The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xij. CHAPITER.

FOR answere to the ij^e. argument it is to wite that bischopis and othere preestis and clerkis ben not bounde more or ferther for to preche or in other wise teche her peple vndir hem, than that therwith tho same bischopis and othere clerkis attende to hem silf

bothe for gouernaunce of her bodies in helthe and strengthe, and for gouernaunce and reule of her lijflode into the fynding of hem silf and of summe seruauntis longing to hem, and for gouernaunce of her owne goostli conuersacioun to be led anentis God and anen|tis hem silf and anentis her othere neiȝbouris and anentis her sugettis, in manye maners mo than whanne he couplith with hem forto teche hem. Forwhi thouȝ in dew and resonable vndirstonding tauȝt in othere placis of my writingis ech man ouȝte loue his neiȝbour as him silf, ȝit euery man ouȝte loue him silf more than an other man; and therof folewith this, that euery man ouȝte attende [to attende, MS. (first hand).] to him silf in goostli and bodili needis more than to eny other man. And therfore ther was neuere lawe of resoun neither of God ȝit maad forto binde a curat forto attende to his suget so myche as the curat is bounde forto attende to himsilf, neither so myche as the suget is bounde forto attende to him silf.

Wherto accordith weel what Poul seith i^e. Thi. iiij^e. capitulum., Attende to thi silf and to doctrine, as thouȝ he schulde meene that for the attendaunce which Bischop Thimothi schulde make to his peple he schulde not leeue the dew attendaunce bifore to be maad to him silf. And that Poul meened so as y haue now seid, it is open by Poul him silf there. Forwhi, whanne Poul had seid to Bischop Tymothi thus: Take tent to thi silf and to doctrine, (that is to seie of othere persoones,) he seith forwith [Perhaps a clerical error for forthwith.] there thus: Be bisie in hem (that is to seie, in tent to him silf and in doctrine to othere), for thou doing these thingis, (that is to seie, tente to thi silf and doctrine to othere,) schalt make this silf saaf and hem that heeren thee. Lo, Sir, bi this it is open Poul for to haue meened that ech man ouȝte more

coueite that he him silf be saaf than that eny other persoon be saaf; so he ouȝte more tente ȝeue to his owne good lyuyng, (which stondith in many mo pointis anentis God and anentis him silf than in teching and reuling his neiȝbour oonli,) than he out ȝeue tent to the good lyuyng of eny other persoon. And herof folewith in open resoun that sum curat ouȝte and is bounde bi lawe of God forto ȝeue double [doube, MS. (first hand).] or treble more tent to him silf ward and double or treble lasse tent to doctrine or to his sugetis lyuyng, than sum other curat is bounde; and that for as miche as sum curat is in double or treble more sijk, more freel, or in sum other wise hath in double or in treble more neede forto ȝeue tent to him silf than sum other curat hath. And ȝit euereither of hem, in so reuling him anentis himsilf and hise sugettis, is weel allowid of God.

And certis the vnknowing of this now tauȝt causith ouer myche vnwijs hasti iugement and ouer myche vnwijs bacbiting in the lay peple anentis cu|ratis. And so whanne al the attendaunce is doon which resoun or eny other lawe of God or of man bindith a curat forto do anentis his sugetis bisidis the attendaunce which the same curat is bounde forto make aboute him silf, thilk attendaunce which he is bounde to make aboute hise sugetis is ouer litil into the ful attendaunce which muste be maad aboute the same sugetis, thouȝ thei were as fewe as fourti or twenti; so that forto make the ful attendance tho sugetis musten helpe in her side, and musten the lenger parti of attendaunce make aboute hem silf, as bi reding in her bokis at her owne housis, or bi heering suche bookis red of her neiȝboris, (as y haue proued in the book clepid The Bifore-crier,) and also

bi vce [the vse, MS. (first hand).] of preisyngis and of preiers, and bi vce of worschiping doon bi seable rememoratijf signes. And so what is take in the bigynnyng of the ij^e. argument for his substance and strengthe is vntrewe, that if bischopis and othere curatis diden her dew diligence in teching her peple, thilk peple schulde haue no nede or profit forto haue and vce ymagis and make pil|grimagis. And therfore the same ij^e. argument not proueth neither procedith. For euen as a nurisch or a modir is not bounde forto alwey and for euere fede her children and putte meete in her mouthis, but sche muste teche hem that thei fede hem silf, (and in lijk maner doon foulis to her briddis,) so a curat mai not neither ouȝte forto alwey rynge at the eeris of hise suggettis; but he may so bigynne, and after|ward he ouȝte teche hem that thei leerne bi hem silf and practize meenis into leernyng of good lyuyng bi hem silf; and ellis he schal make hem to be euere truauntis in the scole of God, and litil good forto perfitli kunne and litle good forto perfitli wirche.

