The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

vj. CHAPITER.

AFTIR that y haue thus argued now bifore bi resoun into proof of the firste principal conclusioun y schal argue now in to the same by ensaumplis thus:

Seie to me, good Sire, and answere herto, whanne men of the cuntre vplond bringen into Londoun in Myd|somer eue braunchis of trees fro Bischopis wode and flouris fro the feeld, and bitaken tho to citeseins of Londoun forto therwith araie her housis, schulen men of Londoun receyuyng and taking tho braunchis, and flouris, seie and holde that tho braunchis grewen out of the cartis whiche brouȝten hem to Londoun, and that tho cartis or the hondis of the bringers weren groundis and fundamentis of tho braunchis and flouris? Goddis forbode so litil witt be in her hedis. Certis, thouȝ Crist and his Apostlis weren now lyuyng at Londoun, and wolden bringe so as is now seid braunchis fro Bischopis wode and flouris fro the feeld into [to Londoun, MS.; but in is interlineated in an ink of the same colour.] Londoun, and wolden delyuere to men that thei make there with her housis gay, into remembraunce of Seint Iohun Baptist, and of this that it was prophecied of him that manye schulden ioie in his birthe, ȝit tho men of Londoun receyuyng so tho braunchis and flouris ouȝten not seie and feele that tho braunchis and flouris grewen out of Cristis hondis, and out of the Apostlis hondis. Forwhi in this dede Crist and the Apostlis diden noon other wise than as othere men miȝten and couthen do. But the seid receyuers ouȝten seie and holde that tho braunchis grewen out of the bowis vpon whiche thei in Bischopis wode stoden, and tho bowis grewen out of stockis or tronchons, and the tronchons or schaftis grewen out of the roote, and the roote out of the nexte erthe therto upon which and in which the roote is buried, so that neither the cart, neither the hondis of the bringers, neither tho bringers ben the groundis or fundamentis of the braunchis; and in lijk maner the feld is the fundament of tho flouris, and not the

hondis of the gaderers, neither tho bringers. Certis, but if ech man wole thus feele in this mater, he is duller than eny man ouȝte to be. And sithen in lijk maner it is that the maters and conclusiouns and trouthis of lawe of kinde, (of which lawe myche is spoken in the first parti of the book clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture, and which lawe is welnyȝ al the lawe of God to Cristen men, for in sum maner forto speke of lawe of kinde it is al the lawe of God to Cristen men, except the making and the vsing of Cristis sacramentis,) and of it what folewith ther of and is necessarili longing therto leggith ful fair abrood sprad growing in his owne space, the feeld of mannys soule, and there oon treuthe cometh out of an other treuthe, and he of the iij^e., and the iij^e. out of the iiij^e., and into tyme it bicome vnto openest treuthis of alle othere in thilk faculte of moral philsophie, and to the principlis and groundis of alle othere trouthis in the same faculte, (euen as the sprai cometh out of the braunche, the braunche out of the bouȝ, the bouȝ out of the schaft, and the schaft out of the roote:) and thus it was weelnyȝ with al this lawe of kinde eer eny Scripture of the Oold Testament or of the Newe were, and schulde haue so be, thouȝ alle tho Scripturis weren brend,—needis every wijs man muste graunte and consent that noon of the now seid treuthis and conclusiouns of lawe of kinde is ground in Holi Scripture of the Bible, but thei ben groundid in thilk forest of lawe of kinde which God plauntith in mannis soule whanne he makith him to his ymage and likenes. And out of this forest of treuthis mowe be take treuthis and conclusiouns, and be sett into open knowing of the fynder and of othere men, thouȝ not withoute labour and studie thoruȝ manie ȝeeris. And herto seruen clerkis of moral philsophie whiche now ben clepid Dyuynes riȝt as forresters and othere men seruen for to hewe doun braunchis for hem silf, and

for to delyuere hem to citeseins in Londoun that her housis be maad the more honest ther with and therbi.

Go we ferther now thus: What if Crist and hise Apostlis wolden fische with bootis in the see, and wolden aftirward carie tho fischis in paniers vpon horsis to London, schulde men seie for reuerence or loue to Crist and hise Apostlis that tho fischis grewen out of the panyeris or dossers, or out of the hondis of Crist and of hise Apostlis, and that the ground and fundament of the fischis substauncis and beingis were the houndis [Probably we should read hondis.] of Crist and of hise Apostlis whilis thei toke tho fischis, or whilis thei carieden tho fischis? Goddis forbode that for eny loue or reuerence which men wolden do to Crist and to hise Apostlis that thei schulden make so greet a lesing aȝens treuthe. And thanne ferther thus: Certis treuthis of lawe of kind which Crist and hise Apostlis schewiden forth to peple were bifore in the grete see of lawe of kinde in mannis soule eer Crist or his hise Apostlis were born into this lijf, as it is ofte bifore proued; and ther fore it may noon other wise be seid and holde, but that out of the seid see thei toke as bi fysching tho treuthis of lawe of kinde whiche thei tauȝten and prechiden to the peple, and therfore for no reuerence or loue to be ȝouen to God or to hise Apostlis, or to her writingis, it is to be seid and feelid that tho now seid treuthis weren or ben foundid and groundid in the seiyngis or writingis of Crist and of hise Apostlis.

Also in caas a greet clerk wolde go into a librarie and ouer studie there a long proces of feith writun in the Bible, and wolde aftirward reporte and reherce the sentence of the same proces to the peple at Poulis Cros in a sermoun, or wolde write it in a pistle or lettre to hise freendis vnder entent of reporting the sentence of the seid proces, schulde the heerers [heeres, MS.] of thilk

reportyng and remembring seie that thilk sentence were foundid and groundid in the seid reporter or in his preching or in his pistle writen? Goddis forbode; for open it is that thei ouȝten seie and feele rathir [rathir is added by a later hand.] that thilk sentence is groundid in the seid book ligging in the librarie. And in caas that this clerk reporting the seid sentence or proces spake or wrote in othere wordis thilk sentence than ben the wordis vnder which thilk sentence is writen in the seid book, thei ouȝten seie and feele that hise wordis and hise writingis ouȝten be glosid and be expowned and be brouȝt in to accordaunce with the seid book in the librarie, and the seid book in thilk proces ouȝte not be expowned and be brouȝt and wrestid into accordaunce with the seid clerkis wordis [wordris, MS.] and writingis: ȝhe, thouȝ Crist and hise Apostlis wolden entende and do the same as this clerk dooth, the peple ouȝte in noon other wise than which is now seid bere hem anentis Crist and hise Apostlis in this case, as it is opene ynouȝ. And sithen it is so, that alle the trouthis of lawe of kinde whiche Crist and hise Apostlis tauȝten and wroten weren bifore her teching and writing, and weren writen bifore in thilk solempnest inward book or inward writing of resounis doom passing alle outward bookis in pro|fite to men for to serue God, of which inward book or inward writing miche thing is seid in the book clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture and of which Ieremye spekith in his xxxj^e. capitulum. and Poul in his epistle Hebr. viij^e. capitulum., it muste needis folewe that noon of the seid treuthis is groundid in the wordis or writingis of Crist or of the Apostlis, but in the seid inward preciose book and writing buried in mannis soule, out of which inward book and writing mowe be taken bi labour and studiyng of clerkis mo con|clusiouns

and treuthis and gouernauncis of lawe of kinde and of Goddis moral lawe and seruice than myȝten be writen in so manie bokis whiche schulden fille the greet chirche of Seint Poul in Londoun.