The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

v. CHAPITER.

FOR answere to the firste semyng skile, the ij^e. premysse of the argument there maad is to be denied, which ij^e. premysse is this: That ech religioun now had in which is vow of expropriacioun lettith, forbar|rith, and weerneth sum comaundement of God to be doon. And whanne ferther into the [the is interlineated in a later hand.] proof ther of it is argued thus: Ech such religioun lettith and weern|eth hise persoones forto do bodili almes of ricchessis deling, and also lettith and weerneth hise persoones forto releue her fadir and modir being in pouerte, and ȝit these deedis ben comaundementis of God; it is to be answerid here, that noon of these religiouns lettith tho deedis to be doon bi eny of hise persoones, as tho deedis and whanne tho deedis ben comaundementis of God to the same persoon, but as and whanne tho deedis ben noon comaundementis of God to the same persoon: and therfore noon of tho religiouns lettith hise persoones forto do eny comaundement of God.

For ferther cleering and declaring of this maad an|swere it is to wite, that ther ben ij. maners of Goddis

comaundementis. Forwhi summe comaundementis of God ben negatyues, that is to seie, weernyngis or forbodis, as ben these: Thou schalt not do avoutrie; Thou schalt not bere fals witnes; Vnworschipe thou not thi fadir and modir, and suche othere; and these bynden to alwey, and to whom euere eny of these comaundementis is oonys a comaundement, to him thilk same comaundement is euermore perpetueli a comaundement. Summe othere comaundementis ben affirmatyue comaundementis, that is to seie, biddingis that certein deedis be doon, as ben these: Worschipe and releeue thi fadir and modir; Ȝeue thou almes to the poor; Teche thou the vnkunnyng, and suche othere: and these comaundementis binden not to [to is interlineated in a later hand.] alwey, and to whom these ben comaundementis for oon while, thei mowen ceese to be comaundementis, as for an other while. Forwhi sithen affirmatyue or bid|ding comandementis ben comaundementis that certein deedis be doon, and if tho deedis mowen not be doon with oute certein to hem required meenes, it muste needis folewe that if and whanne a man iustli lackith the meenes, bi whiche needis tho deedis schulden be doon, he is not bounde forto do thilke deedis; and if euer and whanne euer a man may resonabili and therfore lawfulli make him silf lacke the meenys, bi whiche tho deedis musten needis be doon, if thei schulden be doon, that thanne he may make him be not bounde to tho deedis, and may make that tho deedis be not to him comaundementis of God, thouȝ bifore whanne he hadde or myȝte haue the meenis of tho deedis, tho deedis weren to him comaundid deedis. And therfore folewith needis, that whanne euer a man iustli and withoute blame of resoun lackith the ricchessis, with whiche he myȝte visite

the faderles and modirles children and poor widowis and do other bodili almes, thanne as for thanne and as for al thilk while it is not comaundement of God to him forto do such now seid almes, neither forto releeue the pouerte of his fadir and modir; and bi lijk skile it muste needis folewe, that if euer and whanne euer a man may not aȝens resoun (but bi doom of cleer resoun) make him silf lacke suche ricchessis, ȝhe, and make him silf lack the power forto wynne or other wise come to iustli suche ricch|essis, thanne and as for al thilk while it is not comaundement [a comaundement, MS. (first hand, apparently).] of God to him neither forto releeue the pouerte of his fadir and moder or of eny other neiȝbour, neither it is comaundement of God to him forto labore that he wynne bi craft or in eny other wise to gete ricches forto therbi releeue the pouerte and nede of his fadir and modir or of eny other neiȝbour to him.

