The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.
Recock, Reginald, bp. of Chichester, 1395?-1460?

xj. CHAPITER.

FERTHERMORE, for as miche as holders of the first opinioun glorien miche in these textis now to be rehercid, it is ful good with this that is seid forto sette forth also dewe vndirstondingis of tho textis.

The firste of tho textis is writen i. Cor. xiiije. capitulum. in the eende thus: Sotheli if eny man vnknowith, he schal be vnknowun. Bi this text thei taken that if eny man knowith not or putte not in what he mai his bisynes forto leerne the writing of the Bible, as it lijth in text, namelich the writing of the Newe Testa|ment, he schal be vnknowen of God forto be eny of hise. And for this, that thei bisien hem silf forto leerne and knowe the Bible, namelich the Newe Tes|tament, in the forme as it is writun word bi word in the Bible, thei ȝeuen a name propre to hem silf and clepen hem silf "knowun men," as thouȝ alle othere than hem ben vnknowun; and whanne oon of hem talkith with an other of hem of sum other iije. man. the heerer wole aske thus: "Is he a knowen man?" and if it answerid to him thus: "Ȝhe, he is a knowen man," al is saaf, perel is not forto dele with him; and if it be answerid to him thus: "He is no knowen man," thanne perel is castid forto miche homeli dele with him. Page  54

The ije. text is writun ije. Cor. iiije. capitulum. in the bi|gynnyng where Poul seith thus: That and if oure Euangelie is couered, it is couered to hem whiche spillen; in which God of this world hath blindid the myndis or wittis of vnfeithful men, that the liȝting or cleering of the Euangelie of the glorie of Crist, which is the ymage of God, schine*. [schineth, MS.; but the th is scratched out.]not. Of which now rehercid text thei taken that who euer is a persoon of saluacioun schal soone vndirstonde the trewe meenyng of Holi Scripture, namelich of al the Newe Testament, as weel of the Apocalips as of the othere deel, if he attende therto. And the now seid trewe and dewe vndirstonding of Holi Scripture schal not be hid to sechers aftir it, saue to hem whiche schulen perische and be not saued. And ferthirmore alle hem whiche ben bifore clepid knowen men thei holden forto be children of saluacioun or nyȝe to saluacioun, and alle othere men and wommen thei holden as erring scheep in perel of perisching; and al for that thei taken of the ije. text that to the bifore seid men callid knowen men the Euangelie is not couered, and to alle othere men the Euangelie is couered; not withstonding that in trouthe to seie of tho men clepid of him silf knowen men the verri lawe of kinde and of feith, (as it is pureli in itsilf, and so the substancial lawe of God to man in erthe,) is wors knowen than of manye othere, whiche it not leernen in wordis of the Bible but in wordis writun in othere bokis, as here upon y durste leie a waiour of lesing myn arme, and that for the experience which y haue therin upon the kunnyngis of men in euer either of the ij. now spoken sortis.

The iije. text is writun Apocalips*. [Opoc., MS.] laste chapiter in the eende where it is seid thus: I witnesse to ech Page  55 heerer the wordis of the prophecie of this book. If eny man schal putte to hem, putte God upon him the veniauncis writun in this book. And if eny man schal take awey fro the wordis of the book of this prophecie, God take awey his part fro the book of lijf, and fro the holi citee, and fro tho thingis whiche ben writun in this book. Bi this book of prophecie which is spoken of in this iije. text thei vndirstonden*. [vndirstodē, MS.] the hool Bible or the Newe Testament, and of this iije. text thei taken this, that to Holi Writt men schulde not sett eny exposiciouns, declara|cions, or glosis, no more than that men ouȝten take awei fro Holi Writt eny proces or parti writen in Holi Writt; and if eny man sette such now seid exposiciouns, whiche ben not open bi sum text in Holi Writt, he is cursid.

