The fourt cheptour.

The first cōmand.THe first table of Moyses, contenis thre cōmandis, quhilk schawis vs the dewtie or seruis quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis, our wordis and deidis. Wald ȝe knaw ye first command word be word as God gaif it? The seruand of God Moyses to quhome God spak face for face, rehersis it on this maner. [Page xii] Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus, Exo [...]xx. qui eduxi te de terra Egypti, de domo seruituris. Non habebis deos alienos corā me. Nō facies tibi sculptile, ne (que) omnem simi­litudinē que est in coelo desuper, et que in terra de­orsum, nec eorum que sunt in aquis sub terra. Non adorabis ea, ne (que) coles: Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus for­tis zelotes, visitans iniquitatem patrum in filios, in tertiam & quartā generationem eorum qui oderunt me, et faciens misericordiā in milia, his qui diligunt me, et custodiunt precepta mea. I am ye Lord thi God, quhilk hais brocht ye fra the land of Egypt, fra the house of bondage. Thow sall haif na other goddis bot me, y ^u sal nocht mak to y ^e (as gods) ony grauit ymage, nother ony similitude of ony thing y ^e is in the heuin aboue, or in ye erd beneth, nor of ony thing yat is in the watter vnder the erd. Thow [...]al nocht adorne yame, nor worschip yame (as goddis). Quhat gud dedis ar yai quhilk God biddis vs do in this first command? First the will of GOD is in yir wordis, y ^t we ken him trewlie in our vnderstanding, syne y ^t we serue him perfitly in our hartis & wil. How suld we ken god, or quharin standis ye trew knawlege of God quhilk he re­quiris of vs all. The trew knawlege of God is techit vs in thir wordis: Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus, Quhairin standis ye trevv kna­vvlege of God, quhilk h [...] requi [...]i [...] of vs. qui eduxi te de terra Egypti de domo seruitutis. I am y ^e lord thi god, quhilk hais brocht the fra ye land of Egypt, fra the house of bondage. First quhen god sais this word, I am. We suld leir y ^e God is eternal, quhilk had neuir begīning, nor sal haif endīg. He is allanerly in verai deid, for be his awin nature he is, nocht creat or maid of ony other [Page] thing bothe him self allanerlie is makar & former of all vther thingis. Exod. iii. Thus he sais in Exodi: Ego sum qui sum. That is to say, I am he that hais bein of my self only. And he bade Moyses schaw his name on this maner: Qui est, misit me ad vos. He y ^e is, send me to ȝow. Be ye quhilk wordis it is geuin vs to vnderstand, that God allone is be him self, of his awin natural existens, & that all thingis of this warld quhider yai ar visible or vnuisibil, able to be sein of vs, or vnable to be sein of vs, thai ar al creaturis of God, and hais thair being of him. In [...]a­mekil that thai may nocht be a moment of ane hour bot gif yat God almychty keip yame in yair being, sustein yame & gyde thame. Secund, quhen he sais this word: Exod. xx. Ego sum dominus I am the Lord. We suld leir to vnderstād y ^e hie maiestie of God, quhilk is the vniuersal Lord of all this w [...]rld Lord of all Lordis, and king of all kingis, quhais power is e­ternal, to quhom na creature may mak resistens, in quhais hād is our lyif and our dede, our saluacion and damnacion, a Lord of all knawlege & swa na thing can be hyd fra him, a Lorde off all wisdome, and swa misteris na counsellar, a Lord of al mycht power and autoritie and sa misteri [...] na helpar. Sa he only of rycht may be callit thus in general, the Lord, the Lord for alsmekil as he dois all thingis according to the plesour of his will, as saint Pau [...] sais to the Ephesianis: Ephe. i. Qui operatur omnia secun­dū consilium voluntaris sue. He wourkis al thingꝭ according to the counsel of his awin will. Thridly, quhen he says: Exod. xx. Deus tuus. Thy God▪ we suld vn­derstand [Page xiii] him to be the only giffar of all grace, the well quhilk can nocht be dryit, & perpetuall spring of gudnes, our lyf, our lycht, our strenth, our singular defence & protectioun, breuely our only saluiour and God of al consolacioun and confort, quhilk in all tymes and in all placis is redy to be to vs (als mekle as lyes in him) gētil, large, liberal, and mair merciful thane we can think or say. Hais God done ony special thing to vs, quhairin he hais schawin him self to be our Lord God? ȝe veraly. He schew him self to the peple of Israel, to be thair mychty lord and gracious God, quhen he brocht yame out fra y ^e la [...]d of Egypt, quharin yai dwelt mony ȝeiris as in a house of miserable th [...]ldome and bondage. Bot vnto vs al that ar trew christin peple specially he schew him self to be our mychty Lord & gracious God, quhen he deliuerit vs fra the dangier of the myrknes of hell, and fra the miserable captiuitie of the deuil, quharin we war all borne and haldin in. Bot he saffit vs nocht be y ^e mediation of Moyses, bot be the bitter and painfull passion of his awin naturall sone our mediatour and redemar IESVS CHRIST. Tharfor be all rycht we suld apply all our wittis, power and diligence to ken and keip all the cōmandis of our mychty & maist gracious God quhilk nocht only in general, The trevv seruice of god. quhilkvv [...] avv to him in ou [...] hartis. bot alsua in special hais done sa mekle for vs. Now eftir yat we haif declarit to ȝow the trew knawlege of God, we will gang fordwart and tel plainly quharin standis the trew and principal seruice quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis, quhilk he requiris of vs in the first [Page] command? In the first command quhilk is yis: Non habebis deos alienos coram me: Thow sall haif na vther gods bot me allone. God requiris of vs thir iiii. vertous, Feare, Fayth, Hoip and Lufe to be geuin to him, as to ane trew leifuād God. And quhen we gif thir vertewis or ony of thame, mair to ony creature than to him, quhilk is our only trew and leifuād God, than we haif in our hartis strange gods, quhilk is forbiddī in this first cōmand. The first principal vertew quharin standis the trew seruice of God, The feir of god. is y ^e feare of God, as it is writtin in y ^e buke of Deu­teronomi: Dominum deū tuum timebis, et illi soli serueis. Thow sall feare thi Lord God, and him only as thi God sall thow serue. How suld we feare our Lord God? Twa maner of wayis. The ane, as y ^e seruand fearis his maister, doand his maisters cōmand for feir of punision. And of this it is writtin in the buke of Prouerbis: Principium sapientie timor dn̄i. Prouer. 9 The beginning of wisdome is the feare of God. Quhat thing suld moue vs maist to feare god on this maner? Trewly to beleif sickirly the iugemētis of god, and vther panis & punitions quhilk God sēdis to synnaris temporallie, spirituallie & eternally, as we haif rehersit to ȝow afore in the prologe of the law. And oft tymes to haif in our mynd yis artikil of our Crede: Inde venturus est iudi­care viuos et mortuos. Fra heuin Christ our sal­uiour sal cum to iuge baith quik & dede. Thus the haly prophet and excellent king Dauid cō ­sauit [Page xiiii] in his hart the feare of God, quhen he said in the Psalme: Psal cxviii A iudiciis enim tuis timui feci iudiciū et iustitiā. I haif had dreddour & feare throw con­sideratioun of thi iugementis. And our saluiour Christ in the euangil of sainct Luke biddis vs haif this feare sayand: Timete eum qui postquā occide­rit corpus, habet potestatē mittere in gehennam. Luce. xii. Ita dico vobis hunc timete. Feir him quhilk eftir he hais slaine ȝour bodie, hais powar to cast ȝow in­to hel, I say to ȝow feir him. Secund▪ we suld feir our lord God as y ^e gud son feiris his father, doand his cōmand, nocht principally for feir of punicion, bot maist of all, yat he displese him nocht nor offend him in ony sort, lest he put him out of his company. And yis feir of God springis of lufe, for y ^e mair we lufe him y ^e mair we feir to offend him, and to depart fra his company. And of this feir it is writtin in ye Psalme: Psal xviii. Timor domini sanctus permanet in seculū seculi. The haly feir of our Lord enduris for euir­mair.

The fift cheptour.

THe secund principal vertew quharin stādis the trew seruice of GOD, The faith of god. Eccle. 2. quhilk he requiris of vs in this first command is fayth, quhar­of it is writtin: Qui timetis dominum credite illi, et non euacuabitur merces vestra. Ȝe that feris our Lord haif faith in him, or gif credit to him, and ȝour reward sall nocht be takin fra ȝow.

Quhat is fayth? Na dout bot the fayth quhilk is [Page] commendit in the scripture is ane vertue quharby we beleif nocht allanerly that thair is ane trew le­uand God, quhilk is eternal, almychty, mercifull, rychteous & faithful, bot alswa we gif ferme credit to his word, quhilk is sa trew that na thing can be trewar. Quhat thing suld moue vs to beleif the word of God? Trewly twa thingis. The ane is ye eternal and infallible verite of God, fra quhom na lesing may ꝓcede, na mair than myrknes may cum fra the cleir schenand sonne. Thairfor it is writtin: Non est deus quasi homo vt mentiatur, nec vt filius hominis vt mutetur. Nu. xxiii. God is nocht as a mā yat may mak ane lesing, nor ȝit as y ^e sone of man yat may be changeit. And our saluiour said spekand as GOD: Ego sum via veritas et vita. I am the way, ye verite and lyif▪ Ihon. xiiii And he sais alswa: Coelum et terra tran­sibunt▪ Luce. xxi. verba autem mea non transibunt. Heuin and erd sall pas, bot my word sall nocht pas. Thus we suld gyf ferme credit to the word of GOD, because GOD that spekis it, is y ^e eternal & infallible verite. The secund thing y ^e suld moue vs to beleif y ^e word of GOD & to knaw quhilk is the worde of GOD, quhilk ar the haly bukis quharin the word of GOD is contenit, and quhat is the trew sence of the same [...]ukis is ye consent and authorite of our mother the haly kirk, fra the Apostils tyme hitherto, and speci­ally quhen it is lawfully gadderit be the haly spirit in ane generall counsel, quharof sainct Augustine sais thus: Contra e­pistolam fūdamēti. Ego non crederem euāgelio nisi me am­moneret ecclesie authoritas. I wald nocht gif cre­dence to the euangel except that the vniuersal kirk [Page xv] warnis me sa to do And tharfor leir thir twa lesso­nis. The ane is, quhatsaeuir the haly spirit reuelis and schawis to vs, other in the bukis of haly scrip­ture, or in ye determinatiouns and diffinitiouns of general counsellis lawfully gadderit for the corro­boracion & maintenans of our fayth, we suld beleif ye same to be ye trew word of God, and thairto gyf ferme credens as to the verite that is infallible. The secund lesson, ȝe that ar simple and vnleirnit men & wemen suld expresly beleif al the artickils of ȝour Crede, as for al vthir hie mistereis & matteris of the scripture ȝe aucht to beleif generally as the kirk of God beleiffis. And this fayth is suffient to ȝow, for the perfectioun of that faith quhilk ȝe ar bund to haif, quharof we sal spek mair largelie in the expositioun of the Crede. The hoip of god. Eccle. 2. The thrid principal vertue is Hoip, quharof it is writtin: Qui timetis dominum sperate in illū, & in oblectationem veniet vobis misericordia. ȝe that feris our Lord, hoip in him, and his mercy sall cum to ȝow with plesour. Quhat is Hoip? It is ane vertew quharby we lip­pin to get all gudnes fra God, mercy and grace in this warld, and eternal blys in the warld to cum. Psal. 146. Of the first sais the Prophet in the Psalme: Be­neplacitum est domino super timentes eum, et in eis qui sperant super misericordia eius. Our Lord hais plesour vpō yame yat fearis him, and allwa vpon yame yat hoippis vpon his mercy. And quhy suld we nocht put all our traist and con­fidens in the mercy of God, seand that he biddis vs call vpon him in tyme of our nede, and promissis to [Page] heir and help vs: Psal. 49. Inuoca me in die tribulationis, eruam te et honorificabis me. Call vpon me (sais our Lord God) in the day of thi trubil, and I sal delyuir the, and for that thow sall honour me. And suerly we suld nocht mistrest him, for he sais thus be his Prophet Esaie: Nunquid obli­uisci potest mulier infantē suū, vt nō misereatur filio vteri sui? Esaie. 49 & si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obli­uiscar tui. Will a woman forȝet hir ȝonge barne, and nocht haif pitie on the sone of hir wambe, & suppois sche forȝet, ȝet I sal nocht forȝet ye, sais our Lord. Of the secund and principall part quhilk is expectatioun or loking for the blys of heuin to be geuin to vs be ye grace of God principally, & our merittis secundly (quhilk merittis als ar ye giftis of God eftir sainct Augustine.) Sainct Paul sais thus: Roma. 5. Gloriamur in spe glorie filiorum dei. We glore and ar blyth throw y ^e hoip quhilk we haif to cum to the glore quhilk is promissit to the sonnis of God. Quhat suld moue vs maist to hoip in ye mercy and glore of God? Veraily that God is trew & faythful in keping of his promis, according as ye Prophet sais in the Psalme: Psal. 144 Fidelis dn̄s in omnibus verbis suis, & sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. Faythful is our Lord in all his wordis, & haly in all his deidis. Now as he hais els fulfillit his promis in ge­uing of his mercy & glore to his sainctis in he­uin, as Patriarchis, Prophetis, Apostils Martyris, Confessours & Virginis, sa suld we traist and hoip, that he will fulfill his promis to vs, [Page xvi] gif we feir him and with ane leifuād faith beleif in him.

The vi. Cheptour

QVhat is ye fourt principal vertew quhar in standis the trew seruice of God? Th [...] lufe of god. Eccle. 2. It is ye maist excellēt vertew of cherite, quhar of it is writtin be ye wisman: Qui timetis dominū diligite illū, & illuminabuntur corda vestra. Ȝe yat feris our Lord lufe him, and ȝour hartis salbe lichtit with the licht of grace in this warld, and with the lycht of glore in the warld to cum. Quhate is cherite? It is lufe, quharbywe lufe god for his awin saik, because he is al gudnes, & fra him cummis al gudnes, and our neichbour for gods saik, or in God. Quhow suld we lufe God? Four maner of wayis, as it is gaderit out of syndrie placis of the scripture, & al rehersit togidder in sainct Lukis euangil: Luce. x Diliges dominū deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua et ex oībus viribus tuis, et ex tota mente tua. Thow sall lufe thi Lord God with all thi hart, with all thi saule and with all thi strenth and with all thi mynde, That is to say, lat all thi thochtis, all the partis of thi lyf, all thi wittis and vnderstanding, all thi labour strenth and diligence be direckit to God, and occupied in his lufe and seruice, of quhom yow hais all thir thingis geuin to the. Ȝet schaw vs plainly quha luffis God with all thair hart? [Page] Trewly thai that luffis God with ane trew knaw­lege in yair vnderstanding, haifand ane trew fayth in y ^e word of God without ony dout errour or heri­lie. Thairfor quhasaeuir doutis or erris in y ^e faith or stifly haldis ony fals opinioun condemnit be the kirk for herisie, yai lufe nocht God with al yair hart Secund, quha luffis GOD with all thair saule? Thai that luffis GOD with trew obediens in yair frewill without ony murmur, rebellioun or contra­dictioun. Sa yat quhatsaeuir God hais comman­dit yame to do, yai ar content to do it willingly with out ony cōpulsioun. And thairfor quhasaeuir dois ony deid commandit be God mair for lufe of tem­poral geir or for feare of temporall payne than for ony lufe thai haif to God, thai lufe nocht God with all thair saule. Thridly quha luffis God with all thair mynd? Thai that luffis God with ane perfite remembrāce, and forȝettis nocht quhat God hais done for thame, bot euir mair to yair powar thinkꝭ of y ^e benefitis of God quhilk he hes geuin to yame in thair creatioun▪ conseruatioun, redemptiun and dalie prouisiun▪ baith temporal & spirituall in body and saule. Tharfor quhasaeuir rememberis nocht siclike benefitis of God or giffis na thākis to him for thame thai lufe nocht God with all thair mynd. And last of all thai lufe God with all thair strenth and powar, quhilk ar content to occupy the strenth of thair body and al the powar thairof in ye seruice of God, according to his command all the dayis of yair life. Thai lufe nocht God with al thair strenth quhasaeuir occupyis yair strēth in doing euil dedis [Page xvii] or perseueris nocht in yair gud life. Thus we suld lufe God with all our hart be trew knawlege, with all our saule be perfite obediens in keping his commandis, with all our mynd be perfite remē ­brance, and with al our strenth be perseuerance. Quhat suld moue vs maist of all to lufe God? Trewly the lufe of God towart vs. For gif we consider quhat God hes done for vs in our creation, cōseruation & dalie ꝓuision, bot specially quhat lufe h [...] hes schawin to vs in our redēptiō, of necess [...] [...] mone conclude y ^t we ar oblissit to lufe god. Greit is y ^e lufe quhilk y ^e natural father & mother hes to yair childer, gret is y ^e luf quhilk the g [...]d mar [...] man hais to his gud wife, greit is the lufe quhilk ane trew freind wil haif to ane vther, bot as our saluiour sais: Ihon. 15. Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, quam vt animā suam po­nat quis pro amicis suis. Greiter lufe hais na mā than yis, yat a man spend his life for his frein­dis. Sa hais our saluiour done for vs accor­ding as sainct Paul declaris to ye Ephesianis sayand thus: Christus dilexit ecclesiam, Ephe. 5. & seipsum tradidit pro ea, vt illam sanctificaret, mundans eam lauachro aque in verbo vite, vt exhiberet ipse sibi gloriosam ecclesiam, non habentem maculam aut rugam, aut aliquid huiusmodi, sed vt sit sancta et immaculata. Christ hais luffit the kirk, that is to say, the congregatioun and company of all faithfull men and wemen, and hais geuin him self for it, to sanctifie it, and clengit it in the fyuntaine of watter be the word of lyfe, to mak [Page] it to him self ane glorious congregacioun, haiffand na spot nor runkil, nor ony siclike thing, bot that it suld be haly & without repreif. And our saluiour sais in the euangil of sanct Ihone. Sic deus dilexit mundumvt filium suum vnigenitum daret, Ihon. iii. vt omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam eternam. Sa God hais luffit the warld, yat he hais ge um his awin sone, that quhasaeuir belei [...]is in him can nocht perisch, bot mone haif the lyif eternal. This lufe of GOD toward vs plainly declarit [...]aint Ihone the Euāgelist saying: In hoc apparuit cha­ritas dei in nobis, i. Ihon. 4 quoniam filium suum vnigenitum misit deus in mundum, vt viuamus per eum. In this apperit the greit lufe of GOD towart vs, yat he hes send his only natural sone in yis warld, y ^t we mycht leiue be him. Maicatour y ^e same Apostle sais thus: In hoc est charitas, nō quasi nos dilexerimus deum sed quoniam ipse prior dilexit nos, et mifit filium suum propitiationem pro peccatis nostris. In this standis the greit lufe of GOD quhilk he hais scha­win to vs, yat we preuenit nocht god with our lufe, luffand him first, bot he preuenit vs first with his lufe schawand his infinite lufe first of all to vs, in that, yat he hais send his awin son [...] our saluiour Iesus Christ to vs, to mak ane perfite mendis, & iust satisfaction for all our synnis. Gyf we wil thar­for con [...]iddir the greit lufe of GOD syndry wayis schawin to vs it will doutles steire and prouok vs to lufe God agane. And thus ȝe haif four principal vertewis sch [...]rtly decla [...]it to ȝow, quhilk God com­mandis vs to haif in this first command, quhairin [Page xviii] standis the trew seruice, quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis.

The vii. Cheptour.

QVha brekis this first command? The trās­gressouris of the first command Math. x. First al yai yat feiris mā mair than God, for y ^e quhilk yai do mony thingꝭ wittinglie agane ye cōmand of God for feir of yair king, yair Lord, Lard, maister and siclike, quhilk is forbiddin be our saluiour saying: No lite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animā autē non possunt occidere, sed potius timete eum, qui potest et animā et corpus per [...]ere in gehennā. Feir nocht yame yat slais ȝour body▪ and may nocht slay ȝour saulis, bot erar feir him quhilk eftir y ^t he hais slaine ȝour body▪ Heritykis hais powar to cast ȝour saule and body into hel. Secund al herityckis, quhilk stifly haldis false opinions aganis the trew faith of haly kirk, groundit vpon the haly scripture and de­terminatiouns of the kirk & counsellis of the same. The di­scripcion of herisie.

