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.

¶The selfe tracte or worke.

THe fyrst question (than) of your de¦maunde: is aboute our reule / wher¦of (if I be nat deceyued) all y^e other questions haue grounde / occasion or begynnyng. For you done de∣māde or aske: howe / or vnder what fourme or maner / and howe ferre / or howe depely: the institucion and ordinaunce of our sayd rule / shulde be weyed / pondred or conside∣red / of them or vnto them that done professe y^e same. That is to say:* 1.1 whether all the poyntes of the same rule / shulde be supposed and accoūted as preceptes and cōmaundementes to be kepte vnder peyne of deedly synne: and so cōsequently to be vnto the bre∣kers / damnous and ieopardous of dampnacion. Or els whether the sayd poyntes of y^e rule:* 1.2 ben but onely counsayles. And by that reason: the vowe / {pro}∣fession or promyse of thē shulde nat be of any weght or but very lytell charge. And the breakyng of thē: no great offence or trespasse.* 1.3 Or els (for the thyrde parte you wolde knowe) whether some of the sayd poyntes ben deputed and appoynted as preceptes & cōmaundementes. And other some: be reputed and supposed as onely counsayles. And so the sayd poin¦tes myght for one parte be lawfully broken / and for the other parte: myght in no wyse so be. And yet for ther / if I wolde graunt this last distinction (that is to say: that some of the sayd poyntes of the rule: ben counsayles onely / and some cōmaūdementes) Thā done you forther requyre / that I shuld setforth and lymitte all those poyntes ynto theyr proper distinc∣tion / that is to say: to shewe whiche poyntes ben ly∣mitted and assigned vnto precepte and cōmaunde∣ment

/ and whiche vnto counsayle onely / lest els per¦aduēture occasion myght be gyuen vnto some per∣sones to waure and to folowe at more liberte & plea¦suce the variaūt opinions of theyr owne sence / wyt or vnderstandyng. And so myght they by chaūce or in case (as is sayd in {pro}uerbe) melt or mynce a gnat / and swalowe a Camell hole / to stumble at a strawe and leape ouer a blocke / that is to meane: to haue in some pointes: to lytell conscience / and in some: ouer moche bycause they knowe nat howe moche cure & diligence they shulde gyue vnto euery obseruaunce This (as ferre as I can remember) is y^e same sence or meanyng of your particion and demaunde. All tvoughe they be nat the same wordes. And in that you subioyne and continue to inquyre and aske of obedience: by what degrees it is diuided / and ī whi¦che termes and poyntes it is concluded / restreyned or determined: apperteyneth (as I suppose) vnto y^e same diuision. Specially syth amōg al the decrees and preceptes of our rule: obedience is the chefe. And I suppose (if due & sufficient answere be made thervnto) nothynge shall remayne of the other ques¦stions: that may be douted. The rule (than) of saint Benedicte: is (after my iugement & vnderstādyng) offred and setforth indifferently vnto all maner of persones. And vnto no persone cōmaunded or char∣ged / it doth moche profytte if it be duely receyued & truely kepte. And yet natwithstandyng: if it be nat receyued: it doth nothyng noyne hynder. For that thyng that is in the proper wyll of the / receyuour, & nat in the power of the purposer / mouer or ordiner: may I well call voluntarie and nat necessarie / that is to saye: a thyng to be receyued of fre wyll at liber¦tie

/ & nat of any necessite / natwithstandyng y^e same thyng that nowe I call voluntarie: if a persone by proper wyll do ones admitte and receiue & promyse from thens forth to kepe & perfourme it: for a surety than doth he couert and tourne the same thyng vn∣to hym selfe: into necessite. So that nowe he hathe nat at liberte and in power to leiue and forsake that thyng that byfore he had fre & in liberte nat to take. Therfore that thyng that (of proper wyll) he hathe receiued and taken: he must nowe of necessite holde and kepe. For he muste of extreme necessite: render and yelde vnto our lorde those vowes y^t his mouth hath deliberately professed and spoken.* 1.4 And so of his owne mouthe and proper worde: he muste nede¦ly be condemned or iustified natwithstandyng (as an holy mā sayth) That necessite is happy and gra¦cious:* 1.5 that constreyneth or byndeth a persone vn∣to the better. All the institutes and ordinaunces of saynt Benedicte: excepte a fewe institutes made of spiritual thynges / as (by exāple) of charite / of hu¦milite / & of myldnes & suche other / which institutes (of a surete) god & nat saīt Benedicte dyd ordeyne / & therfore may (in no wyse) be chāged all other insti¦tut{is} I say: vnto thē y^t done nat {pro}fesse thē: be to be accoūted & taken onely for monicions or coūsayles / & therfore they nothīg greue ne hurte y^e {per}sones whā they be nat kept. But vnto thē y^e wilfully & lawfully {pro}fesse them: they muste be reputed accoūted & takē as preceptes or cōmaūdemētes of bondage & duete & vnto theyr breakers / as offēces or defaultes gre∣uously to be corrected or punisshed or els thus (by∣cause I wold rēder or reherse vnto you: your owne word{is}) They ben vnto thē that done nat {pro}fesse thē to be ryghtly reputed voluntarie / and at liberte.

And vnto theyr {pro}fessers: necessarie and as naturall institucions. So yet surely do I call them necessa∣rie: that of them no preiudice shulde come vnto ne∣cessarie and reasonable dispensacions. But that despensacion in suche thynges: is nat cōmitted vn∣to all {per}sones but only vnto them that may say with the Apostles.* 1.6 Sic nos existimet homo. &c. Let euery persone suppose and thynke vs to be the ministers of Christe and the dispensers of the ministeries of god. For the feythfull and prudent seruaūt whome our lorde hath ordened as stewarde and gouernour of his housholde: knoweth well there onely to vse dispēsacion: wherof he may haue good recompens and rewarde. For that is required among dispen∣satours: that eueryche be founde feythfull and true. And peraduenture / the same or like fidelite is requi¦red of the subiectes in obeyng:* 1.7 that is requyred of y^e souereynes in dispensyng. Thus (than) doth playn¦ly appere of those thinges that ben sayd byfore: that your sayd diuision: is complete / hole / and sufficient if the persones also and tymes in lyke maner be di∣uided. Syth that vnto the subiectes: all reguler in¦stitucions (as ferre onely as doth apperteyne vnto corporall obseruaunces) ben volūtarie byfore theyr {pro}fession but after necessarie. And agayne vnto the prelates: the same institucions (as vnto dispensaci∣on) ben partely voluntarie / as vnto those instituci∣ons that were founde by man. And partely ben they necessarie: as in those that ben of the ordinaunce of god / wherfore the same diuision: may peraduēture appere more congruent & more clere or bryght to be vnderstande: if that same membre / that we / caled ne∣cessarie: be agayne sub diuided into these thre ma∣ners

of necessaries / that is to say: into stedfast or sta¦ble necessite. Inuiolable or / vnsoulable necessarie. And into incomutable or vnchaūgeable necessarie. That thyng (than) do I call stedfast or stable neces∣sarie: that is so necessarie or of suche necessite:* 1.8 that is nat (by euery persone) but onely by the dispēsers of the misteries of god / that is to say: the prelates or souereynes: lawfull to be chaunged. As by example The rules of holy fathers as of saynt Basyle / saint Augustine / saynt Benedicte / and also the autentike canons lawe and all suche other ecclesiasticall insti¦tutes or ordinaunces worthely and duely made by auctorite / whiche sayd rules and statutes (bycause they were stablisshed and ordened by holy fathers) done perseuer & continue stably & stedfastly / as they were made and stableshed / so that none of the sub∣iectes may (by any meane) varie or chaūge them or any of them. Bycause natwithstandyng: they were ordened & made by men: they may agayne (by suche men as in theyr places and rowmes or offices done succede by canonical election / and so haue auctorite thervnto) be lawfully somtyme: according vnto the case or chaunce / or vnto the persone / place / or tyme dispensed with. Herein / I wolde the reders herof: shulde take good hede and note well: y^t I (by good warnes & auisement) do nat saye that these thynges byfore sayd maye lyghtely at the wyll & pleasure of the same souereynes be chaunged: but that (of good reason) they may feythfully be dispensed with. The sayd statutes therfore may (vnder the sayd fourme and of the sayd persones) suffre exchaunge / that is to say: may be lawfully chaunged: bycause they ben nat naturally ne by them selfe good. But that they

were founde instituted and ordened by man. Nat bycause mē myght nat otherwyse laufully lyue: but that so to lyue were more expedient. And playnly nat vnto any other ende or purpose: than vnto the lucre and wynnyng / and vnto the custodie & garde or kepynge of charite. As long (than) as they do ser¦uice vnto charite: so long ben they vnmoueably fix∣ed and stablysshed. And may in no wyse: no (I say) nat by the selfe souereynes: be (without offēce) chaū¦ged. But if (on the contrarie parte) they (peraduen∣ture at any tyme) ben seme or done seme (vnto them onely that haue power and auctorite so to iuge and that haue cure and charge so to prouide and loke thervnto) contrarie vnto charite:* 1.9 doth it nat thā ap¦pere euident: to be very iustice and moste ryght: y^t those institucions that were foūde for charite: shuld also for charite (were / it semeth or is sene expedient) other be omitted & vtterly lefte / or els be put awaye and set a syde for a tyme: Or els into some other sta∣tutes (peraduenture more cōmodious) be / cōmitted and chaūged? lyke as on the cōtrarie parte / it shuld (without any doute) be vniuste and vnryghtuous if the statutes y^t were made for charite alone: shulde contrarie vnto charite be holden / kepte & continued All those statutes (than) that done apperteyne vnto this stable necessarie: done kepe / holde / and cōtinue theyr fyxed and firmed immobilite and stablement / and that also as vnto the selfe {pre}lates / but that is as ferre as they done serue & apperteyne vnto charite. But am I he alone that so doth thynke and iuge? or am I the fyrste that so hath sayd? nay surely. For pope Gelacius doth iuge & say y^e same. For thus he sayth. Where is no necessite or nede: let y^e decrees of the holy fathers: remayne & continue in strengthe &

auctorite. Leo also the pope ī lyke maner / where no necessite is (saith he) let by no meanes: y^e institutes & ordinaūces of holy fathers be violate or defouled. But where nede is (sayth he forthwith) vnto the vti¦lite & {pro}fitte of y^e churche: or cōgregacion: let hym y^t hath power dispēce therw^t / for chaūge of lawe maye be made for necessite.* 1.10 Forthermore now y^e necessary or necessite / y^t byfore I named īuiolable or vnderfou¦lable in no maner to be brokē ne chaūged: I vnder∣stande & meane y^e necessary or nedefull statute y^t nat by mā ordened but by god him selfe cōmaūded & pu¦blyshed: may ī no wyse be chāged ne brokē but only by god y^t made & ordened it. As by exāple of these cō∣maūdemētes. Thou shalt slee no man. Thou shalt do no lechery. Thou shalt do no theft / & so forth of y^e other cōmaūdemētes of y^e table of the lawe / whiche sayd cōmaūdemētes: although they do nat admitte ne suffre ī any wyse any dispēsacion of mā nor yet al though it be nat lawfull ne euer may be lawfull for any mā to breke or chaūge any of thē by any meane god natw^tstādyng hath of thē brokē which he wold & whā he wolde / as doth appere in scripture.* 1.11 Other whan he cōmaūded y^e Ebreus / y^e chyldrē of Israel: to robbe y^e Egipciens y^e people of Egipte.* 1.12 Or whā he cōmaūded y^e holy {pro}phete to haue mixtion & act of generaciō w^t a womā fornicary y^t is to say of vnclen¦lyuyng. Of y^e whiche .ii. thyng{is}: one had ben theft y^e other fylthy lechery / excepte y^e auctorite of god y^e so cōmaūded: had excused both y^e ded{is} / wherfore if we rede of any lyke dede done by any holy {per}sones: holy scipture nat shewyng y^e god so cōmaūded: other we muste graūt & byleue y^t (as frayle men) they dyd of∣fende therin or els (as holy {pro}phetes) they had some

priuey counsayle and reuelacion of god thervnto. And therof yet one example: that nowe commeth to mynde:* 1.13 shall I put and shewe of Samson. That oppressynge hym selfe amonge his enemies: dyd so kyll or slee hymselfe / whiche dede (if we shulde de∣fende and holde nat to be deedly synne) we must vn∣doutedly byleue and truste: that he had priuate coū∣sayle & reuelacion of god thervnto / although scrip∣ture sheweth nothyng therof.* 1.14 Nowe for the thyrde necessarie / whiche I caled / incōmutable or vnchaū∣geable / what suppose you: I do meane therby? Su¦rely nothyng more congruent and conuenient: than necessarie or necessite that we knowe for surete: is (by the deuine and eterne reason of god) so firmed and stablisshed: that for no cause may in any thyng be immuted or chaūged / no I say nat by god hī self vnder this kynde and maner of necessarie or necessi¦te: is conteyned all that spirituall tradicion and or¦dinaunce: of the holy sermone that our lorde and sa∣uiour made in the mounte. And also what thyng so euer apperteyne / vnto loue / humilite / mansuetude / myldenes / with suche other vertues / ordened / and cōmaunded / as well in the newe as in the olde testa¦ment / spiritually to be obserued and kept. These ne¦cessaries (for a surete) ben suche: that nat to be had or any tyme to be myssed and lefte: is nother lawful ne yet expedient. For syth they be unmouable or vn¦chaūgeable bycause they be naturally good / neuer bene they but innocently and harmeles / neuer bene they: but helthfully or holsumly and meritoriously other cōmaunded or obserued. For in all tymes and vnto all persones: if they be dispised & set at nought they worke and cause deth and dampnacion. And if

they be obserued and kepte:* 1.15 they worke and cause soule helthe and saluacion. Proper wyll (than) in {pro}¦mysyng: causeth vnto euery persone the fyrst neces∣site. The auctorite of the cōmaunder doth cause the seconde. And the thyrde: doth the dignite of the pre∣cepte or comaūdement make or cause. And yet these thre necessites (as nowe is sayd byfore) done diffre eche from other in some certen degrees / and so doth nat one firmite or stablenes of immutabilite or vn∣chaungeablenes folowe them all / they ben nat all of one stabilite as vnto the chaungyng of them. For what so euerthyng is caused of the fyrst necessite: al¦though it be nat vtterly immutable and vnchaūge∣able: yet it is (for a surete) vnneth or scant chaunge∣able / bycause it may nat be chaūged: but by the pre∣lates alone / and by none other persones. And yet nat by them: but by feythful / prouident and discrete dispensacions. And that thynge that is caused of the seconde necessite whiche is more than this: is nere∣hande or / amoste nowe incōmutable or vnchaunge∣able. For (as we haue sayd byfore) it is vnto god a∣lone and nat vnto any other persone: chaungeable. But that thyng that is caused of the thyrde & last ne¦cessite whiche is moste of all the other: is vtterly in cōmutable & by no meanes can be chaūged. For it is nat ī the liberte & power of god hym selfe: to chaūge it. That thyng (than) that no persone may lawfully chaūge: but onely the {pre}lates: may cōueniently be ca¦led vnneth or scant chaūgeable. And that thynge y^t vnto god alone is lawful to chaūge: may wel be na¦med almoste or nerehande vnchaūgeable. But that thing y^t god him selfe may nat chaūge: may be caled vtterly vnchaungeable. Syth than these forsayd

thyng{is} done come thus to passe (that we nowe may retourne vnto these thynges wherof question is chefly and principally made in your demaunde) it is nowe open and playne: that euery reguler tradi∣cion and ordinaunce (for the great parte therof) is subdued althoughe nat vnto the wyll: yet for a cer∣teynte vnto the discrecion of the presedent / prelate / or souereyne. But nowe you say here vnto / what thing syr is nowe left vnto necessite? Here me good bretherne / and say: very moche is lefte vnto necessi∣te. Fyrste as vnto the spirituall thynges that ben cō¦teyned in the rule: ben nat (as byfore is sayd) left in the hande or power of the abbotte or souereyne. Than for the other parte: that doth apperteyne vn∣to corporall and bodely obseruaūces: that part also is nat in the power of the souereyne as seruyng vn∣to his wyll or pleasure / but rather as it doth serue & apperteyne vnto charite. For the abbotte or soue∣reyne: is not aboue the rule. Whervnto (by volun∣tarie profession) he ones dyd subdue and submitte hym selfe. And yet is the rule of god / charite (no mā can deney) to be preferred by good ryght and put byfore the rule of saynt Benediete / let it therfore be so in case / that somtyme the letter of the rule do (for that tyme) gyue place vnto charite whane the rea∣son of necessite or of charite doth so requyre: god for bede (natwithstandyng) y^t the rule therfore shulde be subdued vnto the wyll of any persone. For the {per}∣sone that is electe and chosen for souereyne: is cōsti∣tute and ordened vpon the transgressions and de∣fault{is} of the subiectes / and nat vpon y^e tradiciōs & or¦dinaūces of the fathers and patrones of the reules / whiche sayd souereyne is so ordened as a nuryssher

and keper of the cōmaundementes of the rule and a punissher or correctour of the vices & transgressiōs of the subiectes. For the holy obseruaūces of y^e reule ben (as I suppose) cōmitted & by taken vnto the pru¦dence & prouision & vnto y^e feyth / truste / & fidelite of the souereynes. And nat subdued vnto theyr wyll & pleasure. And therfore the selfe father / y^e fyrste made the rule: in all those thynges that bene lefte & cōmit∣ted vnto the dispensacion of the abbote or souereine doth speake warely & discretly. For (as I can remē¦ber) he neuer cōmitteth any dispensacions vnto the wyll / but rather vnto the consideracion / or vnto the disposicion / or vnto the {pro}uidēce & prouision / or els vnto the arbitremēt & iugement of the souereyne or els vsynge some ather like termes / but neuer that terme wyll. Therby meanyng & wyllyng as a {pro}ui∣dent wyse & feythfull seruaūt: where in case he doth dispence: to folowe the iugement of reason & nat the pleasure of his owne wyll. And therfore y^e rule: nat ones: but diuerse tymes: doth monisshe & warne the souereyne / y^t of all his iugementes: he shall render & yelde accoūt & rekning vnto god. Thus for a surete do. I rede in y^e rule. Let this cōsideracion aperteine vnto the abbotte or souereyne / let this thyng or that be in the prouidence & prouision / or in y^e arbitremēt & iugement / or els in the disposicion of the abotte or souereyne. But that the abbotte or souereine (at his wyll or pleasure: maye chaunge any thyng: I haue nat (••nto my remembraūce) red. But rather / let all persones in all thynges (sayth y^e rule) folowe y^e rule as maystres & ruler of al. So that no {per}sones boldly fondly / or vnwysely: swarne therfrom in any thyng

