English prose treatises of Richard Rolle de Hampole / edited from Robert Thornton's ms. in the Library of Lincoln Cathedral by George G. Perry.

XII.

[THE VIRTUE OF OUR LORD'S PASSION.]

[Thornton MS., Lincoln Cathedral Library, leaf 229, back.]

Wit thou wele, dere Frende, þat þof þou had neuer [All men lie under sin, but] done syn̄ with thi bodi, dedly, ne venyałł, bot anely this þat es called Orygynałł, (for it es þe firste syn̄, and þat es þe lossyng of thy ryght∣wysnes [the greatest sins can be forgiven to the true peni∣tent through the Passion of Jesus.] [ 4] whilke þou was madin,) Suld thou neuer hafe bene safe, if oure Lord Ihesu Criste by his passion̄ had noghte delyuerde the, and re∣storede þe agayne. And þou sałł wit þat þou, be þou neuer so [ 8] mekiłł a wreche, hafe þou donne neuer so mekiłł syn̄, for-sake thi selfe and ałł thi werkes gude & iłł, Cry mercy, and aske anely saluacyon̄ by þe vertu of his precyouse passyon̄ mekly and tristely, and with-owtten̄ dowte þou sałł haf it, and fra [ 12] this orygynałł syn̄ and ałł oþer þou sałł be safe. ȝa, and þou sałł be safe as ane ankir incluse; and noghte anely þou, Bot ałł cristen̄ men̄ & wymen̄ þat trowes appon̄ his passion̄, and mekes þam̄ selfe, knawande þaire wrechidnes, askand mercy [ 16] and forgyfnes, and þe fruyte of his precyouse passion̄, anely lawand þam̄-selfe to þe Sacramentes of haly kyrke, þof it be swa þat þay hafe bene cumbyrde in syn̄ & with syn̄ ałł þaire lyfe tyme, and neuer had felyng of gastely sauour or swetnes, or [ 20] gastely knawynge of Godd, þay sałł, in this faitħ and in þair gud wiłł, be safe, by þe vertu of þe precyouse passione of oure Lorde Ihesu Criste, and com to þe blysse of Heuen̄. See here þe Endles mercy of owre Lorde, how lawe He fallis to þe & to me and to [ 24] ałł synfułł caytyfs. 'Aske mercy and hafe it:' Thus said þe prophete in þe person̄ of oure Lorde, 'Omnis enym quicunque invocauerit nomen Domini, saluus erit.' 'Ilk man̄, what þat he [Rom. x. 13.]] be, þat in-calles þe name of Godd, þat es to say, askes saluacion̄ [ 28] by Ihesu and by his passion̄, he sałł be safe.' Bot þis curtasye [But some are beguiled by their know∣ledge of this mercy into a] of oure Lorde, sum men̄ takes, and erre safede þer-by; and sum, in traiste of his mercy and his curtasye, lyffes stiłł in þair synnes,

& wenys for to hafe it when þam lyst; and þan may þay noghte, [presump∣tuous trust.] For þay ere takyn̄ or þay wit, and swa þay dampne þam̄ selfe. Bot now, sayse þou, if þis be sothe þou wondyrs gretly, for þat I fynde wretyn̄ in sum haly mens saghes. Sum sayse, as I vndir∣stande, [ 4] [How then can some learned men declare that none can be saved who do not love the name of Jesus, when there is hope for all peni∣tent sinners?] þat he þat can̄ noghte lufe þis blyssed name Ihesu, ne fynd ne fele in it gastely Ioye and delitabilite, with wondirfułł swetnes in þis lyfe here, ffra þe souerayne Ioy and gastely swetnes in þe blysse of Heuen̄ he sałł be aliene, and neuer sałł he com̄ [ 8] þar-to. Sothely þise wordes, when I here thaym̄ or redis þam̄, stonyes me, and makis me gretly ferd; For I hope, as þou sayse, þat many, by þe mercy of Godd, sałł be safe, be kepyng of his commandementeȝ and by verray repentance of þaire euyłł lyfe [ 12] be-fore done, þe wylke felid neuer gastely swetnes ne inly sauour in þe name of Ihesu or in þe lufe of Ihesu. And for-thi I meruełł me þe more, þat þay say the contrarye here-to, as it semys. Als vn-to þis, I may say, as me [Lf. 230.] thynke, that theire saynge, if it be [ 16] wele vndirstanden̄, es sothe, ne it es noghte contrarie to þat [Their words, if well under∣stood, are true.] that I hafe said, For þis name Ihesu es noghte ełłs for to say one Ynglische bot 'heler or hele.' Nowe euer-ilk man̄ þat lyffes in þis wrechid lyfe, es gastely seke, For þaire es na man̄ þat lyffis [ 20] with-owtten̄ syn̄, whilke es gastely seknes, as Sayn Ihon̄ sayse of hym-selfe and oþer perfite men̄ thus, 'Si dixerimus quod [[1 Joan i. 8.]] peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, et c̄.' 'If we say þat we hafe na syn̄, we begile oure-selfe, and sothefastnes es noghte [ 24] in vs.' And for-þi he may neuer fele ne com̄ to þe Ioyes of Heuen̄, vn-to he first be made hale of þis gostely seknes. Bot þis gastely may na man̄ haf þat hase vse of reson̄, bot if he desire it and lufe it, and hafe delite þar-in, in als mekiłł als he [ 28] hopis for to get it. Now þe name of Ihesu es noghte elles bot þis gastely hele. Whare-fore it es sothe þat þay say, þat þar may [For no man can be saved who desires not and loves not salvation, and Jesus is salvation.] na man̄ be safe bot if he lufe & lyke in þe name of Ihesu; For þar may na man̄ be gastely hale, bot if he lufe and desire gastely [ 32] hele; For ryght als a man̄ ware bodily seke, þer ware nane erthely thyng sa dere ne so nedfułł to hym̄, ne so mekiłł suld be desyrid of hym̄, als bodily hele (For þofe þou wald gyff hym̄ ałł þe reches and þe wirchips of þis werlde, and noghte make hym [ 36]

