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Oure Lord God Almyghty spekith in
His lawe of tweie matrimoneys or wedlokis.
The first is gostly matrimonye, bitwixe Crist and Holy Chirche, that
is, Cristene soulis
ordeyned to blisse. The secunde matrimoyne is bodily or gostly, bitwene
man and
womman, bi just consent, after Goddis lawe.
Of the first matrimoyne spekith God bi the
prophete Osie to Holy Chirche; and to
ech persone of Holi Chirche God Himself seith, I schal spouse thee, or
wedde thee to
me, in rightwisnesse, in dom, in mercy, and in feith; and I schal wedde
thee withouten
ende. This is the first matrimoyne and best, as God and the soule of
trewe men ben
betre than mennys bodies. And this beste matrimoyne is broken for a
tyme bi brekynge
of saad feith, and defaute of rightwis lyvynge. And herefore God seith
oft His prophetis,
that His peple dide fornicacioun and avoutrie, for thei worschipen
false goddis; and
Seynt Jame seith that men that loven the world ben gostly avoutreris.
For thus writith
he: yee avoutreris, wite ye not that frendischipe of this world is
enemyté of God? And
thus alle men that loven more worldly worschipe or goodis of the world
than God and
His lawe and trewe life, ben avoutreris gostly, yif thei weren Cristene
bifore; and this is
worse avoutrie than brekynge of fleschly matrimonye.
Of the secunde matrimoyne, that is bodily,
spekith God in the firste bok of Holy
Writt, whanne he maade matrimoyne bitwene Adam and Eve in paradis in
staat of
innocence, bifore that thei synneden. And for that God Hymself made
this ordre of
matrimoyne, and he not so made thes newe religions, it is betre and
more to preise
than thes newe ordris. Also Jesus Crist wolde not be borne of the
Virgine Marie, ne
conseyved, but in verrey matrimoyne, as the gospel of Luc, and Seynt
Ambrose, and
othere seyntis witnessen. Also Jesus Crist was present in His owene
persone with His
modir in bodily matrimoyne, to approve it, as the gospel of Jon
techith, whanne He
turned watir into wyn. Also the Holy Gost warneth Cristen men, hou in
the laste daies
summe heretikis schullen departe fro feith of Goddis lawe, gevenge
entente to spiritis
of error, and to techynge of develis, spekynge lesyngis in ypocrisie,
forbedynge
men and wymmen to be weddid, and techynge men to abstene hem fro metis,
the
whiche God hath maad to be eten of trewe men, with thankyngis and
heriyng of God.
Also this bodily matrimoyne is a sacrament and figure of the gostly
wedlok bitwene
Christ and Holy Chirche, as Seynt Poul seith. Also, this wedlok is
nedful to save
mankynde bi generacioun to the day of dom, and to restore and fulfille
the noumbre of
aungelis, dampned for pride, and the noumbre of seyntis in hevene, and
to save men
and wommen fro fornycacion. And therfore he that forbedith or lettith
verrey
matrimonye is enemye of God and seyntis in hevene and alle mankynde.
And herefore
man ponyschide fornycacion and avoutrie in the olde lawe bi stonynge to
deth, and in
the lawe of grace bi dampnynge in helle, but yif men be verrey contrit
therfore.
And herefore, sith fornicacioun is so perilous,
and men and wymmen ben so frele,
God ordeynede prestis in the olde lawe to have wyves, and nevere
forbede it in the
newe lawe, neither bi Crist ne bi His apostlis, but rathere aprovede
it.
