¶That a man is the ymage of god after the soule & not after the body / Caplm / Primum

FOr asmoche as thou couetyst gretely and askyst it for charyte for to here more of an ymage the whiche I haue before tymes in partye dyscryued to y ^t / therfore I wyl gladly with drede fal to thy desyre / & helpyng y ^e grace of our lorde Ihesu cryst. in whom I fully truste. I shal open to the a lytyl more of this ymage / At y ^e begynnyng yf thou wylt wyte playnly what I meane by this ymage. I telle the forsoth that I vnderstonde noughte elles but thyn owne soule / For thy soule & my soule and euery resonable soule is an ymage. Gen̄. [...] and y ^t a worthy ymage / for it is the ymage of god as y ^e apostle sayth / Uir est ymago dei / That is to saye / A man is the ymage of god and made to the ymage and to the lyknes of hym / not ī the bodely shappe without but in y ^e myghtes of it with in as holy wrytte sayth. Formauit deus hominem ad ymaginē & similitudinē suam / That is / Our lorde god shope mā ī his soule [...]o his owne ymage & lyknes This is y ^e ymage y ^t I haue spoken of / This ymage made to y ^e ymage of god in y ^e fyrst [...] hapynge was wōderly fayre & bryghtful of brēnyng loue & ghostly lyȝt. but thorough synne of the fyrst man adam it was dysfygured and for shapen into a nother lyknes as I haue before sayd. For it fel fro y ^t ghostly lyght and that heuēly fode in to paynful derknes and lust of this wretchyd lyfe / exyled & fle­myd oute fro the herytage of heuen that it sholde haue had yf it had stonde stylle into the wretchydnes of thys erthe: and afterwarde in to the pryson of hel [...]e there to haue be without ende / Fro the whiche pryson to the heuenly herytage it myght neuer haue come agayne but [Page] yf it had be refourmed to the fyrste shappe and the fyrste lyckenes. But that refourmyng myght not be made by none erthly man / for euery man was in the same mys­cheyf / And none myght suffyse to helpe hymselfe and so moche lesse a nother man / Therfore it nedeth to be done by hym that is more than man that is oonly god / & y ^t was skylful that he sholde refourme and restore man to blysse yf he sholde be saaf / whiche of his endles goodnes fyrste shope hym therto How thenne it myght be refourmed. & how it is refourmed to y ^e fyrste lyckenes by hym y ^t fourmed it by the grace of god I shal telle the / For y ^t is the entente of this wrytynge /

¶ How it neded to mankynde y ^t oonly thorough y ^e pas­syō of cryste it sholde be restored & refourmed y ^e was for shape by the fyrste synne / Caplm ii

THe ryghtwysnes of god a sketh y ^t a trespace do­ne be not foryeuen but yf amendes be made for it yf it may be done / Now it is sooth. mankynde y ^t was hole in adam the fyrste man trespassed agaynste god so wonder greuously whan it forfeyted y ^e specyal byddynge of hym / and assented to the false counsayle of the fende / that it deserued ryghtfully for to haue be departed fro hym and dampned to helle withouten ende. so ferforth that stondynge the ryghtwysnes of god it myght not be foryeuen / but yf amendes were fyrste made and full satysfaccyon therfore / But this amendes myght no man make that was man oonly. and comen out of adā by kyndely generacyon for this skylle / For the trespasse & vnworshyp was endles grete / & therfore it passyd mā nys myght to make amēdes for it / And also for his skyl He y ^t hath trespassed & shal make amendes hym behouyth for to yeue to hym y ^t he hath trespassed vnto al that he owyth though he had not trespassed / And also ouer that [Page] hym behouyth yeue sōwhat that he owyth not but oon­ly for that he trespassed / But mankynde had not where with that he myght paye god for his trespaas ouer that he ought hym \ For what gode dede that man myght do in body or in soule it was but his dette / For euery man ought as the gospel sayth for to loue god with al his herte & al his soule and all his myghtes / and better myght he not do than this / And neuertheles this dede suffyced not to the refourmynge of mankynde / Ne this myght he not do but yf he had be fyrst refourmed / Thenne ne­ded it that yf mannes soule sholde be refourmed / and y ^e trespaas made gode / that our lorde god hymself sholde refourme this ymage / and make amendes for this trespaas sythen that no man myght / But that myght he not do in his godhede / for he myght not ne ought not to make amendes by sufferyng of payne in his owne kyn­de / therfore it neded the he sholde take that same man­kynde that had trespassed and become man. And that myght he not by the comyn lawe of generacyon. For it was impossyble goddis sonne to be borne of towchyd woman / Therfore hym muste become man thoroughe a gracyous generacyon by the werkynge of y ^e holy ghoste of a clene gracious mayden our lady saynt Mary / & so was it done / For our lorde Ihesu goddes sonne became mā / and thorugh his precyous deth that he suffred made amendes to y ^e fader of heuē for man̄es gylte / And y ^e myght he well do for he was god. & he oughte not for hymselfe / but in as moche as he was man borne of y ^e same kynde y ^t adam was that fyrst trespaced. And so though he ought it not for his owne persone / for hymself myghte not synne / Neuertheles he oughte of his free wyll for the trespaas of mankynde / the whiche mankynde he toke for the saluacyon of man of his endeles mercy [Page] For soth it is. there was neuer man that myght yelde to god ony thynge of his owne that he ought not / but oonly this blessyd Ihesu. For he myght paye god one thynge that he ought not as for hymselfe / and that was nought but one thynge. that was to yeue his precyous lyfe by wylful takyng of dethe for loue of sothfastnes / This ought he not / As moche good as he myght do to y ^• wor­shyp of god in this lyfe. al were but dette / But for to ta­ke dethe for loue of ryghtwysnesse he was not bounde therto / He was bounde to ryghtwysnesse. but he was not boonde to deye / for dethe is oonly a payne ordeyned to man for his owne synne / but our lorde Ihesu synned neuer ne he might not synne / and therfore he ought not for to deye / Thenne sythen he ought not for to deye▪ and yet wylfully he deyed / thenne payde he to god more thā he ought / And sythen that was the beste mannes dede & moost worthy that euer was done / Therfore was it re­sonable that the synne of mankynde sholde be foryeuen In as moche as mankynde had founde a mā of y ^e same kynde without wemme of synne / that is Ihesu that myght make amendes for the trespaas done & myght paye our lorde god al that he ought and ouer more y ^t he ought not / Then syth that our lorde Ihesu god & man deyed thus for saluacyon of mannes soule. it is ryghtful y ^t syn sholde be foryeuen / & man̄es soule y ^t was his ymage sholde mow be reformed & restored to the fyrst lyknes & to y ^e blysse of heuen / This passyon of our lorde & this precyous dethe is the grounde of al y ^e refourmyng of al mannes soule / without whiche myght neuer mannes soule haue be refourmed to the lyckenesse of hym. ne come to the blysse of heuen / But blessyd may he be in al his werkynge / Now is it so that thorough the vertue of his precyous passyon the brennyng swerde of Cherubyn that [Page] droue adam out of paradyce is now put awaye. and y ^e endles gates of heuen arn open to euery man that wyl entre in therto / For the persone of Ihesu is bothe god & kynge of heuen in the blysse to the fader / & as man he is porter at y ^t yate redy to receyue euery soule y ^t wyl be refourmed here ī this lyf to his lycknes / For now may euery soule yf y ^t he wyl be refourmed to y ^e lykenesse of god / syth y ^t the trespaas is for yeuen / & the amendes thorugh Ihesu is made for the fyrste gylte / Neuertheles though this be sothe al soules haue not the profyte ne the frute nf this precyous passyon / ne arne not refourmed to y ^e lyckenes of hym /

That the Iewes & paynyms & also fals crysten men bē not refourmed effectually thorough the vertue of y ^e passyon for her owne defawte Caplm iii

TWo manere of men arne not refourmed by the vertue of this passyon / One is of hem y ^t trowe it not / An other is of hē y ^t loue it not / Iewes & paynems haue not the benefyce of his passyon / for they trowe it not / Iewes trow not y ^t Ihū the sone of y ^e vyrgyn mary is goddys sone of heuen. Also the paynems trowe not y ^t the souereyne wysdome of god wolde become the son of man. and in manhede wolde suffre the paynes of deth / And therfore the Iewes helde the prechynge of y ^e crosse & of the passyon of cryste nought but sclaunder & blas­phemye / & the paynems helde it nought but fantome & folye / But true crysten men helde it the souereyne wys­dom of god & his grete myghte / Thus sayd saynt poul / Predicamus vobis crystū crucifixum iude is quidam scandelū gentibus autem stulticiam ip̄is autē vocatis iudeis & grecis xp̄m dei virtutem et dei sapienciam / co (rum). i. That is we preche to you that ye trowe that Ihesu cryst [Page] crucyfyed the son of mary is goddis son scuereyne vertue & wysdom of god / the whiche Ihesu to Iewes & paynems that trowe not in hym is put sclaunder and foly / And therfore thyse men by her vntrouthe putten hem­selfe fro the refourmynge of her owne soule / & stondynge her vntrouthe shal they neuer be saaf ne come to the blysse of heuen / For sothe it is / fro the begynnynge of y ^e worlde vnto the laste endyng was there neuer mā saaf ne shal be [...]aaf but yf he had trouth generall or specyall in Ihesu cryste / to come or I come / For ryght as al chosen soules that were before the Incarnacyon vnder y ^e olde testamente hadden trouthe in cryste that he sholde come and refourme mannes soule / eyther openly as patryarkes and prophetes and other holy men hadde / or elles pryuely and generaly as chyldern and other sym­ple and inperfyte soules hadden that knewe not specyally the pryuyte of the Incarnacyon / Ryght so all cho­sen soules vnder the newe testamente hathe trouthe in cryste that he is come / eyther openly or felyngly & ghostly men & wyse men haue / or elles generally as chyldern haue that dyen crystned / and other symple & lewde soules haue that arne nourysshed in the bosom of holy chirche / Syth this is sothe then thynketh me that thyse mē gretly and greuously erren / that sayen that Iewes & sarasyns by kepynge of her owne lawe may be made saaf though they trowen not in Ihū cryste / as holy chyrche trowyth / In as moche as they wene y ^• her owne trouth is good and syker and suffysaunt to her saluacōn. And in that trouthe they done as it semyth many gode dedes of ryghtwysnes / And perauenture yf they knewe that crysten fayth were better than her owne is / they wolde leue her owne and take it / therfore y ^t they sholde be saaf [Page] Naye it is not ynough soo / For cryste god and man is bothe waye and ende / And he is medyatour betwene god and man / And withoute hym maye no soule be re­consyled / ne come to the blysse of heuen /

And therfore they that trowen not in hym that is both god and man maye neuer be saaf ne come to blysse / Other men also that louen not cryste nor his passyon arne not refourmed in the soule to the lyckenes of hym And thyse men arne false crysten men the whiche arne oute of charyte / & lyuen & deyen in dedely synne / Thyse men trowen wel as it semyth that Ihesu is goddis son / And that his passyon suffyseth to saluacōn of mannes soule / And they trowe also all the other artycles of the faythe / But it is an vushaply trouthe and a dede: for they loue hym not ne they chese not the frute of his passyon / but they lyen stylle in her synne and in the false loue of this worlde vnto her laste ende / And so they ben not refonrmed to the lyckenesse of god. but goon to the paynes of helle endelesly. as Iewes and sarasyns done and in to moche more gretter payne than they / In as moche as they had y ^e trouthe and kepte it not / For that was more trespaas than that they had neuer hadde it / Thenne yf thou wolte wyte whiche soules arne refourmed here in this lyfe to the ymage of god thoroughe the vertue of his passyon / soothly oonly those that trowen in hym / and louen hym / in whiche soules the ymage of god that was thorough synne forshapen \ as it were in to a fowle bestes lyckenes is restored & refourmed to y ^e fyrst shape / and to the worthynes and worshyp that it had in the begynnynge / Withoute whiche restorynge and refourmynge shall neuer soule be faaf ne come to blysse /

Of two maner refourmynges of this ymage / one ī fulnes another in fayth / Capl'm iiii

NOw sayest thou how maye this be soth that the ymage of god. the whiche is mannes soule my­ghte be refourmyd here in this lyfe to his lyckenesse in ony creature / It semyth naye. it myght not be so / For yf it were refourmed then sholde it haue stable mynde / clere syght & clere brennynge loue in god & ghostly thynges euerlastyngly as it had in the begynnyng / But y ^t is no creature as thou trowest lyuynge here in this lyfe / For as ayenst thyself thou canst wel saye the thynke the ful ferre therfro / Thy mynde thy reason & y ^e loue of thy soule arne so moche sette in beholdyng & ī loue of erthly thynges / that of ghostly thynges thou felyst ryght lytyl Thou felyst no refourmynge in thyselfe / but thou arte so vnbylapped with this blacke ymage of synne for ought y ^t thou maye do / that vpon what syde thou the tour ne thou felyst thyself defoyled & spotted with flesshly styrynges of this foule ymage: other chaūgyng felyst thou none fro flesshlynes into ghostlynesse neyther in pryue myghtes of thy soule with in ne in bodely felynge with out / Wherfore ye thynken that it myghte not be y ^t this ymage myght be refourmed / Or elles yf it myght be refourmed / Thenne askest thou how it myght be refour­med / To this I answere & laye thus. There is two manere of refourmyng of the ymage of god whiche is mannes soule / One is in fulnesse / A nother is in partye / Refourmynge in fulnesse maye not be had in this lyfe / but it is delayed after this lyfe to y ^e blys [...]e of heuen / where mannes soule shal fully be refourmed. not to that state that it had at the fyrste begynnyng by kynde. or my­ght haue had thorough grace yf it had stonde hole / But [Page] it shal be restored to moche more blysse and moche hyer Ioye thorough the grete mercy & the endles goodnesse of god than it shold haue had yf it had neuer fallen / For then shal the soule receyue the hole & y ^e ful felyng of god in al mightes of it. without medelyng of ony other affeccyon / And it shal see mankynde in the persone of Ihesu aboue y ^e kynde of angels onyd to the godhede / For then shal Ihū bothe god & man be al in al / & oonly he. Isay. [...] & none other but he as y ^e prophete sayth / Dominus solus exal­tabitur in illa die. That is our lorde Ihesu in that daye y ^t is euerlastyng daye shal be hyghed oonly. & none but he / And also y ^e body of man shal then be gloryfyed / For it shall receyue fully the ryche dowary of vndedelynes with al y ^t longeth therto / This shal a soule haue with y ^e body / & moche more than I can saye. But that shall be in the blysse of heuen & not in this lyfe. For though it be so y ^t the passyō of our lorde be cause of al this ful refourmynge of mannes soule / neuerthelesse it was not his wyl for to graunte this full refourmynge ryght anone after his passyon to al chosen soules that were lyuynge in tyme of his passyon / But he delayed it vnto the laste daye And that was for this skylle / Sooth it is y ^t our lorde Ihesu Cryste of his mercy hath ordeyned a certayne nomber of soules to salu [...]cyō whiche nomber was not fulfylled in the tyme of his passyon / And therfore it ne­ded that by length of tyme thorough kyndly generyon of men it sholde be fulfylled / Thenne yf it had so be that as sone after the dethe of our lorde euery soule that wolde haue trowed in hym sholde by his lyfe haue be blessyd and ful refourmed without ony other abydynge / there wolde no creature that lyued thenne haue be that he ne wolde haue receyued y ^e faythe for to haue be made bles­syd / And [Page] thenne sholde generacyon haue ceased. And so sholde we that arne now chosen souled lyuynge and other soules that come after vs not haue ben borne / And so sholde our lorde haue fayles of his nomber / But that maye not be / And therfore our lorde purueyed moche better for vs in that that he delayed the full refour­myng of mannes soule tyl the laste ende. as saynt poul sayth / Deo pro nobis melius prouidente. Dē br. ne siue nobis consūmarentur / That is. Our lorde purueyeth better for vs in the delaye of our refourmynge than yf he had graunted it thenne / For this skylle that the chosen soules here beforne sholde not make a ful ende without vs that come after / A nother skylle is this / For syth that man in his fyrst fourmynge of god was sette in his free wyl and had free chesynge whether he wolde haue fully god or no. It was therfore resonable that syth he wolde not che [...]e god thenne but wretchydly felle from hym / If he sholde afterwarde be refourmed that he sholde be sette agayne in the same free chesynge that he was fyrst in / whether he wolde haue y ^e profyte of his refourmynge or no / And this maye be a skylle why mannes soule was not refourmed fully as faste after the passyon of Ihesu cryste /

That refourmyng in party is ī two maners. one in fayth another in felynge / Caplm̄ v.

