The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

vij. CHAPITER.

ANSWERE to the iij^e. semyng skile schal be this: Whanne thou askist of me thus, "Why made not and ordeyned not Crist tho religions to be had and be vsid, sithen thei ben so profitable to us?" I aske of thee in lijk wise, "Whi ordeyned not and made not Crist to us who schal be meyr in London in the next ȝeer, and who schal be bischop of London aftir the deceesse of the bischop of Londoun now

lyuying, sithen it is profitable to men of Londoun and vnsparable that such a meyr and such a bischop schulden be in tyme comyng? ȝhe, whi made not God gownes and cootis, hosun and schoon to men, breed and potages and ale and beer and wijn, sithen these thingis ben so necessarie to men that men mowen not lake hem?" If thou answere to my questioun thus: That God ordeyned, made, and ȝaue to men tho thingis (that is to seie, witt, wille, speche, and othere powers of the soule and of the bodi bi whiche and with which thei hem silf and bi hem silf mowen make, ordeyne, and do to hem silf alle tho thingis, wherof thi questiouns asken; and therfore God wolde not, for it was no nede that he him silf schulde ordeyne, make, do, and ȝeue tho thingis to the same men—certis, if thin answere now mad to my questiouns is good, and such thanne a lijk answere schal be good and sufficient to thi questioun askid in the iij^e. semyng skile: That therfore Crist not ordeined, made, dide, and ȝaf bi him silf thes seid religiouns, for he ȝaue to men inward sensityue wittis and outward sensityue wittis, resoun, and wil, and moving power to speke, and othere deedis do, by whiche men myȝten knowe suche religiouns be worthi be had and vsid, and with whiche men myȝten make and ordeyne and do bi hem silf suche religiouns to hem silf, as that it was not nede to Crist that he him silf schulde make, do, ordeyne, and ȝeue hem to men. So that it is the maner of Crist, that tho thingis and deedis, whiche men hem silf bi ȝiftis of God bifore ȝouun to hem mowen [mowe, MS. (first hand) apparently, twice.] kunne, make, and do hem silf, God wole loke that thei so do, ordeyne, and make, if thei tho thingis wolen haue; and ellis tho powers whiche God hath ȝouun to men, bi whiche powers men mowen [mowe, MS. (first hand) apparently, twice.] make

tho thingis and do and ordeyne tho deedis, schulden be as in parti idil, vnoccupied, and vein. And aȝen|ward tho thingis and deedis, whiche men hem silf bi ȝiftis of God bifore ȝouun to hem mowen [mowe, MS. (first hand) apparently.] not kunne, make, do, and ordeyne hem silf, God wole do, make, and ordeyne bi him silf to hem, if thei be necessarie and vnlackeable to hem, as ben the soulis of oure chil|dren to vs and othere suche thingis. And thus miche is ynouȝ for answere to the questioun askid in thi iij^e. semyng skile and to the argument there maad in forme; forwhi the firste premysse of the argument is to be denyed; and whi he is to be denyed, it is open bi this processe in this answere now maad.

And ȝit, (if y schulde ferther seie,) y woot riȝt weel, that if thou ȝauest to thi man hors and sadil, armour and spere, and schuldist bidde him ride into a certeyn feelde, and take to him a prisoner worthi in raunsum of an hundrid pound; and if her with thou myȝtist and schuldist like verili ȝeue to him his boldenes, his strengthe, his inward and outward wittis, and his resoun and wil forto reule him in the taking of this prisoner, thou woldist seie that thou ȝauest to him this prisoner; for this that thou ȝauest to him alle the meenys bi which and with whiche he schulde take this prisoner, not withstonding that he him silf withoute thee takith this prisoner bi and with the meenys and helpis whiche bi caas thou hast ȝouun to him:—wherfore, sithen God ȝeueth to men inward and outward sensytyue wittis and resoun and wil and moving power to make speking and othere bodili movingis and alle othere meenys, wherbi and wherwith men mowen bi hem silf suf|ficientli knowe that suche religiouns ben profitable to hem, and make and ordeyne religiouns now had

and vsid in the chirche, thou ouȝtist graunte for lijk skile that God ȝeueth to men tho religiouns. And so it is, thouȝ his ȝifte theryn be doon mediatli, that is to seie, bi meenes therto bifore ȝouun.

In ij. therfore maners God dooth dedis [dedis is added by a later hand.] in erthe. Oon is of immediat doing, and that is whanne he bi him silf at next withoute meene or his assignee dooth the deede, and thus it is doon whanne he dooth eny myracle aboue the power of creature. An other maner is of mediat doing, and that is whanne he not bi him silf oonli, but bi his assignees dooth it, as bi an aungel or bi the sunne or the moone or sum othir creature; and this dede is doon of God mediatli or with meene; and in this maner he ȝeueth to man the ricches which he wynneth bi bisynes of his witt and bi labour of his bodi; and in this maner it is trewe that God made, ordeyned, and ȝaue the religiouns whiche now ben had and vsid in the chirche.