But now, bi
ypocrisie of fendis and false men, manye bynden hem to presthod and
chastité, and
forsaken wifis bi Goddis lawe, and schenden maydenes and wifis, and
fallen foulest
of alle. For many ben prestis and religious, in doynge and othere, for
to have lustful lif
and eisy, yong and strong of complexion, and faren wel of mete and
drynk, and wolen
not traveile, neither in penaunce, ne studie of Goddis lawe, ne
techynge, ne laboure
with here hondis; and herefore thei fallen into lecherie in dyverse
degrees, and in
synne agenst kynde. For many gentilmennis sonys and doutres ben maad
religious
agenst here wille, whanne thei ben childre withouten discrecion, for to
have the heri-
tage holly to o child that is most lovyd. And when thei come to age,
what for drede of
here frendis, and what for drede of povert in cas that thei gon out,
and for ypocrise
and flatirynge, and faire bihestis of thes religious, and for drede of
takynge of here
bodi to prison, thei doren not schewe here herte ne leven this stat,
though thei knowen
hemself unable therto. And hereof cometh lecherie and sumtyme
mortherynge of
many men.
Netheles, though matrimonye be good and gretly
comendid of God, yit clene virgynité
is moche betre, - and wedlok also, as Seynt Poul seith opynli; for Jesus
Crist, that
lyvede most perfitly, was evere clene virgine, and not weddid bodely,
and so was His
modir evere virgine, and Jon Evaungelist. Seynt Austyn and Jerom
specially witnessen
wel this in many bokis. Netheles virgynité is so heye and so noble that
Crist comaundid
it not generaly, but saide, who may take, take he it. And therefore
Poul gaf no
comaundement of virgynité, but gaf conseil to hem that weren able
therto. And thus
prestis that kepen clene chastité in bodi and soule doun best; but many
taken this
charge not discretly, and sclaundren hemselfe foule bifore God and His
seyntis, for
newe bondis maade nedeles of synful men. And this is a gret disceit of
the fend under
colour of perfeccion and chastité. For he stireth men to heighe poyntis
of perfeccion,
when he knowith or supposith hem unable, not for here goode, but for to
falle foulere
and depere in more synne, as Seynt Austyn techith. And thus the fend
Sathanas
transfigureth or turneth hem falsly into an angel of light, to disceyve
men bi colour of
holynesse.
See now how this wedlok owith to be kept in
both sides. First this wedlok shulde be
maad with ful consent of bothe partis, principaly to the worschipe of
God, to lyve
clenly in the ordre that He made, and bringe forth childre to fulfille
the chosen noumbre
of seyntis in blisse, and not to have flescly lustis withoute reson and
drede of God, as
mulis and hors and swyn that han no undirstondynge. For the angel
Raphael warned
Tobie, that the fend hath maistrie upon siche men that ben weddid, to
have thus lustis
of flesch as bestis withoute resoun and drede of God. Also this
contract shulde not be
maade bitwixe a yonge man and an olde bareyne widewe, passid
child-berynge, for
love of worldly muk, as men ful of coveitise usen sumtyme, - for than
cometh soone
debat and avoutrie and enemyté, and wast of goodis, and sorowe and car
ynowgh.
And it is a gret dispit to God to coloure thus here wickide coveitise,
lecherie, and
avoutrie bi the holy ordre of matrimoyne. And many men synnen moche,
for thei
defoulen many wymmen, and letten hem fro matrimoyne, and undon hem in
this
world, and sumtyme ben cause of here dampnacion; for thei ben maad
comyn wymmen,
whanne thei han lost here frendishipe, and kunnynge no craft to lyve
by. Many hote
and coragious men wolen not take a pore gentil womman to his wif in
Goddis lawe,
and make here a gentil womman, and save here owene soule, but lyven in
the develis
servyce al here lif, or the more part; and defoulen many templis of God
to gret peril of
here soule, and abiden to have a riche womman for muk, and thanne
wasten here
goodis in harlotrie and nyse pride, in avoutrie on gaie strumpatis, and
evere lyven in
wrathe, and chydynge, and in bondage of synne to the fendis of helle.
Also summe
myghtty men marien here children where that here herte consentith not
wilfully, but
feynen for drede. For comynly thei loken alle aftir richesse and
worthinesse to the
world, and not after goodnesse of virtuous lif. And so God and His side
is putte
bihynde, and the devel and the world and the flesch han now here
maistrie.
