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And in lele lyvynge men and in lif holy,
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And thorugh the gifte of the Holy Goost, as the Gospel telleth:
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Spiritus ubi vult spirat.
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"Clergie and kynde wit cometh of sighte and techyng,
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As the Book bereth witnesse to burnes that kan rede:
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Quad scimus ioquimur, quod vidimus testamur.
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Of quod scimus cometh clergie, a konnynge of hevene,
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And of quad vidimus cometh kynde wit, of sighte of diverse peple.
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Ac grace is a gifte of God, and of greet love spryngeth;
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Knew nevere clerk how it cometh forth, ne kynde wit the weyes:
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Nescit aliquis unde venit aut quo vadit &c.
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"Ac yet is clergie to comende, and kynde wit bothe,
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And namely clergie for Cristes love, that of clergie is roote.
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For Moyses witnesseth that God wroot for to wisse the peple
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ln the Olde Lawe, as the lettre telleth, that was the lawe of Jewes,
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That what womman were in avoutrye taken, were she riche or poore,
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With stones men sholde hir strike. and stone hire to dethe.
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A womman, as we fynden, was gilty of that dede;
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Ac Crist of his curteisie thorugh clergie hir saved.
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For thorugh caractes that Crist wroot, the Jewes knewe hemselve
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Giltier as afore God and gretter in synne
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Than the womman that there was, and wenten awey for shame.
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The clergie that there was conforted the womman.
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Holy Kirke knoweth this--that Cristes writyng saved;
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So clergie is confort to creatures that repenten,
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And to mansede men meschief at hire ende.
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"For Goddes body myghte noght ben of breed withouten clergie,
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The which body is bothe boote to the rightfulle,
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And deeth and dampnacion to hem that deyeth yvele;
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As Cristes caracte confortede and bothe coupable shewed
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The womman that the Jewes broughte, that Jesus thoughte to save:
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Nolite iudicare et nan iudicabimini.
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Right so Goddes body, bretheren, but it be worthili taken,
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Dampneth us at the day of dome as dide the caractes the Jewes.
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"Forthi I counseille thee for Cristes sake. clergie that thow lovye,
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For kynde wit is of his kyn and neighe cosynes bothe
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To Oure Lord, leve me--forthi love hem, I rede.
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For bothe ben as mirours to amenden oure det-autes,
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And lederes for lewed men and for lettred bothe.
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"Forthi lakke thow nevere logik, lawe ne hise custumes,
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Ne countreplede clerkes--l counseille thee for evere!
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For as a man may noght see that mysseth hise eighen.
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Na moore kan no clerk but if he caughte it first thorugh bokes.
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Although men made bokes, God was the maister,
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And Seint Spirit the samplarie, and seide what men sholde write.
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And right as sight serveth a man to se the heighe strete,
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Right so lereth lettrure lewed men to reson.
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And as a blynd man in bataille bereth wepne to fighte,
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And hath noon hap with his ax his enemy to hitte,
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Na moore kan a kynde witted man, but clerkes hym teche,
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Come, for al his kynde wit, to Cristendom and be saved--
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Which is the cofre of Cristes tresor, and clerkes kepe the keyes,
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To unloken it at hir likyng, and to the lewed peple
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Yyve mercy for hire mysdedes, if men it wole aske
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Buxomliche and benigneliche, and bidden it of grace.
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"Archa Dei in the Olde Lawe, Levites it kepten;
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Hadde nevere lewed man leve to leggen hond on that cheste
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But he were preest or preestes sone, patriark or prophete.
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