The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xiij. CHAPITER.

A GREET cause whi thei of the lay parti which han vsid the hool Bible or oonli the Newe Testament in her modris langage han holde the seid first opinioun was this, that the reeding in the Bible, namelich in the historial parties of the Oold Testament and of the Newe, is miche delectable and sweete, and drawith the reders into a deuocioun and a loue to God and fro loue and deinte of the world; as y haue had her of experience upon [vupon, MS. The word is written vpon and upon elsewhere.] suche reders and upon her now seid disposicioun. And thanne bi cause that the seid reed|ing was to hem so graceful, and so delectable, and into the seid eende so profitable, it fil into her con|ceit forto trowe ful soone, enformyng and tising ther to vnsufficientli leerned clerkis, that God had mad or purueied the Bible to mennis bihoue after as it were or bi the vtterist degre of his power and kun|nyng for to so ordeyne, and therfore al the hoole Bible (or, as summen trowiden, the Newe Testament) schulde conteyne al that is to be doon in the lawe and seruice to God bi Cristen men, withoute nede to haue ther with eny doctrine. Ȝhe, and if y schal seie what hath be seid to myn owne heering, sotheli it hath be seid to me thus, "that neuere man errid bi reding or studiyng in the Bible, neither eny man myȝte erre bi reeding in the Bible, and that for such cause as is now seid:" notwithstonding that ther is no book writen in the world bi which a man schal rather take an occasioun forto erre, and that for ful gode and open trewe causis, whiche ben spoken and expressid in the ij^e. parti of the book clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture. But certis thei

tooken her mark amys: for thei puttiden al her mo|tyue in her affeccioun or wil forto so trowe; and not in her intelleccioun or resoun; and in lijk maner doon wommen, for thei reulen hem silf as it were in alle her gouernauncis aftir her affeccioun [It is not very clear whether the MS. has affectioun or affeccioun.] and not aftir resoun, or more aftir affeccioun than after doom of re|soun; bi cause that affeccioun in hem is ful strong and resoun in hem is litle, as for the more parti of wommen.

And therfore euen riȝt as a man iugid amys and were foule bigilid and took his mark amys, if he schulde trowe that in hony were al the cheer, al the coumfort, al the thrift which is in al other mete, bi cause that hony is swettist to him of alle othere metis; so he is begilid and takith his mark amys, if he therfore trowe that in Holi Scripture is al the doctrine necessarie to man for to serue God and forto kepe his lawe; bi cause that Holi Scripture is so miche delectable, and for that bi thilk delectacioun he bringith yn myche cheer and coumfort and strengthith the wil forto the more do and suffre for God. And so me thinkith to suche men good counseil were for|to seie to hem, that thei be waar of childrenys perel, which is that bi cause children louen sweete meetis and drinkis ful miche, therfore whanne thei comen to feestis thei feeden hem with sweete stonding potagis and with sweete bake metis, and leuen othere sub|stancial and necessarie metis; trowing that bi so miche tho sweete meetis ben the more holsum, how miche more thei ben swetter than othere metis: and therfore at the laste thei geten to hem therbi bothe losse of dewe nurisching and also sumtyme vilonie. Certis in lijk maner y haue wiste suche men, that han so ouer miche ȝeuen hem to reding in the Bible aloone, haue gete to hem losse of sufficient and profitable leernyng

which in other wheris thei miȝten haue gete, and also vilonie forto avowe and warante that thei couthen the trewe sentence and trewe vnderstonding of the Bible, whanne and where thei not couthen so vnder|stonde, neither couthen mentene what thei ther ynne vnderstoden, and also forto avowe and warante that in the Bible were miche more and profitabiler and of other soort kunnyng than [that, MS.; altered by a later hand into than.] can ther yn be founde. And therfore to alle suche men mai be seid what is seid Prouerbs XXV^e. capitulum. in sentence thus: Thou hast founde hony, ete therof what is ynouȝ and no more; lest thou ouer fillid caste it vp out aȝen, and thanne is it to thee vilonie: and what is writen aftir in the same chapiter there in sentence thus: Forto ete miche of hony is not good to the eter. So that whanne euere thou takist upon thee forto vnderstonde ferther in the Bible than thi wit may or can therto suffice with|oute help of a substancial clerk, thanne etist thou of hony more than ynouȝ, and doost aȝens the bidding of Seint Poul, Romans xij^e. capitulum. soone after the bigynnyng. And whanne thou attendist forto leerne Holi Scrip|ture, and attendist not ther with forto haue eny other leernyng of philsophie or of diuynite, bi thin owne studie in bookis ther of maad or bi teching and infor|macioun of sum sad clerk ȝouun to thee, thanne thou etist hony aloon and feedist thee with hony oonli. And this feding schal turne into thin vnhoolsumnes, riȝt as if thou schuldist ete in bodili maner noon other mete than hony it schulde not be to thee hoolsum.