For three skillis may a man knowe fleschly his
rightful wif, the firste for to geten
children, to fulfille the noumbre of men and wymmen that schullen be
savyd; the
secunde to kepe his wif fro lecherie of othere men; the thridde is to
kepe himself fro
lecherie of othere wymmen. And no party may kepe him chaste fro the
dedis of
wedlok withouten assent of the tother comynly, for the man hath power
of the wifis
body, and the wif hath power of the mannys body, as Seynt Poul seith.
And yif the
partie desire to be chast, suffre he withowten his owene luste the
thother part in dedis
of matrimoyne, and he getith him thank of God, bothe for suffrynge of
his make, and
for the wille that he hath to chastité; for God takith reward to the
goode wille, and not
onely to the dede. Also men seyn yif bothe parties assenten wilfully to
perfit chastité,
bothe of wille and dede, that it is betre than to use forth the dedis
of matrimonye; and
yif thei assenten bothe parties at the begynnynge to lyve evere chast,
withouten bodily
knowynge, that it is the best kept matrimoyne of all othere, as diden
oure Lady and
Josep, whanne thei ben weddid. Loke that eche partie lyve wel anentis
God and the
world, and stire eche othere to charité, rightwisnesse, and mekenesse
and pacience,
and alle goodnesse. And be ech man war that he procure no fals devours,
for money,
ne frendischipe, ne enemye; for Crist biddith no man departe atwyn hem
that God
hath joyned; but only for avoutré that part that kepith him clene may
be departid fro
the totheris bed, and for noon other cause, as Crist seith hymself. And
yit thanne the
clene part myght lyve chast evere while the tother lyveth, or ellis be
reconseled agen
to the part. Netheles the clene may dwelle forth with the tother lyveth
that forfetis, bi
weie of charité. And men supposen that that weie is gret charité, yif
there be evydence
that the tother part wolle do wel aftirward.
See now how the wif oweth to be suget to the
housbonde, and he owith to reule his
wif, and how thei bothe owen to reule here children in Goddis lawe.
First Seynt Petir
biddith that wifis be suget to here housbondis, insomoche that yif ony
bileve not bi
word of prechynge, that thei ben wonnen withoute word of prechynge bi
the holy
lyvynge of wymmen, whanne men biholden the chast lyvynge of wymmen. And
thes
wymmen schulden not have withouten forth tiffynge of her, ne garlondis
of gold, ne
over precious or curious clothinge, but thei schulden have a clene
soule, peisible and
meke and bonere, the whiche is riche in the sightte of God. And sumtyme
holy wymmen,
hopynge in God, honoureden hem in this manere, and weren suget to here
owene
housbondis, as Sara, Abrahamys wif, obeischid to Abraham, clepynge hym
lord;
and wymmen wel doynge ben gostly doughtris of Sarra. Alle this seith
Seynt Petir.
Also Seynte Poul spekith thus of housbondis and wifis; I wole that men
preie in eche
place, liftynge up clene hondis, that is, clene werkis, withouten
wraththe and strif.
Also I wolle that wymmen ben in covenable abite, with schamefastnesse
and sobirnesse
ournynge hem or makynge fair, not in writhen here, ne in gold, ne in
margery stones
or perlis, ne in precious cloth, but that that bicometh wymmen
bihetynge pité, bi
goode werkis. A womman oweth to lerne in silence, with alle obedience
and subjeccioun.