Heir it is expedient to descriue quha is ane he­rityk, quhilk discription we will nocht mak be our awin propir inuencion, bot we will tak it as it is els made and geuin to vs be twa of the maist excellent doctouris of haly kirk, Hierome and Augustine. Thir ar the wordis of S. Hierome, quhilk he sais in his Commentarie vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathianis: Quicun (que) aliter scripturam in­telligit quam sensus spiritus sancti flagitat quo conscripta est, licet de ecclesia nō recesserit, tamen he­reticus appellari potest. Quhat christin mā or wo­man saeuir thai ar, quhilk vnderstandis the haly scripture vtherwayis than the mind of y ^e haly spirit [Page] requiris, (be quhais inspiracion the scripture was writtin) suppois he gang nocht [...]a the company of the kirk, ȝit he may be callit ane heretyk. Now heir y ^e wordis of S. Augustin dis [...]riuand quha is ane heretyk: In lib. de vtilitate tredendi ad hono­ratum. Hereticus est vt meafert opinio, qui alicuius temporalis cōmodi, & maxime glorie principatus (que) sui gratia, falsas & nouas opi­niones vel gignit, vel sequitur. Eftir my opinion (sais he) he is ane heretyk, quhilk because of ony warldly profeit and maist of all, because of his awin glore and promotion leiffeis y ^e new [...]aith, and other makis or folowis [...]als and new opi­nions. hovv may the verite of our faith be discernit fra herisie Gyf ȝe speir agane at me, how may ȝe knaw the t [...]ew sence of [...]he [...] be ye haly spirit, & sa discerne y ^e verite of our faith, fra new and fals opin [...]uns callit hereseis? Trewly this ȝe may knaw and discerne be thre wayis. First be trew collat [...]oun, applicatioun and conferring ane place of [...] scripture til ane vthir, Collation of ye scri­pture. for cōmonly y ^• [...] quhilk is put in ane place of the scripture obscuirly, the same sentē [...]e is put in a [...] othe [...] place of the scripture plain­ly. Aug de doctrina christiana lib. 2 ca. 9 Than quha sa hais the ingyne, cunning or knawlege to cōferre y ^e obscu [...]re place to ye plain place, may cum to ye trew vnderstanding of the obscu [...]e place. And maist o [...] al, it helpis vs to y ^e trew intelligence of y ^e scripture, to tak gud tent to the wordis that a [...] writtin immediatly afore the [...]e [...] [...]at [...]e [...]e [...]r or [...], and alswa yat fo­lowis eftir hend ye same▪ for sum tyme ye wordꝭ writtin afore, sum tyme the wordis writtin eftir [Page xix] hend, sumtyme baith ye wordis afort & eftir op­pinnis til vs ye trew and plaine sence of yat tex [...] of ye scripture quhilk we desyre to vnderstand. Bot because mony men reidis y ^e scripture, & hes nocht ye gift of y ^e haly spirit, call [...]t interpre [...]atio sermonū, the interpretation of wordis, that is to say (eftir ane exposition) of difficil and ob [...]cuire placis, Thairfor it is expediēt to cum to y ^e secu [...] way quhilk is y ^e expositiō of autentyk doctours appreuit be y ^e auctorite of haly kirk, & resauit be lang consent of y ^e christin peple, as Hierome, Expositiō of the d [...] ­cro [...]s. Ambrose, Augustine, Gregorie, Chrisostome, with mony vthir siclike, to quhome y ^e haly [...]pirit gaif ye gift of interpretacion & exposition of ye scrip­ture, & alsua leirit y ^e trew sence of ye same at yair doctouris & eldaris, quhilk likwais letrit y ^e same trew sence at thair doctouris & eldaris sa ascen­dāt to y ^e Apostils. Thairfor lat ilkane of vs heir and tak tent quhat the wisman sais: Eccle. 8 Non re pre tereat narratio seniorum ipsi enim didicerunt a patribus suis, quoniā ab ipsis disces intellectum, et in tēpore necessitatis dare responsum. Lat nocht t [...]e narration or instruction of thi wise eldaris pas by the, for yai leirit fra yair fatheris, & of yame thow sall lei [...] vnderstanding, & in tyme of neide to gif ane wise answer. Sa sanct Augustine writand aganis Iuliane y ^e Pellag [...]ane, Aug cōtra Iulian [...] Peligia [...] lib. 1. c. [...] rehersis c [...]r­tane doctouris quhilk was afore his tyme, and sais thir word [...]s: Quod credunt credo, quod tenēt teneo, quod docent doceo, quod predicant predi­co istis cede et mihi cedes▪

[Page]That thai beleif (sais he) I beleif, that thai hald, I hald yat yai teche, I teche, yat yai preche, I preche. gyf place to thame and yow sal gif place to me. As he mycht say plainly, & yow beleif ye auld doctouris afore me, yow alswa wil beleif me, for my doctrin in al pointis is conformit to yair doctrine. The thrid way to knaw quhat ar y ^e bukis of haly write, quhat is the trew sence of the same, The general coun­sellis. quhat ar the articlis quhilk ar herisie, is the declaracioun determina­tioun, diffinitioun and decisionis of general coun­sellis, gaderit togiddir and concludit be the inspiratioun of the haly spirit, quhame the father eternall and our saluiour IESVS CHRIST his natural sone hais geuin to the kirk to be ledar techar, and direckar of the same kirk, in all matteris cōcerning our catholike faith and gud maneris of the christin peple, quhilk catholike kirk is trewly representit in al general counsellis lauchfully gaderit in the haly spirit. Quharfor, he that will nocht heir resait and obey ye diffinitionis & determinationis of lauchful general counsellis concerning materis of our faith he is nocht to be acountit a trew christin man, accor­ding to the wordis of our saluiour: Math. 18. Si ecclesiam nō audierit, sit tibi tanquā Ethnicus et Publicanus. Gyf he will nocht heir the kirk, lat him be to the as ane infidele, vnchristinit, and ane Publican. Thus ȝe haif quha is ane herityk, and how he brekis the fi [...]st command. Of quhome saint Paul sais yi [...] wordis to his disciple Titus: Ad titum vlt [...]mo. Hereticū hominē post vnam et secundam correptionē deuita, sciens quia subuersus est qui huiusmodi est, et delinquit cum sit [Page xx] proprio iudicio condemnatus. A man yat is geuin to herisie, eftir the first and secund monitioun fle & forbeir his company, and knaw yat he yat is siclike is subuertit and synnis, euin damnit be his awin iugement, for als me [...]le as he resaiuit the fayth as trew & catholik, & eftir hend in sum part he gaugis fra it, & impugnis it. Or we may say yat he is danit be his awin iugemēt, y ^e is to say, he is damnit afore God, throw his awin, or for his awin electioun, wil­fulnes and stifnes of his hart, & will nocht leiue his herisie and returne to the catholike faith. Hoip in mā abone God. Iere. xvii. Thridly all thai brekis this command that lippinis mair in in the powar & help of man than of god, of quhome it is said: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine. Cursit & wartit is yat man yat traistis & puttis his hoip in man. And thairfor the Prophet lais in the Psalme: Nolite confidere in principibus, psal. 145. in filus hominum in cuibus non est salus. Traist nocht principally in princis nor in y ^e sonnis of men in quhome is na saluatioun. Fourt all thai quhilkis [...]aistis owyr mekle in yair awin wisdome, Hoip in our avvin strenth ri­ches and vvisdome i. Cor. i. Psal. 48. strenth or riches and sa in tyme of thair neid callis nocht to GOD dewly for help, of quhome God sais thus: Pardam sapientiam sapientium, et prudentiam prudentium reprobabo. I will distroy the wisdome of the wise, and will cast away ye vnderstanding of the prudēt. And ye prophet in the Psalme reprei [...]is yame yat lippinnis in yair awin strenth and powar, and glo­ris in the abundans of thair riches.

The vii. Cheptour.

[Page] InfideliteFIft, al infidelis quhilk wantis the faith of Christ, and will nocht resaif it, of quhome it is writtin: Qui incredulus est filio, non vi­debit vitam, Ihon. iii. sed ira dei manet super eum. He that will nocht haif faith in ye son of God, sal nocht se ye lyse, bot the wrath of God bydis vpon him because he beleiffis nochtin y ^e only sone of God. Sext, Despera­tioun. Ephe. 4. al yai quhilk disparis of ye mercy of God promissit to vs in Christ. Of siclike sanct Paul sais to the Ephesianis: Qui desperātes, semetipios tradiderunt impudicitie, in operationem immundi cie omnis in auariciā. Thai be desperacion gaif yame self to wātones in doing of al vncleinnes and couatousnes. Presump­cioun. Seuint, yai yat presumis owyr mekil of thair awin nakit frewill and gud deidis doin be the powar of the same, traistis to be saiffit, and nocht principally be the grace of God, and be the merittis of Christ Iesu. Of quhome sanct Paul sais: Roma. x. Ignorantes enim iusticiā dei, & suam querentes statuere, iusticie dei non sunt subiecti. Miskenning the rychteousnes of God, and willing to maintene thair awin rychteous­nes, thai ar nocht subdewit to the rychteousnes that is of valour afore God. Aucht, quha euir luffis ony creature abone god, Spiritual ydolatrie or mair yan god, that same man in a maner makis a God of that creature, and cōmittis spiritual ydolatrie. Sa the couatous man makis a god of his warldly geir, the glowton makis a god of his wambe, gif a man dois ony thing aganis the command of God for plesure or lufe of his wyfe or barnis [Page xxi] in a maner he makis a god of his wife & his barnis. Quhasa also for lufe and pleasour of thair prince, yair Lord, or ony vthir freind, hurtis ony vther mā and hareis him out of house and harbarie, that mā forsakis the trew God of heuin & in maner makis a god of his king, his Lord or his Lard.

Alswa thai syn agane this command, Corporall ydolatrie that com­mittis corporall ydolatrie, quhilk is, quhen men or wemen, nocht only giffis till certane creaturis, or thair ymagis ye seruice of yair hartis, yat is to say, Faith, Hoip and Lufe, quhilk aucht to be geuin to God, bot alswa yai gif to yame the outwart seruice of thair body, as honour, worschip and reuerence, quhilk aucht to be geuin to God. Thus in ald tyme the Gentilis throw the blindnes of thair hartis, in­strunctioun and prouokation of the deuil, cōmittit corporal ydolatrie, to the greit iniure of God and damnation of yair saulis. Part of thame worschip­pit with godly honour the Sone, Sapi. xiii. the Mone and the sternis. Part of thame worschippit with godly honour the fyre, wynde or ane of the elementis. Some of thame gaif Gods honour to thame that was mortal men, as Iupiter, Mercurius, Mars, Venus, Diana with mony vthers. And nocht only thai tuke for thair goddis siclike mortal men and vther creaturis, bot alswa the ymagis of men and of vther creaturis, of quhome S. Paul sais thus: Roma. i. Mutauerunt gloriam incorruptibilis dei insimilitu­dinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis et volucrum et quadrupidum et serpentum. Thai turnit & gaif the glore of the immortal GOD vnto ane ymage, [Page] made nocht only efter the similitude of ane mortall man, bot alswa of Byrdis and four futtit beistis, & of creping beistis. And amang all the leife of ye be­nefitis of God, this is nocht the leist, that throw the preching of the euangil, he hais deliuerit vs fra all corporal ydolatrie, quhilk in auld tyme was wont to be vsit amang the peple, Psal. cxii. sa that now (thankis be to God) the wordis of the Prophet in the Psalme may be verifiet: A solis ortu vs (que) ad occasum, lauda bile nomen domini. Fra the rising of the Sone to the ganging downe of the same, laudable is the name of our Lord. That is to say, in all partis of y ^e warld y ^e haly name of ane eternal god is laudable.

All kind of vvitch­craftis & supersti­onis.The nynt, thai brek this command, quha saeuir vsis wichecraft, Nicromansie, Enchantment, Iu­glarie or trastis in thame, or seikis thair help, quhasa lippinnis to werdis or dremis, quhasa lippinnis to defend thair self or thair beistis, or geir aganis fyre, watter, swerd, noy [...]um beistis, with certene ta­kinnis or writingis supersticiously.

And gyf ony mā or woman wald say: Oft tymis we se, that thingis cūmis to passe, quhilk diumaris sais. Oft tymes men & beistis ar helpit be wytchis charmis. Oft tymes geir tynt or stowm, is gettin a­gane be cowngerars, and sa apperandly, it is nocht euil done to seike for siclike help. O y ^u wretchit and blind man or woman, yat thinkꝭ or sais siclike wor­dis. Knaw thow weil and vnderstand, that quhen sa euir thow speris or seikis for ony help, counsel, re­mede, consolation or defence at ony wytche, socerar cowage [...]ar or siclike dissaueris, thow dois greit in­iure [Page xvii] to thi Lord God, because that thow takis the honour & seruice quhilk aucht to be geuin to GOD allanerly, & giffis it to the deuil, quhilk is deidly enemie to thy saul, For without dout, all Wytches, Nigromanceris and siclike, workis be operatioun of y ^e deuil vnder a paction, condition, band or obli­gation of seruice and honour to be made to him. Mairouir yow sa doand, Aug. lib. [...]. d [...] [...] christ [...] cōdemnis thi awin saule to panis eternal, because that thow forsakis vtter­ly thi Lord God quhilk hais creat the to his awin ymage and liknes, & redemit the with na lesse price than with y ^e precious blud of his awin natural sone our saluiour IESVS CHRIST. Attouir yow bre­kis thi condition and band of seruice made to him in the sacrament of Baptyme. Fynally y ^u a [...]t made as ane Pagan, Saracene or Infidele and sall pe­rische for euirmair, except y ^u amēd thy lyfe be trew, [...] c [...]xli. de tempore. scharp, and lang penance. Quhat is deidly syn, bot wilfull transgressioun of the command of God? Than, how can yow that is ane wytche, or giffis credite to be helpit be Wytchcraft, excuse the f [...]a deidly syn and endles damnation s [...]and that GOD almychty expresly in his haly law forbiddis al kin­dis of wytchecraft and siclike deuilie saiand thus: Leui. xix. Non augurabimini nec obseruabitis somnia. Vse na kynd of wytchcraft, and tak na tent to dremis. And a litle efter hend: Non declinetis ad Magos, nec ab ariolis aliquid sciscitemini▪ vt polluamini ꝑ eos, ego dominus deus vester. Gang nocht to wit­chis for ony help or confort, nother seik for counsell at ony socerar, for sa doand, ȝe ar fylit in ȝour saulis [Page] be yame, for I am ȝour Lord God. And to mak an answar to thi argument. The deuil sumtyme in smal matters schawis to the the verite, bot to yat effeck, y ^• finally he may cause ye gif credit to his lesingis and black falset, in maters of greit wecht concerning thi saul. Sumtyme he will help the to get agane the guddis of this warld, bot his intent is, yat finally he may cause y ^e tyne the guddis of the warld to cum. Sumtyme he wil help the to recouer the helth of thi body, bot to that effeck, that finally he may bring the to e­ternal dede of thi saul. Quharfor all trew chri­stin men and wemen, suld nocht only be the com­mand of God vse na kind of witchcraft, bot al­swa suld seik for na help at witchis, because yat all siclik doingis is iniurius to God, & damna­ble to mans saul.

Nother can thai excuse thame self fra trans­gression of the first command, yat supersticious­ly obseruis ane day mair than ane other, as cer­tane craftis men, quhilk will nocht begin thair warke on the saterday, certane schipmen or ma­rinars will nocht begin to sail on the satterday. certane trauelars will nocht begin thair iornay on ye satterday. quhilk is plane superstition, because that God almychty made the satterday as well as he made all other dayis of the wouke. Quharfor all lesum warkis may be begon als well on the Satterday as ony other day of the wouke, quhilk is nocht commandit haly day. Syclik supersticion is amang thame, that will [Page xxiii] nocht berisch or erde the bodis of thair freindis on the North part of the kirk ȝard, trowand yat thair is mair halynes or vertew on the South syde than on the North. It is nocht vnknawin to vs, that many and sundry vther sinfull and dānable kindis of witchecraftis & superstitiōis ar vsit amang sum men and wemen, quhilk at this tyme we can nocht reherse and reproue in special, thairfor according to our dewtie we re­quire ȝow forbeir thame all, because thai ar all damnable to ȝour saulis.

The tent, Temtatiō of god. yai breke this cōmand yat tempis God, and exponis thair bodie & saule to perrel, quhen thai may help thame self be vther lauch­ful menis and wayis.

The leuint, quha presumis of yame self ony thing, or is hilie and proud of goddis giftis, Elatioun and pride or makis a vant of yair wisedome or rychteous­nes, quha wyrschippis or luffis God allanerlie for temporal geir.

The twelft, quha lippinnis nocht vpon God in al places, in al thair lesum warkis and coun­sellis, quha doutis in goddis promis, or dispa­ris of his merry.

Fynally all kind of vnfaithfulnes, mistrast & desperation and presumption, or quhasaeuir is vnpacient & murmuris aganis aduersite send to thame be GOD, belangis to the breking of this command. And to ye keping of it pertenis al, quhat the hal [...] scripture spekis of the feir of GOD, Fayth, Hoip and Cherite.

[Page] Of imagisAr ymagis aganis the first command? Na, sa thai be weil vsit. Quhat is the rycht vse of ymagis? Imagis to be made na haly writ forbiddis (sais venerabil Bede) for the sycht of thame, specially of the crucifixe giffis greit compunction to thame quhilk behaldis it with faith in Christ, and to thame yat ar vnletterat it geffis a quik remēbrance of y ^e passion of Christ. 2. Para. 4 iii. Reg. 7 Num. xxi. Salomon in tyme of his wisdome, nocht without the inspiration of God, made ymagis in ye temple. Moyses the excellent prophet and trew seruand of God, made and ereckit a brassin ymage of a serpent (quhilk figurit the liftyng vp of our sal­uiour Iesus Christ vpon the crosse) and als, be the cōmand of God, causit mak the ymagis of twa an­gellis callit Cherubinis, quhilk thing thir twa sa excellēt men in wisedome wald neuir haif done, gif the makin of imagiswar aganis y ^e cōmand of god. It is to be thocht, that yair was neuir ȝit ony pure mortal man that had mair and perfitar vnderstan­ding of this cōmand than had Moyses▪ to quhome the law was geuin be the Angel of God in Gods behalf. And to Salomon was giffin mair wisdom yan was geuin to ony mortal king. Bot vtterly yis command forbiddis to mak ymagis to that effeck, that thai suld he adornit & wirschipp [...]t as goddis, or with ony godly honour, ye quhilk sentence is ex­premit be thir wordis: Exo. 20. Non adorabis ea ne (que) coles. Thow sall nocht adorne yame nor wirschip thame as goddis. Now we suld nocht gif goddis honour or Christis honour to ony ymage bot to God alla­nerly, representit be ane image▪ And the ymagis of [Page xix] the Apostils and Martyris with vtheris, represen­tis thair trew and co [...]ta it faith, quharin thai deit with greit panis for Christis lufe, quhilk quhen we se & remēberis, we suld beseik God in our praieris to gyf lykwais to vs a constant faith and a feruent lufe of God, quhairby we may be trew seruādis to God as yai war, & to folow yair gud exemple, that finaly we doand as thai did, may cum to be, quhair thai ar in heuin, Alsua the ymage of our lady the glorious virgine Marie, beirand in hir arme the bony ymage of hir sone commonly callit the baby Iesus, representis to vs the blissit Incarnatioun and haly byrth of our saluiour, yat he was borne of the glorious virgine Marie, that sche was and is the mother of y ^e natural sone of God as concerning his manly nature, thairfor the samyn ymage be re­presentatioun techis vs to honour & lufe the samyn glorious virgine as the mother of God.

The ix. Cheptour.