ANother refourmynge of this ymage is in par­tye: and this refourmynge maye be had in this lyfe: and but yf he had in this lyfe it maye neuer be had. ne the soule may neuer be saaf / But this refourmynge is on two maners / One is in fayth oonly. A nother is in fayth and in felynge. The fyrst refourmynge in fay­th oonly suffyseth to saluacyon / The seconde is worthy [Page] to haue passynge mede in the blysse of heuen / The fyrst maye be hadde lyghtly and in shorte tyme / The secon­de maye not soo but thoroughe lengthe of tyme and moche ghostly traueyle / The fyrste maye be hadde with the felynge of the ymage of synne / for thoughe a man fele noo thynge in hymselfe but all styrynges of synne and flesshly desyres. not ayenstondynge that felynge / yf he wylfully assent not therto he maye be refourmed in fayth to the lyckenesse of god / But the seconde refo­urmynge puttyth out the lykynge in felynge of flesshly styrynges and worldly desyres / and suffreth noo suche spottes abyde in this ymage / The fyrste refourmynge is oonly of begyn [...]ynge and profytynge soules. and of actyfmen / The seconde is of perfyte soules and of con­templatyfmen. For by the fyrste refourmynge the ymage of synne is not destroyed. but it is lefte as it were all hole in felynge / But the seconde refourmynge destroyeth the olde felynges of this ymage of synne / and bryn­geth in to the soule newe gracyous felynges thoroughe the werkynge of the holy ghoste / The fyrste is good. the seconde is better / but the thyrde that is in the blysse of heuen is moost beste / Fyrste lette vs speke of that one and sythe of that other / And soo we shall come to the thyrde /

That thorough the sacrament of baptym y ^t is grounded in the passyon of cryst this ymage is refourmed fro orygynal synne / Caplm̄ vi

TWo manere of synnes makyth a so [...]le to lese y ^e shape & the lyknesse of god. That one is called orygynal y ^t is y ^e fyrst syn. thother is called actuel y ^t is wylfully done syn. thise ii. syn̄es put away a soule fro y ^e blysse of heuē. & dāpneth it to thēdles payn of hel. but if it be [Page] thorough the grace of god refourmyd to his lyckenesse or it passe hens out of this lyfe / Neuertheles two reme­dyes arne there ayenst thyse two synnes / by y ^t whiche a forshapen soule maye be restored agayne / One is y ^e sa­cramente of baptym ayenste orygynal synne / a nother is the sacramente of penaunce ayenst actuel syn̄e / A soule of a chylde that is borne and is vncrystenyd by cause of orygynal synne hath no lyckenesse of god / He is nought but an ymage of the fende & a bronde of helle. But as soone as it is crystened it is refourmed to the ymage of god / and thorugh the vertue of fayth of holy chyrche sodeynly it is tourned fro the lyckenesse of y ^e fende & made lyke an angel of heuen. Also y ^e same falleth to a Iewe or to a sarazyne the whiche or they ben crystened arne nought but mancyples of helle / But whan they for­saken her errour & fallen mekely to the trouthe in cryste and receyue the baptym of water in the holy sthost. sothly without ony more taryenge they arne refourmed to the lyckenesse of god soo fully as holy chyrche troweth. that yf they myghte as soone after baptym passe out of this worlde. they sholde streyght flee to heuen withoute ony more lettyng / had they done neuer so moche synne before in the tyme of her vntrouthe / & neuer sholde they fele the paynes of helle ne of purgatory / And y ^e pryuele­ge sholde they haue by the meryte of crystis passyon /

That thorough the sacrament of penaunce y ^e stondeth in contrycyon confessyon & satysfaccyon this ymage is refourmed fro actual synne / Caplm̄ vii

ALso what crysten man or woman y ^t hath lost y ^e lyckenesse of god thoroughe a dedely synne bre­kynge goddis commaundementes / yf he thoroughe to wchynge of grace sothfastly forsake his synne with [Page] sorowe and contricyon of herte. and be in ful wyl for to amende hym / and torne hym to good lyuynge / And in this forsayd wyl receyueth the sacramente of penaunce yf he maye / Or yf that he maye not he is in wylther­to. Sothly I saye that this mannes soule or womans y ^t was forshapen fyrste to the lyknesse of the deuyl thorough dedely synne is nowe by the sacrament of penaunce restored and shapen ayen to the ymage of our lorde god This is a grete curtesye of our lorde and an endles mercy that so lyghtly foryeuyth al maner of synne / and soo sodeynly yeuyth plente of grace to a synful soule that askyth mercy of hym / He abydeth not grete penaunce doynge ne paynful flesshly sufferyng or he foryeue it / But he askyth a lothynge of synne & a ful forsakynge in wyl of the soule for the loue of hym and a tournyng of y ^e hert to hym / This askyth he / for this yeuyth he / And then̄e whan he seeth this withoute ony delayenge. he foryeuyth the synne and refourmyth the soule to his lyknesse / The synne is foryeuen that the soule shal not be damp­ned / Neuerthelesse the payne detted for the synne is not yet fully foryeuen / but yf contrycyon & loue be the more And therfore shal he go and shewe hym & shriue hym to his ghostly rader. and receyue penaūce enioyned for his trespaas. and gladly fulfyl it. so that bothe the synne & y ^e payne maye be done awaye or he passe hens / And that is the skylful ordynaunce of holy chyrche for grete profyte of mannes soule that thoughe the synne be foryeuen thorough the vertue of contrycyon / neuerthelesse in fulfyllynge of mekenesse: and for to make hole satysfaccy­on he shal yf he may shewe to his preste plener confessyō for y ^t is his token & his warraunt of foryeuenesse ayen­ste al his enmyes. and y ^t is nedefull for to haue / For yf a [Page] man had forfeyted his lyfe ayenst a kyng of this erthe it were not ynough to hym as for a fulsykernesse for to haue on̄ly foryeuenesse of the kynge / but yf he haue a charter the whiche may be his token & his warraunt agaynste al other men / Ryght so maye it be sayd ghostly / If a man haue forfeyted agaynst the kynge of heuen his lyfe thorough dedely synne / It is not ynough to hym to fulsykernesse for to haue foryeuenes of god oonly by con­trycyon betwene god and hym. but yf he haue a charter made by holy chyrche yf he maye come therto And that is the sacrament of penaunce the whiche is his charter & his token of foryeuenes / For syth that he forfeyted both ayenste god and holy chyrche it is skylful that he ha­ue foryeuenesse for that one and a warrant for y ^e other / And this oo skylle why that confession is nedeful / A nother skylle is this / For syth this refourmyng of the soule stondyth in fayth oonly & not in felyng / therfore a flesshly man that is rude & boystouse & can not deme lyghtly but outwarde of bodely thynges sholde not mow haue crowyd y ^t his synnes had ben foryeuē hym but yf he had some bodely token. and that is confessyon thorough the whiche token he is made [...]ll syker of foryeuenes yf y ^t he do that in hym is / This is the trouth of holy chyrche as I vnderstonde it / Also a nother skylle is this / Though the grounde of foryeuenesse stonde not pryncypally in confessyon but in contrycyon of y ^e herte. and in forthyn kynge of synne / neuertheles I hope that there is many a soule that sholde neuer a felyd very contricyō. nor had full forsakynge of synne yf confessyon had not be / For it fallyth oft sythes that in the tyme of coufessyon grace of compunccyon comyth to a soule that before neuer felyd grace. but euer was colde and drye and ferder fro felyng [Page] of grace / And therfore syth confessyon was so profytable to the more partye of crysten men holy chyrche ordeyned for the more sykernesse generally to al crystē men that euery man & woman sholde ones in the yere at the lest be shryuen of all her synnes that come to her mynde to her ghostly fader. though they had neuer soo moche contrycyon before tyme / Neuertheles I hope wel that yf al men had ben as besye aboute the kepyng of themselfe in eschewynge of almaner of synne / And had comyn to as moche grete knowynge and felyng of god as some man hathe / That holy chyrche sholde not haue ordeyned the token of confessyon. as for nedeful bonde for it had not neded / But for al men arne not so perfyte. and perauenture moche of the more partye of crysten men is vnperfyte. therfore holy chyrche ordey­ned confessyon. by waye of general bonde to al crysten men that wyl knowe holy chyrche as her moder. & wol be buxome to her byddynge / If this be soth as I hope it is then erreth he gretely that generally sayth that con­fessyon of synnes for to shewe a preste is neyther nede­ful to a synner ne behoful / and that no man is bounde therto / For by that that I haue sayd it is both nedeful & spedful to al soules that in this wretchyd lyfe are defoyled / thorough synne / and namely to those y ^t arne thorough dedely synne forshapen fro the lyknes of god whiche mye not be refourmed to his lykenesse but by the sacra­ment of penaunce that pryncypally stondeth in contrycyon and sorowe of herte / and secundary in shryfte of mouthe folowynge after yf it maye be hadde / Upon this mauere by this sacrament of penaunce is a synful soule refourmed to the ymage of god and to hys lycke­nesse /

¶How in the sacramente of baptym and of penaunce thorough a preuy vnperceyuable worchynge of the holy ghost this ymage is refourmed though it be not seen ne felt / Calpm̄ viii

BUT this refourmange stondeth in fayth & not in felyng / For ryght as the propyrte of the fayth is for to trowe y ^t thou seest not. ryght so it is for to trowe y ^e thou felyst not. But he y ^t is refourmed in his soule by y ^e sacrament of penaunce to y ^e ymage of god he felyth no chaūgynge in hymself neyther in his bodely kynde without ne in the pryue substaunce of the soule within other than he dyde. for he is as he was vnto his felynge / and he felyth the same styrynges of synne & the same corrupcyon of his flesshe in passyons & worldly rysynge in his herte as he dyde before / And neuertheles he shal trowe y ^t he is thorugh grace refourmed to y ^e lyknes of god though he nother fele it ne see it / He may wel fele sorowe for his synne & a tornyng of his wyll fro syn̄e to clēnesse of lyuynge yf y ^t he haue grace & take good kepe of hymselfe but he may nother see ne fele the refourmyng of his soule how it is wonderly & vnperceyuably chaunged fro y ^e fylthe of the fende vnto the fayrnes of an angel thorough a pryue gracyous werchyng of the holy ghost. That maye he not see but he shal trowe it / And yf he trowe it. then is his soule refourmed in trouthe. For ryght as holy chyrche trowith by y ^e sacrament of baptym sothfast­ly receyued a Iewe or a sarasyn or a chylde borne is re­fourmed in soule to the lyckenesse of god thorough a pryue vnperceyuable werthyng of the holy ghost / not ayē stōdyng al y ^e flesshly styrynges of his body of syn. y ^e whiche he shal fele after his baptim as wel as he dyde before Ryght so by y ^e sacrament of penaūce mekely & truly re­cōmaundement [Page] of god / And for that thou haste mysdone here before ayenste his byddyng thou hast shryuen y ^• therof mekely with ful herte to leue it / & arte sory that thou dydest it / I saye then sykerly that thy soule is refo­urmed in fayth to the lyknes of god /

¶That al the soules that lyuen mekely in the faythe of holy chyrche / & haue her fayth quyckened in loue & cha­ry ben refourmed by this sacrament / though it be soo y ^e they may not fele y ^• specyal yefte of deuocōn or of ghostly felynge / Calpm̄ x

IN this refourmynge that is oonly in fayth y ^e moste parte of chosen soules leden her lyfe that settē her wyl stedfastly for to flee al manere of dedely synne / and for to kepe hem in loue & charyte to her euen crystē and for to kepe the cōmaūdementes of god after her cū ­nynge / And whan it so is that wycked styrynges & euyl wylles rysen in her hertes of pryde or of enuye of yre or lecherye / or of ony other hede synne they ayenstonde hē and stryuen ayenst hem by dysplesyng of wyl / soo that they folowe not in dede thyse wycked wylles / And ne­uertheles yf they falle lyghtly as it were ayenst her wyl thorugh freelte or vncūnynge / as soone her conscyence greuyth hem and pynyth hem soo greuously that they mowe haue noo reste tyll they be shryuen and maye ha­ue foryeuenesse / Sothly al thyse soules that thus ly­uenin this refourmynge and ben founde therin. In the houre of dethe they shall be saaf / and come to the full refourmynge in the blysse of heuen / Thoughe it be soo that they myghte neuer haue ghostly felynge ne Inwarde sauoure. ne specyall grace of deuocyon in al her lyfe tyme / For elles yf thou saye that noo soule shall be [Page] [...]aaf but it were refourmed in ghostly felyng that it myght fele deuocyon & ghostly sauour in god as some sou­les doon thorough specyal grace. then sholde fewe sou­les be saaf in rewarde of multytude of other / Nay it is not for to trowe that y ^e for the soules that oonly arne de­uoute. and by grace come to ghostly felynge. and for no mo our lorde Ihū sholde haue take mākynde / & suffred y ^e harde passyon of dethe. It had be a lytyl purchaas to hym for to haue come fro so ferre to so nere / and fro soo hye to so lowe for so fewe soules Nay his mercy is spred larger than soo / Neuertheles on the contrary wyse yf thou trowe y ^t the passyon of our lorde is soo precyous. & his mercy so moche y ^t there shal no soule be dampned. & namely of no crysten man do he neuer so euyll as some fooles wene. sothly thou e [...]rest gretly / Therfore go in y ^e meane & holde the in y ^e myddes. & trowe as holy chyrche trowith / And that is that the moost synful man y ^t lyueth in there yf he torne his wyl thorough grace fro de­dely synne with sothfaste repentaunce to the seruyce of god / he is refourmed in his soule / And yf he deyed in y ^e state he shal be saaf / Thus behyght our lorde by his prophete sayenge thus / In quacū (que) hora conuersus fuerit peccator & ingemuerit. E. xx viii vita viuit & nō morietur / That is / In what tyme that it be that the synful man is tourned to god fro synne and he haue sorow therfore he shal lyue. and he shal deye endelesly / And on the other syde who so lyuyth in dedely synne & wyl not leue it ne amē de hym therof: ne receyue the sacrament of penaunce / or elles yf he receyue it he takyth it not sothfastly for the loue of god / that is for the loue of vertue & clennesse but oonly for drede or shame of the worlde / or for drede on̄ly of paynes of helle / he is not refourmed to the lyknesse of [Page] ceyued a fals crysten mā y ^t hath ben encōbred with dedely syn al his lyfe tyme is refourmed ī his soule withī vnperceyuably. out takē a tournyng of his wyl thorough a pryue myght & a gracyous werchyng of y ^e holy ghost y ^t sodēly werchyth / & in tyme of a monent or a twynkelynge of an eye ryghtyth a frowarde soule. & tourneth it fro ghostly fylth to fayrnes vnseable / & of a seruaūt of y ^e fende makyth a son of Ioye / & of y ^e prysoner of helle makyth a perceyuer of heuēly herytage not ayēstōdyng al y ^e flesshly felyng of this synful ymage y ^t is y ^e bodely kynde / For thou shalt vnderstōde y ^t y ^e sacramēt of baptym or of penaūce is not of y ^t vertu for to lete & destroy vtterly al y ^e styrynges of flesshly lustes & paynful passyons y ^t a mānes soule neuer fele no maner rysyng ne styrynges of hē no tyme / For yf it were so then were a soule fully refourmed here to y ^e worshyp of y ^e fyrst makyng. But y ^t may not be fully ī this lyf But it is of y ^e vertu y ^t it clēseth soule fro al the syn̄es before done / And yf it be departed fro y ^e body sauyth it fro dāpnacyon. And yf it dwelle in y ^e body it yeuyth y ^e soule grace to ayenstōde y ^e styrynges of syn / & it kepyth it in grace also y ^t no maner of lusty styrynges or of passyons y ^t it felyth in y ^e flesshe be it neuer so greuous shal dere it ne departe it fro god aslōge as it wylfully senteth not therto / Thus saynt poul meaned whā he sayd thꝰ / Nichil dāpnacōnis in htis q̄ nō scdm carnē ambulant / That is. Ro. viiii Thyse soules y ^t arn refour­med to y ^e ymage of god in feyth thorugh the sacrament of baptym or of penaūce shal not be dampned for felynges of this ymage of syn̄e / yf it so be y ^t they go not after y ^e styryuges of y ^e flesshe by dede doyng /

¶That we sholde beleue stedfastly refourmynge of this ymage. yf our cōscience wytnes to vs a ful forsakyng of synne. & a [Page] true tornyng of our wyl to good lyuyng. Ca. ix