But Poul seith, I suffre not a womman to teche, that is, openly in
chirche, as Poul seith
in a pistel to Corynthis, and I suffre not a womman to have lordischipe
in here
housbonde, but to be in silence or stillnesse. For, as Poul seith in
many placis, the
housbonde is heed of the wif; and Poul tellith this skille, that Adam
was first formed
and Eve aftirward, and Adam was not disceyved in feith, but the womman
was
disceyved in feith, in trespasynge agenst Goddis comaundement. Alle
this seith Poul
in dyverse placis of Holy Writt. Also Poul biddith that bishopis and
prestis techen wifis
to love here housbondis, to be prudent and chaste and sobre, and to
have care of the
hous, and benynge and underlont, or suget, to here housbondes, - that
the word of
God be not blasphemyd. And that olde wymmen schullen be in holy abite,
not puttynge
fals cryme or synne to othere, ne suynge to moche wyn, and to be wel
techynge, so
that thei teche prudence. Also Poul techith thus, - that wymmen ben
underlont, or
suget, to here husbondis, as to the Lord. For the husbonde is hed of
the womman, as
Crist is heed of the Chirche, He is saveour of the body therof, that
is, the grete
multitude of alle worthi to be savyd. But as Holy Chirche is suget to
Crist, so be
wymmen sugetis to here housbondis in alle thingis. Husbondis, loveth
youre wifis,
right as Crist lovede Holy Chirche, and toke Himself wilfully to peyne
and deth for
Holy Chirche, to make it clene and holy; and made it clene bi waschynge
of water in
the word of lif, to geve the Chirche glorious to Himself, not havynge
wem ne revelynge
ne ony siche filthe, but that it be holy and withouten spot other wem.
And housbondis
owen to love here wifis as here owene bodies, for he that loveth his
wif loveth hymself.
For no man hatid evere his bodi, but norischith and fortherith it, as
Crist doth Holy
Chirche. For we ben membris of his body, of his flesch, and of his
bones. For this
thyng a man schal forsake, or leve, his fadir and his modir, and schal
cleve to his wif,
and thei schullen be tweiyne in o flesch. This sacrament is greet, but
i-saye, seith
Poul, in Crist and in Holy Chirche. But forsothe, ye husbondis, eche by
hymself, love
he his wif as hymself, and drede the wif here housbonde. Ye children,
obeischith to
youre eldris, fader and thi modir, in the Lord, for this thing is
rightful. Worschipe
thi fadir and thi modir - that is the firste comaundement in biheste;
that Crist
be wel to thee, and that thou be longe lyvynge upon erthe. And ye
fadris, nyle ye stire
youre children to wraththe, but norische hem and brynge hem forth in
disciplyne, or
lore, and chastisynge of God. Alle this seith Seynt Poul togidre. Also
Poul comaundith
thus in another pistel: wymmen, be ye underlont to youre husbondis, as
it bihoveth in
the Lord. Ye men, love youre wifis, and beth not bitter to hem.
Children, obieschith to
youre eldris bi alle thingis, for this is plesaunt to the Lord. Ye
fadris, stireth not youre
children to indignacion, lest thei of litel witt offenden, or
trespasen, agenst God or
man.
Here sturdy husbondis and cruel fightteris with
here wifis, withoute resonable cause,
ben blamyd of God. But manye, whanne thei ben drounken, comen hom to
here wifis,
and sumtyme fro here cursed strumpatis and jectouris of contré, and
chiden and
fightten with ther wif and meyné, as thei weren Sathanas brollis; and
suffren neither
reste, pees, ne charité be among hem. But dere schalle thei abie this
bitternesse, for yif
thei wolen have mercy of God thei moten have mercy of othere men,
though thei
hadden discervyd betynge, - amende hem in faire manere.
Of this may weddid men and wifis knowen, hou
thei owen lyve togidre, and teche
here childre Goddis lawe. For at the bigynnynge a childe may esily be
taught, and
goode thewis and maneris, accordynge with Goddis lawe, esily be prentid
in his herte;
and thanne he may esily holden hem forthe, and encresse in goodnesse.
