[Here begynneth a lytell treatyse called, the (myrrour or lokynge glasse of lyfe) for co[m]fortyng of the soule]

¶ Of the blynde Iudgementes of people / concernynge the secrets celestyall in the merytes of sayntes. And howe a cry sten man shall vowe & vse hym in vowes and pylgrymages and oblacyons. The. vii. Chapytre.

WHere as I do dayly here and se great dynysyons: and opy nyons / the one contrary to a nother / amonge crysten peo∣ple / whiche haue or shuld ha ue one fayth / one god / and one especyal me dyatour vnto god. 1. Thi. 2.) For vs whi∣che is cryste Thesu our redemptor (as paule ascrybeth to the Corynthyans. 2. epystle / et Ephe. 4. Notwithstandynge we haue ma∣ny folysshe fantasyes now adayes in Iud gementes o•…•… •…•…e secrete mysteryes of god / in reasonynge & dyssputynge / whiche engen∣dreth sysines / and folysshe blynde opynyōs amōge crysten people / some wyll say why or howe is this man fallen in decay / syc•…•… nesse / or myschaunce beynge a good man. And why is suche one auaunced in welth•…•…

dygnyte / & prosperyte beynge an oppressor of pore people / & a vysyous {per}son in lyuyn∣ge / hereupon shalbe sayd dyuers oppynyōs passyng mānes reason / whiche pertayneth onely to the Iudgementes of god / and not of man / for cryste sayth here to. Nost•…•…e iudi¦care et non iudicabimini. Also some wyll reason on the merytes & ly•…•…ynge of sayn•…•…: whiche of them was holye•…•… then the other / or hyer in fauour with god: oft tymes suche quest•…•…ons engendreth stryfes and sysmes / with dyuers•…•…ties of opynyons / and so pro∣cedeth therof enuye / pryde / and vayne glo∣ry / when one preferryth this saynt / & ano∣ther that saynt / and one this pylgrymage / or ymage / and another •…•…at pylgrymage & ymage suerly these sensuall opynyons ra∣ther d•…•…spleaseth saynts / then pleaseth them For the lorde omnypotent sayth I am not the lorde god of d•…•…bate or stryfe: but of vny¦te and p•…•…as / whiche standeth in trewe me∣kenesse / and not in exaltynge or magnyfy∣eng this or that / some be more styred to thr•…•… saynt or pylgrymage / then to that oth•…•…r / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and that with great mynde and aff•…•…yon. Trewely suche mynde or aff•…•…yon is mo∣re

worldly & carnall / then celestyall or spy∣rytuall or godly / sayth not god am not I he that hath made all sayntes (yes trewly.) And more ouer he sayth I haue gyuen thē grace / and I haue gyuen them glory: I am onely s•…•…ete to all theyr meryt•…•… / I preuen∣ted them with the swetnesse of my blessyn∣ges / I know myne elect and chosen people afore the worlde was created / I haue cho∣sen them from the worlde / & they haue not chosen me: I called thē by my grace. And I drewe them by my mercy / I led them thro∣ughe all temptacyons I sent them inwar∣de comfortes / I gaue them perseueraunce / I crowned theyr pacyence / I know the fyr ste man and the last / I loue them all with suche loue as can not be estemy•…•… on erthe. And thus sayth oure lorde am I to all my saynt•…•… in all thyng•…•… to be praysed & honou∣red / and in all and euery of them / whom I haue gloryously magnyfyed and predesty∣nated without any meryte in them goynge byfore me. Therfore he that disprayseth the left of my sayntes / dothe no honour to the greatest: for I haue made both the lesse and the more. And he that dyspyseth any of my

