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ALso al mynystres of holy chir¦che / and namely men of rely¦gyon sholde be wytnesses of cryste to edyfycacyon of the people & of theyr neyghbours / y• ben all men & wymen. And therfore men of holy chirche ben betokened by galaad / that is to saye an hope of wytnesse. For al theyr lyuynge in hert in worde in wer¦ke & in clothynge sholde bere wytnes
to cryste. ¶Diues. How sholde men of holy chirche bere wytnesse in clo∣thynge to cryste. ¶Pau{per}. For in clo∣thynge they sholde shewe sadnesse ho¦ne s;te & lownesse / as nygh folowers of cryste / & wytnesses yt taught sadnesse ayenst vanyte / honeste ayenst glotony & lecherye / lownesse ayenst pryde / & pouerte ayenst couetyse. And therfore the outclothynge of men of holy chir¦che / and namely of men of relygyon sholde not be to strayte ne to shorte to shewe the shap of theyr body / for pry¦de and vanyte & to tempte wymen / ne to precyouse ayenst pouerte / ne o∣uerdo ne feble ayenst theyr degree / & honeste of holy chirche / ne to syde ne wyde ayenst measure. ¶Diues. Of this mater thou spakest byfore. I co∣ueyte no more to here therof. For as yu sothely saydest men of holy chirche & namely men of relygyon passe in gre¦te arraye & pompe temporall lordes. ¶Pauper Also as oft as the preest syngeth his masse / he representeth the persone of cryste yt dyed for vs all vp¦on the tree. And by his clothynge & by his masse syngynge he hereth wyt¦ne s;se of crystus passyon / & sheweth yt all yt he doth in saynge of his masse / he doth it in mynde of cryst{us} passyon & yf he haue no mynde of crystus pas¦lyon after that his clothynge sheweth that he sholde be / he is a false wytnes¦se in disceyte of his neyghbour Ther¦fore saynt Gregorye sayth that noo man doth more harme in holy chir∣che / than he that hath a name and ordre of holynesse and lyueth wycked¦ly Nemo amplius nocet in ecclesia. {quod} qui peruerse agens nomen et ordi∣nē sanctitatis habet. ¶Diues. What betokeneth the clothynge of the prest at masse. ¶Pauper The amyt on his hede at the begynnynge betoke∣neth ye cloth yt crystus face was hyled with in tyme of his passyon whan the Iewes hyled his face & bobbed hym / and badde hym arede who that smo¦te hym. The longe aube betokeneth the whyte cloth that Herode cladde cryste with in scorne as he hadde ben a fole. The fanon the stole & the gyr¦dell betoken the boūdes whiche cryste was boūden with as a theef in tyme of his passyon The fanon betokneth boūdes of his hondes. The stole the rope yt he was led wt to his deth. The gyrdell the boūdes that he was boū∣de with to the pyler and to the crosse. The chesyble betokeneth the cloth of purpure in whiche the knyghtes clo∣thed hym in scorne / & kneled to hym & sayd in scorne. Hayle thou kynge of Iewes. The bysshop passynge o∣ther preestes hath a mytre & a crosse. The mytre on his hede betokeneth ye crowne of thornes ye cryste bare on his hede for mannes sake. And therfore the mytre hath two sharpe hornes in token of .ij .sharpe thornes. The two tonges yt hange downe on the mytre betoken the stremes of blood yt ranne downe fro crystus hede by pryckynge of the crowne of thornes. The crosse that the bysshop bereth in his honde / betokeneth the rede spere yt the knygh¦tes tourmentours put in the honde of cryste in scorne for a ceptre. And the Archebysshoppes crosse betokeneth
the crosse that cryste dyed vpon for vs all. The bysshoppes gloues at masse in his hondes / betoken the nayles in crystes hondes / & the sandalyes on his feet at masse betoken y• nayles in cry¦stes feet. Yf it be so than yt men of ho¦ly chirche hauyng these tokens of cry¦stes passyon in theyr masse saynge / & haue no deuocōn in crystes passyon ne mynde of his passyon they bere false wytnesse / for it is not with them In∣warde as the tokens shewe outwdrde Also the amyt betokeneth ye basynet of helthe that is hope of the lyfe y• is to come / & forsakynge of erthely thyn¦ges The longe aube betokeneth chas¦tyte of bodye & soule. The gyrdell fa¦non and stole betoken the cōmaunde¦mentes and the counseyles of Cryste in the gospell / by the whiche men of relygyon & of holy chirche ben boun¦den passynge other to serue god. The ••hesyble betokeneth the holy cloth of cryste without seme all wonne in one whiche betokeneth parfyght charyte. The mytre on the bysshopes hede wt y• hornes betokeneth cōnynge of two testamentes olde & newe whiche con∣nynge he ought to haue & to teche wt two tonges / wt tonge of dede & with tonge of speche & shewe them both in dede by good example gyuynge / & in speche well techynge / & y• betokeneth the two tonges hangyng behynde on the mytre. And the same betoken the two tonges hangyng behynde on the aube on the prestes sholder. For euery preest sholde conne goddes lawe and preche it with tonge of dede & good example / & wt tonge of speche These two tonges hange hygher on the bys¦shop than on the symple preest in to∣ken y• the bysshop is more hyghly boū¦de to y• tonges of good example & go¦de techynge than the symple preest. ¶Diues. It is a comon sawe y• tho two tonges on ye prestes sholdre beto∣ken yt this londe hath ben twyes rene¦gate & peruerted. ¶Pauper That is false. For syth this londe toke fyrste the fayth / y• people was neuer renegat But ye people of this londe was slay¦ne nygh all vp for the fayth tyll ther was no crysten man to dwelle therin but only hethen people y• hath slayne crysten people / & by ye swerde kept this londe y• they wanne of crysten people Therfor Beda de officio diuino sayh y• it betokeneth two tonges y• men of holy chirche ought to haue as I haue sayd / & therfor they ben called tonges Also y• prestes crowne betokeneth the crowne of thornes on crystes hede & the dygnyte of the presthode. And his sha••ynge as the lawe sayth / betoke∣neth pouerte in soule / & forsakynge of worldely goodes.