¶Howe we ought to searche and enquyre after God, and who ••e those that fynde hym. Of the holy goost, we ought to flye from backbytynge and murmurynge. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
CAPI. I.
O Sette your affeccion [unspec A] vpon ryghteousnesse, ye that be iudges of the earth. Haue a good opiniō of the Lorde, and seke hym in the synglenesse of herte. For he wyll be founde of them that tempte hym nat, and appereth vnto suche as put theyr truste in hym As for frowarde thoughtes / they separate from God / but vertue) yf it be alowed) reformeth y• vnwyse. And why? wysdome shall nat entre into a frowarde soule, nor dwel in the body that is subdued vnto synne. For the holy goost ab∣horreth fayned nurtoure / and withdraweth hym selfe from the thoughtes that are with¦out vnderstandinge: and where wyckednes hathe the vpper hande, he flyeth frō thence. For the sprete of wysdome is louynge, gen∣tle and gracyous / & wyll haue no pleasure in hym that speaketh euell with his lyppes. For God is a wytnesse of hys raynes, a true searcher out of his herte, and an hearer of his tonge. For the sprete of the Lorde fylleth the rounde compasse of the worlde: and the same that vpholdeth all thynges / hathe knowledge also of the voyce:
Therfore, he that speaketh vnryghteous [unspec B] thynges, can not be hyd, nether maye he es∣cape the iudgemēt of reprofe. And why? in∣quisicion shalbe made for the thoughtes of the vngodly, and the reprote of hys wordes shal come vnto God, so that his wickednes shalbe punished, for the eare of gelousy hea∣reth all thynges, and the noyse of the grud∣ginges shall not be hyd. Therfore, beware of murmurynge, which is nothynge worth, and refrayne youre tonge from sclaunder. For there is no worde so darcke and secrete, that it shall goo for naught: and the mouth that speaketh lyes, sleyeth the soule.
O seke nat your owne death in y• erroure [unspec C] of youre lyfe, destroye not youre selues tho∣row the worckes of youre awne hādes. For God hath not made death, nether hath he pleasure in the destruccyon of the lyuynge. For he created all thinges, that they myght haue theyr beynge: yee all the people of the earth hathe he made that they shulde haue health, that there shulde be no destruccyō in them, and that the kyngdome of hell shulde not be vpō earth (for ryghteousnesse is euer∣lastinge & immortall, but vnryghteousnes bryngeth death.) Neuerthelesse, y• vngodly call her vnto them bothe with wordes and workes: and whyle they thynke to haue a frende of her, they come to naught: for the vngodly that are confederate with her and take her parte, are worthy of death.