sayntes he disprayseth me / and also other of my sayntes in the kyngdom of heuen / for they be all one / and faste vnyed and knyt togyther in one sure bond of perfyte charite & they loue me moche more then them sel•…•… / or theyr owne merytes / for they b•…•… rapt a∣boue theyr owne loue / & holye abyde in my loue / in the which they rest by eternall fr•…•…y syon. Wherfore let euery man cease of theyr carnall myndes & aff•…•…ccyonat opynyons bestly / whiche can not loue but prynat ioye to serche the state of my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in heuen for ye Iudge after your folysshe & blynde sen∣tence / and not after the pleasure of the eter∣nall trewth of god. Thus in moche people is great Ignorancy: and specyally in them that haue so lytell lyght of ghostly vnder∣standynge: that they can not loue no person with a clene herte / we may not ymagyn ce lestyall thyng•…•… as we do terestyall for they be so fa•…•…e in dyfference & vnlyke that no herte nor iye / nor tonge can esteme or iudge as Paule testyfye to the Loryntheans / the. ii. chapytre. They be very well contented with the Ioye that they are in so men co•…•… de refrayne them selues from suche vayne

argumentes. Also many there be that wyll reason who is hyest in heuen: & suche know not whether they be worthy them selues to be nombred with the lest that shal come thy ther / for it is a great thynge to be one of the lest in heuen: where al be noble or excellent For all that shall come thyther shall be cal∣led the sones of god / and so shall they be in dede / as saynt Paule wytnesseth to the Ro mayns the. 8. chapyt•…•…e. Quicū{que} enim sp•…•… de•…•… aguntur h•…•… sunt fil•…•… dei. All those that werke in the spyryte of god they are suerly the chyldren of god do ye nat cōsyder what the mother of the sones of zebedei desyred of cryste that the one myght syt on the right hā de / and the other on the left hande when he shulde come to his kyngdom what answer gaue he / Mat. xx. chapytre. Non est meum dare vobis sed quibus paratum est a patre meo. It is not to me to graūt you / but for those which my fath•…•…r hath prepayred it for wherfore let all crysten people leue all su∣che mystycall reasons cōcernynge to the one ly hye dyuyne power of god / whiche neuer erthly creature hath had nor shall haue kno weleg of / wherfore this suffyseth to a good

crysten man. ¶ And so to procede also to se and here the great dyuersy•…•…es of myndes & opynyons / one cōtrary to the other greuyth my conscyence very fore / Remēbr•…•…ge the very trewe sayenges of cryste. And here in d•…•…dynge his omnipotent power: where as the Euangelyst sayth. Mat. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. chapt. Om ne regnum in se 〈◊〉〈◊〉 desolabitur. Whi∣che of c•…•…aryte moueth and compelleth me / some thynge to my pore vnderstandynge / for the ins•…•…ruccyon of the symple ygnorant whiche gladly wolde do that whiche were pleasure to the wyll of go•…•… / and prof•…•…te to theyr soules: in auoydynge the abusyons of all suche thyng•…•… / wherfore as con•…•…rnynge Pylgrymag•…•… I thynke it very expedyent and helpfull / as concer•…•…ynge the mocyon & intent therof / music nedes be good and ac∣ceptable to god yf it be done accordynge to his wyll and pleasure. And agayne yf we mynde / or do it for any affeccyon for oure owne solace and pleasure. In so doynge it auayleth lytell / and in it apperynge mo∣re ypocrysy / then perfeccion. Then when ye are moued to any Pylgrymage by powe•…•… dyuyne / or by aduersyte cōstrayned by hop•…•…

as by se•…•… / or on lande / or fyre / or any other peryll. And then when ye vowe or make any {pro}myse or pylgrymage: gyue your hole honour vnto god fyrste / with herte & myn de. And then vowe or promyse no more in that extremyte / then thou wylt {per}fytly per∣forme / when the tyme cōmeth. And then do it with dys•…•…cyon / & sobernesse / auoydyng all vayne glory / and in your pylgrymage call vnto your remembraunce / what god of his mercy dyd for you: at the vow or pro myse makynge / and with faythful mynde do it in the way of penaunce / & repentaun ce / of your mysdedes & synnes / and in wyl∣lynge no more to offende god to your pow er and wyll / and when ye come where you haue vowed. Then in no wyse / suppose or thynke y^t the same Karued ymage or payn trd pycture / wrought with mānes hande / hath any lyfelynesse or grace / or comfort no more than hath any ymage of the same sort in your parysshe churche / or els where / and yf you haue any other truste or confyden•…•… in them / you do playne ydolatry afore god. Also be the place neuer so holy / and the pyc ture or ymage / appere neuer so gloryous or