That the now bifore seid vndirstonding, whiche thei ȝeuen to the firste of the iij. textis, is vntrewe and vndew to him, y proue thus: Whanne Poule wroot thilk first texte i. Cor. xiiije. chapiter: Sotheli if eny man knowith not, he schal be vnknowen, he spake of a thing to be knowun, which thing than was presentli. Forwhi he seith not thus: Who euere schal vnknowe, he schal not be knowe, but he seith thus: Who euer vnknowith, he schal not be knowun. But so it is that the al hool Bible was not thanne. Forwhi the al hool writyng of Newe Testament was not thanne. Wherfore Poul meened not and vndirstode not in thilke wordis forto speke of the writing of the al hool Bible, or of the writing of the Newe Testament, of whiche neuer neither thanne was, that whoeuer knowith not thilk writing he schal be vnknowun of God. That in thilk tyme, whanne Poul wrote tho wordis, the al hool writing of the Newe Testament Page  56 was not, y proue thus. In thilk tyme he wrote his Firste Epistle to the Corintheis. Wherfore in thilk tyme this parti of Holi Writt and of the Newe Tes|tament was not, which is now the ije. Epistle to the Corintheis. Also, whanne Poul wrote the firste text, the Apocalips was not writen; forwhi Iohun wrote the Apocalips whanne he was in exile in Pathmos, as he seith him silf the [first]*. [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of the Apocalips; and in thilk exile he was not bifore the laste ȝeer of Domician, Emperour of Rome. But Poul was slain bifore the tyme of this exile bi almost xxxti. ȝeer: for Poul was slain of the Emperour Nero, in the last ȝeer of Nero. Wherfore folewith needis that not al the hool writing of the Newe Testament neither of the al hool Bible was, whanne Poul wrote the first bifore sett text i. Cor. xiiije. capitulum.

Also Poul wrote hise bothe Epistlis to Corinthies eer he came to Rome, and eer he was prisoned there. Forwhi Poul wrote his Firste Epistle to the Corintheis whanne he was at Ephesie, and whanne he was in purpos for to come aftirward into Corinthe, as it is open bi the last chapiter of the same First Epistle to Corintheis. Also he wrote his ije. Epistle to the Co|rintheis whanne he was at Troade, as it is open bi the ije. chapiter of the same ije. Epistle to the Corin|theis, and whanne he was in hope forto come aftir|ward to Corinthe, as it is open bi the firste and ije. and last chapiter of the same ije. Epistle to Corintheis. And herwith open it is that Poul came neuer to Effesi, neither to Troade, neither purposid forto come to Corinthe after he was prisoned in Rome, and after he lay in boundis at Rome; for he was not delyuered fro tho bondis into his deeth, as it is open bi the ije. Epistle to Thimothie, the [fourth]*. [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter. Wher|fore Page  57 nedis it is trewe that Poul wrote hise bothe Epistlis to Corintheis eer he was bounden by prison|yng in Rome; but his Epistle to the Effesies and his Epistle to the Philipensis and his Epistle to Colocencis he wrote whanne he was in prisoun at Rome, as it mai be tak bi the same epistlis, and as Ierom ther|fore witnessith in the prologis*. [These prologues (whoever may be their author) are prefixed to the Epistles in the Vulgate: they do not, however, in every case bear out Pecock's assertion. The pro|logue to the Epist. ad Col. says: Scribit Apostolus eis ab Epheso.] of the same epistlis. And also his Secunde Epistle to Thimothie Poul wrote whanne he was in prisoun at Rome litle bifore his deeth, as it is open bi what Poul seith in the same epistle, that tyme of his resolucioun (that is to seie of the departing bitwixe his bodi and his soule) was than neiȝe.*. [thā-neiȝe, MS.] Wherfore needis folewith that not al the writing of the hool Bible (forwhi not al the writing of the hool Newe Testament) was, whanne Poul wrote the first bifore sett text i. Cor. xiiije. capitulum. And if this be trewe, he wolde not seie whanne he wrote the seid first text, that who vnknowith the al hool writing which we now han of the Newe Testament, he schal not be saued; and so folewith that tho whiche in the seid first text vndirstonden thilk text forto meene of the hool writing, which we now han of the Newe Testament, vndirstonden thilk text amys.

