Diues [et] pauper

Caplm .iij.

DIues. This vyce of flate∣rynge regneth full moche in this londe. For the people is so blent with flaterynge & lesynges / that they see not the myscheef y^t they be in. And therfore they lyue forth in pryde & not lowe them to god ne pray to god for helpe as they sholde do / yf they knewe ther myscheefuousnesse y^t they be in. ¶Pauper. Therfor god sayth. Popule meus q•• te beatū dicūt. ipsi te decipiūt et viam gressuū tuo{rum} dissipant. My people they y^• see that thou art blessyd & in welth / they dys∣ceyue the & destroye the waye of thy goynge / that thou myght not forthe / ne haue noo spede in thy werkes for defaute of grace. Ysaye .iij. ¶Diues. What is vnderstande by the pelowes that god speketh of ayenst flaterers. ¶Pauper. As saynt Gregory sayth Moraliū .xviij. su{per} illud Iob .xvij. Donec deficiam nō recedam &••. He that prayseth man or woman in his wycked werke / he layeth his pelowe vnder his elbowe. And he that glad∣deth the herte of the synner in his syn¦ne he layeth a pelowe vnder his hede For by the hede is vnderstande y^• her

For why by suche flaterynge they reste softely & slepe in theyr synne & deye ghoostly without payne and per¦ceyue not her owne deth And therfor Salomon sayth. That he that Ius∣tefyeth the wycked man & dampned the ryghtful man / both they be abho¦mynable to god. Prouer .xvij. Ther∣fore god lykeneth flaterers to theym that playstren & paynten walles and wowes without. For thynge that is foule they make it to seme fayre and make folke to haue lykynge in her synnes. Therfore god sayth that the synner maketh the walle of synne by¦twene hym & god. But flaterers play¦steren and paynten the walle of syn∣ne. Eze .xiij. Also flaterers be lykened to an adder that is called dypsa whi¦che as the mayster of kyndes sayth▪ li. xviij. He is so lytyll that though a man trede theron he may not see it. But his venym is so vyolent that it sleeth a man or he fele it / & he deyeth without payne. Ryght so flaterynge semeth but a small synne / & yet it is full venemous & sleeth mannes soule or he fele it / and without payne bryn¦geth hym to endeles payne. Flaterers be lykened to an adder that is called tyrus whiche is leste of all adders / & yet his venym is not curable as sayth the mayster of kynde in the same pla¦ce Ryght so flaterynge semeth but a full lytyll synne / and yet it is so vene¦mous y^t it wyll not lyghtly be heled. For whan a man or woman hath ly¦kynge in flaterynge & ruleth his lyfe after flaterynge tonge / it is full har∣de to that man or woman to be sa∣ued. For as longe as men pra••sen hȳ in his synne / soo longe he is ••olde in his synne. And yf men begynne to lacke hym / he falleth in to sorowe & dyspayre. Therfore sayth saynt Ia∣mes. That the tonge is but a lytyll membre / and reyseth vp grete dysease it is a wycked thynge that hath noo reste full of dedely venym. Iacobi. iij. And the prophete Dauyd sayth. Acue¦runt linguas suas sicut serpentes. ve¦nenū aspidum sub labijs eo{rum}. They haue sharped her tonges as addres / the venym of addres is vnder the lyp¦pes of flaterers and wycked spekers. And yf a man doo his dedes only for to be prased and flatered of the peo∣ple / flaterynge is his mede. And whan flaterynge cesseth and the wyn¦de tourneth ayenst hym / he hath noo lenger lykynge in good dedes. And so as the gospell sayth / for that he se∣keth thanke in praysynge onely of man for his good dedes & not of god Therfore all suche be lykened to the fyue maydens foles that wolde mete with theyr husbonde cryste Ihesu at the dome with lampes without oyle. That is to saye / w^t good dedes with¦out ghoostly myrthe and Ioye & con∣scyence. For they had no Ioye in ther good dedes / but in praysynge and fla¦terynge of the people. And therfore cryste sayth in the gospell. They ha∣ue take ther mede in this worlde / and at the dome they shall be shette out of heuen blysse from endeles mede / bothe flaterers & they that haue ly∣kynge in flaterynge / and do ther de∣des only for flaterynge & praysynge

of the people. But the fyue wyse may dens as the gospell sayth hadden oy¦le in theyr lampes. That is to saye ghoostly Ioye & lykynge in her good dedes. And therfore they shall be res∣ceyued of ther husbonde cryste in to y^• blysse without ende. And as saynt Au¦sten sayth in his sermon / by oyle is vnderstande both ghoostly praysynge and worldely praysynge and myrthe Ghoostly praysynge & ghoostly myr¦thes is called the oyle of y^• holy goost But worldely prysynge and worldely myrthe is called the oyle of synners. And therfore he sayth that flaterers selle oyle to the maydens folys / that is to saye to synners as often as they flater them & prayse theym in theyr foly & in ther pryde for to haue mete or drynke or moneye or worshyp / or ony temporall lucre / & so brynge them in errour & foly and please & prayse theym in ther synne. But as Dauyd sayth. Deus dissipauit ossa eo{rum} qui hommibus placent. God hath des∣troyed & shall destroye the bones of them that please men in despyte of god & desceyue men & wemen by fla∣terynge / wycked tonges do moche har¦me and slee many soules / but the fla¦terynge tonge is worste of all. And therfore the wyse man sayth. Susur∣to et biliguis erit maledictus a deo. Eccl .xxviij. The musterer & the dou¦ble tonged man shall be acursed of god / for he troubled moche folke that haue peas. The thyrde tonge sayth he hath styred & moeued moche peo∣ple out of peas & dysparpled theym fro nacyon in to nacyon.