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
What reason say they is it the you shuld so mocke / and becke with your handes and fyngers one vnto an other / and so shewe your felowes what you meane or what you wolde / where you myght speke and with playne wordes shewe better your mynde / as all other people done And sometyme of the day you wyll speke / and a nother tyme neuer a worde but vse suche tockê toyse / as thoughe some tyme were more lucky to speke in thaÌ„ a nother And yet whan your tyme is coÌ„mune than wyll you nat speke in certeyne places / but call your felowes out of that place / as the churche / or claustre / as though that place were nat fortunat or shulde let you to speke All is very folysshe in good soth This is the obiection of the heretikes Answere Nowe here vs answere I pray you / and good deuout christianes take hede vnto the very trouthe / rather than vnto theyr skoffynge checkes / we wyll fyrste answere after our promysed maner / that is with suche balde reasons as they done make without auctorite / and afterwarde shewe reason founded vpon auctorite of scripture This question wyll I fyrst aske of them why done the kynges seruauntes / or the wayters vpon lordes or states kepe silence whyle a peticion is made vnto theyr mayster or souereyne The hereti why syr saye they For it is agayne nurture and good maner for to interrupte or breke any mannes tale / moche more for the seruaunt vnto the mayster The auctor So saye I is it agayne good perfection to let any persone to pray / so to tel his tale / and to make his peticion vnto our lorde for the tyme assigned or appoynted there vnto The hereti But why syr say they done you make suche signes than and nat speke The auctor Why done you say I somtyme make a sygne or a becke vnto one of your felowes 〈…〉 that standethe byfore your mayster to here his tale whan you haue nede of hym / and done nat thane speake and call hym vnto you / nor yet go rowne in his eare nother The hereti Syr saye they it is agayne good maner / to rowne in the souereynes presence / or to call any man froÌ„ hym / or without any speache to let his tale / but to make a becke or signe dothe lytel let / if it be made priuely and with good maner Take the same answere for my parte saye I that a priue signe made with reuereÌ„ce and good maner for a thynge necessarie dothe lesse let or hynder dedeuocion than dothe outwarde speache The auctor The hereti But yet say they why done you let to speake in the churche specially whan you be nat at diuine seruice or yet in the claustre more than in a nother place The auctor Why saye I agayne may nat euery persone speke at liberte in the kynges priue chambre though the kynge were vnto theyr knowelege absente or why is it prohibite and forboden / that people shulde there rowne or wysper to geder priuely And why maye nat a man fede his horse in the kyngê hale / or wayshe dysshes in his chambre whan he is absent The hereti Ah syr saye they The kynges chambre is a place of dignite and prerogatyue / and many thynges therfore that may be done in other places may nat by good nurture be done there nor sayd And also places rowmes / and offices / bene ordeyned in the kynges house / for all thynges accordynge and as conueniente is The stables for the horses The hall for the men The counsell house for the kynges couÌ„sayle The priue chaÌ„bre for the kynges priuate pleasure / and so forthe of other lyke I praye you than saye I The auctor let it be as conuenient and accordyng that the churche be a place of dignite and prerogatyfe / onely appoynted for prayer contemplacion / and suche diuine seruice due vnto god alone And that the claustre may be a place of study and of reguler obseruaunce / and so of other places and tymes of silence accordynge vnto the institucioÌ„ and ordinauÌ„ces of holy fathers And let this suffice as for lyke answere vnto theyr reasons ¶ Of silence by auctorite of scripture The .xxvii. Chapitre SIth that we haue accordyng vnto our ê“myse answered these menye some what after theyr maner / that is like vnto like / nowe must we for our owne parte shewe some what howe religious silence hathe foundacion / and grounde / vpon the auctorite of holy scripture in both the testamentes And fyrste for the tyme of sileÌ„ce we maye take auctorite in the olde testament of the wyse man saynge Eccle. 3. Tempus tacendi tempus loquendi There is a tyme of silence and a tyme of speache / where the holy fathers done nat forgete to note here In silencio et in spe erit fortitudo uestra Esa 3â— In holy scripture the tyme of silence is preferred and set in order byfore the tyme of speache Matth. 15. C. Matth. 