by corrupte reasoÌ„ / blynded affection stycke stoppe therat rebell there agaynst so here beginneth the batayle If thaÌ„ the ê‘sone incline leine vnto the mocion of grace coÌ„trarie vnto the wyll of the flesshe so ê‘fourme the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes bringe it vnto effecte thaÌ„ hathe the spirite the victory the obedience is wylfull the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t duely obserued with the good wyll of the ê‘sone / althoughe it seme vnto the selfe ê‘sone bycause of the resisteÌ„ce of the sensuall wyll to be agayne his wyll But if the persone do incline and leyne vnto the mocion of sensualite corrupted reason so render the wyll of the spirite feynt and feble than dothe the flesshe vanquysshe and preueyle / and so dothe cause the ê‘sone to be disobedient / and to breke the coÌ„maundement / whiche the persone may do in diuerse maners / that is by obstinacie / by ignorauÌ„ce / or by fraylte The pÌ„cepte is brokeÌ„ by obstinacy whaÌ„ it is done by the due knowlege of the ê‘sone full deliberacioÌ„ wyttynly as they say wyllyngly / than is the transgression or brekynge of the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t alway dedly siÌ„ne Than is the pÌ„cepte broken by ignorauÌ„ce whan the ê‘sone hathe nat ryght due knowlege of the pÌ„cepte that may be yet iÌ„ two maners For other that ignoraÌ„ce is of that thynge that the ê‘sone was bouÌ„de to knowe by his owne defaulte is ignorauÌ„t therof / bycause he gaue nat due diligeÌ„ce to haue the knowlege therof and than is that ignoraunce hardely excused in any case of dedly synne / or els the ignoraunce is of that precepte that the persone is nat bounde to knowe / and if he had knowlege therof he wolde nat in any wyse breke it / and than is that ignoraunce veniall synne / and lyke wyse of that defaulte that is done by frailte of sodeyn passion / but nat so of that frailte that is of full knowelege and delyberacion Example here of maye we haue of othes or swerynge For if a persone were caled byfore a iuge hauynge iuste power to requyre an othe and there wolde by good deliberacioÌ„ and full knowlege wittyngly swere contrarie vnto his conscience the othe is euer dedly synne / bycause of the transgression by obstinacy and contempte of the precepte and coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god And lykewyse of them that by contempte with ful deliberacion done horribly blaspheme god or the name or membres of god / althoughe without constraynte or request But if a persone by ignoraunce dyd swere false / supposynge and byleuynge he sware true than is it veniall / and so of theÌ„ that done thynke byleue that to swere that is trouth is no synne To swere by custome without full deliberacion is coÌ„munely venial / or yet contrarie vnto custome if it by done by sodeyne passion of fraylty Thus nowe maye appere / that onely disobedience by contempte is dedly synne and howe a ê‘sone doth breke or kepe obedience wylfully / natwithstanding the veniall vnwylfull disobedience by negligeÌ„ce / ignoraunce or fraylte as is sayd doth nat excuse froÌ„ the peyne due therfore / excepte due remedy be had / whiche remedy standeth fyrst in the contricion and due displeasure for the offence of god / and thaÌ„ dothe the due and worthy receyuyng of any sacrament / or after some doctours any sacrameÌ„tales / as of halewater / or halebreade / the bysshopes blessynge / the syght of the sacrament with suche other done put a waye bothe the synne and the peyne due therfore For sythe we haue of custome suche dayly synnes with out whiche we can nat lyghtely passe this mortall lyfe as saynt Augustyne sayth It is necessarie that we haue dayly and redy remedy / without whiche our lorde god neuer left his people But here vnto some scripulouse persones haue sayd vnto me Syr al doctours done preache / that no maner of remedy can be sufficient to the purgacion and remission of synnes excepte the synner haue mynde / wyll purpose to forsake vtterly the synne and to amende the same And I am sayth this frayle persone in suche case in my conscience that I can nat saye I wyll amende and forsake some maner of sinnes / where vnto I am dayly acustomed And thoughe I saye and also thynke verely in my herte that I wyl amende yet do I proue afterwarde in effecte that I do nat amende / but fall agayne the nexte daye into the same
