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FOr though it be soo that thou felyst none euyll ayenst thyn euen crystē for a tyme / yet arte thou not syker that the grounde of yre is quenched in the / ne yet arte thou not lor¦de of the vertue of charyte / For suffre hym towche the a lityll by angry or a shrewde worde / & thou shalt fele anone yf thyne
hert be yet made hole by fulnes of charyte / The more thou ar¦te styred & euyll willed ayenst the persone· the ferder arte thou fro charyte / And yf thou nought be styred ayenst the persone. neyther by angry chere outwarde· ne by noo preuy hate in thy herte for to dispyse & deme hym or for to set hym at noughte. but the more shame or vylanye he dooth to the in worde or in dede the more pyte & cōpassion thou hast of hym. as thou wol¦dest haue of a man that were out of his mynde / And the thin¦kyth yu canst not fynde in thyn herte for to hate hym. for loue is soo gode in hymself / but praye for hym & helpe hym. and de¦siryng his amendyng / not oonly wyth thy mouth as ypocry¦tes can doo. but wyth affeccōn of loue in thyn herte / then̄e ha¦ast yu perfite charite to thyn euen crysten / This charyte had sa¦ynt stephen perfitly whan he prayed for hem that stoned him to dede / This charite coūseyled cryst to those that wold be his perfite folowers whan he said thus / Diligite inimicos vrōs vn̄facite hiis qui oderūt vos / &c·* 1.1 Loueth your enmyes & doo go¦od to hem that haten you / prayeth for hem that pursuen you And therfore yf thou wol folowe cryst be lyke to hym in this crafte / Lere for to loue thyn enmyes & synfull men / for all thi¦se arn thy euen crystē / Loke & bethynke the how cryst loued Iu¦das whiche was bothe his dedely enmye and a synfull caytyf How goodly cryst was to hym. how benygne. how curteyes / & how lowly to hym that he knewe dampnable / and neuerthe¦les he chase hym to his apostle: & sent hym for to preche wyth other apostles / He yaaf hym power for to werche myracles▪ he shewed the same to him gode chere in worde & in dede as he dy¦de to other apostles / He wysshe his fete & fedde hym wyth his precyous body / and prechid to hym as he dyde to other appos¦tles / he wryed hym not openly for it was preuy / ne myssaied hym not. ne dispysed hym not. ne spake neuer euyll of hym / & yet though he had done all thise. he had sayd but soth / And o∣uermore whan Iudas toke hym. he kyssed hym & called hym
his frende / All this charyte shewed cryst vnto Iudas the why¦che he knewe for dampnable. in noo maner feynyng ne flate¦ryng but in the sothfastnes of good loue & clene charyte / For though it were soth that Iudas was not worthy for to haue had ony yefte of god or ony sygne of loue for his wyckidnes neuertheles it was worthy & skylfull that our lorde shold she¦ew as he is / He is loue & goodnes to all his creatures as he di¦de to Iudas / I saye not that he loued hym for his synne. ne he loued hym not for his chosen as he loued saynt peter / but he loued hym in asmoche as he was his creature. & shewed hym tokens of loue yf he wolde haue be amended therby / Folowe after sōwhat yf thou maye / for though thou art stoken in an hous wyth thy body· neuertheles in thyn herte where the stede of loue is thou sholde mow haue parte of suche loue to thyn euen crysten as I speke of / Who soo weneth hymself to be a perfyte louer & folower of crystis techyng in his liuyng. as so¦me man weneth yt he is in asmoche as he precheth & techeth. & is poor of worldly gode as cryst was / and can not folow cris¦te in this loue & charyte for to loue his euen crysten eche man good & bad frendes & fooes wythouten feynynge flaterynge & dispisyng in herte ayenst the man. angrynes malicyous repre¦uyng: sothly he begyleth hymselfe / The nerer that he weneth he be. the ferder he is / For cryste sayd to hem that wolde be hys discyples th{us} / Hoc est preceptū meū vt diligatis inuicem sicut dilexi vos / This is my biddyng that ye sholde loue togyder as I haue loued you. For yf ye loue as I haue loued then̄e are ye my discyples / But now sayste thou. how shalte thou loue hym that is badde aswell as hym that is good / As vnto thys I saye thus. that thou shalt loue bothe good & badde in charite but not for the same cause as I shall telle how / Thou shalte loue thyn euen cristen as thyself / Now yu shalt loue thyself on̄¦ly in god or elles for god / In god thou louest thyself whan yu arte ryghtfull by grace & vertuous / and louest not thyself but
oonly for that ryghtwysnesse and vertues that god yeuyth ye thenne louest thou thyself in god for thou louest not thyselfe but god / Also for god thou louest thyself / as yf thou were in dedeli synne and woldest be made ryghtfull & wertuous. then̄e louest thou thyself not as thou arte / for thou arte vnryghtful but as thou woldest be / Ryght soo shall thou loue thyn euen crysten / If they ben good & rightfull / thou shalt loue hem by charyte in god oonly for they ben good & ryghtful / for thenne louest thou god in hem as goodnes and ryghtwysnes. more than yf they ben badde in dedely syn̄e / as thyn enmyes that ha¦ten the or other of the whiche thou hast full euydēce that they are not in grace / yet shalt thou loue hem / not as they arne. ne as good men & ryghtfull men / for they arn badde and vnryg¦htfull / but thou shalt loue hem for god that they myghte be good & ryghtful / And soo shalt thou noo thynge hate in hem but that thynge that is contrary to ryghtwysnesse / and that is synne / This is as I vndstonde the techyng of saynt Austyn for to departe the loue of the man fro the hate of the synne & the loue of thyn euen crysten / He that is meke or wolde sothfa¦stly be me can loue thus his euen crysten· and none but he /
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