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.

¶Of suche persones as done entre religion: nat of theyr owne mynde / or desyre there vnto / but onely put or aplied there vnto by the auctorite / or mocion of theyr pa∣rentes or frendes. The .xvii. Chapitre.

DIuerse {per}sones haue diuerse tymes axed my mynde and iugemente of suche persones as bone entre into religion / in youthe vnder the yeres of discrecion applied / and put there vnto by theyr parentes or frendes / and lykewyse of ydeotes that haue nat the full vse of reason. Vnto this thynge the auctorite and the actes of holy fathers done gyue aunswere. For many holy sayntes / and religious fathers haue receyued chyldren into theyr habyte / and theyr rules. And I suppose they dyd nat so without auctorite. For that the parentes may pro¦myse / and appoynt theyr chyldren vnto religion within age:* 1.1 and also byfore they ben bourne: or yet gotten: doth appere ī scripture / as of Samuel / our blessed lady / and other. And our lorde hathe also shewed vnto the parentes by his holy Angelles / by¦fore the byrthe of theyr chyldren / that they shulde be religious / as of Sampson.* 1.2 And of saint Iohā bap¦tiste. And our sauiour dyd nat dysdaine the cōpany of chyldren / but rather he semed to be well content with them and cōmaunded that his disciples shuld nat prohibite or let / ne forbede the chyldren to come vnto his presence / he also cured many chyldren / and receyued thankfully the laude & prayse of infaūtes. And he sayd that no persone shulde entre into the kyngdome of heuen: but suche as were lyke vnto smale chyldren. And trouthe it is that in chyldhode a persone maye be more lyghtely framed vnto ver∣tue / and broken in good maners: than in forther age. For the potte or vessell (saythe the Poete / dothe continually sauoure or smell of that thynge* 1.3

thynge wherwith it was seasoned in y^e begynnyng And certeynly the beste and moste {per}fecte educacion or bryngynge vp of youthe vnto vertue & good ma∣ners is in religion. Sythe than (after an other ler∣ned man) Educacio et doctrina efficiunt mores. The educacion and bryngynge vp of a persone / and the doctrine / teachynge / and lerninge of the same: doth fourme and make the maners and condicions there after. And syth therw^t as is sayd the best bryngynge vp is in the monasteries amonge religious {per}sones it semeth vnto me that chyldren may conuenientely be receyued into religion. And specially sythe that by the lawe and ordynaunce of y^e churche / they must be of age sufficient and of discrecion / byfore they be bounde and make profession vnto any religion. But yet haue I herde of some persone that haue en¦tred in to religion in youthe / and yet after theyr {pro}∣fession made in the due and lawfull tyme haue (nat withstandinge) for thought theyr enterprise / & haue cursed theyr parentes and frendes that brought thē there vnto. Here vnto muste I say: that so done we knowe of them that in sad yeres and with great ler¦nynge and semynge vertue and perfection / haue en¦tred religion and lyued therin full vertuously / and haue done moche good in the churche of Christe and ryght well haue edefied y^e people and yet nowe ben apostatas and open heretikes. Syr wyll some persones say: these persones haue good knowelege of them selfe / and had byfore theyr entre but y^e other had nat so / it semeth therfore they may rather be ex∣cused than the other. Certeynly nother may be excu¦sed / but whan the profession and promyse is made / it muste nede and without remedy be kepte. For the