custome Howe can I saye than or promyse that I wyl amende as in case / I do fede / eate / or drynke / so that I passe due temperauÌ„ce therin vnto the grudge of my conscience / whiche whan the mater is paste doth shewe me that I exceded moche lesse wolde haue contented nature / and that I toke some thynges more for pleasure than for nede / vnto the grefe rather thaÌ„ vnto the coÌ„forte of nature And iÌ„ lyke maner / whan I fall in coÌ„municacion or talke I excede in wordes that bene vayne and myspende the tyme therin wherwith afterwarde I grudge iÌ„ conscieÌ„ce And yet althoughe I be moche disconteÌ„ted and displeased with my selfe for these frayltes and suche other / and thoughe also I thinke verely and purpose to amende yet can I nat promyse to ameÌ„de / nor yet can I nat thynke nor byleue that I shall amende / the experience so often doth proue the contrarie For the custome is so grounded of so longe tyme that I thynke I can nat amende it Answere For our answere here vnto / you muste remembre that we said before / euery synne is done other by contempt / that is to saye despysynge the lawe of god / as settyng nought therby or carynge lyttell therfore / than is that as we sayd alway dedly synne if it be done by deliberacioÌ„ knowlede / the custome therof is euer more dedly synne / whiche maner of sine can neuer be so accustomed but that the ê‘sone caling for grace may ameÌ„de lyghtely if he wyll Other synnes there ben as we sayd byfore wtout whiche after saynt Augustyne we can nat lyghtely passe this mortall lyfe / that ben done by fraylte / ignoraunce / or negligence / that ben veniall Syr saythe the frayse persone I meane no thynge of dedly sinne done by contempte For I am ryghte sory for my defaulte / but yet my frayltie is suche Answere that I haue no truste to amende Here nowe good soule saye I you muste consyder the differeÌ„ce betwene truste to amende / and wyll to amende For thoughe you be in doute and in dispere of your fraylte / so that by many experieÌ„ces and ê“ues there of you done distruste your selfe to amende / yet done nat you / nother say ne thynke / that you haue no wyl to amende / but rather you wolde be glad and ioyfull that god wolde sende you that grace to amende and that you shulde neuer fall againe therin That is trouthe sayth the frayle persone And I do pray dayly and beseche our lorde that I maye by his grace be delyuered therof / so that I neuer fall agayne into that / nor into any other disposicioÌ„ / that shulde displease his goodnes Nowe saye I that by your owne wordes you done grauÌ„t with saynt Paule that the lawe is good / and that to kepe due temperaunce is good / and that to kepe discrete silence is good / so done you conclude that all the defaulte is hooly in your selfe Where vpon than do I conclude / the after myne opinion you can nat haue a more sure and redy meane to obteyne grace and forgyuenes of your dayly synnes than to mistruste your selfe / and so to dispayre of your selfe And thaÌ„ to put all your hole hope and truste in the mercy goodnes of our lorde god / that dothe knowe the wyll of your sperite / althoughe the wyll and lawe of the flesshe dothe of fraylte vanquysshe for the tyme / yet I wolde aduyse you to offer your selfe vnto our lorde saynge or thynkynge / good lorde althoughe I dyspayre of myne owne infirmite feblenes and fraylte yet do I nothynge dispayre of thy great power and myght / where I maye nat lorde / thou mayste / where I can nat thou canste And where my carnall wyll is inconstante thy bountie grace and goodnes is euer one / whervnto I hooly committe my selfe And therin do put all my hope and truste And