Ergo nor yet the selfe abbotte or souereyne / let all (sayth the texte) folowe the rule as maystres / ergo ••••ne maye folowe selfe proper wyll / wherby (I sup¦pose) the selfe abbote or souereyne is nat excepted. Thus you nowe maye se and perceyue: that howe moche so euer is graunted vnto necessite: as moche agayne is withdrawen from proper wyll and selfe pleasure. What than? Doth nat the selfe reguler pro¦fession / wherby the inferior and yonger doth wyl∣fully subdue him selfe vnto the supperior and elder: bynde equaly and in lyke maner: the supperior and elder? it doth surely. For certeynly (I do suppose) y^t bothe bene bounde by the necessite of cōmune & lyke cōnaūt & promyse. And that both & eyther ben made detters vnto other by the {pro}myse of the thone / that is to say: the souereyne boūde vnto feythfull cure and charge & the subiecte vnto humble & lowly ob••diēce what is nowe lefte vnto proper wyll / where the pre¦late as well as the subiecte: is boūde in the necessite of dette & duete? The wyll also of the prelate is nat lyttel prescribed / restreyned / determined / & appoyn¦ted / in this thyng also / that is: that the {per}sone y^t ma∣keth {pro}fession: althoughe he {pro}myse obedience: ye•• doth he nat promyse al maner obedience: but deter∣minately after or accordyng vnto the rule / & yet nat euery rule ne any other rule thā one alone / as of saīt Benedicte / saynt Augustyne / or suche other. So y^t it byhoueth & is necessary: for hī that is {pre}late or so∣uereyne: nat to vse his wyl & pleasure vpō his sub∣iectes: but to knowe the measure prefixed & appoyn¦ted vnto hym of the rule or by the rule / and so than to moderate his cōmaūdementes about that thyng alone: that he knoweth / for surete is ryght / and yet

nat euery ryght / but that ryght alone that the patrō and father of the rule hathe instituted and ordened / or (at the leest) that suche ryght be after and accor∣dynge vnto the thynge that the sayd father dyd or∣deine. For surely the maner and fourme of {pro}fession is thus. I promitte or promyse: nat the selfe rule (I say) but obedience after or accordyng vnto the rule of saynt Benet or saynt Augustyne / and nat after or accordyng vnto the wyl or pleasure of the prelate or souereyne. Wherfore if I make profession after or accordyng vnto this rule or that / and myne abbot or souereyne than peraduenture:* 1.16 wolde tempte or assaye to charge me with another thyng that is nat after or accordyng vnto my rule / or that is nat after or accordyng vnto my statutes / as by examples / the statutes of saynt Basile / saynt Augustyne / or saynt Pacomie: what nede (I praye you) dothe compell me in that thynge to be obedient? surely none at all. For that thynge onely (I suppose) may be required of me: that I haue promysed. Ergo nowe you may se and perceyue the meeres markes / and measures of obedience whiche you requyre. Syth than the tenoure and fourme of the profession: is the maner and due meane of obediēce: and syth also the power of the souereyne that cōmaundeth doth nat extende nor stretche but onely so ferre as the vowe of the per¦sone professed doth attayne and reche: I may ryght well call these termes / lesse or more / vnder or aboue on this halfe: or beyonde / or yet this terme / or cōtra¦rie: the very limittes / the meeres termes / markes / and steynts of obedience. For within this sayd ter∣mes and meeres: is the vertue and effecte of obedi∣ence inclosed / conteyned / and compassed / wherfore

no maner of {per}sone professed in any lawful order or religion: may be cōstreyned vnto any thyng aboue that lawe of obedience that his profession semeth to conteyne ne yet inhibited / forb••den / or letted / to do any thynge vnder the same lawe / moche more than may he nat so be constrayned nor letted: cōtrarie vn¦to that lawe / that fourme than and maner of obedi∣ence that is the myddell meane & fourme of lyuing•• bytwene the sayd meeres and termes: whiche is pre¦fixed and appoynted by vowe and stablysshed by {pro}¦fession as the tree was stablysshed that was in the myddell of paradyse: shulde (douteles) be onely sub¦iecte and subdued vnto the sayd lawe of obedience / and bounde by that obedience: vnto the cōmaunde∣ment of the souereyne. Let therfore the cōmaunde∣ment of the prelate or his prohibicion: neuer passe y^e termes and meeres or markes and tenour of the {pro}∣fession. For that iussion or cōmaundement of the so∣uereyne: may nother be extended ne streched aboue or beyonde the sayd termes / nor yet be constreyned or streyted byneth or vnder them. For my prelate or souereyne shulde {pro}hibit or forbede me none of those thynges that I promysed in my profession nor yet requyre of me any more than I promysed. For he shulde nother inlarge or eche my vowes nor multi∣plie my promise without my wyll / nor yet minisshe or make thē lesse / without certeyne & sure necessite. For necessite: hathe no lawe. And therfore it dothe excuse dispensacion. But bycause that wyll alone doth deserue rewarde: wyll (nat vnworthely) also alone: dothe oftymes vse a more hyghe degre of per¦fection / whiche is to meane thus. Bycause that the wyll in euery persone dothe cause the meritte of the

dede: a persone may of good wyll do more than due¦te and lo inforse and clymbe vnto a more hyghe de∣gre of perfection. And els / the remissiō of the vowe without necessite is nother dispensacion but rather preuaricacion: nor yet is the restreynt contrarie vn¦to the wyll / any profecte: but rather murmure and grudge / let the prelates therfore: put the meere or myddell meane and measure of y^e obedience of theyr subiectes: accordyng vnto y^e vowe made with theyr owne lippes. And nat accordyng vnto theyr wylles and desyres that is to say: the pleasures of the selfe prelates / mouyng and sterynge theyr subiectes and nat constreynyng them vnto thynges of more hygh perfection. Condescendyng with them whan neces∣site requyreth or nede is / vnto thynges of more re∣mission / or more lowe {per}fection / and yet nat fallyng downe with them vnto the same them selfe.* 1.17 But yet natwithstandyng all that is sayd: let euery subiecte knowe / that all suche obedience as is cohibitte and conteyned within the said meeres / termes / and mar¦kes: is nat a perfecte obedience. For perfecte obedi∣ence knoweth no lawe / nor is arted / constreyned / ne boūde / w^tin any termes / meeres / or markes. For per¦fecte obediēce is nat cōtēt to kepe y^e streytnes & {pre}syse fourme of {pro}fession: but rather doth desyre & inforce (by a more large liberte of wyll) to ap{pro}che & climbe vnto a more large bredthe of charite. And euer wyl∣lyng and redy vnto all thynges that ben inioyned & cōmaūded / nothyng cōsideryng y^e meane maner & termes byforesayd: doth by the myght & strengthe of a liberal / fre / & couragious herte or minde: extēde applye / and streche forthe it selfe vnto infinite and moste large liberte of wyll. This is that obedience

wherof faynt Peter the Apostle so notably spake.* 1.18 Saynge vnto his disciples. Chastesynge and ke∣pyng downe your hertes in the obedience of chari∣tie: eche loue other / by whiche wordes he puttethe a goodly difference bytwene the obedience of charite and the other dull and seruile obedience whiche is nat alway quycke and redy vnto charite / but rather subdued and bounde vnto necessite. This obediēc•• also doth properly apperteyne vnto that iust {per}sone (after saynt Paule) vnto whome or for whome no lawe is ordeyned nat so to be vnderstande that any persone maye lyue without lawe / but that he is nat vnder the lawe / nor content with the vowe of any {pro}¦fession:* 1.19 but rather to ouerpasse that streytnes of ne∣cessite by herty deuocion and liberallite of mynde whiche said obedience of perfection: the selfe rule of saynt Benedicte dothe nat forgette / but speakethe playnly therof in that chapitre.* 1.20 Where monicion and warnynge is gyuen that if vnto any brother or persone professed any thynges impossible be inioy∣ned or cōmaunded: he shulde (hauynge confidence and truste in the helpe or of the helpe of god) be obe∣dient for charite. And in y^e same rule also: the thyrde degre of humilite or mekenes:* 1.21 discribed and decla∣red to be: whan a religious persone is subdued vn∣to the souereyne in all maner or euery obedience. And speakyng that terme in all maner or in euery: the reule wyllethe that in obeynge oure souereyne: we shulde nat be content with the same measure or meeres of oure profession / nat to attende and pre∣cisely to consider the duete and bonde of oure pro∣myse: nat to take the fourme and maner of our obe∣dience: of oure pacte and promyse of profession.

But cherefully and gladly to ouerpasse our vowe / and to forget the fourme of {pro}myse / and to be obedi∣diente in all thynges.* 1.22 There is a certeyn marke or mere of obediēce after y^e tyme or accordyng vnto the tyme: and so the same is the mere and terme of obe∣dience that is the terme of lyfe / whiche terme the ex∣ample of our sauiour doth specially cōmende vnto vs. For he was made obedient vnto his father vnto deth.* 1.23 As often than as this obedience or this terme and mere of obedience is broken: so often is it caled inobedience or disobedience / and synne and trans∣gression or preuaricacion yet surely there is a diffe∣rence / for what cause / or by what effection / by what intent and purpose / by whose precepte or cōmaunde¦ment / or by what maner of cōmaundemēt: this yuel synne of inobediēce be cōmitted or done. And surely I say that no maner of inobedience or disobediēce is vtterly to be despised or lytell set by / natwithstā∣dyng that euery disobedience is nat to be estemed / weyed / and considered of lyke peryll and ieoparty / example. For this is a cōmaundement of god. Non occides. Thou shalt nat slee or kyll any persone. yet make here in case two homicides two mansleers. The thone hathe slayne a man by couetous mynde to robbe hym of his goodes / but y^e tother hath done the same vnhappy dede: for necessite in defendyng of hym selfe. Doth nat here the cause very euidently departe and put difference bytwene the thone lepre and the tother lepre / that is: bytwene these two offē∣ces / makyng the synnes and trespasse of this one & selfe same transgression: moche vnlyke? it dothe in dede. And in lyke wyse / if sodeyn yre or wrath had caused the thone to do this mischefe: and studious

malice or olde wrath had caused the tother. Shuld that thyng than that is {pro}ued to be done with so vn∣lyke affecte and desyre: be weyde considered and iu¦ged by lyke iugemente? nay verely. Forthermore•• no maner of incest or fylthie pollusiō nothing could be more obstene & shamefull: than y^t the doughters of Loth shulde so abuse theyr owne father: & yet e∣uery man may perceyue / that the pitie & religion of theyr intent and the intent of theyr deuoute mynde: dyd moche euacuate / or at the leest dyd mynisshe & make lesse the default and gylt of that fylthy & cur∣sed dede. In lyke maner nowe of the souereyne that doth cōmaunde and of the mater that is cōmaūded a lyke distinction and difference may be considered accordyng vnto reason. So that the more auctorite the persone be of that doth cōmaunde: so moche the more shulde the subiectes fere and drede the offence of inobedience. For the transgression and breaking of the cōmaundement of the more auctorite must be estemed and supposed more dampnable. For it is better to be obedient to god: than vnto man / and better to be obedient vnto the maysters and souerey¦nes: than vnto the disciples / and yet among y^e may∣sters and souereynes / as it is better to be obediente vnto our owne souereynes than vnto straungers & as we knowe & be ī surete vnto whome is best to be obedient: so nat to be obedient is moste detestable / hatefull and despleasaunt. And in lyke maner is it of the selfe cōmaundement and of the thynge that is cōmaunded. For vnto the more and greater cōmaū∣dementes: more cure and greater diligēce: And vn∣to the lesse: lesse care & hede is to be gyuen. And ac∣cordyng vnto the same consideracion: in cōtempt &

despising of them: more or lesse offence is done. And to shewe whiche cōmaundemēt is more and whiche lesse. I say that hangeth vpon the wyll & mynde of the cōmaunder and as mā may be in surete to know or suppose: whiche he more or lesse wylleth and de∣syreth that doth cōmaūde / whether it be god or mā. As by example it is a cōmaundement of the gospell that thou shalt nat stele / that no man shulde do theft And a nother cōmaundement also of the gospell is this.* 1.24 * 1.25 Gyue vnto euery / nede / persone that askethe of the / both these cōmaūdementes bene great. For they ben both diuine / that is the cōmaundemētes of god. But yet is the cōmaundement of nat stelyng / of no theft to be done: the greater cōmaundement. Euery man maye knowe well that nygardes done nat so moche displease god: as done theues or robbers. And that also of the two yueles: god hath leuer we kepte our owne goodes vnto our selfe: than that we we shulde take away other folkes goodes. And so maye euery man knowe: that he dothe lesse synne y^t wyll nat gyue away his owne goodes: than dothe he that doth robbe or stele that is nat his. But in the commaundementes of men: is selden founde equalite / bycause y^t (accordynge vnto the variaunt necessites or profyttes of those thynges that shulde be done) the affection of the souereynes or commaū¦ders: is varied and doth chaunge. And that thynge that they done thynke suppose and iuge to be moste ryght and moste commodious and moste profytta∣ble: that done they moste couete and requyre more principally and byfore other thynges: to be obser∣ued kepte and perfourmed. As well therfore: y^e qua∣lite / cōdicion / & maner of {pre}ceptes or cōmaūdemētes

as the auctorite of the souereynes or cōmaunders: done both {pre}fixe appoint & determyn y^e mere terme and measure of obedience / and also the offence and default of inobedience or disobediēce. Syth (as is sayd byfore) in al prelates of great auctorite / and in all theyr cōmaundementes of very great profytte: y^e subiecte is more streytly bounde with all diligence to be the more obedient: So moche more is the con¦tempte and despisyng of these cōmaūdement{is}: grea¦ter and more greuous offence synne and trespasse. These distinctions thus well noted and marked: both the maner and fourme of obedience: and also y^e weyght and ieoparty of inobediēce: may lyghtly be founde and perceyued. By these degrees: we maye descerne iuge and put difference nat only bytwene the day and the nyght / that is to saye: bytwene the good & profyte obedience / & the yuell and hurt of in obedience: but also maye we discerne bytwene the day and the day / & lykewyse also bytwene the night and the nyght / that is to meane bytwene good and better / and also bytwene yuel and worse / it is (accor¦dyng vnto the sentence and mynde of our mayster & patrone) a good degre of obedience: whan the sub∣iecte is obedient for fere or drede of the fyre of hell / and of euerlastyng dampnacion / or yet bycause of y^e bonde of holy profession whiche he hath professed. But yet is that degre better: whā the subiecte is o∣bedient for the loue of god. For the fyrste obedience is of necessite / and the seconde of charite.* 1.26 But that do I cal the best degre of obedience: whan y^e worke or thyng inioyned or cōmaunded by the souereyne: is of the subiecte receyued with suche herte & minde as it was cōmaunded. For whan the intent of y^e sub¦iecte

in the execucion of the souereynes {pre}cepte: doth hange vpon the wyll of the {pre}late: it cōmeth to passe that the study and diligence of the subiecte / to accō∣plysshe and fulfyll that thyng that is inioyned or cō¦maunded: is nother more vnto lesse thinges nor yet lesse vnto the more thynges confusely and vndiscre¦tely as oftymes happeth and is wont to fall. But whan y^e herte / minde / and good wyl doth moderate and measure all maner of imperies and cōmaunde∣mentes accordyng vnto theyr dignite and degre: y^e subiecte shall knowe euery where howe to kepe a due meane and measure / that is to say: as well in ob¦seruyng and kepynge those thynges that ben com∣maunded: as in auoydyng and escheuyng of those thynges that ben {pro}hibite and forboden / nat so that the subiecte shall thynke or suppose the leest thynge that is cōmaunded / to be set at a lytell or to be despi∣sed / althoughe he may wel repute and wey y^e thyng leest that in dede is leest. But that thyng leest: is ca¦led in comparison vnto the greater thynges. The verey meke and obediente subiecte: knowethe well howe he shulde in no wyse despyse the leest / and yet howe moste chefly to cure the moste. For suche a sub¦iecte wyl (by a certeyn inwarde sauour and spiritu∣all fealyng of the deuout and feythfull mynde) dis∣cerne and iuge howe in the cōmaundementes of his souereyne: he may (in a maner) answere him (by his dedes) as the prophete dyd our lorde sayng. Tu mā∣dasti mandata tua custodiri nimis. Thou hast (good lorde) cōmaunded thy cōmaūdemētes to be streytly kept. In whiche sayng (bycause he sayd nat vniuer∣saly all thy cōmaundementes) we muste nedely vn∣derstande those cōmaundemētes / that bycause they

be nat (by any occasiō) without great & greuous of∣fence violate or defouled: bene nat therfore (whan they be defouled) without great & greuous peyne {per}¦doned & forgyuen / as by the exāple of this cōmaūde¦ment. Non occides.. Thou shalt nat slee or kyll / and suche other / y^e kepyng & perfourmyng wherof: may neuer be vniust nor yuel: nor the transgression and breakyng:* 1.27 may euer be good nor lawfull: by any dis¦pensacion onely of man. Other cōmaundementes of man that of the souereynes may receyue dispensa¦cions: bycause that whā they ben broken: they may be punisshed by more lyght censure and iugement: ben therfore caled more lyght cōmaundements / as by examble of lyght lagghyng interdicted and for∣boden. And of silence indicted / inioyned / inioyned / and cōmaunded. For these (if they come nat forth cō¦trary vnto cōmaundement) ben no synne at all / but if cōmaundement be gyuen vpon them: than (if they be nat kepte) they ben reputed & accounted as synne or to be synne. So yet: that the transgression and breaking of them fortune and happe to be by surrep¦cion vnwarnes or forgetfulnes / and nat by contēpt or despysyng. Tere ben other meane cōmaundemē∣tes / of the whiche those preceptes ben constitute and ordened whiche you call facticious / that is to say: as¦simuled / feyned / or made lyke vnto the other {pre}cept{is} whiche (for a surete) in as moche as bylongeth vnto them: done conteyne a ferre different necessite from the naturall preceptes. And yet natwithstandynge may they nat (without some offence) be neglected or lytell regarded / nor yet without criminall synne & greuous offence may they be contempned & dispi∣sed specially whā they be inioyned by thē that haue