OF this refourmynge in fayth spekyth saynt poul thus. Hebr̄. x Iustus ex fide viuit / The ryghtwysman lyueth in fayth. That is. He that is made ryghtful by baptym or by penaunce he lyueth in fayth / whiche suffyseth vnto saluacyō & to heuenly pees as saynt poul sayth / Iustificati ex fide pacē habemus ad deū / That is: Ro. v. we y ^t arn ryghted & refourmed thorugh faythe in cryst hathe pees & accorde made betwyx god & vs. nought ayenstondyng y ^t vycyous felynges of our body of syn / For though this refourmyng be pryue & maye not wel be felte he­re in this lyf / neuertheles who so trowyth it stedfastly. & shapyth his werkes bysely for to accorde to his trouth & y ^t he tourne not ayen to dedely syn̄e. Soothly whan y ^• houre of deth comyth. & the soule is departed fro this bodyly lyf then shal he fynde it sooth y ^t I saye now / Thus sayd saynt Iohn̄ in cōforte of chosen soules y ^t lyuen here ī fayth vnder y ^e felyng of this paynful ymage / Karissi­mi. & nunc sumus filii dei: sed non dū aparuit quod eri­mus / Scimus autē qm̄ cū cristus apparuit tunt apparebimus cum eo similes et in gloria / That is: My dere frendes we arn now whyle we lyue here y ^e sōnes of god for we arn refourmed by faythe in cryst to his lyckenes But it shewyth not yet what we arn / but it is al pryue / Neuertheles we knowe wel y ^t whā our lorde shal shewe hym at the laste daye / then shal we appere with hym ly­ke vnto hym in endles Ioye / If thou wolte wyte then̄e yf thy soule be refourmed to the ymage of god or no / by y ^t I haue sayd thou maye haue entree / Ransake thy conscyence. & loke what thy wyl is / For there in stondeth al If it be tourned fro al maner of dedely synne. that thou woldest for no thynge wyttyngly and wylfully breke y ^• [Page] to / And therfore hym nedeth euer be striuyng & fightynge ayenst wycked styrynges of this ymage of synne / & y ^t he make none accorde therwith / ne take noo frendshyp to it for to be buxum to his vnskylful biddynges / For if he do he begyleth hymselfe / But soothly yf he stryueth with hem hym nedeth not moche drede of assentynge / For stryfe brekyth pees & fals accorde. It is good that a man haue pees with al thynge sauf with y ^e fende & with this ymage of synne / for ayenste hem hym nedeth euer fyght in his thoughte & in his dede tyl he haue geten on hem the maystry. & y ^t shall neuer be fully in this lyfe / as longe as he hereth & felyth this ymage / I saye not but y ^• a soule maye thornghe grace haue the hyer honde ouer this ymage so ferforthe y ^t he shall not folowe ne sente to the vnskylful styrynges of it / But for to be so clene delyuerde fro this ymage that he sholde fele no suggestyon ne Ianglyng of flesshly affeccyon ne of vayne thought no tyme maye no man haue in this lyfe / I hope y ^t a soule that is refourmed in felynge by rauysshynge of loue in contemplacyon of god may be so ferre fro the sensualyte and fro vayne ymagynacyon and so ferre drawen out and departe fro the flesshly felynge for a tyme that it shall not fele but god / but that lasteth not euer / And therfore saye I that euery man behouyth stryffe ayenst this ymage of synne / and namely he that is refourmed in fayth oonly that soo lyghtly maye be dysceyued ther­with / In y ^e person of whiche mē sayth saynt poul / Caro concupiscit aduersꝰ spiritū & spūs aduersꝰ carnē. Gal. v That is: A soule refourmed to y ^e lyknes of god fyghtyth ayēst y ^t flesshly styrynges of this ymage of synne / & also this ymage of synne stryueth ayenst the wyll of the spyryte. This manere of fyghtyng of this dowble ymage saynt [Page] poule knewe whā he sayd thus / Inueni legem in membris meis repugnantē legi mētis mee & capitiuum meducentē in legem peccati / That is / I haue founde two lawes in myself / One lawe in my soule within / and another in my flesshly lym̄es without fyghtyng with it y ^t ofte ledeth me as a wretchyd prysoner to y ^e lawe of syn By thyse two lawes in a soule I vnderstonde this double ymage / Ro. vii By the lawe of the spyryte I vnderstonde y ^• reason of the soule whan it is refourmed to y ^e ymage of god / By the lawe of the flesshe I vnderstonde y ^e sensualytees whiche I calle y ^• ymage of synne / In thyse two lawes a soule refourmed ledeth his lyfe as saynt poul sayth / Mēte enim seruio legi dei. carne enim legi pec­cati / In my soule that is in my wyl and in my reason I serue to the lawe of god / but in my flessh y ^t is ī my flesshly appetyte I serue to the lawe of synne / Neuertheles y ^t a soule refourmed shal not dispeyre thoughe he serue to the lawe of synne by felynge of the vycyous sensualyte ayenste the wyl of the spyryte by cause of corrupcyon of the bodely kynde. Saynt poul excusyth it sayeng thus of his owne persone / Ro. vii Non enī quod volo bonū hoc ago sed malum quod odi hoc facio. Si autē malū quod odi hoc facio. nō ego operor illud sed quod habitat ī me peccatū / I do not that good y ^t I wolde do. That is I wolde fele no flesshly styryng / & that do I not / But I doo that euyl y ^t I hate. That is. The synful styryng of my flesshe I hate / and yet I fele hem / Neuertheles syth it is so y ^t I haue y ^e wycked styrynges of my flesshe / & yet I fele hem and ofte delyte in hem ayenst my wyl they shal not be reherced ayenste me fro dampnacyon as yf I hadde done hem / And why / For the corrupcyon of this ymage of synne doth hem. & not I. Loo saynt poul in his persone [Page] god / And yf he deye in y ^t plyght he shall not be saaf / His trouth shal not saue hym / for his trouth is dede & lacky­th loue. & therfore it seruyth hym not / But they that ha­ue trouth quyckened with loue and charyte arn refourmed to the lyckenesse of god. though it be but the leest degre of charyte. as arn symple soules y ^e whiche felen not y ^e yeft of specyal deuocyon ne ghostly knowyng of god as some ghostly men done. but trowen generally as holy chyrche trowyth. and knowyth not fully what y ^t is. for it nedeth not to hem. And in that trowyth they ke­pe hem in loue and charytee to her euen crysten as they maye / and fleen al dedely synne after her cūnynge / and dooen y ^e dedes of mercy to her euen crysten / Al thyse longen to the blysse of heuen / For it is wrytten in the apoc. Apoc. iꝯ. thus. Qui timetis deum pusilli et magni lau [...]ate eum. This is / ye that dreden god bothe smale & grete thanke hym. By grete arn vnderstode soules y ^t arne profytyng in grace or elles perfyte in y ^e loue of god. the whiche arn refourmyd in ghostly felynge: By [...]male arn vnderstō ­de soules vnperfyte of worldly men & wymmen. & other that haue but a chyldys knowynge of god & ful lytyl felynge of hym. but arn brought forth in the bosom of holy chyrche & nourysshed with the sacrament as chylderne arn fedde with mylke / Al thyse sholde loue god & thanke hym for saluacyon of her soules by his endles mercy & goodnesse / For holy chyrche that is moder of al thyse & hath tender loue to al her chylderne ghostly prayeth & asketh for hem al tenderly of her spowse that is Ihesu & geteth hem hele of soule thorough vertue of his passyon And namly for hem that can not speke for hemselfe by ghostly prayer for her nede / Thus I fynde in the gospel That y ^• woman of Chanee asked of our lorde hele to her [Page] doughter that was traueyled with a fende / & our lorde made fyrst daungeour by cause she was an alyene / Neuertheles she ceased not for to cry tyl our lorde had graūted her askyng. and sayd to her thus. Aa woman moche is thy trouth be it to y ^e ryght as thou wolt / In the same hour was her doughter hole / This woman betokenith holy chyrche y ^• asketh helpe of our lorde for symple vn­cūnynge soules that are traueyled with tēptacyon of y ^e worlde / and can not speke perfytly to god by feruour of deuocōn ne brennyng loue in contēplacyon / And though it seme that our lorde make daūgeour fyrste by cause that they arn as it were alyened fro hym / neuerthelesse for the grete trouthe & dyserte of holy chyrche he graun­teth to her al y ^t she wyll / And so arn thyse symple soules y ^t trowen stedfastly as holy chyrche trowyth / & putten hem fully in y ^e mercy of god / & maken hem vnder the sacrament and lawes of holy chyrche made saaf thorugh prayer & trouth of her moder holy chyrche /

¶That soules refourmed neden euer to fyght & to stryue ayenste the styrynges of synne whyle they lyuen he­re And how a soule maye knowe whan it assentyth to y ^e styrynge. & whan not / Caplm̄ xi.

THis refourmyng in fayth is lyghtly goten / but it maye not so lyghtly beholde / & therfore what mā or woman y ^t is refourmed to the lyekenesse of god in trouth moche traueyle & besynesse must they haue yf they wyl kepe this ymage hole & clene y ^t it falle not dow­ne ayen thorugh wekenesse of wyl to the ymage of syn̄e He maye not be ydle ne reklees for y ^e ymage of synne is so nere festnyd to hym / & so contynually pressyth vpon hym by dyuerse styrynges of syn / that but yf he be right wel waar he shal ful lyghtly thorugh assent fal ayē ther [Page] comforteth al soules that thorough grace arne refour­med in fayth y ^• they sholden not tomoche drede y ^e bour­den of this ymage with the vnskylful styrynges therof yf it so be they sente not wylfully therto / Neuertheles in this poynte many soules y ^• arne refourmed in trou­the arne oft tymes moche tormented & trowbled in vayne as thus / Whan they haue felte flesshly styrynges of pryde or enuye of couetyse or lechery or of ony other he desyn̄e. they wote not somtyme whether they sent therto or no. & that is no grete wōder / For in tyme of temptacyon a freel mannes thought is so trowbled & so ouer layed y ^t he hath no clere syght ne fredom of hymself / but is taken oft with lykyng vnwarly. & gooth forth a gre­te whyle or then he perceyue it / And therfore fallen so­me in dowte & dwere wheder they syn̄ed in tyme of tēptacyon or no / As ayenst this poynt I saye as me thyn­ke / y ^t a soule maye haue assayeng in this manere whed y ^t he assente or no / If it be so y ^t a man is styred to ony maner of synne. & the lykynge is soo grete in his flesshly fe­lynge y ^t it trowblyth his reason. & as it were with may­stry ocupyeth the affeccōn of y ^e soule / neuertheles he ke­pyth hym y ^t he foloweth not in dede / ne he wolde not yf he myght but is rather paynful to hym for to fele the ly­kyng of y ^e synne. & fayne he wolde put it awaye yf he myght / And then whan y ^e styryng is ouerpassed he is glad & wel payed y ^t he is delyuered of it / by this assay may he wyte. y ^t were the lykyng neuer so grete in the flesshly fe­lynge y ^t he assented not ne synned not namly dedely. Neuertheles a remedye there is syker to suche a symple soule y ^t is marred in itself & can not helpe it y ^t he be not to bolde in hymself vtterly wenynge y ^• suche flesshly styryng with lykyng are no syn̄eh. for he myght so falle in to re­chelesnes [Page] & into fals sekernes. Ne also y ^t he be not to dredeful ne to symple in wytte for to deme hem al as dedely synne nor as grete venyals for nother is soth. but y ^t he holde hē al as syn̄es & wretchydnes of hymself. & that he haue sorowe for hē & be not to besy for to deme hem no­ther dedely ne venyall. But yf his conscience be gretly greued y ^• he hastely go & shewe to his confessour in general or in specyal suche styrynges. & namly euery styrynge y ^e begynneth to festen ony rote in y ^e herte & moost ocupyeth it for to drawe it downe to synne & worldly vanytee / And then whan he is thus shryuen generally or specyally trow then stedfastly y ^• they ben foryeuen. & dyspute nomore about hem that arne passed & foryeuen whe­ther they were dedely or venyal. But y ^t he be more besy to kepe hym better ayenst hem that arne comyng And yf he do thus then maye he come to reste in conscyence But then some arn so flesshly & so vncūnyng that they wolde fele or see or here foryeuenes of her syn̄es as opē ly as they myght fele & see a bodely thynge / And for as moche as they fele it not so therfore they falle ofte in su­che weeres & doubtes of hymself & neuer maye come to reste / and in that arne they vnwyse. for faythe gooth before felyng / Our lorde sayd to a man that was in y ^e palsye whan he helyd hym thus / Cōfide sili remiremittū [...] tibi pccā tua. M. ix. That is: Sone trowe stedfastly thy syn̄es arn foryeuen y ^• / He sayd not to hym se or fele how thy syn̄es arne foryeue y ^• / for y ^e foryeuenes of syn̄es is doon ghostly & vnseable thorough the grace of y ^e holy ghost. but trowe it Ryght on the same wyse. euery man that wyl co­me to reste in conscyence hym behouyth fyrst yf he do y ^• in hym is trowe without ghostly felynge foryeuenes of his synnes / And yf he fyrste trowe it / he shal afterwarde [Page] thorough grace fele it. and vnderstonde if it is soo. Thus sayth the apostle / Nisi crederitis nō intellegitis / That is. Isay. vii. But yf ye fyrst trowe ye maye not vnderstonde / Trouth gooth before and vnderstondynge comyth after / the whiche vnderstondynge that I calle the lyght of god yf it be gracyous a soule maye not haue but tho­rough grete clennesse. M. v. as oure lorde sayth / Beati mundo corde qm̄ ip̄i deum videbunt / Blessyd be clene of herte for they shall see god. not with her flesshly eye but with the Inner eye that is vnderstondyng clensed and lyghted thorough grace of the holy ghost for to se sothfastnes. y ^e whiche clennes a soule maye not fele but yf he haue stable trouth goynge before as thapostle sayth / Fide mundans corda eo (rum). Act. xv That is our lorde clenseth y ^e hertes of his chosen thoroughe fayth / therfore it is nedful y ^t a soule trowe fyrst the refourmynge of hymself made thorough the sacramente of penaunce though he see it not / And that he dyspose hymselfe fully for to lyue ry­ghtfully and vertuously as his tronth askyth / soo that he maye after come to syght and to the refourmynge in felynge /

¶That this ymage is bothe fayre & fowle whyles it is in this lyfe here though it be refourmed / And of dyuer­syte of felynges pryuely had betwene thyse soules that ben refourmed & other y ^t ben not / Caplm̄ xii