To ȝou therfore, whiche fauoren the firste seid opi|nion, I seie the wordis of Seint Iame writen in his [first] [A space left for the number in the MS.] capitulum. thus: Take ȝe or receyue ȝe this graffid word, which may saue ȝoure soulis. Receue ȝe the loore of this present firste parti of this book and the iij.

parties of The iust apprising of Holi Scripture, and receue ȝe it as a graffid word, that is to seie receue ȝe it as a doctrine groundid and foundid in such autorite, which muste needis menteyne the same doc|trine, that no man schal mowe putte it doun. For if he weel considere out of what ground it growith and to what fundament it leeneth, y doute not but that ȝe schulen consente that it is a sureli graffid word, which mai saue ȝoure soulis fro manye perilouse errouris and heresies, if into eny suche ȝe ben come; and mai pre|serue ȝou that ȝe falle into noon, into which ȝe ellis schulden come. And if ȝe bithenke ȝou weel how it is in werk of this present first parti bitwixe me and ȝou, certis it is in lijk maner as it was bitwixe Poul and the Cristen whiche at Rome were conuertid fro Iewry into Cristenhode. Forwhi in the daies of Seint Poul Iewis and tho that weren conuertid fro Iewis lawe into Cristenhode magnifieden ouermiche the Oold Testament; for thouȝ the oold lawe was good to the kepers therof, ȝit it was not so good as thei maden therof, namelich in thilk degre in which thei con|ceueden it to be good; and Poul witing this repressid her ouer miche dignifiyng of the oold lawe, and de|clarid the dignifiyng and the laude of the oold lawe, as he is in treuthe, withynne his propre and seueral boundis and markis. For of this mensioun is maad Romans [the second and third chapters]. [A space left in the MS. for the reference.] And euen lijk maner is bitwix ȝou and me in these daies. For|whi many of the lay parti dignifien ouer miche the writing of the Newe Testament, and many other digni|fien ouermiche the writing of al the hool Bible, ween|yng that of the now seid writing is verified the bifore rehercid firste opinioun: and y, bi what y can, am aboute fro the bigynnyng of this present book hidir to, and thoruȝ out al the book clepid The iust ap|prising

of Holi Scripture, for to improue and reproue the seid firste opinioun, and for to therbi represse the seid ouermiche dignifiyng of the Newe Testament and of the al hool Bible, and forto putte his trewe and dew dignifiyng withynne his propre to him seueral and dewe markis and boundis, in the maner bifore spokun bi the iij^e. principal conclusioun. God therfore grante that as the Romayns obeieden to the open re|soun and proof which Seint Poul made and wrote aȝens hem, that so ȝe obeie to the open proof which y make and write aȝens ȝou, thouȝ y desire not that ȝe obeie to me.

And whanne al is doon, what euer wil a man hath forto do reuerence to Holi Scripture, ȝit sithen treuthe is to be had in al a mannys gouernauncis, the best gouernaunce in this mater is this: forto suffre Holi Scripture abide withinne his owne termys and boundis, aud not entre into the boundis and the riȝt of lawe of kinde: that is to seie, that he not vsurpe eny grounding which longith to the faculte of lawe of kinde or of moral philsophi, and so that he not wrongee the [A stroke is drawn through the by a later hand, but the corrector seems to have tried to wash it out; the article seems to be right.] lawe of kinde. And aȝenward, that the seid lawe of kinde kepe him withinne hise owne teermys and boundis, and not entre into boundis and riȝt of Holi Scripture: that is to seie, that he not vsurpe eny grounding which longith to Holi Scrip|ture, neither therbi wrongee Holi Scripture; but that euereither of hem neiȝbourly dwelle bisidis the other of hem, and not entermete as in grounding with the other of hem. And this beste gouernaunce schal be performed, if (aftir sentence of the vj. firste conclu|siouns) it be holde [biholde, MS.] that Holi Scripture schal grounde the conclusiouns and treuthis of Cristen feith, and not eny oon conclusioun or treuthe into whos fynding and