And therfore
Poul biddith that the fadir norische his children in the lore and
chastisynge of God; and
God comaundith in the olde lawe that the fadris schulden telle to herre
children Goddis
hestis, and the woundris and myraclis that he dide in the lond of
Egipt, and in the Rede
See, and in the watir of Jordan, and in the Lond of Biheste. And moche
more ben fadir
and moder holden to teche here children the bileve of the Trinyté, and
of Jesus Crist,
howe He is verray God withouten bigynnynge, and was maad man thorough
moste
brennynge charité, to save mankynde bi stronge penaunce, hard torment,
and bittir
deth. And so alle comen in poyntis of Cristene bileve, but thei ben
most holden to
teche hem Goddis hestis, and the werkis of mercy, and poyntis of
charité, and to
geverne wel here fyve wittis, and to drede God bifore alle othere
thingis, and to love
Him most of alle thingis, for His endeles myght, endeles wisdom,
endelesse goodnesse,
mercy, and charité. And yif thei trespasen agenst Goddis hestis, thei
owen to blamen
hem therfore scharply, and chastise hem a thousandfold more than for
dispit or
unkyndenesse don agenst here owene persone. And this techynge and
chastisynge
schulden in fewe yeeris make goode Cristene men and wymmen, and namely
goode ensaumple of holy lif of olde men and wymmen, for that is best
techynge to
here children.
And Cristene men, aboute many prestis, chargen
godfadris and godmodris to techen
the children the Pater Noster and the Crede; and this is wel don; but
it most nede to
teche hem the hestis of God, and geve hem good ensaumple bi here owene
lif. For
though thei ben cristenyd and knowen the comyn poyntis of bileve, yit
thei schullen
not be savyd withoute kepynge of Goddis hestis, but be ful hard and
depe dampynd in
helle, more than hethene men. And it hadde betre be to hem to nevere
have reseyved
Cristendom, but yif thei enden trewely in Goddis comaundementis, as
Seynt Petir
techith pleynly.
But summe techen here children jeestis of bataillis
and fals cronyclis not nedful to
here soulis. Summe techen novelries of songis, to stire men to jolité
and harlotrie.
Summe setten hem to nedeles craftis, for pride and coveitise; and summe
suffren hem
in ydelnesse and losengerie, to breden forth strumpatis and theves; and
summe with
grett cost setten hem in lawe for wynnynge and worldly worschipe, and
here to
costen hugely in many weies. But in alle this Goddis lawe is putt
bihynde, and therof
spekith unnethis ony man a good word to magnifye God and that, and to
save mennys
soulis. Sume techen here children to swere and stare and fightte, and
schrewe alle
men aboute, and of this han gret joie in here herte. But certis thei
ben Sathanas techeris,
and procuratouris to lede hem to helle bi here cursed ensaumple and
techynge and
norischynge and meyntenynge in synne; and ben cruel sleeris of here
owene children,
ye, more cruel than though thei hackeden here children as small as
morselis to here
poot or mouth. For bi this cursid technyge and endynge therin, here
children bodies
and soulis ben dampnyd withouten ende in helle. And though here bodies
weren thus
hackid nevere so smale, bothe bodi and soule schal be in blis of
hevene, so that thei
kepen trewely Goddis comaundementis. And of siche necligent fadris and
modris,
that techen not here children Goddis lawe, and chastisen hem not whanne
thei trespasen
agenst Goddis hestis, Seynt Poul spekith a dredeful word. He that hath
not care of his
owene, and most of his homly in houshod, hath resceyved the feith, and
he is worse
than a man out of Cristendom. And siche fadris and modris, that
meyntenen wityngly
here children in synne, and techen hem schrewdnesse, ben werse than the
cursed
fadris that killeden here children, and offre hem up to stockis,
worschipynge false
maunmetis. For tho children in here youghthe weren ded and distried,
and diden no
more synne; but thes children of cursed fadris and modris, that techen
hem
pride, thefte, lecherie, wraththe, coveitise, and glotonye, and meyntenen
hem therinne,
ben holden in long lif, and encresen in synne to more dampnacion of
eche party. And
thus litel wonder though he take vengaunce on oure peple both old and
yong, for alle
comynly dispisen God, and han joie and myrthe at his dispit and reprovynge.