power / vnto whome {pro}perly is sayd by our sauiour in the gospell. Qui uos audit: me audit, et qui uos sper¦nit: me spernit. Who so euer dothe obey you:* 1.28 dothe obey me. And who so despiseth you: despyseth me. For although y^e selfe qualite & condicion of y^e werke inioyned & cōmaūded: myght of it selfe or by it selfe be w^tout bōde or offēce: yet (natw^tstādyng) y^t weght & grauite of the souereynes auctorite: doth make y^e subiecte boūde vnto the cōmaūdemēt. And y^e cōmaū¦dement ones broken dothe make hym boūde vnto y^e offence / but nat vnto great offence: if there be no cō∣tempt / let this therfore be rule generall of all those thynges / that by thē selfe / of thē selfe / or for thē selfe / ben nother good nor bad. And of all those thynges also / that ben nat fixed & stablysshed other by the in∣stitucion & ordinaūce of god or els by y^e {pro}per {pro}fes∣sion of any {per}sone: that in all suche: if they be nat cō∣maūded: eyther parte may lawfully other be admit¦ted perfourmed & done / or els omitted & vndone or left. But whan they be cōmaunded: they may neuer w^tout synne be neglected or lytell regarded / ne euer be contēpned & despysed w^tout crime and offence o∣penly to be punisshed. For negligence euery where is culpable / & contēpte: damnable or condēpnable. For these tweyne ben moche different / bycause y^e ne∣gligēcie is langour or disease of dulnes or ydlenes or of an ignorāt or forgetfull minde.* 1.29 But contēpt is swellyng of pryde. Contēpt therfore / in euery kinde & maner of cōmaūdementes is euer in lyke weght & burthen greuous. And cōmunely damnable or con∣demnable. But negligencie ī those cōmaūdement{is} y^t ben fixed & stablysshed: is very greuous / & ī those that ben mouable & nat stablysshed: more tolerable

or sufferable. Example adultrie: caled auowtrie / by what so euer meane or maner / or by what so euer mīde or purpose it be done: is euer filthy flagicious and criminall synne. But a lyght worde in tyme or place of silence: spoken by chaunce of forgetfulnes or ouersyght / or a laghter breakyng out sodeynly of a vehement passion rather than of presumpcion con¦trarie the preceptes or statutes: whiche natwitstan¦dyng is a signe and token of a negligent mynde or of a dissolute spirite / these may therfore deserue mo¦re lyghtly forgyuenes: bycause they bene reputed & accoūted scant for any synne. But what if the tonge (knoweth / and of deliberacion) be relaxed and put at liberte to speake vayne & ydle wordes althoughe there were no silence cōmaūded at all? no man wyll deney but that thynge natwithstanding is vsurped contrarie vnto the rule of trouthe that is our lorde Iesu. For (without any doute) accounte and reke∣nyng shalbe requyred therof in the last iugemente. So our sauiour sayd hym selfe ferefully thretynge. Of euery ydle worde (sayth he) mē shall render rea∣son and yelde accoūte in the day of iugement. Alas wo may be vnto vs to thynke what maner of accoūt may be rendred & made of ydlenes. And yet is there none ydlenes: if it be nat vtterly voyde of reason or lawfully cause. And yet euery persone may well knowe that one worde of detractiō and bakbytyng doth more depely wey vnto synne and dampnacion thā done innumerable wordes of ydlenes / howe so? For there is discrecion and difference in the precep∣tes or cōmaundementes / and likewyse in the defaul¦tes of offences / bycause (as I sayd byfore) the trans∣gression of the more cōmaundementes: is more gre¦uous

/ and of lesse: is lesse offēces. But on the partie of the / cōmaūdemēt{is} / that is to thē that done gyue y^e cōmaundementes: is none suche differēce. For whe¦ther god or the souereyne that is the vycare of god / do gyue any maner of cōmaundement: all is one / & by lyke cure and diligence to be obeyde / and by like reuerence to be perfourmed / where natwithstāding the souereyne doth nothyng cōmaūde contrarie vn¦to god / whiche thyng if shulde fortune: I wolde cō∣sayle the subiecte without any doute to ren to leyne vnto the sentence of saynt Petre / sayng that it byho¦ueth and is necessarie rather to obey god than mā. For other must the subiecte so answere with the A∣postles: or els must he (vnto his rebuke) here y^e was sayd to our sauiour vnto the Pharises. Why done you trāsgresse and breake the cōmaundemēt of god for your owne tradicions and ordinaunces. And if the souereyne that is but a man: be greued or discon¦tent / to be dispised and contraried of his subiecte ra¦ther than he shulde be despised that teacheth man al maner of science lernyng and conyng which is god hym selfe: let that sentence of Samuel confort hym whiche Samuell you also dyd allege: wherby he se¦med to discerne and iuge bytwene lepre and lepre y^t is to meane bytwyxte one synne and a nother sayng thus. Si peccauerit vir in virum. &c. If one man do offende or trespasse agaynst a nother: yet god maye be mercyfull vnto hym. But and he offende and tres¦passe vnto god: who shall than pray for hym? And therfore if I perceyued and felt my selfe cōstrayned in this artycle or case / that I shulde nedely other of¦fende god or els man: I wolde gladly chose rather nat to offende god / and that surely were more sure

and moste iuste or ryght. For I haue good conforte by this present texte of the {pro}phete for the offence or hurte done or y^t I haue done vnto man: y^t is to saye: the mercy & forgyuenes of our lorde god. But if I wylfully offende god: who shall pray and be meane for me? none. For if I shulde fle & haue recourse vn∣to man onely therfore that thyng scripture wyll nat coūsayle me / but rather sayth.* 1.30 Cursed be y^t persone that putteth his full hope & truste in man / it is good right thā it so be. For if a {per}son offēde god / & though y^t were vnderstande y^t he so dyd / rather thā he wold offende and displease man: who shulde yet (saith the texte) pray for hym? surely nother of them both may pray for hym. For the prayer of hym that dyd the of∣fence to god & the prayer of hym also for whose sake or for whome he so dyd: ben both ī lyke maner vnto almyghty god execrable / abominable & to be abhor∣red. Therfore suche a persone must be soght & foūde that may be cōuenient to appease y^e {per}sone offended. For if any default be in that the souereyne as mā is offended / bycause that in that case he is nat obeyde: surely y^e better & more reasonable cause: doth moche extenuate minisshe and rebate / or rather adnull and destroye that offence / wherfore (whan the scripture sayth. Si peccauerit uir in uirum. &c) That is: if mā do offende agayne man / we must vnderstande / for goddes cause. For the offēce of any of our neghburs nat onely of our prelate: can neuer be excused but o∣nely in the cause of god. And els shulde we be cōtra¦rious vnto saynt Paule where he sayth. Whan you offende and trespase againe your brother / that is to say any christiane:* 1.31 than done you offende and tres∣pase agayne Christe. For as vnto our prelates: we

haue a sure holde of the testimonie and wytnes of y^e selfe trouthe our sauiour Christ. Saynge thus vn∣to his disciples. Qui uos spernit: me spernit. Who so euer doth despyse you:* 1.32 despiseth me / and in a nother place he saythe of euery christiane. Brother / haue nat you: wyl / appetyte / or desyre / to despyse any one of the leest of these puselles and innocent persones / and in a nother place.* 1.33 Who so doth slaunder / & gyue occasion or yuel example vnto any of these puselles and innocent christianes / our lorde saue vs from y^e foloweth / howe be it yet / the occasions and yuell ex∣amples of all maner of {per}sones:* 1.34 shulde nat be weyde in lyke balance. For otherwyse shulde be occa∣sions of puselles and innocent persones be taken / & otherwyse of the Pharises / of whome our sauiour sayd vnto his Apostles whan they sayd and were affrayde lest the sayd Pharises were slaundered & shulde take occasion at the wordes of trouth sayng. Suffre them (sayd he) take pacience with them. For they ben blynde / and the leders or ledes men of the blynde. For the slaunder or occasion of the inno∣centes: doth descende and come of ignoraunce and lacke of knowelege / but the slaunder of the pharises cōmeth of very malice. For the innocences ben slaū∣dered and offended: bycause they can no better / and the pharises: bycause of theyr hatred and malicious mynde. Wherfore I suppose these symple persones ben caled puselles: bycause they haue a good minde and good wyll / but they haue no great cōnyng nor lernyng. They haue a zele of god / but nat accordīg vnto science ryght cōning & lerning.* 1.35 The slaūders of suche {per}sones or theyr occasiōs: done {pro}uoke all {per}∣sones to 〈…〉〈…〉

cure / helpe / and conforte them / and nat vnto yre / an∣ger / and displeasure with them / and specially spiri∣tuall persones accordyng vnto the lesson and {pre}cept of saynt Paule, you (sayth he) that ben spirituall {per}∣sones: must instructe and teache suche maner of sim¦ple persones in the spirite of leuite / myldnes / swete and softe maner / gentell / and sober byhauiour. For it is verey moche agayne iustice and ryght / y^t suche symple persones shulde deserue the indignacion of man that so lyghtly done obteyne the pitie / compas∣sion and mercie of our lorde. For those persones that crucified our lorde and Sauioure Iesu: were in that dede great synners and dyd moche offende but in theyr estimacion and byleuing: they were pu¦sylles and simple persones. And so althoughe on y^e thone parte they deserueth y^e wrath and displeasure of god: yet on the other parte: they deserued forge∣uenes of theyr synne. They had (surely) ben happy and blessed: if (accordynge vnto the wordes of oure lorde) they had nat ben slaundred nor taken occasiō of hym or in hym. But syth they so dyd: what were they els therin: but miserable wretches? and yet nat withstandyng: were they to be peti•• and receyued vnto mercy and grace / whiche thynge: that pitious and moste mercyfull supplicacion: that our sauiour suffcyng and hangyng in the crosse / and yet natw^t∣standyng hauyng compassion vpon them: dyd ther make for them: doth well approue. Father (sayd he) I byseche y^e forgyue them / and as thoughe he wold in maner excuse theyr default / and (into notable an yuell and horrible dede) shewe the reason why they shulde haue forgyuenes there folowethe forthwith bycause they wote nat what they done / as thoughe

he sayd. In that ben they worthy forgyuenes: by∣cause they ben puselles and symple in lernyng and knowlege. Therfore do I forgyue them: bycause I am nat knowen of them. For if they had knowen what they dyd:* 1.36 they wolde neuer haue crucified the lorde of the glorie. There ben other {per}sones whome I do nat so lyghtely forgyue.* 1.37 For I knowe well they sawe and perceyued me and yet dyd they hate both me and my father. For suche puselles and sym∣ple persones in lernyng: saynt Paule spake feerful∣ly and roughly vnto them that had lerning / and yet wolde nat condescende and cōforte theyr inferiours sayng.* 1.38 That brother for whome Christ suffred deth shall perisshe and be lost in thy cōnyng or lernyng / if than the slaunder and occasion of smale and sim∣ple persones is so moche to be auoyded: Surely moche more shulde the slaunder and occasion of the prelates & souereynes be auoyded whome our lorde god: in maner makyng equall with hym selfe ī both partes: dyd impute and applie vnto hym selfe: the reuerence and also the contempte or despisyng done vnto them. Sayng by open contestacion & witnes of the gospell. Qui uos audit: me audit. &c.* 1.39 Who so heareth and doth obey you: doth here me and is obe¦dient vnto me. And who so despiseth you:* 1.40 doth also despise me / whiche sayng in sentence is also contey∣ned in our rule thus. That obediēce that is exhibite and done vnto the souereynes: is exhibite and done to god / wherfore what so euer y^e souereyne mā doth cōmaunde in the persone of god (So natwithstan∣dyng we be in certeynte it dothe nat displease god) shulde be resceyued nat otherwyse in all maner: thā if god hym selfe had so cōmaunded. For there is no

difference wether god make open & shewe his plea∣sure vnto man by hym selfe or by his ministres and seruaūtes whether they ben men or Angelles. But here you saye peraduenture: that (in thynges dout¦full) the souereynes may lyghtly be deceyued in the very knowlege and perceyuyng of the wyll and ple¦sure of god. And so may they deceyue theyr subiec∣tes in cōmaundyng the same as of the wyll of god / whervnto I answere and say / that nothyng doth y^e deceyt of the souereyne apperteyne or bylonge vnto the subiecte. Bycause he knoweth nat wether he be deceyued or nat. But rather shulde euery subiecte suppose the best / syth he hath good auctorite of scrip¦ture. Quia labia sacerdotis custodiunt scientiam. That is: the lips and mouthe of y^e preste: done kept and conteyne / science / knowlege / and lernyng.* 1.41 And of his mouth done the people require the lawe. For he is the Angell and messenger of our lorde. The people I sayd muste requyre the lawe. But what lawe? nat that lawe that is set forthe and cōmaun∣ded by y^e auctorite of any scripture nor yet that ma∣nifeste and open reason may proue. For of all suche lawes we nede no mayster to teache vs what we shulde do / ne yet to prohibite ne forbede vs that we shulde nat do. But whan a mater is obscure and harde to vnderstande / and than we doute whether god wolde so or otherwyse: than muste we requyre the lawe of the lyps that done kepe lernyng / & haue the certeynte rendred & shewed by the mouthe of the Angell of god: that is the prelate or souereyne. For diuine counsell: moste surely may be required of hī that hathe the dispensacion and charge of the miste¦ries and secretes of god / we shulde therfore (in all

thyng{is} that ben nat euidently contrarie vnto god) be obediente vnto hym that we haue in the stede of god as we wolde be obedient vnto god. And yet su¦rely do nat I therin speake contrarie vnto the holy prophete Samuell as thoughe I wolde gyue the auctorite of god vnto man.* 1.42 Syth he in the forsayd chapitre: doth playnly put difference betwene both those auctorites. For that thynge that I do affirme and say of doutfull thynges: that thyng doth he de∣ney of thynges open as whan he sayth. If one man trespasse or offende agayne a nother man / wherin we muste vnderstande for god: rather than he wold offende god. For men (many tymes) done presume to cōmaunde other men theyr subiectes: thyng{is} that ben contrarie vnto god. But you hereof takyng a grounde and occasion of argumente: done make this reason. If this be trouthe / that we muste es∣teme / pouder / and wey / or iuge all the commaunde∣mentes / institutes / and ordinaunces of oure soue-uereynes: as the commaundementes of god and in like weyght of auctorite: it muste nede than folowe that fewe men or none (vnder the obediēce of man) maye scante or rather by no maner of meane maye be saued. For amonge so many a great multi∣tude of commaundementes: as the prelates done gyue / and that often tymes by negligence and with out deliberacion: it is very harde or els vtterly im∣possible for any subiecte / neuer nor at any tyme to offende or trespasse. And surely I do it nat deney / but that vnto so great a perfection to be fulfylled is so greate a difficultie / and hardynes required howe be it that is great difficultie: whane the ma∣ter is interprised and presumed: with a herte and

mynde vnperfecte. For (of a surete) these ben the sig¦nes and tokens of an vnperfecte herte and of a feble and very feynt wyll / that is to say: whan the subiect wyll discusse / trie out / and reason the statutes and ordinaūces of the seniores and olde fathers. And to stoppe and stycke or doute at euery precepte and cō∣maundemente / and to aske why / wherfore / for what cause / and by what reason he shulde so do. And sus∣pecte yuel of any precepte where the cause is vnkno¦wen. And neuer to be gladly obedient: but if perad∣uenture the precepte do please and content the {per}tie / or els whan euedient and open reason or vndouted auctorite doth shewe vnto them / that other it maye nat lawfully / or els is nat expedient to be otherwise Suche maner of obedience: is very delicate and tē∣der / or rather a molest / greuous / or combrouse obe∣dience. This obedience: is nat that obedience tha••¦es taght and cōmaunded in saynt Benettes rule / ca¦led / there obediēce without tareyng / stopage / or let / whan the mater is desputed and reasoned: there is rather the wyly and crafty obedience of an hyghe mynde and proude herte: than the obedience / of the prophete:* 1.43 In auditu auris: At the fyrste hearynge / it is therfore necessarie that suche a carnall mynde: be nat only greued and letted: but also opressed and holden vnder:* 1.44 with the weght of some good perfec∣tion interprised and takē in hande byfore by {pro}myse For the infirme and feble flesshe / can nat beere that swete yocke and lyght or pleasaunt burthen: which the spirite alone: prompt and redy vnto all obediēce doth dayly put in experiēce. For the yocke of Christ is both a heuy burthen / and also importable or vnbe¦rable: vnto al thē that haue nat the spirite of Christ.