6. And in the newe lawe we haue for auctorite that our sauiour kepte silence hym selfe whansometyme he was prouoked and requyred to speake And also he coÌ„maunded his Apostles / the whan they wolde praye 1. Reg. 1. they shuld nat speke moche And the holy saynt Anne the mother of Samuel / whan she praied saith the scripture she spake nat / but only that here lippes were sene scant to moue And for the place of silence our lorde sayth by his prophete Amos that with other suche punisshement as he there shewed shulde come vnto the people for synne / the Temple shulde be desolate / and in euery place Amos. 8. B silence sayth he shal be cast out and no thynge shal be regarded ne set by Matth. 12. Our sauiour in the gospell sayth my house is a place of prayer / and nat of geanglynge / or claterynge Apoc. 8. A. Saynt Iohan in the Apocalips sayth that silence was made / commauÌ„ded / and kepte in heuen for a tyme. Esa 32. D. And the prophete Esai / the tyme shal come sayth he whaÌ„ peace shal be the worke of Iustice / and sileÌ„ce shal be the reuerente worshype of the same iustice The holy Apostell saynt Iames. Iaco. 1. D. Who so euer done thynke or iuge them selfe to be religious / done nat refreyne theyr tonges by due silence theyr religion saythe he is vayne and voyde / and nothinge worthe 5. q. 4. In loco Psal The coÌ„mune lawe dothe also assent there vnto And the Psalmiste saythe Humiliatus sum et silui a bonis I was made meke and brought lowe and than dyd I kepe silence from all speache thoughe it were very good / moche more than shulde we kepe silence froÌ„ those thynges that were vayne or yuell Psal 106. And in an other place he sayth they were glad and ioyfull / bycause
they had kepte silence Matth. 12. C. The sayng also of our souiour in the gospell of Matthewe / shulde vnto euery feythfull christiane be sufficieÌ„t occasion / to vse and to loue silence Sythe he the is essensiall trouthe and might nat erre / nor lye sayd that of euery vayne and ydell worde shall we render and make accounte in the generall Iugemente ¶ Of signes to be made in tyme or place of silence The .xxviii. Chapitre AS vnto theyr mockes and checkes of our sygnes made and vsed in tyme or place of silence / we haue answered theÌ„ in theyr lyke maner And yet many we take for auctorite / that saint Peter and his felowes when they had taken a multitude of fisshe had nede of helpe they wolde nat for reuerence of our sauiour there present call vnto theyr felowes for theyr helpe Luce. 5. but rather made them signe and tokeÌ„ there vnto / and Martha caled her syster Marie Magdalen vnto our sauiour by silence / sayth the gospell Ioan. 11. Act. 13. C. And in the actes of the Apostles we rede that saynt Peter whan he was by the Angell delyuered out of prison he came vnto his acquayntauÌ„ce / fyrst he made with his hande a signe of silence byfore that he wolde speke Act. 19. F. And so dyd saynt Paule a nother tyme iÌ„ lyke maner / as appereth in the same actes The wyse man sayth / if thou haue nat redy what to speke put thy fynger vpon thy mouthe / in token of silence Catho also saith / It neuer hurte ne noyed any persone to kepe sileÌ„ce / but moche hathe noyed and hurte / to haue spoken The coÌ„mune ê“uerbe is that a worde ones spokeÌ„ can nat be caled becke agayne Wherfore I wolde aduise al religious persones what so euer the heretikê done saye to gyue good hede and deligence vnto theyr silence precisely to be kepte bothe for tyme and place of silence The tyme of silence / after saint Hughe de sancto Victore as we haue shewed vpon the rule is from the ende of colacion byfore compline vnto the houre of terre be fully ended / after our lady masse where ordinare masse ben kepte And agayne from the fyrste grace be sayd byfore dyner in the fraitour vnto the later grace be ended after dyner iÌ„ the churche / or els on fastynge dayes vnto benedicite be sayde of the president after the coÌ„mune beare or drinkynge And these tymes be you sure were nat appoynted of the olde fathers wtout reasoÌ„ good or coÌ„sideracioÌ„ / accordynge vnto the places / that the seruauntes of god in the forenone whaÌ„ the mynde is moste fresshe shulde haunt and vse the churche or secret places to serue hym iÌ„ prayer / meditacion / and contemplacioÌ„ / and in the fraytour the worde of god that there is red in the lesson duely and diligentely to be herde The residue of the tyme to be speÌ„de in holy laboures study / profitable / or necessarie occupacions / wherin moderate speache maye be vsed / so it be euer of good vertue and spirituall edificacion / or at the least synles For wordes of detraction / or of any synfull yuell And all maner of vayne and ydell coÌ„municacion contrarie vnto good religious maner shulde euery where / in euery tyme / and in euery place be excluded / esche wed / and auoyded / as a perilous pestilence amonge religious persones And thus let this be as sufficient for this holy ceremonie of silence ¶ Of the reason why religious persones done drynke with bothe the handes The .xxix. Chapitre YEt shall we set forthe a thyrde example of ceremonies whiche I haue often tymes herde reproued / and mocked / as a mere and playne supersticion / whiche is this Religious persones done coÌ„mely whan they drynke holde the cuppe in bothe the handes The hereti Here vpon they done after theyr maner rayle / and gest / saynge that monkes so done they call all religious persones done loue well drynke / bycause they wolde be sure to haue a full draught they ordeyne theyr boles so great and large that they can nat lyfte a bole with the tone hand / and therfore they take bothe the handes Answere Here you maye se good christianes howe these heretikes done ascribe the largenes of the boles vnto glotony And me thynke if they had bene charitable ê‘sones they myght by as good reason haue ascribed it vnto good liberalite / that whan they shulde gyue drynke vnto strauÌ„gers or vnto poore folkes they wolde gyue it thankfully liberally / and charitably Obiection Why than saye they what nede you to take bothe the handes vnto a lytell smale cuppe or measer / whan it maye easely be lyfte vp with one hande We shall fyrst answere accordynge vnto our ê“myse lyke vnto lyke / and so wyll I aske this question of them Answere Why some of theÌ„ done whan theyr lordê or souereynes done drynke hold the couer of the cuppe vnder theyr chynne If they saye it apperteynethe vnto honoure I wyll saye agayne / that so in lyke maner this ceremonie dothe apperteyne vnto religion And yet wyll I aske theÌ„ an other question Why done they whan they serue theyr souereynes of meate or sauce in a smale dysshe or saucer bere the seruice in bothe the haÌ„des / where the tone hande were sufficient there vnto If they say it is the custome and good maner of nurture â–ª I wyll answere in lyke wyse / and saye the other ceremonieâ— is the custome and good maner of religion but some persones haue aunswered me / that bothe those obseruaunces ben done lest any lycour shuld fal vpon theyr souereines clothes / or vpon the table and be loste This aunswere dothe somewhat incline and leyne to reason For in dede the olde fathers / had conscience to lose or spyl any thynge that might come vnto the conforte of the poore / and they wolde say that the crome of bread in the baskette or the droppe of drynke in the tobbe Cassianus shal accuse the negligeÌ„t persones / if they be lost We rede in the colacion of the olde fathers / of great punisshemeÌ„te done for losynge onely by negligence / of .iii. graynes of Otemele / and we haue sene some persones iÌ„ beryng of a cuppe curiously haue caste all byfore theyr souereynes / so playde byfore you be it layde / where if bothe the handê had ben diligeÌ„tely put there vnto al myght haue ben safe / but let this be for lyke vnto lyke For we done take a better fouÌ„dacion grouÌ„de of the gospell / and of the actes examples of our sauiour For whan he brake bread Matth. 16. C. Marci 6. F. 8. A. 14 E. Luce. 9. B. 22. B. 24. E Io. 6. Matth. 26. C. he toke it euer in bothe the handê wolde lose nat one croume / as we haue iÌ„ the gospel of Matthewe / in Marke / iÌ„ Luke / in Iohan
the transgressions and defaultê of the subiectes / and nat vpon the tradicioÌ„s ordinauÌ„ces of the fathers and patrones of the reules / whiche sayd souereyne is so ordened as a nuryssher and keper of the coÌ„maundementes of the rule and a punissher or correctour of the vices transgressioÌ„s of the subiectes For the holy obseruauÌ„ces of the reule ben as I suppose coÌ„mitted by taken vnto the prudence prouision vnto the feyth / truste / fidelite of the souereynes And nat subdued vnto theyr wyll pleasure And therfore the selfe father / the fyrste made the rule in all those thynges that bene lefte coÌ„mitted vnto the dispensacion of the abbote or souereine doth speake warely discretly For as I can remeÌ„ber he neuer coÌ„mitteth any dispensacions vnto the wyll / but rather vnto the consideracion / or vnto the disposicion / or vnto the ê“uideÌ„ce prouision / or els vnto the arbitremeÌ„t iugement of the souereyne or els vsynge some ather like termes / but neuer that terme wyll Therby meanyng wyllyng as a ê“uident wyse feythfull seruauÌ„t where in case he doth dispence to folowe the iugement of reason nat the pleasure of his owne wyll And therfore the rule nat ones but diuerse tymes doth monisshe warne the souereyne / that of all his iugementes he shall render yelde accouÌ„t rekning vnto god Thus for a surete do I rede in the rule Let this coÌ„sideracion aperteine vnto the abbotte or souereyne / let this thyng or that be in the prouidence prouision / or in the arbitremeÌ„t iugement / or els in the disposicion of the abotte or souereyne But that the abbotte or souereine at his wyll or pleasure maye chaunge any thyng I haue nat â—nto my remembrauÌ„ce red But rather / let all persones in all thynges sayth