QVhar panis ar thai, Comminatioun of panis a­ganis the brekaris of the first command Eccle. 27 quhilk eftir ye scripture God almychty schoris to the brekaris of yis first cōmand? We sall reherse thame plainly and schortly. First, aganis thame quhilk wantis the feir of God, or that feiris man mair than God, it is writtin thus: Si non in timore domini tenueris te instanter, cito subuertetur domus tua. Gyf yow hald nocht thi self continually in the feir of God, thi house sall be soine cassyn downe. And in the secund cheptour of Ieremy it is writtin thus: Iere. 2. Scito et vide quia malum et amarum est, reliquisse te dn̄m deum tuū, et nō esse timorem mei apud te dicit domiuus [Page] deus exercitu [...] ̄. Ken and se, yat it is euil & bitter to y ^e, because yat thow hais left thi Lord God, & that my feir is nocht in the sais our Lord God of hostis. And aganis thame quhilk will nocht haif ye trew faith of halie kirk, or y ^e giffis nocht ferme credit to y ^e enangil of our saluiour Christ it is writtin in sanct Ihonis euangel: Qui incre­dulus est filio, Ihon. iii. non videbit vitam, sed ira dei mane [...] super cum. He that will nocht gif sure faith to ye sone of God, sall nocht se lyfe, bot the wrath of God, yat is to say, y ^e rychteous iugemēt of god bydis vpon him. And to gyfe bot ane example: quharfor was the fair and excellent citie of Ie­rusalem vterlie destroyit, in the xlii. ȝeir efter the passiō of our saluiour, quharin perisched al [...]uin hundreth thousand men and wemen, as it is gaderit fra Iosephus, Flauius and Egisippus? Trewlie for na vther cause principallie, bot yat thai wald nocht knaw the tyme of thair visita­tion, yat is, y ^e thai wald nocht resaif the faith of our saluiour Iesꝰ Christ, quhen he in his awin propir persone viseit yame with his preching & miraculis. Thridly, quha that wantis hoip in the mercy & help of God, or that lippinnis mair to the help of man, than of God, lat thame heir the maleson that God giffis thame be his Pro­phet Ieremie, Iere. xvii. quhilk is this: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine, et ponit carnem brachium suum, et a dn̄o recedit cor eius. Cursit and wariit is that man quhilk traistis and lippinnis in mā mair thane in God almychty, & puttis his hail [Page xxv] defence, and principal succure in tyme of neid in ony flesche (thai is to say) in mortal men quhilk of yame self is brukkil, revil and waik, and vnable to help vs by the will and powar of God. And mekil mair thai fall in the same maleson of GOD, quhilk puttis thair traist and confidence in heip & succure of the deuil quhilk is our per­petual enemie, and fra the beginning hais bene a man slaar and stude nocht in verite, bot [...]u [...] ­mair is a lear, and the father and first beginnar of all lelingis. And of thame quhilk hais nocht the trew lufe of god and tha [...]r nychbour sanct Ihone the euangelist sais thus: i. Ihon. iii Qui non diligit manet in morte. He that hais nocht the lufe of God and his nychbour, dwellis in dede (that is to say) he remanis in deidly syne, and sa is giltie of eternal damnation. And thus ȝe may se, that quhasaeuir wantis ye four principal verteous quhilk God requiris in this first command, in­curris the indignatioun of GOD. Promis of revvardis to the ke­parsis of this com­mand. Ps xxxiii. Psal. xxxii And quhat rewardis ar promissit in the scripture to thame quhilk hes y ^e forsaid four verteous, ȝe may soine vnderstand. First it is writtin in the Psalme: Non est inopia timentibus eum. Commonlie thai want na warldly geir, quhilk feiris God. And agane in the Psalme: Oculi dn̄i super timentes eum, et in eis qui sperant super misericordia eius, vt eruat a morte animas eorum, et alat eos in fame. T [...]e eyne of our Lord behaldis on thame that feiris him. and alswa vpon yame quhilk hoipis on his mercy to deliuer yair saulis fra dede, & to [Page] feid thame in tyme of hunger and skantnes. And it is said in ane vthir Psalme: Psal. cxi. Beatus vir qui timet dominum. Happie or blissit is yat mā quhilk feiris our Lord, with mony siclike autoriteis. And to all yame quhilk hais the trew leiffand and wourkand faith, our saluiour makis this promis as we haif in sanct Markis Euangil: Mar. xi Omnia quecun (que) orantes petitis credite quia accipietis, et euenient vobis. Veralie I saie to ȝow, quhatsumeuir ȝe desire in ȝour praier, beleif yat ȝe sall resaif it, & ȝe sall haif it. And in the secund of Abacuk and in the first of the Romanis this promis is maid: Abacuk 2 Roma. i. Iustus meus ex fide viuit. My rychteous man be fayth (sais almychty god) sal leif. That is to say, y ^e mā or woman quhilk is iustifeit or maid rychteous in my sycht throw a leiff and faith, & therin is perseuerand, the same mā is he yat sal leiue the lyfe eternal. And it is said ex­presly in sanct Ihonis euangil: Qui credit in filiū dei, i. Ihon. iii habet vitam eternam. He yat trowis & fermely beleiffis in the sone of God, hais euirlastand lyfe, in this warld in hoip, & in the warld to cum in deid. Attour, how God almychty rewardis & sall reward all yame yat puttis yair hail hoip and confidence in his mercy and gloir, it is declarit in sindry placis of the scripture, specially be sanct Paul writand thus to the Hebrewis: Hebre. x. No lite amittere confidentiam ve­stram, que magnam habet remunerationem. Tak gud tent, that ȝe tyne nocht ȝour confidence, ȝour traist or hoip in God, for it hais greit reward. How can ony mortal man haif greitar reward than to be deliuerit and saffit fra ye deuil, syn, & eternal dede [Page xxvi] and to haif geuin to him eternal blys and ioy that neuir fall end? Roma. 8. Heir quhat sanct Paule sais to the Romanis: Spe enim salui facti sumus. We ar maid saif throw hoip. To quhome agreis the prophet in the Psalme sayand thus: Psal. 2. Beati omnes qui confidūt in eo. Blissit ar all thai quhilk puttis thair traist in God. The same halie prophet exhortand the pe­ple to put yair hail confidence in God, sais yit wor­dis: Psal. 6 [...]. Sperare in eo omnis congregatio populi O ȝe congregatioun of peple hoip in God: Effundite co­ram [...]o corda vestra. Powr out ȝour hartis afore him be trew & humyle confession of all ȝour synnis, Deus adiutor noster meternū. For God is our hel­par and sall neuir leiue vs. Shortly, and ȝe will knaw quhow largelie and diuersly God rewardis yame yat hais in him trew hoip and confidence, [...]eid or heir with diligence the Psalme that begynnis: [...] habitat in adiu [...]orio altissimi, Psal. 81. and ȝe sall find [...]ndry g [...]eit consolacionis, throw special promissis of defens, help and mercy & of eternal glore quhilk GOD makis in the same Psalme. And las [...] of all quha that lu [...]is God with perfite cherite, as this first cōmand requiris, optenis and gettis greit be­nefittis and giftis fra God temporal, spiritual and eternal. Roma. 8. Of the first spekis sanct Paul to the Ro­manis on this maner: Scimus quoniam diligētibus deum, omnia cooperantur in bonum. We knaw weil (sais sanct Paul) that all thingis cummis for y ^e best till all thame that luffis God. As he mycht say plainlie, God almychty hais sik ane special cure & prouidens on yame yat luffis him, yat he pe [...]mittis [Page] na thing [...] chance and cum to thame, quhilk he [...] not [...]t to yair weil & ꝓfeit. For quhen he [...] to yame prosperite, he turnis it to yair cō ­solatio [...], gi [...] thai get aduersitie, he turnis it to tha [...] pacience, & be his special grace, in tyme of yair seiknes yai ar exercit in meiknes, be mennis affliction [...]s & contradictionis, yai leir wisdome, be mennis hattred and malice, thai grow in lufe doand gud for euil. Thai vse all vertew to the gud gyding of thair life. Thai vse the precious body of our saluiour Christ being in the sacra­ment of the Eucharist to yair spiritual fude and refectioun. Thai vse the word of God to thair inst [...]ctioun. Thai vse the knawlege of sanctis and all gud men and wemen to thair exemple & edificatioun. Thai vse ye knawlege of euil men to thair zeile & compaciens. Thai vse the knaw­l [...]ge of yair awin synnis (quharof thai haif trew penance) to thair continual humiliatioun.

Thus we may vnderstand, that quhasaeuir luffis God with trew lufe vnfenȝetlie, be his special grace, all thingis turnis to thair weil & pro­fit. Of the secund our saluiour sais thus in the Euangil of S. Ihone: Ihon. xiiii Si quis diligit me sermonē meum seruabit, & pater meus diligit eum, & ad eum veniemus et mansionē apud eum faciemus. Quha­saeuir luffis me, he sall keip my command, & my father sall lufe him, and to him sall we cum, and mak our dwelling with him. Quhat thing can be to ane christin man better, or mair precious, [Page xxvii] than to haif the bliss [...]t Trinitie dwelland in the chalmyr of his hart, for doutles siclike men ma weil say with sanct Paul: Roma. 8. Si deus pro nobis quis contra nos. Gyf God be with vs quha can be a­ganis vs? And of the thrid reward quhilk is e­ternal, the Apostil sanct Iames writis plainlie on this maner: Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem, Iaco. i quoniam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronā vite quam repromisit deus diligentibus se. Happy is y ^e man that tholis trubil, for quhen he is preuit knawin, he sall resaif the croune of lyfe, quh [...] God hais promissit till thame that luffis him

The x. Cheptour.

ANd to cause all men and wemen leir & keip this first command with mair diligens, Ane gre­uous commination of panis & ane grati­ous ꝓmis of mercy quhilk God giffis in the end of the first command al­mychty God hais e [...]kit to the same ane greuous commination of panis, and ane gracious promis of mercy. Thir ar goddis wo [...]dis: Ego sum dominus deus tuus, fortis, zelotes, visitans ini­quitatem patrum in filios, in tertiam et quartā ge­nerationem, eorum qui oderunt me, et faciens mi­sericordiam in millia his qui diligunt me, et custo­diunt precepta mea. I am the Lord thi God, stark and iolious or eyndland, visityng or punising the iniquite or synnis of the fatheris vpon thair sonnis, into the thrid & fourt generatioun, of thame quhilk hettis me, and giffis mercy till a thousand of thame quhilk luffis me, & keipis my commandis.

[Page]Because thir wordis ar verrai excellent, & contenis sum difficultie, we think it expedient to opin yame to ȝow at lenth. Quharfor, it is to be notit, that in yir wordis & in mony v [...]hir placis of the halie scrip­ture, God requiris verray mekil ane thīg of vs al, quhilk is to knaw how he behaiffis him self towar [...] vs? Trewlie til thame quhilk contemnis, dispysis, and lythleis him & his godly lawis, he is ane mych­ty and potent iuge, to quhais powar & will na crea­ture may mak resistence. Bot till thame yat luffis him and his commandis, he is ane merciful father. And to cause vs vnderstand this ane thing, he [...]e­peittis thir wordis in the end of the first co [...]mand, quhilk he proponit in the beginning of the same quhilk ar exponit and declarit to ȝow in the same place. And that ȝe may vnderstand quhy he callis him self ane iolius or eyndland God, haif in ȝour remembrance, that in syndry placis of the scripture, God almychty comparis him self to a gud man, the saule of man, or the synagoge of the Iewis or the faithfull congregation of christin men and wemen, till ane spouse or ane gud wyfe. And the t [...]ew faith in GOD to a mariage as he sais be his Prophet Osee: Osee. 4. Sponsabo te mihi in fide. I sal marie the to my self in faith, & affermis the same, sayand be his Apostil sanct Paule writand to the Corinthianis: Dispondi vos vni viro, 2. Cor. xi. virginem castam exhiber [...] Christo. I haif mareit ȝow to ane man, to be ane chast virgin to Christ. Now thairfore, quhen al­mychty God callis him self ane Ioliꝰ or eyndlande God▪ he makis ane sair comminacion and greuous [Page xxviii] bosting of punition aganis all yame quhilk leiffis his faith, and gangis to idolatrie and heresie, fallis fra his hoip and confidens, to mistraist and disperacioun, & hais na trew lufe of God, bot rather con­temptioun. All siclike personis leiffis God the spi­ritual husband of thair saule, and committis spiri­tual fornicatioun with y ^e creaturis. Aganis quhom the Prophet sais thus in the Psalme: Perdi disti omnes qui fornicantur abs te. Psal. 7 [...] ▪ Thow O gud Lord hais destroyit all thame quhilkis committis forni­catioun, luffand ony creature mair thane the. As it is plainlie knawin, yat man is properly callit a Ie­lius or eyndland man, quhilk luffis his wife sa me­kil, that all tymes with greit cure and diligens, he takis tent, that na man steir or prouok hir till adul­trie, that sche be nocht begylit throw faire wordis or giftis spokin or giffin to that effeck. Efter siclike maner of speking, GOD almychty is callit ane Ie­lius or eyndland god, for als mekil as he will nocht be content gyf we lufe ony creature mair thane him, feir ony, or traist in ony creature mair thane in him, quhilk gif we do we commit spiritual fornica­tioun to the displesour of God, and damnatioun of our saulis. And to this effeck, in the end of yis first command, God giffis a sair comminatioun of ry­gorous punitioun aganis thame that leiffis him & contemnis him, and alswa ane swete & plesand promis of his mercy till al yame quhilk bydis & cleuis fast with trew fayth, hoip and cherite to him, to the entent, that the transgressouris, at the leist for feir of paine, may begin to turne agane to him, and all [Page] gud men and wemen, with ioy & blythnes may gang in the way of Gods commandis, till the kingdome of heuin. The sentence of the commi­natioun is this. I will visit & punis the synnis quhilk the fatheris dois, nocht only on the fa­theris, bot alswa on thair sonnis, procedand to the thrid & fourt generatioun, gif sa be that the sonnis follow the euil exemple of yair fa [...]heris gif yai het me as yair fatheris hettit me, gif yai transgres my commandis as yair fatheris trās­gressit, sa that the sonnis kei [...]and the command of God, be trew lufe as yai aucht to do, sal nocht be punissit with the eternal paine for t [...]air fa­theris synnis, suppoise sum tyme the sone is punissit with sum temporal paine for his fatheris syne, and that be the rychteous permissioun of God, for sum gud cause seyn to his deuine ma­iestie, and vnknawin to vs.

Now quhat is the swete and plesand promis of mercy, quhilk God makis till all gud men? It is this. I will schaw and gif mercy vntill a thousand, quhilk luffis me and keipis my com­mand. Behald christin man, how (as y ^e prophet sais) the mercy of God is aboue all his warkis, and as sais sanct Iames: Iaco. 2. The mercy of God gangis aboue his iugement, according as he sais in the Psalme: Psal. 88. Visitabo in virga iniquitate [...] eorum, et in verberibus peccata eorum, misericor­diam autem meam non dispergam ab eo. I sall vi­sit and punis thair wyckidnes with a wa [...]d, & thair synnis with strakis, ȝet I will nocht tak [...] [Page xxix] away fra yame my mercy. And thir wordis ar said to that effeck, that suppose we be greit synnaris, ȝit we suld nocht dispair of ye mercy of God, knawand weil and we will be his grace turne to him, he will haif mercy vpon vs, and gif we perseuere in his seruice he sal croune vs with the croune of glore in the kingdome of heuin. And gyf we will nocht turne to him, bot stiflie ganestand his vocatioun and folow our awin sensual will, lat vs nocht dout bot GOD sall be til vs ane rychteous iuge and ane rygorous punissar of our synnis. Thus we mak ane end of the first command, quhilk we haif declarit to ȝow sumquhat largelie, because it is the g [...]und & foun­datioun of all perfection, conteynand the trew and perfeit seruice, quhilk in our hart we aucht to gil til our Lord God, toquhome be honour and glore for euirmair. Amen.

The xvi. Cheptour.
☞The secund tabil of Moyses contenis vii. com­mandis, quhilk techis vs how we suld beir vs to our nychbour, of the quhilk the first cō ­mand and fourt in nowmer is this.

HOnora patrem tuum et matrē tuā, vt si [...] long [...]uus super terram, quā dn̄s deus tuus dabit tibi. Exo. xx. Honour thi father & mother, tha [...] thow may haif lang lyfe and gud dais vpon the e [...]d, quhilk thi lord God sall gyf to the.

[Page xliiii]Quhat is the ordour of the fourt command? As the thre commandis of the first tabil orda [...]ns vs to do our dewtie to almychty God our heuinly father, The or­dour of [...]e fourt command. tech [...]d vs how we suld serue him with our hartis, our wordis and outwart deidis, sa be conuenient ordour followis the fourt command, quhilk gi [...]fis instructioun how we suld do our dewtie till our pa­rentis fatheris and motheris & eldaris heir in this warld, quhilk be the ordinatioun of God hais reule and gouernance ouir vs in gods stede, and tharfor ni [...]t eftir God & aboue all vther nychbou [...]is we aw to thame honour and obediens. Quhow mony maner of fatheris ar schawin in the haly scripture? Thre. The first is our naturall father & mother, Thre ma­ner of fa­theris, na­tural, spiritual and temporal. Eccle. iii. quhilk be the benefit of GOD brocht vs into this warld. And of this natural father and mother, this cōmand is specially geuin. Of quhom it is writtin: Qui timet dominum honorat parentes, & quasi dn̄is seruiet his qui se genuerunt. He that feiris GOD, honouris his father and mother, and will be cōtent to mak seruice to thame quhilk hais brocht him to this warld. The secund fatheris ar thai quhilk hais cure and charge of our saulis, as byschoppis & personis, quhilk be thair office, suld, be the seid of gods word, beget vs to the faith of Christ, syne nu­risch & bring vs vp to the perfectioun of a christian lyfe, and thir ar callit spiritual fatheris. Sa the Apostil said to the Corinthianis: Nō vt ꝯfundā vos hec scribo, sed vt filios meos charissimos moneo. i. Cor. 4. I writ nocht yis to schame ȝow bot as modeir chil­dren I warne ȝow. For suppose ȝe haif ten thousād [Page] instructouris in Christ, ȝit haif ȝe nocht mony fatheris, for I haif begottin ȝow in Christ Iesu throch the Euangil. And to the Galathianis he sais thus: Filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec formetur Christus in vobis. Gala. 4. My litil children of quhom I trauel in byrth agane, quhil Christ be formit and fassionit in ȝow. The thrid father is all ciuile magistratis, yat is, al kingis, prin­cis and temporal reularis of our common weil, quhilk in auld tyme amang the Romanis was wont to be callit patres patrie, fatheris of y ^e cun­tre. And sa we reid that quhen a certane prince of Siria callit Naaman, 4. Reg. 5. came to the Prophet Helyseus to be curit fra his lyppir, his seruādis callit him father, saying: Father, gyf the Pro­phet had said to the a greit mattir, thow suld haif done it. Of ye obedie [...] [...] our natural fa­theris. And schortly all thai that hais cure and charge ouir vs vnder God, generally may be callit our fatheris, forsamekil that thai suld reule vs in yair office, with siclike fauour & diligence as the natural father reulis his sone. To quhome also we suld gife honour, seruice, & obediens as the sone dois to the father: collo. iii. Filii o­bedi [...]e par [...]tibus per omnia, hoc enim placitum est domino. Barnis (sais sanct Paul) obey ȝour fa­ther and mother in all pointis, for this is Gods command. Ephe. 6. Et vos patres, nelite ad iracundiā pro­uocare filios vestros, sed educate illos in disciplina, et correptione domini. Of honor, obediens, and prouision detti [...] til our spi­ritual fa­theris. 1. Timo. 5. Fatheris prouoke noch [...] ȝour barnis to crabitnes, bot foster thame and teche thame in the dredour of God. Qui bene pre [Page xlv] sunt presbyteri, duplici honore digni habeantur, maxime qui laborant in verbo et doctrina. Dicit e­nim scriptura: non alligabis os boui trituranti. Et dignus est operarius mercede sua. The priestis yat reule weil ar worthi of doubil honour, maist of all yai yat labouris in the word of God & teching: for the scripture sais thow sal nocht bind vp the mouth of the Ox that trampis out the corne quhilk was thair thresching. And it is all a thing to say the la­bourar is worthi of his wagis. Gala. vl [...]i. Of honor and obe­diens det­tit till our temporal fatheris. Communicet autem is qui catechizatur verbo, ei qui se catechizat in oibus bonis. Lat him yat is techit in the worde, mi­nister to him qhuilk techis him in all gud thingis. Serui obedite dominis carnalibus, cum timore et tremore, in simplicitate cordis vestri sicut Christo, non ad oculū seruientes, quasi hominibus placētes, sed vt serui Christi, facientes voluntatem dei ex a­nimo, cum bona voluntate seruientes sicut domino et non hominibus. Ephe. 6. Seruandis (sais sanct Paule) obey carnal masteris with dredour and reuerence, with a simple hart as to Christ, nocht allanerly to mak seruice to the Ge sycht for mennis plesour, bot as the seruandis of Christ, doand the will of God fra the hart with gud will euin thinkand as ȝe suld serue God. Et vos domini, eadem facite illis, remit tentes minas, scientes quod et illorum et vester dn̄s est in coelis, et personarum acceptio non est apud deum. And ȝe masteris do siclik to thame, Ephe. 6. be nocht rygorous and bitter to thame, knawand weil that ȝour Lord is in heuin, to quhome all men is lyk in pryce and all bocht with ane blud of Christ. [Page] Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit, Roma xiii nō est enim potestas nisi a deo, que autem sunt, a deo ordinare sunt. Ita (que) qui resistit potestati, dei ordinationi resistit. Euereilk man submit him self (sais S. Paule) to y ^e auctoritie of hear powaris, for thair is na powar bot of God, and quha re­sistis to the powar, resistis to Goddis ordināce. And gif ȝe wald speir, to quhat powar suld I o­bey? He answeris, to his powar quha beris the sweird to punis misdoaris, as the officiar of God. [...]. Peter. 2 Subiecti igitur estote omni humane creature propter dominum, siue regi, quasi precellenti, siue ducibus tanquā ab eo missis ad vindictā malefacto­rum, laudem vero bonorum. Submit ȝour self to all ordinance of the temporal powar, quhiddir it be to the king as to the principal, or to the prin­cis and lordis, as thame that ar deput be him. Reddite ergo omnibus debita, Roma xiii cui tributum, tribu­tum, cui vectigal, vectigal, cui timorem, timorē, cui honorem, honorem. Nemini quicquā debeati [...] nisi vt inuicem diligatis. Gyf to all men quhat ȝe a [...] awand to thame, tribute to quhome it belangis to, custome to the customaris, reuerence, dredour and honour to quhome ȝe ar haldin. Be awand na thing, bot euereilk man to lufe ane ane other amang ȝour self.

