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.

¶Howe a persone (by large coniecture) maye per∣ceyue / or byleue and truste theyr calynge vn∣to religion is of the election & spirite of god. The .xv. Chapitre.

TO determyne precisely and to make assercion and surety what persone is chosen and / caled by our lorde / or whā any persone is so caled vnto religion is very harde and aboue myne enter prise and lernynge / natwithstādyng I thynke large coniecture maye be had therof I shall therfore shewe therin my poore minde euer by due protestacion submittynge my selfe vnto correc∣tion / and glad wolde I be to giue occasion vnto lerned men to speke more largely therin. For cer∣teynly (in myne oppinion) one of y^e greatest causes

or occasions of the dekey of religion: is the wronge entre therinto without any election or calynge of god / and without due examinacion of the mocion & of the intent and purpose of the entre. For the great olde enemye the dyuell: dothe many tymes transfi∣gure / translate / and chaunge hymselfe into the four me and lykenes of a bryght and good Angel.* 1.1 That is: that he wyl moue and stere many persones vnto a thynge that (of it selfe) is good and meritoriouse: vnto the ende / purpose / and intent / to deceyue: and moche rather therby to noy and hurte them. So dothe he (douteles) nat selden moue {per}sones vnto re¦ligion / suche as he knoweth well ben nothyng apte ne mete therfore. To shewe all his crafty / wyly and deceytful wayse therin / can no man in this lyfe / nat withstandynge yet shall we for example set forthe some of his meanes. For he dothe vse diuerse mea∣nes and instrumentes vnto diuerse persones. Vn¦to some persones: dothe he vse his owne proper in∣strument / that is to say: pryde / ambicion / and selfe trust. For some persones doth he fynde and percyue that done stande well in theyr owne fauoure and cō¦seyte / and moche done trust and haue confidence in theyr owne vertues / & so done suppose or iuge theyr owne lyfe of more synguler perfection: than is the lyfe of other persones / and that theyr wyttes wys∣domes / prudence / policie / and lernynge / passeth ma¦ny other. Suche persones than dothe he moue and styrre (as a great dede of charite) to go vnto religion. Where they maye (saythe he vnto theyr thoughtes) do moche good / seynge the great dekey of religion. For his lyfe or hers: shulde refourme one monasterie / and do moche good (by y^t example)

in all the religion in theyr spiritualites / & his wys∣dome and prudence shulde repayre the pouerte and ruyme of the temporalities. And also the hole couēt wolde make suche a persone: shortely souereygne & ruler of all. But whan this persone (by suche {per}sua∣cion) is entred nat regardynge that as a litle poysō dothe infecte moche good meate: so doth pryde ma∣ny vertues / than dothe he fayle of that purpose. For there dothe he fynde one of as good lyfe as he or bet¦ter. An other as wyse or wyser. The thyrde of more depe vnderstandynge or lernynge / or at the least: suche persones dothe he fynde there as wyll nat fo∣lowe his ymaginacion / nor the conclusion where vpon he trusted / than dothe he begynne to murmur and grudge / and to say he wyll departe thens vnto an other house / or vnto an other religiō / or retourne agayne by a capacite where he was / or els wyll he lyue where he doth at his owne pleasure / or els wyl he make moche trouble and vnrest. And all this cōmethe for y^e defaute of the fyrste entre. Vnto some other persones doth he vse the worlde as his instru¦ment / and specially vnto suche persones / as he per∣ceyuethe haue appetite and desyre to haue goodes and ryches of the worlde / and can nat brynge about theyr mynde / ne bryng theyr purpose to passe therin Than sayth the enemy: loke vpon suche an abbotte suche a priour / or suche officers / and thou mayste {per}∣ceyue they ben ryche & haue playnte / if thou werein religion thou shuldest lacke nothynge / & sometyme he dothe couple and ioyne vnto this couetyse: his owne sayd propre instrumente of pryde / as in them that ben disposed vnto ambicion / vnto the desyre of hyghe rowme / dignite / gouernaunce / rule / and do∣minacion

/ byfore the syght and cōsideraciō of these {per}sones / doth he lay (as I sayd byfore) y^e cōsideraciō of theyr supposed v{er}tues & abilites after y^e maner of y^e proude pharesy. And the vylnes and insufficiēcy of all other {per}sones as in his Iugemēt vnto whome he saythe. In suche a monasterie / ben many great offices / and goodly rowmes where suche a persone as you be may haue rule / and preminence / and pro∣mote his kynne & frend{is}. For incōparison vnto you all they ben but chyldren and ediotes and foles / and in continuaunce you may be sure to haue the mytre or to be souerayne. If suche persones (after theyr en¦tre) fortune to obteine theyr minde and purpose / the religion ī that place goeth to wracke. And if they be deceyued and put from theyr purpose: they bene neuer in rest / but alway full of trouble / and full com¦brouse {per}sones. This crafty deceytfull enemy: doth also vse the flesshe for his instrument as in suche {per}∣sones as done entre religion: rather for y^e surety of theyr bodely lyuynge: than for the loue of god / & the increace of vertue. And suche {per}sones cōmunely ben remysse ī theyr duety dull / ī laboures / delicate & full of dissolucion. I dare saye no more let this suffice for example. Nowe vnto our institute and purpose althoughe no man maye knowe for sure certeynte that his calinge is of god (reuelacion alway excep∣ted) yet may all religious persones haue large con∣iecture / and so to haue good hope and truste in the mercy of our lorde / that theyr calynge is of his holy spirite: whan (by diligent serche and aften examina¦cion of conscience / shewed playnly vnto wyse and spirituall lerned men) they can nat fynde ne proue: that any of the sayd occasions / or any other thynge