FAyr is mannes soule. & fowle is a mannes soule Fayr in as moche as it is refourmed in fayth to y ^e lyckenes of god / But it is foule in as moche as it is medlyd with flesshly felynges & vnskylful styrynges ofth ymage of syn / Foule without as it were a beest / fayr withī lyke to an āgel / Foule in felyng of the sensualyte [Page] fayre in trouth of the reason / Foule for the flesshly appetyte. fayre for the good wyl / Thus fayre & thus foule is a chosen soule / sayenge holy wrytte thus / Nigra sū sed formosa filie Ierlm sicut tabernacula cedar et sicut pellis salomonis / That is. Cant. i I am blacke but I am fayre & shaply ye doughter of Ihr̄lm as y ^e tabernacles of cedar as the skynne of salomon / That is ye angels of heuen y ^• arne doughters of the hye Ier̄lm wonder not on mene dyspyse me not for my blacke shadowe / For though I be blacke without by cause of my flesshly kynde as is a tabernacle of cedar / Neuertheles I am ful fayre with in as the skynne of salomon. for I am refourmed to the lyckenes of god / By cedar is vnderstōde a reproued soule the whiche is a tabernacle of the deuyll / By salomon is vnderstōde our lorde Ihesu. For he is pees & peasyble By the skynne of salomon is vnderstonde a blessyd anget in whom our lorded wellyth / And is hydde as is the lyfe hydde in the skyn̄e of a quycke body / And therfore is an aungel lyckened to a skynne Thenne maye a chosen soule with meke truste in god and gladenes of herte saye thus. Though I be blacke by cause of my body of synne as a reproued soule that is one of the tabernacles of the fende / neuertheles I am within ful fayre thorou­ghe trouthe & good wyll lyke to an angel of heuen / For so sayth he in a nother place / Nolite considerare me qd fusca sū. Cant. i qm̄ decolorauit me sol. That is. Beholde me not that I am swart for y ^• sonne hath defaded me / The sonne makyth askynne swarte oonly without and not within / & it betokenith this flesshly lyfe / Therfore say­th a chosen soule thus / Repreue me not for I am swart for the swartnesse y ^• I haue is al without of towchynge & of berynge of this ymage of synne / but it is no thynge [Page] within / And therfore soothly though it be so y ^t a chosen soule refourmed in fayth dwelle in this body of synne & fele the same flesshly styrynges / & vse y ^• same bodely werkes as doth a tabernacle of cedar so ferforth y ^• in mānes dome there sholde no dyfference be bytwyx y ^t one & that other. Neuertheles within in her soules there is a full grete deuersyte. and in the syght of god there is full mo­che twynnynge / But the knowynge of this whiche is one and whiche is other oonly kepte to god. for it passe­th mannes dome & mannes felynge / & therfore we shall no man deme as euyl for that thynge that maye be vsed bothe euyll & well. A soule that is not refourmed is take so fully with the loue of the worlde / and so moche ouer­layed with the lykynge of his flesshe in al his sensualyte that he chesyth it as a ful rest of his herte. and in his pryue meanynge he wolde not elles haue but y ^t he myght e­uer be syker therof. He felyth no lycour of grace styryng hym for to lothe his flesshly lyf ne for to desyre heuenly blysse / And therfore I maye saye that he bereth not this ymage of syn̄e / but he is borne of it as a man that were seke & so weyke that he myght not bere hymselfe / And therfore he is layed in a bedde & borne in a lytere / Ryght so suche a synful soule is so weyke and so vnmyghty for lackynge of grace that he maye neyther meue honde ne fote for to do ouy good dede: ne for to ayenstonde by dysplesynge of wyl the leest styryng of synne whan it comyth / but it falleth downe therto as it were a beest vpon careyne / But a soule that is refourmed though he vse his flesshly wyttes / & fele flesshly styrynges / neuertheles he lotheth hem in his herte. for he wolde for no thynge ful­ly reste in hem / but he fleeth the reste as the byttynge of an adder / and had leuer haue his reste and y ^• loue of his [Page] herte in god yf y ^t he cowde. & somtyme desyreth therto / and often grutcheth of the lykynge of this lyfe for loue of the lyfe euerlastyng / This soule is not borne in this ymage of synne as a seke man thoughe he fele it. but he beryth it / For thorugh grace he is made myghty & stronge for to suffre & bere his body with al the euyl styringes of it without hurtynge or defoylynge of hymself / and y ^• is in asmoche as he loueth hem not. ne foloweth hē not ne senteth not to hem the whiche arne dedely synnes as a nother dooth / This was bodely fulfylled in y ^• gospell of a man y ^• was in the palsye. and was so feble y ^• he my­ght not go / and therfore was he layed & borne in a lyte­re and brought to our lorde / And whan our lorde sawe hym in myscheyf of his goodnesse he sayd to hym / Surge et tolle grabatum tuū et vade in domum cuā / That is: Ioh. i. Ryse vp and take thy bedde & go in to thy hous / And so he dyde. and was hole. And sothly ryght as this man bare vpon his backe whan he was made hole the bedde that before bare hym / Ryght so it maye be sayd ghostly that a soule refourmed in faythe beryth this ymage of synne the whiche bare hym before / And therfore be not adradde to moche of thy blackenesse that thou haste of berynge of this ymage of synne / But as ayenste y ^e sha­me & the dyscomforte that thou haste of beholdyng of it and also ayen vpbraydynge that thou felyst in thy hert of the ghostly enmyes whan they sayd to the thus / where is thy lorde Ihesus. what sekest thou / where is y ^e fayrnes y ^• thou spekest of. what felyst thou ought but blyndnes of synne / where is that ymage of god that thou sayest is refourmed in the Comforte thyselfe and be faythful styfly as I haue before sayd / And yf thou do so thou shalt by this trouth destroye al the temptacyons of thin [Page] enmyes / Thus sayd the apostle poul / Accipe scutum fidei in quo omnia tela hostis nequissima poteris extin­guere / That is: Eph. ꝯ Take to the ashelde of stedfaste trouth thorugh the whiche thou maye quenche al the brennynge dartes of thyn enmye /

¶ Of thre manere of men of y ^e whiche some ben not re­fourmed / & some ben refourmed on̄ly in fayth / & some in fayth & in felynge / Caplm̄ xiii

BI this that I haue sayd maye thou see that after dyuers partyes of the soule arn dyuers states of men / Some men arn not refourmed to the lykenesse of god / and some arne refourmed to the lyckenesse of god / And some arn refourmed on̄ly in fayth / and some arne refourmed in fayth & in felynge / For thou shalt vnder stonde y ^t a soule hath two partyes / That one is called sensualyte & that is flesshly felynge by the fyue outwarde wyttes / the whiche is comon to man & to beest / Of the whiche sensualyte whan it is vnskylfully and vnordynatly ruled is made the ymage of synne / whan it is not ruled after reason / for thenne is the sensualyte syn̄e That other partye is called reason / & that is departed in two / In the ouer partye & in y ^• nether / The ouer party is lyckened to a man / for it sholde be mayster and souereyne and that is propyrly the ymage of god / For by that on̄ly the soule knowyth god and louyth hym / And the neyther is lyckened to a woman / for it sholde be burum to the ouer partye of reyson / as woman is buxum to man / and that lyeth in knowynge and rulynge of erthly thynges: for to vse hem dyscretly after nede. and for to refuse hē whan it is no nede. for to haue euer with it an eye vpwarde to the ouer partye of reasō with drede & reuerence for to folow it. Now may I say y ^• a soule [Page] that lyueth after lykynges & the lustes of the flesshe / as it were an vnskylful beest. & neyther hath knowynge of god ne desyre the vertues ne to good lyuynge. But is al blynded in pryde / frette with enuy ouerlayed whth couetyse / defoyled with lecherye / and other grete synnes / Is not refourmed to y ^e lyckenesse of god / for it lyeth & resteth fully in the ymage of synne. that is sensualyte / A no­ther soule that dredeth god / and ayenstondeth dedely styrynges of the sensualyte / & foloweth hem not But lyueth resonably in ruelynge & gouernaūce of worldly thynges / and setteth his entent and his wyl for to pleyse god by his outwarde werkes is refourmed to the lyknesse of god in faythe / And though he fele the same styrynges of synne as y ^e other dooth / it shal not dysease hym for heresteth not in hem as that other dooth / But a nother sou­le that fleeth thorugh grace al dedely styrynges of the sē sualyte & venyals also ferforth y ^t he felyth hem not is re­fourmed in felynge / for he folowyth y ^e ouerparty of reason in beholdyng of god & ghostly thynges, as I shal tel the afterwarde /

¶How men that ben in synne forshapen hemselfe in to dyuerse bestes lyckenesse / And they bē called the louers of the worlde / Caplm̄ xiiii

A Wretchyd man is he then that knowyth not y ^• worthynesse of his soule ne wyll not knowe it / how it is moost worthy creature that euer god made out take an angel whom it is lyke to▪ hye aboue al other kynde bodely. to the whiche no thynge maye suffyse as full reste / but oonly god / And therfore he sholde nothynge loue ne lyke but hym oonly / ne coueyte ne seke but how he myght be refourmed to his lyknes. but for he knowyth not this, therfore he sekyth & coueytyth his rest & his [Page] lykynge outwarde in bodely creatures werse than hym self is / Unkyndly he doth & vnresouably he werkyth y ^• leuyth y ^e souereyn good & euerstyng lyfe y ^t is god vnsought & vnloued vnknowen & vnworshypped. and chesyth his reste & his blysse in a passynge delyte of an erthely thyng / Neuerthelesse thus done al y ^e louers of this worlde that haue her Ioye & her blysse in this wretchyd lyfe / Some haue it in pryde & vaynglory of hemself / y ^e whan they haue loste the drede of god they traueyle & studye nyght & day how they mow come to worshyp & praysynge of the worlde / & maken noo force how it be soo that they myght come therto & ouerpasse al men eyther in clergy or in crafte in name or fame. In ryches or in reuerence. in souerente & maystershyp. in hye state & lordshyp / Some mē haue her reste in ryches & in outragious hauour of erthly good. & setten her hertes so fully for to gete it. y ^• they seke not elles but how they myght come therto / Some haue her lykynge in flesshly lustes of glotenye & lecherye & in other bodely vnclennes / And some in oo thynge & some in a nother. And thus wretchydly thyse y ^• done thus forshapen hemself fro the worthynes of mā & torne hem in to dyuers bestes lyckenes / The prowde man is torned into a lyon for pryde: for he wolde be drade & worshypped of all men / & that no man ayenstonde y ^e fulfyllynge of his flesshly wyl nother in worde ne in dede / And yf ony man wolde lette his mysproude wyl he weryth felle & wrothe. & woll be wroken of hym as a lyon wrekith hym on a lytyl beest / This mā that dooth thus is no man for he dooth vnresonably ayenst y ^• kynde of a man / & so he is tourned & transfourmed in to a lyon / Enuyous & angry men arne torned in to hoūdes thoroughe wrathe / an enuye y ^e brekyth ayen her euen [Page] cristē & bytyth hē by wycked & malycyous wordes / & greuyth hem y ^t haue not trespassed with wrongfull dedes. harmyng hem in body & in soule ayenst goddis byddynge / Some men arne forshapen in to asses y ^e arne slowe to y ^e seruyce of god. and euyl wylled for do ony good dede to her euen crysten / They arne redy ynough for to ren̄e for worldly profyte & for erthly worshyp or for pleysaū ­ce of an erthly man / But for ghostly mede. for helpe of her owne soules. or for y ^e worshyp of god they are soone yrke they wol not therof / And yf they ought done they goon but a pase & with frowarde wyl / Some are torned in to swyne for they are so blynde in wytte & so bestly in maners that they haue no drede of god: but folowen on̄ ly the lustes and lykynges of her flesshe / and haue no re­warde to the honeste of man / ne for to rule hem after the byddynge of reason / ne for to restrayne the vnskylfull styrynges of the flesshly kynde. but assone as a flesshly styrynge comyth of synne they are redy for to falle ther to and folowe as swyne done / Some men are torned in to wulfes that lyuen & raueyn as fals couetous men done that thorough maystry & ouerledyng robben her euē crysten of her worldly goodes / Some men are torned in to foxes as fals men & deceyuable men that lyuen in trecherye & gyle / Al thyse & many other moo y ^t lyuen not in drede of god: but breken his cōmaūdementes forshapen hemself fro the lyknes of god / & maken hem lyke to bestes. ye & worse than bestes for they are lyke to the fende of helle / And therfore sothly thyse men y ^t lyuen thus yf they ben not refourmed whan the hour of deth cometh. & the soules of hem are departed fro y ^e bodyes: then shal her eye be opened y ^t is nowe stopped with synne / & thenne shal they fele & fynde the payne of her wretchydnes [Page] that they lyued in here / And for asmoche as y ^e yma­ge of god was not refourmed thorugh the sacrament of penaunce in hem neyther in fayth ne in felynge here in this lyfe they shal be as cursed caste out fro y ^e blessyd fa­ce of our creatour / and they shal be dampned with y ^• deuyl in to the depnes of helle there for to be without ende Thus sayth saynt Iohn̄ in thapocalipse / Tumidis et incredulis execratis & homicidis fornicatoribus venificis & ydolatris & om̄ibꝭ mendacibꝭ pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne & sulphure. Apoc. ir. That is. To prowde men & mystrowyng men. to cursed & to men sleers. to lecherous & couetous. to poyseners and worshyppers of mawmentes. & to al fals lyers her dele shal be with y ^e deuyl in the pytte of helle brennyng with fyre & brymston If y ^e louers of this worlde wolde oft thynke on this how al this worlde shal passe and drawe to an ende / and how al wycked loue shal be harde punysshed. they sholde within shorte tyme loth al worldly lustes y ^t they now most lyke / & they sholde lyfte vp her herte for to loue god / and they wolde besyly seke & traueyle how they myght be refourmed to his lyckenes or they passe hens.

¶How louers of this worlde vnable hem in dyuers maners to the refourmynge of her owne soule / Capitulum / xv.

BUt now sayth some of hem thus. I wolde fayne loue god & be a good man. & forsake y ^e loue of the worlde yf that I myght / but I haue no grace therto. If I had the same grace that a good man hath I sholde do as he dooth / But for I haue it not. therfore I maye not & so it is not to me to wyte but I am excused / vnto thyse mē say I [...]hꝰ So [...]h it is as they saye y ^t they haue no grace [Page] and therfore they lyen styl in her synne & maye not ryse out / But that auayleth hem not ayenst god. for it is her owne defawte / They vnable hem by dyuers wayes so moche that the lyght of grace maye not shyne to hem nerest in her hertes. For some are so fro warde y ^t they wol no grace haue: ne they wol no gode men be. For they wote well that yf they sholde be good men they must nedes forbere the grete lykynge & the luste of this worlde that they haue in erthly thynges / & y ^t wol they not. For hē thken it is so swete y ^t they wol not forgo it / And also they must nedes take werkes of penaūce / As in fastyng. wakyng: prayeng / & many other good dedes doyng In chastisynge of theyr flessh & ī withdrawyng of theyr flesshly wyll & y ^t maye they not do / For it is made so sharpe and so dredful to her thynkyng that they vggen & lothen for to thynke vpon it / and so cowardly & wretchydly dwel they stelle in her synne / Some wolde haue grace as it semyth and begynnen to able hem therto. but her wyll is wonder weeke / For assone as ony styrynge of synne comyth though it be contrary to the byddyng of god. they falle anone therto / for they are so bounde thorugh custome by oft fallynge and ofte assentynge to synne before y ^e hem thynke it impossyble for to ayenstonde it / & soo fey­ned herdnes of perfourmynge weekyth her wyl. & smytyth it downe ayē Some also felen styryng of grace. as whan they haue bytyng of conscyēce for her euyl lyuynge. & that they sholde leue it But that is so paynful to hē & heuy that they wol not suffre it ne abyde it: but they fle therfro & foryete it yf they may so ferforth that they seke lykynge and comforte outwarde in flysshly creatures. so that they sholde not fele this bytynge of conscyence within her soule / And more ouer some men are so blyn­de [Page] & so bestly that they wene there is none other lyfe but this. ne y ^t there is no soule other than a beest / & y ^t y ^e soule of a man deyeth with y ^e body as y ^e soule of a beest / & therfore they saye: Ete we. drynke we. & make we mery here for of this lyfe we ben syker: we see none other heuen / Sothly suche are some wretches that sayen thus in her hertes / though they saye it not with her mouth / Of the whiche men the prophete sayth thus / Dixit incipiēs in corde suo nō est deus / That is / y ^e vnwyse man sayd in his herte: P. there is noo god / This vnwyse man is euery wretchyd man that lyueth & loueth syn̄e. and chesyth y ^e loue of this worlde as rest of his soule: he sayth there is no god / not with his mouth. for he wol speke of hym sō ­tyme whan he fareth wel flesshly as it were in reueren­ce whan he sayth blessyd be god / Somtyme in dyspyte whan he is angry ayenst god or his euen crysten. & sweryth by his blessyd body or ony of his mēbres / But he sayth ī his thought y ^t there is no god / & that is eyther for he weneth y ^t god seeth not his synne or that he wyll not punysshe it so harde as holy wrytte sayth / or that he wol foryeue hym y ^e synne though he see it not / or elles y ^• there shal no crysten man be dāpned do he neuer so euyl / Or elles yf he fast our lady fast. or saye euery daye a certeyn oryson / or here euery day ii. masses or iii▪ or do a certeyn bodely dede as it were in worshyp of god. he shall neuer go to helle do he neuer somoche synne though he forsake it not / this man sayth in his herte that there is no god / But he is vnwyse as y ^e prophete sayth / For he shall fele & fynde in payne y ^t he is a god whom he forgate and set nought by / but sette by the wele of the worlde as the prophete sayth / Sola vexacio dabit intellectū auditu [...] / That is: I. xx viii. Oonly payne shal yeue vnderstondynge / For [Page] he that knowyth not this here ne wol not knowe it: shal wel knowe it whan he is in payne.