Also thus: Thilk wordis of the first text which Poul writith i. Cor. xiiije. capitulum. were trewe bifore Poul was conuertid to feith, and bifore eny writing of the Newe Testament was bigunne. Forwhi eer Matheu, or Mark, or Luk, or Iohun wroten, and eer Poul or Petir or Iame or Iudas wrote, it was trewe that who euer bi his owne necligence and bi his owne fre wil vnknowith the lawe, which he is bounden to knowe, schal be vnknowen of God, but if he amende thilk Page  58 defaut: and more than this can not be take bi the seid first text of Poul, whanne he seith thus: Who euer vnknowith, he schal be vnknowen. Wherfore fol|ewith that the other vndirstonding, bi which summen streynen*. [streynen, MS., the e being in a later hand.] thilk text forto speke of the writing which we han now of the Newe Testament, is not dewe to him, namelich sithen in thilk text no mensioun is maad of eny writing. And therfore whi schulde it be seid that needis thilk text is to be vnderstonde of the writing which we now han of the Newe Testament? And thus it is now opened, bi this laste now mad argument, which is the trewe and dewe vndirstonding of the same text.

Wherfore sithen ech Cristen man and womman, thouȝ thei neuere rede oon word in the Bible, or thouȝ thei neuere lerne bi oon daies labour ther yn, mowe leerne and kepe as miche lawe of kinde as God chargith hem forto leerne and kepe, and as miche lawe of feith as God chargith hem forto leerne and kepe, and mowe leerne as miche feith not being lawe to hem how miche God chargith hem forto leerne and knowe; and therfore al that Cristen men and wom|men ouȝten leerne, thei mowe leerne out of the Bible, and bi bokis treuli drawen out of lawe of kinde and out of the Bible:—ȝhe, and sithen al this thei mowe leerne and kunne more pleinli and more fulli and sooner than thei mowe it leerne in the Bible, (as it folewith out and fro the vje. and vije. and xe. bifore sett conclusiouns, and as experience wole nedis proue to eche asaier for to lerne The donet and his Folewer in to Cristen religioun, The book of Cristen religioun, The filling of the iiij. tablis, with othere bookis an|nexid and knyt to The book of Cristen religioun) it muste needis folewe that al the kunnyng, whos igno|raunce Page  59 is so perilose as Poul spekith of in the firste bifore seid text, may be had better out of the Bible by reding and studiyng and leernyng in the othere seid writingis, than bi reding and studiyng and leern|yng in the Bible oonli. And if this be trewe (as it is proued at ful now to be trewe), y mai seie to ech of these men whiche so glorien for her kunnyng and leernyng in the Bible oonli or in the Newe Testament oonli, and enhaunsen hem silf in her owne myndes therbi aboue othere men not so in the Bible reding studiyng, and leernyng, what Seint Poul, Romans [third]*. [A space left for the number in the MS.]capitulum., seith in sumwhat lijk caas to the conuersis of the Iewis, forthat thei enhaunciden hem silf aboue the conuersis of the hethen men, bi cause the conuersis of the Iewis had red bifore and studied and leerned the Oold Testament, and so hadden not leerned the conuersis of the hethen men. Where he seith thus: Where is thi gloriyng? He is excludid. Bi what lawe is he excludid? Certis bi the lawe of kinde and of feith, which mowe be leerned of tho lay peple and also of clerkis, thouȝ thei not rede and studie in the Bible oonly forto it leerne: ȝhe, and mowe be leerned*. [lererned, MS.] of hem sooner, clerelier, and fuller, than bi reeding and studiyng in the Bible oonli, and that bi reding and studiyng in the othere seid bokis. And therfore thi "gloriyng is excludid."