the rule folowe the rule as maystres ruler of al. So that no ê‘sones boldly fondly / or vnwysely swarne therfrom in any thyng Ergo nor yet the selfe abbotte or souereyne / let all sayth the texte folowe the rule as maystres / ergo â—â—ne maye folowe selfe proper wyll / wherby I suppose the selfe abbote or souereyne is nat excepted Thus you nowe maye se and perceyue that howe moche so euer is graunted vnto necessite as moche agayne is withdrawen from proper wyll and selfe pleasure What than Doth nat the selfe reguler profession / wherby the inferior and yonger doth wylfully subdue him selfe vnto the supperior and elder bynde equaly and in lyke maner the supperior and elder it doth surely For certeynly I do suppose that bothe bene bounde by the necessite of coÌ„mune lyke coÌ„nauÌ„t promyse And that both eyther ben made detters vnto other by the ê“myse of the th one / that is to say the souereyne bouÌ„de vnto feythfull cure and charge the subiecte vnto humble lowly obâ—dieÌ„ce what is nowe lefte vnto proper wyll / where the prelate as well as the subiecte is bouÌ„de in the necessite of dette duete The wyll also of the prelate is nat lyttel prescribed / restreyned / determined / appoynted / in this thyng also / that is that the ê‘sone that maketh ê“fession althoughe he ê“myse obedience yeâ— doth he nat promyse al maner obedience but determinately after or accordyng vnto the rule / yet nat euery rule ne any other rule thaÌ„ one alone / as of saiÌ„t Benedicte / saynt Augustyne / or suche other So that it byhoueth is necessary for hiÌ„ that is pÌ„late or souereyne nat to vse his wyl pleasure vpoÌ„ his subiectes but to knowe the measure prefixed appoynted vnto hym of the rule or by the rule / and so than to moderate his coÌ„mauÌ„dementes about that thyng alone that he knoweth / for surete is ryght / and yet nat euery ryght / but that ryght alone that the patroÌ„ and father of the rule hathe instituted and ordened / or at the leest that suche ryght be after and accordynge vnto the thynge that the sayd father dyd ordeine For surely the maner and fourme of ê“fession is thus I promitte or promyse nat the selfe rule I say but obedience after or accordyng vnto the rule of saynt Benet or saynt Augustyne / and nat after or accordyng vnto the wyl or pleasure of the prelate or souereyne Wherfore if I make profession after or accordyng vnto this rule or that / and myne abbot or souereyne than peraduenture A good note for the prelates wolde tempte or assaye to charge me with another thyng that is nat after or accordyng vnto my rule / or that is nat after or accordyng vnto my statutes / as by examples / the statutes of saynt Basile / saynt Augustyne / or saynt Pacomie what nede I praye you dothe compell me in that thynge to be obedient surely none at all For that thynge onely I suppose may be required of me that I haue promysed Ergo nowe you may se and perceyue the meeres markes / and measures of obedience whiche you requyre Syth than the tenoure and fourme of the profession is the maner and due meane of obedieÌ„ce and syth also the power of the souereyne that coÌ„maundeth doth nat extende nor stretche but onely so ferre as the vowe of the persone professed doth attayne and reche I may ryght well call these termes / lesse or more / vnder or aboue on this halfe or beyonde / or yet this terme / or coÌ„trarie the very limittes / the meeres termes / markes / and steynts of obedience For within this sayd termes and meeres is the vertue and effecte of obedience inclosed / conteyned / and compassed / wherfore no maner of ê‘sone professed in any lawful order or religion may be coÌ„streyned vnto any thyng aboue that lawe of obedience that his profession semeth to conteyne ne yet inhibited / forbâ—den / or letted / to do any thynge vnder the same lawe / moche more than may he nat so be constrayned nor letted coÌ„trarie vnto that lawe / that fourme than and maner of obedience that is the myddell meane fourme of lyuingâ— bytwene the sayd meeres and termes whiche is prefixed and appoynted by vowe and stablysshed by ê“fession as the tree was stablysshed that was in the myddell of paradyse shulde douteles be onely subiecte and subdued vnto the sayd lawe of obedience / and bounde by that obedience vnto the coÌ„maundement of the souereyne Let therfore the coÌ„maundement of the prelate or his prohibicion neuer passe the termes and meeres or markes and tenour of the ê“fession For that iussion or coÌ„maundement of the souereyne may nother be extended ne streched aboue or beyonde the sayd termes / nor yet be constreyned or streyted byneth or vnder them For my prelate or souereyne shulde ê“hibit or forbede me none of those thynges that I promysed in my profession nor yet requyre of me any more than I promysed For he shulde nother inlarge or eche my vowes nor multiplie my promise without my