this maner and consideracion I thynke shal be a good and sufficient meane that the sacramentes / sacramentales with the coÌ„mune merites of Christes churche the prayers of holy sayntes may haue effecte in your soule / vnto remission of your synnes This haue we sayd by disgression nat without instant requeste / vpon the occasion of well wyllynge obedience ¶ Of the forther diuision or diuersites of obedieÌ„ce The fourthe Chapitre NOwe let vs retourne againe vnto our mater of obedience For we left in shewynge the diuersites of obedience / whiche as we sayd bene in many maners / as the obedience of pleasure or profyte / of nede or necessite / and of fere and drede whiche maner of obediences ben bothe vnto man beaste coÌ„mune / other by the disposicion of nature / or els by force and compulsion / and therfore bene they as we sayd of lytell meryte / but nat clene and vtterly without meryte as before we haue declared / we must nowe therfore seke and serche forther for an other obedience that may be of more meryte / and that is caled the obedience of loue / whiche is whan a ê‘sone for the loue of god / for the more ryght / streght and more sure meane to worke his wyll pleasure and to folowe the pathe and very waye of lyfe / that is to say the steppes and exambles / the coÌ„maundementes and couÌ„sayles of our lorde sauiour Iesu dothe put hymselfe by promyse vowe wylfully subiecte in all due obedience vnto a souereyne / that by the auctorite of the churche doth bere the rowme vse the persone of our sayd sauiour The diffinicioÌ„ of whiche obedience we haue set forthe byfore Of this maner of obedience is our mynde to speke and intreate and afterwarde of the other two vowes / wylfull pouerte / and chastite ¶ Of the laude / prayse / and excellency / of this obedience The .v. Chapitre IN the order of these vowes we done begynne with this vertue of obedience / bycause of the excellency therof oboue other vertues For obedience is next in order of dignite vnto the .iii. diuine vertues / caled theologicall / that is to say seythe / hope / and charite For thoughe obedieÌ„ce do seme is iÌ„ dede the doughter of humilite and mekenes yet is it of more perfection than is her mother mekenes / a lyke example of charite For thoughe Charite be the moste hyghe excelleÌ„t vertue in dignite yet is operacion and euident worke of a good dede in effecte the probacion profe and perfection of charite So that if it be true and vnfeyned charite it must nedly worke bryng forth good dedes / and if it dothe nat worke and do good dedes it is nat true / but rather a similitude or a shadowe of charite So is it in lyke maner of humilite or mekenes / the very profe wherof in effecte is obedience For obedience dothe make humilite ê‘fecte / as euidentely was proued in the fyrste most excellent reasonable
but also a great blotte vnto the fame of any ê‘sone althoughe it were in a kynge or hyghe estate But saynt Bernarde sayth / that in the soule and mynde of euery persone inobedient In sermo de lepra Naaman is a double leprie / that is to say proper wyll And proper sence or ê“per couÌ„sayle Bothe ben lepres sayth he and of the worste maner and moste perilous lepries And yet is proper counsell or proper sens sayth he the more ieoê‘dous lepre / bycause it lyeth and lurketh priue and secrete in the soule and the more it doth haboundes is multiplied therin the rather doth it and more depely deceyue the selfe persone For ê“per sence dothe cause all maner of persones to stande well in theyr owne fauoure / and in theyr owne consceyte to be very wyse and excellent / and to approue them selfe in all thynges And to haue as saynt Paule saythe a great zeale / but without ryght knowlege Ro. 10. A. And therfore done they folowe obstinately theyr owne blyndenes and erroures And wyll nat leyne / folowe / ne gyue credence vnto any counsell For they done swell and bene puffed vp with pryde in theyr owne vanite / so that they ben pleased and done reioyse in them selfe And in theyr owne syght and