scripture saythe.* 1.4 Si nolueris polliceri, abs{que} peccato eris. &c. If thou wylt make no promyse: thou mayst so do without synne / but that promyse that hath pas¦sed thy lyppes / y^t thou hast spoken with thy mouthe muste thou nedely obserue / perfourme and kepe in¦dede / after suche maner as thou hast promised vnto thy lorde god. For of thine owne {pro}per wyll w^t thyn owne mouthe hast thou spokē y^e worde whiche can nat be caled backe. And our sauiour in the gospell (as byfore is rehersed) sayd.* 1.5 Nemo mittens manum ad aratrum. &c. No maner of persone y^t hath boūde hym selfe: by full consent of soule: vnto any diuine or godly werke / & after doth loke backe / & forsake y^t enterprise: can be apte / or mete for the kyngdome of heuen.* 1.6 And ī the actes of the Apostles: saynt Petre sayd vnto Ananie (a {per}sone that of his owne mynde offred hī selfe to liue ī cōmune as y^e other christianes dyd / & after brake y^e {pro}myse) whan thy house & lande (sayd he) was in thy possession: was it nat thyne owne? & likwise y^e money therof at thyn owne {pro}per wyl & in thy lybertie byfore thy {pro}myse / as thoughe he sayd it was so / and why than (sayd he) woldest thou after that promyse made deceyue and falsely make a lye or leasinge vnto the holy ghoste. For (as there is shewed in the letter) he made a lye and his wyfe Saphira confirmed the same / for the whiche bothe were stryken sodeynly vnto deth by the ven∣geaunce of god / for brekynge of theyr vowe and {pro}∣myse. So dothe folowe as a playne cōclusion that syth the parentes haue lawfull power to put theyr chyldren to religion / and if they ī lawfull age done after make profession: they muste nede perseuer in the same. Syr say they if they so continue it shalbe

vnto theyr great peyne and affliction / let them (saye I) take pacience. For our lorde may ryghtwysely: punisshe the synnes of the parentes / by the tempo∣rall paynes of the chyldren. For the parentes done many tymes put theyr chyldren vnto religion with out due consideracion / as some to be so discharged of theyr bodely fyndynge. Some to the ende & pur∣pose so to prouyde for the tēporall lyuynge of theyr chyldren. And some in hope and truste to be succou∣red and holpen be thyr chyldren. And some to haue them in honoure / dignitie / and degree / with many other lyke causes / nothīge spirituall / whiche thyng well considered: shulde in suche persones be a rea∣sonable occasion of more depe and perfecte paciēce / and in lyke maner do I saye of them that in sodeyn passion / or that by dissimulacion haue entred in re∣ligion. For of suche haue we herde. Some {per}sones bycause they were disappoynted of suche makes as they desired to haue had in mariage: haue ī y^e passiō forsakē the worlde. Some other sodeynly after the dethe of theyr maried makes / or of theyr souereyg∣nes / or of theyr dere frendes / haue done in lyke ma∣ner / that after hath repented them / and wolde haue ben glad to be at libertie agayne. I haue herde also of some persones that haue dissimuled theyr entre / that were neuer mynded to take the religiō for any perfection / ne euer gaue consent there vnto / but by a maner of curiosite / wolde do as theyr felowes dyd. And some haue entred of ignoraūce / that ne∣uer knewe / ne herde speke of any rule / ne of any such statutes / and ceremonies / as after they {pro}ued were theyr bonde and duety / whiche if they had knowen byfore: they wolde neuer haue taken the religion.

Surely all these do I put in one case with thē that haue nat well and ryghtly receyued religion. And yet natwithstandynge: they may nat after theyr so∣lempne profession loke backe / ne forsake the same. For no creature can tell by what dispensacion our lorde god suffred them so to do. For I thynke very∣ly it was for to auoyde theyr more yuell at the least or els of more depe mercie vnto theyr helth and sal∣uacion. A similitude y^t was a true story. A certeyne man was vnryghtwisely committed and put in pri¦son / and within a lytle space after (whyle he there re¦mayned) certeyne persones that were his enimies came vnto his house with full purpose and mynde to haue slayne hym / and whan they had broken vp the house / and herde that he was in prison they re∣tourned voyde of theyr purpose / whiche thing whā the man knewe: he thanked our lorde of his wrong full prisonement / and had great pacience therwith So shulde these persones haue byleuynge verely that almyghty god workethe all vnto theyr best. For that is an happy pryson or punishemente / that dothe restreyne the persone from his hurte / and spe¦cially from dethe / and also that dothe put hym vnto surety of lyfe and saluacion. But yet syr saye they these persones be nat sure of saluaciō / bycause they ben there agayne theyr mynde and wyll and ther∣fore the religion shall nothynge profyte ne auayle them. Here vnto I saye they may tourne that wyll: as a man may tourne a horse with a brydell. For y^e thynge that is to may and haue power there vnto. Almyghty god (by speciall grace) hathe put in the libertie of the selfe persone. Sub te (sayth our lorde) erit appetitus tuus,* 1.7 et tu domina beris illius. The ap∣petite