of this worlde pleasaunt or displeasaunt / shulde be be cause of theyr entre into religion / but onely the loue and desyre of our lorde / and for the more surety of theyr saluacion. And specially whan they fele theyr mocion vnto religion doth growe & increace vnto a contempte and despisynge of al worldly and carnall pleasures / and dothe drawe theyr hertes / & mynde vnto suche a cōstancy therin: that nother {pro}∣sperite / nor aduersite of the worlde / ne any fere or drede of peynes / or laboures in the religion: ne any persuacion of frendes dothe moue them to leue and forsake theyr entrepryse and holy purpose / but that the mynde be (in maner) obstinate in the same / all thoughe the selfe persone knoweth no cause nor rea¦son why his mynde is so set: but onely that he feleth (as I sayd) a desyre to serue our lorde. Than (saye I) we may well coniecture that this calynge is of our lorde / natwithstandynge yet do nat I saye that for all these mocions any persone shulde forthwith sodeynly entre religion ne yet receyue the habite w^t∣out a forther deliberacion with lerned counsayle. For the holy Apostle saynt Iohan sayth.* 1.2 Probate spiritus. &c. examine you (sayth he) and {pro}ue the spi∣rite and mocion of your calynge whether they be of god or no. And yet done nat I approue ouer longe deliberacion. For althoughe y^e Apostles of Christe came nat all at the fyrst call or calynge: yet dyd they come shortely at the seconde or thyrde calynge / and some at the fyrst as saynt Mathewe.* 1.3 Some {per}sones whan they were caled: wolde nat come / as the riche yonge man of whome we spake byfore. And some other dyd are a respecte and tyme of declaracion to prouide for theyr parentes and frend{is} / and for theyr

worldly goodes / whiche tyme natwithstandynge our sauiour wolde nat graunt them.* 1.4 And yet other some dyd offre thē selfe to folowe our sauiour / & he wolde nat receyue them. The moste redy token to knowe the very calinge of god (I euer excepte reue¦lacion) is: whan a persone (voyde in cōscience of all the causes and occasions byfore sayd) hathe a secret surete ministred by the spirite of god / vnto the soule as saynt Augustynes mother had of his calynge.* 1.5 Thus haue you my poore mynde: to knowe by con¦iecture the calynge of god / yet doth the ghostly eni∣mye: craftely and subtily assayle some other {per}sones that ben full deuoute / but disposed to instabilite / as to seke the moste perfecte and sure way of theyr sal∣uacion / and they ben full of wauerynge myndes. Nowe they wyll go vnto religion / and to morowe they shalbe in the contrarie mynde: or this daye in minde of one religion / and the nexte day of an other They wyll put many doutes / & suspecte many thyn¦ges. Some other contrarie ben of ouer large pre∣sumpcion: that put no doutes / make no stoppage / but seke religion / and entre there vnto / nat able to accomplysshe and perfourme theyr duetes. And both these maner of persones ben lyghtely deluded & deceyued by the enimye. For y^e fyrste sortes of per∣sones: whā they ben {pro}fessed / ben neuer cōtent w^t the cōpany where they ben / but other they wyl go vnto an other religion / or els vnto an other house of the same religiō / or peraduenture starte out and renne abrode agayne / and neuer byde the seconde chaūge of the mone in one place. The other persones / that done entre without due deliberacion done cōmon∣ly for thynke theyr enterpryse / and bene ryght sory

that they ben as clogges vnto theyr company. For euery good and ryght deuoute or perfecte persone is nat apte ne mete to be a good religious {per}son / yet suche persones by very mekenes and pacience and good religious maner and byhauoure / done many tymes serue god ryght well and very wel also done content theyr company / howe be it (as we shewed vpon the rule) euery persone shulde byfore they re∣ceyue the religion: knowe the rule of the same / and put them ī exercise / and surely {pro}ue them howe they ben able to perfourme the same / & therafter to make true relacion vnto the couent / and that maye moche discharge conscience.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Cor. 11.
• * 1.2

  1. Io. 4. A.
• * 1.3

  Matth. 4. Matth. 9. A. Matth. 19. Luce. 18. Matth. 8.
• * 1.4

  Ibidem.
• * 1.5

  In libro cōfessionū.