The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xiij. CHAPITER.

THE iiij^e. argument leeneth here to, that bi cause God is lijk weel in his substaunce and being euery where, ther fore God schulde be lijk redi forto ȝeue his gracis to askers and sechers euerywhere; and that also therfore no place in erthe is holier than an other place, and noon ymage of a thing is holier than an other ymage of the same thing. But certis al this is vntrewe and to be denyed. And cause whi God wole ȝeue hise gracis rather in oon place to sechers aftir hise gracis than in an other place, is this: God chesith therto, that is to seie, forto ȝeue hise gracis oon place bifore an other place, as it is bifore proued in the viij^e. chapiter of this present ij^e. partie. And if this be trewe, certis therof folewith that bi cause God chesith oon place bifore an other forto therinne wirche holi deedis of myraclis and of gracis more than in an othir [a othir, MS.] place, therfore the oon place is holier than the other place is. [is is interlineated by a later(?) hand.] And if this be trewe, certis so bi lijk skile, bicause that God chesith oon ymage bifore an other forto wirche bi it or bifore it miraclis and gracis more than bi an other ymage or more than bifore another ymage, therfore it is riȝtli to be seid that oon ymage of Marie is holier than an other ymage of Marie is, and oon ymage of a crucifix is holier than an other ymage of

the same crucifix is. And that God chesith (so as now is seid) oon place bifore an other and oon ymage bifore an other, it is vndoutabili schewid and proued bifore in the place now alleggid, that is to seie, in the viij^e. chapiter of this ij^e. partie and in therof the iiij^e., v^e., and vj^e. reulis or supposiciouns, whiche wolden be rehercid to ech man which wole obiecte bi the seid iiij^e. argument. And herbi the strengthe of the iiij^e. argument is leid aside.

The conceit of the comoun peple which thei hadden, that no place is holier than an other place is, and in lijk maner that noon ymage is holier than an othir ymage is, and that God chesith not more oon place than an othir, neither oon ymage more than an othir, forto helpe mannis needis the rather, hath be a ful greet lett to the comoun peple [peple is added by a later hand.] forto allowe the hauyng and the vce of ymagis and the doing of pil|grimagis. But now sithen this conceit is vndoutabili schewid to be vntrewe, it is to hope that (as bi eny strengthe of the iiij^e. argument) thei schulen no lenger so erre, aftir this answere schal be cleerli opened to hem.

For the more cleering of this present answere, it is to wite that a thing is holi in three maners. In oon maner (which is propir maner of speking) a thing is holi, for that it doith good moral deedis; and in this maner God is holi, and aungel is holi, and mannys soul and man is holi, if and whanne he doith eny good moral deedis. And in this maner of holines no thing is holi saue it which worchith holili, that is to seie, which wirchith bi fre choise what resoun deemeth to be doon for God: and that is to wirche morali weel. And so in this maner no place is holi, neither eny ymage is holi, neither eny other thing than which

hath fre wil to do moral yuel and good in the maner now seid. Of this maner of holynes spekith Holi Writt in manye placis, as Leuitic. v^e. capitulum. [Probably Levit. xx.8 is the place intended.] where God seith thus: I am holi, which make ȝou holi. Also Leuit. the xj^e. capitulum. God seide: Be ȝe holi, for y am holi. Also Exodi xxij^e. capitulum. God seide thus: Ȝe schulen be holi men to me.

In an other maner a thing is holi, for it is chosun that in it or bi it or with it or bifore it a persoon wirche such seid holi deedis; and that whethir the wircher be God, aungel, or man: for skile is ther noon that a man bi suche gode deedis schulde make a place to be holi, but that God and aungel bi her moraly vertuose wirching of miraclis schulde in lijk maner make a place to be holi. And in this maner oon place is holier than an other place is, and oon ymage is holier than an other ymage is, bi cause in oon place more grace and more other benefet into mannis profite is doon than in an other place, and bi oon ymage more grace and more other benefet into mannis profit is ȝouun than bi an othir ymage or than bifore [bi, MS. (first hand).] an other ymage; and therto God chesith the place and the ymage. Wherto ful weel accordith Holi Scripture, Genes. xxviij^e. capitulum., where it is seid, that whanne Iacob wente forto seche to him a wijf, he came after the sunnys going doun into a place in which he leide him doun forto there slepe and reste in the nyȝt folewing; and he in thilk reste hadde suche visiouns maad to him bi God, as it is seid there, that whanne he woke he seide these wordis: Sotheli the Lord is in this place and y knewe not! And he dreding seide: Hou gastful is this place! here is noon other thing no but the hous of God, and the ȝate of heuen!