Heresome of you peraduenture wyll say. If this be true: the lawe of our rule is giuen vnto vs: that our sinne and offēce shulde aboūde and increase therby / bycause it is occasion of our more greuous offence. Surely you saye trouthe. But yet is nat the rule therfore in default / nor yet the makers of the rule. But the default is in them that without prouidence and due profe of them selfe vnwysely done professe the rule / and after theyr profession: wyckedly done breake the same.* 1.45 For surely (as saynt Paule fayth) the commaundement is holy and iuste. But thou shulde knowe and perceyue thy selfe to be a carnall persone / solde by custome and subdued vnto synne. And that thynge: shuldest thou haue sene byfore thy profession. So that thou shuldest nat haue bygōne and leyde the foūdacion of this euaungelike toure: byfore that thou sittynge and by good deliberacion considerynge all thynges: haddest accounted with thy selfe / whether thou had / expense and sufficient a∣bilites to perfourme the same. But nowe there is no remedy / but other that thou: corrected & refour∣med: by obebedient vnto thy souereyne and senio∣res: or els confounded / and mocked: thou here (vnto thy shame and rebuke) the wordes of the gospell.* 1.46 This persone byganne (lyke a fole) to bylde: & was nat of power to perfourme ne make ende therof. But peraduenture here you wyll saye vnto me. Syr done you suppose or thynke / that any subiecte maye be founde and proued so perfecte: that among so many and so smale commaundementes as by the souereynes (some tyme negligent and forgetfull) ben gyuen: wyll neuer ouerpasse ne offende in any of them? Nay surely / but I graunt well that no sub¦iecte

is so perfecte. Specially: syth the holy Apost∣les sayd of themselfe. In multis offendimuis omnes. Et si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus:* 1.47 ipsi nu•• seducimus. We done (say they) offende in many thyn¦ges. And if we say that we ben without synne: we done deceyue ourselfe. But yet I saye / that if we o∣uerpasse and breake any suche cōmaundement: we do nat forthwith perysshe and stande in the state of dampnacion therfore specially whyl holy scripture doth conforte vs therin.* 1.48 Sayng if any of vs tres∣passe and do amysse: we haue an aduocate / our saui¦our Iesu Christe that is iuste and true / and he is the meane of forgyuenes for al our sines. Of whome y^e prophete Esai wytnesseth sayng that he dyd pr••ye for trāsgressours and synners / that they shulde nat perysshe and be dampned.* 1.49 * 1.50 Where is moche to be no¦ted: that althoughe he prayde for transgressours & trespassers: yet is it nat red / that euer he made sup∣plicacion for contempners and despisers. But sure¦ly they may neuer perisshe / ne be dampned / for who¦me our Sauiour Iesu praieth that they shulde nat perisshe / wherfore I can nat se ne {per}ceyue: why you shulde suppose and thynke euery inobedience and transgression / of euery cōmaundement thoughe ne∣uer so smale: so to be exaggerate / heped / and iuged so great synne. that you shulde haue cause so to fere and so to crye out sayng. What synne vnto any reli∣gious persone / may nowe be veniall or lyght: sythe the synne of inobedience is so ieopardous & so hard to escape in euery maner of acte or dede we do? But you suppose and byleue that the cause therof is / by∣cause that I sayd byfore / that as moche auctorite & obedience shulde be had and gyuen vnto the cōmaū∣dementes

of the prelates: as thoughe they were cō∣maunded of god. And that thyng you saye: bycause you perceyue nat that the selfe preceptes of the gos∣pell: done moche diffre among or betwene thē selfe / bothe in the merite of the obseruacion and kepyng. And in the peryll or ieoparty of the transgression / & breakynge of thē. But as we knowe for a surete / that al cōmaundementes ben nat of one necessite / or of one vtilite / nor of lyke dignite to be kepte: so we maye knowe / that the same or lyke sentence or iuge∣ment: shall nat be gyuen for the transgression of thē all / nor yet shall disparent and vnlyke offēces: haue lyke peynes ne punisshementes. For the negligēce of those thynges is nat of lyke defaulte or offence: that ben nat commaunded by lyke cure and charge and therfore the peyne or punisshement is nat lyke. For (if you loke well) the selfe gospell doth dampne or condampne as well the great offence of surfette / as the turpitude and fylthynes of fornicacon. But yet euery maner of {per}sone wolde more abhorre and lothe of those two yuelles: to be defouleth with fornicacion: than to be ouersene with surfette.* 1.51 The essenciall trouthe therfore that is our sauiour Christe / in the gospell of Matthieu and Luke / vn∣der the termes of a beame or a blocke / & of a strawe or a mote. Doth put difference bytwyxte the gre∣uous and the lyght defaultes or offences of inobe∣dience.* 1.52 And also by his disputacion or rather his deffinicion and determinacion ī the gospell: playne distinction is made vnto vs / what peyne and pu∣nisshement / es due vnto euery defaulte or trespasse / whanne and where oure sauioure made

made protestacion and declared / that some persone is worthy iugement. Some worthy counsell / and some other is worthy the fyre of helle. Ergo than it foloweth nat by any constraynt of necessite / that all thoughe the auctorite of god be graunted vnto the prelates in theyr cōmaundementes / we shulde ther∣fore suppose or byleue: that no synne might be foūde in a religious persone lyght / or veniall / but all deed¦ly / nor yet doth so folowe that in euery act or dede of a religious persone: shulde be ieoparty and peryll of criminall inobedience.* 1.53 Let in case that synne be criminall and deedly / whervnto the peyne of y^e fyre of hell is appoynted / yet may nat we deffine and de¦termine that synne to be criminall: that (by the iuge¦ment of our sauiour) maketh a persone gylte / onely of iugement. And yet wyll nat I deney: but that is a gylte or offēce: that maketh a {per}sone so ferre gulty / and if it be a gylt or offence: it must nede be synne. And euery synne: is contrarie vnto the cōmaunde∣ment of god. And what so euer is contrarie vnto y^e cōmaundement of god: is caled disobedience. Herof nowe maye we gather and conclude: that one bro∣ther to be wrothe with a nother: is inobedience / and yet is it nat criminall synne. Se nowe that one syn is here founde: that vnto a religions {per}sone is lyght & veniall synne / whiche synne also doth make the {per}∣sone a transgressour and breaker nat onely of the cō¦maūdement of man: but of god. In this kynde and maner of trāsgression ben conteyned many folysshe or vaynspeaches and what so euer is done / sayd / or thought ydle and voyde. For suche bene neuer vsed but contrarie vnto commaundement / and contra¦cie vnto the cōmaundement of god. For surely they

ben synnes. And god doth prohibite and forbede all synne and yet natwithstandyng: they ben reputed and accounted as venial and nat criminall synnes. Excepte whā by contempt they be tourned into vse & custome. And yet than is nat the kynde & maner of the syn̄e to be weyde & regarded: but rather y^e intent & mynde of the synner and trespasser. For (of a su∣rete) the pryde and hyghe minde of the persone that doth despise the cōmaundement: And the obstinacy of the impenitent persone: done in the leest cōmaun∣dementes: make the synne and offence very great / & done cōuerte & tourne the lyttel wert or pusshe / that is to say: a lyttel deformite of simple transgression: into the crime & notable defaute of greuous rebelli¦on. For a sure conclusion thā: take you hede / & note wel: wherin (without any doute) the crime of inobe¦dience resteth & remayneth.* 1.54 Where the sayd {pro}phete Samuell sayth. Quasi peccatum ario landi est repug¦nare, et quasi scelus idololatrie: nolle acquiescere, To repugne (sayth he) & to w^tstande the cōmaundemēte of god: is equall and lyke vnto the synne of diuina∣cion or wychcrafte. And to wyll / that is to saye: to haue no wyll to leyne and applie thervnto: is as the notable synne of ydolatrie / he sayth nat here:* 1.55 note to leyne / or nat to aplie / but to nyll or nat to wyll. So that the selfe simple transgression of the cūmaunde∣ment: is nat reputed and supposed here to be y^e sayd synne of ydolatrie: but the proude contempt of the wyll. For to nyll obey / or nat to wyll to be obedient / and nat to obey / or to be obedient: ben nat both one / nor the same thynge. For nat to obey / or to be obedi∣ent: cōmeth some tyme of errour or ignoraunce / and somtyme: of infirmite or fraylte. But to nyll / or nat

to haue wyll to be obediente: cōmeth euer / other of an odious and hatefull pertinacie and frowardnes or els of y^e contumacie and rebellion of a styffe herte and stubburne stomake / that ī no wyse shulde be suf¦fred ne bourne / which thynge also: is selfe repug∣naunce and to withstande the holy ghoste. And if it shulde perdure and contine vnto dethe: it were blas¦phemye / neuer to be remitted and forgyuen / nother in this worlde / nor ī the worlde to come.* 1.56 Euery / mā therfore of breakyng of commaundement: doth nat make inobedience criminall / but to repugne & with stande. And to nyll or nat to wyll: doth make euer inobedience criminall. For many persones bene many tymes inobedient without that vngracious and rebellous wyll / it can nat be than as you saye / that inobedience vnto euery religous persone is e∣uer in ieoparty of criminall synne: Syth ī the trās∣gression of a religious persone / is so oftymes none suche criminall synne: as ofte as in the same trans∣gression / there be no suche frowarde contencious and stryuyng wyll or mynde / without cause ther∣fore: done some persones (as you saye) make compa¦rison of some maner of disobediēces: vnto that olde inobedience that was done in paradyse. For that inobedience was valiaunt / and of strenthe and po∣wer: nat onely to bynde the persones: but also to vi∣ciate and infecte nature. Natwithstandynge I sup¦pose and thynke verely / that also that selfe fyrst and moste greuous preuaricacion / and disobediēce was iuged to be moste great and greuous: for none o∣ther cause / or (at the leest) moste chefly and most spe∣cially so iuged bycause of y^e frowarde wyll / that is

to say: that rebellious defence that folowed the said inobedience. For whan our lorde god asked of thē the cause of theyr synne / and why they dyd that of∣fence / bycause he wold {pro}uoke thē to be penitēt (For he wylled nat theyr deth / but rather that they shulde haue bene conuerted and lyued or had theyr lyfe) they (by frowarde wyll) dyd chose rather to declyne and tourne away theyr herte (as the {pro}phete sayth) vnto the wordes of malice / for to forge and make ex¦cuses in theyr synnes.* 1.57 For the malice of the fyrst syn¦ner Adam: was double / and in two maners. Fyrste that nother he had mercy nor pyte vpon hym selfe to confesse his owne synne and so to haue ben cured and healed therof: nor yet vpon his wyfe / but falsly to excuse hym selfe: he cruelly accused her / why than done you saye / that the crime of inobedience dothe lye in wayte vpon the religious persone in euery acte or dede to put hym in ieoparty? as thoughe in∣obediēce shulde stele priuely vpon a mā / or he were ware / or wyst therof / or as it shulde fortune and fall by some vnhappy chaunce / or els as thoughe a de∣ceytfull occasion and vexacion of that crime: shulde in a thynge impossible: be leyde in his waye: that were nat able to fulfyll and perfourme / that thynge that is commaunded? Howe maye it be than that the crime of inobedience shulde so lye in wayte and be so ieopardous vnto the religious persone? Sythe the olde preuaricacion / and inobedience of Adam / so open / so knowen / and so noyous: myght (as we byleue) sone and lyghtly haue gotten forgy∣uenes and ben pardoned: if confession / & nat defēce

with excuse: had folowed. For (as I said) the trans∣gression of that selfe simple and synguler dede: dyd nat so moche noy and hurte: as dyd the obstinacie / and styfnes of the excuse adioined thervnto with {pre}∣meditacion and forecaste. But peraduenture you wolde say: That this consideracion and difference of the more greuouse and lyghter / or more lyght in∣obedience: is to be had / and made in the lawe of god and nat in lyke maner in our rule. Surely no man wyll say or suppose / that more auctorite or reuerēce is to be gyuen vnto any tradicions and ordinaūces of man: than of god. Nor yet that thyng to be more estemed and set by that he cōmaunded by his minis∣tres and seruaunt: than that he cōmaunded by hym selfe. In the rule of saynt Benedicte / shall we fynde proper and distincte sentences and clauses or arti∣cles / where some peynes or punisshementes ben in∣scripte and appoynted vnto the very lyght defaul∣tes: and some other appoynted vnto the more gre∣uous defaultes. That more lyght / or very lyght defaulte: is nothynge els but more lyght / or very lyght inobedience. The souereynes some tyme: done gyue very lyght / or smale cōmaundementes: the transgression and breakyng wherof: doth accor¦dyng vnto y^e rule cause very lyght / or smale offēces. And yet preuaricacion / and offence is done to god: as often as the abbottes or souereines cōmaūdemēt is broken or nat kept. And also / all cōmaundemētes ben nat promulged and openly pronoūced of y^e selfe mouthe of god: to be equall. And therfore ben they nat by lyke cure and diligence to be obserued and kepte. But without doubte a nother maner of cure and diligence: is to be gyuen vnto that cōmaū¦demēt

/ that he hym selfe caled the principall and moste hyghe cōmaundemēt. And other cure to be gyuen vnto those (that hy be iugement) spake of / sayng.* 1.58 Who so breaketh any one of the leest of these cōmaundementes. &c. What than? What folowethe herof say you? I say as we haue herde of the rule / y^t there ben some defaultes or offences very greuous and some very lyght / and as we rede in the gospell / that some cōmaundementes ben moste great and ex¦cellent and some other moste smale and leest: so may we say / that all the transgressions of the cōmaunde∣mentes ben nat equall nor of lyke greatnes / it is nat therfore necessarie that I graunt that you say. For you say / that one of these tweyne must nedly folowe that euery cōmaundemente of the souereyne that is nat contrarie vnto god: is nat to be taken as the cō∣maundement of god: or els that vnto a religious {per}∣sone / no default may be founde lyght or venial. For althoughe this be true (we muste nede so graunt) y^t as often as any subiecte doth ouerpasse / breake / or nat fulfyll the precepte and cōmaundement of hym that in the stede of god: is souereyne: in any thynge that doth nat repugne vnto iustice: so often is he in obedient vnto god: yet natwithstandynge as: lyke cure and diligence is nat requyred in the execusion and perfourmyng therof: so the synne or offence of y^e transgression therof: is nat all one ne lyke. For all though he be one alone that is offēded (that is god) yet natwithstandyng / those thynges that ben com∣maunded: ben nat of one weyght. And therfore is nat the trāsgression of them to be weyde and iuged of one ieoparty / wherfore our holy father saynt Be∣nedicte sayth. Let the measure or quantite of the ex∣cōmunicacion

or punisshement: be extented & passe forth accordyng vnto the measure or quantite of the offence or trespasse. In vayne therfore (as you may se) ben you affrayde in your selfe / and in vayne also done you put other persones in fere and drede of y^e promyse of obedience / that is made in reguler pro∣fession. As thoughe it were nat necessarie nor con∣uenient for any persone to promyse suche obedience as he were sure he colde nother kepe holly and fully nor yet ouerpasse and breake: w^tout criminal synne / bycause that what so euer thynge the souereyne. as the minister of god: doth cōmaūde nat wrongly: is (of a surete) to be imputed to god & to be accounted as his {pre}cepte or cōmaūdemēt / vaynly & vnfrutfully than done you (I say) by this occasion exaggerate / hepe and make so great & greuous: this yuell synne of inobediēce: so y^t you therby shulde fray many per¦sones from y^e so good / so necessary / & so noble vertue of obediēce to be {pro}mised. For although it be athing of great difficulte & hardnes: to by ware / fle / & auoid this syn of inobediēce / whiche doth so priuely crepe in / & (as you say) doth lye ī wayte vpon y^e religious {per}sone among so variaūt & (in maner) innumerable thynges cōmaūded by y^e souereines: yet (say I) it is nat alwaye deedly synne nor yet criminall: to ouer∣passe or nat to fulfyll y^t is cōmaūded. For although euery inobediēce be vnexcusably some maner of syn yet none inobediēce is eternaly dāpnable: but y^e ino¦bedience y^t is nat cured or heyled by y^e remedy of pe∣nāce. Nor ye tis any īobediēce deedly criminal: but that inobediēce that doth nat eshewe and auoyde y^e contempt of pryde. A meruelous great surete than vnto the chyldren of obedience & verely a true peace

vnto men of good wyl is: whan in al maner of obe∣dience: impenitence alone is condempned and dāp∣ned / whiche impenitēce the persone that loueth god knoweth nat ne can skyll vpon. And whan pryde alone: is put in crime and defaulte: whiche pryde y^e persone that dredethe the fyre of hell: dothe sone or lyghtly by ware of & auoyde. This thynge that we nowe speake of: may more euident and more clerely appere: by .vi. examples. If my souereyne cōmaūde me vnto silence: and (may fortune) by forgetfulnes: a worde slyppeth out and ouerskapeth me: I know¦lege my selfe gylty of inobedience / but onely venial∣ly. But if I of contempte: knowyng / and by delibe-liberacion wylfully breake out into wordes / and so breake the lawe and constitucion of silence: I make my selfe thā a {pre}uaricatour & breker of that lawe cri∣minally / as worthy open punisshement. And if I shulde perseuer and continue so vnto deth impeni∣tent without contricion: than haue I synned damp¦nably. And doth this yet seme vnto you very hard? For these (if I well remember) were your wordes / whan you: consideryng the great difficulty or (as se¦med vnto you) the impossibilite of obedience to be kepte / and of inobedience to be auoyded: made this exclamacion and outcrye againe y^e lyfe monastical / y^t is religious lyuynge / sayng: Is this the way or path: wherby we shulde come vnto god / which you say is so moche more sure: bycause it is harde / and so moche the more certeyn: bycause it is narowe & streyt? Syth a religious {per}son: can scāt (ī this way) auoyde those thyng{is} y^t naturally ben yuell. And (by¦cause of y^e cōmune īfirmite & fraylte of mā) may scāt fulfyl those thynges y^e naturally ben good. And yet

natwithstādyng must the subiecte necessarly / gyue no lesse diligence to fle and auoyde those thynges y^t the souereyne doth prohite and forbede: than to ob∣serue that he cōmaundeth. And yet you say forther / that syth this sentēce is byleued of many religious persones: although of fewe or els of none / obserued and kepte vnto ful poynt and perfection: what doth this credulite and byleuyng (say you) worke in thē otherwyse: thā dyd that liberte to eate suche meates as were offred vnto ydoles.* 1.59 Whiche liberte saynt Paule so moche doth blame and rebuke? Surely brother nothynge els doth it worke if it were so as you say. For (by no meanes) can he suppose well of his owne conscience: that doth nat truste he may or can fulfyll that thyng that he byleueth he is bounde vnto. For so you done byleue / as I shall shewe and as I may shortely gether and coniecture / by the te∣nour of your wordes. That is: that the cōmaunde∣mentes of god: may scant be fully kepte / and vnto y^e perfecte poynt / but the cōmaundementes of the so∣uereyne:* 1.60 may neuer be kepte, yet the selfe essenciall trothe / that is our sauiour hym selfe sayth in the gos¦pell / that there is nat one iote of the cōmaundemen∣tes of god: that shall passe vnkepte / but that maye & shalbe kepte. But it semeth vnto me (I speake by your pacience) that who so euer so feleth and iugeth hathe nat yet tasted: howe swete our lorde is / and y^t he dothe mourne and murmure yet styll vnder the yocke and burthen of the lawe: and hathe nat respi∣red / rested / and taken conforte in the grace of y^e gos∣pell / and bycause he hath nat yet put in experience & proued y^e swete yocke of Christ: therfore (of a surete) is he infirmed and by his fleshe made feble: and the