¶A lytyl coūseyle howe louers of this worlde sholde do yf they wol be refourmed in her soule byfore her partynge hens / Caplm̄ xvi

THyse men though they wote wel that they arne out of grace & in dedely synne they haue no care ne sorowe ne thought therfore. But they make flesshly myrth & worldly solace asmoche as they maye / And the ferder they ben fro grace y ^e more myrth they make / & perchaūce some holden hem wel payd y ^t they haue no grace y ^t they maye as it were the more fully & freely folow y ^e lykynge of flesshly lustes. as though god were a slepe & myght not see hem / And this is one of the moost defawte y ^t maye be / And thus by her owne frowardnes they stop the lyght of grace fro her owne soule y ^t it maye not reste therin / the whiche grace in asmoche as in it is shyneth to al ghostly creatures redy for to entre in there it is re­ceyued; as y ^e sonne shyneth ouer al creatures bodely there it is not letted / thꝰ sayth saynt Iohn̄ ī y ^e ghospel. Iohīsi Lux in tenebris lucet & [...]enebre eā non cōprehenderūt / That is / the lyght of grace shyneth in derkenes / that is to mē nes hertes that are derke thorugh synne / But the derknesse taketh it not / That is thyse blynde hertes receyue not y ^e gracyous lyght. ne haue not the profyte of it: But ryght as a blynde man is vmbi [...]apped with the lyght of y ^e sonne whan he stōdeth therin. & yet seeth it not. ne hath no profyte ther of for to go therby / ryght soo ghostly a soule blynded with dedely syn̄e is al vmbylapped with this ghostly lyght. and yet he is neuer the better for he is [Page] blynded and wol not see ne knowe his blyndenesse And y ^t is one of the moost lettynge of grace. that a wretchyd man wol not be a knowe of his owne blyndnesse for pride of hymself or elles yf he knowe it he chargeth not. but makyth myrth & game as he were ouer al syker / Therfore vnto al thyse men that are thus blynded and boūde with the loue of this worlde / & are fowle forshape fro y ^e fayrhede of man I saye & counseyle that they thynke on her soule. & y ^t they able hem vnto grace asmoche as they may. and that may they do vpon this wyse yf that they wol / Whan that they fele hemself out of grace & ouerlayed with dedely synne: then that they thynke what mys­cheyf & what peryl it is to hem for to be put out of grace & departed fro god as they ben / For there is no thynge that holdeth hem fro the pytte of helle that they ne sholde ryght soone falle therin but a bare syngyl [...]hrede of this bodely lyfe wherby they hange / what lyghtlyer may be lost than a syngyl threde maye be broken in two / For were the breth stopped in her body: & that maye lyghtly falle. her soule shal passe forth & anone be in helle with­oute ende / And yf they wolde thynke thus they sholde quake & shake for drede of the ryghtful domes of god. & of the herde punysshynge of synne / & they sholde make sorow & morne for her synne and for lackynge of grace. and then sholde they crye & pray y ^t they myght haue grace / & yf they dede thus thenne sholde grace falle in & put out de [...]knesse & hardnes of herte and weyknes of wyl / and yeue hem myght & strengthe for to forsake the fals loue of this worlde as moche as is dedely synne / For there is no soule soo ferre fro god thorugh wyckydnesse of wyl in dedely synne: I out take none that lyueth in this body of syn̄e that he ne may thorugh grace be ryghted & [Page] refourmed to clennesse oflyuynge. yf he woll bowe his wyl to god with mekenesse for to amende his lyfe. & hertly axe grace & foryeuenes of hym / & excuse our lorde / & fully accuse hymself / For holy wryt sayth. Nolo mortē pccōrissed magis vt cōuertat et viuat / That is. Our lorde sayth: I wol not y ^e dethe of a synner but I wol more y ^t he be torned to me & lyue / For our lorde wol that the moost frowarde man y ^t lyueth forshapen thorugh synne yf he torne his wyl & aske grace that he be refourmed to his lyknesse /

¶That refourmyng in fayth & in felyng may not sodē ly be goten by grace & moche bodely & ghostly traueyle ī lengthe of tyme: Caplm xvii

THis refourmyng is in fayth as I haue before sayd y ^t lyghtly may be had / But after this comyth refourmyng in fayth & in felynge that maye not lyght­ly begote but thorugh longe trauyle & moche besynesse / For refourmynge in fayth in comyn to al chosen soules though they ben in the lowest degree of charyte / But refourmynge in felynge is specyally of thyse soules y ^t may come to the state of perfeccyon & that maye not sodeyn­ly be had but after grete plente of grace & moche ghost­ly traueyle a soule maye come therto / and that is whan he is fyrste helyd of his ghostly syknes / and whan al bytter passyons & flesshly lustes & other olde felynges arne brente oute of the herte with fyre of desyre & newe gracyous felynges arne brought Inne with brennynge loue & ghostly lyght / Then̄e ryght nyghe hygheth a soule to perfeccyon and to refourmynge in felynge /

¶For soth it is. ryght as a man that is broughte nye to deth thorough bodely syknesse though he receyue a medicyne by the whiche he is restored and syker of his lyfe / [Page] he maye not therfore anone ryse vp and go to werke as an hole maye for the feblenes of his body holdeth hym downe that he muste abyde & good whyle and kepe hym wel with medicynes. and dyete hym by mesure after y ^e techynge of a leche tyl he maye fully recouer bodely hele Ryght so ghostly. he that is brought to ghostly dethe thorugh dedely synne though he thorugh medycyne of the sacrament of penaūce be restored to lyfe that he shal not be dampned / neuertheles he is not anone hole of all his passyons and of al his flesshly desyres ne able to contemplacyon / but hym behouyth abyde a grete whyle. and take good kepe of hymselfe / and rule hym soo that he myght recouer ful hele of soule: for he shal langern a grete whyle or that he be fully hole / Neuertheles yf that he take medecynes of a good leche. & vse hem in tyme with mesure with dyscrecyon he shall moche the sooner be restored to his ghostly strength. and come to refourminge in felynge / For refourmynge in fayth is y ^e lowest state of al chosen soules / For byneth y ^t myght they not well be / But refourmynge in felyng is the hyest state in this lyfe that the soule maye come to But fro the lowest to y ^e hyest maye not a soule sodenly styrte no more than a mā that wol clymbe vpon a ladder hye and setteth his fote vpon the lowest stele may at the nexte flee vp to y ^e hyest But hym behoueth go by processe one after a nother tyl he maye come to the ouerest / Ryght so it is ghostly. noo man is made sodenly souereyne in grace: but thorough longe exercyse and slye werkynge of a soule maye come therto / namly whan he helpyth and techyth a wretchid soule in whome al grace lyeth / For without specyal helpe and Inwardly techynge of hym maye noo soule co­me therto.

¶The cause why so fewe soules in rewarde of y ^t multytude of other comen to this refourmg in fayth & in felynge. Caplm̄ xviii

BUt now sayst thou / Syth our lorde is so curteys of his goodnes. & of his gracyous yeftes so free / wonder it is then that so fewe sowles as it semyth in re­warde of the multytude of other maye come to this re­fourmynge in felynge / It semyth y ^t he were dangerous & that is not sothe / or that he toke no rewarde of his creatures. the whiche by takyng of fayth are become his seruauntes / Unto this I may answere & saye as me thyn­keth. that one enchesen is this / Many that are refour­med in fayth setten not her hertes for to profyte in gra­ce. ne for to seke none hyer estate of good lyuynge thorugh besye traueyle in prayeng a thynkyng. and other bodely & ghostly werkynge / but hem thynke it ynough to hem to kepe hemselfe out of dedely synne. & for to stonde stylle in that plyght as they are in / For they saye that it is ynough to hem for to be saaf and haue the leest degre in heuen / They wol coueyte no more / Thus perchaunce dooth some of the chosen soules that leden in the worlde actyflyfe / and that is lytyl wonder of hem / For they are so occupyed with worldly besynesse that nedeth for to be done that they maye not fully sette her hertes for to profyte in ghostly we tkynge / And neuertheles it is pe­ryllous to hem. for they falle out al daye / and are nowe vp. & now downe. & maye not come to the stablenes of gode lyuyng. Neuertheles they are somwhat excusable for her astate of lyuynge / But other men & wymmen y ^t are free fro worldly besynesse yf they woll & maye haue her nedeful sustynaunce without grete bodely besynes specyally as relygyous men & wymmen may that byn­den [Page] hemselfe to the state of perfeccyon by takynge of relygion. and other men also in seculer state that haue moche reason in grete kyndly wytte. & myght yf they wolde dyspose hem there to come to moche grace / Thyse men are more to blame. for they stōde stylle as they were ydle & wol not prouffyte in grace. ne in no ferder sekynge for to come to the loue and the knowyng of god / For sothly it is peryllous to a soule that is refourmed oonly in say­th and wol no more seke profyte. ne yeue hym besyly to ghostly traueyle / for he maye so lyghtly lese that he hath and falle ayen to dedely synne. For a soule may not stonde styl alwaye in one state whyle that it is in the flesshe / For it is eyther profytynge in grace or peyrynge in syn̄e For it fareth by hym as it dooth by a man that were drawe out of a pytte. & whan he were vp he wolde no ferder go than y ^e pyttes brynke / Sothly he were a moche foole for a lytyl puffe of wynde or an vnwarly styryng of hȳ selfe sholde soone caste hym downe ayen wors than he was byfore / Neuertheles yf he fle fro y ^e brynke as ferre as he maye & go forth on the erthe. then though there come a grete storme he is the more syker. for he falleth not in the pytte / Ryght so ghostly. he that is drawen out of y ^e pytte of synne thoroughe refourmynge of faythe / and whan he is our of dedely synne he thynketh hymselfe syke [...] ynoughe / And therfore he wol not profyte but holde hym stylle as he is by the pyttys brynke as nere as he maye sothely he is not wyse / For atte the leest temptacyon of hys enmye or of hys flesshe he falleth in to synne ayen / But neuerthelesse yf he flee fro the pytte. that is yf he sete his herte fully for to com̄ to mo­re grace. and for to traueyle besyly howe he maye come therto. & yeue hym hertly to prayeng. thynkyng & other [Page] good werkes doyng / though grete tēptacōns ryse ayenste hym he fallyth not lyghtly to dedely synne ayen / And sothly it is wōder to me y ^t sythē grace is so good & so profytable why a mā whā he hath but a lytyl therof ye so lytyl y ^t he myȝt no lesse haue y ^t he wol say ho / I wol no more of this / for I haue ynough / Whan I se a worldly mā though he haue of worldly good moche more than hym nedeth / yet he wol neuer saye hoo / I haue ynough I wol no more of this / But he wol coueyte more & more: & traueyle all his wyttes and his myghtes / And neuer woll stynte of his coueytyse tyl he maye haue no more / Mo­che more thenne sholde a chosen soule coueyte ghostely good y ^t is euerlastyng & makyth a soule blessyd / And he neuer sholde cease of his coueytyng yf he dyde wel▪ gete what he gete myght / For he y ^e most coueyteth most shal haue / And sothly yf he dyde thꝰ he sholde profyte & wexe in grace gretly /

¶A nother cause also of y ^e same. And how wylful bode­ly customes indyscretly rewarded & vsed somtyme hyndren soules fro felyng of more grace / Caplm̄ xix

ANother enchesen is this. Some mē that are re­fourmed in fayth in the begynnynge of her tor­nyng to god setten hemself in a certayn maner of doyng whether it be bodely or ghostly. & thynken euer for to kepe that maner of worchyng forth / & not for to chaunge it for none other y ^e comith thorugh grace though it were better. for they wene that y ^t doynge sholde be beste for hē alwaye for to holde / & therfore they resten hem therin. & thorough custome they bynde hem so therto that whan they haue fulfylled it they thynke hem wonderly eased / For they wene that they haue done a grete thyng to god And perchaunce yf it falle that they be letted fro y ^e custome [Page] though it be for a skilful cause. they ben heuy and angry. and haue troublynge of conscyence▪ as yf they had done a grete dedely synne. Thyse men hyndren hemself somwhat fro felyng of more grace. for they sette her perfeccyon in a bodely werke. and so they make an ende in the myddes of the waye where none ende is / For why bodely customes that men vse in her begynnyng are good / but they are but meanes & wayes ledynge a soule to perfeccyon / And therfore he that sayth his perfeccyon ī a bodely werke or in a ghostly werke that he felych in y ^e begynnynge of his tornynge to god. and he woll no fe [...] ­der seke but euer rest therin. he hyndreth hymselfe gret­ly / For it is a symple crafte that a prentyse is euer in ly­ke wyse in / and that can on the fyrste daye as moche of it as he can thyrty wynter after / Or elles yf the craft be good and subtyl he is of a dulle wytte or elles of an euyl wyl that profyteth not therin / But thenne it is soth y ^t of al craftes that are. the seruyse of god is moost souereyne & the moost subtyl: the hyghest & hardest for to come to the perfeccyon of it / And also it moost profytable and moost of wynnyng to hym that maye soth fastly performe it / And therfore it semyth that the prentises of it that are euer ylyke ferforth in lernynge eyther are they dulle wytted or elles euyll wylled / I repreue not thyse custo­mes that men vse in the state of begynnynge whether they ben bodely or ghostly / for I say that they are ful good & spedfull for hem for to vse / But I wolde that they helde hem not but as a waye & an entre towarde ghostly felynge. and that they vsed hem as a couenable meane tyl a better come / and that they in vsynge of hem coueyted after better / And then̄e yf better come that were more ghostly and more drawynge in the thought frō flesshlynes [Page] & fro the sensualyte & vayn ymagynacion. yf that sholde be letted by cause of her customes y ^t they leue then her custome whan it maye be lefte without scaunder or dysease of other. and folowe that they fele / But yf ney­ther lette other then that they vse bothe yf they maye. I meane not of customes nedeful thorugh bonde of lawe or of rule or of penaunce / but of other wylfully taken / Thus techeth vs the prophete in the sawter sayeng thꝰ Etem̄ benediccionem dabit legislator ibunt de virtute in virtutem videbitur deus deo (rum) in syon / That is: p̄. lxxx iii. Sothly the brynger of the lawe shal yeue blessyng they shal go fro vertue in to vertue / and god of goddys shal be see in syon / The brynger of the lawe. that is our lorde Ihe­su cryst shal yeue his blessynge / That is: He shal yeue hys grace to his chosen soules. callynge hem fro synne and ryghtynge hem by good werkes to his lyckenesse / thorugh whiche grace they shall proufyte and wexe fro vertue to vertue tyll they come to syon / that is tyl they come to contemplacyon / in the whiche they shal see god of goddys. That is: They shal see wel that there is not but one god /

¶How that without moche bodely & ghostly besynes & without moche grace & mekenesse soules may not be refourmed in felynge / ne kepe therin after they come therto / Caplm̄ xx

