Rycharde Rolle hermyte of Hampull in his contemplacyons of the drede and loue of god with other dyuerse tytles as it sheweth in his table.

THe thyrde degree of loue is called a stedfast lo¦ue. Yf thou wylt come to this degre of loue y^u must kepe fyue poyntes. The fyrste is thou shalt loue

god with all thy desyre. The secōde is what euer thou do thynke vpon the worshyp & drede of god The thyr¦de is thou shalt do no synne vpon trust of other good dedes. The fourth is thou shalt rule the so dyscretly y^t thou fayle not for noo feruent wyll. The fyfth is that thou fall not from thy good lyuynge for feynte herte or by temptacyon.

N ¶The fyrste is thou shalt loue god with all thy desyre.

THe fyrste poynt is thou shalt loue god with all thy desyre / thou mayst not loue stedfastly but thou loue with all thy desyre. An holy desyre it is to de¦syre the presence of almyghty god for the grete loue that thou haste to god. Suche an holy desyre is soo acceptable to god as I rede / that what man hathe a grete desyre all be it he speke not with the tonge / he cryeth full loude with the tonge of his herte. And that not desyreth how euer he loueth to our syght outwar¦de / or speketh to our herynge he loueth not in his hert & as a dombe man he is to fore god whiche may not be herde. Of suche holy desyre I rede also the lenger that loue lacketh whiche is so sore desyred y^e more fer∣uent is his desyre whiche abydeth & that desyre begȳ¦neth to brenne thorugh strength of y^t desyrynge loue / in so moche that though the body or the flesshe fayle y^t desyre is nourysshed & encreaced. To this accordeth saynt Gregorye & sayth / holy desyres wexen & encrea¦sen in taryenge & abydȳge / for where desyres fayle in abydynge there is no sad desyre. Thus than loue god stedfastly with all thy desyre / & so thou shalt kepe the

fyrste poynte of this degree of loue.

O ¶The seconde is thou shalt in the begynnynge of thy werkes thynke on the worshyp & drede of god

THe seconde poynte is what euer thou do thyn¦ke vpon the worshyp & drede of god. If thou kepe this thou shalt the more sykerly lyue to goddes pleasure. For what dede thou art in wyll to perfour∣me in worshyp of god thou mayst be syker of grete me¦de. Also yf thou drede god thou art aferde for to do o∣ny thynge that sholde be dyspleasynge to hym / & for as moche as y^u dredest thou doost it not. Soo by that drede thou leuest that thynge vndo whiche shold tour¦ne the in to grete peryll of thy soule yf it had ben per∣fourmed in dede. By this thou mayst wel knowe that it is full spedfull to thynke in y^e begynnynge of all thy werkes vpon the worshyp & drede of god. To this ac¦cordeth the techynge of saynt Poule where he sayth thus. What euer ye do in worde or in dede / do it in the name of our lorde Ihesu cryst. For he that begynneth all thynge in y^e name of almyghty god he begynneth in the worshyp of god. Loue thā so stedfastly almygh∣ty god / that what euer thou shalt do thynke fyrst in y^e worshyp & drede of god / & thus thou shalt kepe the se¦conde poynte of this degree of loue.

P ¶The thyrde is thou shalt do no syn̄e vpon trust of other good dedes.

THe thyrde poynt is thou shalt do no synne vp¦on trust of other good dedes. What man that

synneth wylfully he neyther loueth ne dredeth god. Yf thou synne vpon trust of ony goodnes wylfully thou synnest so in y^t y^u louest not stedfastly. ¶To this pur¦pose I rede also that he is full vnkynde that is full of vertues & dredeth not god. Also a grete folye & a gre¦te pryde it is for to synne vpon trust of ony good de∣des. For be thou neuer so full of vertues or goodnes / vnkyndnes to thy god may destroye all tho vertues More vnkyndenes mayst thou not shewe thā dysplea¦se god wylfully / whiche is begynner and gyuer of all goodnes / beware therfore & flee suche vnkyndnes / & do no synne vpon trust of other good dedes. Of suche vnkyndenesse also it is nedefull for to beware / for the more acceptable thou art to god thorugh thy good ly¦uynge / y^e more culpable shalt thou be yf that thou fall agayne in to synne and in to euyll lyuynge. ¶And of this thou hast ensample of Adam. For as moche as he was fulfylled fyrst with goodnes / therfore his trespas was moche the more whan that he fell in to synne. ¶Also I rede y^t it is but a sclyder hope where a man synneth vpō trust for to be saued / for he that so doth he neyther loueth ne dredeth god. And but yf that we loue and drede god to our connynge or knowynge we may not be saued / therfore it is more spedefull for to drede well than to trust amys. Also it is more prouffy table a man to holde hymselfe lowe & feble than to de¦syre to be holden stronge / and for feblenes to fal and be lost. Take hede than what goodnes that god put∣teth in the and thanke hym mekely & praye hym of contynuaunce / & doo no synne vp trust of other good dedes. And thus thou shalt kepe the thyrde poynte of this degree of loue.

Q ¶The fourth is thou shalt rule the dyscretly that thou fayle not for none feruent wyll.

