Diues [et] pauper

Caplm .xviij.

DIues. I suppose that my le¦ge lorde the kynge bydde me do a thynge / and my mayster or my souerayn bydde me do the con∣trarye / or yf my curate bydde me do a thynge contrarye to my bysshoppes byddynge to whome shall I obeye. ¶Pauper. In that cas y^• shalt obey to thy kynge that is thy souerayne & thy maysters souerayn also / & y^• shalt obeye to thy bysshop that is thy cura¦tes prelate & thyn also. Yf the kynges byddynge and the bysshoppes be not ayenst goddes worshypp. And yf thy kynge / thy pope / or thy bysshop / or o∣ny other souerayn bydde the doo ony thynge that y^• knowest well that it is ayenst goddes worshypp & ayenst his lawe / thou shalt not obeye to them in that / but to god y^• is theyr souerayn & thyn also. And therfore sayth saynt Peter to the Iewes. Obedire oportet magis deo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hui{bus}. It behoueth to o∣beye to god more than to men. Yf it be ryghtfull to here you rather than god / deme ye. And y^• lawe sayth y^• yf ony souerayn byd his suget ony thyn¦ge y^• is contrary to god / the suget shal not obeye ne do ony thyng vnryght∣full & vnhonest / ne y^• sholde harme the

comonte for his byddynge yf he kno∣we well y^• the byddynge de not lefull .i. q̄ .iij. n•• semp. ¶Diues. I suppose y^• the luget be in doubte whether it be goddes lawe or not ¶Pau{per}. Than shall he obeye to his souerayn & he is eccused / but yf it be in suche thynge that he is boūde to knowe & to conne As yf he byd hym ony thynge y^• is o∣penly ayenst goddes cōmaūdemēt / or ayenst the fayth / or ayenst goddes la∣we or lawe of holy chirche y^• he is boū¦de to knowe / than shall he not obeye in ony wyse to his byddyng. ¶Diues Is the suget boūde to obeye to his so¦uerayn in all thynge lefull. ¶Pau{per} Seruage & subgeccon came to amon¦ges mankynde for pryde & other syn∣ne. But as a grete clerke sayth Se∣neca li.iij. de benefi••ijs. This serua∣ge went not in to all men ne in to all wymen. But the better parte of man & woman that is the soule is outaken from suche seruage & onely mannes bodye & womans is bounde to serua∣ge of temporell lordes & of ther soue∣rayn / and mannes soule & womans is free so y^• he may haue his thought his loue / his wyl Inwarde as hym ly¦keth without leue of his souerayne. And therby he offendeth not his so∣uerayn ne pleaseth / but only god that knoweth surely mannes hert. But only in the dedes of the bodye the su∣get is boūde to obeye his souerayne. ¶Diues. In whiche dedes. ¶Pau{per} In suche as longeth to reule & gouer∣naūce & in suche thynges as he hath made hym suget in to his souerayn / in suche the suget ought to obeye to his souerayn. As knyght in armes is boūde to obeye his chefteyn & his le∣der in thynges that longe to armes. The boūde man to his lorde in doyn¦ge seruyle werkes in dutee of his boū¦dage / the sone to his fader in thynge that longeth to good norture & reule of his housholde / the wyfe to her hus∣bonde in thynge y^• longe to matrymo¦nye & socyall lyuynge / not in werkes of vylayn seruage. And yf the wyfe obeye more than she is boūde to / & do more dedes of lowenesse in pleasaūce of her husbonde than she is boūde to she is more to prayse and the more he ought to loue her & haue her in wor∣shyp as his owne flesshe. And yf she do it for goddes sake / god shal be her mede though her husbonde be ful vn¦kynde But in thynges y^t longe to the kynge of mannes bodye / man ne wo¦man is not suget to his lord ne to his souerayn temporall / but only to god. For all men in thynges that longe to kynde of bodye be euen / as in substaū¦ce of the bodye in bryngynge forth of childern. And therfore y^• seruaūt may wedde without leue of his lorde / & the sone without leue of his fader. And the seruaūt may kepe him chast with¦out leue of his lorde & ayenst his byd¦dynge / and the sone ayenst the byd∣dynge of his fader / and wedde ayenst his byddynge and yf it hym lyke. Ne¦uerthele s;se it is good that yonge fol∣ke in suche thynges folowe the coun∣seyll of fader & moder and of theyr frendes / but yf theyr coūseyll be to let them from god. For this reason also husbonde & wyf as aye••st vsyng•• of

theyr bodye be euen / & eche of them hath power ouer others bodye.