[6-text p 615] no mete but herbes & water to his drink. ne non bed but þe nakid erþe. For which his fleisch was as blak as an Ethiopen for hete and neigh destroyed for cold [346] ¶ ȝit sayde he þat þe brennyng of lecchery boylid in al his body [347] ¶ wherfore I wot wel sicurly þat þay be desceyued þat say þay ben not temptid in here body. [348] ¶ witnesse on seint Iame thapostil þat saith. þat euery wight is tempted in his oughne con|cupiscence þat is to sayn þat euerych of vs hath matere and occasioun to be tempted of þe norischyng of synne þat is in his body [349] ¶ And þerfore seint Iohan þe Euaungelist saith ¶ If þat we sayn we be wiþoute synne; we deceyue oure silf and trouþe is nought in vs
[350] ¶ Now schal ȝe vnderstonde in what maner þat synne waxiþ and encresceth in a man ¶ The firste þing is þilke norisching of synne of which I spak byforn þilke concupiscence. [351] And after þat cometh þe Subieccioun of þe deuel. þis is to sayn þe deueles bely with which he bloweþ in man þe fuyr of fleisschly concupiscence [352] And after þat a man by|think him wheþir he wol don it/ or non. þilke þing to which he is tempted. [353] ¶ and þanne if þat a man wiþstonde and wayue þe firste entisynges of his fleisshe and of þe feend it is no synne. and if so be he do not so; þanne fleeth he anoon a flame of delit/ [354] and þanne it is good to be war and kepe him wel or ellis he wil falle anoon in to consentyng of synne / and þanne wol he do it if he may haue tyme and space and place [355] ¶ And of þis matere saith Moyses by þe deuel in þis manere ¶ þe feend [folio 261a] saith. // I wol chace and pursewe þe man by wickid suggestiouns and I wil hent him by moeuyng or steryng of synne and I wil parte my prise or my pray by de|liberacioun and my lust schal be accomplisit in delit. I wil drawe my sword in consentynge [356] ¶ For certes right as a swerd departiþ a þing in tuo parties right