Also Exodi iij^e. capitulum., whanne Moyses kepte the schep of Ietro preest of Madian, he came with his scheep to the Mount of Oreb. And God apperid to him in the flamme of fier fro the myddis of a busch, and he siȝ that the busch brent, and ȝit was not therbi waastid. Therfore Moises seide: I schal go and y schal se this greet siȝt, whi the busch is not wastid. Sotheli the Lord sie that Moyses ȝede to se, and he clepid Moyses fro the myddis of the busch, and seide: Neiȝe thou not hidir, but vndo the scho of thi feet; for the place in which thou stondist is holi lond, et cætera. Certis no man may seie that this holines of place came yn bi sum cerimonie of Iewis lawe, for euereither of these stories were doon eer eny lawe was ȝouun to the Iewis: and therfore this holynes of the ij^e. maner was neuere reuokid bi Cristis passioun.

In the iij^e. maner a thing is holi, (thouȝ also in an vnpropir maner, in reward of the first maner;) whanne [whanne euere, MS. (first hand).] it is departid and take fro worldli and fleischli vce, and is deputid and assigne to more goostli vce anentis God than it was bifore. And in this maner breed, water, erthe, or place, hous, candil, oile, vestimentis, vesselis, and suche othere thingis, whanne ouer hem ben blessingis maad, (that is to seie, whanne ouer hem preiers be mad,) and thei ben aliened and take fro wordli vsis in whiche thei were bifore, and thei ben assigned and deputid into more goostli vsis, (that is to seie, that men vse hem aftirward in a certein office of worschiping toward God,) ben holi. In this maner Seint Dionyse, the disciple of Seint Poul, in his book Of the Chirchis Ierarchie ["…." Dionys. Areop. de Eccl. Hierarch. c. 2. (Op. tom. 1. p. 255. Ed. Cord.) Pecock, however, does not so much seem to have any par|ticular passage in his eye, as to note the fact that Pseudo-Dionysius applies such epithets as … to the chrism, the altar, the eucharistic elements, &c. See pp. 294, 295, 339, &c.] clepith alle suche

thingis in this wise deputid holi. And in this maner God clepid the clothing of the bischop and of the preestis in the oolde lawe holi; and also the taber|nacle, the temple, alle the vessellis and purtenauncis ther to weren clepid holi, as it is open ynouȝ in manye placis of the Oold Testament. And this is ynouȝ for answere to the iiij^e. argument.

That the v^e. argument goith not forth y schewe thus: If the v^e. argument were good, thanne this argument were good. The feendis wilis and hise deceitis ben fer awey to be fled; but so it is, that it hath ofte be knowun that feendis han spoke in men and wommen, as witness herof is had in the Gospelis in dyuerse placis, and Acts xvj^e. capitulum. of a ȝong womman, which gate myche money to her maistris bi answeris which the feend ȝaue and spake in hir and bi hir. And alle men mowe soone vndirstonde, that not but forto deceyue men the feend wolde take such an occupa|cioun vpon him, sithen he is euere oure enemy and not oure freende as Peter witnessith i^e. Petri v^e. capitulum. Wherfore no man speke or entermete or haue to do with eny other man or womman, or bileeue and truste to eny man or womman; bi cause that it is founde that the feend hath spoke bi men and wom|men, euen as he hath spoke bi ymagis. Certis this argument is lijk to the v^e. argument, as ech man mai soone se; and this argument is nauȝt and hath no strengthe. Wherfore neither the v^e. argument hath strengthe.

