The rule of saynt Augustyne, bothe in latyn and englysshe, with two exposicyons. And also the same rule agayn onely in englysshe without latyn or exposicyon The tra[n]slatour doth aduyse [and] cou[n]seyll all the disciples of this rule to bere alway one of these bokes upo[n] them syth they ben so portatyue, [and] may be had for so small a pryce.

¶ Saynt Hugh.

¶ Our lord & sauyour wold his chirche shold so be or∣dred / y^t some shold be applyed hooly vnto spūalitees / & other some sholde minystre vnto them tēporalitees / & therfore he wold haue some {per}sones souerayns / & som to be subiectes. The office of y^e souerayns is to miny∣stre vnto y^e subiectes thȳges tēporall. And y^e duty of y^e subiectes is to be diligēt in y^e seruyce of god / & in thyn∣ges spūall / as in redyng / prayeng / syngȳge & cōtēpla¦cion / & so in psalmes / ympnes & spūal melody to serue & please almighty god. And therfore the more they be discharged of tēporall care & besynes / y^e more ben they

boūde to serue god in purete of lyf / it is therfore ordey¦ned by our lorde / that suche persones as done seruyce in the chirche / sholde lyue by y^e goodes of the chirche. For (as he sayd hymselfe) the labourer is worthy his hyre or wages.* 1.1 Wherfore yf we lyue of y^e patrimony and prouisyon of Chryst / it is ryght & iust that we la∣bour in y^e seruyce of Chryst. And thā done we receyue worthely our wages / yf we fyrst do well & truly our labour / therfore saynt Paule sayth.* 1.2 Who so wyll not labour / let hȳ haue no mete ne wages. For yf we ete & drȳke & take wages / & do no labour therfore / we shall so moche y^e more be gylty & synful / y^t we vnworthely & without deseruynge done receyue y^e benefytes of god. It is necessary therfore we serue hȳ truly of whome we ben foūde & done take our wages / yf w^tout ieoper∣dy of our soules we wyll receyue / y^t by our souerayne is distrybuted & gyuen amonge vs. And also y^t we be so moche y^e more diligent in his seruyce / y^t we receyue and haue w^tout grete labours that we nede. For what meruayle is it / though suche {per}sones as ben occupyed in tēporall besynes / ben moche carefull of theyr lyfe / & in drede of cōscyence / whan by theyr thoughtes wor∣des or werkes they offend god. For y^e custome & vse of the worlde wyl drawe people / & that sometyme in ma¦ner agaynst theyr wyl & mynde vnto synne & offence. But religyous persones that haue not that besynes / ne suche occasyon to synne / yf they lyue not more wa∣rely / and be / after theyr name / more religyous & ver∣tuous: surely they shall moche more greuously offend god than y^e other / & not w^tout grete ieopardy of theyr soules shall they offend in small fautes & neclygences wherin y^e other worldly persones ben excusable. Let

vs therfore depely wey and cōsyder wherfore & vnto what entent / fode & clothynge is mynystred vnto vs / that is / y^t we fyrst & princypally sholde seke & desyred y^e kyngdome of god / & than ben these temporall necessa∣ryes iustly distributed & ministred vnto vs.* 1.3 How this fode & clothynge w^t other necessaryes sholde be myni∣stred vnto vs / foloweth in y^e lettre.* 1.4 Non equaliter oi∣bus: qi non equaliter valetis oēs: sed potius vnicui{que} prout cui{que} opus fuerit. That is to saye. Not equally or of lyke porcyon vnto all persones / for ye be not all of lyke myght & strength. But so rather be it distributed & diuided vnto euery persone / as vnto eueryche is ne∣cessary or nedefull. Where before he sayd y^t all necessa∣ryes sholde be diuyded / & delyuered vnto y^e cōpany by the souerayne. Here he sheweth vnder what fourme that diuisyon & delyueraūce shold be / that is to saye / y^t neyther y^e soueraynes sholde be parcyall to gyue after theyr affeccyon / ne yet the subiectes ony thynge to re∣ceyue after theyr owne pleasure or superfluous appe¦tyte / but y^t the discrecyon of the souerayne do perceyue what is very & vnfeyned nede vnto y^e subiectes / after the naturall strength of euery {per}sone / & therafter gyue them y^t is necessary. For y^e whiche reason saynt Augu¦styne bryngeth auctorite of holy scrypture / sayenge. Sic enī legitis in actib{us} aplo{rum}:* 1.5 quia erāt illis oīa coīa et distribuebat{ur} vnicui{que} op{us} erat. That is to saye.* 1.6 For so it is redde in y^e actes of y^e apostles / that thynges all were vnto them cōmune / and vnto eue∣ryche was dystrybuted as vnto eueryche was nede∣full. Now foloweth vpon this last clause y^e auctour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. x.
• * 1.2

  •…•…thess. iij.
• * 1.3

  Math̄. v•…•…
• * 1.4

  The text
• * 1.5

  Act. ij.
• * 1.6

  Texte.