The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xv. CHAPITER.

FOR answere to the ix^e. argument, it is to be seid, that Samaritanys or peple of Samarie, which oon was the womman with which Crist talkid, Iohun iiij^e. capitulum., at the welle of Iacob, weren not perfite and ful Iewis, neither thei were perfite and ful hethen; for thei helden not al the hool lawe of Iewis, neither thei leften al the hool lawe of Iewis, as othere hethen men diden, but thei tooken and helden summe of the Iewis lawis. Neuertheles thei weren ydolatreris and worschipiden vntrewe visible goddis. Al this weel groundid clerkis in diuinite knowen weel ynouȝ. Thanne thus, whanne Crist seide to the womman:

The tyme is come and now it is, whanne trewe worschipers schulen worschipe the Fadir in spirit and trouthe, et cætera; Crist meened therbi, that that [So the MS., and the repetition is perhaps not accidental: cf. p. 236. l. 13.] the ydolatrie of Samaritanys schulde ceese and be at an eende. Forwhi tho that thanne among the Sama|ritanys worschipiden God, thei worschipiden him as a bodili thing, and therfore not "in spirit" or not as a pure spirit oonli; and also thei worschipiden God bi ydolatrie, and therfore bi vntrouthe and so not "in trouthe." And al this Crist seid schulde be left and schulde ceese bi Crist, and so dide it. And herbi and in al this is not includid, that God excludid or for|bade the hauyng and the vce of ymagis in the maner bifore tauȝt in this present ij^e. parti of this book. Therfore the first proces, which the ix^e. argument alleggith, Iohun iiij^e. capitulum., lettith no thing the hauyng and the vsing bifore seid of ymagis.

Ferthermore, that the ij^e. processe of Iohun iiij^e. capitulum. alleggid in the ix^e. argument lettith not pilgrimage to be doon, y proue thus: The wordis therto allegged ben these: Womman, bileue thou to me for the hour schal come, whanne neither in this hil, (that is to seie, of Garizim,) neither in Ierusalem ȝe schulen worschipe the Fadir, et cætera. Thanne thus: Bi these wordis can not be more or other had, than that Crist prophecied the seid hil and Ierusalem to be distruyed; and so myche to be distroied, that ther schulde not be eny preier mad or eny pilgrimage maad in the seid hil or in the temple of Ierusalem. And this distruc|cioun was maad bi Vaspacian and Tite, Emperouris of Rome, the xlij^e. ȝeer aftir Cristis passion; but open it is, that herof may not be take that Crist therbi schulde seie or teche pilgrimage to be vnleeful, no more than if he had seid, that the hour schal come in

which neither in thilk hil neither in Ierusalem schal eny preching of Goddis lawe be, schulde folewe that therbi Crist schulde teche preching of Goddis lawe to be vnleeful. Wherfore open it is, that of the seid and alleggid ij^e. processe of Ioon the iiij^e. capitulum. in the ix^e, argument can not be had in eny wise, that Crist schulde therbi reproue pilgrimagis, that thei be not leefulli to be doon. And this is ynouȝ for answere to the ix^e. argument.

For answere to the x^e. argument it is to wite, that vndir thre ententis and purposis a man mai go in pilgrimage; and ech of tho iij. ententis is leeful, honest, and expedient. The firste is forto be quykli and deuoutli remembrid in the place of pilgrimage upon Goddis worthinessis, hise benefetis, and punysch|ingis, his holi lijf and passioun, or upon summe Seintis holi conuersacioun, or forto haue quietnes and sool|nes to preie to God or to a Seint; and al this forto do there, bi cause that bothe he schal be there fer fro his owne hous, (and therfore fer fro thouȝtis whiche wolde come into him, if he were in his owne hous and with his owne meyne,) and also for that God hath chose thilk place in which he wole do and wirche and ȝeue singulerli bifore that he wole do ȝeue and wirche in manie othere placis; as it is bifore schewid, that he wole in summe placis bifore othere placis so do. And if a man go in pilgrimage to a place for this entent oonli, which is for his owne edi|ficacioun oonli, he mai go priueli thider as weel as openli, and aboute mydnyȝt as wel as about myddai; for he entendith not to ensaumple his deede of vertu to eny othir persoon.