of thy sensualitie: shalbe vnder the and in thy power. And thou shalte haue dominaciō lordshyp / and gouernaunce therof. If the {per}sones than of mis entre wolde be sory and discōtent with that maner of intent or mysbyhauiour: or of any default ī theyr entre and wolde wysshe and wyl in theyr herte and mynde that theyr entre had bene good and lawfull / and that (for the tyme to come) they wolde applie theyr mynde / and dispose them selfe in the religion accordynge vnto y^e same: our lorde god wyll accept theyr good wyll / and nombre them as the other cō∣pany / yet here they done go forther: saynge. Syr some of these persones (in case) can nat bringe theyr herte mynde / and wyll / in any wyse to be contente with the state and religion that they haue takē / but euer they thinke / and wishe vnto god / that they had neuer ben professed / and if they were at liberte / they wolde neuer come into any religion / and ouer that if they myght lawfully they wolde departe and for∣sake theyr religion. They knowe in concience they entred nat lawfully they remayne and byde in re∣ligion (as persones in prison) agayne theyr minde and wyll. And yet forther they can nat refourme y^e wyll / what remedy nowe? Surely they ben ī harde case / natwithstandynge yet is there remedy. For as man hathe two principall partes: a soule and a body / so hathe he two wylles the wyl of the spirite / and the wyll of the flesshe. The one is reasonable & the other is sensuall.* 1.8 And these tweyne be euer con∣trarious / euer at warre / and continuall batayle / & neuer wyll they be accorded in the chylde of god (I call those {per}sones y^e chyldren of god: that althoughe they be ryghtsore laded / & tangled w^t suche clogges

yet haue they studie and care for theyr saluaciō) In suche chyldren of god I saye these two wyll bene e∣uer contrarious. And therfore althoughe the sensu∣all wyll of the flesshe can nat or rather wyll nat be content: yet may the reasonable wyll of the spirite: be ryght well content / if the persone wyll gyue dili∣gence there vnto. For all maner of persones maye by that grace that our lorde hathe indifferently gy¦uen vnto the vertuous / and synfull persones / as he dothe cause the sonne to shyne vpon the yuell perso¦nes as well as vpon the good persones / by y^e grace I saye: all persones may wyshe or wyl y^t they were sory for theyr synne / and carnall wyll / and that they had a ryght ordred spirituall wyll. And this wyll: dothe the mercyfull louynge kyndenes of our lorde alowe and admitte as sufficient vnto saluacion. And if the {per}sones (as I sayd) wolde gyue diligēce and cure vnto this wyll / our lorde is so gentyll and liberall: that he wyl multeplie that grace / and adde and frely gyue more grace there vnto.* 1.9 The pro∣phete saythe. Spera in deo: et ipse faciet. Put your hope and truste in our lorde: and he wyl perfourme the same therafter.* 1.10 For hope in hym: can neuer con∣founde ne deceyue any persone. In all spirituall batayle:* 1.11 force and violence is required and so sayth the gospell. Regnum celorum vim patitur et violenti rapiunt illud. The state and perfection of Christes religion / dothe requyre violence and stryfe. And the violent and herty wyllynge persones shall ra∣uysshe and wynne y^e same.* 1.12 Non coronabitur (sayth saynt Paule) Nisi qui legittime certauerit. No per∣sone shall haue the croune of euerlastynge rewarde but he that hathe foghten / wrastled / stryuen & duely