Answere to the iij^e. argument schal be this: The ij^e. premisse of the iij^e. argument in which it is seid thus, "that ech Cristen man is a perfiter and a fuller and a spedier ymage of Crist than is eny stok or stoon graued," is vntrewe; and therfore the iij^e. ar|gument bildid ther upon lackith strengthe for to proue his entent. That this now rehercid ij^e. premysse is vntrewe, y schewe thus: Thre condiciouns muste be had in a thing, that he be a perfit and a ful and a spedy ymage or representer or remembrer of another thing bi wey of ymage being of the same other thing.

Oon condicioun is, that he be lijk myche or sum|what to the othir thing, and the more arrow_forward lijk he be to

the other thing, arrow_back the more able he is, as bi that, forto be the perfit and ful ymage of the other thing.

The ij^e. condicioun is, that he be deputid or assigned forto represente and bringe into mynde the other thing. This condicioun dooth ful myche that a thing be ymage of an other thing. Forwhi whanne a thing is ful litil lijk to another thing, as the visible eukarist to the persoon of Crist, and the water of baptim to the sepulcre of Crist; ȝit the deputacioun and the assignyng bi which the visible eukarist is ordeyned and assigned forto represente the bodi of Crist and forto remembre vs upon the persoon of Crist and hise benefetis, (as it is open Luk xxij^e. capitulum. and i^e. Cor. xj^e. capitulum.) and the deputacioun or ordinaunce bi which the water of baptim is assigned for to represente to us the deeth and the sepulcre of Crist, (as Poul seith and meeneth Rom. vj^e. capitulum. toward the bigynnyng,) maken hem to be ymagis of Cristis persoon and of his sepulcre; and if tho deputaciouns or assignaciouns weren not, tho seid sensible signes were litil able or not able forto represente to us these othere now seid thingis. And therfore this ij^e. condicioun is a spedi condicioun and a myȝti forto helpe that a thing be a perfit and ful ymage of an othir thing.

The iij^e. condicioun is, that the thing so deputid forto represente to us the othir thing, haue not (at leest for thilk while) eny plites or officis or deputaciouns or disposiciouns, wherbi we muste haue manye [Written on an erasure. Pro|bably we should read eny.] othere entermetingis with him than the entermeting of re|membring oonli; and that he haue not with us eny entermetingis saue the entermeting of [or, MS.] representing oonli. Forwhi, if the thing which is deputid forto represente to us an other thing be such that we haue manye vsis of it and many entermetingis with it

dyuers fro remembring bi it the othir thing, oure witt schal falle so miche and so ofte vpon the same thing in othere wisis than as he is representing the other thing, that he schal seelde among be occupied of us as representing the othir thing. Forwhi he muste be considerid of us in manye othere maners than in the maner of representing; and therfore at the leest needis it muste falle, that he represente not to us the othir thing so ofte and so stabili, as if he were in noon other office of us to be take than in office of representing the other thing.

Now, Sir, herbi it is open that no thing is so verrili an ymage of an other thing if he haue not these iij. condiciouns, as he schulde be if he haue these iij. now seid condiciouns. And thanne ferther thus: But so it is, that no Cristen man now lyuyng hath these iij. condicions anentis the persoon of Crist in his manhode, as hath a stok or a stoon graued into the likenes of Crist hanging on a cros nakid and woundid, with othere therto purtenauncis, (as it is open ynouȝ to euery man therto weel biholding and assaiyng thoruȝ alle these iij. condiciouns to gidere;) except whanne a quyk man is sett in a pley to be hangid nakid on a cros and to be in semyng woundid and scourgid. And this bifallith ful seelde and in fewe placis and cuntrees. Wherfore no man lyuyng and walking in erthe and occupiyng him silf and occupied of othere men, as othere men lyuen and walken and occupien and ben occupied, is so perfit and so ful an ymage of Crist crucified or of Crist doing this miracle or that myracle, as graued stok or stoon therto schapun is. And her bi it is open that the iij^e. argument hath no quyk foot for to go. Fy! fy! fy! therfore vpon presumpcioun and obstynacie in the lay party, of whiche y herde summe seie with a strong herte, (as thouȝ he hadde be ful of kunnyng, whanne he was therof ful empti,) that a greet heresie it is for to

holde that a stok or a stoon graued is a fuller and a perfiter ymage of Crist than is a Cristen man. Certis, (as it is ful open bi what is now seid for answere to the iij^e. argument,) litil wist he what longith to a thing, that he be a perfit ymage of an other thing.