NOw sayest thou. Syth it is so that refourmyng in faythe is so lowe and so peryllous for to rest in by cause of drede of fallynge agayne / And refourmyn­ge in felynge is so hyghe and so syker / who so myght co­me therto. Thenne coueytest thou for to wyte what manere traueyle were moost spedful for to vse / by the whi­che [Page] a man myghte prouffyte in. and come therto. Or yf there were ony certayne traueyle or specyal dede by the whiche a man myght come to that grace and that refo­urmynge in felynge / As vnto this I saye thus / Thou wotest wel that what man or woman wol dyspose hym for to come to clennesse of herte and to felynge of grace hym behoueth haue moche traueylle and grete fyghtynge in wyl and in werke lastyngly agaynste wycked sty­rynges of al the hede synnes / Not oonly ayenste pryde or Enuye but ayenst al other with al the spyces that co­men oute of theym / as I haue sayde before in the fyrste wrytyng. For why / Passyons and flesshly desyres lette the clennesse of the herte and pees in conscyence / And hym behoueth also for to traueyle for to gete al vertues Not oonly chastyte and abstynence / but also pacyence and myldenesse / charite and mekenesse and al the other And this maye not be doon by one maner of werke / but by dyuerse werkes and many after sundry dysposycy­ons of men / As nowe prayenge: nowe thynkynge now worchynge some good werkes / nowe assayenge theym selfe in dyuers wyse / In hunger: in thruste: in colde: in sufferyng of shame and dyspyte yf nede be / And in other bodely dysease for loue of vertue and sothfastnesse / This knowest thou wel / for this redest thou in euery boke that techeth of good lyuynge / Thus sayth euery mā that wol styre mennes soules to the loue of god / And so it semyth that there is no specyal traueyle ne certeyn dede thorugh whiche oonly a soule myght come to y ^t grace but pryncypally thorugh grace of our lorde Ihesu. & by many dedes & grete in al y ^t he may done. & yet al this is lytyl ynough / And one skylle may be this. For sith our lorde Ihū hymself is specyal mayster of this crafte: & he is [Page] specyal leche of ghostly lyknes: for without hym al is nought. it is therfore resonable that after that he techeth & styreth so a man folowe and werke / But he is a symple mayster that can not teche his dyscyple whyle he is ī lernynge but euer one lesson / & he is an vnwyse leche that by one medecyne wol hele al sores / Therfore our lorde Ihesu that is so wyse & so good for to shewe his wysdom & his goodnes he techeth dyuers lessons to his dissyples after y ^t they profyte in her lernynge. & yeueth to dyuers soules sere & dyuers medycynes after the felynge of her syknes / Also a nother skylle is this: If there were ony certayne dede by the whiche a soule myghte come to the perfyte loue of god then sholde a man wene that he my­ght come therto by his owne werke & thorugh his owne traueyle as a marchaunt comyth to his mede by his owne traueyle oonly & by his owne werke / Nay it is not so ghostly in the loue of god. For he that wol serue god wysely & come to perfyte loue of god. he shal coueyte to ha­ue none other mede but hym oonly / But then for to haue hym may no creature deserue oonly by his owne traueyle / For though a man myght traueyle as moche bo­dely & ghostly as al creatures that euer were myghte he myght not deserue oonly by his werkes for to haue god to his mede: for he is souereyn blysse & endles goodnes & passyth without cōparyson al mēnes desertes. & therfore he may not be gotē by no mannes specyal werkes as bodely mede may / For he is free and yeuyth hymsefe whet̄he wol. & whan he wol. neyther for this ne for y ^t / ne this tyme ne after y ^t tyme / For though a soule worche all y ^e he can & may al hys lyfe tyme / Perfyte loue of Ihesu shall he neuer haue tylle oure lorde Ihesu woll free­ly yeue it / Neuertheles on that other syde I saye also I [Page] hope he yeuyth it not but yf a man worche & traueyle al that he can & maye. ye tyll hym thynke he maye no more / or elles be in ful wyl therto yf he myght / And so it se­myth y ^t neyther grace oonly without ful worchynge of a soule that in it is / ne worchynge alone without grace bryngeth a soule to the refourmynge in felynge / y ^t whi­che refourmyng stondeth in perfyte loue & charite / But that one Ioyned to that other / that is grace Ioyned to worchynge bryngeth in to a soule the blessyd felynge of perfyte loue / the whiche grace may not restfully but on meke soules y ^t ben ful of y ^t drede of god / Therfore maye I saye: he y ^t hath no mekenes ne dooth his besynes may not come to this refourmyng in felyng / He hath not ful mekenes y ^t can not fele of hymselfe soth fastly as he is / As thus / He that dooth al the good dedes that he can / as in fastyng: wakyng: weryng of the heyre. & al other suf­fryng of bodely penaunce / or dooth al y ^e outwarde werkes of mercy to his euen rrysten: or elles Inwarde / as prayenge: wepyng: syghyng / & thynkyng yf he rest euer in hem & leue somoche to hem: & rewardeth hem so gret­ly in his owne syght y ^t he presumyth of his owne deser­tes. and thynketh hymselfe euer ryche & good holy & vertuous / sothly aslonge as he felyth thus he is not meke y­nough / Ne though he say or thynke y ^t al that he dooth is of goddis yeft & not of hymself. he is not yet meke ynou­gh for he maye not yet make hymself yet naked of al his good dedes / ne make hym poore sothfastly in spyrite / ne fele hymselfe nought as he is / And sothly vntyll a soule can fele ably thorugh grace nought hymself. and baren hym fro all the good dedes that he dooth thorugh behol­dynge of sothefastnes of Ihesu he is not perfytly meke / For what is mekenes but sothfastnes / Sothly nought [Page] elles / And therfore he that thorugh grace maye see Ihe­su howe that he dooth all / And hymselfe dooth ryghte noughte but suffreth Ihesu worche in hym what hym lykyth he is meke / But this is ful harde And as it were Impossyble. and vnresonable to a man that wortheth al by mannes reason. and seeth no ferder for to doo many good dedes. and thenne for to ar rette alle to Ihesu. & sette hymselfe at noughte / Neuertheles who soo myght haue a ghostly syghte of soch fastnes hym sholde thynke it ful true and full resonable for to doo soo / And sothly he that hath this syghte shal neuer do the lesse / but he shal be styred for to traueyle bodely & ghostly moche y ^e mo­re & with y ^e better wyl / And this may be one cause why some men perauenture swinke & swete & pyne her wretchyd body with outragyous penaunce all her lyfe tyme & are euer sayeng orisons & sawters & many other bedes & yet maye they not come to the ghostly felyng of the lo­ue of god as it semyth that some done in shorte tyme with lesse payne. for they haue not that mekenesse that I spake of Also on tha other syde I saye he that dooth not his besynesse that thynketh thus. wherto sholde I tra­ueyle / wherto sholde I praye or thynke wake or faste / or ony other bodely penaunce do for to come to suche grace sythen it may not be goten ne had but oonly of y ^e free yefte of Ihū / Therfore I woll abyde in flesshlynes as I am. & ryght nought do of suche werkes bodely ne ghostly vntyl he yeue it / For yf he woll yeue it. he asketh noo worchynge of me what so that I do. & how lytyl y ^• I do I shal haue it / And yf he wol not yeue it. traueyle I neuer so fast therfore I gete it neuer the sooner / He y ^• sayth thꝰ may not come to this refourmyng. for he drawyth hymself wylfully to ydlenes of flessheed: & vnableth hym to [Page] the yefte of grace in asmoche as he putteth fro hym both Inwarde werkynge that stondyth in lastynge desyre & in longynge to Ihesu & outwarde werkyng by traueyle of his body in outwarde dedes. soo maye he not haue it / therfore I saye he that hath no true mekenes ne ful hertly besynes other inwarde on̄ly by grete feruour & lastynge desyre & besye prayer & thought in god. or elles bothe Inwarde & outwarde. may he not come to this ghostly refourmyng of his ymage /

¶An entree howe a soule shal haue her in menynge and worchynge that woll come to this refour­mynge by ensample of apylgryme goynge to Ihe­rusalem. And of two maner of mekenes / Caplm̄ xxi.

NEuertheles for thou coueytest for to haue some maner worchynge by the whiche thou myght y ^e rather nyghen to that refourmynge / I shall saye as me thynketh by the grace of our lorde Ihesu the shortest & y ^• redyest helpe that I knowe in this werchyng / And how that shal be I shal telle the by an ensample of a good pylgryme vpon this wyse / There was a man that wolde go to Ierusalē. And for he knewe not the waye he came to a nother man y ^t he hoped knewe the waye better thy­der. and asked whyder he myght come to that cyte / that other man sayd to hym that he myght not come thyder without grete dysease and moche traueyle / For the wa­ye is longe and peryllous and full of grete theues & rob­bers / and many other lettynges there ben that fallen to a man in the goynge / And also there are manysere wayes as it semyth [...]edynge thyderwarde / But mē all daye are slayne and dyspoyled and maye not come to that place that they coueyten / Neuerthelesse there is one [Page] waye the whiche who so taketh it & holdeth it he wol vndertake that he sholde come to that cyte of Ierusalem. & he sholde neūer lese his lyf. ne be slayne ne deye for defawte He sholde ofte be robbed & euyl bete & suffre moche dysese in the gooynge. but his lyfe sholde be saaf / Thenne sayd the pylgryme / So that I maye haue my lyfe saaf & come to that place that I coueyte to. I charge not what myschyef I suffre in goynge / And therfore say me what thou wolt & sothly I behote the for to do after the / That other man answereth & sayth thus / Lo I sette y ^t in y ^e ry­ght waye / This is the waye. And that thou kepe the lernynge that I teche y ^• / what so thou herest seest or felyst that sholde lette the in the waye abyde not with it wyl­fully / tary not for it wylfully. beholde it not: lyke it not / drede it not / but euer go forth in thy waye. & thynke that thou woldest be at Iherusalem / for that thou couetest. & that thou desyrest. & nought elles but that. And yf men robbe the & dyspoyl the. bete the: scorne the: pyspyse y ^e / stryue not ayen yf thou wolte haue thy lyfe / but holde y ^t with the harme y ^t thou hast. & go forth as nought were. y ^t thou take no more harme And also yf men wol tary y ^• with tales. & fede y ^• with lesynges for to drawe y ^t to myrthes: & for to leue thy pylgrymage: make a deefere & an­swere not ayen / & saye nought elles but that thou wol­dest be at Ierusalem / And yf men profer y ^e yeftes & wol make the ryche with worldly good. rente not to hē thin­ke euer on Iherusalem / And yf thou wol holde this way & do that I haue sayd. I vndertake thy lyfe y ^t thou shalt not be slayne. but thou shalt come to y ^e place y ^t thou co­ueytest to / Ghostly to our purpose: Ierusalem is asmoche for to saye as a syght of peas / & betokeneth contemplacyon in perfyte loue of god / For contemplacyon is [Page] nought elles but a syght of god whiche is very pees / Then yf thou coueyte for to come to this blessyd syght of very pees. & be a true pylgryme to Ihr̄lm warde. though it be so y ^t I were neuer there: neuertheles as ferfor­th as I can I shal set y ^t in y ^e waye thyderwarde / The begynnyng of y ^e hyghe waye in y ^e whiche thou shalt go / is refourmyng in fayth groūded mekely in y ^e fayth & in y ^e lawes of holy chyrche as I haue sayd before / For trust sykerly though thou haue syn̄ed here before. yf thou be now refourmed by the sacrament of penaūce after y ^e lawe of holy chyrche y ^t thou art in y ^e ryght way / Now thē sythē thou arte in y ^e syker way yf thou wol speke in thy goyng & make good Iournayes. y ^e behoueth to holde thise ii. thynges oftē in thy mynde. meknes & loue: & y ^t is. I am nought I haue nouȝt. I coueyte nought but one / Thou shalt haue y ^e meanyng of thyse wordes ī thyn entent & in habyt of thy soule lastyngly though thou haue hem not euer specyally in thy thought. for y ^t nedeth not. Mekenes sayth. I am nought I haue nouȝt / Loue sayth I coueyte nought but one: & y ^t is Ihū / Thyse two strē ges wel festned with y ^e mynde of Ihesu makyth good a corde in y ^e harpe of the soule whan they ben craftly towched with y ^e fynger of reason / For y ^e lower thou smytes vpō y ^e one y ^e hyer sowneth y ^e other / The lesse thou felyst y ^t thou art or y ^t thou hast of thyself thorugh mekenes / y ^e more thou coueytest for to haue of Ihū in desyre of loue I mene not on̄ly of y ^e mekenes y ^t a soule felyth in y ^e syght of his owne syn̄e for freelnes & wretchydnes of this lyfe or of y ^e wretchydnes of his euen crystē / For though this mekenes be sothfast & medycynable. neuertheles it is boystous & flesshly as in regarde not clene ne softe ne louely / But I meane also this mekenes y ^t the soule felyth thorugh grace in syght & beholdyng of y ^e endles beynge [Page] of thyn owne herte / For it fareth by werkes & by desyre as it dooth by styckes & by a fyre / For the more styckes are layed to y ^e fyre: the gretter is the fyre. Ryght so y ^e more dyuers ghostly workynge y ^t a man hathe in his thou­ght for to kepe hole his desyre: y ^e myghtyer & more bren­nyng shal his desyre be to god And therfore loke wysely what werke thou canst beste do. & y ^e moost helpyth for to saue hole this desyre to Ihū yf thou be free & art not boū de but vnder y ^e comyn lawe. & y ^t do / Bynde y ^t not to wylfull customes vnchaūgably that sholde lette y ^e fredom of thyn herte for to loue Ihū yf grace wolde vysyte y ^t specyally / For I shal tel the whiche customes are euer gode & nedeful to be kept / Loo suche custome is euer good to holde y ^e stondeth in getyng of vertue & lettyng of syn̄e. & y ^e custome sholde neuer be lelft / for thou shal euer be meke: pacyent. sobre & chast yf thou wel do. & so of al other vertues But the custome of a nother thynge y ^t lettyth a better is gode for to leue whan tyme is there a man may As thus. If a man haue in custome for to saye thꝰ ma­ny beedes / or for to thynke this maner of thought thus long time / or for to wake or knele thus long or ony other suche bodely dede. this custome is for to leue somtyme whan resonable cause lettith or elles yf more grace comith otherwyse /

¶Of taryenges & tēptacyons y ^e soules fele by her ghostly enmyes in her ghostly knowyng & goyng to Ihrlm. & of remedyes ayenst hem / Caplm̄ xxii

NOw art thou in y ^e way & woost how thou shalt go Now beware of enmyes y ^t wol be besy for to lette y ^t yf they maye / for her entente is for to putte out of thyn herte that desyre and y ^e longynge that thou hast to the loue of Ihū & for to dryue the home ayen to y ^e loue of worldly vanyte / for there is no thyng that greueth hem [Page] so moche / Thyse enmyes are pryncypally flesshly desy­res & vayne dredes y ^t rysen out of thyn herte thorugh corrupcyon of thy flesshly kynde & wolde lette thy desyre of the loue of god that they myght fully & restfully occupye thyn herte / Thyse are thy next enmyes / Also other en­myes there are / as vnclene spyrytes that are besy with sleyghtes & wyles for to dysceyue the / But one remedye shalt thou haue that I sayd before / What so it be y ^t they saye trowe hem not but holde forth thy waye & on̄ly de­syre y ^e loue of Ihū / Answere euer thus / I am nought I haue nought I coueyte nought but oonly the loue of our lorde Ihū If thyn enmyes saye to the fyrste thus by sty­rynges in herte y ^t thou art not shryuen aryght. or there is some olde synne hyd in thyn hert y ^t thou knowest not ne neuer were shryuen aryght And therfore thou must torne home ayen & leue thy desyre & goo shryue y ^e better / Trowe not this sayeng for it is fals / for thou art shriuē trust sykerly. and y ^t thou art in y ^e waye & y ^t nedeth no more ransakynge of shryfte for that y ^t it passyd / Holde forth thy way & thynke on Ihr̄lm / Also yf they saye that thou art not worthy to haue y ^e loue of god. wherto shalt thou couete that thou mayst not haue: ne art not worthy therto / Trowe hem not but go forth & saye thus / Not for I am worthy but for I am vnworthy. therfore wolde I loue god / For yf I had it. y ^t sholde make me worthy / And sythen I was made therto though I sholde neuer haue it yet wol I coueyte it / and therfore wol I praye & thynke that I myght gete it / And then yf thyn enmyes see y ^t thou begynnest to wexe bolde & wel wylled to thy werke they begyn to wexe aferde of the / Neuertheles they wol not cease of taryenge the whan they maye as longe as thou art goynge in the waye / what with drede & manassynge on that one syde. what with flaterynge and fals [Page] pleysyng on y ^t other syde for to make y ^e breke thy purpose & torne home ayen they wol saye thus. If thou holde forth thy desyre to Ihesu so fully trauelyng as thou begyn­nest. thou shalt falle in to sykenes or in to fantasyes or in to frenesyes as thou seest y ^t some don̄ / Or thou shalt fal in to pouertee & bodely myscheyf. & no man shal wel helpe the / Or thou myght falle in to priue temptacyons of the fende that thou shalt not helpe thyself For it is won­der peryllous to ony man for to yeue hym fully to the loue of god & leue all the worlde. & no thynge coueyte but oonly the loue of hym. for so many perylles maye falle y ^t a man knoweth not of / And therfore torne home ayen & leue this desyre for thou shal neuer brynge it to the ende and do as other worldly men done.

Thus sayen thyn enmyes. but trowe hē not / but hol­de for thy desyre / & saye not elles but thou woldest haue Ihesu & be at Ihr̄lm / And yf they perceyue then thy wyl so stronge y ^• thou wolt not spare for synne ne for syknes for fantasyes ne for frenesyes. for dowtes ne for dredes of ghostly tēptacyons / for myscheyf ne for pouerte / for lyfe ne for deth. but euer forth thou wolt with one thyn­ge / & no thynge but one. & make deefere to hem as though thou herde hem not. & holdest the forthe styfly in thy prayer & in thyn other ghostly werkes without styntynge with dyscrecyon after coūseyle of thy souereyne or of thy ghostly fader / then begyn they for to be wrothe & to go a lytyl nerer the. Then they begyn for to robbe the & bete the & do the al the shame that they can / And that is whan they make that al the dedes y ^t thou doost ben they neuer so wel done are deuyed of other men as euyl. & torned in to the wors partye / And what so euer it be y ^t thou woldest haue done in helpe of thy body or of thy soule it shal be letted or hyndred by other men. so y ^t thou shalt be [Page] put fro thy wyl ī al thyng y ^t thou skyfully coueytes. & al this they don̄ y ^t thou sholdest be styred to yre or malēcoly or euyl wyl ayenst thyn euen crysten / But ayēst al thyse dyseases & al other that thou may fele vse this remedye Take Ihū in thy mynde & anger the no more with hem Tarye not with hem. but thynke on thy lessō y ^t thou art nought y ^t thou hast nought thou may nouȝt lese of erth­ly good thou coueytest nought but y ^e loue of Ihū & holde forth thy waye to Ihr̄lm with thy occupacyon / And neuertheles yf thou be taryed somtyme thorugh freelte of thyself with suche vneases that fallen to thy bodely lyfe thorugh euyl wyl of man or malyce of the fende. assone as thou may come ayen to thyself leue of thy thynkyng of thy dysease & go forth to thy werke / Abyde not longe with hem for drede of thyn enmyes.

