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 to knowe or to coniecture whan obediēce is wylfully done for due loue / and whan nat & so consequentely to coniecture whan disobedience or any other sinne: is dedly or veniall. The .iii. Chapitre.

HEre (althoughe in maner by a digres∣sion) we thynke it profitable for suche symple persones as be scrupulouse in conscience to knowe or (at the leest) to coniecture: whan theyr obedience is done ryghtely of good wyll / and whā nat. For the knowlege wherof: we must fyrste consi¦der nat onely after the doctrine of philosophie:* 1.1 but also of holy scripture / that euery persone is a dou∣ble man / that is to saye: compoūde and made of two men / that is: of the outwarde man that is caled the body or the flesshe / and of the inwarde man: that is caled the soule or the spirite / betwene whiche two men: is euer warre and batayle continual / without any truce accordynde vnto the whiche two men: e∣uery {per}son hathe two wylles. One is the wyll of the flesshe / y^t continually is moued & ruled by sēsualite & by corrupte & blynded reasō or fantasy. The other is the wyll of the spirite / whiche euer is moued by grace & ruled by ryght reason. Nowe for y^e exāple of obediēce accordyng vnto these two wylles / let vs put y^e prīcipal {pre}ceptes or cōmaūdement{is} of god / the loue of hym aboue all thyng{is} / & y^e neghbour as our selfe. The wyll of y^e spirite moued by grace & ordred by ryght reasō: wyll forthw^t w^tout stoppage assent & redely be obediēt there vnto. But whā y^e tyme and place done requyre & moue y^e {per}sone ī cōsciēce to put these cōmaūdementes in effecte: & to worke & fulfyll thē in dede: thā dothe y^t wyll of y^e flesshe: moued by sēsualite / & {per}suaded by corrupte reasō / & blynded af∣fection: stycke & stoppe therat & rebell there agaynst & so here beginneth y^e batayle. If thā y^e {per}sone incline & leine vnto the mocion of grace & cōtrarie vnto the

wyll of the flesshe & so {per}fourme y^e cōmaūdemētes & bringe it vnto effecte: thā hathe the spirite y^e victory & the obedience is wylfull & the cōmaūdemēt duely obserued with the good wyll of y^e {per}sone / althoughe it seme vnto the selfe {per}sone (bycause of the resistēce of the sensuall wyll) to be agayne his wyll. But if y^e persone do incline and leyne vnto the mocion of sen¦sualite & corrupted reason & so render the wyll of y^e spirite feynt and feble: than dothe the flesshe van∣quysshe and preueyle / and so dothe cause the {per}sone to be disobedient / and to breke the cōmaundement / whiche the persone may do in diuerse maners / that is: by obstinacie / by ignoraūce / or by fraylte. The {pre}cepte is brokē by obstinacy: whā it is done by the due knowlege of y^e {per}sone & full deliberaciō wyttyn∣ly (as they say) & wyllyngly / & than is y^e transgressi¦on or brekynge of y^e cōmaūdemēt: alway dedly sīne. Than is the {pre}cepte broken by ignoraūce: whan the {per}sone hathe nat ryght & due knowlege of the {pre}cepte & y^t may be yet ī two maners. For other y^t ignorāce is of that thynge that y^e {per}sone was boūde to knowe & by his owne defaulte is ignoraūt therof / bycause he gaue nat due diligēce to haue y^e knowlege therof and than is that ignoraunce hardely excused in any case: of dedly synne / or els the ignoraunce is of that precepte that the persone is nat bounde to knowe / and if he had knowlege therof: he wolde nat in any wyse breke it / and than is that ignoraunce veniall synne / and lyke wyse of that defaulte that is done by frailte of sodeyn passion / but nat so of that frailte that is of full knowelege and delyberacion.

Example here of maye we haue of othes or swe∣rynge. For if a persone were caled byfore a iuge

hauynge iuste power to requyre an othe and there wolde by good deliberaciō and full knowlege wit∣tyngly swere contrarie vnto his conscience: y^e othe is euer dedly synne / bycause of the transgression by obstinacy and contempte of the precepte and cōmaū¦dement of god. And lykewyse of them that by con∣tempte with ful deliberacion done horribly blasphe¦me god or the name or membres of god / althoughe without constraynte or request. But if a persone by ignoraunce dyd swere false / supposynge and byle∣uynge he sware true: than is it veniall / and so of thē that done thynke & byleue that to swere y^t is trouth is no synne. To swere by custome without full deli¦beracion: is cōmunely venial / or yet contrarie vnto custome: if it by done by sodeyne passion of fraylty. Thus nowe maye appere / that onely disobedience by contempte is dedly synne and howe a {per}sone doth breke or kepe obedience wylfully / natwithstanding the veniall & vnwylfull disobedience by negligēce / ignoraunce or fraylte as is sayd: doth nat excuse frō the peyne due therfore / excepte due remedy be had / whiche remedy standeth fyrst in the contricion and due displeasure for the offence of god / and thā dothe the due and worthy receyuyng of any sacrament / or (after some doctours) any sacramētales / as of hale∣water / or halebreade / the bysshopes blessynge / the syght of the sacrament with suche other: done put a waye bothe the synne and the peyne due therfore. For sythe we haue of custome suche dayly synnes: w^t out whiche we can nat lyghtely passe this mortall lyfe (as saynt Augustyne sayth) It is necessarie y^t we haue dayly and redy remedy / without whiche: our lorde god neuer left his people. But here vnto