Of obedi­ens dettit til our prelati [...].And of the obediens dettit to be giffin to our spiritual reularis and prechoris, it is comman­dit in the Epistil vnto the Hebrewis: Obedi [...]e prepositis vestris & subiacete eis, ipsi enim peruigi­lāt [Page xlvi] quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri, vt cum gaudio hoc faciant, et non gementes, hoc enim non expedit vobis. Hebre. x [...] Obey thame that hais the reule ouir ȝou, and submit ȝour self to yame, for thai walk for ȝour saulis, euin as thai that mone gif a compt thairfor. That thai may do it with ioy and nocht with greif. Schortly, this command techis a man how he suld beir him to all men quhilk hais powar ouir him vn­der GOD, as father and mother, maister and hussye, the temporal powar and the spiritual. Quhat is the rycht keping of this command? The rycht keping of this com­mand. To lufe with thi hart thi father and thi mother, honour thame, obey thame, gife thame part of thi temporal guddis gif thow hais and thai mi­stir, ȝe mak thame seruice, gif thai mister for eild or seiknes, schortly, help yame with thi counsel, consolatioun, seruice of thi bodie, and sustenta­tioun with thi geir quhensaeuir thai mister. And to honour, obey and supplie thi spiritual father, speciallie the trew minister of the worde of God, as we haif schawin afore be S. Paule. Do reuerence and trew seruice to yi maister, and all thame that giffis the wage. To obey the temporal powar, Kingis, Lordis, Schirriffis, Prouostis, Balȝeis, do thame reuerence & mur­mur thame nocht.

Quha brekis this command? Quha br [...] kis this command Thai brek this command, first, that thinkis schame of thair na­tural father & mother for thair pouertie, seiknes or mischance. Thai that denyes yair necessarie [Page] sustentatioun to thame of meit & cleyth or harborye in tyme of thair mister. Bot maist of all, thai brek this command quhilk bannis thame, puttis hādis into thame, bakbytes thame, hettis yame, & obeyes thame nocht. Alsua thai that tholis nocht thair fa­ther and mother, suppose thai do yame iniuris and be cummersum. Secund, quha honouris nocht and obeyis nocht yair spiritual heddis, prelatis and pastoris, and will nocht pay thair teyndis & dewteis as thai ar oblissit be the law. Thridly, thai that honouris nocht the temporal powar, or thair awin masteris, quha fulfillis nocht yair cōmandis faith­fully or obeyis yame nocht, suppose yai be euil and thrawart, quhene thai command na thing aganis Gods command & haly kirk. Thai that makis seditioun agane thair prince, reulmen or reular, or that risis or causis vthir rise aganis thair heidmen, quhasa is fals or negligent to do yair bidding and will nocht obey thame with trew seruice, all yai and siclik personis brekkis this command.

punissioun of the brekaris of ye fourt command. Deut. xxi. 2. Reg. 16 and .17.Now we will declare to ȝow, how the transgres­souris of this fourt command ar punissit, and how the keparis ar rewardit of God. We reid in the auld law, that the sone quhilk was inobedient, stif­hartit and thrawart to his father and mother, was led to ye port or place of iugement, and be the peple was stanit to the deid. We reid in the buke of the kingis, that Absalon maid seditioun aganis his awin father king Dauid, quharfor he fled in bat­tel, and in his fleing his hair fessinit about a stark brance of ane A [...]k [...]tre, his Mule ȝeid away fra vn­der [Page xlvii] him, and swa he was hangit be his awin hair, & afore he deit he was strikin throw the hart with thre pickes or speiris, be the handis of Ioab ane of the principal captanis of king Dauidis weirris, and sa deit a miserable deid. Secund, quhasa cōtem­nis to be obedient to thair trew & lauchful spiritual fatheris, prelatis and pastoris of ye kirk, can nocht eschew the punissioun of God, because that the contemptioun of thame is the contemptioun of our saluiour Christ that ordanit thame. Heir quhat he sais to yame: Qui vos spernit, me spernit. Luce. x. Quha yat dispysis ȝow, thai dispise me. Chorie, Dathan and Abiron rebellit aganis Moyses and Aaron, Nume. 1 [...] dispysand to obey yair auctoritie, quhairfor the erd oppinnit and swellit thame, & sa leiuand ȝeid to hel. That terribil vengeance quhilk god tuk on yame, and sua was writtin for our instructioun, suld moue and warne all men and wemen to honour and obey yair superiouris & reularis, and to abstein fra scor­ning, dispysing and rebellioun aganis thame.

Thridly, quhat punissioun is ordanit for thame quhilk will nocht be obedient to thair temporal fa­theris, that is to say, to the king and his Iugis and officearis, it is plainly declarit be sanct Paul to the Romanis, sayand: Roma xiii That quhasaeuir resistis the auctoritie of the king, he resistis the ordinatioun of God. And thai that resistis sall resaif to thame self damnatioun. For reularis ar nocht to be feirit for gud warkis, bot for euil, gyf thow wald be without [...]eir of the auctoritie, do well thane, & thow sall haif commendatioun of the same, for he is ye minister of [Page] God for thi weil. Bot and gif thow do euil, than feir, for he beiris not the sweirde for nocht, for he is the minister of God, and takar of venge­ance to punis thame that dois euil, quhan for ȝe mone neidis obey, nocht only for punischment, bot also because of conscience, mening that it is deidly syn to rebel or disobey y ^e lauchfull aucto­rite & leful command of y ^e king & his officiaris. And as for the reward of thame quhilk kepis this command, Promis of revvard maid to the kepars of this fourt command. it is plainly promissit in the end of the same command, in thir wordis: Et eris longeuus super terram. Thow sall haif lang lyfe vpon the erd. It is ane cōuenient reward, that yai may haif lāg lyfe quhilk dois yair dewtie to thair father & mother, quhilk vnder God giffis to thame thair lyfe. And be the promis of lang lyfe, vnderstand nocht only to leiue mony dais, bot also vnderstand peace, tranquilite, prospe­ritie, abundance, or at the lest sufficient leiuing and sustentatioun in all thai thingis quhilk ar necessary to the mantening of this lyfe, without the quhilk, lang lyfe is nocht plesand, bot erar painfull and displesand. And this lang lyfe is commonly giffin to all thame that dewlie ho­nouris thair father and thair mother. Nochthe­les, sum tyme God almychty for sum causis sein to him expediēt, giffis to gud barnis bot schort dais, and that for thair weil, suppose it is vn­knawin til vs. According as it is writtin in the buke of wisedome: Sepi. 4. Raptus est ne malicia mutares [Page xlviii] intellectum eius. The iust man was takin away fra this life, that malicious or euil men suld nocht alter or change his mynd fra God be vi­olent tormentationis. Bot trewlie we that ar christin peple suld maist of all considder, lufe and desire the lang lyfe promissit till vs, in the kingdome of heuin, quhilk the haly Prophet callis the land of lyfe, sayand: Psal. 26. Credo videre bo­na dn̄i, in terra viuentium. I trow (sais he) to se the gudnes of the Lord, in the land of leuing men. For doutles this present warld may weil be callit the land of deade, bot the warld to cum, quhilk salbe in the kingdome of heuin, suld on­ly be callit the land of lyfe, quhair thair is lyfe, and neuir deade. Thus gud peple, ȝe may be sickir that God will punis the transgressouris of this command, and largelie reward all the keparis of the same. To him thairfore be ho­nour and thākis, louing and gloir for euir and euir. Amen.

The xvii. Cheptour.

NOn occides. The or­dour of the fift command Thou sal nocht cōmit slauch­ter. Quhat is the ordour of the fift command? The man that is content to do his dewtie to God and thame that ar his reularis vnder God, may esely be counsellit to do his dewtie to al his nychbouris. And be y ^e contrary [Page] he is redie to do skayth to his nychbour quhilk no­ther feiris God nor man in Gods stede. Thairfor be iust ordour efter ye thre first commandis, quhilk biddis vs do our dewtie to God, and efter the fourt cōmand quhilk biddis vs do our dewtie til our fa­theris in Goddis stede, followis the laif of the com­mandis, quhilk ar six in nowmer, and giffis till vs instructioun how we suld ordour our self till our nychbour, in deid, word, and desire of hart. And because that till our nychbour na temporal or erdly thing is darrar and mair precious yane is his awin bodylie lyfe, in this fift command God almychty forbiddis vs to do ony skayth till our nychbour in his persone, quharby we may hurt his bodylie life. Quhat is the trew exposioun of yis cōmand? The expositioun of Christ maid to the fift command Math. 5. Our heuinly master and saluiour Christ Iesus exponis this command in the euangil of sanct Mathew on this maner: Audistis quia dictum est anti quis: non occides. Qui autem occiderit reus erit iudicio. Ego autem dico vobis quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo reus erit iudicio. Qui autē dixerit fratri suo racha, reus erit concilio. Qui autem dixerit fatue, reus erit gehēne ignis. Ȝe haif hard how it was said to yame of auld tyme: Thow sall nocht commit slauchter. For he that slais sal be giltie of the iugement. Bot I say to ȝow, quhasaeuir hais hettrent at his bro­ther salbe giltie & in dangeir of the iugement. And quhasaeuir sais to his brother racha (that is ane lythleful crabit word) he is giltie and in dangeir of the counsell. And quhasaeuir sais to his brother fuile, he salbe giltie & in dangeir of the fire of hell. [Page xlix] In thir wordis our saluiour techis that the law of God is spiritual. For to fulfil this command: That the lavv of Godis spiritual. thow sall nocht slay or comit slauchter, it is nocht yneuch to keip thi handis or outwart membres fra [...]a [...]ing of ony persone, bot in yis command a [...]sua, God re­quiris yat thow keip thi mynd or thi hart fra al vn­lauchfull wraith & crabitnes, Of vn­lauchful crabitnes. mairatour fra malice and hettred quhilk is the first beginning and occasioun of all vnlauchful slauchter and vthir hurtis done to our nychbour. Thair for he sais, quhasae­uir is angrie at his brother, is giltie in the iugemēt of God, according as sanct Ihone sais: i. Ioan. iii. Omnis qui odit fratrem suum homicida est. He that hettis his brother is ane māslaar. Vnderstand in y ^e iugement of God quhilk seis the hart and the wil of man, and iugis efter the samyn. Quhy sais he, quhasa is āgry at his brother? It is weil sperit, for it is nocht all ane thing to be crabit at thi brother, & to be cra­bit at thi brotheris fault. The first is euirmair vnlauchfull, for be the command of cheritie we suld lufe our nychbour (quhilk is our brother in Christ) as our self. That is to say, to will & desyre als weil gud to him in bodie and saule as we will and desyre to our self. Sa we suld nocht be crabit at ye nature or persone of our brother. Of lauch­ful cra­bit [...]es. Bot it is nocht aganis y ^e command of God to be crabit agane the falt of our brother. For we suld quhen neid is, angirly repreue the falt of our nychbour, quhilk gif we do for his instructioun, iust correctioun and amendment, it is na syn, bot a cōmendit vertew, specially to al yame that hes cure and charge of ony other, according as [Page] it is said in the Psalme: Psal. 4. Irascimini et nolite pec­care. Be crabit & syn nocht. And the same Pro­phet sais: Psal. 118. Iniquos odio habui. I haif hettit the wickit men. Without this halie crabitnes no­ther can iugement stand, nor vertew incres, nor synnis be refrenit, as sais the doctour Chriso­stome. The rycht keping of this command. Tell vs thane the rycht keping of this cōmand. Almychty God in all commandis ne­gatiue includis ane affirmatiue, that is, quhene God forbiddis syn, in y ^e same cōmand he biddis vs haif the vertewis quhilk ar contrary to the same forbiddin syn. Sa in yis command quhen he forbiddis slauchter and all occasionis of the same, as hettrent of the hart, indignatioun of y ^e voce signifyit be Racha, manifest iniurious wordis signifyit be this worde fuile, he biddis vs be pacient, meik and sweit, kind and merciful nocht to hald in our mynd hettred, inuye, nor ȝit to foster it onyway agane our enemeis, nother to hurt yame in bodie or saule be word or deid, art, part or counsell, bot to help & deliuer our nych­bour be word and deid, fra perel of saule & body to the vtermaist of our powar.

Quha bre [...]es this commandQuha brekis this command? Thai brek this command that flytis & fechtis with thair nych­bour, quha sais ony worde that cummis of vn­lauchfull Ire and crabitnes, quha callis ane v­ther fuile of malice, or sais ony iniurious wordꝭ to him, nyknamis, banning, bakbyting or scor­ning, quha lattis his nychbour dee of hungir, thrist, cald, seiknes, presone, & helpis him noht to [Page xlx] his powar, quha wil nocht forgif to al yair nychbouris thair offencis & will nocht pray for thair enemeis, luffis yame nocht or helpis yame nocht at the le [...]t in tyme of thair extreme neid, quha of crabitnes committis slauchter or murthour, mutilation, or lais on his nychbour ony violent hā ­dis, quha inuyis yair nychbouris gud fortune, quha sawis discorde and fosteris it, quha rasis pley amang nychbouris, alswa thai that may mak cōcord amang nychbouris or betuix fayis and dois it nocht, and puttis nocht away al euil occasionis thairof. Quhiddir gif kingis and temporal Iugis synnis aganis this command, quhen be ordour of the law thai condemne to deade theiffis, menslaaris and murtheraris, re­uareis, tratouris, and siclyk misdoaris, pertur­batouris, and destroiaris of the common weil? Na. For this command is giffin to priuat per­sonis & takis nocht the temporall powar away, that thai may nocht punis misdoaris, for thai haif auctoritie of God & ar Gods seruandis or­danit to do yat. Nochttheles, yai syn greuously in twa pointtis. First, Temporal Iugis syns greuously in tvva pointtis. gif yai lauchfully ken ony siclike misdoars w ^tin yair boūdis quhairof yai haif auctoritie & tholis yame, lukis at yame throw yair fingaris, & will nocht punis yame, o­ther for lufe of geir or carnal affection or sum v­ther daft opinioun, be resone quharof misdoars takis mait baldnes to perseuere in euil, & the cō ­mon weil is hurt. Siclik cowatousnes, carnal affection, & fuilis mercy can nocht be excusit fra syn.

[Page]Secund, gif yai in iugement punis misdoaris, nocht for the lufe of iustice & the common weil, bot rathir of ire malice or hettret aganis the persone or his freindis▪ or for lu [...]e of his landis or geir, lyk­wais thai syn greuously [...]a doand.

The puni­tion [...] of [...] of [...] Gene. [...].Quhat panis ar ordanit for the brekaris of yis fift command? And quhat rewardis ar promissit to the keparis of the samyn? The temporal paine or­d [...] be the will of God, for the punitioun of all [...] of men and wemen by the ordour of iustice, is to be slaine, as it is decretit in the buke of Gene­ [...]is: Quicun (que) effuderit humanum sanguinem, funde t [...]r sangu [...]s illius, ad imaginem quipp [...] dei factus est homo Quhasaeuir scheddis the blud of man, by y ^e ordour of iustice, his blud sal be sched, be y ^• or­dour of iustice, because yat man is maid to y ^e ymage of God. And in y ^e law of Moysis it is writtin thus: Qui [...] et occiderit hominē, Le [...]i. 2 [...]. morte moriatur. He that st [...]kkis & slais a man or a woman, lat him dee the deed▪ that is to say, he suld be slaine for it him self. And our saluiour hais the same sentence in the euangil of sanct Mathew: Qui gladium acci­pit, Math. 26 gladio peribit. He that takis the sweirde, sall perers with the sweirde. Vnderstand thir wordis, & all siclis▪ of thame that takis a sweirde to slay his nychbour▪ nocht kepand the ordour of iustice, he is worcht to [...] & to be same, be y ^e ordour of iustice. And the Apostil sanct Paule rehe [...]sand the deidis of the [...] rec [...]ins manslauchter amang thame: [...] eftir hend thame all, quha sa d [...]is thame & siclik, sall nocht get the kingdome of God. Our [Page li] Lord God his awin self is a special defēdar of this command, & will nocht thoile mens [...]aaris to eschape punitioun. He said to Cayn that slew his brother, quhair is Abell thi brother? Vox sanguinis fratris tui, clamat ad me de terra. Gene. 4. The voce of yi brothers blude, cries vengeance to me fra the erd. Quhat will ȝe mair? All menslaaris leiuis alwais in feir quhairsaeuir thai dwel, because thair conscience cō monly is neuir in rest and tranquilitie. Quhairto suld we spek of the reward that is promissit to the keparis of this command? Is it nocht perfite lufe and cherite (quhilk kepis, helpis, and defendis our nychbouris bodie, wife, and geir) the perfectioun of the law? And thairfor quhasaeuir helpis & defēdis thair nychbouris lyfe, thai sall get reward in the kingdome of heuin, quhairto he bring vs quhilk hais bocht vs with his precious blude Amen.

The xviii. Cheptour.

