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.

¶Answere vnto theyr fourthe assercion and rea∣son. The .vii. Chapitre

THeyr fourthe reason is: that to make these vowes muste nedes be a great ieopardy and peryll of dampnacion And scripture saythe.* 1.1 who so loueth peryll: shall lyghtly fall therinto / but all religious persones done wylfully vndertake / & put themselfe vnto that peryll or ieopardy / Ergo they be moste lyke to fall therin. That suche enter∣pryse and vowe is of suche peryll & ieopardy:* 1.2 theyr owne auctours done testifie. Cesarius one of them saythe / that as religion obserued and kepte: is of moste hygh merite / so neglecte brokē and nat kepte is it of moste depe dampnation. But all the worlde may se and perceyue (say they) that religion is nat kepte / Ergo is it (as is sayd) of sure or (at the least) great peryll and ieopardy of dampnacion. To {pro}ue that religion is nat kepte: they done make processe agayne all .iii. vowes by order. Nowe to make full aunswere / fyrste we graunte and done assente vnto theyr auctorities aswell of the wyse man as of the holy father Cesarie / that is: that religion kepte is moste hyghe merite / and contrarie / nat kepte of moste depe dampnacion. But yet dothe nat folowe that they done suppose / that is: that the religious {per}¦sones ben in more ieopardy or peryll of dampnaciō than the other persones that neuer made suche pro∣myse / all thoughe in dede they bene worthy more peyne and punisshement if they breke theyr {pro}myse / wyll you se a pleyne example hereof.* 1.3 Euery kynge

and prynce hathe subiectes / some cōmune people / and some more nere aboute hym that bene more streytely sworne and boūde to mo secretes & great∣ter charges / and therfore ben they more in fauoure and haue more large fees and rewardes than haue the cōmune people / if than these persones so speci∣ally fauoured: wolde breke theyr promyse and othe and be traytoures or otherwyse false vnto theyr so∣uerayne: good reason wolde they shulde haue more sharpe iugemente and more greuous paynes or cor¦rection / thā the cōmune people shulde haue: for lyke defaulte or trespase. And yet natwithstandynge they ben nat in more ieopardy and peryll of that pu¦nisshemente ne of the cause therof: than bene the cō: mune people that made nat so depe promyse. But rather ben they in moche lesse ieopardy and peryll / bycause they haue lesse occasiō to be false and more cause to be true and faythfull. So do I conclude for religion contrarie vnto them / that religious {per}∣sones bene in lesse ieopardy and more out of peryll than any other persones / whiche thynge shall ap∣pere more euidentely here after. But where they lay vnto our charge that we done nat kepe the ru∣les and the promyse of our profession / if they meane vniuersaly that all done nat kepe them it is true / if they say none do kepe them: that is false. I can nat deney but that monasticall religion is sore dekeyde and dothe dayly so continue / I am sory therfore. Shewe vs (saye they) one monasterie where the {pro}¦myse of theyr professiō is perfourmed. I can shewe diuerse of the reuerend father of the obseruauntes / the charterhouses / with other. And I myghte saye in true conscience: I haue knowen manye

monasteries that haue ben noted of great negligēce in kepynge of theyr rules / and yet ī the same places were some that alway kepte ryght well bothe theyr rule and constitutions. But myne institucion and purpose here: is nat to excuse the misdoers and bre∣kers of of religion. For theyr yuell dedes done {pro}ue no defaulte in the state and maner of lyuynge of re∣ligion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccle. ••. D
• * 1.2

  Anmoniti¦one. 15.
• * 1.3

  Example.