Diues [et] pauper

Caplm .iij.

DIues. Thy reasons be good saye forth what thou wylte. ¶Pauper God in the sixth byheste forbydeth the dede of lechery & of spousebreche / & in this byheste he forbydeth the wyll & the consent of herte to lecherye & to sponsebreche For as the dede of leshery is dedely synne so is the foule consent & the desyre of herte dedely synne. For as cryste sayth in the gospell. Mathei .v. He that seeth a woman & coueyteth her by de¦syre to do lecherye with her / he hath do lecherye in his herte though he do it not in dede. And therfore eche man sholde take hede besely what though¦tes entre in to his herte / and yf ony thoughtes ben about to drawe the re∣son of his soule to consente to synne / anone putte he awaye tho thoughtes myghtely / & let hȳ thynke on the byt∣ter paynes that cryste suffered in his syde / hondes & feet / & soo tourne his mysluste in to deuocōn of crystus pas¦syon / & quenche the brennyng though¦tes of lechery with the blood & the wa¦ter y^t ranne out of crystus syde whan his herte was clouen a two with that sharpe spere / & thynke on y^t endeles lo¦ue that cryste shewed than to hym & to all mankynde. And so to torne his foule stynkynge loue y^t he begynneth to fall in shame & shenshyp in to the swete clene loue of Ihū full of Ioye & worship The mayster of kynde telled li .xij. y^t ther is a byrde in Egypt y^t is called a pellycane / & of al foules he is moost chere ouer his byrdes & moost loueth them. Ther is a grete enmyte bytwene him & the adder / wherfor the adder wayteth whan the pellycane is out of his neste to seke mete for him & for his byrdes / & than he goth in to the neste of the pellycane / & styngeth his byrdes & enuenemeth them & sle∣eth them / whan the pellycane cometh ayen & fyndeth his byrdes thus slayn he maketh moche sorowe and mone /

& by waye of kynde thre dayes & thre nyght he morneth for deth of his byr¦des And at the thyrde dayes ende he setteth hym ayen ouer his byrdes and with his bylle he smyteth hymselfe in the syde & letteth his blood falle dow¦ne on the byrdes. And anone as y^• blo¦de toucheth his byrdes / anon by waye of kynde & by vertue of y^e blood they quycken ayen & rysen from deth to lyfe. By this pellycane that loueth so well his byrdes is vnderstande cryste Ihesu goddes sone y^• loueth mannes soule & womans more than euer dyd y^• pellycane his byrdes. And he sayth hymselfe. Similis factus sū pellicano solitudinis. I am made lyke to y^• pel∣lycane of deserte. By the byrdes I vn¦de Adam Eue & all mankynde. By the nest I vnderstande y^• blysse of pa∣radyse For right as byrdes be brought forth in y^• nest / so mankynde had his begynnynge & was brought forth in paradyse. By y^• adder I vnderstande the fende whiche appered in y^• lyknes of an adder to Eue & stange her full euyl & Adam also w^t his wycked fon¦dynge & slewe them both bodye & sou¦le And not only he slewe them but al¦so he slewe al mankynde in them For yf Adam had not synned we sholde neuer haue dyed ne haue wyst of woo wherfore this pellycane Ihesu cryste seynge y^• myscheef y^• mankynde was fall in by gyle of y^• fende / he had ruth on mankynde / & for grete loue that he had to mākynde / as saȳt Poul sayth he auentysshed hȳselfe & toke flesshe & blood of y^• mayden Mary & bycam man in y^• lykenesse of a seruaūt & in our manhede & in our kynde suffered to be taken & be boūde & beten / forspy¦ted / dispysed / byscorged at the pyler / be crowned with thornes / be nayled to the tree hondes & feet / and hanged on the crosse as a theef amonges theues & be stonge to the herte with the shar¦pe spere / & so dyed bytter deth all for our gylt & not for his gylt / for he dyd neuer amys in worde / ne in dede / as saynt Peter sayth in his pystle. And thus for our loue y^t ben to hym ful vn¦kynde / he shed his precyous blood out of euery parte of his blysfull bodye born of the mayden. And his Inner hert blood he shed so to wasshe vs fro our synnes / & to reyse vs fro y^• deth of synne into y^• lyfe of grace / & after fro bodely deth into y^• lyf of endles blysse Therfore saynt Iohn sayth. Dilexit nos & lauit nos a pccis n••̄is i sanguie suo. Apoc. i. He loued vs so moche y^t he wasshed vs frō our synnes w^t his pre¦cyous blood. Loue droue hym downe fro heuen into erth / loue led hȳ into y^• maydens bosom & brought hym into this wycked worlde. Loue boūde hȳ in cradel & wonde hȳ in cloutes ful poo¦re & layd hȳ in an oxe stalle. Loue hel¦de hȳ here in sorowe & care honger & thryst & moche trauayl .xxxij. yere & more. At y^• last loue toke hȳ & boūde hȳ & set hȳ at y^• barre byfore y^• synful Iustyce Ponce Pylate. Loue layd him on the crosse & nayled hȳ to y^• tree. Lo¦ue led hȳ to his deth & cleef his hert a two. And for whose loue leue frende. Forsoth for loue of you & of me & of other synful wretches y^t neuer dyd hȳ good but offended hym nyght & day

& ben to hym ful vnkynde. Therfor he may well saye the wordes that Sa¦lomon sayd. Fortis ē vt mors dilectio. Can•• .viij. Loue is stronge as deth / ye forsoth moche strenger than deth. For loue led his lyfe to his deth / & he that neuer myght dye by waye of kynde / loue made hym dye for mankynde. And so sayth Salomon there. Bron¦des of his loue ben brondes of fyre & of flammes both. For the loue that he shewed to mankynde / and also for the loue that we ought to shewe to him. For ryght as the hete of the son¦ne with his lyght whan he shyneth in the fyre in the house / wasteth the fyre & quencheth it / so the loue of god and the endelesse charyte of his pas∣syon yf it shone in mānes soule with his hete it sholde quenche & waste the brondes and the fyre of lecherye bren¦nynge in mannes soule by foule luste and wycked desyre. And therfore he sayth to euery crysten soule. ••one me vt signaculū su{per} cor tuū. Can•• .viij. Set me as a token vpon thyn herte. And saynt Poul sayth. Spū ābulate & desideria carnis nō {per}ficiet••. ad Gala v.•• Go ye with the holy goost y^t is cal¦led welle of goostly fyre / & ye shal not do the desyre of y^• flesshe / for deuocōn & mynde of crystus passyon is the best remedy ayenst temptacōn of lechery.