NOn Mechaberis. Exod. xx. The or­dour of ye saxt com­mand. Thow sall nocht commit adultery. With quhat ordour followis y ^e saxt cōmand efter the fift? As the greitest iniure quhilk a mā may do to his nychbour is slauchter, quharby he takis away his lyfe fra him, sa th [...] n [...]xt iniure of wra [...]g is to violat or to fele carnally his nychbours wife, quhilk is a persone w ^t him maist deirly bond in the sacrament of matrimonie. Our saluiour Christ in the Euangil expo [...]is alsua the saxt com­mand in siclik maner as he exponit the fift, teching [Page] that this command nocht only forbiddis all outwart adultery committit in deid, bot alsua the same command forbiddis all inwart causis and occasionis of adultery, as lichetous sichtis, desyris, consenting, lustis of concupiscence in y ^e hart. Math. 5. Audistis quia dictum est antiquis, non mecha beris. Ego autē dico vobis, quia omnis qui viderit mulierem ad concupiscendum eam, iam mechatus est eā in corde suo. Ȝe haif hard how it was said to yame in auld tyme. Thow sall nocht commit adultery. Bot I say to ȝow (sais our saluiour) quhasaeuir spyis or lukis apon ony womā haif­fand ony lust & desyre to hir of concupiscence, he hais cōmittit adultery with hir ellis in his hart. Lyk as hettrent, wrath, and malice of y ^e hart, is the rute and beginning of al mannis slauchter, sa is carnal desyre, lust and concupiscence of the hart the rute & beginning of adultery & all kind of lichorie. Quhat is the rycht keping of this command? The rycht keping of this com­mand. To be chaist in mynd, word & deid, to be tēperat in meit, drink & sleip, to put away all occasionis of lechorie, quhairof all kindꝭ ar heir forbiddin, suppose adultery be specially namit. For, fornicatioun was nocht tholit a­mangis y ^e Iewis vnpunissit, as oppin huirdom and manifest adulterie is daily doin amang christin men, aganis the command of God. Mairouir, Leuit. xx. amang the Iewis incest and synnis aganis nature was punissit with deade, as it is schawin plainly in the buke of Leuittis.

Now thairfor ȝe sall vnderstand yat yair is [Page lii] thre degreis of chastitie. Marreage The first is kepit amang gud maryit men & wemen that leiuis ane chast lyfe in the stait of matrimonie, kepand yame self alwais within the bondis of yat sacrament. Quharfor S. Paule sais thus to the Hebrewis: Heb. xiii. Honorabile cō ­nubium, et thorus immaculatus Lat marriage be haldin honorable, and the bed vndefylit. How suld nocht marriage be honorable, sen it was ordanit be almychty God in the beginning of the warld, for multiplicatioun of mankind, & in ye new testament ratifyit and alsua grātit in remeid of co [...]cupiscence to eschew fornicatioun, to all thame quhilk hais nocht lauchful impediment, bot yat yai may lauch­fully marry be y ^• ordinās of Gods law & haly kirk. Alsua our saluiour gaif honour to marriage with his awin presence, and kythit his first mirakil in ye Cane of Galile turnand the wattir into wyne.

The secund degre of chastite is mair perfit than the first, Vedohed & is kepit amāg yame yat leuis ane chast lyfe in the stait of wedohede, of quhome S. Paule sais thus: Mulier alligata est legi quanto tempore vir eius viuit quod si dormierit vir eius, liberata est, i. Cor. 7. cui autem vult nubat, tantum in dn̄o. Beatior autē erit, si sic permenserit secundum meum consilium. The marreit woman is bond to the law of matri­monie, als lang as hir husband leiuis, bot gif hir husband dee, sche is deliuerit fra yat law, and with quhome sche pleis, lat hir marrie, bot lauchfully ef [...]er y ^e ordination of our Lord. Nochttheles sche sal [...]e mair blissit or happie, gif that sche remaine euin [...]ill vnmaryit efter my counsel.

[Page] VirginitieThe thrid degre of chastitie is mair perfit than the first and secund, and is kepit amang thame quhilk liffis ane chast lyfe in the stait of virginitie, quhilk sanct Paule counsellis as a greiter perfectioun of chastitie, i. Cor. 7. sayand thus to the Corinthianis: Qui ma­trimonio iungit virginem suam, bene facit, et qui nō iungit melius facit. He that ionis his virgin to marriage dois weil, and he that ionis nocht, dois better. And agane he sais in the same cheptour: Mulier innupta et virgo, cogitat que domini sunt, vt sit sācta & corpore & spiritu. The woman quhilk is ane virgin and vnmareit, hes hir mynd and hir thocht apon thai thingis that belangis til hir Lord God, that sche may be halie baith in hir spirit and hir bodie. Thus we conclude, that all thai men and wemen keipis this command, quhilk liffis ane chast life according to yair stait, Quha brekis this command Adulte­raris. degre & vocatioun.

Quha brekis this command? First, quha com­mittis adulterie with yair nychbouris wife other in bodie or in mynd, quhiddir thai be bayth marreit or the ane allanerly, quhilk syn was punissit with the dede in the ald law. Sa king Dauid synnit gre­uously, Leuit. xx. and was greuously punissit, bayth in his sonnis and his wiffis, 2. Reg. 12 for bayth he tynt his barne gottin in adulterye, 2 Reg. 16 and was coackit and compell [...] to flee his awin sone Absalon, quhilk entrit in to a­buse his fatheris concubines in the sycht of all the peple, and did that lay in him to put the king his father out of his kingdome. Sa we reid in the buke of Iugis, Iudi. xx. that almaist the hail tribe of Beniamin was slaine, for ane adulterie be oppressioun of a [Page liii] Leuittis wyfe. Gene. xx. Bot alsua Abimelech the king was punissit be God, nocht for committing adultery in de [...]d with Sara Abrahams wife, bot allanerlie yat he had desyre and pursose thairto.

Secund, Defoular [...] of virgini [...] thai syne greuously agane this com­mand, yat takis virginis maidinhede, specially gyf thai be handfast with ony vther, quhilk syn was punissit with deade in the auld law. Deut. 22.

Thridly, Rauissaris of vvemen Ge. 34. thai syn mair greuously that reuissis ony woman, for the quhilk syn we reid yat Sichem the sone of Hemor, the prince of that land was slayne with his father, and all thair men and thair citie destroyit. Amon also king Dauid sone, 2. Re. xiii be­cause he rauissit and oppressit Thamar his sister, he was slayne be Absalon in tyme of a bankit.

Fourt, Incestuus personis. yai syn aganis this cōmand yat brekis y ^e band of nature, & lyis with yame yat ar neir of yair kin, quhilk is forbiddin in the buke of Leuittis. Leui. 18. Commit­taris of ye syn aganis nature. Simple fornica­touris. Prouo­karis to ye syn of le­chorie. The same syn was in y ^e law punissit with the dead.

Fift, quha vsis the syn aganis nature (abone all the laif, synnis maist greuously) doand vtherwais than God hais institute betuix man & woman.

Saxt, all thai that synnis in simple fornicatioun quhiddir it be with concubynis or huiris. And also quhasa ꝓuokis vthirs to lechorie, be foule speiche, sāgis, taillis and pictouris, quha be foule thinking or feling, fylis thame self, quha eschewis nocht the occasionis of lichorie, drounkynnes, ydilnes, owir lang sleping, wātone & licht company, dansing, sin­ging, with vthir siclik ꝓuicationis. And quha may keip vthirs vnfylit, be help & coūsel & dois it nocht.

[Page]Fynaly, to this command pertenis all yat the haly scripture techis of chastitie, fasting, absti­nence, temperance in taking of meit and drinke, as nocht to be drounkin with wyne, in quhilk is exces & lechorie. And all exhortatioun to orisone and prayar, Ephe. 5. walking, honest labouris, honest company, hering of the word of God, studie of halie writ, quhilk helpis to keip and defende chastitie.

The xix. Cheptour.

Comminatioun of panis a­ganis the brekaris of this commandIT wald be to lang to reherse to ȝow all panis and corporal vengeance quhairwith God al­mychty in tymes bygane hais punissit the bre­karis of this saxt command, nochttheles, part of exempillis writtin in haly writ, we sall rehers to ȝow, to that effeck, that thir incorrigibil huir­maisteris, inueterat fornicatouris, detestabil adulter [...]is, and vther brekaris of chastitie (quhilk yat suld keip be the cōmand of God & yair awin special vocatioun) may se as into ane myrrour thair awin dāpnatioun. For doutles mony of siclik fornicatouris, blindit be carnal concupi­scence of thair hart, trowis that simpil fornica­tioun is na deadly syn, nor to thame damnabil, and sa nocht beand punissit be man & haiffand na feir of God and alswa schame of this warld, being past the sched of thair heer, thai leiue con­tinually in huirdome, thai corrup the ayre with [Page liiii] the exempil of thair vnclein lyfe, thai lufe and theris all yat ar siclik as thame self, thai het all yame y ^e leiuis ane chast lyfe. Comminatioun of temporall pain aga­nis adulteraris and all other lycherous personis. Deut. 22. Ihoan. 8. i. Cor. 6. Heb. xiii. Thairfor we exhort thame all for the weil of thair awin saulis to leif thair huirdome. and to keip ane chast lyfe, vnles thai be punissit of God be greuous panis and plaigis, bayth temporal & eternal, lyk as vther hais bein punissit in tyme bygane.

In the auld law all adultaris bayth men and wemen was stanit to the deade, as we reid in the buke of Deuteronome, and alswa in sanct Iohanis Euangill. All adulteraris ar excludit the kingdome of heuin, as sanct Paule sais in the first to the Corinthianis and saxt cheptour. Also to the Hebrewis he sais thus: Fornicatores et adulteros iudicabit deus. God sall iuge and condempne all fornicatouris and adulteraris. We reid in the buke of Iugis that for the vio­lent adulterie doin to the wife of ane certane Leuit, Iudi. xix. and xx. thair was slayne of the trybe of Benia­min xxv. thousandis of abil men of weir.

Salomon was first ane king incomparabill in wisedome and all gud properteis, iii. Reg. xi bot efter hend that he was giffin inordinatly to y ^e lufe of fair wemen, he turnit his hart fra God, and was giffin to ydolatry, in his ald dais his hart was blindit, enemeis was rasit & sterit aganis him Adad Idumeus, and Raȝō, his kingdome was diuidit, and thair was takin fra the house of Dauid ten trybes of Israel. It is ver­rai [Page] trew thairfor yat the prophet Osee sais, Yat blindnes of the hart is the dochter of lichory Osee. 4. that all wantone licherous men and wemen ar punissit of God with blindnes of hart, and sa thai put of the honest and chast conuersatioun of man, & leiuis lyk brute bestis in thair awin sensual lust and plesour: Fornicatio, et vinum et ebrietas auferunt cor. For­nicatioun or huirdome, wyne or dronkinnes takis away the hart or the mynd of man.

Gene. [...]4.In the buke of the Genesis we reid, that for ra­uissing of Dina the dochter of Iacob, all the men callit Sichimittis was slayne, thair scheip and yair cattal was reft and had away, thair barnis and yair wyffis was led in captiuitie, thair citie was put to sak and all was destroyit. Gene. 7. Amang the causis of the greit flude quhilk drownit all the warld (aucht per­sonis except) ane cause is assignit to be y ^e lecherous lust of the flesch. Gene. 29 God almychty cuist doune So­doma and Gomorra, Sebaim & Adama with Se­gore fiue nobil and fair citeis, with brontstaine and f [...]re, Gene. 19. for thair abhominabil vnclennes of lichorie. And quhen our Lord was to destroy the forsaid ci­teis he reuelit the same destructioun to Abrahā, the first father of our faith, yat he mycht schaw it to his sonnis and seruandis, to that effeck, yat thai mycht for feir of the punitioun of God, forbeir that dam­nabil syn, and leiue ane chast lyfe. And quhairfor was all thir exemplillis writtin, bot to gif vs war­ning to fle fra the foule stinkand syn of lychorie, les as we synnand as thai did, fall in siclik vengeance of God as thai did. And ane special exempil worth [...] to be no [...]it of al kirkmen, i. Reg. 4. is writtin in the first buke [Page lv] of the kingis, quhair we reid yat Ophna and Phi­neis, sonnis of Hely priestis of the auld law vnder the hie priest Hely thair father, was giffin to greit wantones & huirdome, abusand the woman quhilk came to mak sacrifice, yair father Hely the hie priest kennit yair abusionis, and correckit thame nocht sacondingly as thai war worthie, be resone quhairof thai twa priestis Ophna and Phineis was slayne baith on ane day, ye Arch of God was takin, quhen tydans thairof was brocht to Hely thair father, he fell backwart of his chear and brak his neck. It is to be feirit that siclik punitioun of God sall fall on all thame yat kennis oppin fornicatouris and may and suld correck thame and will nocht. Comminatioun of eternal panis aganis all lyche­rus men & vvemen. i. Cor. 6. Bot suerly litil ar temporal panis, in comparisone of the panis eternal of hell, quhairto all fornicatouris and huir­maisteris, be y ^e rychteous iugement of God ar con­demnit, except yai mend yair liffis be trew penāce. The blissit Apostil sanct Paul in thre placis of his Epistillis makis special mentioun of the iugement of God. The first is to the Corinthianis: Nolite errare ne (que) fornicatores, ne (que) ydolis seruientes, ne (que) adulteri, ne (que) molles, ne (que) masculorum concubito­ [...]es, ne (que) fures, ne (que) auari, ne (que) ebriosi, ne (que) maledic­ti, ne (que) rapaces, regnum dei possidebunt. Be nocht begylit, nother huirmaisteris or fornicatouris, nor wyrschipparis of ydollis, nor adulteraris, nor soft or vnclein men, nother abusaris of thame self with mankind, nor theuis, nor cowatous men, nor drounkin men, nor euil speikaris, nor reiffaris or oppres­saris, sal haif possessioun of the kingdome of God. [Page] The secund place is to y ^e Galathianis: Manifest [...] sunt autem opera carnis quesunt: Gala. v. fornicatio, immundicia impudicitia, luxuria, idolorum seruitus, ven [...] ficia, inimicitie, cōtentiones, emulationes, ire, rixe, dissensiones, secte, inuidie, homicidia, ebrietates, comessationes et his similia, que predico vobis sicut predixi, quoniam qui talia agunt regnum dei non consequentur. The deidis of the flesche ar manifest quhilk ar thir, fornicatioun, vnclenes, wantonnes, ydolatrie, witchecraft, hettred, cō ­tentioun, emulatioun, wraith, strif, seditioun, sectis or hereseis, inuye, murther, drounkinnes, gluttony and siclik, of the quhilk I tell ȝow be­fore as I haif tald ȝow in tyme bygane, that yai quhilk dois siclike deidis sall nocht optene & get the kyngdome of God.

Ephe. v.The thrid place is writtin to the Ephesianis: Hoc autem scitote intelligentes, quod omnis forni­cator, aut immundus, aut auarus, quod est idolorū seruitus, non habet hereditatem in regno Christi et dei. Knaw this and vnderstand, that na huir­maister or fornicatour, na vnclein persone or cowatous (quhilk is ye wyrschippar of ydollis) hais heretage in y ^e kingdom of Christ & of god.

Now tak tent O thow lycherous man and woman how the Apostil sanct Paul placis and settis fornicatouris & lycherous men & wemen in the first place of all thame that salbe excludit and put fra the kingdome of heuin. Thairfor O christin mā lat euirmair the wechtie cōmand of sanct Paule sound in thi eris, quhen he sais: [Page lvi] Fugite fornicationem. Fle fornicatioun. [...]. Cor. 6. Gyf yow speir at me, how may I fle fornicatioun? Trewly, quhen thow fleis fra all thai thingis quhilk ar the occasionis of fornicatioun fosteris and kepis a man or a woman in fornicatioun, as is vaine, ydil and lychorous thochtis & vnclein desyris of carnal lust and plesour. Gluttony and all erces in eittng and drinking, all ydilnes of the boby with lang sle­ping, all company of wantone, lycht and lychorous personis, all foule wordis and vnhonest talking. That thir ar the occasionis, nurissing & vphalding of ye syn of lychorie it is plainly schawin in the xvi. cheptour of the Prophet Ezechiel, quhair it is said to the peple of Israel: Hec fuit iniquitas Sodome sororis tue, superbia, saturitas panis, Eze. 16. ocium ips [...]us et filiarum eius. This was the iniquitie, that is to say, y ^e occasionis of wickitnes of Sodome thi sister, pryde, welth of meit & aboundance, and the ydilnes of hir and all hir dochteris. In thir wordis ȝe may vnderstand plainly, that suppose Sodoma with ye laif of the citeis was vtterly destroyit for the syn of the flesche abhominabil and nocht to be spokin, ȝit the special occasionis quhilk inducit & brocht yame to the vse of the same syn, was yair pryde, yair glu­tony & yair ydilnes. Sa ȝe may se yat it is trew yat the wisman sais: Qui amar periculum in illo peri­bit. He yat luffis the perrel mone peris in ye same, Eccle. iii. that is to say, he yat will do ony thing quhilk is the occasioun of syn, he mone neidis fall in the same syn and sa finally peris except he amēd his lyfe be trew penance. And sa conclude that na man can eschew fornicatioun except he fle the occasionis of ye same. [Page] Now last of all quhat special rewardis God giffis to all thame quhilk leiuis ane chast lyfe, Special revvardis promissit to the ke­paris of this command. i. Cor. 6. the same Apostil declaris in the same place afore allegite: An ne [...]citis quoniam membra vestra, templum sunt spi­ritussancti, qui in vobis est, quem habetis a deo & non estis vestri. Empti estis precio magno, glorifi­ca [...]e et portate deum in corpore vestro. Knaw ȝe nocht that ȝour bodeis is maid the tempil of y ^e halie spirit quhilk is in ȝow, quhome ȝe haif giffin to ȝou of God, and ar nocht ȝour awin seruandis. Ȝe ar bocht w ^t ane greit price, that is to say, with the blud of ye immaculate lame our saluiour Christ. Thar­for, magnifie & beir God in ȝour boby, be ane clein and chast lyfe. Quhat greiter gift may God gife to man, than to gife to him the haly spirit. Quhilk be his special grace, wyrkis all gudnes in vs, mouis vs to gud, gydis our hartis be lufe, and gif we ex­pel him nocht fra vs be syn, he wil bring vs fynally to y ^e glorious kingdom of heuin, quhairto he bring vs quhilk hais bocht vs with his precious blude.

Amen.

The xx. Cheptour.

Exo. xx. The or­dour of ye seuint cō ­mand. NOn furtum facies. Thow sall nocht steil o [...] commit theift. Quhat is the ordour of this command? Efter thai God our law mak ar, in the fift command hais forbiddin all iniuris anent thi nychbouris persone, & in the saxt command forbade all iniuris anent thi nychbouris wife, heir in the [Page lvii] seuint command, he forbiddis al iniuris anent thy nychtbours geir. The rycht keping of yis cōmād Quhat is the perfectioun of ver­tew, quhilk God requiris to y ^e rycht keping of this cōmand? To be lyberal of thy awin geir at thy po­wer, to gyf thame almous, quhen thay mister, to len yame glaidlie, quhen thay wald borrow w ^tout hope of wynning or of ockir, for sa our saluiour biddis the do, saying: Qui autem petit a te, da ei, Mathei. 5 Luce. 6. & volenti mutuare a te, ne auertaris. Gyff to hym that askis, and fra hym that wald borrow, turne nocht awaye. Et si mutuum dederitis, his a quibus speratis recipire, que gratia es [...] vobis? Nam et peccatores pecca­totibus fenerantur, vt recipiant equalia, verumtamē diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite, et mutuū date, nihil inde sperantes, et erit merces vestra multa, et eritis filii altissimi, quia ipse benignus est suꝑ ingra­tos et malos. Gyff ȝe len to thame of quhome ȝe hope to resaue, quhat thank haue ȝe thairfor? For synnars alsa lēnis to sinarꝭ y ^t yai mai resaue als mekle agane, bot rather lufe ȝe ȝour ennymeis, do gud & len, lukand for na vantage thairof agane, sa sall ȝour reward be gret, and ȝe sall be the chyldreing of the hiest, for he is kynde, euin to the vnthankfull & to the euyll. To be schort in this mater, Luc. 16. our Salue­our techis playnlie, in ye parabyl of the ryche Gluttone, & pure Lazarus, that a man or woman quhilk hes warldlie geir, & may gyf to the pure, in tyme of thair myster and wyll nocht, that thay ar worthy to be condampnit to the fyre of hell. Mat. 25. And at ye latter dai of extreme Iugement, he sal gyf possessioun of the kyngrik of heuin to al thaim that in tyme of yis [Page] lyfe was content to exerce and vse the werkis of mercy to the puir, and on the other partie, he sal condemne to the fyre of hell, all wyckit men and wemen quhilk ar vnmercyfull to the puir.

