[6-text p 640]
[622] Late vs now speke of chidynge & reproche [¶ Chidynge.] whiche ben grete woundes in man-is herte for thei vn-sewen the seemes of frendeshippe in mennes herte / [623] ffor certis vnnethes may a man ben pleynly accorded with him / that hath him openly reviled / & reproued & disclaundred / this is a ful grysely synne / as criste seith in the gospel / [624] And take kepe now that he that reprovith his neighbour / outher he reprovith him bi some harme of peyne that he hath in his body / As Mesel. Croked harlott / or bi some synne that he dothe // [625] Now if he reprove him bi harme of peyne / than turneth the repreff to Ihesu criste / for peyne is sent bi the rightwis sonde of god / & bi his suffe [MS Arch. Seld. B. 14 folio 289a] raunce / be it Meselrie or mayme / or maladie. [626] And if he reprove him vncharitably / of synne / as thow holour thow dronkelewe harlott / & so forth / than apperteyneth that to the reioysing of the deuel / that euer hath ioye that men don synne / [627] And certis chidynge may not come but of a vileyns herte / ffor after the habundaunce of the herte speketh the mouthe ful offte / [¶ ex habundancia cordis os loquitur.] [628] And ye shul vnderstonde that loke bi any wey / whan any man shal chastise another / that he be war of chidinge or reproving / ffor truly but he be wer / he may ful lightly queken the fire of anger & of wratthe / whiche that he sholde quenche / and perauenture sleth him that he myghte chastise with benyg|nite / [629] ffor as seith Salomon the amyable tonge / is [¶ Salomon.] the tree of liff / that is to seyne of liff espirituel / And a dislave tonge / sleth the spirites of him that reprovith / and eke of him that is reproved / [630] Lo what seint Austyne seith / ther is nothing so like the deueles childe as he that offte chideth / seint Poule seith [¶ Paule.] eke / I seruaunt of god bihove nought to chide / [631] And how that chiding is a vileyns thing bitwix al manere folke / ȝit is hit certis most vncovenable bitwixe a man & his wiff / for there is neuer reste /
