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Stabat Johannes.—JOHN i. [29.]
ÞIS gospel telliþ in storie, how Crist gederide his disciplis, and seiþ, þat Joon stood and two of Joones disciplis, and Joon biheld Jesus wandringe, and seide þus of him: Lo, þe lombe of God. Joon Baptist was bifore Crist to make þe weie redi to
him; and al his entent was to hiȝe Crist and his ordre. And þus whanne he clepide Crist þe lombe of God, he tolde þe innocence of Crist, and how he shulde die for man. And þis was figurid in sleying of þe Pask lombe. For as þe Pask lombe was offrid of oo ȝeer wiþouten wemm, so Crist was offrid at Pask to bie his Chirche, of þe firste preest; and þis preest is boþe God and man. And þus Crist is þe lomb of God; and as a lomb haþ no kyndeli gendrure, but it is clene wiþouten scabbe, so Crist was evermore a virgyn, and clene wiþouten ony synne. And two disciplis of Joon herden him speke, and sueden Jesus. And Jesus turnede aȝen and saw hem suyng him, and seide to hem: What seke ȝe? And þei seiden to Crist, Maistre, where dwellist þou? And Crist seide to hem, þat þei shulden come and see. Þei comen and sawen where Crist shulde dwelle, and dwelliden wiþ him þat dai; and it was as þe tenþe hour. And oon of þe two disciplis was Andreu, Symondis broþer, þat [So E; A has and.] herden þeir maistir Joon speke þus, and sueden Crist for good entent.
Soþli Joon Baptist hadde disciplis, to make hem redi to Cristis ordre. And þis priour grutchide not, but was fayne þat þei wenten to Crist; for he synneþ hugeli þat of two goodis chesiþ þe worse. And wolde God þat oure newe ordris wolden wel undirstonde þis storie. Þanne þei shulden preise Crist and his ordre, and be mekeli his disciplis, and make þer disciplis redi to come to Cristis ordre, and grutche not for þei wenten out fre from hem to Cristis ordre. For certis Baptistis ordre was betre þan ben alle þes newe ordris, and he grutchide not but was ful fayn þat þei ȝeden fro him to Crist. And so shulden alle þes privat patrons be fayn of þer disciplis whanne þei wenten fro þer ordre, and camen freli to Cristis ordre; for Cristis ordre is betere þan is hern, as we taken here of bileve. And þus alle þes synnen gretli, þat taken þis worse and leven þe betere. And it is a fendis envie, on þis manere to harme þer breþren, and algatis, for a pride bifore, to hie aȝen Crist þer rotun ordre. And ȝif þou seie þat þis skile wente forþ [forþe wente, E.] , ȝif Crist were dwelling here in erþe, and gedride to him [hym, E.] disciplis as he
dide in Baptist tyme; but now Crist is went to hevene, and men gaderen to hem disciplis; certis þis feyned skile wolde distrie alle þes ordris. For þer patroun, as þei seien, is went to hevene, and dwelliþ wiþ Crist. And ȝif þer ordre dwelliþ aftir, muchil more shulde Cristis ordre, siþ Crist is ever wiþ his disciplis oþerwise þan þes patrouns mai. And where þou seiest þat þes ordris gederen disciplis unto Cristis ordre, certis þanne þei erren foulli, to cloute þus to Cristis reule; as, if men varieden þus fro þer reule, þei wolden seie þei broken þer ordre, siþ þes ordris acorden more togidere, þan ony of þes and Cristis [So E; A has Anticristis, which gives no sense.] ordre, þat is comoun to Cristyn men, and was bifore þes ordris bigan. Lord! siþ þes ordris wolden bere hevy þat men wenten to anoþer ordre, how shulden not Crist and hise bere hevy þat men wenten out of Cristis ordre? and moche more [So in E; om. A.] ȝif fendis lettiden to come aȝen freeli to Crist. Þis synne wole Crist juge, þat is weie, treuþe, and liif, how men letten to wenden his weie. And errour wole not excuse, siþ Poul wende he hadde do wel plesing God whanne he blas|femyde. Þis prisonyng in þes ordris, þat letten men to go freeli out of hem to Cristis ordre, is worse þan ony oþer sect, and liik to þe fendis ordre, þat lettiþ men to go from him. For fro Crist mai men go freeli unto þe fend; but þis condicioun of þe feend, foundun in þes [So E; A has þis.] newe ordris, is sprongen to popis and to kyngis boþe, þat consenten and helpen herto.
