Saynt Hugh.
¶ This sentence or sayenge of saynt Augustyn doth accorde with ye wordes of the apostle / & of the gospell.* The apostle sayth. If ony persone be foūde wt defaute or trespace / you that ben spirituall persones / must in∣structe / teche & refourme that {per}sone & euery lyke per∣sone / in ye spiryte of softnes & sobrenes / & in gentyll ma¦ner.* And our sauyour sayth in the gospell. If thy bro∣der do ony offence that appereth vnto thy knowlege / chalenge hym therfore bytwene the & hym alone. And yf he wyll here the & be refourmed / thou haste wonne & recouered thy broder. But & yf he wyll not here the / ne be reuoked from his euyll / than take wt the twayne or thre persones / that by the mouth of twayne or thre euery worde & sentence of coūseyle may stande & haue more strengthe of trouth to be testyfyed. The defaute or trespace of ony persone / must be serched & corrected with moost hygh diligence. For who so in this worlde Page xlv doth not amende his synne / shall doubtles in ye worlde to come be dampned or punysshed therfore. Wherof ye apostle sayth.* It is horryble & dredefull for ony {per}sone to fall in the daūger of our lorde & lyuynge god. It is better therfore now to amende / than here after to pe∣rysshe & be vtterly lost. That persone therfore yt loueth to be chalenged and corrected for his offence / is very wyse. In the boke of sapyence is wryten.* Correcte & chalenge a wyse man / & he wyll loue the. And a fole / whan he is chalenged / wyll be angry & wroth. But note well what the apostle sayd vnto his dyscyple. Iusta (sayth he) oportune / importune. That is.* Be thou diligēt & bolde to rebuke synne / bothe by softnes & easy maner / & also by sharpnes & ernest maner. The one he sayd for them that wyll be lyghtly refourmed & gladly wyll here ye worde of god. The other he sayd for them yt ben more styffe stomacked / & done not glad∣ly here holy doctryne. So must euery persone yt wyll rebuke synne / be / or seme somwhat sharpe / but euer wtout angre / & with charite / for so the persone yt is re∣buked / all though for the tyme he be troubled / yet at length shall he be glad therof / & study to amende his defaut. The lettre.* Nec vos iudicetis esse maliuolos quādo hoc iudicatis: magis qippe nocentes estis: si fra¦tres vestros / quos iudicādo corrigere potestis: tacēdo perire {per}mittitis. Si enī frater tuus vuln{us} haberet in corpore / qd velit occultari dū timet secari: nōne crude∣liter a te sileretur / et misericorditer iudicaret? Quāto ergo magis debes manifestare:* ne deterius putrescat in corde? That is. And all though ye so cōplayne & de∣tecte your felowes / ye shall not (for all yt) thynke your selfe euyll wylly wroth / or malicyous agaynst them Page [unnumbered] bycause ye so shewe theyr offence. For of a surety ye bē more noyous & greter enemyes vnto them (yf ye may in shewȳge theyr offence correcte & refourme your fe∣lowes) whan by your sylence ye suffre them to pe∣rysshe & be lost. For yf thy frende had a sore in his bo∣dy / whiche for fere of cuttȳge or payne he wold were hydde & kepte preuy: were thou not cruell & vnkynde to kepe that coūseyle? And contrary / to shewe ye same were thou not mercyfull / pyteous and louynge? Yes doubtles. How moche more than sholde yu shewe thy felowes offence & defaute / lest it mattre spiritually / & rotte inward in his hert? As though saynt Augustyn wolde saye / so moche more as the soule is more pre∣cyous than ye body / so moche more a true frende sholde rather loue ye soule than ye body. This foresayd lettre saynt Augustyn put to / bycause of suche persones as ben scrupulous in conscyence / yt wold suppose it were a grete offence for them to shewe out ony persones de∣faute but theyr owne. Vnto the whiche saynt Augu∣styn answereth / sayenge it is not offence / but a good dede: no malyce / but rather mercy. For so is the ordre (as is sayd) of ye gospell. whiche sayenge yet dothe he correcte / & techeth a waye of more charite / & ferther {per}feccyon / specyally vnto religyous {per}sones as ye shall here / after