¶Of a general remedy ayēst wycked styrynges & paynful taryenges y ^t fallē to her hertes of y ^e flesshe & of y ^e worlde & of the fende / Caplm xxiii

ANd after this whan thin enmyes see that thou arte so wel wylled that thou arte not angry nor heuy ne wrothe ne moche styred ayenste noo creature for oughte that they maye doo or speke ayenste the [...] but settest thy herte fully for to suffre all that maye falle. ea­se or vnease: praysynge or lackynge. and that thou wolt charge noo thynge with that that thou myghte kepe thy thoughte and thy desyre hoole to the loue of god. thenne are they moche abasshed / But thenne woll they assaye the with flaterynge and vayne pleysynge / And that is whan they brynge to the syghte of thy soule al thy good dedes & vertues / and bere vpon the that all men pray­sen the and speke good of thy holynes / and howe all men loue the and worshyppe the for thy holy lyuynge / Thus done thyn enmyes that thou sholdest thynke her [Page] sayenge soth & haue delyte in this vayne Ioye and reste the therin / But yf thou do wel thou shalt holde al suche Iangelynge falsed and flaterynge of thyn enmye that profereth the to drynke venym tempered with honye / And therfore refuse it and saye thou wol not therof. but thou wolde be at Iherusalem /

Suche lettynge thou shalt fele or elles other lyke. what of thy flesshe what of the worlde what of the fende moo than I maye reherce now / For a man as longe as he suffreth his thought wylfully renne aboute the worlde in beholdynge of sondry thynges he perceyueth fewe lettynges: But assone as he drawyth al his thought & his yernynge to one thynge oonly for to haue y ^t. for to kno­we that: for to loue that / and that is oonly Ihesu / then shal he wel fele many paynful lettynges For euery thynge that he felyth & is not that y ^t he coueyteth is lettynge to hym / Therfore I haue tolde the of some specyally as for example / And ouermore I saye generally that what styrynge that thou felyst of thy flesshe or of the fende pleysaunte or paynful / bytter or swete: lykynge or dredful. gladsom or sorowful that wolde drawe downe thy tho­ught and thy desyre fro the loue of Ihesu to worldly vanyte. and lette vtterly thy ghostly couetyse that thou haste to the loue of hym. and that thy herte sholde be occu­pyed with that styrynge restyngly. sette it at nought / receyue it not wylfully. tarye not therwith to longe / But yf it be of worldly thyng y ^e behoueth nedes to be done to thy selfe or to thyn euen crysten. spede the soone of it. & brynge it to an ende y ^t it hange not on thyn herte / If it be a nother thynge y ^t nedeth not or elles it to wcheth not the. charge it not. Iangyll not therwith. ne angre the not drede it not: lyke it not. but smyte out thyn herte redely and saye thus I am nought I haue nought. Nought [Page] I seke ne coueyte but the loue of Ihesu / Knyght thy thought to this desyre & strength it. & maynten it with prayer & with other ghostly werkes that thou forgete it not: and it shal lede the in thy ryght waye & saue the fro al perylles. that though thou fele hem thou shalt not perisshe And I hope that it shal brynge the to perfyte loue of our lorde Ihū / Neuertheles on that other syde I saye also / what werke or what styrynge it be that maye helpe thy desyre strengthe it & nourysshe it. and make thy thought ferrest fro luste and mynde of the worlde more hole and hole & more bren̄yng to y ^e loue of god whether it be prayenge or thynkyng. stylnes or spekynge: redyng or herynge / on̄lynes or comonyng: goynge or syttyng kepe it for the tyme & werche therin allonge as sauour lastyth / If it be so y ^t thou take therwith mete & drynke & slepe as a pylgryme doth / & kepe discrecōn in thy worchyng after coūseyle & ordynaūce of y ^e soueryne. For haue he neuer so grete hast in his goynge / yet he wol ete & drynke & sle­pe. Do thou lyke wyse / For though it let the one tyme. it shal forther the a nother tyme /

¶Of an euyl daye & a gode nyghte what it meaneth / & how y ^e loue of the worlde is lykened to an euyl day: & the loue of god to a good nyght / Caplm̄ xxiiii

yF thou wolt wyte then what this desyre is sothly it is Ihū / for he makyth this desyre in y ^e & yeueth it y ^e / And he it is y ^e desyreth ī y ^e / & he it is y ^t is desy­red / He is al & he doth al yf thou myght see hym / Thou doost nought but suffrest hym worche in thy soule / and assentyst to hym with grete gladnesse of herte y ^t he wou­che sauf for to do so in the / Thou arte nought elles but a resonable Instrument wherin y ^t he worcheth / And therfore whan thou felyst thy thought by to wehynge of his grace take vp with desyre to Ihū with a myghty deuout [Page] wyl for to plese hȳ & loue hȳ. thē thynke y ^t thou hast Ihū for he it is y ^t thou desyrest / Beholde hȳ wel for he goth before y ^t not ī bodely lyknes but vnsēseably by priue presē ce of his myght / Therfore see hym ghostly yf thou may and festen althy thought and thyn affeccyon to hym. & folowe hym where soo he gooth. for he shal lede the y ^e ry­ght waye to Ihr̄lm. that is the syght of pees & contem­placyon / Thus prayed the prophete to the fader of heuē sayenge thus / P. xlii. Emitte lucē tuā & veritatē tuam ipa me deduxetunt et adduxetunt in montemscm̄ tuū et in ta­bernacula tua. That is / Fader of heuen sende out thy lyght and thy sothfastnesse. y ^t is thy sonne Ihū / anb he shal lede me by desyre in me to y ^e holy hylle and in to thy tabernacles. that is to the felynge of perfyte loue & hey­ght in contēplacyon / Of this desyre speketh the prophete thus / Memoriale tuū in desiderio aīe mee. Isay. [...]ꝯ. Aīa mea desyderauit te in nocte: sed & sp̄us meus ī p̄cordiis meis That is. Lorde Ihesu the mynde of the is prynted in desyre of my soule / For my soule hath desyred the in the nyght. and my spyryte hath coueyted the in al thynkynges And why the prophete sayth he hath desyred god al in y ^e nyght as a tymful space bytwyx dayes two / For whan one daye is ended a nother comyth not anone / but fyrst comyth nyght & departeth the dayes somtyme longe & somtyme shorte / and thenne after comyth a nother day The prophete meaned not on̄ly of this maner of nyght but he meaned a ghostly nyght / Thou shalt vnderstonde that there ben two dayes or two lyghtes / The fyrste is a fals lyght. the [...]ecōde is a true lyght / The fals lyght is the loue of this worlde that a man hathe in hymselfe of corrupcyon of hys flesshe. The true lyght is the perfyte loue of Ihesu felyd thorugh grace in a mannes soule. The loue of this worlde is a false lyght / For it passeth [Page] awaye and lasteth not / and so it perfourmeth not that that it behoteth / This lyght behyght the fende to Adam whan he styre hym to synne and sayd thus / Gen̄. 3 Aperientur oculi vestri et eritis sicut dii / That is / your eyen shal be opened and ye shal be as goddys / And he sayd sothe there For whan Adā had synned anone his Inner eye was sperred & ghostly lyght withdrawe. & his vtter eye were opened / & he felt and sawe a new lyght of flesshlh lykynge and worldely loue that he sawe not before / And soo sawe he a new day but this was an euyl daye / For thys was it that Iob waryed whan he sayd thus / Pereat di­es in qua natus sum / That is: Iob 3. Perysshe the daye in the whiche I was borne / He waryed not the daye rennyn­ge in the yere that god made / but he waryed this daye that man made. that is the concupyscens and the loue of this worlde in the whiche he was borne thorough he felyd it not.

Then this daye and this lyghte he asked of god that it sholde perysshe and noo lenger laste / But the euerlastinge loue of Ihesu is a true daye and a blessyd lyght / For god is bothe loue and lyghte. and he is euerlastyngr as saynt Iohn̄ sayth / Qui diligit deum manet in lumine / That is: p̄ Ioh. [...] He that loueth god dwellyth in the lyght Than what man perceyueth and seeth the lone of this worlde fals and faylynge. and for that he woll forsake it and seke the loue of Ihesu / He maye not assone fele the loue of hym / But he muste abyde a whyle in the nyghte / For he maye not sodeynly come fro that one lyghte to that other / that is from the loue of the worlde to perfy­te loue of god / This nyghte is noughte elles but a forberynge and a withdrawynge of the thoughte and of the soule fro erthly thynges by grete desyre and yernynge for to loue and [Page] see and fele Ihesu & gholy thynges / This is the nyght / For ryght as the nyght is derke and euer hydyng from al bodely creature: and a restynges of all bodely dedes / Ryght soo a man that settyth hym fully for to thynke on Ihesu / & for to desyre only y ^e loue of hym is besye for to hyde his thought fro vayne beholdynge and percey­uynge. and his affeccyon fro flesshly lykyng and louynge of al bodely creatures / So that his thonght maye be made free & not subget. ne his affeccyon bounde ne pyned ne troubled in no thynge lower ne woors than him selfe / And yf he maye do so then it is nyghte with hym / for then he is in derknesse. But this is a good nyght & a lyght derknesse & for it is a stoppyng out of the fals loue of this worlde. and it is a nyghynge of the true daye And sothly y ^e derker y ^t this nyȝt is y ^e nerer is y ^e true daye of the loue of Ihū / For the more that y ^e soule maye tho­rugh longyng to god be hydde fro noyse & dyn̄e of flesshly affeccyons & vnclene thoughtes the nerer it is for to fele the lyght of y ^e loue of hym for it is euen at it. Thus semyth it the prophete meaned whan he sayd thus. Cū in tenebris sedeo dn̄s lux mea est. That is: whan I sitte in derknes our lorde is my lyght / That is: whā my soule is hydde fro all styrynges of syn̄e as it were in slepe / then is our lorde my lyght: for then̄e nygheth he of his grace for to shewe me of his lyght / Neuertheles this nyght is somtyme paynfull / fyrste whan a man is moche foule and is not thorugh grace vsed to be often in this derknes but wolde fayne haue it / and therfore he sette­th his thought & his desyre to god warde asmoche as he maye / he wolde not fele ne thynke but on̄ly of hym: and by cause y ^t he may not lyghtly haue it therfore it is paynfull / For the custome & the homelynes that he hath had with synnes before of the worlde and of flesshly affeccyons [Page] and erthly thynges / and his flesshly dedes prees so vpon hym and euer smite in by maystry and draw do­wne all the soule to hē that he may not wel be hidde fro hē assone as he wolde. Therfore this derkenes is paynful to hym / and namly whan grace to wchyth not ha­bundantly / Neuertheles yf it be so with the. be not to heuy ne stryue not moche as though thou woldest thrugh maystry put hē oute of thy thoughte. for thou maye not doo soo but abyde grace: suffre easely. and breke not thy self tomoche / And slyely yf thou maye drawe thy desyre and thy glostly beholdyng to Ihū: as yf tho woldest not charge hem. For wyte thou well whan thou woldest desire Ihesu and oonly thynke on him. and thou may not frely for prechyng in of suche worldly thoughtes: sothly thon art outwarde of the fals day. and thou art entrīg in to this derkenes / But thy derkenes is not restfull by cause of disease & vncūnyng and vnclennes of thyself / And therfore vse it ofte & it shal by processe thrugh felinge of grace be more easy & more restful to the / And that is whan thy soule thrugh grace is made soo free and soo myghty & soo good and so gadred in to itself that it lyste not to thynke on right noughte / Then̄e is it in a good derknesse / This nought I meane thꝰ that a soule may thorugh gracebe gadred into itself freely & hooly: & not be driuen ayenst the wyll ne drawē downe by maystry for to thynke or lyke or loue wyth cleuīge of affeccōn to ony synne ol vaynly ony erthly thynge thēne thynketh the soule nouȝt / for thē thynkith it of none erthly thyng cleuyngly This is a ryche nought / & this nought & this nyght is a grete ease for y ^e soule y ^t desyreth y ^e loue of Ihesu / It is in ease as for thoughte of ony erthly thynge neuertheles it is full besy for to thīke on hym / What thyn­ge then makyth this derkenes: Sothly noughte elles [Page] but a gracyous desyre for to haue the loue of Ihū / For y ^e desyre & y ^e longyng that it hath that tyme to y ^e loue of god for to see hym & haue hym dryueth oute of the herte al worldly vanytees & flesshly affeccyons. & gadreth the soule in to itself. & occupyeth it oonly for to thynke how it myght come to y ^e loue of hym / & y ^e tyme maye it freely & deuoutly beholde Ihū whed it wol pray or thinke. & so it bryngyth it to this ryght nouȝt. & sothly it is not al derke ne nouȝt whā it thynkyth thꝰ. For though it be derke fro fals lyȝt it is not al derke fro y ^e true lyȝt. for Ihū y ^t is both loue & lyȝt is in this derknes wheder it be paynful or restful / If it be paynful then̄e he is in y ^e soule as tra­ueylyng in desyre & lōgyng to lyght but he is not yet a [...] restynge in loue ne as shewynge his lyght: And therfore it is called nyghte & derknesse in asmoche as the soule is hyd fro the fals lyghte of the worlde. & hathe not yet fully felynge of true lighte: but is in abidyng of that blessid loue of god whiche it desyreth / Thene yf thou wolte wyte whan thou atte in this syker derkenesse & whan not / thou may assay thꝰ and seke no ferder but thus / Whan thou felyst thyn entente & thy wyll fully sette for to desyre god. & thynke on̄ly on hym / thou maye as it were fyr­ste aske thyself in thyn owne thought whether thou co­ueyte for to haue ony thyng of this lyfe for loue of itselfe or for to haue the vse of ony of thy bodily wyttes in ony creature / & thēne yf thyn eye āswere the thꝰ / I wolde se right nought / & thy mouche. I wolde sauour right nonght / & after thyn eere. I wolde here ryght nought / & thy body. I wolde fele right nouȝt / & after yf thine herte say I wold thynke right nought of erthly thynge ne of bodily dede / ne I wolde haue affeccōn fastyned flesshly to no creature but oonly ī god / & to god warde yf y ^t I cowde / & whā they answere al thꝰ to the & that is done ful redily [Page] yf grace towche the. then̄e art thou entred sō what in to this derknes. for though thou fele & perceyue glētynges & proferynges of vayne thouȝtes & presing in of flesshly affeccyons. neuertheles thou art in this profitable derknes if it be so y ^t thy thought be not fyxed in hē / For suche vayne ymagynacōns y ^t fal in y ^e herte vnauysedly trowblē this derknes / & pyneth y ^e soule sō what by cause y ^t it wolde be hyd fro hem & may not / but they do not awaye y ^e profyte of this derknes / for the soule shal by y ^e way come to restful myrknes / And then is this derknes restful whan y ^e soule is hyd for a tyme fro y ^e paynful felynge of al suche vayn thouȝte [...]. & only is rested in desyre & lōginge to Ihū with a ghostly beholdyng of hym as it shal be sayd afterwarde But y ^e lasteth but a whyle hole. Neuertheles though it be but a shorte tyme it is ful profytable

¶How y ^t the desyre of Ihesu fele in this lyghtsom derknes sleeth al styrynges of synne. & ableth the soule to perceyue ghostly lyghtynges fro the heuenly Iherusalem y ^t is Ihesu / Caplm̄ xxv