Þis Andreu fond first his broþer, þat is seid Symound, and seide to him: We han foundun Messi [Messy, E.] , þe which is þe grete Crist. It was comun in þe olde lawe þat a greet profete shulde come of þe kynrede of Jewis, and bringe hem to ful freedom; and þis was clepid Messias, and Crist bi o witt. And Andrew ledde Petre to Jesus; and Jesus biheld Petre, and seide, þou art Symont, be sone of Johanna: Þou shalt be callid [clepid, E.] Petre, and be maad capteyn of apostlis, for vertues þat Y see in þee. On þe morewe wolde Crist go out into Galile, and fond Philip, and seide, Sue me. Þis Philip was of Beþsaida, þat was citee of Andreu and Petre. And Philip fond Nathanael, and seide to him on þis manere: Him þat Moises haþ writun in þe lawe and
prophetis, we han founden, Jesus, Josepis sone, of Naȝareþ. And Nathanael seide to Philip, Of Naȝareþ mai sum good be? And Philip seide to Nathanael þat he shulde come and se Jesus. Jesus saw Nathanael comyng to him, and seide of him: Lo, verili, a man of Israel in whom is noo gile. And Nathanael seide to Crist: Wher|of hast þou knowe me? Jesus answeride and seide to him, Bifore þat Philip clepide þee, whanne þou was undir þe fige tree, Y saw þee. And here Crist techiþ his Godhed in a maner bi his speche þat he seiþ here. Nathanael was a wise man, and þerfor spak more sutilli. For as Poul seiþ, we speken wisdom among wise men. Crist telliþ here to Nathanael how he saw him undir þe fige tree. Þat mote be bi his Godhede; for bodili siȝt cam not þanne. And þus þat Crist knewe þe hert of Nathanael was bi his Godhede. And þus Crist telliþ, but privyly, whereof he knewe Nathanael,—for of his Godhede he knewe him, as Crist mente in hise wordis. And Nathanael answeride and seide to Crist: Maister, þou art Goddis sone, and þou art king of Israel. Jesus answeride and seide to him, For Y seide to þee þat Y saw þee undir þe fige tree, þou bilevest; þerfore þou shall se more þan þese. And Crist seide to þes men togider, Soþeli, I seie to ȝou, ȝe shal se hevene open, and aungels of God steynge up and comynge doun upon me, al if Y be, mannis sone.
In þis story mai we see many treuþis þat we shulden trowe. First, how proctours of Crist shulden gete disciplis to him bi skilful mevyng [movyng, E.] of Goddis lawe, þat þei miȝten freeli come to Crist, and not bi chaffaryng of erþeli þingis, as þese newe ordris chaffaren. Men þat comen to þes dowid ordris [and] [om. E; rightly.] bringen þer cloþing wiþ hem, boþe for her bedde and bak; for richesse lettiþ to ȝyve hem þese; and over þis þei moten bringe boþe a cuppe and spone to drynke and ete þeir potage; for on þes þingis is þer þouȝt. In þes ordris of þese beggaris þei have contrarie maner; for þei, al ful of disseit, not wiþouten gile as Naþanael, wiþ divers and litil ȝiftis, and false wordis, disseyven children. For þei abiden not to ful age, as weren Andrew, Peter, and Philip; but bifore men have discrecioun in þeir childhode þei ben þus begilid. And so þe first part of þes ordris telliþ
how þei shal ever be nedi, and þat oþer latter part telliþ how þei shal ever be bigilid; but on neiþer of þes maners chees Crist his disciplis; but þes men likli ben oblishid unto fendis—to þe fend þat is Mammon, and to þe fadir of lesingis. And boþe þes ben fendis, as ben alle þat shal be dampned. But here þes ordris fagen, and seien, we knowun not þes entrees, for þes ordris wiþ possessiouns bi þis cause taken men wiþ goodis, þat þe worlde shulde knowe þat þei take not beggers, but riche, as þei shal ever be. Þe freris seien, þei taken in children, for þei ben moost innocentis, and liȝt to norishe in Goddis lawe, as þei ben at þe bigynnyng. But neiþer of þes grounden hem in Goddis lawe bi þer dedes. Þe firste word of þe firste ordre techiþ how he partiþ wiþ þe toþer patroun, and þe toþer partiþ wiþ him in synne, as seintis parten in good. Soþli þes possessioners maken in þer professioun þat þei professen povert, chastite, and obedience to Crist, and at þe bigynnynge þei moten nedes professen þe contrarie. And in