This therfore is the consideracioun and the obser|uaunce, awaite, and diligence which is to be had in such mater. It is diligentli to be awaitid whether the feend entermetith him with eny thing, (as ymage

or man or eny othir thing,) and if it can be aspied bi eny sufficient or eny myche likeli evidencis that the feend puttith there his partie and his entermeting, thanne first the vce of thilk thing is to be shoned, eschewid, and avoidid; and aȝenward if, after that sufficient enqueraunce is mad, it kan not be knowe that the feend dooth eny thing aboute the seid thing, than the vce of the seid thing ouȝte not be [to be, MS. (first hand).] refusid. Forwhi ellis we schulden neuere be boold forto vce eny thing, (neither mete ne drinke ne hors ne asse ne man ne womman,) and that bi cause the feend hath putte him into suche thingis, as we mowe haue in oold recordis. And now neerer to oure purpos. Bi cause the peple of which the legend of Seint Bartholome spekith were necligent forto aspie that the feend spake in the ymage, and that he hurtid hem, and thei myȝten [myȝte. MS. (first hand).] haue wist this weel ynowȝ if thei wolden have ȝeue therto sufficient diligence; and aȝenward now adaies no man can fynde eny sufficient euydence or eny greet likelihode that feendis speken now bi ymagis, as it wole appere ful weel how tho euydencis mowe be answerid to and assoilid if thei be brouȝt forth into liȝt:—therfore the peple of which the legende of Seint Bartholome spekith weren to be blamed for that thei attendiden to thilk greet ymage as to her God, and peple now adaies ben not to be blamed thouȝ thei attenden [attende, MS. (first hand).] to ymagis forto vse hem as signes and tokenes of God. And this is ynouȝ for answere to the v^e. argument.

To the vj^e. argument it is answerid sufficientli bi|fore in the first [See the following note.] parti of this present book toward the eende, in the [iv^e.] [A space left in the MS. for the number. Pecock's memory has failed him: he appears to mean Part ii. c. iv. See p. 158.] chapiter, that if ech gouer|naunce schulde be left of which cometh yuel, certis no

gouernaunce in the world ouȝte be holde, meyntened, and kept; (for no gouernaunce in craft or out of craft is, but that [that is added in the margin.] of it cometh yuel;) and if alle tho gouer|nauncis schulden therfore be forbore, no good gouer|naunce schulde be had and vsid. And therfore aȝens this myschaunce that yuel cometh out of the good, the discrecioun and wijsdom wolde be had, which is had if a man that tilieth his gardein or feeld and sowith it with good seed, certis thouȝ there growe manye wedis bi occasioun of his planting, deluyng, ering, and sowing, ȝit he wole not ceese, but he wole drawe vp the wedis and lete the herbis stonde; so it muste be in this present purpos, and ellis, if for yuel which cometh bi occasioun of good we wolen forbere the good, thanne we schulen [schulden, MS. (first hand, appa|rently).] lacke al good. And this is ynow for answere to the vj^e. argument, thouȝ miche more therto perteynyng is seid bifore toward the eende of the first parti, and aftir in the iij^e. parti of this book, the [viij^e.] chapiter. And as to the text of Seint Poul i^e. Tessalonic. v^e. capitulum. whanne he seith thus: Abstene ȝou from al yuel spice; the dewe vnderstonding is this: that we abstene us fro ech spice of moral yuel. And open it is to ech leerned man, that ech spice of moral yuel is moral yuel, and is a morali yuel spice: and Goddis forbode, but that ech man schulde be aboute forto abstene him fro ech such spice; forwhi suche spicis ben glo|tenie, leccherie, pride, envie, and suche othere. But this makith not that a man abstene [abstene him, MS. (first hand).] fro eny morali good spice or fro eny spice of moral good, thouȝ therof, as bi occasioun, cometh sum moral yuel. And therfore thilk text of Seint Poul is not forto helpe forth the vj^e. argument.