spirite of god doth nat helpe and conforte his infir∣mite. But what meaneth that distinction and diffe∣rence? where you say / that the cōmaundementes or prohibicions of god: may scant be kept: but the cō∣maundemētes or prohibicions of the prelates: may neuer in any wyse be kept / as though the thone my∣ght be kept without the tother / that is to say / the cō∣maūdementes of god myght be fully kept / w^tout the cōmaūdemētes of mā. But (if you take good hede) the cōmaundement of god is otherwyse / of thē also that were yuell lyued / or yuell lyuyng prelates.* 1.61 Do you (sayth he in the gospell) what they byd or com∣maunde you. Who so euer therfore doth nat so: is o∣penly a preuaricatour & offēder: nat onely agayne man: but also againe god. Is this trouth than: that no persone may execute and fulfyll perfectely the cō¦maundementes of his mayster & prelate? And why (as you suppose) shuld that so be? other bycause we wyll nat: or els bycause we may nat? For if we haue good wyll: and may nat: we ben sure and out of ieo¦party. And it we maye: and wyll nat / than bene we proude and hyghe mynded. To auoyde than that pryde: I graunt well that the warenes y^t you speke of: is necessarie / leste by chaūce the crime and great synne of inobedience: shulde be cōmitteted or done. But if you suppose or byleue it be impossible: y^t no resistence may be made / somtyme by contempt and disdeyne: vnto the cōmaūdemētes of the souereynes you ben deceyued. For knowe you for a certente: y^t nat a fewe: but (in maner) innumerable persones haue iuged vtterly otherwyse. And so iuged nat by any thynge els than by the proper experiment and profe of themselfs. But if you thynke and iuge it be

nat impossible: but yet a thynge of great difficultie & very harde: to be so meke & obedient: y^t in no wyse you shulde despise your souereynes & therfore you ben somtyme greued / bycause you maye nat folowe your one mynde & wytte: & thefore done you therby murmure & grudge / agayne the lawe & ordinaunce of obedience: affirmyng & sayng / that it is a thynge moche perilous & full of ieoparty: for any {per}sone to promyse & vndertake that thynge that is so labori∣ous & peynfull to be obserued / kept / & perfourmed: if you thus thynke:* 1.62 Thervnto I wyll thus answer or rather: nat I / but god doth answere / sayng. Qui Potest capere: capiat. Let hym vndertake this thyng (saythe he) that maye kepe & perfourme it / that is to meane (as I sayd a lytel byfore) that byfore thou by ganne to bylde: thou shuldest haue prouided / where of to perfourme the same. But nowe whan the ma∣ter is paste: thou shuldest other nat haue tempted as¦sayde nor bygonne the mater / or els muste thou ne∣dely nowe perfourme that thou hast bygōne / natw^t∣standyng no maner of {per}sone / that warely & wysely / doth make {pro}fession: doth there make any {pro}myse: y^t he wyll neuer hereafter in any thynge transgresse & breake the souereynes cōmaūdement / y^t is to meane y^t he wyl neuer do syne nor offence. Or els / who so e∣uer so doth swere: doth other forswere hym selfe / or els is he more holy / than saynt Iames the Apostle / that sayd.* 1.63 In multis offendimus omnes. We done all (sayth he) offende in many thynges. If y^t nowe y^e cō¦sequence that so consequently doth folowe thervpō seme to be fals: let vs se & {per}ceyue somwhat of the ac∣cedence of y^e thyng y^t goth byfore / lest {per}aduenture / y^e lawe & ordinaūce that is gyuen & made to cohibite

& restreyne transgressions & defaultes: shulde nat onely nat so do: but rather shulde more ouer and for ther encrease y^e sayd transgressiōs / by the crime of {per}¦iurie. So muste it nedely come to passe: if we byleue that we promyse in our profession / that thyn¦ge that certeynely maye nat be holden / kept ne per∣fourmed. Al this reguler obseruaciō & kepyng of o∣bediēce: muste (therfore) be diuided or de{per}ted into these two {per}ties / y^t is to say: into {pre}ceptes / or cōmaun¦dementes: & into remedies. By the {pre}ceptes: is oure lyfe institut & ordred againe al sīnes or offēce / & by y^e remedies: is our innocency / after our synne and de∣faulte: restitut / restaured / and {per}fourmed. So (thā) doth our {pro}fession / cōpas & cōteyne both y^e sayd {per}tes y^t if any {pro}tessed {per}sone (by chaūce) do offēde / or tres∣passe in any of y^e reguler {pre}ceptes. he may (forth w^t) fle / ren / & haue recourse / vnto a like reguler remedy & if he so do: thā althoughe he be conuinced / {pro}ued / & cōdempned for a trāsgressour & breaker of the {pre}cept & cōmaundement: yet can he nat be conuinced ne {pro}∣ued for a transgressours & breaker of his pacte & pro∣fession. I wolde therfore iuge that persone alone / to breake his vowe / to haue defouled his purpose and to haue preuaricate and broken his pacte / cōnaūt & {pro}myse of {pro}fession: that wyll contempne & despyse / both the precepte & also the remedy. For I dare well saye: that he is sure of saluacion: that (althoughe he somtyme passe the marke or meere of obediēce) doth nat forsake the counsayle of penaunce / as remedy. For y^e {per}sone (although he oftymes offēde & trespas) doth nat yet ouerpasse y^e meeres & markes of y^e rule ne breake the reguler statutes: y^t dothe nat forsake fle / & auoide the discipline & correxion of the censure

and iugement that apperteyneth vnto the rule. For reguler correction: is a parte of the rule. And therin is foūde: nat onely the instruction of good lyfe: but also the reformacion and amendement of yuel lyfe. For in it be founde bode the preceptes and cōmaun∣dementes of obedience / and also the remedies of in∣obediēce / so that although we offēde and do amysse yet done nat we recede nor departe from the rule. I knowlege and graunt well / that neuer at any ty∣me to synne or offende in the preceptes of obedience (at the leest) venially: is (vnto any mortall persone) impossible / and very harde. But yet there is nowe no quarel nor cōplaynt to be made of impossibilite. Bycause that: if by chaūce a crime be done: it is law full / and that by the selfe rule: to make amendes. That thynge therfore that you say: that is / that eue¦ry thynge that is cōmaūded by the souereynes: can nat be kept of any persone / vnto the full poynt and holly: is trouthe. But yet some offēce of inobediēce is a lyght offence. And the lyght and easy cure and remedy therof: is foūde in the rule / so the transgres¦sion be without contempt. But if you wolde con∣tende by oppinion: that inobedience may nat some¦tymes be without suche contempte: that is clerely fals / and nothynge so. And yet natwithstandyng: y^e diligence of the rule / doth nat leue suche obedience: without cure and remedy. And althoughe suche in∣obedience shulde nede / and requyre a more stronge medicine of cure and remedy and more streyte cor∣rection: yet is it without the morbe and synne of {pre}uaricaciō / except y^e (by chaūce) the selfe medicine / & remedy: were also ī contēpte and despised: Syth al these thynges thā ben true: vaynly & w^tout cause

done we y^t done {pro}fesse y^e rule cōplayne of impossibi¦lite & without cause done we flater our selfe of necessi¦te to offende / sayng we muste nedly synne & offende. I meane that we haue no cause to complaine of any suche impossibilite or necessite: wherby we myght therfore suppose and thynke that the iuste cōmaun∣dementes of our prelates were nat imputed to god / as to be his cōmaundementes: but rather as the cō∣maūdementes of men: to be despised & set at nought lest our profession shulde therby: seme to conteyne a thynge impossible / if we therof shulde affirme and say: that we ought of duete to be as moche obedient vnto our prelates: as vnto god. Howe maye it be nowe (after this declaracion) that suche profession may be vnto any persone vnpossible / but rather cō∣trarie / that to auoyde preuaricacion: shulde nat be a thynge very lyght & easy? where nat inobedience / but impenitence: doth cause & make y^e preuaricaciō? For (as I sayd) no persone that maketh profession / doth promyse that he wyll neuer here after offende / or do synne. And therfore thoughe a {per}sone (by some maner of meane) be nat obedient: he doth nat there by make hym selfe forthwith a preuaricatoure and breaker of the rule / except {per}aduenture it were suche a persone that falsly supposed he were so professed / whiche maner of persones you say there ben many. Of the whiche persones (I say also) if any suche be as you say / thā is it true also that foloweth / that is to say / that suche maner of credulite & byleue (whi∣che may rather be caled a folysshe credulite / or cruel∣te) doth nothynge els worke and ingender in theyr conscience / than dyd that noyous and yuell libertie worke / in the conscience of them that fed vpon suche nedes 〈…〉〈…〉

meates / as were offred vnto the ydoles. For it must nedes be: that suche folysshe {per}sones: in theyr owne or by thyr proper conscience: in lyke maner / as the A¦postle Paule sayd: the infirme {per}sone & folysshe chri¦stiane dyd {per}rysshe: in the science & knowlege of thē that dyd eate & fede vpon the sacrifice of the ydoles. And lyke (as saynt Paule sayth) that no maner of meate receyued and taken w^t due thankes vnto our lorde:* 1.64 is cōmune and vnlawfull / but vnto thē onely that done thynke and iuge it vnlawfull. So in like¦wyse: reguler {pro}fession (as of it selfe) can be vnto no persones dampnable ne hurte: but onely vnto them that done thynke and iuge it dampnable and yuell. And howe ferre any persone shulde thynke / or iuge therof: I haue (as I suppose) shewed you sufficien∣tely byfore. Nowe therfore I must answere you vn¦to the lytell praty question / that by chaunce came vn¦to your mynde by occasion of this present chapitre of saynt Paule. For you done aske and demaunde: whether this sentence of saynt Paule spoken vnto the Romaines of the ydololetites / that is to say:* 1.65 the thyng{is} that were offred in sacrifice vnto the ydoles where he sayth / I suppose and iuge / that nothynge is cōmune / vnclene / and vnlawfull in Christe or vn¦to any christiane: but onely vnto him y^t doth thynke and iuge the thynge vnclene / and vnlawfull. And a¦gayne lykewyse of this sentence. If a persone eate and fede those meates: he is dampned / bycause he doth it nat of feyth / or by ryght feythe you done aske (I say) of these two sentences: whether they maye bothe be taken as a reule generall / to holde in all o∣ther thynges lyke / so that if a {per}sone do a good dede supposyng / and byleuyng it be yuell / that is ta saye /

if he do it with an yuell intente: whether that good dede shalbe vnto hym yuell / and whether it shall be as moche / or as great yuell as he thought / and byle¦ued it was? And than if I graunt and saye it is so / than done you go forther / and aske of me: why than (on the contrarie parte) shulde nat euery dede that a persone doth / be vnto hym / as moche good and {pro}∣fitable a dede as he dothe suppose and byleue it is / althoughe he were deceyued in so byleuynge? For it dothe seme vnto you meruelous / and a thinge cō∣trarie vnto iustice and ryght: that the opinion of a mānes intent shulde more preuayle in the yuell / thā in the good.* 1.66 If nowe I answere you / and saye / y^t so to byleue of the yuell: is but ryght / bycause of y^e gos∣pell that so doth conclude of the wyked eye or syght wherby is ment the wyked / & yuell intent: than wyl you answere agayne thervnto / and say that in lyke maner maye you thynke of ryght to be iuged of the good / bycause the same gospell dothe so conclude of the simple eye or syght / wherby is ment the good in¦tent. For he that sayd that the darknes of the body / that is to meane / the hole worke or dede of the {per}sone shalbe estemed / weyde / and iuged yuell of the wy∣ked eye / or syght / that is / accordyng vnto the yuel in¦tent & minde: y^e same {per}son sayd & declared / y^t (in like maner) y^e lyght of y^e body / y^t is / the same worke: shal be approued for good of the simple eye or sight / that is to meane / of y^e good intent. But here (good bre∣therne) take good hede & loke wel / & you shal {per}ceiue y^t y^e eye or syght y^t is deceiued: is nat verely & truely simple. For y^e {per}sone that doth thynke & suppose that good is yuell: as well is deceyued: as is the {per}sone y^t doth thynke or byleue / that yuell is good. But you

knowe well / that nother of these two persones: doth auoyde or escape the vengeaunce and curse of the {pro}∣phete.* 1.67 Where he sayth. Ve vobis, qui dicit is bonum malum, et malum bonum. Wo and vengeaūce (sayth he) be vnto you / that say / & done affirme / that good: is yuell / and that yuell: is good. And yet / syth no {per}∣sone that wolde auoyde that curse of the prophete:* 1.68 wyll deney or contrarie that our sauiour essenciall trouth dyd pronoūce and shewe / sayng that the sim∣ple eye or syght / and the good intent of the simple {per}¦sone: is the lyght of the hole body / that is to saye / an argument and euidence of the hole worke / god for∣bede that the proclaymer and prophete of trouthe shulde any thynge proclaime and speake outwarde contrarie vnto the very sayd essenciall trouthe that is our sauiour / or that he shulde curse that our saui∣our dyd approue / that can nat be / wherfore ye must take a nother sence & vnderstandyng. For I thynke and iuge / that to approue that an eye or syght / that that is the intente of the persone be very and truely simple: two thynges ben thervnto required / that is to saye: charite in the intente and purpose / and also trouthe in the election and chose / or chosynge of the worke intended and purposed. For if a persone (in∣tendyng well) do loue that is good / but yet do nat chose y^t is true / he hath (I deney nat) a zele of god / but nat accordynge vnto science & lernyng.* 1.69 And I can nat tell ne knowe: howe (by the iugemēt of tro∣uthe) very simplicite or simplenes / may stande with falsite or falsnes. Therfore / the essenciall trouthe / y^t is our mayster and sauiour: wyllyng to instructe / teache / and to brynge his disciples vnto very & true simplicite:* 1.70 sayd vnto them. Be you prudent & wyse /

as serpentes ben wyse. And be you simple & playne as doues bene simple and without deceyte / he put prudence byfore / without whiche: he knewe well no man man myght be simple. Howe than shulde the syght / eye / or intent be verely simple / with the igno∣raunce of the touthe? Or howe may that simplicite be caled very and true simplicite: wherof simple & and vnfeyned trouth is ignoraunt & hath no know∣lege. For scripture sayth. The persone ignoraunt & without knowlege:* 1.71 shall (in lykwyse) be vnknowē / it is therfore euident / and playnly doth appere: that the laudable simplicite whiche our lorde hym selfe cōmēded and praysed: can nat be without these two vertues / beniuolence / and prudence. So that the eye and syght of the herte / that is to say the intent of the mynde of the person be so religious and deuout that he wolde nat in any wyse deceyue: and also / so prudent and ware: that he can nat be deceiued. But like as these two vertues / that is to say / the loue and desyre of goodnes / and the knowlege of the trouth: done make the eye / syght / and the intent simple / and without deceyte. So (on the contrarie parte) these two vices and yuelles / that is to say / blyndnes or ig¦noraunce / and also peruersite or frowardnes / done make the eye & intent wycked and yuell / ignoraūce causeth the persone: that he knoweth nat the trouth and peruercite or frowardnes: causeth hym to loue iniquite deceyte and doublenes. And yet: bytwene these two vertues that done nat suffre the person to deceyue / nor yet to be deceyued: and the two vices / that done cause hym both to deceyue & be deceyued: ben other two meanes / a good and an yuell. The good is a meane vertue / wherby y^e inwarde eye / or syght

of the soule / althoughe it myght be deceyued by the ignoraunce of the trouth: yet be the zele of goodnes dothe it neuer consent to deceyue in any wyse. The yuell meane is a vice that althoughe it nothynge doth let or hynder the knowlege of the trouthe: yet (bycause of very malice) he doth nat fele ne perceiue the loue of goodnes. And bycause that by diuision of parcelles or partes: euery thynge may be the bet∣ter knowē and perceyued: we shall here (accordyng vnto y^e two vices / and vnto the two vertues byfore rehersed) diuide y^e eye or sight of the herte / into .iiii. partes or {per}celles / that is to say / into an eye or sight / good: and better / yuell and worse / wherof nowe we shall set forthe examples. Some persone (in case) lo¦ueth that is good and intendeth well: and yet (by ig¦noraūce and default of knowlege) doth yuell. This eye and syght of the {per}sone: is good / bycause it is re∣ligious / deuoute / and well meanyng / but yet is it nat simple / bycause it is blynde. Another persone / doth good and meaneth well / and also doth thervn∣to prudently and by good warenes: vnderstande & knowe well what he doth / the eye or syght of this {per}∣sone: dare I well say is verely and truely simple. For it lacketh nother of the two sayd vertues / that is to saye / nother good zele / ne yet sciēce or lernyng. This eye syght and intent dothe our lorde god re∣quire / whā (as the {pro}phete sayth) he doth byholde & consider amonge the frayle men of the worlde:* 1.72 if a∣ny of them do by good vnderstandyng: require and seke god. Some persone (on the contrarie parte) hathe no loue vnto any good thynge / and also there vnto by malyce: is peruerse and frowarde / and yet

hathe he wytte and wysdome ynoughe to do yuell this persone is nat blynde by ignoraunce / and ther∣fore I wolde nat call his eye syght or intent vtterly wycked / bycause he hath one of the vertues that by∣fore I caled good / that is to say / science / lernyng / & knowlege / although he haue it vnto his owne hurt and yuell / land nat vnto his profytte nor good: yet there is a nother persone in oure sayd case / that (by ignoraunce & default of knowlege) doth a thyng y^t is good / and knoweth nat therof / & wolde nat haue done it if he had knowen / bycause he loueth nat that is good / vnto this maner of {per}sone wolde I assigne appoint / and applie / as very conuenient: that vice that in the sayd gospell / is caled or named wycked / bycause he lacketh nother of these two forsaid vices that is to say / nother cecite or blyndnes / nor yet per∣uersite and frowardnes. For this worde nequam / y^t is / wycked / doth signifie and betoken that persone / that by no meanes / nor in any thynge: doth appere or seme good / but lacketh & is clerely voyde / of both the sayd vertues / that is to saye both knowlege of y^e trouth and also beniuolēce a good wyll to do good. One eye syght or intent is deuout: religious & well meanyng and nothyng prompt redy ne disposed to deceyue / in any wyse / but yet (as I sayd) prone / re∣dy / and lyght to be deceyued / of whome the prophet Osee spekethe saynge.* 1.73 The people of Effraim (saythe he) is lyke a doue deceyued / that hathe no herte malicious. Another eye / syght / and intent / that our sauiour in the sayd gospell caled simple:* 1.74 is nother lyght to deceyue nor to be deceyued / wherof y^e Apostles were taght by our sauiour. Whā he sayd