Answere to the iiij^e. semyng skile schal be this: Whanne thou askist of me, "Whi ben ther so manye dyuerse religiouns in the chirche, and whi not bi fewer religiouns mai be performed al the good which cometh forth bi so manye religiouns had and vsid in the chirche?" I aske of thee, "Whi in a town which is a thoruȝ faar toward Londoun ben so manye ostries clepid innes forto logge gistis, thouȝ in fewer of hem alle gestis myȝten be loggid? Is not this the cause, for that bi the mo dyuersitees whiche schulen be had in the more multitude of ynnes the peple schal be the more prouokid and stirid for to logge hem in tho ynnes, than if ther were fewer ynnes?" Thou muste nedis seie, ȝhis. Forwhi what point in chaumbring, stabiling, gardeins, beddis, seruicis of the ostiler, (and so in othere thingis)

plesith oon gist, plesith not an other; and what point in these thingis offendith oon, plesith weel an other; and therfore where that the more such dy|uersyte is had and founde, the more stiring therbi is had to plese manye gistis; and therbi folewingli the mo gistis wolen haue wil forto logge hem in thilk town, more than if ther were fewer dyuersytees, whiche schulde needis be in fewer ynnes. Thanne if this be trewe, and if thou answere to me thus; y an|swere to thee bi lijk skile, that therfore God purueied manye dyuerse religiouns to be in the chirche, for that bi so greet a dyuersite had in so manye reli|giouns (what for dyuersite of outward habit and of inward wering, and of diet, and of waking, and of officiyng, and of sitis, or of placing, and of bilding, and of othere suche manie,) the mo of the peple schulde be prouokid and stirid therbi into religioun, than if ther were fewer religiouns. Forwhi ij. gouer|nauncis ben comounli kept in hem whiche ben moved toward religioun: Oon is, that thei encerchen dili|gentli what pointis and thingis schulden greeue hem, and what pointis schulden plese hem in the place and in the ordre into which thei ben stirid, and what euere pointis thei fynden forto be to hem greuose thei dreden, and what pointis or thingis thei fynden forto be to hem plesaunt thei louen. An other is, that in multitude of men is so greet a dyuersite in affectis and passiouns, that thilk same point or thing which is ple|saunt to oon man is displesaunt to an other man, and what is displesaunt to oon is pleasunt to the [the is added by a later hand.] other. Wherfore ther mai not so greet a multitude be weel willi to religioun, if in religioun be litil dyuersite of pointis, as if in religioun be gretter dyuersite of pointis. And gretter dyuersite of suche pointis ben in

multitude of religiouns, rather than in fewer religiouns. Wherfore needis folewith that by multitude of reli|giouns men schulen be more stirid forto chese and take religioun, than bi fewer. And sithen religiouns ben profitable to Cristen peple, as it is bifore schewid in the [vj^e.] [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of this present v^e. parti, it folew|ith that it is profitable such multitude and diversite of religiouns to be, and so that God wolde haue men in the more noumbre and in the more affect be stirid toward religioun forto logge hem ther ynne, sithen it is bifore proued religiouns to be good. Therfore he ordeyned and purveied into thilk entent so manye dyuerse religiouns in the chirche. And ȝit herwith weelnyȝ of ech religioun he ordeyned or purueied to be manye dyuerse housis and placis, as thouȝ thei weren dyuerse ostries or herbouris forto logge the more multitude at her liking and plesaunt choise ther yn; and so, thouȝ the good of iij. principal vowis be lijke and oon in ech and alle religiouns, ȝit the othere plesauntis [Perhaps we should read ple|sauncis.] and eesis of the religiosis persoones, whiche schulde tolle hem into religioun and whiche also schulde make hem the perfitlier and the stablier per|foorme her othere substancial vowis, ben not like and the same in alle religiouns and neither in alle housis of oon religioun.

And thouȝ summe harme and yuel cometh thoruȝ the hauyng of such now seid multitude, ȝit not so greet harme and yuel as is excludid bi the hauyng of so greet multitude; for not so greet harme and yuel as schulde come of this, that so greet multitude of persoones schulde not entre into tho religiouns, neither so myche harme as is the myche good which [good myche cometh, MS. (first hand); which being added in the margin and the marks of trans|position inserted by a later hand. Perhaps we should read the good whiche.]

cometh bi the seid multitude and dyuersitie of reli|giouns. And thus y eende myn answere to the iiij^e. semyng skile bifore mad in the [iv^e.] [Spaces are left for the refe|rences. See p. 166. This seems to be the place intended.] chapiter of this present v^e. parti.

The iij^e. principal conclusion of this present v^e. partie is this: The vj^e. seid principal gouernaunce sett in the bigynnyng of this present v^e. partie is leeful. That this conclusioun is trewe, y proue thus: Ech gouernaunce or maner of conuersacioun which Holi Scripture weerneth not and forbedith not, doom of cleer and weel disposid natural resoun weerneth not and forbedith not, mannes lawe weerneth not and forbedith not, is leeful and not worthi be vndirnome and blamed. But so it is, that sectis and religiouns to be mad with inne the comoun Cristen religioun to men and to wommen forto be streitir to hem in moral conuersacioun, than is the fredom of the comoun Cristen religioun maad of preceptis of lawe of kinde and of feith reuelid bi holi autentik Scripture, is not weerned and forboden bi Holi Scripture, neither bi doom of weel disposid cleer natural resoun, neither bi mannys lawe. Wherfore needis folewith that forto haue summe suche religiose [religioses, MS. (first hand), which deserves attention: religiosis persoones occurs a little above.] gouernaunces is leeful, and not worthi to be vndirnome and blamed. The firste premysse of this argument is sufficiently proued bifore in the [v^e.] [Spaces are left for the refe|rences. See p. 166. This seems to be the place intended.] chapiter of the [ij^e.] [Spaces are left for the refe|rences. See p. 166. This seems to be the place intended.] parti of this book in the princi|pal argument mad aȝens the vniust blamyng of the ij^e. gouernaunce: and the ij^e. premysse of this same argu|ment is proued bi the firste and ij^e. principal conclu|siouns of this fifthe parti fro the bigynnyng of the firste chapiter hidir to. Wherfore this present iij^e. principal conclusioun thus concludid and proued bi these ij. premyssis is needis trewe.