Be this cōmand also we ar warnit to eschew al ydilnes, & to be occupyit in lesum & profitabil labour, nocht only that we may thair with wyn trewly a leiuing to our self, bot also yat we may be abil to help y ^e puir in tyme of yair neid, accor­ding to the wordis of S. Paule before rehersit.

Quha brekis this cō mand.Quha brekis this command? Trewly sa mony men and wemen brekis this command, that thai ar few of all degreis and estatis that can excuse thame fra thyft, othir priuatly or pertly, plainly or ellis vnder colour. Theiffis. First, all theiffis quhilk quyatly and wrangously takis mennis gei [...] fra thame agane thair will: Tobi. 2. Vedete ne forte furtiuus sit (hedus) reddite eum dominis suis, quia non licet nobis, aut edere ex furto aliquid, aut contingere. Take tent (sais Tobias to his wife) yat the Kyd be nocht stowin, for it is nocht lesum for vs to eit or to twiche ony stowine thing. Reuaris. Secundly, al reffaris quhilk wrāgously & oppinly with vi­olence spulȝeis vther men of yair geir, quhiddir it be be land or see. Of quheme sanct Paul sais thus: [...]. Cor. 6. Fures et rapaces regnū dei non possidebunt. Theiffis and reffaris sall nocht get possessioun of the kingdome of God. Rece [...]tars And for als mekil as the Apostil sanct Paule sais: Roma. 1. Non solum qui ea faciunt, sed etiā qui consensiunt facientibus. That [Page lviii] nocht only thai that dois euil ar worthie of the deade, bot also thai that consentis to the doaris.

All princis & temporal magistrattis quhilk giffis cōmand, licence, help, Princi [...]. counsel and fauour to ony siclike reffaris be land or be see, or may stop yame and wil nocht, may be comptit as ref­faris before God, and brekaris of this cōmand. Sa it was said to Iosaphat king of Iewrie: Impio prebes auxilium, 2 Para. 1 [...] et his qui oderunt dn̄m amicitia iungeris. Thow gyffis help to ane wic­kit man, & is ionit in freindschip with yame yat he [...]tis God. To siclyk Princis God sais thir wordis, quhilk yai suld tak tent to: Esaie. i. Principes tui infideles, socij furum. Thi princis ar vnfaithful, marrowis to theiffis. Also gif kingis or prin­cis other excede and is exorbitant in taking of taxis fra thair peple, or spendis nocht the same taxis iustly apon the necessary defence of the cō ­mon weil, yai can nocht excuse yame fra breking of this command. Secundly, Iugi [...]. all Iugis temporal or spiritual, quhilk sellis iustice and iugement that aucht to be giffin frely, ar trans­gressouris of this cōmand: Nec accipies munera que etiam excecant prudentes, Exo. xxiii et subuertunt verba iustorum. Thow sall nocht (sais God) resaif re­wardis or buddis quhilk blindis the prudent men, and subuertis and puttis doune ye wordis of iust men. Non accipies personam, nec munera quia munera excecant oculos sapientum, Deut. xvi. et mutant verba iustorum.

[Page]And agane thow sall nocht except in Iugemēt ony mannis persone, nor resaue rewardis, for rewardis blyndis the eine of wysemen, and chengeis the wor­dis of Iust mē. Thridlie, na les is the syn of Prin­cis, Patrons of beneficis. Lordis, Byschoppis, and vthir Patronis spir­tuall & tēporall, quhē thay ꝓuid & ꝓmouis ony vn­worthy and vnqualifeit man to ony dignitie & benefice in the kirk, for lufe of temporall geir to thair a­win auantage, or of ony vthir f [...]eind or fremmit. Quhy sulde nocht that be callit theift, quhilk is ge­uin for lufe of geir, that suld be giffin frelie for the lufe of, God and in respect of leirnyng and vertew?

Cōmittars of sacrile­ge. Hartars of ye como [...] vveill Vs [...]raris. Luce. 6. Defrauda­ris of ser­uādis vva­gis. Iacobi. 5. Strykaris of vnlauchfu [...] cōnȝey Cer [...]ane marchadsFourtlie al Sacrilege is aganis yis commād, quhen ony thing ordani [...] to the honestie & cōuenient myni [...]tratioun of the Sacramentis and seruice off God, is stowin and reft out of the kirk. Fyftlie, a [...] thay that defraudis or spoulȝeis the cōmon geir, aganis the cōmon weill for lufe of thair awin pry­uate and singulare weill. Saxtlie, all vsura­ris & ocki [...]rars synnis aganis this cōmand yat wi [...] nocht len thair geir frelie, bot makis conditione of ockir, aganis the cōmand of Christe. Seuint­lie all thay quhilk hais seruandis or work men and wyll nocht pay thaim thair fee or waige, accordyng to cōditioun & thair deseruyng, quhilk syn as sanc [...] Iames sayis, cryis vengeance before God. Auchtlie all thai that strykis cownȝe of vnlauchful mettall, quhair throuch the cōmon weil is hurt and ska [...]hi [...]. ❧The nynte, all Merchandis that sellis corruppit & euyll stufe for gude, and gyf thay or ony vthir in bying or sellyng▪ vse desait, falsate, [Page lix] pariurie, wrang mettis or weychtis, to the skaith of thair nychtbour, thay cōmitt gret syn agane this cō mand. Certane craftis mē. Nother can we clenge fra breakyng of this cōmand all kyndis of craftis men, quhilk vsis nocht thair awin craft leillalie & trewlie as yai suld do. ☞Laste of al, we can nocht▪ nor suld nocht excuse benefecit mē fra breakyng of yis command, quhilk ressauis the Patrymonye of Christ (that is to say) teindis and offeryngis fra the christin pepil, ȝe sum tyme mair largelie than thay suld do, & wyll nocht mynister agane to the peple ye word of God, Certan benef [...]it men for the fude of yair saulis, the haly Sacramēts for the consolatioun of thair saulis, & wyll gyf na parte of thair benefice, for ye sustentatioun of pure peple within thair paryschyng. For doutles thay ar bot dispensatouris or stewartis of the same, to be distrubit to thaim self sa far as thai myster to thair honest sustentatioun, & also to the pure peple of yair awin perrochyne in speciall, and in reparatioun of thair queir quhen it nedis. Also nocht only yai braik yis command quhllk stelis, reiffis, or committis ockir, Certan gē tyll men. quhay begylis men with fals met or mesour, quha sellis fals rottyn merchandyis, bot also thay that be falset, optenis vthir mēnis heretage or takis vp thair rentis, quha that payis nocht seruandis & lauborous mē thair feis. All wrechis y ^e wyl be ground ryche incontynent, quhay be fraud, falset, and gyle twynnis men and thair geir, Takars of ouir mekil mail or ferme. quhay may keip thair nychtbour, fra pouertie and myschance and dois it nocht. Quhay takis ouer sair mail, ouer mekle fer­me or ony blake maillis, fra thair tennands, or put [Page] tis thair cottaris to ouir sair labouris, quhait throw the tenentis & cottaris is put to herschip.

Quha inuies his nychbouris gud fortune, ouir byis him or takis his geir out of his hādis with fair hechtis, or preuenis him, or begylis him at his marchandis hand. All thir abone re­hersit brekis yis command & ar comptit theiffis before God.

The xxi. Cheptour.

Commit­taris of symony.HEir we may nocht lauchfully leiue out yame yat cōmittis symony, quhilk with­out dout expresly synnis aganis this cō ­mand. Quhat is Symony? It is a diligent will to by or sel ony spiritual thing or ony vthir thing yat is annexit to spiritual thingꝭ. Quhar­fore, thai that byis or sellis the grace of God or ony special gift of the halye spirite, as Symon Magus wald haif bocht and Gezi sald, yai cō ­mit plaine Symony. Quha sa byis ony of the seuin sacramentis likwais committis plaine symonye. Nochtheles a puir priest quhilk sais Mes or ministaris ony other sacrament, may tak siluer, nocht as a price of the sacrament, bot as ane conuenient fee to his necessarie sustenta­tioun. For gif he haif intentioun to sell the sa­crament, he committis symony, bot nocht gif he intende allanerly to tak his necessary sustenta­tioun according to the ordination and appreuit custome of the kirk, nocht haiffand vthirwais to leiue vpon. Mairatour thai that giffis [Page lx] ony benefice of the kirk, specially gif it haif cure & charge of saulis, for ony siluer or siluer worth thai commit oppin symony. Attour, gif a pa­trone of a benefice quhidder he be temporal mā or spiritual, gif he gife a benefice to his neir kynnis man or ony vthir freind, suppose he be qualifiet, ȝit and he gife it vnder a conditioun that the resaiffar of the benefice sall prouide a leiuing for the freindis of him that is giffar of the benefice, in sa giffin he committis plaine sy­mony. And mekil mair failȝe thai aganis this command and incurris the spot of symony, thar giffis or takꝭ ane benefice in keping to vtheris. And yat giffis ane benefice with sick cōditioun that the kepar of the said benefice sall haif bot ane sober pensioun, that the giffar of that bene­fice may get in the laif to thame self and yair ke­ching. Of Iugis and vthir men of ye lavv. Nother may we leif out Iugis tēporal and spiritual, quhilk sellis iustice & iugement that aucht to be frely giffin, or yai yat procedis nocht ordainly and spedfully in executioun of iustice, can nocht be excusit fra breking of this cōmand, for to thame it is said: Iuste quod iustū est exequeris. Thow sall execute iustice iustly. Deut. 16.

How mony maner of wayis may iustice be peruertit and vniustly execute be Iugis & vthir officiaris of the law? Four maner of wayis. First be hettrent and malice quhilk thai beir a­ganis ony man.

Secundly for feir to displese ony gret man or [...]ny warldly freind.

[Page]Thridlie for lufe of ony temporall geir. And fourt­lie for carnal affectioun of thair freindis. Be ane or ma of thir four maner of wayis iustice is oft tymes nocht trewlie and lauchfullie executit. And speci­allie Aduocatis, Procuratours, & Scrybis, quhidder thay be of temporal court or spirituall, braikis yis command twa maner of ways. First quhen yai tak wagis to procure or defende a cause, quhilk yai ken is vnlauchfull & aganis Iustice. Secundlie, quhen for thair wagis thay tak on hand ane lauch­full cause, bot for lucre of geir thay diffar and put­tis of the executioun of Iustice, Quhay sa fyndis oni thing & restors it not Quha vvyl nocht pay yair dettis fra day to day, and oft tymes fra ȝeir to ȝeir to the gret skaith and her­schype of thaim quhilk hes ane rycht actioun of the pley. All thay that fyndis ony tynt geir gold, syluer or ony vther thyng and knawis or may knaw with diligent spering quhay awe the same tynt geir and wyl nocht restore it & gyf it agane to ye trew awner, thay ar theiffis & braikis this cōmand. Lykwayis al thai breckis this cōmand, Quha vvyl nocht pay yar teinds treulie. Executors of testamē tis. quhilk wyl nocht pay, thair dettis quhen thay may and suld pay thaim. Quhasaeuir payis nocht thair teindis dewlie and haillellie as thai aucht to do, thai cōmit theift & bre [...] kis yis command. All executouris quhilk takis on hand to fulfyll the last wyll of ony man or woman & wyl nocht pay the dettis of y ^e dede & vther legaceis, wyll nocht help y ^e freindis of y ^e dede nor do deidis of cheritie and suffragis of the kirk for y ^e saule departit, conforme to the deddis wyll and ordinance, thay greuouslie dyspleis God, be the transgressioun of yis command & may be comptit before God (noch [...] [Page lxi] only theiffis bot oppin reffaris. Medici­naris and Chirurgi­naris. All Medicinaris and Chirurgeraris quhilk is nocht expert in thair facultie, and ȝit will tak on hand to cure ony man or woman fra seiknes quhilk thai can nocht do, takād wagis largely fra the same seik personis, yai com­mit thift aganis this command. Pottin­garis. Lykwais all Pottingareis quhilk takis siluer for euil & rottin stufe and droggaris can nocht be excusit fra com­mitting of thift. Thus in the same seuint com­mand almychty God forbiddis all iniust and vn­lauchful taking, getting & keping of vthir mennis geir. It is God [...] command to mak re­stitutiou [...] And be the contrare God commandis that all transgressouris & brekaris of yis seuint command afore reher [...]it, with al yir power suld mak hail resti­tutioun of thair wrangous and vnlauchfull gottin geir, for it is ane common and trew saying of sanct Augustine: Peccatum non dimittitur, nisi ablatum restituatur. The syn is nocht forgiffin, except the wrangous geir be restorit. And gif sa be yat thow may nocht restore in deid and incōtinent, at the leist thow suld haif ane gud will and purpose to restore thi wrangous geir quhen, thow sal be abil.

Now will we spek of the panis quhilk God al­mychty schoris to ye brekaris of yis command, Commin [...] tioun of panis a­ganis the brekaris of this cō ­mand. and of rewardis quhilk he hais promissit to the keparis of the same. Albeit, that in the law of Moyses the punitioun of theiffis was restitutioun, sumtime of twyis als mekil, sum tymes of four tymes als mekle, sumtime v. tymes als mekil, as was stowin, ȝit in the new law Princis and ciuile Magistratis synnis nocht quhen thai punis theiffis and reffaris [Page] with the deade, for thai haif auctoritie giffin to thame be God to beir a sweird, that is to say, to punis with the deade all perturbatouris of the common weil, sa yat yai procede efter the ordour of iustice according to thair ciuile law and lau­dabil custome of thair countrie. And of the spi­ritual paine that fallis apon cowatous men and wemen sanct Paul sais thus: Qui volunt diuites fieri, i. Timo. 6 incidunt in tentationem & in laqueum diaboli, et desideria multa, inutilia et nociua, qui mergunt homines in interitum et perditionem. Radix enim omnium malorum est cupiditas, quam quidem ap­petentes errauerunt a fide, et inseruerunt se doloribus multis. Thai that will be riche, fallis into temptatioun, and in the gyrne of the deuil, and to mony vnprofitabil & noysum desyris, quhilk drownis men into distruction & dānatioun. For cowatousnes is the rute of all euil, quhilk quhil sum men desyrit, thai errit fra the faith, & brocht thame self in mekil sorrow. And of thair payne eternal spekis S. Paul sayand amang y ^e laif of misdoaris: i. Cor. 6. Ne (que) fures, ne (que) auari, ne (que) rapaces▪ regnum dei possidebunt. Nether sall theiffis, nor cowatous men, nor reffaris possesse y ^e kingdome of God. Because Achan in the distructioun of Hieric [...], Ios [...]e. 7. tuk certane geir that was forbiddin be the special command of God, a cloke of silk ver­rai fyne, twa hundreth syclis of siluer, and ane meswand of gold, he was stanit to the deade. Saule the king of Israel was repreuit of God, [Page lxii] and tynt his kingdome, i. Re [...] [...] quhairof ane cause was his cowatousnes, quhilk he had to the spulȝe of Amelech, quhairfor Samuel said to him, quhy hard thow nocht the voce of our Lord, bot is turnit to the spulȝe & hais done euil in the sycht of our Lord? Gehezi the seruand of the Pro­phet Heliseus, was strikin with lipper, 4. Reg. 5. because he tuk certane giftis fra Naaman the prince of Syria, quhilk Heliseus his maister refusit, be­cause it was neuer lesum to sell the spiritual gift of God. And this exemple is writtin in detesta­tioun of symony. Iudas lykwais throch cowa­tousnes sa [...]d our saluiour Christ quhen he said, Math. 2 [...] quhat will ȝe gife me, and I sall deliuer him to ȝow? Actu. 2. quhais end is discriuit in the Ackis of the Apostillis, that he hangit himself, and birstit a sunder in the myddis. Quhen Symon Magus saw, yat be the laing on of the Apostillis handis the haly gaist was giffin, he offerit yame money and said: Gife me also yis powar, yat on quhem saeuir I put my handis, he may resaif the halie gaist. Then sanct Peter said to him: Actu. 8. Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem, quoniam donum Dei ex­istimasti pecunia possideri. Perisch thow with thi money, because thow thinkis, yat y ^e gift of God may be optenit with money. Mairouer, how gret and terribil vengeance God almychty hais takin on thame quhilk committis sacrilege, that is to say, that staw or reft ony thing hallowit or vnhallowit out of the tempil of God, or that a­busis ony siclyk.

[Page] Dani. 5We reid in the buke of Daniel, yat Belthasar king of the Caldeis, for abusing the hallowit veschellis quhilk his father Nabugodonosor brocht as a spulȝe out of the tēpil of Ierusalem, was excedan­ly f [...]eit with ane strange and terribil visioun, sitting at ane ryall bankit, quhilk he maid till a thousand of his nobillis, he saw the fingaris of ane hand wri­tand thre wordis apon the wall anent him. Na mā culd reid yame or tel yair signification, bot Daniel allanerlie, quhilk rede thame thus: Mane, The­kell, Phares, and exponit thame thus. Mane, that is to [...]ay, God hais nowmerit thi kingdome & hais cōpletit and endit it. Thekell, yat is, thow art weyi [...] in a ballance, and thow art funde to want wecht. Phares, as mekil to say, as thi kingdome is deui­dit and giffin to the Medis and Persis. And the same nycht Balthasar the king of Caldeis was slaine, and Darius the king of the Medis succedit in his kingdome. Breuelie, quhasaeuir hurtis yair puir nychbour doing ony skaith to yame, other oppinly or quyatly be ony kind of craft, falset or sutteltie, can nocht eschaip the rygorous punitioun of God, quhilk he schoris in the buke of Exodus sayand thus: Vidu [...] et pupillo nō nocebitis, si lese­ritis eos, Ex [...]. 22. vociferabuntur ad me, et ego audiam cla­morem eorum, et indignabitur furor meus, percuti­am (que) vos gladio, et erunt vxores vestre vidue, et filii vestri pupilli. Ȝe sall nocht noy, hurt, or skayth a wedow, fatherles, motherles or ony freindles mā or woman, for and ȝe hurt yame, thai will cry to me, and I will heir thair crie, and I will take indigna­tioun [Page lxiiii] at ȝow, & sall stryk ȝow with the sweird. & ȝour wyfis salbe wedowis, & ȝour sonnis salbe fatherles.

Lat all gentilmen quhilk hais tenentes and cot­taris vnder thame tak tent to thir wordis. Lat all Medicinaris, Chirurgeanis, and Pottingareis quhilk takis on hand to help seik or sair men, tak tent to thir wordis, lat all Gryntaris, Stewartis, Chamyrlandis, and al kind of craftesmen tak gud [...]ent to yis comminatioun of God.

The xxii. Cheptour.

