¶Of the fyrst part of contēplacōn / Caplm iiii· (Book 4)
COntemplatyff lyf hath thre partes / The fyrst lyeth in knowyng of god & ghostly thynges geten by reason: by techyng of man: & by studye in holy wrytte / wythout ghostly affeccōn & Iuly sauour felyd. by the specyall yefte of the holy ghost / This parte haue specyally lettred men & grete clerkes whiche by longe studye & trauaylle in holy wrytte comen to this knowyng more or lesse after the subtilte of kyndly witt & contynuaūce of studie. of the general wytte that god yeueth to euery man that hath vse of reason / This knowyng is go¦de / and it may be called a part of contēplacōn. in asmoche as it is a sighte of sothfastnes. & a knowyng of ghostly thynges Neuertheles it is but a fygure & a shawwe of very contēpla∣cōn / for it hath not ghostly sauour in god: ne inwardly swet¦nes / the whiche noo man maye fele but yf he be in grete cha¦ryte / For it is the proper welle of our lorde / to the whyche co∣meth none alien. But this maner knowyng is comyn to go¦de & badde / for it maye be had wythout charyte: & therfore it is not very contēplacōn / As oft sithes ypocrytes & flesshly liuin¦ge men haue more suche knowyng than many other cristen men. and yet haue thise men noo charite. Of this maner kno¦wyng spekith saynt poul thus / Si habuero oēm scienciā. & no uerim misteria oīa. caritatē autē non habeā. nihil sū.* 1.1 If I had full knowyng of all thynges· & I knewe al preuytees. & I had not charite. I am riʒt nought / Neuertheles yf they that haue