And God
mot ponische this synne for his rightful majesté.
But though husbondis han thus power over his
wifis bodi, netheles thei owen to use
this doynge in mesure and reson, and sumwhat refreyne here foule
lustis, and not take
superfluyté of hot wynes and spised alle and delicat metis to delite
hem in this
occupacion, but thenk that thei ben gestis and pilgrimes in the world,
and han not here
a dwellynge-place forevere. And therfore thei mosten geve hem to
holynesse, withouten
whiche no man schal see God; and abstynen hem fro fleschly desiris that
fightten
agenst the soule, as Petir and Poul techen bi auctorité of God Hymself;
and thenke on
this word of Seynt Poul; - The tyme is schort; the tother part is that
thei that han
wifes ben as havynge noon; that is to seie, that thei usen hem for and
in drede of God
and mesure, not to fulfille here lustis, as bestis withoute
undirstondynge; and that thei
have mynde of the dredful comynge of Crist to the laste dom, hou thei
schullen thanne
answere for eche dede, eche word, and eche thought, - and eche evyl
suffraunce of
here children and meyné, and princypaly of evyl ensaumple to here
sugetis. And ne
cavyllacion ne procuratour schal be there, but here owene goode lif to
save hem, or
cursed lif to dampne hem. And fleschly lustis, and glotonye,
dronkenesse, and overe
moche likynge in fleschly dedis and lecherie, maken men most to forgete
this dredful
dom. And therfore the gospel seith, that the thridde servaunt that
hadde wedded a wif,
seide that he myghtte not come to the soper of Crist, and that servaunt
is undirstonden,
he that geveth hym to overe moche likynge in fleischly lustis. And
therfore biddith
Crist in the gospel, that we take hede that oure hertis ben not chargid
with glotonye
and dronkenesse and bisyness of this lif, for the day of dom schal come
as a snare, or
grane, upon alle tho that sitten upon the face of alle the erthe.
But ben wifis war that thei stiren not here
husbondis to wraththe, ne envye agenst
here neigheboris, ne to falsnesse and overe moche bisynesse of the
world, to fynde to
costy array. For the wif was made to be an helpere lich to the
husbounde, eche to
helpe other in clennesse and holy lif, and trewe anentis God and man.
But yif the
husbonde be stired to vengaunce and pride and envye, the wif oweth to
stire hym to
penaunce and pacience, mekenesse and charité, and alle good manere of
Cristene
lif. And whanne Goddis lawe biddith the husbonde and the wif love eche
other, be
thei war that thei turnen not this love al to fleschly love, and not to
love of the soule,
for thei ben holden moche more to love the soule than the body, for God
loveth that
more than the bodi, and for the soule Crist diede. And certis love of
the body is verrey
hate, but yif it be in helpe to save the soule, and kepe it in holy lif.
But yit thre grete defautis fallen many tymes
in weddid men and wymmen. The firste
defaute is, as Seynt Jon with the gildene mouth seith, that thei maken
sorowe yif here
children ben nakid or pore, but though here children ben nakid fro
virtues in soule, thei
chargen nothing. And with moche traveile and cost thei geten grete
richessis and heighe
statis and beneficis to here children, to here more dampnacion ofte
tymes, but thei wolen
not gete here children goodis of grace and virtuous lif, ne suffre hem
to resceyve siche
goodis, frely profrid of God, but letten it as moche as thei may; and
seyn, yif here child
drawe hym to mekenesse and povert, and flee coveitise and pride, for
drede of synne and
for to plese God, that he schal nevere be man, and nevere coste hem
peny, and cursen
hem, yif he lyve wel and techen othere men Goddis lawe, to save mennis
soulis. For bi this
doynge the child getith many enemyes to his eldris, and thei seyn that
he sclaundrith alle
here noble kyn, that evere weren helde trewe men and worschipful.
