Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶That refourmyng in fayth & in felynge maye not sodenly be goten by grace & moche bodily and ghostly traueyle in leng¦the of tyme / Caplm xvii. (Book 17)

THis refourmyng is in fayth as I haue before sayd that lyghtly may be had / But after this comyth refourmin¦ge in fayth & in felynge that maye not lyghtly begote but tho¦rugh longe traueylle & moche besynesse / For refourmynge in fayth is comyn to all chosen soules though they ben in the lo¦west degree of charyte / But refourmyng in felyng is specyal¦ly of thise soules that maye come to the state of perfeccyon & that maye not sodeynly be had. but after grete plente of grace & moche ghostly traueylle a soule maye come therto / and y^t is whan he is fyrste helyd of his ghostly syknes / : and whan alle bytter passions & flesshly lustes. & other olde felynges are bren¦te oute of the herte wyth fyre of desyre and newe gracyous fe¦lynges arne broughte Inne wyth brennynge loue and ghost∣ly lyghte / Thenne right nyghe hygheth a soule to perfeccyon and to refourmynge in felynge /

For soth it is. right as a man y^t is brouʒt nye to deth thrugh

bodily siknes though he receyue a medicyne by the whiche he is restored & siker of his lyfe / he maye not therfore anone rise vp & goo to werke as an hole maye for the feblenes of his bo¦dy holdeth hym downe that he muste abyde a good whyle & ke¦pe hym well wyth medicynes· & dyete hym by mesure after y^e ••echynge of a leche tyll he maye fully recouer bodily hele. Rig¦hte soo ghostly· he that is broughte to ghostly dethe thrugh de¦dely syn̄e though he thrugh medicyne of the sacrament of pe∣naūce be restored to lyfe that he shall not be dāpned / neuerthe¦les he is not anone hole of all his passions & of all his flessh∣ly desyres. ne able to contemplacōn / but hym behoueth abyde a grete whyle. & take good kepe of hymself / and rule hym so that he myghte recouer full hele of soule. for he shall langern a grete whyle or that he be fully hole / Neuertheles yf that he take medicynes of a good leche. & vse hem in tyme with me∣sure & discrecōn he shall moche the sooner be restored to hys ghostly strength. & come to refourmynge in felynge / For refo¦urmynge in fayth is the lowest state of all chosen soules / for byneth that myghte they not well be / But refourmyng in fe¦lynge is the hiest state in this lyfe that the soule may come to But fro the lowest to the hyest maye not a soule sodenly 〈◊〉〈◊〉. nomore than a man that woll clymbe vpon a ladder 〈◊〉〈◊〉 setteth his fote vpon the lowest stele may at the nexte flee vp to the hyeste / But hym behoueth goo by processe one after a¦nother tyll he maye come to the ouerest / Right soo it is ghos¦tly. no mā is made sodēly souereyn in grace: but thrugh long exercyse and slye werkyng of a soule may com therto / namly whan he helpyth & techyth a wretchyd soule in whom al gra¦ce lyeth / For wythout specyall helpe & Inwardly techynge of hym maye noo soule come therto.