laboured therfore. And euery persone may (of good reason) haue courage and herte to fyght ī that fylde where y^e victory lyeth and restethe in his owne wyl For our louynge lorde dothe requyre no more of vs in this batayle: but that we put to our fre wyll / and leyne vnto his grace frely gyuen. If the persones than that we spake of: wolde be of good wyll / and praye for grace it shulde dayly be multiplied and in¦crease in them. And that carnall wyll of the sensua∣lity: y^t so do trouble them: shalbe slayne / or at y^e least so vanquyshed / taken prisoner / and so subdued and made bonde captyue for euer / vnto the reasonable wyll of the spirite / that the persones shall therby haue of theyr dulnes: quicknes of theyr sorowe / ioy of theyr doute / certeyne of theyr dyspere / full truste of theyr troubles / quietude and rest. And of al theyr peynes: pleasure and gladnes. Nowe for a conclu∣sion: that this wyll is sufficient for the sayd {per}sones to continue ryghtely theyr profession without any newe profession / maye appere by example of a con∣clusion approued of lerned doctoures / thus chyldrē done receyue the sacrament of baptisme whan they knowe nothynge what they done receyue / yet whā they come vnto yeres of discrecion / and done con∣sent ī wyl vnto that thynge that was done by theyr parentes / they nede nat ne shulde nat be rebaptized And also if a persone in ful yeres of discrecion / that were a turke / an infidele / or hethen persone / wolde (by simulacion) feyne for the pleasure of other per∣sones: or to haue better reste / more fauoure / or more lucre / gaynes / or wynnynge amonge christianes re¦ceyue the sacrament of baptisme

without any feythe there vnto / or bylyue in christe / onely intēdynge to do as they done / and to receyue the same thynge / and so to be supposed as one of thē Nowe saye I: if this persone afterwarde (by the ex¦ample of other christianes / or by exhortaciōs) come vnto the grace of perfecte feythe in christe / and doth repent of that dissimulacion or feynynge in recey∣uynge the sacrament and wolde feyne he had recey∣ued it ryghtely: that wyll (saye I) with his feythe / and byleue dothe make vnto hym the sacramente of baptisme valeant / and to stande in full effecte. So that nother he nedeth ne yet shulde be rebaptized / or christened agayn. In lyke maner may we conclude of the persones byfore sayd / that theyr profession is valeāt and good / so they put there vnto theyr good wyll / yet hathe herein question be axed of me. Whe∣ther it were nat more surety of conscience / for these persones thus troubled in mynde: to obteyne dispē¦sacion of the pope and so to be more quiete in consci¦ence. As vnto the popes dispensacion: I wyll nat speke there agayne. For of surety the popes dis∣pensacion duely obteyned is valeant and sure. But that y^e {per}sones shall therby be more quiete in mynde and conscience: I am nat sure / for fewe haue I kno¦wen or yet herde of: that by dispensacion: haue ben better ordred in theyr lyfe than byfore / but of many haue I herde y^e contrarie. And yet that terme duely obteyned: hathe a longe tayle / whiche doth nat ap∣perteyne vnto this matter. Wherfore I dare well saye it were of more surety & hyghe meryte: to fyght out the felde in fourme byfore infourmed. Sith (as we sayd) the surety of the victory: remaynethe hooly in the sayd wyll of the selfe {per}sones. And thus

an ende of this mater / as vnto the stablysshement of the sayd .iii. vowes monasticall agayne the here∣tikes: whiche thynge we haue in maner by degresse intreated. Nowe therfore we shall retourne vnto y^e promyse of our enterprise / natwithstandynge we muste here yet somewhat say vnto them. For they done nat onely speke agayne the sayd vowes / but also moche more done they mocke the holy ceremo∣nies of religion. Saynge that in all the newe testa¦ment is no cōmaundement ne mencion of ceremo∣nies / but that saynt Paule vnto the Romayns / and Gallatas / and other places dothe rebuke all cere∣monies and all is false. For in the newe testamente from the incarnaciō of Christe: vnto his resurrexiō ascencion / and sendynge of the holy ghoste: is no place voyde of ceremonies / and saynt Paule dyd onely condempne the chefe truste that the Iues had in the ceremonies of y^e olde lawe. We shall therfore go forthe with ceremonies of the whiche we haue {pro}¦mysed to speke in the begynnyng of this fyrst parte of our boke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Reg. 1.
• * 1.2

  Iudic. 13. Luce. i.
• * 1.3

  Oratius.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 23.
• * 1.5

  Luce. 9.
• * 1.6

  Act. 5. A.
• * 1.7

  Gene. 4.
• * 1.8

  Gal. 5. C.
• * 1.9

  Psal.
• * 1.10

  Ro. 5. A.
• * 1.11

  Matth. 11. B.
• * 1.12

  2. Timo. .2. A.