The secunde defaute is that wifis geven here
husbondis goodis to stronge beggeris and
riche, and othere curleris, to geten hem swete morselis, and sumtyme
spende here husbondis
goodis aboute holouris and lecherous, the while here husbondis
traveilen fare in ferre
contreies or grevous traveiles. And to holden holy and excuse this
wickidnesse, wifis
many tymes don a litil almes opynly and fynden ypocritis to seyn massis
and maken the
sely husbondis to meyntene siche ypocritis in here falsnesse, to robbe
the pore peple and
to lette trewe men to teche Goddis lawe and to favoure false
sclaunderis of here brethren.
And yif wifis favouren and meyntenen siche ypocritis and stiren here
husbondis therto, for
preve lecherie bitwen hemself and for fals sykernesse that the
ypocritis maken to hem,
though thei dwellen stille as swyn in synne, it is so mochel the worse.
The thridde defaute is this: yif Almyghtty God,
of His rightwisnesse and mercy, take
here children out of this world bi fair deeth, thes riche wifis wepen,
grucchen, and crien
agenst God, as God schulde not do agenst here wille; and axen God whi
He takith rathere
here children fro hem than pore mennis, sith thei may betre fynde here
children than may
pore men heren. See now the woodnesse of this grucchynge! It is gret
mercy of God to
take a child out of this world; for yif it schal be saaf, it is
delyverid out of woo into blisse,
lest malice turnyd the undirstondynge of the child to synne, and that
is gret mercy of God,
and herefor alle men schulden be glade. Yif it schal be dampnyd, yit it
is mercy of God to
take hym soone to deth, leste it lyve lengere, and do more synne, and
therfore be in more
peyne. And sith thei grucchen thus agenst Goddis rightful dom, thei
putten on God that He
is unrightful, - unwitty, - that He knowith not whanne is best tyme of
the child, and out
of mercy and charité ponysche so sore the child and his eldris. But
certis than thei ben
cursed Luciferis children, weiward Anticristis, and unkynde heretikis
and blasphemes.
Therfore be thei glade, and thanke thei God for al His mercyes, and
benefices, and rightful
domes. Amen.
Also loke that eche parti enforce hymself to
kepe this ordre maad of God, and breke it
not for no temptacion ne likynge of flesch. And hereto helpen many
resones. First, for
God that is auctour of this ordre loveth it to be kept in clennesse and
present in every place,
and for His rightwisnesse mot ponyschen hym that brekith it. And no
defoulynge therof
may askape unpeyned, for He knoweth alle thingis, be thei nevere so
prevé; and nothing,
be it nevere so myghtty, may agenstonde His ponyschynge. Also thenk hou
soone this
stenkynge flesch, that now deliteth in lecherie, schal turne alle to
aschis, and poudre, and
erthe, and wermes mete; and for so schort likynge to lese everelastynge
blisse and to gete
everelastynge peyne in helle, in body and soule, were a cursed chaunge;
and no man wot
hou soone he schal die, and in what staat. Also goode angelis, keperis
of men and wymmen,
schewen to God a grevous pleynt, whanne this holy ordre is thus broken,
and Cristene
soulis, templis of the Holy Gost, ben thus wickidly bleckid with filthe
of synne, and maad
liche to the fendis of helle. And for this skille, men and wymmen
schulden be wel occupied
in goode werkis, and not ydel; for ydelnesse is the develis panter, to
tempte men to synne;
and lyven in devout preieris and resonable and abstynence of mete, and
namely of hote
drynkis and myghtty, and visite here pore neigheboris that ben bedrede,
and clothe hem,
and herberwe hem, to gete remyssion of over moche likynge in fleschly
dedis; and evere
crie to God with gret desire and good lif, that He graunte hem grace to
kepe clenly this holy
ordre, and do verrey penaunce for here olde synnes, to ende in perfit
charité, and so evere
have here verrey spouse, Jesus Crist, in blisse of hevene withouten
enden. Amen. Explicit.
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