THe fourth poynt is thou shalt rule the so dys∣cretly that thou fayle not to feruent wyll. To kepe this it is nedefull to the to haue the vertue of dis¦crecyon as thus. Yf thou take for y^e loue of god so mo¦che abstynence wakynge or other bodely penaunce y^t thou mayst not for feblenes contynue to trauayle in y^e seruyce of god / than is thy wyll to feruent. For be thy loue neuer so grete god is not pleased whan y^u rulest y^t in suche maner that thou mayst not abyde in his seruy¦ce thrugh thy mysrule. Therfore beware and rule the vp reason / take no more vpon the than thou mayst be¦re / besy not the to folow other stronge men or women of olde tyme in doynge of penaūce otherwyse thā thy strength wyl aske. And gouerne thy lyuynge by good counseyll that thou fayle not thrugh thyn owne folye For almyghty god of his endeles mercy hath ordey∣ned heuens blysse to the synfull men thrugh dedes of charyte & of mekenes where they be done in mesure and with dyscrecyon. The deuyll is so enuyous to mā¦kynde that somtyme he styreth an vnpartyte man or woman to fast more than he may begynne thynges of hyghe parfeccyons hauynge no regarde to his feble∣nesse / in soo moche that whan his bodely strength be∣gynneth to fayle eyther he must cōtynue that he hath begonne so folysly for shame of men / or ellys vtterly leue all for feblenesse. To this accordeth saynt Au∣styn and sayth. Our wycked ennemye the deuyll hath not a more spedefull engyn to drawe the loue of god from mannes herte / than to take vs by his fals sug∣gestyon

to loue vnwysely & without reason / that is to saye as I sayd before. To styre vs for to take fastyn∣ges wakynges and other bodely penaūces ouer our myght. Take therfore to the dyscrecyon & rule the so dyscretly that thou fayle not for to feruent wyll / and than thou mayst kepe the fourth poynte of this degre of loue.

R ¶The fyfthe is thou shalt not leue thy good lyuȳ¦ge for feynte ne for temptacyon.

THe fyfthe poynte is / thou shalt not fall fro thy good lyuynge for feynte herte ne for tempta∣cyon. To kepe well this poynt it is nedefull to haue a perseueraunt wyll & a stable hert ayenst all temptacy¦ons. Some men there be whan ony heuynesse bodely or ghoostly or whan that ony grutchynge of the flessh cometh to theym / anone they ben so heuy & so full of vnlust that they leue theyr ghoostly trauayle & fal fro theyr good lyuyge / suche men haue no stable ne sted∣fast herte. Therfore yf thou wylt loue god stedfastly suffre no heuynes ne dysease ne chaunge thy trauayle ne thy herte fro thy seruyce and loue of god / but take hede of the wordes of almyghty god where he sayth. He is blessyd that is perseueraūt vnto his lyues ende Here of thou hast ensamples of holy martyrs & cōfes¦sours whiche neuer wolde be departed fro the loue of god for all the persecucyon that myght be do to them Also to suche men of feble herte & vnlust speketh saȳt Bernarde and sayth thus. Whan thou art vnlusty or dyseased with heuynesse / haue none vntrust therfore ne leue not thy trauayle / but suffre mekely & aske con¦forte

of hym that is begynner & ender of all goodnes And all be it that thou haue not suche deuocyon than as in other tymes / thynke well how he that gafe y^e su∣che deuocyon hath withdrawen it for thy defautes as for a tyme / & happely to the more mede / therfore w^t∣stande all suche heuynes and stande strongely / suffre lowely / & take gladly the chastysynge of god / & euer∣more aske helpe & grace. Ferthermore some for defau¦te of knowynge & for vnstablenes haue fall thorough trauayle of temptacyons / therfore whan thou art soo trauayled with ony temptacyons that shold be lettyn¦ge / or els is dredefull to the / chaunge not therfore thy wyll / but stande stedfastly & shewe thy dysease to thy ghoostly fader askynge of hym to gyue the suche coū¦seyll that may be moost helpynge to thy soule. Yf thou do thus mekely with a ful good wyll to please thy god & to withstande the temptacyons of thyn enemye the grace of the holy ghoost wyll fully fulfyll bothe hym & the / hym for to teche / the for to lerne / & take of hym suche counseyll that shall be moost strength & confor∣te to the & confusyon to the deuyl. And so by the helpe of god thou shalt be conforted in suche maner that y^u shalt not fall thorough trauayle of temptacyons / but euer the lenger the more stable and the more stronge in the loue of god to thy lyues ende. Thus than take hede that thou fall not from thy good lyuȳge for feyn¦te herte ne by temptacyons / and than thou mayst ke∣pe the fyfth poynte of this degree of loue. ¶Here is shortly declared the mater of these fyue poyntes. ¶Thus be declared the fyue poyntes of the thyrde degree of loue. In the fyrste thou art taught to loue god w^t full desyre. In the seconde for to do all thynge

in y^e worshyp of almyghty god / and euer for to drede god in the begynnynge of all thy werkes. In the thyr¦de fully to withstande all maner synne / and no synne for to do vpō trust of other good dedes. In the fourth that thou fall not for defaute of dyscrecyon. In the fyfth thou art taught & counseylled for to haue a sta∣ble herte and for to withstande all temptacyons that thou fall not from thy good lyuynge. Yf y^u kepe thus these fyue poyntes than thou hast the thyrde degree of loue / whiche is called a stedfast loue to god. And yf thou loue god stedfastly thou mayst soone come to {per}∣feccyon / and so by the grace of god thorugh encreace of vertues thou shalt lyghtly come to the fourth de∣gree of loue.