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 proue and surety of the vowes by holy scripture / and fyrste of obedience and wylfull pouerte. The x. Chapitre.

THat obedience hath grounde and bygyn∣nynge of the ordinaunce and cōmaunde∣mente of god / holy scripture dothe testifie in the fyrste boke of al scripture caled Ge∣nesis. where euidently dothe appere: that the fyrste and principall cōmaundement that euer god gaue was of obedience. Saynge vnto Adam and Eue. De omni ligno paradisi comede. &c. Fede you or eate of the fruytes of all the trees in paradyse / excepte onely this tree that standethe in the mydle of para∣dyse / for what so euer daye you do eate therof:* 1.1 you shall dye / that is to saye: you shalbe subdued vnto the peyne of dethe / where nowe you be in power to lyue for euermore without peyne & neuer to suffre dethe ne disease. So that obedience onely was the way & meane of euerlastynge lyfe / & inobedience or disobediēce the cause of synne & dethe. And therfore after his disobedience nothynge myght restore mā vnto y^e state he was in byfore: but onely obedience.

Saynt Paule vnto auctorite.* 1.2 Sicut per inobedien∣ciam vnius hominis. &c. As by the inobedience or disobediēce of one mā: many mē were made sīners / so by the obediēce of one man agayn: many mē shal be made iuste persones / and apte vnto saluacion: that is to meane by the obedience of our lorde and sauiour Iesu / that was rendred obedient vnto deth and that deith moste shameful the deth of the crosse.* 1.3 But this obedience wherof we shall entreate / is a very braunche of that obediēce (as we haue shewed and shall more largely proue) Ergo obedience is grounded and founded in scripture in bothe the te∣stamentes. Yet forther after the fall of man / in the lawe of nature: man was conserued from euerlas∣tynge dampnacion onely by obedience / and put vn¦to euerlastynge dethe by disobedience / as is euidēt of Caym and Abell / and ī many other places of the scripture.* 1.4 In the lawe writen that was the lawe of Moyses caled the olde lawe / obedience was chefe maystres and ruler. And in the lawe of the gospell: obediēce is expressed & set forthe as the very trouth byfore figured. Thus appereth that obedience is statuted by the auctorite of scripture.* 1.5 Nowe for wylfull pouerte. In paradyse was no proprietie. And in the lawe of nature: all thyng{is} were cōmune. The lawe writen dyd commaunde that no persone shulde be nedy amonge the people of god / but that eueriche shulde ministre / and do conforte and helpe vnto other accordynge vnto theyr nede.* 1.6 And in the newe lawe our sauiour hym selfe: is chefe example of wylfull pouerte. For he sayd of hym selfe.* 1.7 The sone of man hathe nat where to hyd his hed / & take reste in. That is to saye: he had nothynge in this

worlde in proprietie / but dyd shewe openly and set forthe the very precise and true perfectiō of wylfull pouerte. And his holy Apostles (after his example) dyd folowe the same and so gaue order vnto theyr disciples / whiche was of longe tyme obserued and kepte in the primitiue & fyrste begynnīge of y^e chur∣che of Christe / whiche nowe all religious persones done insue and folowe / Ergo wylful pouerte is foū¦ded vpon holy scripture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gene. 2.
• * 1.2

  Ro. 5.
• * 1.3

  Phil. 2. B.
• * 1.4

  Gene. 4.
• * 1.5

  Of wylfull pouerte.
• * 1.6

  Deu. 15.
• * 1.7

  Math. 8. C