Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶A lityll counseyle how louers of this worlde sholde doo yf they woll be refourmed in her soule byfore her partyng hens Caplm xvi. (Book 16)

THyse men though they wote well that they arne out of grace & in dedely syn̄e they haue no care ne sorow ne tho¦ughte therfore. But they make flesshly myrth & worldly sola¦ce asmoche as they maye / And the ferder they ben fro grace y^e more myrthe they make / & perchaūce some holdē hem wel pa¦yd that they haue noo grace that they maye as it were the mo¦re fully & freely folow the likyng of flesshly lustes. as though god were a slepe & myghte not see hem / And this is one of y^e moost defawte that maye be / And thus by her owne frowar¦denes they stoppe the lyghte of grace fro her owne soule that it maye not reste therin / the whiche grace in asmoche as in it is shyneth to all ghostly creatures redy for to entre in there it is receyued: as the son̄e shyneth ouer all creatures bodily ther•• it is not letted / th{us} sayth saynt Ioh̄n in the gospel.* 1.1 Lux in true

bris lucet et tenebre eā non cōprehenderūt / That is / the lyghte of grace shyneth in derknesse / that is to men̄es hertes that are derke thrugh synne / But the derknesse taketh it not / That is thise blynde hertes receyue not y^e gracyous lyghte. ne haue not the profyte of it: But ryght as a blynde man is vmbilapped wyth the lyghte of the son̄e whan he stōdeth therin. & yet seeth it not. ne hath noo profyte therof for to goo therby / right soo ghostly a soule blynded wyth dedely synne is all vmbylapped wyth this ghostly lyghte. & yet he is neuer the better / for he is blynded & woll not see ne knowe his blyndenesse / And that is one of the moost lettynge of grace. that a wretchyd mā woll not be a knowe of his owne blyndnesse for pryde of hymself or elles yf he knowe it he chargeth not. but makyth myrthe & game as he were ouer all syker / Therfore vnto al thise men that are thus blynded & boūde wyth the loue of this worlde / & are fowle forshape fro the fayrhede of man I saye & coūseyle that they thynke on her soule· & that they able hem vnto grace asmoche as they maye. and that maye they doo vpon this wy¦se yf that they woll / Whan that they fele hemself out of gra∣ce & ouerlayed wyth dedely syn̄e: thenne that they thynke what myscheyf & what peryll it is to hem for to be put out of grace & departed fro god as they ben / For there is no thyng that hol¦deth hem fro the pytte of helle that they ne sholde right soone falle therin but a bare syngyll threde of this bodily lyfe whe••¦by they hange / what lyghtlyer may be lost than a sengyl ••h••e¦de may be broken in two / For were the breth stopped in her body: & that may lyghtly falle. her soule shall passe forth & ano¦ne be in helle wythoute ende / And yf they wolde thynke thus they sholde quake & shake for drede of the rightfull domes of god. & of the harde punysshyng of syn̄e / and they sholde make sorow & morne for her syn̄e & for lackyng of grace / and then̄e sholde they crye & pray y^t they myght haue grace / & yf they dyde thus then̄e sholde grace falle in & put oute derknesse & hardnes

of herte and weyknes of wyll / and yeue hem mighte & streng¦the for to forsake the fals loue of this worlde as moche as is dedely syn̄e / For there is noo soule soo ferre fro god thorugh wickidnes of wyll in dedely syn̄e: I out take none that lyueth in this body of syn̄e that he ne maye thrugh grace be righted & refourmed to clennesse of lyuynge. yf he woll bowe his wyll to god wyth mekenesse for to amende his lyfe. and hertly axe grace & foryeuenes of him / & excuse our lorde▪ and fully accuse hymself / For holy wrytte sayth. Nolo mortē pccōris sed ma∣gis vt cōnertat et viuat / That is. Our lorde sayth: I wol not the dethe of a syn̄er but I woll more that he be torned to me & lyue / For our lorde woll that the moost frowarde man that li¦ueth forshapen thrugh syn̄e yf he torne his wyll and aske gra¦ce that he be refourmed to his lyknesse /

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioh̄is: 1.