[6-text p 615] no mete but herbes / and water to his drynke / ne no bed / but the naked erthe / for which his flessh was blak as an Ethiopeen for heete / and ny destroyed for coold /. [346] yet seyde he / that the brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his body / [347] wherfore / I woot wel sykerly / that they been deceyued / that seyn / that they ne be nat tempted in hir body / [348] witnesse on Seint Iame the Apostel /. [¶ Sanctus Iacobus Apostolus] that seith / that euery wight is tempted in his owene con|cupiscence /. that is to seyn that euerich of vs / hath matere and occasion to be tempted of the norissynge of synne / that is in his body /. [349] And therfore seith Seint Iohn [¶ Sanctus Iohannes Euaungelista] the Euaungelist ‖. If that we seyn / that we beth with oute synne /. we deceyue vs selue / and trouthe is nat in vs
[350] ¶ Now shal ye vnderstonde / in what manere / [¶ how synne wexeth or / encreesseth in man] that synne wexeth / or encreesseth in man ¶ The firste thyng /. is thilke norissynge of synne of which I spak biforn /. thilke flesshly concupiscence /. [351] and after that/ comth the subieccion of the deuel / this is to seyn / the deueles bely / with which he bloweth in man / the fir of flesshly concupiscence /. [352] and after that a man bi|thynketh hym / wheither he wol doon or no thilke thing to which he is tempted /. [353] And thanne /. if that a man withstonde and weyue the firste entisynge of his flessh / and of the feend / thanne is it no synne / and if it so be / that he do nat so / thanne feeleth he anoon a flambe of delit. [354] and thanne is it good to be war / and kepen hym wel or elles / he wol falle anon in to consentynge of synne. / and thanne wol he do it. if he may haue tyme and place ‖. [355] And of this matere seith Moyses by [¶ Moyses per demonem] the deuel in this manere ¶ The feend seith / I wole chace and pursue the man / by wikked suggestion ./ and I wole hente hym by moeuynge / or stirynge of synne. / I wol departe my prise or my praye by de|liberacion / and my lust shal been accompliced in delit. I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge /. [356] ffor certes / right as a swerd departeth a thyng in two peces / right