Estote prudentes. &c. Be you (sayd he) prudent and ware: as the serpent / and be you simple: as doues. yet is there a nother eye / sight / and intent / that is vt¦terly yuell and nought / whiche wyll be glad / and re¦dy to deceyue: but nat lyght to be deceyued. This eye syght / and intent haue those persones that (by y^e mouthe of our sauioure) bene caled the chyldren of this worlde more prudent / wyse / and ware / in theyr generacion and kynde:* 1.75 thā ben the children of lyght and grace. And yet a nother eye syght / and intēt we determined byfore to be wycked: bycause it is yuell in two maners / by double vice. For in this intente / both malice doth ingender and cause ignoraunce / & also that ignoraūce: doth oftymes coure and let the malice. So that the persone many tymes (by igno∣raunce) dothe nat that yuell and hurte that he wold and purposed to do / and somtymes he dothe a good dede that he neuer wolde ne purposed to do. The vnsauery and folysshe hurte of suche persones (as saynt Paule sayth) is made darke or blynde / & they (by the iustice of god) rendred and brought vnto a reprouable and yuell sence and vnderstādyng.* 1.76 So that vtterly they nother loue y^t is good / ne yet can knowe or vnderstande what is good. Of these ma∣ner of persones scripture sayth.* 1.77 Impius: cum venerit in profundū malorum: contemnit. The wycked per∣sone: whan he cōmeth or falleth vnto the profundite and depthe or depnes of all yuelles: than doth he cō¦temne / despise / and set al at nought. For surely such maner of persones wyll nat auoyde yuell thoughe they myght. Ne yet thoughe they wolde: they can nat wytte or knowe howe to auoyde it / wherfore: in y^e diuision aboue rehersed: I iuged this eye sight

and intent (of good reason) to be the worse of the .ii. yuell intētes / nat bycause it is more maligne or ma∣licious: but bycause it is more perilous. For igno∣raunce doth make a persone more sure and careles of hym selfe. And suche securite and surete: dothe make hym more dull and stuggysshe: but nat more wycked or yuell. For they ben bothe lyke in wycked¦nes or yuell / natwithstande yet is this intent worse (doutles) than the other / bycause the other hath but one of the two forsayde vices / that is to say an yuell mynde and purpose. And this hathe also with the yuell intent / a fals consideracion or opinion. The other eye / or syght / lacketh but one of the sayd ver∣tues / that is to say: good zele / and this intēt lacketh bothe good zele and also true iugement. Of this worst eye syght / and intent / than / that hathe nother of the sayd vertues / charite / or good zele / nor yet sci∣ence or true iugement. And also of the other best eye syght and entente / that lackethe nother of the same vertues: dyd our sauiour / very essensiall trouth: dis¦pute & argue / the hole body / that is / the hole wercke or dede of y^e persone: other to be wrapped in the dar¦nes of synne / or els to be garnysshed with the syght of grace. For the other two eye syghtes or intentes bycause that nother of them hathe / other bothe the sayd vertues / or yet both the said vices: can gyue no¦ther lyght nor darkenes vnto the hole body / that is / the worke or dede of the persone / although they my∣ght partely gyue some lyght or darkenes thervnto. Let vs nowe retourne agayne vnto your demaūde and question. If than that eye or syght / and intente be verely wycked / that both peruers or frowarde / &

also blynde and ignoraunt: do a good dede / and yet byleue it be yuel: so in doyng and workyng ryghtly and well: but supposyng in opinion wyckedly and ••mys: he doth (by that meane) tourne that thyng y^t was good: into yuell vnto hym selfe / & also he dothe tourne it into as great yuell as he byleuthe it be. Bycause that (accordynge vnto the sentence of oure sauiour) the wycked eye syght and intent:* 1.78 doth ren∣der and make all the hole body: that is al the worke tenebroule and darke / without any lyght of grace. For what is lefte & referred vnto the lyght of grace. where nother a deuoute or good intente: nor yet a good opinion is had or founde? But yet it foloweth nat therof / that he that (on the contrarie parte) doth yuell and supposeth & byleueth he doth good: shuld therfore fynde or wynne merite accordyng vnto his feith and byleue. And why so? For this of a surete is nat suche a symple eye or syght / & intent / as we dyd byfore describe / and define / that shulde (by the iuge∣ment of trouthe) render & make all the body bryght / that is all the worke good. For that intente and mynde is nat all voyde of darkenes: where the ig∣noraunce of trouthe:* 1.79 doth obscure and blemyshe the lyght of the wyl. Syth than the frowarde & blynde eye / syght / and intent / that doth good / intendynge yuell: hathe bothe of the two said vyces / that is yuel wyll and ignoraunce. And syth also this eye / syght / and intent / that doth yuell / intendynge good: hathe nat both the sayd vertues / zele / and science: doth nat good reason requyre and conclude that he y^t dothe yuell / in stede of good: doth more noy and hurte: thā the other doth profytte / that doth good intendynge

yuell. For it is nat consequent / nor accordynge vnto reason: that one good thyng / maye so moche auayle and profitte vnto goodnes / as may two yuel thing{is} vnto yuell. And yet wolde I say / that a good religi¦ous & deuout intent alone: is worthy lande & prayse And yet shall the good wyll (for a surete) not be de∣frauded of cōdigne & worthy rewarde / ī a dede also nat good / that is in an yuell dede. And yet natw^tstā∣dyng very simplicite: shall neuer be deceyued w^tout some maner of yuell. Why so say you? doth nat sīpli∣cite / or the sīple {per}sone do all of feyth / or accordynge vnto feyth? I saye nat nay / but he do it of feyth / but yet I saye / that his feythe is deceyued & false / & so I may rather say: that he doth it nat of very feith. For a fals or deceyued feyth: is no feyth.* 1.80 And I thynke and iuge verely / that the Apostle spake of very and true feyth / and nat of deceyued or fals feith whan he sayd / all that is nat of feyth: is synne and offence. But that thyng that is yuell: can neuer be supposed nor byleued (of very true feythe) to be good. For yuel is fals. And therfore is it synne. That chapiter therfore of the Apostle Paule / where he sayth / all y^t is nat feyth is fynde. &c. dothe conteyne and couple bothe these sayd vices / that is to say both blynde ma¦lice / & also deceyued innocēcy or sīplicite. For what so euer is done of an ignoraūt {per}sone is amys / for if it be good: an yuell intent: doth vtterly condempne it & make it nought. And if it be yuell: the ryght or good intent: dothe not fully excuse it / whether than a persone do thynke / suppose / or iuge / a good thyng that he doth by chaunce or by ignoraūce: to be yuell or whether he shall byleue an yuell thynge that he

doth in like maner: to be good: he is deceyued. For bothe be synne / bycause nother is of feyth / nor accor¦dyng vnto very true feythe. Althoughe (for a certeī∣te) the persone that with a good intent doth a dede / reprouable and semyng yuell outwarde / dothe lesse synne: than doth he that with a priue malicious in∣tent: doth a dede that is nat yuell. For that thynge can neuer be pure good: that is done with any ma∣ner synne / thoughe neuer so lytell. Howe may than a thynge that is nat pure good / be cōpared in effecte and workyng: vnto that thyng / that is pure & vtter¦ly nought / & yuell? that is to meane. Howe may the im{per}fecte good intent: worke in effecte and cause / as moche good vnto the persone: as the pure yuell in∣tent: may cause hurte / & yuell vnto the other {per}sone? it can nat be let thefore these cōclusions / & determi∣nacions / suffice you as vnto this question. For the other questiōs / that you asked & moued byfore: ben (as I suppose) sufficientely answered also byfore. And yet surely / you done oftymes iterate / reherse / re¦uolue / and tourne agayne the same / & selfe dubitaci∣ons or doutes. But I haue nat so moche care / so of∣ten to repete / & reherse the solucions. For it is suffici∣ent one to assoyle & answere that thyng / y^t by many questions was moued & laboured / or that oftymes hath cōmen in question / whan you also asked & pul question of the weghte / and charge of obedience or of the peryle / and ieoparty of disobedience: a nother thyng fell by chaūce into your mynde / on syde halfe: to spurre and make question of the merite of them both / that is to saye / whether in all preceptes in obe∣dience shulde so moche greue and hynder merite as

obedience doth auayle and profytte. Or thus / whe∣ther in all preceptes / the merite of obedience shulde be equall & like in quantite / vnto the peyne and de∣seruyng:* 1.81 of inobedience / as by example of Abraham in the oblacion of his sone / or els of that mā (I can nat tell his name) spoken of / in vitas Patrum / that (by the cōmaundement of his souereyne) dyd caste his owne chylde quicke into a hole flāmynge ouen or furnes / whether nowe these two persones (by the merite of theyr deseruyng) shulde haue had so moch indignacion of god / and vengeaunce or punisshe∣ment if they had nat ben obediēt / as they haue nowe laude / prayse / thanke / and grace / bycause they were obediente / whiche thynge semethe vnto you bothe harde and greuous / and yet necessarie so to be.* 1.82 But yet it is nat so as you thynke or suppose. For sure it is that many thynges can nat be done without glo∣rie and prayse / and yet the same thynges may be vn¦done without synne or offence / and so if they be done they bene worthy rewarde / and yet if they bene nat done: they be nat worthy any peyne or punisshemēt. For neuer to touche any woman: is a thing of great and singuler merite. And yet a man to touche his owne wyfe: is no synne. Of suche maner ben all the counsayles that bene lyke vnto that chapitre of the gospel / where is sayd. Qui potest capere: capiat. Who so euer may take this counsayle and hathe strength to perfourme it: let hym take it.* 1.83 And agayne on the contrarie parte. Some other thynges neglected and set one parte vndone: done ingender and cause synne and offēce: & yet if they be fulfylled & wrought they deserue no glorie ne thanke. They bothe con∣dempne

theyr dispiser / and done nat glorifie theyr auctour / and doer / or worker. Suche ben all thyn∣ges / wherwith we all by god hym selfe in y^e cōmune and open lawe ben charged without whiche:* 1.84 no {per}∣sone may be saued. And therof arose this prouerbe a¦mong the gentiles. I haue done no theft / or I dyd neuer thefte. Thou shalt nat (than) fede crowes hangyng in the galawes. And our sauiour sayth in the gospel / if you do loue onely them that done loue you: what rewarde shall you haue? And if you sa∣lute and speake fayr and confortably:* 1.85 vnto your bre¦therne and neghbours only: what do you more ther¦in / than done ethnykes and hethen people. And yet agayne vniuersally.* 1.86 Whan you haue perfourmed & done al thynges that were cōmaūded you: say you / we ben vnprofitable seruauntes. For we haue done but that we ought of duete for to do / as thoughe he shulde say / if you be content with the onely {pre}ceptes & tradicions or ordinaunces of the lawe wherwith you ben charged. And do nat wilfully submitte and bynde your selfe vnto the counsayles also and {per}sua∣sions or aduisemētes of perfection: you ben fre and discharged of dette / but yet you ben nat for any me∣rite glorious to be praysed you haue skaped from peyne / but yet haue nat you gotten any crowne. No maner of necessite or nede (than) dothe cōstreyne you to be obediēt vnto euery sīguler thyng that is inioy¦ned or cōmaunded you / nor yet to drede vengeaūce or punisshement for the transgression of euery sin∣guler thynge. Nor yet to haue hope and truste to be rewarded for the obseruyng & {per}fourmyng of euery suche thyng. Let this rule therfore in al suche thyn∣ges

be generally holden and kepte that in all thyn∣ges of great difficulte & harde to be done: we shulde iuge and thynke the obedience and {per}fourmynge of thē to be more thankefull and more worthy reward than the preuaricacion and brekynge of them: to be more greuous or to deserue more peyne. And ī those preceptes that be lyght to be done / and of lesse cure burthen / and charge: let vs thynke and iuge: the cō∣tempte more to be dampnable / thā the dede or doyng of them to be laudable. Nowe syth we haue here of spoken sufficiently / let vs nowe also se (for your for∣ther demaunde) howe firmely & constaūtly: the sta∣bilite of the place: whiche in the profession of euery {per}sone: is wont to be made stedfast / shulde be holdē & kept / that is to meane / whether a {per}sone {pro}fessed may leue and forsake the place of his profession for any cause. And if there be any suche causes: what ma∣ner of causes they shulde than be: for the whiche: it shulde be other lawfull or expedient for any {per}sone: to breke that sayd stabilite / & to forsake his place. For herof (you say) you doure or be in doute / vnto y^t whiche (in the meane tyme / sure and certeyne nowe nowe of this that I say) I wyll thus answere / y^t by no meanes it may be lawful for any {per}sone / to descēd or go dounwarde frō any good state of {per}fectiō whi∣che state he hath ones byfore vowed & {pro}mised to ke∣pe. And thervnto I say also / that I wolde nat ī any wyse / coūsayle any {per}sone to chaūge that place / whi¦che he had ones chosen hym selfe / & (by his owne fre¦wyl) had firmed & fastened hīselfe vnto y^e same. And of y^e same mynde is y^e holy pope saynt Gregory sa∣yng. Al maner of {per}fecte {per}sones: done loke wel vnto thēselfe

with great subtilite / and narowe study of discreciō: that they neuer in other dede or thought: slippe / fal / or faynt any tyme / from theyr better state or condici¦on of lyuynge vnto worse. But the holy Apostle Paule dyd reioyse that he had in dede fulfylled the same thynge that this sayd apostolicall saynt: dyd herof fele and iuge.* 1.87 Those thynges (sayth he) that ben left behynde me: I do forget / & euer do I extēde and streche forthe my selfe: vnto those thynges that ben byfore me of more hyghe perfection. And the / {pro}-Ezechiel dyd signifie the same / whā he spake of the holy beastes sayng.* 1.88 Whan they went forth: they dyd nat retourne ne tourne backe agayne / but eueryche of them: went forthe byfore his face. And all these holy auctorites in so vnderstandyng and iugynge: dyd none other but folowe the sentence of theyr mai¦ster that he spake in the gospell sayng.* 1.89 No persone strechynge & putting forth his hande vnto y^e ploghe & lokyng backe:* 1.90 is apte or conuenient for the realme & kyngdome of god (That is to meane that no {per}son that doth entreprise / & take vpon hym any {per}fection & thā goth backe & forsaketh y^e same: is apte or mete to be a chylde of saluacion) let therfore the pacte & {pro}¦myse of stabilite made ī {pro}fession: {pre}scribe & haue auc∣torite in euery religious {per}sone: aboue y^e remysse & lyght descence / & also aboue y^e cōtencious flyttyng & departyng frō one place vnto a nother / & likewise of all wandryng & curious or new fangle discourses & rēnynges & gaddyng aboute to se newes / & (shortly to cōclude) let that {pro}myse of stabilite / put away all waueryng myndes & lyghtnes of cōstancy. And yet natw^tstādyng y^e sayd pact & {pro}myse of stabilite: hath nat

that auctorite in those thynges that done folowe & ben requyred ī the serye and order of the profession / that is to saye in the conuersion and chaunge of ma¦ners / and in that obedience that is made and promi¦sed after or accordynge vnto the rule. For if these thynges / that is / religious maner / due obedience & reguler obseruaunce: myght nat there (peraduen∣ture) be obteyned and lerned / bycause of the impro∣bite yuell maners / & of the vnreligious byhauioure of the company: than dare I boldely (without fere or doute) counsayle that persone (moued and led by the spirite of libertie / that is to saye the spirite of Christe) to flytte / remoue / and go forthe vnto an other well ordred place / where that sayd persone: shulde nat be letted to render and yelde vnto oure lorde god his vowe and promyse that he made with his mouthe. For surely as the prophete sayth.* 1.91 Cum sancto: sanctus eris, et cum peruerso peruerteris. with good and holy company: thou shalt be holy and ver¦tuous / and with peruers & frowarde or misordred cōpany: shalt thou be froward and disordred. But surely from any monastery religious and well or∣dred: shall no professed persone departe by my coun¦sayle / although it were for y^e desyre of a more streyt lyfe without licence of his souereyne / natwithstan∣dyng: if the persone haue departed and be gon forth and haue founde and chosen a better state / and con∣dicion: than wolde nat I aduyse hym by any mea∣nes to retourne and tourne agayne / vnto that infe∣riour and lower perfection whiche he lefte / forsoke / and despised for to haue that better {pro}uided alway / that the better state be suche as doth seme to be con∣gruent and accordyng / vnto his fyrst or fore profes∣sion.

For let hym loke well / by what reasō / for what cause / and by what intent / he presumed and toke vp¦on hym that more hyghe {per}fection / and strayter lyfe. For (by my counseyle) he shall neuer playe the apo¦stata in retournyng and tournyng agayne vnto the lower perfection or more easy lyfe. Except (natwith¦standyng) he were reuoked and caled home agayne by the cōpany of his fyrst place / as nat lawfully de∣parted thens. For no persone of a knowen monaste¦rie maye be reteyned nor yet receyued regulerly: w^t¦out the consent of his souereyne. And you may take the reason of this sentence more openly by example. A persone (in case) of the rule of saynt Augustyne / professed amonge reguler chanons:* 1.92 wold (for more perfection) streyne and bynde hym selfe vnto the po¦uerte of the dominikes / caled the freres preachers or blacke freres / al of one rule / and that he wolde do to chose rather to obserue the purite of the rule: thā the customes of his owne monasterie. Surely if he wolde aske my counsayle I wolde nat counsayle hym so to do / without the consent of his souereyne. And why so? fyrste (I saye) for the slaunder and oc∣casion of that company that he leyueth or forsaketh / and than bycause it is no surete of saluacion: to leue and forsake certeynte: for thynges doutfull. For peraduenture he hathe power and strength to kepe that he hathe professed / and hathe nat so to kepe the other. And the thyrde cause is / bycause I haue le∣uite / and lyghtnes euer suspecte. For therby / that thynge oftymes: that we lightly / and sone done wyl and desyre byfore we haue proued or asayde it: whā we haue experience therof: than wyll we nat medle

therwith / but nerehande in y^e same moment or short space of tyme: both we done couete and also forsake the same thyng / as well by great lyghtnes as with∣out reason. Of many suche: haue we oftymes expe∣rience / that ī duryng and abydyng skant one houre in one mynde or wyll / and blowen aboute with the wynde of leuite or lyghtnes / vagabondes and vn∣stable: done ryle and stomble / like vnto droncardes or dronken persones / and for to haue experiēce: they chaunge theyr iugemēt / or rather without iugemēt or reason flowyng and rēnyng aboute. Full of trou¦ble and makebates: done presume so many counsay¦les of them selfe: as they visite places / euer coueting and desyryng that thing that they lacke or haue nat & y^t they haue: they done lothe & sone ben they wery therof. And howe sayth some persone that hath pro∣fessed a rule shulde I lyue (with good conscience) contrarie that rule / or nat after and accordyng vnto that rule? For makynge a vowe and promyse: and nat perfourmynge the same: what do I els: but for∣swere my selfe? As thoughe (saye I) thou mayst nat haue in a nother place: wherof thou shuldest moche more complayne and grudge in conscience whanne thou begynnest to lyue poorely accordyng vnto thy rule. For a surety (brother) yuen than shalt thou say in lyke wyse. By what conscience maye I susteyne and bere: to byde and dwell out of my fyrste house / that receyued me whan I fledde out of the worlde / and dyd consecrate me in this holy habite / and so marked and signed me to be a chylde of saluacion. And I there was molestious and combrouse vnto my bretherne / and inobedient vnto my souereyne.