QVhat rewardis sall thai get be the promis of god quhilk helpis the puir, Promis of revvardis to the ke­paris of this com­mand. Prouer. iii giffand to yame almous according to thair powar for Gods saik? Trewlie thai sall optene gret rewardis of God, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. Of the tem­poral rewardis it is writtin in the buke of Prouer­bis: Honora dominum de tua substantia, et de pri­mitiis omnium frugum tuarum da pauperibus et implebuntur horrea tua saturitate et vino torcularia tua redundabunt. Honour our Lord with thi sub­stāce or with thi warldly geir lauchfully gottin and part of thi best geir gife to the puir, and thi barnis salbe fulfyllit with corne & frute, & thi wyne pressis sal flow with wyne. In thir wordis almychty God expresly ꝓmissis sufficient welth & fouth of warldly geir to all thame, quhilk for his sake blythly giffis almous to the puir peple. And to this promis, all gredie cowatous men and wemen giffis na credit, quhilk trowis to want warldly geir to thair awin leiuing, gif thai gife ony almous to the puir pepil [Page] according as thai may gife, & thairfor thai gi [...] other litil or ellis na thing. Of thir spiritual re­ward, Eccle. 29. it is writtin thus: Conclude ele [...]mosynā in corde pauperis, & hec ꝓ te exorabit ab omni malo. Hyde thine almous in y ^e hart of a puir body, yat is to say, gife thine almous (but ony intentioun of vaine glore) to the puir man and woman, and that same sall pray for the to God, yat yow may be deliuerit fra all euil. Also Tobias the elder giffand exhortatioun to his sonne Tobias the ȝongar, rehersis gret spiritual rewardis, sayand thus: Tobi [...]. 4. Ex substātia tua fac elemosynā, et noli auer­tere faciem tuam ab vllo paupere, Ita enim fiet, vt nec a te auertatur facies domini. Of thi awin gei [...] gife almous, & turne nocht thi face fra ony puir man, yat is to say, gif thow may nocht gife him almous, at ye leist schaw to him a plesand countinans, and sum takin and syne that thow hais compaciens on him. And sa sais Tobias, it sall cum to pas yat God sal nocht turne his face fra the. Syne Tobias techit him the rewle of discretioun, quhilk men suld vse in giffing of almous, sayand thus: Quomodo potueris ita esto misericors, si multum tibi fuerit, abundanter tribu [...] si exiguum tibi fuerit, etiam exiguum libenter im­partiri stude. Euin as yow may, sa be thow mer­ful, and yow haif mekil warldly geir gife mekil almous, and gife thow hais bot lytil warldly geir, apply thi mind to gife alsa lytil almous w ^t blythnes. And last of all he schawis the gret re­wardis that salbe giffin for geuing of almous: [Page lxv] Premium enim bonū tibi thesaurizas in die necessi­tatis, Tobi. 4. quoniā elemosina ab omni peccato et mort [...] liberat, et non patietur animam ire in tenebras. Thow sall gadder and prouide to thi self a tresour, quhilk sall be gret reward geuin to the in the day of necessite, that is the day of iugement, for almous deliueris fra all syn and deade, and sall nocht thoile the saulis of the merciful men, to gang to the myrk­nes of hel. And of thir eternal reward our saluiour expresly spekis thus in the euangil of sanct Luke: Facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis, vt cum defeceritis, recipiāt vos in eterna tabernacula. Luce. 1 [...]. Mak ȝour self freindis of ȝour wyckit mammonie, that is to say, mak the puir men and wemen ȝour spirituall freindis be giuing of part of ȝour rychis to thame, quhilk richis oftymes is ane occasioun of wyckitnes to warldly men and wemen, nocht be the nature of the richis, bot allanerly throw the affe [...] ­tioun and abusioun of warldly men and wemen, with ȝour richis thairfor mak the puir men ȝour frendis, that quhen ȝe sall depart of this warld yai may resaif ȝow till eternal tabernaculis, that is to say, to the glorious dwelling placis in the kingdom of heuin. Gyf ȝe speir, how may puir men re­saif the richemen till heuin? We answeir, nocht be thair awin powar and gift, quhilk allanerly be­lāgis to God, bot be thair intercessioun & prayaris may optene the grace of God to riche men, quhair­by thai may cum to the kyngdom of heuin.

All thir promissis afore rehersit is signifeit and geuin vs to vnderstand be ane promis quhilk [...] [Page] saluiour makis in the euangil of S. Luke sayan [...] thus: Luce. 6 Dare et dabirur vobis. Gyfe, and to ȝow sall be giffin. Mensuram bonam et cōfertam, et coagi­tatam et superfluentem, dabunt in sinum vestrum. Ane gud mesure, pressit doune & schakin to gidder and rumād ouir, sal yai gif to ȝow into ȝour bosum. Be thir wordis, eftir the expositioun of certan do­ctouris is signifeit four kindis of giftis, quhilk al­mychty God giffis to thame that giffis almous for Gods saik. The first is temporal geir, quhil ar callit guddis of fortune, quhilk sumtyme God gif­fis for doing the warkis of mercy, and this gift is callit gud or lauchful mesour.

The secund gift is of nature, as helth of body, quhilk sūtyme God giffis for y ^e warkis of mercy, & is callit ane mesour pressit doune, quhilk is largea [...] met than the first, quhilk was ane lauchful met.

The thrid gift is encres of grace, quhilk oftymes God giffis to thame that ar mercyful, and this is largear met than was the secund.

The fourt is the gift of eternal glore, quhilk is the gretest gift of all the laif, and is signifeit be the met yat rynnis ouir. Now it followis in the wordis of our saluiour: Eadem quippe mensura, qua mensi fueritis, Luce. 6 remetietur vobis. With the same mesour quhair with ȝe met to vthir, it salbe mettit agane to ȝow. For according as the deidis of cheritie corpo­ral or spiritual is mair or les, sa sall the giffaris of the same deidis, be rewardit mair or les. And this is largelie declarit be sanct Paule sayand thus to the Corinthianis: 2. Cor. 9. Qui parce seminat, parce et [...] ­ [...]et, [Page lxvi] et qui seminat in benedictionibus, de benedi­ctionibus et metet Quhasa sawis litill, sall scheir litil alsa, and he that sawis plenteously sal lykwais scheir largely. It followis: Vnusquis (que) prout desti­nauit in corde suo, nō ex tristitia aut necessitate, hy­larem enim datorem diligit deus. Euery ane accor­ding as he hais purposit in his hart, nocht displei­sandly or be compulsioun, for God luffis a blyth giffar. It followis in the text of S. Paule: 2. Cor. [...]. Potens est autem deus, omnem gratiam abundare facere in vobis, vt in omnibus semper omnem sufficientiam habentes, abundetis in omne opus bonū, sicut scriptum est, dispersit, dedit pauperibus, iustitia eius ma­net in seculum seculi. God is abil to mak ȝow riche in all grace, that ȝe in all thingis hauing sufficient to the vttermaist, may be riche in all maner of gud warkis: as it is writtin, he hais scatterit and geuin to the puir, his rychteousnes remanis for euir.

Thus we end the seuint command, exhortand all christin men & wemē, to keip yame self fra al maner of taking or keping of wrangous geir fra thair nychbour, and with thair awin geir, help all thame that mistaris, for Gods saik, knawin well that thai sall get reward temporal, spiritual, and finally eter­nal, fra the liberal hand of God, to quhome be all honour and glore for euir and euir. Amen.

The xxiii. Cheptour.

NOn loqueris contra proximum tuum, Exo. xx. falsum testimonium. Thow sall nocht beir fals wit­nes [Page] aganis thi nychtbour. The ordour of ye aucht cō mand. Quhat is the or­dour of this command? This command techis the to do na skaith to thi nychtbour in his fame and name, nor hurt him with thi toung in his persone, his wife or his temporal geir. For nixt his lyfe, his wife and his geir, his fame is derast to him, ȝa as necessarie as ony of the laif.

The rycht keping of this com­mand.Quhat is the rycht keping of this cōmand? Trewly, the vertew of yis cōmand is, to ordour and gyde thi toung in all thi wordis to the ple­sour of God & the profit of thi nychbour. Nocht to raise pley, nor to do vther men skaith, bot yow suld spek thi wordis to the help & gud gyding of thi nychbour. To labour for concord amang thame that ar fayis, to defend thi nychtbouris fame, quhen vtheris bakbytis him or defamis him. Schortly, that thi speche be trew and pro­fitable to the heiraris, and to thi brother, [...]aith before his face and behind his back. All wordꝭ of halie scripture yat byddis y ^e help thi brothers and nychtbouris gud name or fame, his rycht, his profite, and specially his saule heil with thi wordis, belangis to the trew vnderstāding and keping of this command.

To ye gud gyding of our toung thre thin­gis ar ne­cessary.Quhasa wald ordour thair wordis and gyde thair toung to the plesour of God and edifica­tioun of thair nychtbour, mone leir to haif thir thre verteous conditionis that followis.

The first is to vse discretioun in all our spe­king, considerand alwais afore we spek, quhat [Page lxvii] we ar to say, to quhome we spek in tyme and place conuenient, and because sik discretioun is a gift of God, we suld pray to God for it, sayand with the Prophet in the Psalme. Pone domine custodiam ori meo, Psal. 140 et ostium circumstātie labiis meis. I beseik the, O gud Lord, put a ke­ping to my mouth, Lord I pray the gife me thi grace, quhairby I may dant and refrane my toung fra all vaine and euil wordis, and to spek allanerly gud wordis, with dew circumstance of resone. And the Apostil sanct Paule sais: Iaco. iii. Si quis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus est vir. Gyf a man offend or syn nocht in his worde, he is ane perfite man. Heir ȝe suld nocht vnder­stand yat the perfectioun of a christin man stan­dis onlie in gud gyding of our toung, for vn­doutand, it standis principally in perfite lufe and cheritie, as sanct Paule declaris to the Col­losiens, sayand: Super omnia charitatē habere, Colos. iii. quod est vinculum perfectionis. Abone all thingis haif cheritie, quhilk is the band of perfectioun. Nochtheles, gud gyding of the toung, is a spe­cial takin of perfectioun, and sa sanct Iames callis a mā yat synnis nocht in his toung, to be ane perfite man, for as mekil as he hes ane spe­cial takin of ane christin mannis perfectioun. And to gyde our toung with discretioun, sanct Iames exhortis vs be twa familiar exemples.

[Page] Iaco. iii.The first is of a brydil, sayand: Si autem equis frena in ora immittimus, ad consentiendum nobis, omne corpus illorum circumferimus. Behald lais he, we put brydillis into the hors mouthis, that yai suld obey vs, and we turne about all thair bodie. Mekil mair suld we put the brydil of discretioun apon our toungis, to dant thame and cause thame to obey the command of God in thair speking.

The secund exempil is of ane rudder of a schip: Ecce naues cum magnae sint, et a ventis validis minentur, circumferuntur autem modico guberna­culo, vbi impetus dirigentis voluerit. Behald also the schippis, suppose yai be large & gret, and dreuin with gret windis ȝit ar yai turnit about with a ver­rai smale Helme or Rudder, quhairto saeuir the schipmen will. euin sa the toung of man and womā suld be turnit be ye rudder of discretioun, quhairto saeuir the law of God will.

The thrid thing that suld moue vs to gyde our toung weil, is to considder oftymes quhat hurt and skaith cummis of ane euil toung, quhilk sanct Ia­mes declacis in the place afore allegit, sayand thus: Ecce quantus ignis, quam magnā si [...]uam accendit & lingua ignis est vniuersitas iniquitatis. Behald how gret a thing a litil fyre kendillis, and the toung is a fyre, quhilk sumtyme is ane occasioun of all wy­kitnes. As it mycht be said plainely, as ane litil fyre may burne and distroy a gret nowmer of treis, gret housis, palacis and tounis, sa ane euil toung may kendil mekil euil as stryif, contentioun and sedi­tioun, hereseis and scismis, to the distructioun of [Page lxix] mekil vertew, & mony verteous men. It followis: Lingua constituitur in membris nostris, qui ma [...]ulat totum corpus, et inflamma [...] rotā natiuitatis nostre, inflammata a gehenna. Sa is the toung set amang our membris, yat it defylit the hail bodie, and settis a fyre the hail course of our lyfe, and is it self set a fyre euin of hel. The sentence of thir wordis is this. The toung of man and woman is ane of the leist membris of all the bodie, quhilk gif it be nocht refrenit and dantit fra euil wordis be discre­tioun, may hurt and skayth al the hail bodie, for oft tymes the hail bodie is brocht to mekil cummer and payne, for the falt of the toung. Or be the bodie we may vnderstand the hail congregatioun and cum­pany of the pepil, for as we oft se be experiens, ane euil toung bringis ane hail congregatioun or cum­pany to mekil cummer and payne. Mairouir, ane euil toung, specially of ane euil giffin counsellour, fals prechour or techar, may kendil y ^e hartis of men and wemen to heresie and vthir synnis, and thairin to remaine fra the tyme of yair ȝouthede, to the tyme of thair auld, sa mekil euil may spring out fra ane euil toung. Gyf ȝe speir quha hais kendillit sa mekil euil in the toung of man and woman? Se quha puttis sa mekil euil in the toung? Trewly, nocht almychty God, for he hais wallit and defēdit the toung with certane teith and twa lippis, to signifie that the toung suld nocht be hastie in speking, bot yat it suld speik with auisment and discretioun. Than quha hes kendillit sa mekil euil in the toung of man & woman? Verrailie the deuil of hel, quhilk [Page] kendillis the fyre of concupiscence yat is in ou [...] flesch sa mekil as he may, than the concupiscēce kindillit, kindillis and prouokis the toung to sa mekil euil. And heir we haif a cause to de­ploir and be sorie for the malice of mony men & wemen, quhais toung is sa euil, that apparand­ly it is incurabil, quhairin thai may be compti [...] war of cōditionis than brutel bestis or serpētis, according as sanct Iames declaris thus: Omnia natura bestiarum, Iaco. iii. volucrum et serpentum et cete­rorum, domantur et domita sunt a natura humana, linguam autem nullus hominum domare potest, in­quietum malum, plenum veneno mortifero. All the nature of bestis and byrdis, and of serpentes, & vther of the see, ar meikit and dantit be the na­ture of man, bot the toung of sum men & wemen can na man dant, it is ane vnrewly euil full of deadly poysone. As he mycht say: thair is na wyld best sa wyld, thair is na foule sa fors, na serpentis sa pestilent, na best of the see sa cruel, bot be the ingyne, industrie & craft of man, thai may be dantit. Lyonis ar maid gentil and meik, Tygaris ar maid myld, Drachonis ar dantit. Eliphantis mak seruice to mā, Cockatryces ar brocht in subiectioun, serpentis ar tamit, Ernys and Eglis ar maid familiar to the hand of mā, bot the euil toung (of sum men and wemen) may na man dant. And quhy? Because it is sa wyld, yat it will nocht be rewlit, it is sa ful of poysone, that na medicine of gud counsel can help it. Thus be gud consideratioun of the gret hurt & [Page lxx] skaith that cummis of ane toung, we suld seir to refrein our toung with discretioun.

The thrid thing that causis a man or a womā to haif a gud toung, Reforma­tioun of our hart is necessary to ye gud gyding of our toung Math. 12. is reformation of our hart or of our mynd, for as our saluiour sais in the euangil of sanct Mathew: Progenies viperarum, quomodo potestis bona loqui cum sicis mali? Ex a­bundantia enim cordis os loquitur. O ȝe genera­tioun of serpentis, how can ȝe spek gud, quhen ȝe ȝour selfis ar euil? for of the abundance of the hart y ^e mouth spekis. Bonus enim homo de bono thesauro profert bona, et malus homo de malo thesauro profert mala. A gud mā, out of the gud tresour of his hart bringis furth gud thingis, & ane euil mā, out of his euil tresour brīgis furth euil thingis. Be thir wordis of our saluiour, it is manifest and plaine, yat na mā can speik gud wordis to the plesour of God and edificatioun of thair nychtbour, except that he haif ane gud hart or mynd indewit and annor [...]it with faith and cheritie. Quhairfor O christin man, & yow wald refrein thi tong fra all euil wordis quhilk thow spekis aganis God & thi nychbour, thow mone haif in thi hart the trew lufe of God and thi nychtbour. Quha brekis this command? Brekaris of the viii. command Specially yai that beris in iugement fals wit­nes. Fyrst thai offend almychty God quhais veritie thai denye and forsakis opinly.

Secundly, thai offend the Iuge, Isodorus. fra quhom yai syle & hyde the veritie. Thridly, yai offēd and hurtis the persone yat is accusit, quhom be [...]esone of thair fals wytnes, thai condemne als [Page] mekil as lyes in thame and haldin to restitutioun of all hurtis. And be this ȝe may consider plainly, how greuous a syn it is to bear fals witnes.

Mairouir, thai syn aganis this cōmand, quhilk dois wrang to yair nychbour in iugemēt, quhidder yai be Iuge, Scribe, Aduocat, fals witnes, partie, or ony siclike, quhilk oppressis thair nychbour be falset in iugement, or will nocht say y ^e veritie quhen thai suld say it, quha be falsat and lesingis, puttis yair nychbour to sorow or skaith. All flatteraris, scornaris of men, fals accusaris and bakbytaris, quha giffis reidly eris to bakbytaris, fostaris the same and repreuis thame nocht. And quha inter­pretis nocht all vther mennis indifferent wordis & deidis to the best face, quhen thai may be weil tane. Quha dissimillis to schaw the veritie quhen he is oblissit to schaw it be necessitie and for ye gud of his nychtbour. The punissioun of thame yat brekis yis command Pro. xiii. Is yair ony paine or punitioun ex­premit in the scripture aganis yame yat brekis yis command, be speking of euil wordis? Ȝis trewly. First to speik in general, the wisman sais: Qui cu­stodit os suum, custodit animam suam, qui autem inconsideratus est ad loquendum, sentiet mala. He yat kepis his mouth, kepis his saule or his lyfe, bot he yat spekis without cōsideratioun and auisment, sal feil trubil and paine. And to speik in special, the wisman sais: Pro. xix. Testis falsus non erit impunitus. Ane fals witnes sal nocht be vnpunissit. Agane he sais: Testis mendax peribit. Pro. xxi. A leand witnes sall perisch. Also y ^e same wisman, Pro. vi. rehersand sax thingis quhilk God hettis, he rekins amang yame a mā yat beris [Page lxxi] fals witnes, and spekis lesingis. Ane exemple ȝe may tak in ye buke of Daniel, Dani. xiii. of ye twa lycherous Iugis quhilk falsly accusit that honest and chast matrone Susanna, berand fals witnes aganis hir, for the quhilk, be the rychteous iugement of God yai wer stanit to the dead. Also the wisman sais: Pro. xiiii. A­bominatio (hoim) hominum detractor. He that is a bak byter is abhominabil till all gud men. Roma. i. And sanct Paule in the first to the Romanis, rehersand yai synnaris quhilk is worthi the dead eternal, puttis amang thame detractouris, bakbytaris or sclanderaris, sayand: Detractores deo odibiles. Bakbytaris (sais he) ar hettit of God. Also the wisman speikis of thame yat ar quysperaris, rowkaris & rounaris on this maner: Susurro inquinabit animam suam, Eccle. xxi. et in omnibus odietur. A rowkar and rownar, sall fyle his awin saule, & sal be hettit of all men. Mair ouir he sais: Susurro, et bilinguis maledictus erit, Eccle. 28. multos enim turbauit pacem habentes. A man or a woman that is ane rowkar and doubil toungit, is cursit and wariit, for siclik ane persone hes put me­kil trubil amang men & wemen, quhilk afore was at peace. And to be schort with ȝow, our saluiour declaris this mattir in few wordis, sayand thus: Dico autem vobis, quoniā omne verbum ociosum, Math. xii. quod locuti fuerint homines, reddant rationem de eo in die iudicii. Bot I say to ȝow, that ilkane idil word, quhilk men and wemen speikis, thairof thai sall gife ane compt in the day of iugement.

Now sene we mone gife ane compt to God in the day of iugement, of all our ydil wordis quhilk ar [Page] vaine and vnprofitabil till vs and our nychtbour, mekil mair it followis, yat we mone gife ane compt of all our euil wordꝭ, blasphemous wordis, backby­ting & sclandering wordis, lycherous wordis, inui­ous wordis, treful, prydful and malicious wordis with sicklike. Quhat will ȝe mair? as it followis be the wordis of our saluiour: Ex verbis tuis iustifi­caberis, et ex verbis tuis cōdemnaberis. Thow sal be iustifeit be thi wordis, gif yai be conforme to the law of God, and spokin of ane gud mynd, & thow sall be condemnit for thi wordis, gif thai be aganis the law of God, The re­vvardis of thame yat kepis this cōmand. Pro. 21. and spokin of ane euil mynd. And sa it is nocht difficill to ken how God almychty re­wardis yame yat spekis gud wordis, with ane gud mynd. The wisman sais: Qui custodit os suum, et linguam suam, custodit a tribulatione animam suā. He that kepis his mouth and his toung, kepis his saule or his lyfe fra trubil. And the Prophet king Dauid sais in the Psalme: Ps. xxxiii. Quis est homo qui vult vitam, et diligit dies videre bonos? Quhat is the man that wald haif life, and luffis to fee gud dais? To this questioun he answeris and sais: Prohibe linguam tuā a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolū Refraine thi toung fra spekin euil wordꝭ, and stop thi lippis that thai speik na dissait. In thir wordis the Prophet techis, that commonly be gud gyding of our toung, we may cum to mekil rest and tran­quillitie, nocht only to be had in this temporal lyfe, bot also in the lyfe to cum, quhilk we luke for in the kingdome of heuin, quhilk he grant vs, that bocht vs with his precious blude. Amen.

