Here endith a compendiouse treetise dyalogue. of Diues [and] paup[er]. that is to say. the riche [and] the pore fructuously tretyng vpon the x. co[m]man̄mentes ...

The xxxii. chaptre.

DIues.

Sothe it is y^t nygh euery synne be it neuir so preuy / it is done by the techyng & tysyng of the feende And ther∣fore wonder it is that any liche∣ry thefte and mychery / murdre / lesinges or other synnes may be hydde & kepte preuy / sithen the feende knowith it so wel / & may knowe thinges that been so pre¦uy by soo many weyes as thou haste nowe seyde.

Pauper.

Fulle fayne wolde the feend dis¦cure mennys synne and womā∣nes to brynge theym to shame & velonye. and so to distroye cha∣ritie and make euery man to sle other But god of his mercy let∣tith him. for he may nought do. ne telle but as he hathe graunte of god And therfore as we fynd in the gospel M^t. viii.c. The feend myghte nat entre into the swyne that wente ther bisydes / to drenche hem / tyl he had graūt of criste Also ••e might nat disese Iob neither ī his body / ne in his catel. tyl he hadde graūt of god▪ Iob. i^o. & ii^o.c. And alyue he coude disceyue kinge Achab w^t lesynges & faire bihestes / to doo him to fight there he myght a ly∣ued in peas / yit he might nat do it tyl he hadde graunte of god. The thrid boke of kinges xxii. chapt He knoweth moch thing by the suffraunce of god / but he may nought do withoute graūt & {per}mission or suffraunce of god. The feende is so feble & so faynt y^t he may ouircome noo man ne woman by temptacion / butt he wole be ouircome of him /

Ne he may nat dere the leeste childe in the weye but if he haue graunte of god. Whiche sūtyme / grauntyd him power therto / for the syn of the fadre & the modre.

Diues.

Why suffreth god hym so moche to tempte mankynde.

Pauper.

To moryng or encre¦synge of oure blysse and of oure mede For as saith seynt Poule Ther is noman worthy to haue the crowne of lyf / but he withstō¦de the feende in gostly stryf And as he sayth ī an other place / god suffreth him nat to tēpt vs / but as we may wele withstonde / if we wole And if we falle he hath ordeyned to vs remedye of pe∣naunce / sone to ryse ayen & bet∣ter to fight if we wol And al our tēptacion shal turne vs to mede

if oure wyl be to withstonde.

Diues.

Sithen the feende kno¦weth soo many treuthes & wote what is done / for he is at euerye wycked dede. me merueileth mo¦che why he is so redy to lie & why he is so false

Pauper.

For he hatith god that is souerayn treu¦the / & for he mighte nat be euyn with god in soueraynte of treu∣the / ne haf the name of souereyn treuthe that is god / therfore his likyng and his trauayl is to be souerayne falshede & souereynly false And therfore Cryste sayth in the gospelle y^t the feende stode neuyr in treuthe / for ther is noo treuthe in him / whan he speketh he spekith lesynges / by weye of kynde / for he is a lyer and fader of lesynges. Io. viii.c. And soo whethyr his tale be true or false say he soth or false. alwaye he is false / alway a lyer.

Diues.

Howe may he say treuthe & yitt lye. for if he say treuthe me thin¦keth he lyeth nat.

Pauper.

What so euir man or feende doth or spekith ayenst gode conscien¦ce and ayenste the plesaunce of god in wyl and intencion for to disceyue man woman or childe. it is a lesynge. and he is a lyer y^t doth it or sayth it. And therfore the lawe she with wele .xxii. q̄ ii. hoīes. &c. is autē That if a mā say a treuth whiche treuth he we¦nyth be false if he say it for to di¦sceyue his euyn cristē / in that he lyeth And so with a sothe sawe / a man or the fende may lie. as if I say to the that it were nat day to let y^t of thy iourney wenyng my self that it were nat day alle thoughe it were as I sayde yit I lyed And in the same maner the feend tellith treuthis of thinges that been to come / and other so∣thes also / wenyng him self that they be false And so in his sothe sawes he lyeth / for he sayth that treuthe vnwyttyngly for disceit and wenyth to say false. And if he say any treuthe wyttyng and wyllynge / he saith it only for to disseyue men. and for a wyckyd ende / and for to do folke w^t one sothe sawe leeue an hundryd le∣synges / and so he is alway fals and disseyuable. And sumtyme he is compelled by the mighte of god to telle treuthes ayenst hys wylle / to shame and shenshippe of him and alle his / as we fynde in the gospel M^t viii. mar. i. Lu¦ce iiii. & vii.c. But for suche so∣the sawes is he neuir the trewer. but alway a false lyer / for suche sothe sawes ben ayenst his wyll and if he may he wole turne hem alle to dissayte / and make men for suche soth sawes whan they falle to leue al his lesynges And therfore he is clepid in holy wryt

Spiritus mendax spiritus fal∣lax That is to say a spirite lyer a spiryte disseyuable And therfo¦re as the fendes hadde sayde the treuthe that crist cōpellyd theim to saye / anon he put them to si∣lence / as sayth the glose in the sa¦me place / for they wold elles vn¦dre that sothsawe haue told ma¦ny lesynges