But ferthermore, for as miche as we han teching of Crist, Mat. v^e. capitulum., that we mowe leefulli and merytorili do oure vertuose deedis openli bifore othere men, vndir this entent that thei be moued forto do in lijk maner vertuoseli, therfore vndir an other entent, which

is the ij^e. entent, a man mai vertuoseli, honestli, and expedientli go in pilgrimage in such maner that ther|bi he ensaumple his dede of pilgrimage to be folewid of othere men, that thei go in pilgrimage thanne or in sum other leiser which thei wolen [wole, MS. (first hand).] to hem silf point forto edifie hem silf, as he goith thidir for to edifie him silf. And open ynow it is, that who euer wole go in pilgrimage vnder this ij^e. entent, he muste do it openli and not priueli; and ellis he failith in his pil|grimage. Forwhi ellis his deede answerith not to his entent, as it is open ynouȝ.

In the iij^e. maner a man mai go in pilgrimage vndir entent forto supporte and menteyne that the mynde of the Seint and the mynde of his lyuyng and the mynde of the benefet, which God hath ȝouun to us, bi that thilk Seint lyued so weel; or ellis for|to supporte and menteyne the mynde herof, that God hath chose thilk place and thilk memorial, (whether it be an ymage or a relik,) that thilk mynde die not and falle not into forȝeting. For thouȝ it be suffi|cientli in Goddis power forto menteyne the fame of thilk place and of the ymage and of the seid chesing and of her holynes, ȝit men ouȝten do her part bi kindenes and gentilnes for to bi her power menteyne the same, and that bi word and bi deede of haunting and comyng thidir. And this supporting and meyn|tenaunce of this fame of the place of the ymage and of the Seint and of the seid chesing, which God hath maad there to be doon bi pilgrimage, cannot be do anentis othere folk, but if the pilgrimage be don openli, as it is open ynouȝ to ech mannys resoun.

And sithen it is [is is interlineated by a later hand.] openli schewid that a man may leefully and expedientli and honestli do a pilgrimage, not oonli in the firste maner but also in the ij^e.

maner, ȝhe, and also in the iij^e. maner, tho clerkis whiche seen and knowen oonli the firste maner of doing pilgrimage and not seen and knowen the ij^e. and iij^e. maners, ben ouer hasti, eer thei be ful leerned, forto blame eny man for this, that he doith his pil|grimage miche openli vndir the ij^e. or iij^e. seid ententis or maners of pilgrimage doing.

And thanne ferther in this mater thus: Sithen it is leeful, honest, and expedient a man forto do his pilgrimage in the ij^e. and iij^e. now bifore seid maners and ententis forto denounce to the peple dwelling or to be mett in the wey of the pilgrimage, that he goith into such or such a place in pilgrimage, for to prouoke hem into pilgrymage or forto quykee in hem the mynde and remembraunce of the bifore seid thingis, (and open it is that this denouncing to othere seers and biholders may not be mad so effectuali to hem bi the oonli open going of the pilgrim [of pilgrimage, MS. (first hand).] in his persoon and with his meyne thoruȝ the wey or the strete thidirward, as if he schulde proclame bi his owne speche or bi hise seruauntis speche to ech man which he schulde meete forto seie thus: "Lo, biholde weel y go now a [of, MS. (first hand).] pilgrimage into such a place," and ȝit forto denounce and publische his going in pil|grimage bi this maner is not so eesi and so effectual, neither so continuel, as if the pilgrime bere openli visibili in his hond to alle men whiche schal meete a signe bitokenyng openli that he goith into such a place in pilgrimage, which signe is an ymage of wex or of tre or of sum metal,)—wherfore [Perhaps we should read ther|fore.] a ful good and a resonable cause it is to ech pilgrime, which wolde make his pilgrimage vndir the ij^e. or iij^e. bifore weel approued entent, that he bere openli an ymage of wex or of tree or of metal or of stoon in his hond, that

alle men whiche schulen se him go or meete with him, be remembrid therbi that he gooth in pilgrimage and that thei bi thilk ensaumpling be stirid for to at sumwhile make her pilgrimages. [pilgrimage, MS. (first hand).] And so a ful good and a ful resonable cause mai be, for which a pilgrime may bere an ymage openli in the wey, other than the cause which the x^e. argument spekith of, which is the vein glorie of the berer.

