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 the seconde profytte or frute of obedience. The .xvi. Chapitre.

THe seconde profitte whervnto mānes nature hathe regarde and care: is the prosperite / helthe and good state of y^e body to be preserued and kepte ī good helthe and lōge lyfe / whervnto moch auayleth obedience. The holy scripture sayth. Ho∣nora patrem tuum: et matrem tuam,* 1.1 ut longo uiuas tē¦pore, et bene sit tibi in terra. Do thou honoure and reuerence vnto thy father and vnto thy mother / that thou mayste be longe lyued / or lyue a longe tyme / & be in good state and helthe vpon yerthe / but byfore haue we proued: that due honoure can nat be with∣out due obedience / they muste nedely go to gother: ergo the same profytte is {pro}mysed vnto both in lyke But here some persones wyll say (peraduenture) y^e this promyse is made in scripture: [Obiection.] vnto them that (with due obedience) done honoure vnto theyr car¦nall parentes / that is to saye: theyr fathers and mo∣thers (For so that terme parentes / dothe signifie in one worde: [Answere.] bothe the father and mother) Whervnto I saye / that the promyse dothe more extende vnto y^e spiritual parentes / bycause they be so moche aboue the other carnall parentes / as the soule is aboue the body / and the spirite: aboue the flesshe. The wyse man saythe also in his prouerbes.* 1.2 Honoure thou (saythe he) with due obedience thy lorde and mays∣ter:* 1.3 and thou shalte (for thy rewarde) be well at ease and welthye. And in the same place. Be thou obedi∣ent (saythe he) vnto my byddynge and cōmaunde∣ment: and thy rewarde shalbe longe lyfe. The soue∣reynes

in religion: done beare the rowme and the {per}¦sone of our lorde: ergo all suche promyses done ex∣tende vnto them.* 1.4 In the boke also caled Ecclesiasti∣cus / ben many commodites and profyttes set forthe and promysed vnto the same purpose / whiche we haue set forthe at lengthe in a lytell worke that we wrote vnto housholders and rulers / natwithstan∣dynge we shall nat be greued to set out the same a∣gayne here. For here in is good auctorite for all the commodites and profyttes that we haue byfore a∣poynted / that is to say: of the goodes of the body / of the same / and of the soule. I pray you therfore good deuout reders note it wel. The Chapitre begīneth thus / as it is exponed by the churche. The chyldren of sapience or of wysdome:* 1.5 bene the congregacion or company of iuste and ryghtuous persones / and the nacion: that is to say: the naturall disposicion of them:* 1.6 is obedience and loue. you louynge chyldrē therfore (saythe he) herken you well the iudgemente of your father / and be you obedient thervnto. And so perfourme and worke the same: that you may be the chyldren of saluacion. God hath ordened by the honoure of the father: to be ī the chyldrē / requiryng also & confirmyng in thē: the iugement & obedience of the mother. Those {per}sones that done loue god & ben obediēt vnto his cōmaūdemētes: shall (for theyr rewarde) haue speciall grace to aske forgeuenes for theyr synnes paste / & to continue & kepe thē selfe frō those that ben to come / & shalbe graciously herde in theyr dayly prayers. And those persones that duely done honoure theyr parentes: ben lyke (in spiritual {pro}uision) vnto thē that (for tēporall {pro}uision) done gether ryches & tresore vpon yerthe. Those y^t done

obediently honoure theyr parentes: shall reioyce / & haue ioy and conforte: in theyr owne chyldren. And shalbe graciously herde of god in all theyr nede or trouble. The chyldren y^t done duely honoure theyr parentes: shalbe longe lyued / or of longe lyfe. And the chylde y^t is obedient vnto the father: doth moch refresshe & conforte the mother. And in lyke maner the chylde that is obedient vnto the mother: dothe well content & please the father. Those chyldrē that reuerently done feere and drede our lorde: done also duely honoure theyr parentes. And as bondmen or thrale {per}sones done seruice vnto theyr lordes & mais¦ters: so done they vnto thē that haue bygotten thē in¦to this worlde / & suche chyldrē: wyl do theyr seruice so / bothe in worke & worde / & w^t good & lowly byha∣uiour in all maner of paciēce. Do (chylde) vnto thy parentes due honoure & reuerēce. And thy rewarde shalbe: y^e blessynge of god & y^e multiplicacion or in∣creace of worldly goodes ī this lyfe / & y^e same blessīg shall remayne & rest vpon y^e for euermore. The bles∣synge of the parent{is}: dothe make y^e heneritaūce of y^e chyldrē: stedfast & staple & y^e cures of y^e parent{is}: doth rotewalt vnrote plucke vp & destroy y^t semeth to be moste surely foūded & roted. Chylde: take neuer ple¦sure ne pryde ī y^e rebuke of thy parent{is}. For y^t is nat thy worshipe ne praise / but rather thy cōfusiō shame & rebuke. For y^e glorie & worshype of y^e chylde: is of the honoure of the parēte / & great shame is it vnto y^e chylde: that the parente be w^tout honoure. Chylde: take good paciēce w^t the age of thy parent{is} / & neuer displease them / greue them ne make them sory in all theyr lyfe. And if they feyle or faute in wytte or vnderstandynge: forgyue them and take pacience

therwith / and neuer despyse them by y^e comparison of thyne owne strength / wytte / cōnynge or abilite. For the cōmiseracion / the petie or compassion that the chylde hathe vpon the parentes: shall neuer be forgotten. For thou shalte for the default of thy pa∣rentes (duely borne and suffred) haue great meryte and rewarde / & in thy iustice that is to say in doyng thy duete (for euery chylde is bounden vnto the pa∣rentes) thou shalte haue profytte and a place ordey∣ned in heuen / and yet here in the tyme of trouble or nede shalt thou be remembred of god. And as the froste or yse in the clere sonne: so shall thy synnes be molten and wasted. All this haue we translated out of y^e said thyrd Chapitre of Ecclesiasticus / to shewe the frutes and profyttes of obedience whiche sayd Chapitre (after al doctoures) speketh and meaneth all: of the spirituall parentes / as well as of the car∣nall parentes. And yet dothe folowe: in the same Chapitre vnto the contrarie parte: howe great ieo¦pardy it is to be obedient or disobediēt vnto the pa∣rentes / and what peyne and punisshemente bylon∣geth thervnto / that is to say: all contrarie vnto the torsayd profyttes / & he dothe conclude them in fewe wordes / saynge thus. Quam male fame est: qui re∣linquit Patrem? Howe great shame and rebuke ap∣perteyneth vnto that persone that dothe forsake the father and is rebellious and disobediēt vnto the pa¦rent. This point is againe y^e fame & good name / as thoughe he sayd: moche shame and yuell name and fame: dothe folowe suche persones. Than foloweth for the residue. And that chylde is cursed of god: y^• dothe displease / vexe / trouble / and greue the parēt. The curse of god is contrarie vnto al the other fru∣tes

of obedience / that is to say: the welth of the soule of the body and of the goodes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deut. 5. C.
• * 1.2

  Pro. 7. A.
• * 1.3

  Ibidem.
• * 1.4

  Eccl. 3. per totum.
• * 1.5

  Quia non ī greco.
• * 1.6

  Audite .i. obedite.