Nihil opertum quod non reveletur.—MATT. x. [26.]
ÞIS gospel confortiþ martirs, and telliþ hid syne þat is in þes newe ordris, biside þe ordre of Crist. Crist seiþ þat, nouȝt is hilid, þat ne it shal be shewid and no þing is so pryvy, þat ne it shal be knowun. Þes wordis ben of bileve, for alle þingis ben knowun of God, and þat myrrour shewiþ forþ þe moost pryvy þing in þis world; and at þe dai of dome, whanne bokis shulen ben opin, þe whiche bokis ben mennis soulis, and conscience of hem, þanne shulen boþe gode and yvele knowe mennis þouȝtis and her werkes. And herfore shulden alle men hardeli stonde bi treuþe, and speciali bi Goddis lawe, for þerinne liyþ no shame; and herfore biddiþ Crist þat, þat he haþ seid in derknes, þei shulden seie eft in liȝt, more comounli and more clereli, boþe in lyf and in word. And þis reule of Cristis ordre shulden men kepe, but algatis preestis, and to þis entent biddiþ Crist þat þat þei have herd in her eere, þei shulden preche opinli upon platrowes of housis, for þus shulde þe comunte of men betere undirstonde; and þus wole Crist, þat alle þingis þat God spekiþ to eeres of soule, shulden þese heereris speke forþ, and drede no worldeli muk in housis. And þanne men prechen aboven hilingis, lyvynge comun lyf as briddis, and taken noon heede to worldeli goodis þat ben closid wiþinne housis. But, for sich prechinge axiþ hardynesse and martirdom, þerfore Crist con|fortiþ hise to drede not sleynge of bodi; Nyle ȝe, seiþ Crist, drede þese men þat sleen þe bodi, and mai not after slee þe soule, ne lette God to quyke þat þing þat þei killen, and to make þat betere; but raþere drede him þat haþ power to leese boþe þe bodi and soule into helle for evermore, for to dwelle þere in peyne. Ne ben not two sparowis sold for þe leste moneie in chaffar|inge,—for, as Luk telliþ, fyve ben sold for two ferþingis,—and ȝit God ordeyneþ for alle þes foulis. And siþ þes foulis ben