estimacion or supposicion they ben great folkes synguler excellent in all maner of vertues And therfore done they disdeyne / and set at nought all other ê‘sones as dyd the proude Pharisey vnto the poore Publicane And so ben they ignoraunt of the iustice of god settynge forthe and folowynge theyr owne iustice and folysshe fantasy Lu. 18. B. For what can be more folisshe / and as I sayd iÌ„ the lawe of the churche more vnryght wyse / and contrarie vnto iustice Ro. 10. A. Leo Papa 24. qÌ„ â— Quid aut inquius Ibidem than that any one persone shulde so ferre folowe his owne sence / ê“per couÌ„sell and mynde that he wyll nat byleue ne gyue credence / vnto them that of auctorite ben more wyse and more depely better lerned But suche maner of persones saith the same lawe ben letted by some fantasticall blyndnes or darkenes to haue the knowlege of the trouth / and therfore done they nat resort ne leyne vnto any counsell or auctorite / but only vnto theÌ„ selfe And therfore ben they of good iustice ryght made the maysters of erroures / bycause they wolde nat be the disciples of trouth Wherfore holy saynt Bernarde dothe counsell his trendes / sayng De precep et bispens Be you well ware sayth he that you begynne nat to habouÌ„de iÌ„ your owne sence / ne to haue ouermoch confidence and truste in your owne wyt / lest ê‘aduâ—ture whan you done insue / folowe seke for lyght true knowlege you by the mocke deceyt of the dyuell your enemie do stumble and fall into derkenes and erroures For as nothynge is more necessarie for religious persones in theyr begynnyng than is humble or meke siplicite or simplenes also bayshfull grauite So is nothing more perilous or more pestilenous poyson thaÌ„ is ê“per sence / selfe truste proper counsell For those done vtterly destroye all good religion and done put the persones in state in ieopardy of euerlastynge dampnacion by disobedience For disobedience is in scripture coÌ„pared vnto ydolatrie 1. Re. 15. Quasi peccatuÌ„ ariolandi est repugnare et quasi scelus idololatrie nolle acquiescere That is To repugne withstande the coÌ„maundement of god is lyke vnto the synne of wychecrafte And nat to haue wyll to be obedient is lyke vnto the great mischefe of ydolatrie / where the glose thervpon sayth that euery persone disobedient is condempned and accounted as an infidele or feythles persone So the here coÌ„meth in the fourth maner of thyncoÌ„modite of obedience / that is vnto the soule Ex specto spuÌ„aliuÌ„ 3. p. Ca. 9. For nothyng doth in a religious persone more depely displease our lorde than dothe the disobedience of proper wyll Ne any thynge dothe make hym more in fauoure familier frende vnto the gostely enimy Nor yet dothe any thynge in this lyfe more noy and hurte the selfe religious persone For as obedience dothe make the religious persone the louynge seruauÌ„t of our lorde so dothe inobedience make hym familier frende and felowe vnto the dyuell Eccl. 18. The wyse man therfore dothe counsayle saynge Folowe thou nat thy concupisceÌ„ces and desyres / and be nat thou glad to be tourned and counsayled vnto thy misordered proper wyll For if thou satisfie and folowe thyne owne mynde in the concupiscences and inordinate desyres therof it shall cause and brynge the to be vnto thyne enemies coÌ„forte pleasure And also bring the out of the grace and fauour nat onely of maÌ„ Sup. Can. but also of god For saynt Bernarde sayth of our lorde and sauiour / he that so moche loued obedience / that he wolde rather lose his lyfe than lacke obedience he sayth he wyll nat loue ne shewe his familiarite / ne gracious fauoure vnto the persone inobedient Proper wyll therfore saythe he is a great yuell / Ibidem a greuous thyng Syth it causeth the to lose the merites of all thyne owne good workes or dedê So that vnto the shall they be nother good ne ê“fitable Se than what shall ê“fytte or auayle vnto the inobedieÌ„t wylfull religious persones all theyr pouerte / all theyr penury / nedenes and lacke of pleasures / also of many thyngê necessarie