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¶ If that {per}sone be cruell & vnkynde that wolde kepe preuy the bodyly woūde of his frende vnto the ieoper¦dy of his lyfe: moche more is that persone cruell & vn∣charitable yt wolde kepe secrete the synne & spirytuall woūde of the soule / vnto ye losse & destruccyon therof. For he is as gylty of his dampnacyon as he hymselfe bycause he suffreth hym (by his sylence) to perysshe &
be lost. And so bothe ben in the peryll of dampnacyon. The one for his doynge / the other for his sylence and lacke of spekynge. Syth than ye persone is cruell that doth not shewe the synne / that persone contrary must nede be mercyfull & pyteous / that dothe not hyde the synne. For who can shewe more pyte & mercy vnto ony persone / than to saue his lyfe that shold perysshe & be lost? A grete rewarde doubtles shall he haue yt so doth of our sauyour that sayd.* 1.1 Beati misericordes / qm ipi misericordiā cōsequentur. That is. Blessed be ye mer∣cyfull / for they shall wynne & purchase mercy. And ye holy apostle saynt Iames sayth.* 1.2 who so euer causeth ony persones to be conuerted from theyr errours & to forsake theyr euyll wayes / he saueth his owne soule and he couereth & hydeth from god the multytude of synnes. How than the synne of a relygyous persone shold be shewed in moost charitable maner / foloweth in ye lettre. Sed ante{quam} alijs demonstret{ur} / {per} quos con∣uincendus est: si negauerit / prius {pre}posito debet osten∣di: si admonit{us} ab vno neglexerit corrigi / ne forte pos∣sit secretius corrept{us}: nō innotescere ceteris. That is. But yet before the defaute or offence be shewed vnto ony other {per}sones / by whome (as recordes) the trespa¦cer (yf he deny it) sholde be cōuycted & proued gylty / it shold fyrst be shewed vnto ye souerayne or heed / & that yf he were negligent / & wolde not be monysshed & re∣fourmed by that one persone yt fyrst foūde the defaute: than sholde (I saye) his offence be shewed fyrst vnto the souerayne / yf peraduenture the trespacer myght so more secretly be refourmed / & the defaut no ferther to be open / ne knowen vnto ony other persones. Here may ye se yt I sayd before / how saynt Augustyn doth
yet agayne correcte hymselfe / or at the lest more open∣ly declare hȳselfe. For where he fyrst sayd / that who so euer dyd perceyue the defaute of his felowe / sholde warne hym therof / & yf by that warnynge he dyd not amende / than sholde he shewe it forth to be corrected / but yt sayenge he restrayned vnto the ordre of the gos∣pell / yt is / that before the defaute were openly shewed the fynder or perceyuer therof sholde call certayn per∣sones to espy & fynde the same defaute / & to bere wyt∣nes therof. But yet vnto the more perfeccyon of rely∣gyous {per}sones / he restrayneth agayne yt sayenge / and wylleth or cōmuūdeth / that what so euer {per}sone rely∣gyous do fynde ony suche defaute in his felowe / shold after warnynge shewe it fyrst vnto ye souerayne / but not openly in iudgement & place of correccyon / but ra∣ther in moost secrete maner / that the souerayne shold so refourme ye defaute in secretnes. If that wolde not spede / than to be shewed vnto the sayd souerayne in ye chapytre in open iudgement / & so to be corrected & pu∣nysshed as after is shewed / whiche ye shall here in ye place. Now for this lettre / many {per}sones yt ben lyght to fall and negligent in religyon / wolde laye for theyr owne excuse / that in all theyr defautes & offences this sayd processe sholde be obserued / and that is not so / for this processe onely beholdeth grete / greuous & sclaun¦drous defautes / the other may be proclaymed in open chapytre wtout ony suche processe / accordyng euer vn∣to ye statutes / ordynaūces & vsed customes of ye place. Now here
Math̄. v.
Iacob. v.