¶Here foloweth the .v. chapiter which treateth of thobedience of Minchins.

THe chefe and principall degre of humilite is Obedi∣ence without taryeng or delay makynge. This ver∣tue agreeth well and becōmeth those virgins / and to them doth eap{per}teygne / whiche in their loue preferre no thynge / byfore the loue of all myghty god / or to whome no thynge is soo dere as christe. For eyther of the holy religion whiche they haue {pro}fessed / or for fere of the bytter paynes of Hell / or elles for Ioye of euerlastinge lyfe / as sone as any thynge is them cōmaūded by their superior to be doon / euin as it we∣re cōmaunded by god / they cannot nor maye not make nor suffre any delay in the performynge or executynge therof / but incōtinent & forthwith doo it / euyn as it were cōmaun∣ded of god / of whiche obedient {per}sons all myghty god saith thus / as sone as she hard me: she obeyed my comaundemēt. And ageyne he sayth to them that be techers of his lawes / who soo euer herith you: hereth me / Therfore all those per∣sons that forsake all that theyers is / renoūcinge their owne wylles / and gyuinge vppe anon their busines / leuinge that thynge vnperfited and vnfinisshed that they had in hande / doo folowe the cōmaūdementes of their superior in dedes / by and by and forthwith / and as in oon instant bothe those two thing{is} / that is to say the cōmaūdemēt of the maistres / and the perfite dedes of the disciple / be accōplisshed to gyd∣der swyftly thurgh the drede of god: of suche as hath a zele and inward desyre to goo to euerlasting lyfe / for the which zele and desyre / they take vppon theym a narowe passage / wherof (god sayth) It is a narowe and a strayte waye that Page  [unnumbered] leedith vnto euerlastinge lyfe. that is to say not lyuyng after their owne wyll / ne beinge obedient to their owne desyres and vnlefull pleasures / but continuinge their lyfe vnder the Iugement and power of a nother / lyuinge in monasteris: haue a full desyre that an abbasse or prioresse / haue the pre∣emynence and rule ouer theym / all suche persons doubtles followe the sentence of all myghty god / wherin he sayth I am nat cōme to accomplyshe myn owne wyll / but his whi∣che hath sent me. But this sealfe same obedience shall then be acceptable vnto god and plesant vnto other / whan that thinge which is cōmaunded is effectuosly brought to ende / not ferefully / slowly / or fayntly / ne with grutch or denyeng nor arguinge nor resoning it / for obediēce which is shewed vnto superiors in religiō / is shewed vnto god / he sayth him sealfe as it is aboue sayde / who so herethe you herethe me. ¶Moreouer the disciple muste be obedient with a good & free wyll / for god loueth him that gyueth a thinge with a cherefull and a mery hart / for if so be that a disciple be obe∣dient with an euyll wyll / though she grutcheth not in wor∣des / yet if she grutch inwardly in hir hart / notwithstāding it / she fulfyll the cōmaūdemēt that is gyuen vnto hir / yet is it not acceptable vnto god / whiche beholdeth and consyde∣ryth the stomake / the hert / and mynde of the grudger. And for suche a thinge though she doo it / she purchasyth no gra∣ce nor thanke / but rather she rennith in daunger and payne of suche grudgers without she make amendis therfore.