grounding doom of mannys resoun may suffice, with concours of the grace which God bi his comoun vni|uersal lawe is woned and is redi alwey ȝeue; and aȝenward, that doom of mannys resoun or lawe of kinde schal founde and grounde the conclusiouns and treuthis of Cristen lawe into whos fynding resoun in the now seid maner may suffice, and that he not grounde eny oon conclusioun or treuth of feith; and but if this gouernaunce be kept, pees, riȝt, and trouthe is not bitwixe hem kept.

Perauenture here summan of the lay party, hold|ing the seid first opinioun and therfore hoolding aȝens the first bifore sett conclusioun, wole renne aȝens me with summe writingis of oolde and holy Doctouris sownyng into the firste opinioun and aȝens the firste conclusioun: not for that he admyttith, receueth, and allowith the writingis of tho Doctouris, for thanne he schulde smyte him silf with his owne stroke; but for that he knowith me admytte and allowe the writingis of Doctouris, therfore he makith aȝens me this assaut, in pretending as thouȝ he wole do to me as Dauid dide to Golie in smyting of of Golie's heed with his owne swerd. Neuertheles sufficient bokeler aȝens this assailing schal be to me a book which y haue bigunne to [to in a later hand.] write in Latyn, clepid The iust apprising of Doc|touris. For in hiȝer maner than as thilk book schal teche the writingis of Doctouris to be take in to cre|dence, (whether thei ben of oold or of newe, of holi or of not holi Doctouris), thei ouȝten not be take, as there schal in clerist maner be opened and proued: but bi cause noon of hem, aȝens whom y write this present book, wole so allegge aȝens me for eny zele or credence which he him silf hath to what he schal so allegge, therfore it is no nede me forto as here in this booke encerche the writingis of Doctouris sown|yng aȝens mi present entent, and forto expowne and

cleree her wordis. Perauentur summe of tho writingis vnderstonden of grounding takun vnpropirli and largeli and not propirly, of which maner of taking this word ground or grounding y haue spoken bifore in this book in the eende of the [fifth] [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter. And summe of tho writingis ben to be vnderstonde in figure of yperbole or in summe other figuratijf speche, for whanne vpon eny thing spechis or writingis ben maad bi wey of commendacioun or bi wey of vitupe|racioun, tho spechis ben [be, MS. (first hand.)] woned be myche fauorid bi figuris excusing what ellis in hem schulde be vntrewe and defauti; and a greet licence han writers and spek|ers in these now seid causis forto write and speke more wijldeli, than thei schulden be suffrid forto write and speke of the same thing out of these now seid causis. And therfore, brother, be not ouerboold vpon wordis and writingis in suche maters where yn resoun hath to deeme; but truste ther yn to cleer doom of resoun, and thenke what an oolde Doctour Hillary seith (and sooth it is) that the wordis of a speker ben to be referrid into the entent wherto he hem spekith. [Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi, quia non sermoni res sed rei est sermo sub|jectus. S. Hilar., de Trin., lib. iv. (p. 835. Ed. Bened.) Dicti ratio ex sensu erit intelligenda dicendi (dicentis, some MSS.) Id., lib. ii. (p. 803. Ed. Bened.) To one or both of these passages Pecock here alludes.] For therbi ful ofte and ellis not schal be cauȝt [The MS. probably originally had tauȝt, but an erasure has altered it into cauȝt.] of tho wordis the trewe and dew vndir|stonding. But forto seie in oon word what mai be seid in manie, who euer wole for eni Doctouris writ|ing fauore the firste opinioun and countre aȝens the firste conclusioun, assoile he ther with alle the euy|dencis or argumentis bifore sett into proof of the firste conclusioun. And no more bi me of this vnto other place and tyme.