hale of þat þou myghte, þou plesid hym noghte)—Righte so it es to a man̄ þat es seke gastely, and felis þe payne of gastely seknes. Nathyng es so dere, so nedfułł, ne so mekiłł desirid of hym̄, als his gastely hele, and þat es Ihesu, withowtten̄ whilke, ałł [ 4] þe Ioyes of Heuen̄ may noghte lyke hym̄. And this es þe skiłł (as I hope) whi oure Lorde, when̄ he tuke mankynde for oure [It was for this reason that our Lord took that name.] saluacyon̄, he walde noghte be called by na name betakenande his Endles beyng, or his myghte, or his wysdom̄, or his ryght∣wysnes, [ 8] bot anely by þat that was cause of his commynge, and þat was saluacyon̄ of mans saule. Whilke saluacion̄ was maste dere and maste nedfułł to man̄; and þis saluacyon̄, betakens þis name Ihesu. Þan bi this it semes, þat þer may na man̄ be safe [ 12] bot if he lufe Ihesu; For þer may na man̄ be safe bot if he lufe saluacyon̄, whilke lufe he may hafe þat lyfes and dyes in þe laweste degre of charite. Also I may say on̄ a-noþer wyse, þat [Nor can any enjoy heaven who love not this blessed name here.] he þat can̄ noghte lufe þis blessede nam̄ Ihesu with gastely [ 16] myrthe, ne enjoye in it with heuenly melodye here, he sałł neuer hafe ne fele in þe blysse of Heuen̄ þat fulhede of souerayne Ioye, þe whilke he þat myghte in þis lyfe, by habondance of perfite charite, enjoye in Ihesu, sałł hafe & fele, [Lf. 230 bk.] and so may thaire [ 20] saynge be vndirstanden̄. Neuer-þe-les, he sałł be safe, and hafe [Yet a man can be saved who is in the lowest degree of love.] fułł mede in þe syghte of Godd, ałł if he be in þis lyfe in the laweste degre of charite, by kepyng of Goddes commandementes, For Criste sayse in the Gospelle, 'In domo Patris mei mansiones [ 24] multe sunt.' 'In my fadir house erre many sere dwellynges.' [[Joan xiv. 2.]] Sum are for perfite saules, þe whilke in þis lyfe ware fulfillede of grace of þe Haly Gaste, and sang louynngs to Godd in contem∣placion̄ of Hym with wondirfułł swetnes and heuennly savour. [ 28] Þise saules, for þay hade maste charite, sałł haue hegheste mede [Some there are of great advances in God's love.] in þe blyse of Heuen̄, For þise ere callid Goddes derlyngs. Othir saules þat ere in þis lyfe inperfite, and erre noghte disposed [These are God's dar∣lings.] to contemplacyon̄ of Godd, ne had noghte þe fullhede of charite, [ 32] as apostełłs or martirs had in þe begynnyng of haly Kirke, þay sałł haue þe lawere mede in þe blyse of Heuen̄, For þise er [Others of lower attain∣ment who are God's friends.] callede Goddis frendis. Þus callis oure Lorde chosen̄ saules in haly writt, sayand thus, 'Comedite amici, et inebriamini caris∣simi.' [ 36] [[Cant. v. 1.]]

'Mi frendes, ete ȝe; and my derlynges, be ȝe drunkyn̄.' As if oure Lorde said one þis wyse, 'ȝe þat er my frendis, for þe keped my commandmenteȝ, and sett my lufe be-fore þe lufe of þe werlde, and lufed me more þan any oþer erthely thynge, ȝe sałł be feedd [ 4] with gastely fude of þe brede of lyfe. Bot ȝe þat er my derlynges, and noghte anely kepid my commandementis, Bot also of ȝoure awen̄ fre wiłł fulfillede my consailles, and ouer þat ȝe luffed me anely enterely with ałł þe myghtes of ȝoure saule, and brynnede [ 8] in my lufe with gastely delyte, as did pryncypally þe apostiłłs & martirs, and ałł oþer þat myghte com̄ by grace to þe gyfte of perfeccion̄, ȝe sałł be made drunken̄ with þe freeste wyne in my celer, þat es, þe souereyne ioye of lufe in þe blyse of [ 12] Heuen̄.' To the whilke blise he brynge vs, þat boghte vs with his precyouse passion̄, Ihesu Criste, Goddis sone of Heuen̄. Amen̄!

[On leaf 231 is the poem '¶ Of Sayne Ioħn þe euaungelist,' [ 16] printed in 'Religious Pieces,' E. E. T. Soc. 1867, pp. 87-94.]

P. 10, l. 9. Wychecrafte.—Thus Roberd de Brunne on the first Com∣mandment:—

Ȝyf þou yn swerde other yn bacyn, Any chylde madest loke theryn, Or yn thumbe, or yn cristal, Wycchecraft men clepen hyt alle.—

Handlyng Synne, 351.