What shall auayle theyr strayte custody garde of chastite / by fastyng watchynge / harde weryng of garmentes harde leyng what shall auayle theyr disciplines corrections / theyr silence and solitary lyfe / theyr great and continuall laboures peynes / all the holy ceremonies obseruauÌ„ces of religion What I say shall these thynges auayle ê“fytte if the ê‘sones do folowe vse theyr ê“per wyll surely nothyng shall they ê“fyt at all as vnto the meryte of euerlastyng lyfe but all worse than lost For saynt Gregory sayth / Grego it is full like that those ê‘sones ben parteles of the graces benefites of our lorde the ben nat obedieÌ„t vnto his wyl but rather vnto theyr owne froward minde Which thyng our lorde doth shewe by his prophete Esaie Esa 28. Se saythe he amonge your fastes laboures peynes your owne proper wyll is fonde / I fynde your proper wyll amonge all your workes / whiche doth cause disobedience Of all the creatures that euer god made none done seme to be disobediente / but tweyne alone / that is to saye The dyuell and the synfull man Wherfore good reason wyl / that as the dyuell is in hatred of all folkes / and cursed / banned / yuell spoken of / and abhorred of all creatures so shulde the persones disobedient be compared ioyned vnto hym / and taken or accouÌ„ted as his seruauÌ„tes / felowes / and chyldren / let therfore the frowarde hertes that
1. D. IbideÌ„ 3 A. And in a nother place he doth complayne that certeyn persones were vnto hym disobedient And yet after that / howe persones wolde be disobedient and what shulde be theyr peyne and punisshemente therfore TituÌ„ 1. C. And he coÌ„mauÌ„ded his disciple saynt Titel that he shulde sharpely correcte the inobedient persones Heb. 1. A. And vnto the Ebreuse he sayth that inobedieÌ„ce hath ben euer iustely punisshed / and therfore let nat vs byleue or truste to escape if we be disobediente Saynt Iames in his epistle doth perswade his disciples vnto due obedience Iaco. 1. C. reuoke theÌ„ froÌ„ inobedience For our lorde god sayth he doth resiste the proude disobedient persones / vnto the meke and obedient ê‘sones Iaco. 4. B. 1. Pe. 1. C. he gyueth grace And saynt Petre sayth / go forth in grace as chyldreÌ„ of obedieÌ„ce leue vtterly your fore vsed disobedience and all the malice / gyle / dissimulacion / enuy / all detractions bylongyng thervnto Ibi. 2. A. And agayne he warned the people to by ware of the ê‘sones of inobedieÌ„ce / shewyng the ieoê‘tes therof 2. Pe. 2. A. ibi B. C. D And yet agayne he sayd that euer there haue ben some false ê“phetes of disobedience / suche shuld come amoÌ„g theÌ„ / there he shewed what vengeauÌ„ce our lorde wolde take vpon theÌ„ for theyr disobedience 1. Io. 2. A. And saynt Iohan sayth / that who so euer saith he knowith god is inobedieÌ„t vnto his coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes is a false lyer and trouth is nat in that persone And agayne / Who so euer is inobedient vnto the doctrine of Christe 2. Io. B. hath no god / but is feythles And in a nother place 3. Io. C. Iude. B. he rebuketh a certen ê‘sone by name for disobedience And the holy Apostle Iude / sayth that the ê‘sones of disobedience entryng amoÌ„g the good people dyd moche hurte / and after he sheweth what veÌ„geauÌ„ce our lorde wyl take vpon the ê‘sones of disobedience IbideÌ„ E. The Appocalips ouer all Appoca doth chalenge and rebuke the persones disobedient doth shewe the peyne and punisshement therof The doctoures of the churche in lyke maner Saynt Hierome iÌ„ his epistles Iero. ti 1. sheweth of a monke caled Malchus / that for his inobedience vnto his abbote suffred great trouble and ieopardy bothe of soule and body Augustinê° de ci dei And saynt Augustyne doth allowe the iustice of a pagan or paynem caled Marcus torquatus a capitayne of the Romaynes / that put his owne sone vnto deth for disobedience / bycause that contrarie vnto his commaundemente he made batayle agayne his enemies / natwithstandyng also that he had a noble victorie / as wryteth