And that a man now hauyng ricchessis in greet plente mai with his good wil iustli and leefulli make him silf lacke tho same ricchessis, ȝhe, and the power forto wynne, gete, or haue ther aftir eny suche ricch|essis, y proue in this wise: I putte caas here, were a man which hath myche ricches, wherwith he mai weel releeue the pouerte of his fadir and modir and of hise othere neiȝboris, if thei in eny pouerte now weren; and this man hath a bodili sijknes, (or ellis dredith for greet liklihode forto falle into a bodili sijknes,) bi which he schal lyue in huge vnberable peine or be deed; ther is a lecche which wole vndir|take to make him hool, or to preserue him fro the fal into thilk sijknes; but al the ricches of this seid man is litil ynouȝ forto spende aboute the medicyns longing to thilk cure or preseruacioun. This man

seing this spendith out al his seid worldli ricches into the now seid purpos, and makith him silf wil|fulli to lacke the meenys bi whiche he myȝte releeue the pouerte of his fadir and modir, into which thei ben falle aftir this expense. Thanne y aske heere this questioun: Whether this man in so expending dooth aȝens the comaundement of God, bi which God biddith that a man releeue the pouerte and nede of his fadir and modir, and releeue the neede of hise othere neiȝboris? Certis ech resonable man this heer|ing wole seie nay; ȝhe, and thouȝ eer than he hadde bigunne to make this expense he hadde seen his fader and modir falle into greet pouerte and bodili neede, ȝit he hadde not do amys forto bigynne and contynue his now seid expense, and forto leue his fadir and modir and othere neiȝboris in her pouerte and bodili nede. And thouȝ ouer al this seid expense it were so, that the leche wolde not do and make this seid cure, but if this man wolde bicome his per|petual seruaunt or boond man, and folewe him into a fer cuntre, and serue him for mete and drinke and clooth oonli; ȝit this man schulde not do amys forto so make him silf lacke power into wynnyng eft soone of worldli good in bycomyng [by comyng, MS.] boond to this leche for the seid effect and purpos, bisidis the expense of alle hise ricchessis now of him possessid and had, as it is open ynouȝ to resoun. But whi and for what cause is this trewe? Sotheli for thouȝ this man be bounde forto loue his fader and moder and hise othere neiȝ|boris as him silf, ȝit he is not bounde for to loue eny of hem more than him silf, neither so myche as him silf; but this man is bounde bi the dew ordre of charite which doom of resoun ȝeueth, and so bi the lawe of God forto loue him silf more than his fadir

and modir and hise othere neiȝboris, as it is schewid in othere placis of my writingis; so that this man ouȝte loue in affect and in effect his owne bodi more than the bodi of his fadir or modir or of eny other neiȝbore, and his owne soule more than the soule or the bodi of his fadir or modir or of eny other to him neiȝbour, and his owne bodili lijf more than the bodili lijf of his fadir and modir. Certis if this be the cause, as no kunnyng man mai denye it to be the very and trewe therof cause, thanne ther of folewith this: that miche rather, if eny man is ful sijk in synne or dreed|ful with ful likeli opinioun that he schal falle ful periloseli into synne and contynue so, that he dredith lest he schal not make a sure eende into his salua|cioun; and it is seen in resoun that forto be curid or preserued herof best wey and surist wey and noon other sure to his freelnes wey is, than to forsake alle hise temporal ricchessis and bicome a religiose man in sum religioun conteynyng vow of wilful pouerte, bi which vow he not oonli muste leue hise now had ricchessis and power forto [to is interlineated in a later hand.] aftirward of the newe wynne and come to eny suche ricchessis; if he so do, ȝhe, thouȝ for the while he seeth his fadir and modir and hise neiȝboris falle or be in grettist bodili pouerte and nede, he doith not ther yn amys, neithir doith aȝens the comaundement of God. Forwhi he not therbi dooth aȝens the loue, bi whiche he ouȝte loue his fadir and modir and hise othere neiȝboris as him silf; but he executith the comaundement of God, bi which he is bounde to loue him silf more than his fader and modir and hise othere neiȝboris, namelich his owne soule and his goostli helthe more than the goostli welthe and the bodili welthe of his fader and modir and of hise othere neiȝboris: and therfore he

dooth not ther ynne amys, neither brekith therbi eny comaundement of God, but he ther yn and ther bi fulfillith the now seid comaundement of God.