And ouer all this I haue broken the pacte and pro∣myse of stabilite / & thus made my fyrst feyth: vayne and voyde. Suche combraunce of conscience shall they haue that ben flytters and chaungeable lyght persones natwithstandyng. Nother of these queri∣monies or grudges is good or iuste. For that per∣sone / that dothe suppose & thynke y^t he is forsworne bycause he dothe nat obserue and kepe the rule in e∣uery poynt: doth seme vnto me nat wel to attende & hede what he sware. For no persone whan he is pro¦fessed: dothe professe or promyse the reule / but euery {per}sone doth {pro}mise / that he wyl directe and order his conuersion / & also his cōuersaciō & maner of liuing: after or accordyng vnto the rule. This (for the most parte) is the cōmune profession of all religious per∣sones in this tyme / that is to say / after or accordyng vnto the rule. And althoughe god be serued in di∣uerse monasteries: by diuerse obseruaūces: as long natwithstandynge as euery persone dothe kepe the good vses and customes of his place: no doute but that he lyueth after or accordyng vnto the rule. For good vsages: done nat discorde with the rule. Who so euer that doth holde & kepe the good maner that he fyndeth kepte / in the place where he is professed: he (for a surete) doth lyue as he promysed. For (dout¦les) no persone doth promyse / or promitte any other thynge than semeth vnto hym that y^e religious lyfe / or lyuyng of thē / doth holde and kepe: with whome he hathe diposed and chosen (from thens forthe) all his lyfe to lyue reason why. For the simple {per}sones of a poore monasterie done nat professe ne {pro}myse: the vse and customes / the lernyng and connyng nor solēpne ceremonies of a great monasterie / nor one

monasterie dothe promyse / the distriction and hard lyuynge of a nother monasterie. And yet natwith∣standyng all religious persones done make profes∣sion: after or accordyng vnto the rule. For euery where the {pro}myse of the mouthe and the wordes ben all one / after one maner. But bycause the intent of y^e herte and mynde is nat in al persones one and lyke: the obseruacion and maner of doyng in theyr wor∣kes / maye doutles (without any detriment or hyn∣draūce of saluacion / and without dāmage or offēce of the profession) be vnlyke and nat al one in all pla¦ces / lyke as all persones (althoughe good christia∣nes) done nat yet kepe and holde al thynges in like that ben conteyned in the gospell / and yet natwith∣standyng: all done lyue after or accordyng vnto the gospell. For those persones that ben content to lyue in the bonde of wedloke / after the graūt of god and the churche: done nat yet byleue that they haue ther¦fore receyued or departed / and forsaken the gospell bycause they haue nat chosen nor taken the waye of the hyghe perfection of that counsayle to lyue in vir¦ginite / or in continencie: So in lyke maner those re¦ligious persones / that haue purposed and {pro}mised to lyue after or accordyng vnto the rule: althoughe they kepe nat all the hole rule precisely and (as they saye) vnto the poynt: And althoughe they chaunge and leue some thynges accordyng vnto the vse / and custome of theyr clauster or monastery: yet done nat they therfore disced / or go holly frō theyr {pro}fessiō / as long as they done lyue soberly / iustly / & religiously according vnto the maners of theyr company. The selfe rule therfore: dothe put the .viii. degre of humi¦lite / that a religious persone shall nothyng do: but

that the cōmune rule of the monasterie / or els exam∣ples of y^e seniores: done exhorte / coūsayle or require to be done. Excepte therfore / the order of the cisterci¦enses / and suche other religious {per}sones / that done folowe theyr custome therein / that is to saye / that done cure and gyue diligence: nat onely to lyue af∣ter or according vnto the rule: but also to holde / and kepe holly and precisely after the letter: all the very rule (as they verely thynke & suppose they haue {pro}∣fessed) this maner of {per}sones (I say) excepted: let nat (frō hens forth) the reguler & solemne {pro}fession / in the whiche no promyse is made of all the hole rule: moue / fere / or put in cōscience any persone that doth lyue in obedience / in those places or monasteries wherin due order and discipline is kept with good customes. The profession therfore is sure & safe vn∣to euery persone / in all monasteries well ordred / al onely the intent and mynde / or purpose of the {per}sone be good sure and saue. But natwithstandynge: if a persone be vnquiete / and can nat byleue this y^t I haue sayd but rather byleuyng / & gyuynge place vnto his owne conscience that pricketh and grud∣geth therwith / and so goth forth / and doth departe / and doth serche / and seke a nother place / where he may render and perfourme his vowe / and promyse that he made after his owne iugement and mynde in his owne place / and dyd nat there perfourme the same: as I do nat prayse nor approue his goynge forth: so do I nat counsayle that he shulde retourne so natwithstandyng: that he go ferre awaye & vnto a straunge / and vnknowen monasterie / and why so? For two causes / one is the sentēce of saynt Paule whiche dothe openly declare that he is blessed and happy: that doth nat iuge hym selfe in that thyng y^t

he doth approue.* 1.93 Another cause is the auctorite of our mayster saynt Benedicte / that in the rule dothe cōmaunde suche persones to be receyued and retey∣ned. And founde or proued good and vertuous:* 1.94 to be conforted be good persuasion and coūsayle / and there by profession to be bounde. These ben the wor¦des of the rule. Let suche a {per}sone (saythe he) be per∣suaded / aduised / and counsayled: there styl to abyde And lest peraduēture / the same {per}sone remembryng his owne monasterie / and grudgynge (as oftymes happeth) in conscience: wolde bygynne to cōplayne agayne vpon the brekyng of his fyrst stabilite: the same rule dothe agayne suche scrupulosite shewe a generall / and confortable sentence & coūsayle sayng In euery place: one god is serued / all our laboures euery where ben done vnto one prince and kynge. And yet dothe he prohibite and forbede the same thynge of the nere monasterie: that he cōmaundethe of the peregrine and straunge monasterie. And the cause therof: is lest the nere abydynge: as a fode or nurysshyng of the slaunder or occasion: shulde be a mater or occasion of stryfte and debate betwene the monasteries: if they shulde take and receyue the re∣ligious persones eyther of other without onely the consent eche of other / of the whiche thynge we haue experience as often tymes: as any suche receyuyng or takyng is presumed contrarie vnto the decre and determinaciō of y^e rule. And if also afterwarde: y^e re¦corde & remēbraūce of y^e slaūder & occasiō y^t de{per}ting he gaue vnto the bretherne whome he left: do any ti¦me (ī case) moue & grudge y^e vnquiete herte & minde of any suche {per}sone regulerly receyued & takē: & that he thinke: y^t he must nedely amende by his retourne

that by his departyng he dyd offende: let that {per}sone that so thynketh: wysely and with good foresyght / consyder: that one slaunder or occasion: is nat well amended by a nother. For what amendes is that: whan thou doste satisfie some persones of the slaun¦der gyuen vnto them: and therby gyue a newe slaū∣der or occasion vnto other persones / althoughe (for a cer••eynte) that slaunder or occasion that is done / hy the intent to profytte vnto the better: is more tol∣lerable / and more veniall and lesse synne: than is y^e slaunder that the persone doth thynke to gyue whā he shulde be an apostata vnto worse and lesse perfec¦tion. But the persone also without any doute dyd byfore more surely folowe his conscience (although nat without slaunder & occasion) vnto that waye y^t he supposed and thought better: than if he had (con∣trarie vnto his consciēce) remayned and taried styl in his tyrste place where he was / and yet myght he well and surely haue byden and taried there styll: if he coulde therby / haue ben well assured and satis∣fied of his owne conscience. Wherfore nowe / let vs in the conclusion of this disputacion: vsurpe & vse y^e same iugement that saynt Paule gaue of that {per}sone that wolde eate and fede / and of that persone that wolde not eate nor fede of those meates that semed vnlawfull / that is to say / that he y^t moued & cōpelled (by his owne {pro}per conscience) dyd leyue & forsake his place: bycause (as semed vnto hī) he wolde nat forsake ne breake his vowe: shulde in no wyse des∣pyse him that wolde nat so leue ne forsake his place And agayne / he that sure in conscience: dredyng the slaunder and offēce of his bretherne: wolde nat leue ne forsake his bretherne: shulde in no wyse iuge ne

cōdempne the {per}sone that dyd departe. And thus as vnto these maters: I praye you take me well / and y^t I haue answered: as I fele / perceyue / & vnderstāde without any preiudice vnto them that can better {per}∣ceyue or fele. Forthermore yet you aske and require me to assoyle you certeyne questions. The fyrste / where a persone had honted / and soght aboute for y^e habite of religion / whiche he deuoutly receiued and afterwarde as vndeuoutly & wyckedly dyd reiecte / cast away and forsake the same: you aske nowe why that saynt Gregory knowynge the matter: dyd nat constrayne hym to resume and take agayne his ha∣bite / but also graūted vnto the apostata so {per}during and abydyng: all maner of cōmunion. The seconde question / why saynt Augustine: dothe (in some ma∣ner subdue the vowe of continencie and chastite: vn¦to y^e lawe of matrimonie / that is to meane / to make and iuge the vowe of chastite to be lower in degree than the lawe of matrimonie. In so moche that in y^e boke he wrote of virginite: he semethe to affirme / y^t vnto the chaste persones: the forepurpose and pro∣mise of that lyfe: may nat {pre}scribe ne haue auctorite and strength / aboue matrimonie coupled to gether and duely knitte:* 1.95 but that matrimonie promised by lawfull contracte: of them also that (by the deceyte of the dyuell) haue broken theyr vowe of holynes & chastite: shall remayne and byde indissoluble and vnde{per}table. And vnto these questions (as for this present tyme) no thynge cōmethe vnto mynde or re∣membraunce more certeynly and more shortly to be answered: than that these holy bisshoppes and sain¦tes dyd so vnderstāde and thynke best / but whether they ryghtly and well dyd therin: let them loke and

se them selfe. For in the senses or vnderstandyng / & ī actes or dedes of noble fathers / I am surely ware: that by no meanes I estteme / thynke / or iuge any o∣ther: than (saynt Paule to wytnes) was than requi¦red among the dispenses & ministers of Christ / y^t is to say / that eueriche be foūde & {pro}ued feythfull & true For I am ī certente:* 1.96 whether they aboūded in theyr owne sence / & spake after theyr owne minde & feling or whether they aboūded and spake in the spirite of god / they both as in all other thynges: so lykewyse in these thyng{is}: were feythfull and true. The thone in dispensyng and ministring that thyng that was byfore his handes and in his power of iugement. And the tother in writtyng that he felt / vnderstode & {per}ceyued. That you yet forther done aske & spurre of certeyne bysshopes / whome (as is wrytē) y^e same saynt Gregory the pope: dyd (for a tyme) inclose or shytte vp ī monasteries for theyr excesses & default{is} whether (in that meane tyme) dwellyng amonge y^e religious {per}sones: they ware theyr owne habite and aray: or els the monasticall habite of the religion? vnto this question: I can nothynge answere: but y^t it semeth more credeble: that they dyd nat receyue y^e notable habite: whiche they shulde nat haue perpe∣tually nor continually kepe / but rather that / that in the secretes of the monasteries: they onely soght qui¦etude and rest / and oportunite of penaunce. You wolde also here this thynge of me / why or wherfore among al other institutes & ordinaūces of penaūce the discipline of y^e monasteries / & the lyfe of religiō: shulde haue this prerogatyfe / that it maye be called a seconde / or the seconde baptisme?* 1.97 I suppose and iuge / the cause why: is for the perfytte renouncynge

and forsakyng of the worlde / and for the singuler ex¦cellencie / of the lyfe spirituall / wherby / this maner of cōuersacion & lyuyng / excelling & ouerpassing in perfection all other of mannes lyfe: dothe make the {pro}fessers & louers therof: more lyke vnto Angels of heuen than vnto men of this worlde / and thervnto doth refourme ī mā y^e ymage of god & doth assigne marke / and appoynt vs (as by speciall badge of ar∣mes) vnto Christe as doth baptisme. And so bene we as baptized the secōde tyme: in that we done (as saynt Paule sayth) mortifie our membres / whiche ben vpon yerth / & done cloth our selfe & put Christe hym selfe vpon vs / as our lyuerey garment / plāted & newly set & roted agayne vnto y^e similitude of his dethe.* 1.98 * 1.99 And also lykewyse as by baptisme we ben de¦lyuered frō the power of darkenes & synne original & ben trāslate & cōuehed into y^e kyngdome & realme of eterne clarite / & euerlastyng glorie:* 1.100 so in lyke ma¦ner: in the secōde regeneracion of this holy purpose of religion: done we escape nat onely frō y^e darknes & daūger of originall synne / but also of many other actuall synnes & done entre into the lyght of vertue & grace / framyng our selfe vnto the sentence of y^e ho¦ly Apostle sayng.* 1.101 The nyght of synne precessed and went byfore: but nowe the day of grace hath appro∣ched & drawē nere. yet done you byseche me to be in fourmed of a nother doute / you aske whether the mu¦tacion and chaūge of the abbotte or souereyne: may any thynge helpe or excuse those religious persones that wolde chaūge theyr owne monasterie / that is / whether / by the deth / or by the deposiciō of the place any more liberte maye be relaxed vnto the subiectes wherby they myght in that poynt and meane tyme

tyme: go at more liberte whether they wolde / vnto the tyme a nother prelate were instituted and put in rowme / vnto the which I answere / Nay by no mea¦nes / that is to saye: they may nat. For the promyse of profession / whan (after the maner) it is made to the churche: doth nat appoynt the terme of the lyfe / or for the lyfe of the souereyne: but rather taketh tes∣timonie and wytnes: of his presence. The persone that maketh profession: doth make it for the tyme of his owne lyfe and nat for the lyfe of any other perso¦nes. Let the {per}sone therfore take good hede & marke well what auctor and maker of y^e rule dyd nat only fele / thynke / or iuge / but also set forth in tradicion & rule sayng.* 1.102 If the professed persone (sayth he) any tyme: otherwyse do (that is to say) than he hath pro¦mysed: let hym knowe / that he shalbe dampned of god whome he mocketh or scornethe. And also he sayth / that a nouis ī religion: may nat haue power of his owne body. And agayne he saythe / they must perseuer and continue in the monasterie: vnto deth The excepcions therfore saue and reserued that in the disputacion byfore ben shortly cōcluded: it may nat (from hensforth) be lawful vnto any religous {per}∣sone (for any occasion) byfore his deth: to forsake (o∣nely by his owne iugement & wyll) the place where he was professed. Or els if he do: he is {pre}uaricatour and breaker of the rule / hauynge dampnacion / by∣cause he maketh his fyrste feyth and promyse vayne and voyde. But yet you go forth styll in question & demaunde / and you aske / what and if (in case) the {pro}¦fessed persone may nat or can nat remaine and byde there: but with perpetuall rancour and grudge of mynde / bycause of the election of the souereyne that

was nat reguler or amiable and fauourable? Now cōmeth to mynde: the answere that (in the gospell) the disciples of our lorde gaue vnto hym whan he taught thē of the lawe of matrimonie. If it be so sir (sayd they) it is nat expediēt to be maried. In very trouthe: the anguysshe is great. For if a man shulde kepe a wyfe that he hatethe: nothyng is more heuy burthen. And if he shulde leue / and forsake her a∣gayne her wyll and consent: nothynge is more vn∣christiane or agayne christianite and christendome. And yet the case is moche lyke. For he is cōstreyned and wrapped in lyke necessite / that nother may leue and forsake his place / lest he breake hts vowe / nor yet may he remayne and byde styll in his place: lest he shulde lyue theyr with rancour and grudge and so lose his lyfe / what thynge may I counsayle this persone? Sulde I coūsayle hym to departe and go his way? nay / that is nat lawfull bycause of his pro∣fession. Shal I coūsayle hym to byde styll? nay / y^t is nat expedient / bycause of his rancoure. you done here propone and put vnto me two thynges of lyke inconuenience / and of lyke peryll and ieoparty / so y^t what so euer I answere: it may nothyng {pro}fitte you For you aske of me whether of these tweyne is more sure in conscience / for the religious persone / to re∣mayne / and byde in his proper monasterie vnder a souereyne irregulerly and vnlawfully chosen with rancoure and grudge / or els for to lyue more quiet∣ly: to de{per}te vnto some other place / whiche questiō su¦rely / I none otherwise receyue & take: thā if I were requyred and asked by whiche of these two dethes I wolde counsayle hym to dey and peryshe: that (in case) wolde sle and kyll hym selfe: by lepynge into a

fyre to be brēt / or els to lepe downe a rocke or some heght / and breke his necke. For (in very dede) bothe he brēneth that bydeth vnto hatered & rancour / and he also that breaketh his vowe and purpose: dothe fall hedlong & breke his necke. But you your owne selfe bretherne: done lightly spede & wel helpe me in this difficulte and hardnes of counsayle / whan you folowe on forthe / and open your mynde: shewynge howe you wolde haue that selfe thyng taken & ment that you call irreguler and vnlawfull / sayng ī your question. Specially (say you) if the irregularite / & vnlawfull maner of the election be so wrapped and wryten to gether: that (althoughe byfore god it be playne / and nothynge to be douted) yet byfore man (natwithstandyng) it may other scant & vnneth: or els by no meanes: be conuynced and re{pro}ued. Now cōmeth vnto my remembraunce & mynde: the good¦ly sayng of the wysemā.* 1.103 He that wyl (sayth he) and hath mynde to recede and departe from his frende: doth seke occasion thervnto. By what meane done you call that election irreguler and vnlawfull that can nat by any reguler or lawful meane: be cassate / made voyde / or reproued. And surely we fynde this sentence wryten. That thynge that may nat be pro∣ued: is vnto me or vnto any persone: vndone and w^t∣out effecte. But yet you saye: And howe shulde any persone be obedient vnto a souereine that is knowē vnworthy / althoughe nat openly? Bretherne: haue nat you red both in your owne rule / and also in the reule of trouthe / whiche is the gospell? Vpon the chayre of Moyses dyd syt scribes & pharises:* 1.104 what so euer they say vnto you: kepe it and do it. But af∣ter theyr workes and ded{is} / do nat you / ne haue wyll

to do. Nowe for the chaūge or wayshynge of your clothes / for all illusions or vnclēnes: take this breue & short coūsayle. I wolde aduyse euery {per}sone to fo∣lowe therin y^e rite & custome of his place / whiche in diuerse monasteries: is obserued & kept / in diuerse maners. Of those {per}sones y^t ben {pro}fessed in many mo∣nasteries (whiche thyng I had nerehande forgottē to speke of) I suppose I haue sufficiently answered byfore whā I disputed & reasoned of y^e stabilite of y^e place / & it is nat nedefull I shulde repete ne reherse the same. I passe ouer y^e other questiōs y^t you made of the canones reules and lawes both bycause that suche thyng{is} done nothynge apperteyne vnto vs y^t ben religious {per}sones. And also bycause you maye your selfe fynde thē lightly in bokes if you wyl take y^e labour to seke therfore. Nowe I come vnto those iii. thyng{is} y^t ben eftsones cōteyned ī your secōde pist¦le / where fyrst you q̄stiō & done aske what coūsail I wolde gyue y^t {per}sone / y^t were cōmoued & stered vnto displesure agayne a nother {per}sone / but nat so ferre: y^t he wolde do hī any hurte or harme hī selfe: but yet so ferre moued / y^t he wolde be glad if it shuld happe / & fortune hī by any other meanes to be hurt: you aske nowe ī this case: whether y^e {per}sone may w^t good cōsci¦ence / say masse or be cōmuned standyng y^t mocion & displeasure: or els whether he shuld & were boūd to w^tdraw hī self / vnto such tyme y^e mociō / & displesure were rebated & swaged. I bysech our lorde / it neuer chāce ne fortune me: to ap{pro}che vnto y^e holy sacrifice of peace: w^t any suche trouble / nor w^t yre / or displea∣sure / stryft nor disceptaciō & cōbraūce of mynde: to touche y^e holy sacramēt / where (vndouted) god him selfe is {pre}sent / recoūs••lyng vnto hī al y^e hole worlde.