some scripulouse persones haue sayd vnto me. Syr al doctours done preache / that no maner of remedy can be sufficient to the purgacion and remission of synnes: excepte the synner haue mynde / wyll & pur∣pose to forsake vtterly the synne and to amende the same. And I am (sayth this frayle persone) in suche case in my conscience: that I can nat saye I wyll a∣mende and forsake some maner of sinnes / where vn¦to I am dayly acustomed. And thoughe I saye and also thynke verely in my herte that I wyl amende: yet do I proue afterwarde in effecte: that I do nat amende / but fall agayne the nexte daye into y^e same custome. Howe can I saye than or promyse that I wyl amende? as in case / I do fede / eate / or drynke / so that I passe due temperaūce therin vnto y^e grudge of my conscience / whiche (whan the mater is paste) doth shewe me that I exceded & moche lesse wolde haue contented nature / and that I toke some thyn∣ges: more for pleasure than for nede / vnto the grefe rather thā vnto the cōforte of nature. And ī lyke ma¦ner / whan I fall in cōmunicacion or talke: I excede in wordes that bene vayne and myspende the tyme therin wherwith afterwarde I grudge ī consciēce. And yet althoughe I be moche discontēted and dis∣pleased with my selfe for these frayltes and suche o∣ther / and thoughe also I thinke verely and purpose to amende: yet can I nat promyse to amēde / nor yet can I nat thynke nor byleue that I shall amende / y^e experience so often doth proue the contrarie. For y^e custome is so grounded of so longe tyme: that (I thynke) I can nat amende it. [Answere.] For our answere here vnto / you muste remembre that we said before / eue∣ry synne is done other by contempt / that is to saye:

despysynge the lawe of god / as settyng nought ther¦by or carynge lyttell therfore / & than is that (as we sayd) alway dedly synne if it be done by deliberaciō & knowlede / & the custome therof is euer more dedly synne / whiche maner of sine can neuer be so accusto∣med but that the {per}sone caling for grace: may amēde lyghtely if he wyll. Other synnes there ben (as we sayd byfore) w^tout whiche (after saynt Augustyne) we can nat lyghtely passe this mortall lyfe / that ben done by fraylte / ignoraunce / or negligence / that ben veniall. Syr saythe the frayse persone: I meane no thynge of dedly sinne done by contempte. For I am ryghte sory for my defaulte / but yet my frayltie is suche: [Answere.] that I haue no truste to amende. Here nowe good soule saye I: you muste consyder the differēce betwene truste to amende / and wyll to amende. For thoughe you be in doute and in dispere of your fraylte / so that by many experiēces and {pro}ues there of: you done distruste your selfe to amende / yet done nat you / nother say ne thynke / that you haue no wyl to amende / but rather you wolde be glad and ioy∣full that god wolde sende you that grace to amende and that you shulde neuer fall againe therin. That is trouthe (sayth the frayle persone) And I do pray dayly and beseche our lorde that I maye (by his grace) be delyuered therof / so that I neuer fall a∣gayne into that / nor into any other disposiciō / that shulde displease his goodnes. Nowe saye I: that (by your owne wordes) you done graūt with saynt Paule that the lawe is good / and that to kepe due temperaunce is good / and that to kepe discrete si∣lence is good / so done you conclude that all the de∣faulte is hooly in your selfe. Where vpon than do I

conclude / y^e (after myne opinion) you can nat haue a more sure and redy meane to obteyne grace and forgyuenes of your dayly synnes: than to mistruste your selfe / and so to dispayre of your selfe. And thā to put all your hole hope and truste in the mercy & goodnes of our lorde god / that dothe knowe the wyll of your sperite / althoughe the wyll and lawe of the flesshe: dothe (of fraylte) vanquysshe for the tyme / & yet I wolde aduyse you to offer your selfe vnto our lorde saynge or thynkynge / good lorde: al¦thoughe I dyspayre of myne owne infirmite feble∣nes and fraylte: yet do I nothynge dispayre of thy great power and myght / where I maye nat lorde / thou mayste / where I can nat: thou canste. And where my carnall wyll is inconstante: thy bountie grace and goodnes is euer one / whervnto: I hooly committe my selfe. And therin do put all my hope and truste. And this maner and consideracion (I thynke) shalbe a good and sufficient meane that the sacramentes / sacramentales with the cōmune me∣rites of Christes churche & the prayers of holy sayn¦tes may haue effecte in your soule / vnto remission of your synnes. This haue we sayd by disgression nat without instant requeste / vpon the occasion of well wyllynge obedience.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ro. 7. D. 2. Cor. 4. D