The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. PROLOG.

Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, and blame thou, in al pacience and doctrine.

(ij^e. Thi. iiij^e. capitulum.)

THOUȝ these wordis weren writen [werē writē, MS.; but the stroke above is in a later hand, and so elsewhere often, but not always.] bi Seint Poul to Thimothe being a bischop [abischop, MS.; and so elsewhere very often, but not constantly: here the indefinite article is always printed as a word by itself.] and not a lay persoon of the comon peple, ȝit in tho wordis Seint Poul ȝeueth not to Thimothe instruccioun of eny hiȝer gouer|naunce than whiche also he myȝte haue ȝeue to a lay persoon of the comoun peple, bi cause that in tho wordis Poul ȝeueth instruccioun not of correc|cioun (or of correcting bi thretenyng and punyschinge), which longith oonli to the ouerer anentis his neth|erer, and not to the netherer anentis his ouerer; but he ȝeueth instruccioun of correpcioun and of correpting, which not oonli longith to an ouerer anentis his netherer, but also to a netherer anentis his ouerer, as it is open, ij^e. ad Thessalonic. iij^e. capitulum. and Math. xviij^e. capitulum., and as resoun also it weel [weel it, MS. (first hand).] confermeth; so that it be do with honeste and reuerence, and with other therto bi reson dewe circumstauncis. Of which correpcioun first openyng or doing to wite, thanne next blamyng,

and aftirward biseching ben parties: and therfore these same wordis speking oonli of correpcioun, so bi Seint Poul dressid to Thimothe bischop, to whom longith [it longith, MS.; but it is can|celled by a later hand.] bothe to correpte and correcte, mowe weel ynow [y now, MS.; but elsewhere con|junctim; similarly y clepid, &c. elsewhere, but not constantly; in such cases here printed uniformly conjunctim.] be take and dressid ferthir to ech lay persoon, forto ther yn ȝeue to him instruccioun, how he schulde reule him, whanne euer he takith vpon him for to in neiȝbourli or brotherli maner correpte his Cristen neiȝ|bour or brother, namelich being in other wise to him his ouerer. In which wordis (as it is open ynouȝ for to se) ech man, which takith vpon him the deedis of brotherli correpcioun, is enformed, that the parties of thilk correpcioun (whiche ben vndirnymyng, biseching, and blamyng) he do "in pacience and in doctrine"; that is to seie, ouer this that for the while of his correpting he hath pacience, that he haue also ther with such doctrine, knowing, or kunnyng, wherbi he canne schewe and proue it to be a defaute for which he vndirnymeth and blameth, and the persoon so vn|dirnome and blamed to be gilti in the same defaut and synne.

And for as miche as after it what is write, Rom. X^e. capitulum., manie han zeel of good wille, but not aftir kunnyng, and han ther with take upon hem forto vndirnyme and blame openli and scherpli bothe in speche and [bothe in speche and added in the margin by a different hand.] in writing the clergie of Goddis hool chirche in erthe and forto bere an hond upon the seid clergie that he is gilti in summe gouernauncis as in defautis, [indefautis, MS.] whiche gouernauncis tho blamers kunnen not schewe, teche, and proue to be defautis and synnes; and han therbi maad ful miche indignacioun, distur|blaunce,

cisme, and othere yuelis, forto rise and be contynued in manie persoones bi long tyme of manye ȝeeris: therfore to ech such vngroundid and vnredy and ouer hasti vndirnymer and blamer y seie the bi|fore rehercid wordis of Seint Poul: Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, and blame thou, in al pacience and doc|trine: as thouȝ y schulde seie thus: If thou cannest teche, schewe, and proue that the deede of which thou vndirnymest and blamest the persoon or persoones is a defaute and a trespace, and thanne that he is gilti ther of; vndirnyme thou and blame thou in thilk kunnyng or doctrine and in pacience: and if thou canst not so schewe, teche, and proue, thou ouȝtist be stille, and not so vndirnyme and blame.

For ellis Seint Poul schulde not haue seid thus, Vndirnyme thou, blame thou, in al pacience and doctrine: ȝhe, and ellis thou ouȝtist vndirnyme and blame first thi silf of this defaute, that thou vndir|nymest and blamest not hauyng the doctrine which thou ouȝtist haue, eer than thou take vpon thee forto vndirnyme and blame: and so to ech such ouer hasti and vnwijs blamer myȝte be seid what is writun, Luk iiij^e. capitulum., thus: O leche, heele thi silf. Ȝhe, pera|uenture to summe suche blamers and for sumwhilis myȝte be seid what is writen, Luk the vj^e. capitulum., thus: Ypocrite, take first the beem out of thine owne iȝe, and thanne thou schalt se forto take the mote out of thin neiȝboris iȝe. And ferthermore sithen it is so, that suche vnwise, vndiscrete, and ouerhasti vndirnymers letten the effect of her wijs and discrete and weel avisid vndirnymyngis, whiche thei in othere tymes maken or mowe make to the clergie; and so ȝeuen occasioun that bothe thei hem silf and her iust vndir|nymyngis ben despisid and ben not seet bi, and so maken therbi hem silf to be letters of miche good and causers of miche yuel, it is riȝt greet nede, that alle tho, whiche taken upon hem to be vndirnymers

and blamers of the clergie, kepe weel what is seid to be the menyng of Seint Poul in the bifore rehercid wordis, Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, blame thou, in al pacience [paciencien, MS.] and doctrine.

Now that God for his godenes and charite ceese the sooner in the comoun peple such vnwijs, vntrewe, and ouerhasti vndirnymyng and blamyng maad upon the clergie, and that for the harmes and yuelis therbi comyng now seid, y schal do therto sumwhat of mi part in this, that y schal iustifie xj. gouernauncis of the clergie, whiche summe of the comoun peple vn|wijsly and vntreuli iugen and condempnen to be yuele; of whiche xj. gouernauncis oon is the having and vsing of ymagis in chirchis; and an othir is pil|grimage in going to the memorialis or the mynde placis of Seintis, and that pilgrimagis and offringis mowe be doon weel, not oonli priuely, but also openli; and not oonli so of lay men, but rather of preestis and of bischopis. And this y schal [schal y, MS. (first hand).] do bi writing of this present book in the comoun peplis langage pleinli and openli and schortli, and to be clepid The repressing of ouer miche wijting the clergie: and he schal haue v. principal parties. In the firste of whiche parties schal be mad in general maner the seid repressing, and in general maner proof to the xj. seid gouer|nauncis. And in the ij^e. iij^e. iiij^e. and v^e. principal parties schal be maad in special maner the seid re|pressing; and in special maner the proof to the same xj. gouernauncis; thouȝ alle othere gouernauncis of the clergie, for whiche the clergy is worthi to [to is inserted by a later hand, perhaps wrongly.] be blamed in brotherly and neiȝbourly correpcioun, y schal not be aboute to excuse neither defende; but preie, speke, and write in al pacience and doctrine, that the clergie forsake hem, leue, and amende.