tokene of þe firste, þat þei han renounsid [So E; renounsiþ, A.] povert, and ben oblishid to worldli richesse, þei bringen her cuppe and her spone, in tokene þat to drynke and pulment þei ben oblishid bifore oþer; and boþe þes ben no povert to sue Crist, but þe contrarie. Þes freris, þat oblishen þer breþren bi falshed and oþer giles, maken þer pro|testacioun þat þei forsaken after treuþe; and in reule of þe fadir of lesingis þei wolen drawe to þe deþ dai. And ȝif disseit of ȝong men bi Goddis lawe shulde be dampned, muche more disseit of children þat wanten discrescioun, but han þer eldris for þer keperis; for þei wittis wanten kyndeli [That is, are naturally deficient.] . And siþ God seiþ in his lawe, þat whoso steliþ a man, he shal be kild bi Goddis lawe, it semeþ þat alle þes benperis shulden be kild of God by skile; for siþ þefte is taking of oþer mennis þingis, aȝens þe wille of þe lord, it semeþ þat þis takyng of children, þat freris shulden have bi noo lawe, is taking of oþer mennis þingis, for taking of fadirs þing and modirs. And þis tresour is moost presciouse and ful costli to þes fadirs. And where it be aȝens þeir wille, examine hem, and þei shal telle. And þes children comen in bi þefte, and þei ben þeves in al her lyf, to
caste how þei shal cleke to freris alle þe goodis þat þei mai geten, ouþer of þer frendis or of oþer, bi what menis þat þei can caste. And þes ordris folwen more to fendis þan don þe firste ordris of Mammon.
Over þis, men douten comunly, whi Crist chees not Na|thanael, siþ he was witty and good to be Cristis apostle. But here men seien comunli þat þer ben many chesingis of Crist. Crist chesiþ sum to his disciplis for to come afterward to blis. And þus men supposen þat Crist ches þis Nathanael; for Crist preiside him ful myche, and algatis of [in, E.] virtu of treuþe. And þus Crist haþ many disciplis þat ben hid, as Nathanael, as was Joseph and Nicodeme and oþer, til þe daie of dome; for ever Cristis ordre shal laste, and tellen here oþer þer defautes. But þis Nathanael was to wiis to be chosen Cristis apostle, for Crist wolde shewe bi miracle, bi rude [bustouse, E.] men to turne þe world. And þus he wolde make up of fisheris and oþer comunes his apostlis, and make hem passe in witt and wisdom alle oþer men of þis world.
But ȝit men douten comunli how Crist chees here þes þree apostlis, and toke hem [So E; om. A.] not anoon wiþ him, but lete hem wende into þe world and lyve comun lyf as laborers, as it was tauȝt in Petre and oþer. But here we trowen þat Crist dide þus to con|founde þes cloistreris; for Crist wiste wel þat þei shulden come and disseyve muche of þis world, and seie þat it falliþ not to hem to labore, ne dwelle out of þer cloistre, siþ þei passen oþer men in newe signes þat þei han founden. And to distrie þis ypocrisie dide autor of religioun þis:—he chees not þes dis|ciplis unto cloistre þat he dwelte inne, but into place removable, as was Moises tabernacle. And þis is better ordre here; siþ here we have noo citee dwellinge, but here we seken þe blisse of hevene. And þus wente Crist on þe morewe in to þe contre of Galile. But men seien comunli þat Crist clepide ofte his dis|ciplis: first, to be homely wiþ him, and leve sumwhat of worldli curis; after, whanne þei weren more ripe, to suen him boþe dai and niȝt, and siþ, after his resureccioun, to don þer hiȝe apostlis workes. And þus was Poul chosun to be apostle after þe
assencioun of Crist; and anoon he wente and prechide and dide as hiȝest apostle shulde do. And algatis we ben tauȝt bi Crist to flee prisonyng of men as þeves. But ȝif þei wolen dwelle wiþ Crist, þei shulden freeli do þer werkes, and avente hem in þis world, and be not weddid wiþ erþeli þingis. Soþ it is þat Crist sum tyme constreynede men, shewinge his Godhede; as Crist smot Poul doun, and turnede his herte to love of him. But he wolde þat his ordre stood in pacience, mekenesse, and charite, and speciali to turne þe world fro richessis and lustis of bodi: but þes newe religious reversen Crist in alle þes þingis.