Certenly that oblacion or offrynge that any {per}sone doth presente vnto our lorde:* 1.105 shall neuer be thanke∣fully receyued excepte he fyrste apeace and reste his brother / whome he knoweth and remembreth well: he had byfore (in case) greued and hurte. So moch than the lesse thankfull shall his offryng or dede be: if he do nat fyrst appease and rest hym selfe towarde his neghboure. Forthermore yet you aske a questi∣on of the contrariete that semethe to be in these two sentences and sayng of saynt Paule. The fyrste where he sayth vnto the Philippenses. Nostra con∣uersacio in coelis est.* 1.106 Our cōuersacion is ī heuē. The secōde vnto the Corrinthes. Quamdiu sumus in hoc corpore:* 1.107 peregrinamur a domino. As longe as we ben in this body: we done labour in pilgrimage ab¦sent from our lorde. Howe maye these tweyne (saye you) stande to gether? howe may the soule in the sa∣me selfe tyme: bothe labour in body on pilgrimage absent from our lorde: and in heuines also be presēt with our lorde? The selfe Apostle: doth in a nother place assoyle and declare hym selfe. Where he sayth. Ex parte cognoscimus,* 1.108 et ex parte prophetamus. On the thone parte (sayth he) we done knowe / and we haue perfecte knowlege. And on the tother parte: we done prophecie / that we onely byleue. In that (than) that we knowe or haue knowelege as behol∣dyng thynges present: we ben than with our lorde. And in that we yet here bydyng: done prophecy / as it were of thynges to come / byleuyng those thinges that we done nat vnderstande / and hopyng and tru¦stynge those thynges that we knowe nat: we done nowe laboure in pilgrimage here in body as absēt from our lorde. But whan that thynge shall come

to passe (sayth he) that is perfecte / that is to say / the plenitude and fulnes of glorie / whiche shalbe in the resurrection to come:* 1.109 than shall that thyng be voyd and vanisshe that nowe is on the thone parte / that is to say / all maner of corrupcion of the body / where of (without doute) cōmeth & happeth vnto vs / this laboure on pilgrimage in the body: whiche yet re∣maineth and bydeth on the thone parte. And that is it that the Apostle in hym selfe mournyng: doth mi∣serably by wayle and say.* 1.110 O I vnhappy man / who or what persone shall delyuer me from the body of this deth? he doth nat cōplaine so moche agayne the body / but vpon the body (he sayth) of this deth / that is to saye: vpon the corrupcion of the body / that yet indureth and lasteth. Shewynge therby that nat the body: but that the greues of the body / ben cause of our peregrinacion and pilgrimage. For the bo∣dy that is corrupted and wasteth: is greuous vnto the soule / nat the body syngly or alone of it selfe:* 1.111 but the body that is corrupted doth greue the soule / by reason of the corrupcion / so that the corrupcion of the body / is the burthen / charge / and weght of the soule: and nat the nature. Wherby those persones that done mourne / and wayle within them selfe:* 1.112 done desyre and awayte for the redempciō / and nat for the amission and losse of theyr bodies / we there¦fore well and reasonably greued by the necessite of the body / and nat by the societe and company therof done coueyte and desyre to be desolued and loused and so to be with Christe / that the exile that yet doth remayne and byde on y^e thone parte: shulde be finis∣shed and ended / and the heuenly habitacion & dwel∣lyng place: that on the tother parte is nowe bygōne

shulde be made perfecte and fully accomplesshed / or els this text. Our conuersacion is in heuen: may be expouned as the same Apostle saythe vnto the Ro∣maynes. We ben (sayth he) made safe and put in the state of saluacion: by hope. So (than) that nowe we done dwel amonge the heuenly dweilers in heuen: by our hope: And yet natwithstandynge / we done in very dede: labour here in pilgrimage (for the tyme) vpon yerth in our bodies. Or yet may this sayd text our conuersacion is in heuen: be expouned thus / we haue a cause / reason and meane: howe we may both cleue: leyne and be ioyned vnto oure bodies / and howe also we may clyue / stycfast / & be ioyned vnto our lorde / that is whan we giue vnto the body / fode to kepe the lyfe and the sences / and vnto oure lorde true feyth and loue. For surely our spirite and soule is no more present where it dothe gyue lyfe (that is in the body) than it is: where it dothe loue in god. Excepte (peraduenture) the soule were supposed & thought to be and dwell rather where it is holden & tyed by force vnwyllyngly & by necessite: than there whether it wolde with most glad minde and desyre be wylfully caried and conueyed / our sauioure also sayth. Where so euer thy tresour is: there is also thy herte.* 1.113 Also syth the soule that loueth god: doth lyue of hym onely / and by hym: as the body dothe by the soule: by what reason (I pray you) may the soule be more present where it doth gyue lyfe: than where & from whens it taketh lyfe? For (certeynly) charite is the founteyne of lyfe. And I wolde nat say that y^e soule doth lyue: y^t doth not drawe & drynke of y^e foū∣teyne. For it may by no meane drawe thens excepte

it be present at the fonte and wel / whiche is charite / whiche is Christ & god hī selfe. Who so therfore do loue god: is {pre}sent w^t god / in so moche as he loueth / & in y^t he lesse loueth: he is absent. And the soule is conuinced & opēly {pro}ued to loue god in y^t the lesse or so moche lesse y^t (yet for the tyme) it is occupied ī the necessites and nedes of the flesshe. And that occupa∣cion of the body: is nothyng els but a maner of ab∣sence from god / and that absence: is nothing els but a peregrinacion & pilgrimage / & so done we labour here in pilgrimage from our lorde / and we done so labour on pilgrimage in the body / by the troubles wherof: bothe our intent is letted / and also by the ca¦res and busines of the same body: our charite & loue is fatigate / and dwelled. In the ende of your secōde epistle you aske me / howe I wolde iuge or thynke of the vnderstandyng of this text of the gospel. Ecce enim merces vestra: multa est in celis.* 1.114 Lo / take hede & se. For your wages & rewarde: is great or moche in heuen. And you meruell very moche y^t saynt Augu∣styne wolde say vpō y^e same texte: y^t it shulde nat be nedefull to vnderstāde here these visible & corporall or bodely heuēs / lest so our wages & rewarde shuld seme to be set & appoynted in thinges mouable / and slepery & vncerteine. And therfore (you thinke) here shulde some spirituall firmamētes be vnderstāde & ment / of the whiche (as you say) you can nat tell nor yet suspecte: what shulde be supposed or thought. But if you attende & hede well what you haue red. The realme & kingdome of god:* 1.115 is within you / and saynt Paule sayth / that Christ (by feyth) doth dwel in your hertes / as a kyng in his owne realme & rule And in a nother place he sayth.* 1.116 The passions and

paynes of this tyme: ben nothyng of dignite / degre or worthynes ne any thyng cōparable vnto the glo∣rie to come / whiche shalbe reueled & shewed in vs / he sayth nat / that shalbe shewed vnto vs / as an out∣warde thynge / but in vs / as nowe bydynge & dwel∣lyng within vs / but nat yet apperyng. And the pro¦phete sayth also:* 1.117 All the glorie of the kyng{is} doghter is within forth / or frō within. And in a nother place man hath assended vnto an hygh herte / and mynde of contemplacion.* 1.118 And yet agayne: man hath dispo¦sed ascencions in his herte. And the wysemā: The soule of the iuste persone: is the seete / or stall / or syt∣tyng place of sapience / the voyce of the whiche sapi∣ence: is this / heuen: is my sittyng place. If you now take hede (I say) & note well these thynges & many other like in holy scripture:* 1.119 you wyl (in very dede) study & gyue diligence to seke & labour that y^e kyng¦dome of god & his iustice: may rather entre & come vnto you: than that other you shulde go forth out∣warde / or els ascende & clymbe vpwarde or aboue. But I cal here this termes / aboue / or without forth accordyng vnto the posicion & order of the place / as the heuen: doth frō the yerth holde or kepe an exteri∣our & outwarde place. And the sōne / the mone & the sterres: done kepe a superiour & hygher place. For those same selfe thynges that ben within vs by the very subtyle & slēder inuisibilite & vn{per}ceyuablenes of theyr nature: ben also aboue vs by the very hygh dignite and degre of theyr excellency. And also they ben without vs: by the immensite & vnmesurable ex¦cesse of theyr mageste. But these thynges: ben very hyghe & moste hyghe & harde to be intreated. And therfore had they nede of a more diligēt disputaciō

and also of a more wyse & better lerned disputer / & yet thervnto: of a more large worke and intreaty. I had went & supposed / I shulde nat in the intreating of these maters: haue exceded the maner of a pistle. But (as I nowe se & {per}ceyue) the cōmunicacion and tale: hath {pro}ceded vnto more length: than I trusted or thoght. Name you therfore y^e worke if it so please you: a boke / or if it please you: an epistle / as you wyl For: whether it shulbe be / in fewe wordes or in ma∣ny: I was boūde (whiche thynge I haue studied & desyred) to satisfie your wyll and desyre.

¶Thus endeth the boke of saynt Bernarde of pre∣cepte and dispensacion / translated and tourned out of latyne into englysshe: by the sayd brother of Sy∣on / applie all vnto the best I byseche you / and pray for the olde wreche / Rycharde Whytforde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A question of .iii. mem∣bres or {per}r{is} The fyrste.
• * 1.2

  The second membre of the questiō.
• * 1.3

  The thyrde
• * 1.4

  Psal. 65.
• * 1.5

  Luce. 9.
• * 1.6

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.7

  Vt su{pre}.
• * 1.8

  The fyrste part of this subdiuision
• * 1.9

  A question.
• * 1.10

  The secōde membre of this subdiui∣sion necessa¦rie.
• * 1.11

  Exo. 12.
• * 1.12

  Osee. 1. A.
• * 1.13

  Iudi. 16.
• * 1.14

  The thyrde membre of this sayd subdiuision of necessary
• * 1.15

  Of the fyrst membre a∣gayne.
• * 1.16

  A good note for the pre∣lates.
• * 1.17

  Another good note for the sub∣iectes.
• * 1.18

  1. Pe. 1. D.
• * 1.19

  1. Thi. 1.
• * 1.20

  Ca. si frat aliquid im¦possibile.
• * 1.21

  Ca. de gra∣dibus hu∣militatis.
• * 1.22

  Many wyl be well wa∣re they pas nat the bonde and duete of theyr pro∣myse.
• * 1.23

  Philip. 2.
• * 1.24

  Marci. 10.
• * 1.25

  Luce. 6.
• * 1.26

  The best o∣bedience.
• * 1.27

  Note here that man a¦lone may ne¦uer dispens with the la∣we of god that is to say excepte reuelacion or by the ho¦ly ghoste.
• * 1.28

  Lu. 10. C.
• * 1.29

  What is ne∣gligence.
• * 1.30

  Hiere. 17.
• * 1.31

  1. Cor. 8.
• * 1.32

  Luce. 10. Matth. 18.
• * 1.33

  Matt. 18 A.
• * 1.34

  There folo∣weth it were expedient that a myl∣stone were hanged in his necke & he drowned so ī the depe see. Matth. 16.
• * 1.35

  Galla. 6.
• * 1.36

  1. Cor. 2.
• * 1.37

  Io. 13. D.
• * 1.38

  1. Cor. ••.
• * 1.39

  Lu. 10. C.
• * 1.40

  Ca. de obe¦diencia.
• * 1.41

  ••••ala. 2.
• * 1.42

  1. Reg. 2.
• * 1.43

  Psal. 17.
• * 1.44

  As the {per}fec∣tion of reli∣gious obedi¦ence.
• * 1.45

  Rom. 7.
• * 1.46

  Lu. 14. F.
• * 1.47

  Iaco. 3. 1. Io. 2.
• * 1.48

  1. Io. 2. A.
• * 1.49

  Esai. 53.
• * 1.50

  Note well that cōtēpt is greuous & perilous.
• * 1.51

  Matth. 7. Luce. 6.
• * 1.52

  Matth. 5.
• * 1.53

  That synne is caled cri∣minall that is worthy o¦pen and gre¦uous correc¦tiō whether the synne be deedly or veniall.
• * 1.54

  1. Reg. 15.
• * 1.55

  Note well.
• * 1.56

  Luce. 12.
• * 1.57

  Psal. 140.
• * 1.58

  Matt. 5. C.
• * 1.59

  1. Cor. 8.
• * 1.60

  Matth. 5.
• * 1.61

  Matth. 23. A.
• * 1.62

  Matth. 19.
• * 1.63

  Iaco. 3. The conse∣quence is that we don offende ī ma¦ny thynges The antece¦dence is the tenoure of our {pro}fessiō.
• * 1.64

  1 Cor. 8. 1. This. 4.
• * 1.65

  Ro. 14.
• * 1.66

  Matth. 6.
• * 1.67

  Esai. 5.
• * 1.68

  Nota tex∣tum hic defiē.
• * 1.69

  Ro. 10. A.
• * 1.70

  Matth. 10.
• * 1.71

  1. Cor. 14.
• * 1.72

  Psal. 13.
• * 1.73

  Osee. 7.
• * 1.74

  Math. 10.
• * 1.75

  Luce. 16.
• * 1.76

  Ro. 1. C.
• * 1.77

  Prouer. 18.
• * 1.78

  Matth. 6.
• * 1.79

  He that dothe good intendynge yuele: dothe heurte hym selfe alone / & dothe pro¦fite vnto other by the good dede / but he that dothe yuele intendynge well / he dothe bothe heurte hym selfe by igno¦raunce / and also heurte vnto other by the yuele dede.
• * 1.80

  Ro. 14.
• * 1.81

  Gene. 22.
• * 1.82

  Parte. 2. Ca. seu li. de obedi∣encia.
• * 1.83

  Matth. 19. B.
• * 1.84

  He that doth no hurt shal es∣cape punish∣shement. Luce. 6.
• * 1.85

  Matth. 5.
• * 1.86

  Lu. 17. C.
• * 1.87

  Phil. 3. C.
• * 1.88

  Ezechiel. 1.
• * 1.89

  Luce. 9.
• * 1.90

  The inter∣pretacion of the transla∣tour.
• * 1.91

  Psal. 75. Psal. 17.
• * 1.92

  Te exemple of saīt Ber∣narde is of the Cluma∣censis & of the Cister∣ciensis.
• * 1.93

  Ro. 14. D.
• * 1.94

  Ca. de mo¦nachis pe¦regrinis.
• * 1.95

  Vnderstāde this auctori¦te of saynt Augustine ī the simple vowe of cha¦stite / nat the vowe of so∣lemne {pro}fes∣sion in reli∣gion.
• * 1.96

  1. Co. 4. A.
• * 1.97

  The laude of religious lyuyng.
• * 1.98

  Collo. 3. A.
• * 1.99

  Ro. 13. D.
• * 1.100

  Ro. 6. A.
• * 1.101

  Ro. 13. D.
• * 1.102

  Ca. de mo∣nachis et pegrinis.
• * 1.103

  Prou. 18.
• * 1.104

  Matth. 23. A.
• * 1.105

  Matt. 5. D.
• * 1.106

  Phillip. 3.
• * 1.107

  2. Cor. 5.
• * 1.108

  1. Co. 13.
• * 1.109

  1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.110

  Ro. 7.
• * 1.111

  Sapi. 9. D.
• * 1.112

  Ro. S.
• * 1.113

  Matth. 6.
• * 1.114

  Lu. 6. D.
• * 1.115

  Luce. 17. Ephe. 3.
• * 1.116

  Ro. 8.
• * 1.117

  Psal. 44. Psal. 63.
• * 1.118

  Psal. 83. Sapien. 7,
• * 1.119

  Esai. 66. A