Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶What thynges mē owe to bileue by a siker faith / ca xxi (Book 21)

The ii. thyng whiche the behouith for to haue is siker tro¦uth in al tharticles of the fayth & in the sacramēt of ho¦ly chirche / trowyng hem stedfastli wyth al thy will in thi her¦te / And thouʒ y^u fele ony stiryng in thy hert ayēst ony of hem by suggestion of thyn enmye for to put the in dowte of hem be thou stedfast & not tomoche adrad of felyng of suche stirin¦ges / but forsake thyn owne wytte wytout disputyng or ran∣sakyng of hem / & sett thy fayth generally in the faith of holy chyrche / & charge not the stiryng of thy hert / whiche as the se∣myth is cōtrary therto / For that stiryng is not thy fayth / but the fayth of holy chirche is thy fayth / though y^u neuer see it ne fele it / And bere then̄e suche stirynges paciētly as a scourge of our lord / by y^e whiche he wyll clēse thy hert & make thy fa∣yth stedfast / Also the behouyth to loue & worshyp in thy herte al y^e lawes & ordynaūce made by prelates & rulers of holy chir¦che other in declaryng of the fayth or of the sacramētes or in generall of al cristē men / mekely & truly assent to hem / thouʒ it be so that y^u know not y^e cause of her ordinaūce / And thouʒ

the thynke that some were vnskylfull: y^u shalt not deme hem ne repreue hem / but worship hem al though they lōge but ly¦tyl to y^• / Ne receyue y^u none opinyon ne fātasie ne synguler cō¦ceyte vnd colour or more holynes as some done that are not wyse / nother by thyn owne ymagynyng. ne by techyng of no¦ne other man. whiche contraryeth to the the lest ordinaūce or general techyng of al holi chirche. And ouer this y^u shalt hope ••tedfastly y^t thou art ordened of our lord to be saued. as one of his chosē by his mercy / & stire not fro this hope what so thou herist or seest / or what tēptacōn thou be in / And though thou thīke so y^e grete a wretche that y^u were worthy to synke in to helle for that thou doost noo good / ne seruest god as thou sho¦ldest doo / yet holde the in this trouth & in this hope / & aske mer¦cy· & al shal be right wel / ye & though al the deuylles of helle a∣pered in bodely lyknes slepyng or wakyng sayēge to the that thou sholdest not be saued / or al men liuyng in erth / or all the angels in heuē / yf it myght be sayd to the the same / thou shol¦dest not leue hem. ne be stired moche fro the hope of saluacōn This I say to the / for some bē so weyke & so symple y^• whan they haue yeuē hemself al hooly to serue god after her cūning yf they fele ony stiryng wythin by thyncastyng of thēmye / or elles fro wythout of ony of the deuylles prophet{is} whiche mē callen sothsayers that they shold not be saued / or her state of her maner of lyuing were not plesaūt to god / they bē astony¦ed & stired wyth suche wordes / & so for vncūnyng they falle sō tyme in to grete heuynes / & as it were in a dispayr of saluaci¦on / wherfore as me thīke it is spedful to euery creature whi∣che by the grace of our lord ••hū cryst is in ful wyll to forsa∣ke syn̄e / & as clerly as his cōscience tellith hym he suffreth no dedely syn̄e rest in hym that he ne shryueth hym soone therof. & meke hym to the sacramētes of holy chyrche / for to haue a trust of saluacōn / And moche more than they that yeuē hem hooly to god. & fleen venyal syn̄es after her myght / And on y^e

contrary wyse as peryllo{us} it is to him whiche lyeth wyttyng¦ly in dedely syn̄e for to haue trust of saluacyon / & in hope of y^e trust wyll not forsake his syn̄e ne low him truly to god & ho∣ly chirche /