curyous in syght / be you well ware of any truste or confydence in them: for in so doyn∣ge you dyshonoure god / as apperyth exodi. (32. chapitre. And to the Corynthyans. x. chapytee ascrybeth partly) how we shal do in this cause (and in the. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. cōmaundement / we fynde wryten. Thou shalte not make the no grauen or karued ymage / nor to any symylytude that is in heuen aboue / nor on the erth / nor vnder the erthe / nor in the wa∣ter / that is byneth. And s•…•… thou bowe not thy self to them ne serue them for I thy god am a Ialous god. &c. exodi. xx.) chapytre. (And dauit the {pro}phete sheweth them what they) are in the (80. psalme / and the. 96. psal me and the. 113. psalme: and in the. 134. psal me) rede and ye shall fynde what they be / wherfore god forbyd that any cr•…•…sten man shulde haue any suche lyke confydence in them▪ Reserue that poynt onely to god / w^t out any scrypulosyte of conscyence / with wyll & dede. And in so doynge you do ful∣fyll your pylgrymage purely and trewely: bothe to god and to the presentacyon of the ymage / whiche gloryfyeth in the wyll of god in heuen / as we do or shulde do here in

erthe / sant•…•…fy his name and glorye in hym. But we ofte tymes do our owne folysshe cerymonyall wylles or pleasures / whiche are but fantas•…•…es and vayne glory / wher∣of we shal neuer haue thankes. For though they appere neuer so gloryous to the people And also as concernynge your oblacyons be it golde / syluer / wax / or lyghtes / I sup∣pose it cōmeth of your owne fre wyll & de∣uocyon to o•…•…fer what ye lyst / without any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on / and I do consyder it to be well done / so you hurte not your self nor your cō scyence therin / pond•…•… here in your conscy∣ence howe the wyll of god is santefyed in vs: when he chargeth vs to do the werk•…•… of mercy to the pore & ned•…•…: whiche is the bles∣syd ymage of god / (and that ye gyue or of∣fre to the lest of them / ye do it to cryste hym self sayth the euangelyst Mat. 25.) what a more blessydder ymage is there in this worl de / then the lyuely ymage of cryste / which was bought w^t so precyous a pryse / & such a multytude as we haue rounde aboute vs and so lytell refresshynge and offerynge to them / whiche peryssheth dayly vnder oure •…•…oses / great pyte to se / the whiche causeth

me to tremble / to remēbre the horryble rebu∣ke that they shall haue of god / the whiche waste theyr substaunce and goodes in Ior neys / in rydynge / and goynge ferre & nere / and in superfluous rayment / and meates / and drynkes / with many other cerymony∣all and wylfull charges / I wolde to god suche people had the grace to remembre the trewe we example that cryste spoke. (Luc / the. xvi. chapitre of diues •…•…pulo howe lytell he regarded the pore Lazer and so great nede as he had of his cōforte shortly after) (mar∣ke that poynt) thus I coude wryte a longe processe here in tochyng the abusyons of the ignoraunt people / in this mater / wherin I pray Thesu gyue to all suche as be yet igno raunt / his grace that they may werke theyr good werkes to the wyll & pleasure of god. Neuerthelesse I do thynke / and alowe pyl grymages and oblacyons very expedyent in the syght of god / & profytable to the sou∣le / so that it be done accordynge to the law•…•… and wyll or pleasur of god. And other wy se it is frustrat & voyde be you sure / wher∣of you shal neuer haue thankes nor fauour of god / for your wylfull wastynge / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉

wyll not do that whiche ye be cōmaunded to do. Wherfore I holde it most profytable and expedyent for euery faythfull crysten man to serche his conscyence here in / and ra ther to do the wyl and pleasure of god here / then his owne mynde and pleasu•…•… / wherof ye shall receyue so great & inestymable gyf∣tes / and rewardes agayne in the glory eter nall where as god reyneth with his glory∣ous aungellys / and sayntes whiche neuer sease in gyuynge honour / glory without en de / to the whiche he bryng vs al at his plea sure and wyll.

Amen.

•…•…nusquis{que} proprium mercedē aūt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 secundum suum laborem.

Co. 3.