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.

* 1.1¶The deffinicion or terminacion of a vowe.

A Vowe (than) is an acte of promyse / that dothe apperteyne vnto the due honour of god. For it is a promyse made vnto god of those thynges that done bylonge vnto his honour / wher¦by a persone dothe bynde hym selfe vnto that thyng that byfore that vowe was ī his owne libertie / and he nothynge bounde there vnto. And if a persons were bounde: yet dothe the vowe make hym more streytly bounde than he was / natwithstandynge if the vowe be ones made it muste nedely be kepte / & may nat be broken w^tout synne or offence.* 1.2 Cum uotū voueris domino deo tuo (saythe y^e scripture) non tar dabis reddere. &c. Whan thou hast made a vowe vn¦to thy lorde god / tary nat ne make delaye to rendre and perfourme the s•• / for our lorde wyll requyre it of the.* 1.3 And aga••ne in an other place. It thou make a vowe vnto our lorde: make no stopage ne delaye: to rendre and paye the same. For god is dis¦plesed with a folysshe and vnfeythfull promyse / per¦fourme therfore whatsoeuer thou doest promyse. For moche better were it thou madest no vowe: thā after thy vowe nat to kepe thy promyse. These tex∣es and sentences ben cōditionall and nat of bonde natwithstandynge whan the vowe is made than is it bounde.* 1.4 Wherof the Prophete saith. Reddam tibi vota mea, que distinxerunt lab•••• mea. I wyll tendre and perfourme my vowes and {pro}mises that I haue spoken and made with my mouthe. Good delybera¦cion therfore muste be had (as I sayd byfore) and y^e spirite {pro}ued:* 1.5 byfore the vowe be made. For so doth our sauiour signifie in the go••••ell of Luke / by the two parables of hym that shul••e preuyde byfore y^e

begynnynge to bylde: to haue sufficient to {per}fourme the same / or els shulde it retourne vnto his shame & rebuke. And lykewyse of the kynge that with fynal power shulde aduenture in batayle with an other of farre greater pusaunce and might / vpon whiche grounde is the yere of probacion for euery persone appoynted in religion. A vowe also maye be made of that thynge to be perfourmed where vnto the per¦sone is bounde all redy / as the Prophete sayd.* 1.6 Por∣cio mea domine, dixi custodire legem tuam. This good lorde is my porcion and chosē parte / and that haue I promysed by vowe: to kepe thy lawe. And after in the same Psalme. Iuraui, et statui custodire iudicia iusticie tue. I haue sworne or made othe / & statuted and firmely ordered to kepe the iugement{is} of thy iustice / that is thy lawe and cōmaundement. The prophete was bounde vnto the lawe of god by¦fore he made that vowe: promyse / and othe / and yet natwithstandinge for the more large merite and to shewe therby his loue / and feruēt desire of herte: he made the othe / vowe / and promyse vnto the same / & was therby more streytly boūde thā he was byfore whiche bonde (neuerthelesse) is (as we shewed by∣fore) more large fredome and libertie. Thus haue we shewed what a vowe is / that is to saye: what is the definicion or determinacion of a vowe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Diu{us} Tho¦mas opus∣culo. 14. ca. 12. et in Scda scde.
• * 1.2

  Deu. 23.
• * 1.3

  Eccle. 5. A.
• * 1.4

  Spal. 65.
• * 1.5

  Luce. 14.
• * 1.6

  Spal. 118.