The xxiiii. Cheptour.

NOn domum, non agrum, non seruum, Exo. xx. Deut. v. non an­cillā, non bouem, non asinū, nec vniuersa que illius sunt. Thow sall nocht cowet thi nycht­bouris house, nor his croft or his land, nor his ser­uand, nor his hyir womā, nor his Ox, nor his Asse, nor ony vther thing, quhilk pertenis to him. How kepis thir twa last cōmandis ordour with the laif? Men mycht trow that thai had kepit the laif of the commandis, quhen thai had nocht oppinly brokin thame in deid, as the Iewis traistit that thai fulfil­lit yai twa commandis quhilk forbad adultery and thift, gif yai had nocht committit siclik in deid. God thairfor be his seruand Moyses, to put away yat errour fra the Iewis and al vther men and wemen, he schawis thame be thir twa last commandis, yat thai synnit than to, quhen thai desyrit thair nycht­bouris wyfe, or watchit and waitit be wylis for yair geir. Amang the Iewis maisteris had power apō thair bond seruandis bodeis, as apon thair bestis, quhairfor the bond men and wemen was comptit a­mang thame part of thair possessioun or temporal geir. Attour, amang the Iewis it was tholit for the hardnes of thair hart, that a man mycht put a­way his wyfe for ony deformitie. Sa, and a man [Page] mycht haif lauchfully luffit his nychtbouris wyfe, Deut. 24 he mycht a fischit ane cause to [...]is wife, to put hir away & tak ane vther, or sche also quhen sche desyrit ane vther, wald mak faltis to hir husband, to get hir leif. Sa mycht thai fynd mony suttill inuentionis to get vther mennis wyffis, housis, landis, geir, seruandis & bestis, quhairfor to schaw thame, that to desyre siclyke was nocht lef [...]ll, suppose thai had nocht got [...]in thair purpose in deid, thir twa commandis was giffin. Ar thir twa last commandis exponit in the haly scripture? Ȝe, our saluiour exponis the nynt command, Math. 5. sayand thus: Ego autem dico vobis, quia omnis qui viderit mulierem ad cōcupi­scendū eā, iam mechatus est eam in corde suo. Bot I say to ȝow, quhasaeuir beholdis ane vther mannis wyfe, or ony other wo­mā by his awin wife 2 Perer. 2 to desyre hir, he hais cōmittit adultery with hir ellis in his hart. And as sanct Peter the Apostil sais: Oculos habentes plenos adulterii. Thai haif thair eyne full of adultery. Quhair is the tent exponit? In the Euangil of sanct Mathew, quhair our saluiour sais thus: Nō potestis deo seruire et māmone. Math. 6. Ȝe may nocht serue God & Mammon. Ideo dico vobis, ne soli­citi sitis anime vestre quid māducetis, ne (que) corpori vestro quid induamini. Thairfor be nocht careful quhat ȝe sal eit or drink. Math. xiii And agane he sais: Solicitudo seculi istius, & fallacia diuittarū ^suffocat ver­bum, et sine fructu efficitur. The carefulnes of yis warld and the desaitfulnes of riches, smoris the word that it beris na frute.

[Page lxxiii]Quhat is the rycht keping of thir twa com­mādis? To haif ane cleir ee, The rycht keping of thir com­mandis. and ane clein hart A cleir ee, is the rycht iugement of reasone, and intentioun of our mynd, quhilk suld dereck, or­dour & gyde all our deidis to be doine to the ple­sour of God and profit of our nychbour, accor­ding as the Apostil techis sayand: 1. Cor. 10. The cleir ee of our intētioun to God. Colos. iii. Siue ergo mā ­ducatis, siue bibitis, vel aliud quid facitis, omnia in gloriam dei facite. Quhiddir ȝe eit or drink, or do ony vther thing, do all to the honour and glore of God. And agane: Omne quodcun (que) facitis in verbo aut in oꝑe, oīa in noīe dn̄i nostri Iesu Christi facite. All thingis quhatsaeuir ȝe doin word or deid, do all in y ^e name of our Lord Iesu Christ, yat is, quhen ȝe speik ony gud word, or dois ony gud deidis, lat ȝour intentioun be, to do yame, nocht to ȝour awin glore and singular profite, bot principally to y ^e glore of God. Matg. [...]. Our saluiour declaris this in the Euangil, in the deidis of al­mous, praying and fasting. Of this ee of our intentioun, our saluiour sais thus: Lucerna corporis tui, est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit. Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequā, totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit. Si ergo lumen quod in te est te­nebre sunt, ipse tenebre quante erunt? Thi ee is the lycht of thi body. Gyf thi ee than be simpill and clein all thi bodie sall be full of lycht, bot and gyf thine ee be wykit, all thi body sall be full of myrknes. That is to say, gif thi [Page] intentioun be rycht, thi deidis, quhilk ar nocht eu [...]l and repugnand to the law of God, ar rycht plesand to God, bot & gif thi intētioun be wrang, thi deidis ar maid displesand to God. A cleir ee to thi nycht­bour, The cleir ee of our intētioun till our nychbour is to haif this intentioun, to do to him as yow wald that he of resone suld do to the, and to do na thing to him, quhilk thow wald nocht yat he of re­sone suld do to the. Schortly, in al thi deidis intēd thi nychtbouris weil and profite, as thi awin.

The descriptioun of ane clein hartA clein hart is yat quhilk hais na inordinat de­syre of warldly geir, bodelie lust & warldly honour. A clein hart is that quhilk is content to serue God▪ nocht principally for ony warldly plesour or profite, bot rather for his awin lufe & gudnes. A clein hart is that quhilk is hail giffin to the lufe of God and our nychtbour. A clein hart is yat quhilk luffis his nychtbour lykwais nocht for his geir, or vther car­nal affectionis, bot maist of all for the lufe of God.

Descrip­tioun of ane foule hart.And contrarie, that man hais ane foule hart, quhilk luffis him self allanerly, sa and he be weil he curis nocht quhat becum of his nychtbour, quhilk singular and priuat lufe, is the rute of all euil. Schortly, the rycht keping of thir twa commandis is to be blyth of thi nychbouris honour and profite, desyre the samyn, and help him thairto.

Quha brekis this tvva com­mandis.Quha brekis thir twa commandis? Fyrst, quha yat with a deliuerit mynd and full consent, desyris to haif thair nychtbouris wyfe, to commit adultery with hir. Lykwais, quha yat with ful consent wald fulfill thair carnal lust with ony woman quhilk is nocht his mareit wyfe. Quha lykwais wald haif [Page lxxiiii] his nychtbour partit fra his lauchfull wyfe, that he mycht haif hir, or ony vther vngodly cause. Quha inuies his nychtbour, yat he hais ane honest womā to his wyfe. Quha cowattis inordinatly thair nychtbouris geir, desyr and with full consent, to get geir fra him vniustly, or by vnlauchfull con­trackis, be suttiltie, falsat and desait. Quha wald haif ony mānis seruand fra his maister vniustly, & by his maisteris wil. Quha inuies yair nychbours, beand blyth of his hurt and aduersitie, and sorie of his weil and prosperitie. Schortly al lycherous, in­uious, & cowatous men, brekis thir twa cōmandis.

How may a christin man fulfill thir twa last cō ­mandis? Hovv may a christin man fulfill thir tvva last com­mandis. Trewly it is exced and difficill to refrain our hart fra vnlauchfull desyre of wemen, warldly geir and honour, because that in our corruppit na­ture is rutit concupiscence, lust and desyre of thingꝭ forbiddin be the law of God. And suppose the same concupiscence remaine in vs, quhilk ar baptisit in Christ Iesu, or that ar reconcilit to God efter ou [...] actual syn be trew penance. Ȝit it is in vs na syn, quhil we consent with a deliuerit mynd to fulfill in deid the same cōcupiscence, or ellis to haif lang de­lectatioun in the same concupiscence without deid. According as the wismā sais: Eccle. 18. Post concupiscencias tuas nō eas, et a voluntate tua auertere. Thow sal nocht gang efter thi concupiscence, that is to say, thow sal nocht consent to fulfil the vnrasonabil lust and desyre of thi flesch. Iaco. i. To this agreis S. Iames sayand: Vnusquis (que) vero tēptatur a concupiscentia su [...], abstractus et illectus, deinde concupiscentia cū [Page] cōceperit, parit peccatū, peccatū vero cum consummatum fuerit generat mortē. Ilk man is tēpit of his awin concupiscence, drawin away and en­tyscit. Syne the concupiscence consaillis and bringis furth syn, quhen syn is completit it ge­neris dead. Vnderstand heir, that the concupi­scence cōsaillis be suggestioun & delectatioun, & bringis furth syn be consent. Se that suppose we feil suggestioun to syn, other be euil thochtis remembrance, sycht, heiring, smelling, sauering, tasting & tweching, or be ony euil counsel giffin to vs, be our enemie or ony other. Secundly, suppose we begin to haif sum plesour & delecta­tioun in the same euil, ȝit gif we incontinent re­f [...]ane out will fra consent to do the same euil, nocht only we cōmit na deadly syn, bot we pleis God in resistence of y ^e same. That this doctrine is trew, Roma. 8. sanct Paule teichis plainly: Nihil ergo nunc dānationis est his qui sunt in Christo Iesu, qu [...] nō secundū carnē ambulāt. Thair is now (sais he) na damnatioun vnto thame that ar in Christ Iesu, quhilk gangis nocht efter the flesch, bot efter the spirit. Roma. 6. Agane: Non ergo regnet peccatū in vestro mortali corpore, vt obediatis concupiscen eiis eius. Lat nocht syn regne in ȝour mortal bo­deis, that ȝe suld obey the lust of it. Declara­tioun of this matter we haif in the historie of A­damis fall and first syn. Gene. iii. The serpent come and maid suggestioun and gaif counsel to breik the command of God. Eue the woman, begane to haif delectatioun in the sycht of the frute for­biddin. [Page lxxv] Adame willing to content the mynd of the woman, consentit, and eit it, and sa braik the com­mand of God, to the gret dammage & skaith of him self and all his posteritie. The same proces is daily found in cōmitting of our synnis. The serpent sig­nifyis the deuil quhilk tempis and prouokis vs to breik the cōmand of God, prouok and other a thing or vthir forbiddin be God. Eue betakins y ^e flesche, quhilk begynnis to haif plesour and delectatioun in the thingis sa proponit. Adame signifyis the fre will of man, quhilk quhen it cōsentis and deliueris to do the deid, syn is completit and fulfillit. Thus we conclude, that sa lang as we abstane fra the cō ­senting to the suggestioun and tystyng of our cōcu­piscence, we syn nocht.

The xxv. Cheptour.

QVhat is the cause that this carnal concupi­scence, the mother and nuris of syn, Quhat is the cause yat carnal concupi­scence re­manis in our flesch efter Bap­tyme. remanis in the flesche of al christin men & wemen eftir Baptyme and penance, how gud, how haly, and perfite saeuer thai be, it makis to thame impedimēt to do the lawis of God perfitely, full sair aganis thair will, and wald be quyt of it, and can nocht, & thairfor lamentis and murnis daily for the conti­nual cummer of it? God almychty be his rychte­ous iugement and infinite wysdome, permittis the carnall concupiscence to remaine in Christin men and wemen, efter the resauing of Baptyme and Penance, nocht for our euil, bot for our weil, nocht to our distructioun, bot to be to vs ane [Page] occasioun of our saluatioun, for nane sal be crownit in heuin with honour & glore, except yai get victory, nane can get victorie except he fecht stowtly & man­fully, na mā fechtis bot with his ennimy, sa gif yair be na ennymie, yair is na battel, na battel, na victo­rie, na victory na croune. Now thairfor God hes permittit yis concupiscence to remaine in vs, yat we throch his grace owyrcūmand the same, may optene the croune of glore in heuin. Sa God permittit the Cananeittis to remane in a part of the land of promissioun amang the peple of Israel, nocht for thair distructioun, bot for yair exercitioun in battel, that yai haiff and exercitioun & practeis in fechting agane yame, be the help of God yai mycht ourcum, nocht only the Cananeis, bot also al vther nationis quhilk wald be yair enymeis. How may we our­cum this enymie that dwellis in our mortal bodie, euirmair prouok and & steir and vs to euil? Revvlis to dant the flesch. Thus, we doand throch Gods grace our deuore & diligens quhilk we aucht to do, God wil gife til vs his spret, be quhais vertew and grace, we fall eisalie ourcum the temptatioun of our flesch, ȝe and also the deuil, and the warld. We ourcum thame, quhen we resist thame, we resist thame, quhen we consent nocht to yair temptatioun. The first thing yat we aucht to do in this battell, is to mak inuocatioun to God be ane faithful prayar, to gife vs his haly spret, for as the wisman said to God: Et vt sciui quoniā aliter non possum esse continens, Sapi. 8. nisi deus det. And efter I kermit that I culd nocht vtherwais be continent [...] my fle [...]ch fra euil, except that God gaif [Page lxxvi] me grace. And as the Apostil sais: Roma. 8 Si enim secundū carnem vixeritis, moriemini, Si autem spiritu▪ facta carnis mortificaueritis, viuetis. And ȝe leif efter the flesch ȝe sal dee, bot and ȝe mortifie the deidis of the flesch be the spirit, ȝe sall leif. How sall we optene the spirit of God, bot with ane faithful prayar. For our saluiour Christ hais maid vs promis sayand: Ask and ȝe sall get. Amen amen dico vobis, si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit vobis. Math. vii. Quhat saeuir ȝe sall ask the father in my name, he sal gife it ȝow. Agane: Ioan. 16. Sa sal ȝour heuinly father gife the gud spirit to thame yat askis him. Lat vs thairfor ask this spirit of God be ane trew faith in Christ Iesu, committand our cause hailelie to him, traistand and lippinnand hailelie to him, that the father eternal, for the lufe & meritis of Christ, will nocht lat vs want his spirit, we doand that is in vs as is afore said, quhilk may renew our mynd and mak vs new men in God, in rychteousnes and ha­lynes, sall slokkin the heit of carnal lust in vs, and kendil the fyre of Gods lufe in our hartis, & sa mak vs bring furth the frutis of the spirit, quhairof ane is continence & chastitie. The secund thing that we mone do in our battel aganis our concupiscence is to make resistence to our foule lustis and desyris in the beginning of yame, for & we thoil our carnal desyris byde in our mynd, yai wil grow and multi­plie, & wax stark agane our spirit, & sa sall be diffi­cil to ourcum thame. Thai ar lyk to ane slederie eil that may be haldin be the heid, & nocht be the tail. Thairfor sais the Prophet in the Palme: Beatu [...] [Page] qui tenebit, et allidet par [...]ulos suos ad petram. Happy is the mā yat sal hald his first motionis, Psal. 136. thochtis & desyris, & sall stryk yame to the stane. Quhilk vers be mistical expositioun menis yat we suld repres & dant our carnal lustis & desyris in the beginning, quhen thai ar litil, and that be faith of our saluiour Christ, quhilk is signifiet be the stane, because he is sickar and suir freind and defēdar, to all yat puttis yair traist in him.

Thridly, we suld forbeir all occasionis of syn, flee euil company, quhilk is lycht, wantone and vayne, keip w ^t gret diligence our eyne fra wan­tone sychtis, our eris fra hering of vile talk, ly­cherous sangis, vnhonest talis, our handis and membris of our bodie fra vnhonest twyching, our mouth fra excess of meit and drink, & all our wittis fra all abusionis, quhair throch as wyn­dokis, Iere. 9. deade enteris into our saule. According as it is said be the Prophet Hieremie: Ascendit mors ꝑ fenestras nostras. The deade clymmis vp till our saule be the wyndokis, that is to say, deadly syn enteris in our saule be abusioun of our fiue wittes. And the haly man Iob keipit weil this rewle quhen he said: Iob. xxxi. Pepegi fedus cum oculis meis, vt ne cogitarem quidem de virgine. I haif maid ane obligatioun and ane band to re­frane the wantone sychtis of my eyne, that I mycht nocht haif ony inordinate thochtis of virginis. Fourtly, we suld dant our flesche fra [...]ll wantones, as the Apostil sanct Paule sais [Page lxxvii] expresly: Qui autem sunt Christi, Gala. 5. earnem suam cru­cifixerunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis. Quha is y ^e seruādis of Christ, yai haue crucifie yair flesche togiddir with the vyce and cōcupiscence yairof. And ȝe wald ken how our flesche suld be cruci­feit and dantit fra the euil of the concupiscence. Trewly, with walking, fasting, and labouris. Of the first the wisman sais: Eccl. xxxi Vigilia honestatis tabefaciet carnes. Honest walking sall mortifie the flesche. And ane vther man said, Cato. lang sleip and rest, fosteris the vice of the flesche. Of the secund speikis sanct Paule, 2. Cor. 6. exhortand his Co­rinthianis to be ministeris of God, amang vthir vertewis he puttis fasting before chastitie. And as sanct Hierome allegeis Tyrens: Sine cerer [...] et Baccho friget Venus. Be abstinence of meit & drink, lychorie is cauld and hais na strenth. Of the thrid sais the doctour sanct Hierome: All ydil men ar ful of desyris. And the wisman sais: Pro. 24. P [...]r agrum hominis pegri transiui, et per vineam viri stulti et ecce totum repleuerant vrtice. I haif gane (sais the wisman) be the feild of ane ydill man, & be the wyneȝard of ane fuile, and behald all was full of nettillis and wriddis, mening that ydill men of all vther ar maist disponit to y ^e vice of y ^e flesche. Do euirmair sum gud warke, ya [...] y ^e deuil may euir find y ^e weil occupiit. The punissionis of yame quhilk brekis yir twa last cō ­mādis, & the reward of yame yat keipis y ^e same [Page] is knawin weil eneuch be the declaratioun, quhilk we maid in the endis of the saxt & seuint cōmandis, quhair it is schawin plainly with quhat punitionis God punis [...]is all cowatous men and also [...] lyche­rous men, and because thai breik thir twa last com­mandis in special yat hais yair hartis fylit with the synnis of lychorie and cowatousnes. And thai keip thir twa last commandis in special, quhilk keipis thair hartis clein in chastitie & lufe to do the werkis of mercy to yair nychtbour. The punitioun thair­for of all thame that hais vnclein hartis, is plainly expremit in the Apocalipsis, quhair mentioun is maid of certane men and wemen quhilk sall nocht haif enteres to y ^e heuinly citie of Ierusalem, quhair it is said thus: Non intrabit in eā aliquod coinqui­natum. Apo. xxi. Na thing sal enter into that glorious citie, quhilk is blekkit or fylit. And of the reward of all thame quhilk hais ane clein hart, our saluiour Christ sais thus: Beati mundo corde, quoniā ipsi deum videbunt. Math. 5. Blissit ar all thai quhilk ar clein in hart, for thai sall see God. And agane in the same place he speikis of the reward of all thame quhilk hais a mercyful hart to thair nychtbour. Beati mis [...] ricordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequētur. Blissit ar all thai quhilk ar mercyful to thair nych­bour, for thai sal optene and get the mercy of God. And be the contrar sanct Iames speikis of all vn­mercyful men, Iaco. 2. sayand thus: Iudiciū sine misericor­dia illi, qui non facit misericordiā. He sall get iuge­ment without mercy at the hand of God, quhilk hais na mercy on his nychtbour. And sa schortly ȝe [Page lxxviii] may vnderstand how God almychty punissis eter­nally the brekaris of thir twa last commandis, and also how that he will reward all the keiparis of the same with eternall reward, quhilk he grant to vs that bocht vs with his precious blude. Amen.