The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xix. CHAPITER.

THOUȝ, fro the bigynnyng of the firste chapiter in this book hidir to, y haue thus laborid forto distroie it which schulde and wolde ellis ful miche lette my purpos and entent forto turne many of the comoun peple fro mys holding aȝens xj. gouernauncis, whiche aftir in this present book schulen be proued for leeful and gode and profitable to Cristen men; ȝit, eer y schal come doun into the special profis of tho xj. gouernauncis, y schal proue hem alle to gidere vnder general profis, and that bi setting [bisetting, MS.] forth of iij. suppo|siciouns

or iij. reulis, and with taking out of hem iiij. conclusiouns. And thanne, aftir it is so doon, y schal descende into special profis of tho xj. gouernauncis, of whiche gouernauncis the oon is the hauyng and vsing of ymagis in chirchis; an othir is pilgrimage in going into memorialis or into mynde placis of Seintis.

The i^e. supposicioun or reule is this: Who euere (whether he be God, man, aungel, or Scripture) bid|dith bi word or bi ensampling of deede expresseli eny gouernaunce to be doun, he theryn [yn, MS. (first hand).] and therbi biddith includingli or closingli al it to be doon, which folewith in formal argument of resoun out of thilk gouernaunce bedun. And also theryn and therbi he biddith al it to be doon, withoute which the seid gouernaunce may not be sufficientli doon into the entent of the biddir; and also if into the same gouernaunce to be doon ben manye dyuerse weies and meenis, of which ech bi him silf is a good and a speedful wey and meene into the seid gouernaunce to be doon, he in the bidding of the seid gouernaunce to be doon, allowith ech of thilke weies vndir fre choice of the taker to be take and doon, and also he allowith thilk wey and meene rather and more to be chose, take, and doon, bi which the seid gouernaunce schal be the more or the better doon. And also in the same bidding of the seid gouernaunce he counseilith and willith thilk gouernaunce to be doun in the better maner, rather than to be doon in the lasse good maner.

The ij^e. supposicioun or reule is this: Who euer (God, aungel, man, or Scripture) counseilith and willith with oute comaundement bi word or bi ensampling of deede expresseli eny gouernaunce to be doun, he ther yn and therbi counseilith and willith includingli or closingli al it to be doon, which folewith in formal argument of reson out of thilk same gouernaunce

counseilid and willid; and also ther yn and therbi he counseilith al it to be doon, withoute which the same said counseilid gouernaunce mai not be doon as it is so counseilid to be doon. And also, if into the same gouernance to be doon ben manye dyuerse weies and meenis of which ech is a good speedful wey and meene into the said gouernaunce to be doon, he in the counseiling and willing of the seid gouernaunce to be doon allowith which euer of thilk weies and meenis be take and doon into the doing of the seid gouer|nance. And also he allowith thilk wey and meene to be chose, take, and doon, rather and more, bi which the seid gouernaunce schal be the better doon into the entent of the counseiler or willer. And also in the same counseiling of the seid gouernaunce he coun|seilith and willith thilk same gouernance to be doon in the better maner, rather than to be doon in the lasse good maner.

The iij^e. supposicioun or reule is this: Who euer (God, aungel, man, or Scripture) rehercith, witnessith, or denouncith bi such bidding as is bifore seid in the firste reule, or bi such counseiling as is bifore seid in the ij^e. reule, or bi eny other maner eny gouernaunce to be doon, he ther yn and therbi rehercith, witnes|sith, or denouncith includingli or closingli al it which folewith out of thilk gouernaunce and is includid for|mali in thilk gouernaunce, and al it with out which thilk gouernaunce mai not be doon; and so forth in alle the othere pointis and degrees rehercid now bi|fore in the firste and ij^e. reulis.

These iij. supposiciouns or reulis ben so openli trewe, that no man hauying eny quantite of resoun mai deneie hem. Forwhi, if y, being at Londoun in the Collage of Whitington, bidde or counseile or wit|nesse to my seruaunt there being with me, that he go to Poulis Cros forto heere there attentifli a sermon to be prechid, it muste nedis be grauntid, that y in

so bidding, counseiling, or witnessing, bidde, counseile, or witnesse, that he leerne or remembre sumwhat bi the same sermoun, and that sum maner of newe dispo|sicioun (lasse or more) he take into his affeccion vpon sum thing of thilk sermoun. Forwhi al this folewith out of the attentif heering of the sermoun. Also it muste needis be grauntid, that y (in so bidding, coun|seiling, or witnessing) bidde, counseile, or witnesse, that he go forth out at the collegis gate. Forwhi, inlasse than he go forth fro me at the gate, he mai not come to Poulis Cros forto heere the sermoun. Also, sithen fro the seid college ben manye weies to Poulis Crosse, and of whiche ech is speedful and good ynow forto lede to Poulis Crosse, it muste needis be grauntid that in so bidding, counseiling, or witnessing, y witnesse that, which euere of thilke weies he take, y it allowe; and if cause be founde in eny of tho weies that bi doom of resoun thilk weie ouȝte be left (as if per|auenture in oon of thilk weies a man liggith in wait for to sle my seid [seid is added by a later hand.] seruaunt) certis thilk wey is not, as for thanne, oon of the speedful weies for him into Poulis Crosse. And also it muste be grauntid that in so bidding, counseiling, or witnessing, y wole and al|lowe rather that he go and chese the better of tho weies than the lasse good of tho weies, and that he in bettir maner heere the sermon than that he in lasse good maner heere the same sermoun. Wherfore, sithen in lijk maner it is to be holde and seid in alle lijk casis, it folewith that the iij. bifore sett suppo|siciouns or reulis ben trewe and ben to be grantid.