And ȝit ferther in this mater thus: If thilk ymage be offrid up in the place into which the pilgrimage is mad, and be hangid up into open siȝt forto there abide, vndir this entent that who euer schal aftirward come into the same place he schal weel se bi thilk ymage that sum man, (as the offrer of thilk ymage,) hadde deuocioun forto visite thilk place bi pilgrimage, and mai therbi be stirid forto do pilgrimage into the same place, (and the mo suche ymagis up offrid hange there, the more arrow_forward ech comer thidir and biholder of hem mai be stirid forto visite thilk place bi pilgrimage); and if a notable ymage be offrid up there, [A hyphen (at the end of the line) joins the words up there in the MS.] it schal moue the seers for to enquere who offrid thilk ymage; and if it be answerid, that a bischop or an other notable man it offrid there and it brouȝt thidir bi pilgrimage, the seer and heerer hereof schal thinke that the offrer therof hadde sum notable cause forto so bringe thilk ymage thidir and so offre it, and therbi be arrow_back the more stirid into deuocioun toward God or the Seint in thilk place. Wherfore it folewith, that a ful good cause is forto offre and leue such an ymage for to contynueli abide openli in the place of pilgrimage, (ȝhe, a myche better cause than is the feyned scornefully cause of which the x^e. argument makith mension,) and therfore alle tho persoones whiche blamen pilgrimes, (and namelich notable per|soones,

as bischopis or knyȝtis,) forto bere openli ymagis in pilgrimagis, and forto offre up and leue tho ymagis in the placis of pilgrimagis for the now seid ententis, schewen hem silf at the leest as ther yn foolis. Forwhi thei schewen hem silf not to vn|dirstonde that suche deedis mowen [mowe, MS. (first hand).] be doon vnder suche now seid ententis, whiche ententis ben openli to al the world leeful, honest, and expedient ynouȝ. And ferthermore, sithen it longith to preestis and to bischopis forto ensaumple vertuose and deuoute deedis rather than to othere louȝer men, whiche deedis for to ensaumple is not vnaccording to preestis and bi|schopis, it folewith that these seid [seid is interlineated by a later hand.] beringis of ymagis in pilgrimage, and the leeuyngis of tho ymagis in the placis of offring, bisemen and bicomen preestis and bischopis as weel as othere men, ȝhe, and more than othere louȝer men. And this is ynouȝ for answere to the x^e. argument.

To the xj^e. argument y answere by likenes thus: It is writun, Ysaie i^e. capitulum., that God seid to the peple thus: Do ȝe awey the yuel of ȝoure thouȝtis fro the myddis of ȝou, euen as, Iosue xxiiij^e. capitulum., [as Iosue seide, MS. (first hand).] Iosue seide: Do ȝe awey alien Goddis fro the myddis of ȝou: but certis open it is, that it folewith not bi vertu and strengthe of the seid text, Ysaie [of Ysaie, MS. (first hand).] i^e. capitulum., that therfore men ouȝten do awey fro hem good thouȝtis. Wher|fore of the text bifore alleggid in the xj^e. argument, Iosue xxiiij^e. capitulum., whanne it is seid thus: Do ȝe awey alien Goddis fro the myddis of ȝou, folewith not therof or therbi, that men ouȝten do a wey fro the myddis of hem ymagis, whiche ben not alien Goddis. And thus it is liȝt and esy forto answere to the xj^e. argument.