And thouȝ y schulde seie no more than this now seid, certis it were ynouȝ for answere to the first semyng skile. Neuertheles thus myche more y schal therto sette: The comoun peple and perauenture summe of the clerkis ben her yn bigilid, that thei weenen this comaundement of God, Honoure thou thi fadir and modir, to be a seueral comaundement bi him silf departid fro this comaundement of God, Loue thou thi neiȝbore as thi silf, and to be a streitir comaunde|ment and more to be kept than is this comaundement, Loue thou thi neiȝbore as thi silf; but certis this is not trewe. Forwhi therof wolde folewe that a mannys fadir and modir be not to him hise neiȝboris; and it is fals: for thei ben to him summe of hise principal|ist neiȝboris. Also it wolde therof folewe that the deedis of reuerencing and the deedis of releeuying, which a man dooth to his fadir and modir, weren not deedis of loue; which also is vntrewe. And therfore, sithen a mannys fader and modir ben to him nedis hise neiȝboris, and not more to him than neiȝboris, thouȝ thei ben hise principal neiȝboris, and the reuer|encing and the releeuying, (whethir thei ben goostli or bodili,) ben deedis of loue, and ben noon better neither more than deedis of loue, it folewith needis that in this comaundement, Worschipe thou (in affect and effect bi reuerencing and releving) [and bi releving is added in the margin by a later hand; bi having been afterwards erased.] thi fadir and modir, whanne and as and if resoun deemeth it to be doon, is no thing comaundid streiter than is comaun|did and conteyned in this comaundement, Loue thou (in affect and effect) ech of thi neiȝboris as thi silf.

But bi cause that thouȝ a man ouȝte loue in affect and effect ech of hise neiȝboris as him silf, ȝit he ouȝte not loue ech of hise neiȝboris lijk myche neither eny of hise neiȝboris so miche as him silf; but summe of hise neiȝboris, as ben Cristen men, he ouȝte loue in affect and effect more than Iewis or Sarazenys, whiche ben to us neiȝboris al the while thei ben in state in which thei mowen be conuertid and be saued; and summe of Cristen neiȝboris, as ben grete to him benefetouris, he ouȝte loue in affect and effect more than othere Cristene being not so grete to him bene|fetouris; and also hem, whiche ben trewe seruauntis to God and ben of him more loued, he ouȝte more loue in affect and effect than othere not being so gode seruauntis to God and not so myche of him loued. And if her with alle tho greete benefetouris or tho bettir seruauntis to God ben neer and more of his blood than ben othere, bi so myche also thei ouȝte be the more of him loued in affect and effect. And for as miche as comounli it is so, that a mannys fader and modir ben to him grettist benefetouris, or name|lich ben in grettist wil forto be benefetouris to him, and comounly noon other persoon ferther in blood is woned be so willi and so redy forto do and suffre for a man as ben his or weren bifore to him his fadir or modir, therfore that we be not vnkinde anentis hem whom we, as it comounli fallith, ben bounde forto moost loue of alle oure neiȝboris, God in wey of notifiyng and in wey of remembring to be waar of the gretter defaut bifore the lasse expressid to us in wordis thus, Worschipe thou thi fadir and thi modir. And ȝit her of and herfro folewith not, neither may eny [in eny, MS. (first hand), perhaps rightly.] colour be had, that God comaundith a man to bere him anentis his fadir and modir more and other

wise than the hiȝest degre of neiȝborehode askith, or that he schulde do eny gretter thing than is conteyned and includid in this general comaundement, Loue thou thi neiȝbore as thi silf. For this comaundement, Worschipe thou thi fadir and modir, is not but a special and a parti of this general and hool comaunde|ment, Loue (in affect and effect) thi neiȝbore as thi silf, but as moche as resoun wole. And certis the vnconsideracion [and] the vnkunnyng of this now de|clarid notabilite and the opinioun that this comaunde|ment spokun bi Goddis owne mouth, Worschipe thou thi fadir and modir, was off grettir charge than is now declarid, and was in streiter wise to be vnder|stonde than is now declarid, hath be a cause in summe of the comoun peple forto ouer vnwijsly and ouer bitterli berke and clatere, [chatere, MS. (first hand).] bacbite and diffame aȝens the bifore seid religions. Wolde God that thei wolden now take heede to this present book, and souke out therof goostli triacle aȝens her goostli poysenyng and enfecting.