Aftir these iij. so openli trewe reulis y putte forth iiij. conclusiouns, whiche muste needis be trewe, if these iij. reulis be trewe.

The firste of tho [the, MS. (first hand).] iiij. conclusiouns is this: For this that Holi Scripture wole a man to loue God

and drede God with al his herte, soul, and strengthe, it muste needis be grauntid that ther yn Holi Scripture wole a man to loue al what God wole him loue, and hate al what God wole him hate, and that Holi Scripture ther yn wole a man forto do Goddis seruicis whiche God biddith him to do, and forto do and suffre for God in his seruice. Forwhi al this folewith in formal argument fro this, that a man loueth God with al his herte, soul, and strengthe. Also it muste needis be grauntid, that ther yn and therbi Holi Scripture wole that a man bithinke and remembre upon these vij. maters, that is to seie, what God is in hise dignitees, nobilitees, and perfecciouns; whiche ben hise benefetis ȝouen and bihiȝt to man in this lijf and in the lijf to come; whiche ben hise pun|yschingis ȝouun and to be ȝouun in this lijf and in the lijf to come; whiche ben pointis and articlis of his lawe and his seruice; that man ther yn serue to him; whiche ben mannys natural freelnessis and yuel dispo|siciouns and redinessis into synne and lothinessis into good; whiche ben mannys synnes doon aȝens the lawe of God; and which ben remedies aȝens the now seid freelnessis and aȝens the now seid synnes. Forwhi the remembraunce and mynde taking upon these vij. maters is so necessarie a meene into the loue and drede of God, that withoute meditacioun and mynde vpon hem or upon summe of hem no man schal loue God and drede God in eny while with al his herte, soule, and strengthe. And ferthermore, sithen this mynde, remembraunce, and meditacioun mai not be had upon these seid maters withoute summe of these weies or meenes, that is to seie, reding or heering of Holi Scripture and of othere writingis, heering of sermons prechid, biholding upon picturis or purtraturis or graued werk or coruun werk, visiting and going into the placis in whiche holi men han lyued, or in whiche holi men dwellen, or in whiche the relifis or the re|likis of hem abiden; as bi whiche meenis alle or

summe of the seid vij. maters mowen be representid, signified, and be brouȝt into mynde, meditacioun, and remembraunce, and ech of these weies and meenis is profitable and speedful into the seid remembraunce making upon the seuen seid maters, as sure experience and assaye ther upon had it witnessith:—it muste needis be grauntid that in this that Holi Scripture wole a man forto loue and drede God with al his herte, soul, and wil, Holi Scripture allowith weel that a man take in to vse ech of these now bifore rehercid meenis (now oon of hem, now an other of hem) at his liberte, as him likith forto so take. This firste conclusioun folewith openli out of the iij. seid suppo|siciouns and reulis, and out of the ensaumpling bifore upon hem. Wherfore, if thei be trewe, this firste conclusioun muste nedis be trewe.

The ij^e. conclusioun is this: Thilk xj. gouernauncis whiche y schal susteyne, meyntene, iustifie, and de|fende aftir in this present book, ben bede or counseilid or witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be doon. This conclusioun y proue thus. Ech gouernaunce which is expresseli bede, counseilid, or witnessid bi Holi Scrip|ture to be doon, or is includingli or closingli in eny of the now biforeseid maners bede, counseilid, or witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be doon, is bede or counseilid or witnessid [by] Holi Scripture to be doon; but so it is that ech of thilk now spokun xj. gouer|nauncis, which after in this present book y schal defende and susteyne, is a gouernaunce expresseli bede or counseilid or witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be doon, or is includingli or closingli bede, counseilid, or witnessid in summe of the maners now bifore seid in a gouernaunce bede, counseilid, or witnessid expresseli bi Holi Scripture to be doon, as schal be openli at ful proued after in this book. Wherfore ech of thilk xj. gouernauncis is bede or counseilid or witnessid of Holi Scripture to be doon.

The iij^e. conclusioun is this: In thilk maner of vnpropre and large speche, in which it may thouȝ vnpropirli be seid that what is bede or counseilid or witnessid bi Holi Scripture in eny of the now bifore seid maners of bidding, counseiling, or witnessing is therfore and therbi groundid in Holi Scripture, it is trewe that ech of the xj. gouernauncis, which y schal aftir in the ij^e., iij^e., iv^e., and v^e. [Some erasures and corrections have been made in the numbers; the same remark is to be made just below in two instances; also at p. 4, l. 23. The numbers are written in Roman character by the first hand, in Arabic by the second.] parties of this book menteyne and defende is groundid in Holi Scripture largeli and vnpropirli forto speke of grounding, as it is ther of seid bifore in the [fifth] [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of this present firste parti of this book. This iij^e. conclusioun folewith pleinli at the ful out of the ij^e. now bifore going conclusioun. Wherfore, if the ij^e. conclusioun is trewe, this iij^e. conclusioun is needis trewe.

The iiij^e. conclusioun is this: If the bidding or counseiling or witnessing of Holi Scripture in eny of the bifore seid maners upon a mater or a conclusioun or a trouthe of moral lawe of kinde were a gronding in Scripture, forto speke propirli and verili and dewli of a ground and of grounding to a thing, in the maner which is bifore spokun in the ij^e. and iij^e. chapi|tris of this present first parti, certis thanne ech of the xj. gouernancis (whiche aftir in the ij^e., iij^e., iv^e., and v^e. parties of this present book y schal defende and menteyne) were groundid in Holi Scripture bi grounding in propre maner vndirstondun and takun. This iiij^e. conclusioun folewith openli out of the ij^e. and iij^e. conclusiouns. Wherfore, if thei be trewe, he is trewe.