Valerius maximus And he sayth in a certeyn place that the principall moste great yuell and mischefe of all thynges Valerius maximus suê‘ Gene. ad litteraÌ„ li. 8. Ca. 6. C. is to folowe selfe wyll / whiche is caled sayth he inobedience A certeyn persone that by saynt Benet was delyuered of a wyked spirite was by inobedience accepte and taken agayne of the same spirite And in vitas Patrum bene many exaÌ„ples of many sondry and diuerse peynes and punisshementes that haue folowed this great abominable synne of disobedience / and shewed vnto the monicion and warnyng of all christianes / specially religious persones I byseche our lorde we maye all take hede thervnto euer for the reuerent drede of hym we may auoyde and flee all occasions therof Amen And thus an ende of this fyrste membre of this thyrde parte whiche is the fyrste borde of our vessell / Toune / or Pype / the other with the helpe and grace of our lorde shall shortly folowe ¶ A worke or boke of the reuereÌ„t father noble clerke holy saynt Bernarde / named by the tytle thus De precepto et dispensatione That is to saye / of commaundement and dispensacion / whiche is to meane howe / and in what thynges / and in what fourme or maner the souereynes of religion / maye coÌ„maunde and dispense with theyr subiectes And agayne howe and wherin the subiectes shulde be obedient / which sayd worke is translate and tourned in to Englyshe by a brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde ¶ The preface of the translatour as argument vnto the worke that foloweth Bycause good deuout readers the matter that folowethe may be vnto you the more open playne you shall vnderstande the two religous men monkes of saynt Benettê rule made instaÌ„ce meane and requeste by wrytyng of diuerse epistles vnto saynt Bernarde / to haue knowlege and exposicion or declaracion for theyr conscience of certeyne poyntes of theyr sayd rule And he to satisfie theyr deuout mynde made this boke or worke for an answere And dyd dedycate / directe / and sende forth the same worke vnto a father of religion / the abotte of Columbens / and by hym to be sende vnto hym that was abbotte souereyne vnto the sayd religious brethreÌ„ The ende of yepÌ„face ¶ Saynt Bernardes Epistle The tytle ¶ Brother Bernarde / caled abbote of Clareuall vnto the lorde abbote of Columbens / salutacion I Haue cured and gyuen diligence to sende fyrste vnto you accordynge vnto my promyse my wrytyng of answere vnto the epistles of the two bretherne moÌ„kes of Carnoteus / wherin also the other thyng that you coÌ„mauÌ„ded is fulfylled For where I had determined shortely to writte vnto theÌ„ agayne to haue rendred an epistle for answere vnto bothe theyr epistles I haue now at your request as you may se drawen my style mater in lengthe vnto the fourme of a boke or worke So that by many thynges put so in length and in more large declaracion many persones maye be the more largely edified / whiche worke whan you haue red and sene ouer Delyuer I pray you nat vnto them for whome it was made but fyrste vnto theyr abbote And after if theyr abbote so coÌ„maunde let it come vnto them / for they bene religious ê‘sones Note that nothyng may be sent forth ne receiued without licence And therfore as by the lawe and ordinaunce of theyr rule they ben prohibitte and forboden to sende forth any epistles / writynges or letters without knowlege and lycence of theyr abbotte So ben they lyke maner ê“hibite forboden any thyng to receiue For whiche cause I haue as you knowe well differred and taried the answere or in makyng answere althoughe it were moche and often requyred of them For bycause as it semed vnto me they presumed to sende theyr epistles vnto me without licence or knowlege of theyr abbote / the thing dyd nat I suspect without cause / as after I playnly perceyued and proued I gaue vnto this worke at the begynnyng as vnto the reders maye appere the name of an epistle But bycause that nowe by your coÌ„mauÌ„demente the mater hath passed the measure and coÌ„mune