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.

¶That obedience shulde be liberall and louynge. The .ix. Chapitre.

AN other good maner of obedience: is that it be done liberally & louyngly / with herty maner & affectiō of minde. For that liberall affection of that sim¦ple and blent obedience we spake of: dothe shewe / expresse / and declare / the discrete indiscrecion and the wyse foly or folyshnes of the same. For the subiecte that dothe his obediēce with liberall herte and affection: dothe make no dis¦cusse ne reasonynge of the mater / as other wyll that done say / what reason is here in? Who founde out this fonde or folysshe counsayll? who brought vp this goodly gyfe? Howe came vp this comely custo¦me? with suche other checkes or tawnts. Why shuld I do this thyng: rather thā any other of the couēt? Here ben myne elders / here ben my yongers. And yet am I dryuen forthe & none els / with many suche other murmures and grudges whiche nothynge done bycome religious persones. In these maner of persones: loue lacketh / and liberall affecte is ab∣sente / and charite (as they say) is out of towne. And that causeth them thus to discusse and reason with

them selfe so ferre: that in dede they bene without or beyonde all reason / and done {pro}ue them selfe very starke foles / For vnto louyng & simple obediēce: no¦thynge apperteyneth to iuge or discusse / the qualite or quantike of the cōmaūdemēt / that is to say: whe∣ther it be vyle or honeste / lyght or harde to be done / but w^tout any suche triall or rekenyng / without dis∣crecion or deliberacion / without wytte / wysdome / or cōsideracion: to be cōtent & only to ponder & wey that y^e thynge is cōmaunded & therwith to inforce & gyue diligence: with good fidelite & w^t liberall lo∣uyng herte to {per}fourme & fulfyll y^e same. The {pro}phet sayth. Volnutarie sacrificabo tibi. I wyll good lorde sayd he) do vnto the sacrifice of obediēce / with a fre & redy wyll & with a glad herte & mynde / & in an o∣ther place.* 1.1 * 1.2 Paratus sum et non sū turbatus, ut custodi∣am mandata tua. I am redy (lorde) & nothyng trou∣bled ne greued in that I am bounde to kepe thy cō∣maundemētes. And Samuel the {pro}phete / vnto our lorde.* 1.3 Speke / syr (sayth he) gyue thou lorde y^e cōmā¦dement. For I am here thy seruaūt / present and re∣dy / to herken and to be obedient thervnto. I do nat desyre to appoynt the (good lorde) what thou shalte cōmaunde: but what so euer thou wylte cōmaunde & byd me do: that wyll I (with all liberall loue and moste herty affectiō) be redy to folowe and to fulfyl In the olde testament our lorde sayd vnto his peo∣ple.* 1.4 What I cōmaūde you to do: that thyng do you alone / and nother adde you any thyng thervnto: ne yet minisshe any thynge therof. What feythfull per∣sone: wyll aske or seke reason: why our lorde god wold gyue this cōmaundement or that? it nothyng apperteyneth vnto any creature: to discusse the wyl

and pleasure of god. Nor yet vnto the subiecte: the wyll of the souereyne. But well dothe it bycome thē to fulfyll (with liberall effecte and loue of herte) whatso euer is cōmaunded as theyr wyll & mynde / and to go no forther. But this point of obedience is harde to be truely done and fulfylled of any {per}sones excepte onely suche: as haue (by force and teruente study) made the souereynes wyll to be theyr owne wyll. And theyr proper wyll: to be the souereynes wyll. For all maner of persones: done (gladly and with affection) folowe and fulfyll theyr owne wyll And therfore saynt Bernarde sayth.* 1.5 That poynt of obedience call I the beste: whan the thynge that is cōmaūded is done with the same wyll & in suche ma¦ner & fourme: as it was cōmaunded. For vnto suche subiectes: the cōmaundemēt of the souereyne: is (as they say) meate and drynke / that is to meane: a syn∣guler pleasure. So sayd our sauiour hym selfe.* 1.6

Meus cibus est: ut faciam uoluntatē eius qui misit me. My meate and fode (sayd he) is to perfourme y^e wyl of hym that hathe sende me into this worlde. And saynt Bernarde againe.* 1.7 Those subiectes that done seke meanes / that the souereyne shulde commaunde that thyng / that were theyr wyl and pleasure: done vtterly deceyue them selfe / altohughe in theyr owne opinion: they seme to kepe good obediēce. For they ben nat in that thynge obediēt vnto the {pre}late / but ra¦ther the {pre}late vnto thē.* 1.8 Saynt Augustyne therfore sayth. That minister seruaūt / or subiecte: do I call y^e best: y^t doth nat desyre ne wyll / to here cōmaūded of y^e souerein what he wold or hath pleasure ī: but y^e rather hath good wyl & pleasure to do / what so euer y^e souereyne doth speke or cōmaūde. This obediēce

therfore that here is / caled liberall / whan it is done and perfourmed with due affectiō of herte & mynde is of great and hyghe {per}fection and of synguler me∣ryte. For (as the cōmune prouerbe sayth) loue hathe no lacke / that is to meane: that true loue fyndeth no defautes / puttethe no doutes / casteth no perilles / ne maketh any excuses.

Notes

• * 1.1

  psal. 53.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 118.
• * 1.3

  1. Reg. 3.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 12. in fine.
• * 1.5

  Bernard{us} de precept et dispens.
• * 1.6

  Io. 4. D.
• * 1.7

  Vt sup.
• * 1.8

  Ls. confes.