Here begynneth the boke called the Pype, or tonne, of the lyfe of perfection The reason or cause wherof dothe playnely appere in the processe.

¶The fyrste reason generall.

ALmyghty god after that he had suffred his chosen people the children of Israell:* 1.1 longe for their sinnes to be punysshed in Egypte / by the tyrannye of kynge Pharao / dyd (whan the tyme came) mightfully and merueylously: delyuer them by the hande and power of Moyses. And this was done in figure of Christ: that by the father of heuen was sende vnto this worlde / made man / conceyued / and borne of the holy virgyn Marye: to delyuer & redeme all mankynde frō the bondage of the deuyll. So than our swete lorde & sauyour Iesu / by great labours / by meruaylous peyne and passion / by most shamefull dethe: hath bought vs out of the course of the lawe of Moyses: Which was a lawe of rigour / a lawe of vengeaunce / a lawe of thraldome & bon∣dage / and a lawe of feare and drede. And hathe put vs vnto the libertie & fredome of the gospell: whiche is a lawe of pleasure / a lawe of mercye / a lawe of grace / a lawe of libertie / and a lawe of loue. So

that nowe we be nat bounde seruandes / but we ben children / And yet not onely children / but also heyres and coheneritoures vnto Christ.* 1.2 * 1.3 But alas alas for moste depe sorowe / that we nowe haue slypped / and ben fallen and ouer throwne / from that swete and most pleasaunt christiane libertie: vnto more thral∣dome and bondage / than euer were the children of Israell in Egypt. For nowe we haue more folysshe and supersticious seremonies / thanne euer had the Iewes / Scribes / or Pharises. So that nowe we be•• retourned from Christ vnto Moyses / and from Moyses vnto Pharao. And lothynge the Manna & moost swete spirituall meate of the gospell: we take delectacion & pleasure in the pottes of flesshe / and potage of Egypt. And nothynge content with the quietude / ease / and rest of the gospell: we done wil∣fully gyue / sell / and bynde our selfe vnto the serui∣tute and thraldome of Egypt / and vnto the intolle∣rable and lost labores of tyles and bryckes of claye / myre / and mucke of the same. And despisynge the swete and comfortable yoke of the life of Christ / and of the lyght & easy burthen of his lawes & doctrine: we done more than wilfullybowe downe / & charge our neckes vnder the roughe / harde / and rigorous yoke of the maners of men: that is vnto the heuye lade / and blockysshe burthen of their constitucions / lawes / and statutes. O good lorde / howe folysshe / howe madde ben we? what fende / what yuell spe∣rite / what inchauntementes / haue thus be wytched vs? That nowe so many hundreth yeres / we haue so miserably erred / slypped / and falne clene downe from the hyghe towre / and pleasaunt palace of fre∣dome and libertie: vnto the depe dungyon of thral∣dome

and bondage. From faythe / vnto mystruste. From hope / vnto doute. From loue / vnto drede: frō pure religion / vnto peuysshe & folysshe seremonies. From Christ / vnto Moyses: And from the gospell of god / vnto the olde lawe of the Iewes. So that nowe we shall ende in the flesshe: that we beganne in the spirite. For that we enterprised & vndertoke spiritually / we shall fenisshe and parfourme car∣nally. That we beganne gostly / we shall ende syn∣fully. For in the begynnynge of christianitie all {per}∣sones (without any distinction or difference) were equally / and in lyke maner christianes / as bretherne and systers. Whether they were bonde / or fre borne. All were of one calling the electe / and chosen people of god. Holy preesthode all sacred for to offre spiri∣tuall hoostes / and sacrifyce acceptable (by our lorde Iesu) vnto almighty god. There was (I saye) no difference / all were preestes. But onely that women were prohibite / and forbodē to preache: all were the chyldren of god. And (as we sayd before) heyres / and coenheritours vnto Christ. But nowe alas / all is tourned clene contrarye. For some persones bene the children of saynt Augustine. Some the sonnes & doughters of saint Benedicte / called saint Benet. Some of saynt Franciske: some other of saynt Ber∣narde: some of saynt Dominike / & so forth of many other / that nowe in stede of the children of god / ben chaunged vnto y^e children of men: And that in stede of the lawe of god / done kepe the lawes of men. And thus haue they forsaken the gospell of god / whiche (as we sayd) is a lawe of loue / and a lawe of liber∣tie / & haue bounde them selfe (and that by solempne vowe) vnto the rules and lawes of these men: whi∣che

ben the lawes of feare and drede / and lawes of thraldome and bondage. For where before the ma∣kynge of that vowe and profession / they were lose & in their owne power / & so myght haue kept the lawe of the gospell / all by loue / in fredome / libertie / and gladnesse of harte & mynde. Nowe done they kepe their rules (yf they kepe them as in very dede fewe done or none: yet (say I) done they kepe them for feare and drede in thraldome / and for the bonde of theyr vowe and promyse: with moche murmure and gruge / & with an yuell wyll.* 1.4 Nowe done the hereti¦kes conclude: with foure reasons crafty & false / as shall appere.

¶Of the conclusion of the heretikes / with foure subtyll reasons after theyr exclamacions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prima ra∣tio genera¦lis.
• * 1.2

  Ro. 8. C.
• * 1.3

  Take hede nowe vnto this subtyll a false my∣••oue,
• * 1.4

  The auctour