ÞE GOSPEL ON SEYNT MATHEU EVYN.

[SERMON CXIX.]

ÞIS gospel telliþ how Matheu was chosen, and how heretikes grutchiden herfore; for treuþe haþ evere adversaries, þat beren hevy þat it shulde shyne. Þe gospel telliþ þat Jesus saw a pup|lican þat hiȝte Levy. And þis Levy was Mathew*. [So E; Mathu, A.], as many men have diverse names,—as þis Mathew*. [So E; Mathu, A.], Petre, and Poul, varieden þer names whanne þei weren apostlis. And þis manere have þe popis, whanne þei ben newe maad popis. But God wolde þat þei changiden to vertues as dide apostlis of Crist. But sum men seien þei changen to synnes, for her chesyng is not of God; þei ben not clepid of Crist to mekenesse, but to pride and worldli liif. And þus al is ypocrisie, and no fruyt to þe Chirche þat þei done, in þis chesing bi ordenance of mannis lawe; and þis envenymeþ myche of þe Chirche bi process of tyme. Jesus siȝ þis Levy sitting at þe tol-boþe, and seide to him, Sue me. And wiþ þis word he ȝaf him vertue.

And here þe fend blyndiþ men whanne þei proven bi Goddis lawe þat þei shulden make siche chesing, for Crist clepide his apostlis. But certis an ape is not so blynd in knowing of diversite. It semeþ þat bi Goddis lawe men shulden purge first þe popis state, and algatis þat he were pore and witti, and willi*. [willy, E.] for to profite to þe Chirche after Goddis lawe; and þanne chese him, as Mathi*. [Mathi, i. e. Mathias, is the reading of E, and seems preferable; A has Mathu. Compare Sermon CI.] was chosen. And þis were sum similitude to sue here Crist and his apostlis. For wel Y woot þat alle þes cheseris witen not wher þei chesen a fend; as þei witen not wher þei lawe be evene aȝens Goddis wille*. [lawe, E.]. And þes two ben to dirke weies to lede alle Cristyndoom to hevene.

Þe storie telliþ how þat Mathew*. [So E; Mathu, A.]forsok al þat he hadde, andPage  396suede Jesus, boþe in place and in vertues. Þis Leevy made Crist a greet feeste in his hous, wiþ mouche folk; for, as þe gospel telliþ, þer was moche puple of puplicans, and of oþer men, his aqueintis, þat weren come to ete wiþ him. And Phariseis and scribis of hem grutchiden aȝens Crist, seiyng to his disciplis, Whi etin ȝe and drynken boþ wiþ puplicans and sinful men? Sich men ben puplicans þat traveilen aboute comune work, to gadere tollis and comyne rentis, to þe use of þe emperour. And þis travail dampneden Jewis, as traveile of sinful men; and for using of þis work þei dampnyden*. [So E; dampnen, A.] men þat comuneden wiþ hem. And Jesus answeryng seide to hem, Hool men have noo nede of leche, but seke men in þer bodi. And so, siþ Crist cam to heele men, and seþ þat sich men mai be hool, he moot bi resoun comune wiþ hem, and maken hem hool as he disposiþ. For Crist cam not to clepe just men, but sinful men to do penaunce.

Here mai we see þat it is good to sum men to comune wiþ sinful men; but þei moten be as Crist was, not to be worsid wiþ þes men. But whanne þei mai do hem good, it were synne to lette þis good. But þes scribis and Phariseis magnefieden þer owne stat, þat no man shulde take from hem, but encreese in worldli goodis. And þus seien now oure Phariseis, boþe religiouse and preestis. But Crist telliþ not bi þis sentence, for it is nest of coveitise. For stat þat Crist ȝaf to his apostlis is now to generali dispisid, þat men shulden be apaied wiþ foode and wiþ hiliyng to her bodi. And al mennis bisynesse shulde*. [So E; shul, A.] be sett to gete vertues to þe soule, for þanne þei seken þe rewme of God, and riȝtwisnesse of þis rewme. And wiþ þis God mai not faile of þes two þingis to mannis bodi; as Crist proveþ bi Matheus gospel, boþe bi foulis and bi lilies. For if men failen in foode or hilyng, þat is for her synne bifore. And þat is more for þer profit, ȝif þei ben wise and pacient; for a betere wey to hevene is algatis more profitable, and he is an overmyche fool þat wole have al his goodis here.