THen sithen this derknes & this nyght is so good & so restfull though it be shorte that stondeth only in desyre & longyng to the loue of Ihesu wyth a blyn­de thynkynge on hym how good thenne & how blessyd is it for to fele his loue. and for to be illumided wyth his blessyd vnseable present lyght for to see sothfastnes / the whiche lyght a soule receyueth whā the nyghte passith & the daye spryngeth / This I hope was the nyght y ^t the prophete meaned whan he sayd: My soule hath desyred y ^t in y ^e nyȝt / as I haue before sayd. it is moche better to be hyd ī this derke nyght fro beholdyng of y ^• worlde though it were paynfull: than for to be out in fals lykyng of this worlde y ^t semyth so shinyng & so cōfortable to hem y ^t are blynde in knowyng of ghostly lyght / For whā thou [Page] art in this derknes thou art mekyl nerer Ihr̄lm. than whan thou art in the myddes of the fals lyght. therfore applye thyn herte fully to the steryng of grace: & vse for to dwellen in this derknes & be often assayenge to bē homely the [...]in: & it shal sone be made restful to the. & y ^e true lyght of ghostly knowyng shal sprynge to the. not all at onys but preuyly by lytyl & by lytyl as y ^e prophete sayth Hītantibus in regione vmbre martis: lux orta est eis. That is: Isay. ꝯ To the dwellyng in the countre of shadowe of deth: lyght was sprongen. y ^t is: lyght of grace spronge & shal spryng to al hem y ^t can dwelle in the shadowe of deth / y ^t is in this derknes. y ^t is lyke to deth / for as deth sleeth a lyuyng body & al flesshly felynges of it ryght so desyre to loue Ihū felyd in this derkenes sleeth al synnes. al flesshly affeccyons & al vnclene thoughtes for y ^e tyme. & than nyghest thou fast to Ihr̄lm. thou art not yet at it / but be smale sodeyne lyghtynges that glydern outthorughe smale cauys fro that cyte shalt thou mow seen is fro ferre or that thou come therto / For wete thou well though that thy soule be in this restful derknes withouten troublyng of worldly vanytees it is not yet there it sholde be / it is not yet clothyd al in lyght ne turned al in to fyre of loue. but it felyth wel that there is som what a­boue itself y ^t it knowith not ne hath not yet / but wolde haue it. & breunyngly desyreth it. & that is not elles but the lyght of Ihr̄lm without forth. the whiche is lyke to a cyte that the prophete ezechyel sawe in his vysyons. He sayth that he sawe a cyte sette vpon an hylle heldynge to y ^e south. y ^t to his syght whan it was meten was no more of length & of brede than a rodde y ^t was syxe cuby­tes & a palme of lengthe: but as sone as he was brought in to the cyte & loked aboute hym than thought hym y ^t it was wo [...]der mekyl. for he sawe many halles & chaumbrys [Page] both open and preuy. he sawe gates and porches. vtterwarde & innerwarde & mekyl more byggyng than I saye now on length & on brede many hūdred cubytes thanne was this wonder to hym how this cyte within was so longe & so large y ^t was so lytyl to his syght whan he was without / This cyte betokeneth y ^t pertyte loue of god sette in the hylle of cotēplacyon. y ^t whiche▪ vnto y ^e syght of a soule y ^t without the felynge of it traueyleth in the desyre towarde semyth somwhat / but it semyth but a lytyl thynge no more than a reede that is vi. cubites & a palme of length / By vi. cubytes are vnderstōde y ^e perfeccyon on man̄es werke / And by y ^• palme a lytyl tow­chynge of contēplacyon / He seeth well y ^t there is suche a thynge y ^t passeth y ^e deserte of al y ^e worchyng of man a lytyl as the palme passeth the vi. cubites / but he seeth not within what it is / neuertheles yf he maye come within the cyte of contemplocyon / thenne seeth he moche more than he sawe fyrste /

¶How a man shal knowe fals Illumynacyons feyned by the fende fro y ^e true lyght of knowynge y ^e comyth out of Ihū & by what tokens / Caplm̄ xxvi

BUt now bewaar of the myddaye fende y ^• feyneth lyght as it came out of Ihr̄lm & is not so. For the ten [...]e seeth y ^t our lorde Ihū shewyth lyght to his louers of sothfastnesse / therfore in the [...]eceyuing of hē y ^t are vnwyse he shewyth a lyght y ^t is not true vnder colour of a true lyght & deceyueth hē. Neuertheles how a soule may knowe the lyght of sothfastnes whan it shyneth frō god & whan it is feyned thorugh y ^e enmye shal I saye as me thynketh by an ensample of the fyrmament / Somtym̄ the fyrmament shewyth a lyght fro the sonne / & semyth y ^e sonne & is not / And sōtyme shewyth y ^e true sonne truely / A knowing of y ^e one from y ^e other is this. The feyned [Page] sonne she wyth hym not but bitwixe two blacke reyny clowdes / Then̄e by cause y ^e sonne is nere there shyneth out fro the clowles a lyghte as it were alōne & is none / But the true sonne she with him whan the frymament is clere or moche clered fro the blacke clowdes / Now to our purpose Some mē as it semich forsakith the loue of the worlde & wold come to the loue of god & to y ^e lyghte of vnderstondynge of hym. But they woll not come thrugh this derknes that I haue spokē of before / They woll knowe hemfelfe truely ne mekely what they haue bē before ne what they are yet thrugh syn̄e / ne how nought they are in her owne kynde ayēst god They are not besy for to entree in to hemself al other thynges outwarde left. and flee al wicked stirynges y ^t rysen in her hertes of pryde enuy yre or other synnes thrugh lastyng desyre to Ihesu in prayēge & in thynkynge: in scylence and in wepynge / and in other bodily & ghlostly exercyse as de­uoutemen & holy men haue done / But assone as they haue forsake the worlde as it were outwarde in lyknesse or elles sone after they wene that they are holy and able for to haue the ghostly vnderstondynge of the gospell & of holy wrytte / & namly yf they maye fulfill letterly the cōmaundementes of god and kepe hem fro bodily synnes that they wene y ^t they loue god perfytly / And therfore they wol anone preche & teche al other men as yf they had receyued grace of vnderstōdinge ī perfeccōn of charyte thrugh specyall yeft of the holy ghost And also ther are moche more styred for as moche as they fele somtyme moche knowyng as it were sondenly yeuen to hem wythout grete studye before had. & also moche feruour of loue as it semyth for to preche trouth & riȝtwysnes to her euēcrystē / Therfore they holde it as a grace of god y ^t vylyteth hem with his blessid lyghte before other soules [Page] Neuertheles yf they wol loke wel aboute hem they shal fynde y ^t this lyght of knowynge & y ^t hete y ^t they fele comith not of y ^e true son y ^• is our lorde Ihū. but it comyth fro y ^• myddaye fende y ^t feyneth lyght & lykneth hym to the son. & therfore shal he be knowē by example before sayd Lyght of cūnyng y ^• is feyned by y ^e fende to a derke swo­le is shewed bytwyx two blacke reyny clowdes / The ouer cloude is presūpcyō & hygheng of hēself The nether clowde is downe puttyng & aloweng of his enencrystē Then what lyght of knowyng or felyng of feruour y ^• it be y ^• shyneth to a soule wich presūpcyō & hyȝeng of itself & disdeyne of his euencrystē y ^• same tyme felyd it is not lyght of grace yeuen of y ^e holy ghost though y ^e knowynge in itself were sothfast / but it is eyther of the fende yf it come sodenly or elles of mannes owne wytte yf it co­me by studye: And so it may wel be knowen. y ^t this fey­ned lyght of knowyng is not y ^• lyght of y ^e true son / therfore they y ^• haue this knowyng on this maner are ful of ghostly pryde & seen it not. they are so blynde with this feyned lyȝt y ^t they holde y ^e highnes of her own hert & thū buxōnes to y ^e lawes of holy chyrche as it were perfyte mekenes to y ^• gospel & to the lawes of god / & they wene that the folowyng of her owne wyl were freedom of sp­ryte / & therfore they begyn to reyne as blacke clowdes water of errous & heresyes: for y ^e wordes that they she wen by prechynge so w [...]en al to bachytyng & to striuynge & to dyscorde / makyng repreuyng of states & of per­sones / & yet sayen they that al this is charyte & zele of ryghtwysnes / But it is not soth. for saynt Iames thapostle sayth thus / Uhi enim zelus et contencio ibi inconstā cia et omne opus prauum / Non est sapiencia hec desursū descēdens a patre luminū. sed est terrena a īalis & diabolica / That is: where soo enuye is & flytynge there is [Page] vnstablynes & all euyll werke / And therfore that cnn­nynge that bryngeth forth suche sīnes comyth not frō the sader of lyghte that is good / but it is erthly beestly & fendly / And so by thise tokēs that are pryde presūpcion vnbuxomnes Indignacyon bacbytynge & other suche synnes for thise folowen after. maye the feyneth lyghte be knowen for the crue / For the true sonue shineth aud sheweth hym not by specyal vysitacion for to yeue lyghte of vnderstnoding or perfyte charyte to a soule but the fyrmament be fyrst made bryghte & clere fro clowdes / that is: but yf the conscyence be made clene thrugh fyre of brennyng desyre to Ihesu in this derkenes the why­che wasteth & brenneth alle wycked stirynges of pryde. vaynglory: yre enuye: & al other synnes in the soule as the prophete sayth / Ignis ante ipsū precedet et inflam mabit incircuitu iuimicos eius. p̄. ꝯꝯ. Fyre shal goo before hym: That is desyre of loue shal go before Ihesu in mā nes soule / & it shal brēne all his enmyes / that is: it shall waste all synes / For but yf a soule be fyrst smyten do­wne fro the heighte of itselfe by drede & mekenes and bewel examined & brente in this fyre of desyre / And as it were puryfied fro all ghostly fylthe by longe tyme in deuoute prayers and other ghostly exercyses it is not able to suffre the shinynge of ghostly lyghte / ne for to receyue the precyous lycour of perfyte loue of Ihesu / But whā it is purifyed and made subtyll thorugh thys fyre thenne maye it receyue the gracyous lyght of ghostly knowynge and the perfeccyō of loue that is true sonne Thus sayth holy wryte / mō liiii Uobis qui timetis deū oriet [...]ol iusticie: y ^e true sonne of rightwysnes y ^t is our lorde Ihesu shal sprynge to yo [...] that dredē hym / y ^• is to meke soules y ^• meken hemsel vnder her euencristen by knowīge of her owne wretchydnesse & castē hēself downe wnder [Page] god by noughtynge of hemselfe in her owne substaunce thorugh reuerence drede and ghostly beholdyng of hym lastyngly / for that the perfyte mekenes / Unto thyse soules the true son shal spryng. and Illumyn her reason in knowynge of sothfastnes / and kyndleth her affeccyon in brynnynge of loue and thenne shal they bothe brenne and shyne / They shall thorughe vertue of this heuenly sonne brenne in perfyte loue: and shyne in knowyng of god and ghostly thynges / for then they ben refourmed in felynge / Therfore he that wol not be deceyued I hope it is good to hym to drawe downe hymselfe & hyde hym in this derkenes / Fyrst from entermetyng of other mē as I haue sayd / and forgete all the worlde yf he maye & folowe Ihesu with lastynge desyre offered in prayers & thynkynge on hym / Thenne I trowe the lyght that comyth after this derkenes is syker and sothtaste / and that it shyneth of the cyte of Iherusalem from the true sonne to a soule that traueyleth in derknes / and cryeth after lyght for to wyssen it the waye▪ and comforte it in traueyle. For I hope after true derkenes before comyth neuer teyned lyghte.

That is yf a man truely and fully sette hym to forsake the loue of the worlde / And maye thorughe grace come to felynge and knowynge of hymselfe / And holde hym mekely in that felynge / he shall not be dysceyued wyth none erroures ne heresyes / ne with fantasyes / For alle thyse comen by the gate of pryde / Thenne yf that pryde may be stopped out / thenne there shal no suche syn̄e rest in a soule / And thoughe that they come and profer hem hem they shall not entre / For grace that the soule felyth in this meke derkenes shall teche the soule sothtastnes. and shewe to hym that all suche profetynges are o [...] the enmyes /

¶How grete profyte is it to a soule to be brought thorugh grace into lyghtsom derknes / And how a man shall dyspose hym yf he wol come therto / Caplm̄ / xxvii

THere are many deuout soules that thorugh grace come in to this derkenes & felen the knowyn­ge of hemself and yet wote they not fully what it is. & y ^e vnknowynge in partye hyndred hem / They fele wel often her thought and her aff [...]ccyon drawen out and de­parted fro the mynde of erthly thynges and brought in to grete rest of a delectable softnes without pinful trowblyng of vayne thoughtes or of her bodely wyttes / and they fele y ^e tyme so grete freedom of spyryte y ^t they maye thynke on Jhesu peasyble / and offre her psalmes & prayers myghtyly sauourly & swetly to hym aslonge as freelte of bodely kynde maye suffre it / They wote wel y ^t this felynge is good / but they noot what it is / Therfore vn­to all suche soules I saye as me thynketh: y ^t this maner of felynge though it be but shorte & but syldom it is soth fastly this derkenes that I speke of / For it is a felyng of hymselfe fyrst and a rysynge aboue hemselfe thorughe breunynge dysyre to the syght of Ihū / Or elles yf I shal saye more sothly. this gracyous felynge is a ghostly sy­ght of Ihesu / And yf they maye kepe hem in that rest or brynge it thorughe grace in to a custome so y ^t they myȝt lghtly & freely haue it whan hem lyst. & holde hem in it / they sholde neuer be ouercome by tēptycyon of the fende ne of the flesshe / ne by errours ne heresyes: for they are sette in the gate of contemplacyon able & redy for to re­ceyue y ^t perfyte loue of Ihū. Therfore he that hath it. it is good y ^t he knowe it mekely / kepe it tenderly / & pursew it feruently y ^t no creature lette hym vtterly from it y ^t he ne folowe it whan he maye / And y ^t he forgete & sette at nought al thynge y ^t sholde put hym fro this yf he be free [Page] of hymself / & may do what he wol without sclaunder or dysease of his euencrystē / For me thynkyth that he may not come to this rest lyghtly but if he haue grete plēte of grace / & sette hym for to folowe after y ^e styryng of grace And y ^t oweth he for to do / For grace wol euer be free / namely fro synne & worldly besenes. & from al other thynges y ^t letten the worthyng of it though they are no synne Neuertheles a nother soule y ^t hath not yet receyued this fulnes of grace yf he desyre for to com̄ to thꝭ ghostly knowyng of Ihū / as moche as in hym is he must able hym self to it. & put away al lettynges y ^t stoppen grace as moche as he maye / He muste lerne for to deye to y ^e worlde & forsake y ^e loue of it truely / Fyrst pryde bodely & ghostly y ^t he desyre no worthyp / worldly cunnynge. ne worldly cratt / benefyces ne rychesse / precyous clothīg: ne worldely araye / ne no thynge where thrugh he sholde be worshypes aboue other mē / He shal coueyte none of a thise But yf they ben put vpon hym. take hem with drede so y ^t he be poore both outwarde & In warde / or elles fully Inwarde in herte / And y ^t he coueyte for to be forgetē of y ^e worlde y ^e men rewarde hym no more be he neuer so ryche ne so cunnynge than y ^e poorest man that lyueth / Also that he suffreth not his herte reste in beholding of his owne dedes or in his vertues / wenynge that he dooth better than a nother / for he forsakyth the worlde and other done not so / and therfore setteth wel by hym selfe / Also he muste leue all rysynge of herte and euyll wyll of yre and enuye ayenst his euencristen / And that he dysease noo man ne anger hym vnskyfully in worde ne in dede / ne yeue ony man matere where thorugh he myghte skylfully be angred or styred / soo that he mygh to be free fro euery man / And also that he forsake co­uetyse that he coueyte ryght noughte of erthly goo [...] / [Page] but oonly aske his bodely sustenaunce that hym nedeth and holde hym payd whan god styreth other men for to yeue hym / And y ^t he put no manere of truste in hauour of ony worldly good / ne in helpe or fauour of ony worldly frende but pryncypally & fully in god / For yf he doo otherwyse he byndeth hymselfe to the worlde / And he maye not therfore be free for to thynke on Ihesu / And also glotenye and lecherye and al other flesshly vnclen­nes vtterly he muste leue. that the affeccyon be bounde to no woman by flesshly homlynesse / For it is no dowte that suche blynde loue that is somtyme atwyxe a mā and a woman / and semyth good and honest for as moche as they wolde notsynne in dede / in the syght of god is ful vnclene & wel grete synne / For it is a grete synne that a man shal suffre his affeccyon that sholde be festened to Ihesu and to al vertues and to al ghostly clen̄es for to be bounde with ony flesshly loue of ony creature wylfully namly yf it be so moche that it bereth downe the thoughte: and makyth it vnrestfull that he maye no sauour haue in god / Thus I holde it wylfully that a man dooth it and sayth it is synne or elles is so blynded with it that he woll not see it / And also that a man co­ueyte not delyces of metes and drynkes oonly for luste of his flesshe / but holde hym payd with suche mete as he may easely haue without grete besynes namly yf he be hole what mete it be that wol do awaye hungre / and kepe y ^e body in comyn strengthe vnto y ^e seruyse of god And that he grutche not ne striue not ne angre hym not for his mete though he be somtyme not serued as y ^e fles­she wolde / Althyse synnes and al other must be forsake vtterly in his wyl & in dede whan he maye. And other thynges that letteth hym so that he maye dyspose hym for to thynke freely on Ihesu. ¶For as longe as thyse [Page] lettynges and suche other hange vpō hym he maye not deye to the worlde: ne come in to this derkenesse of knowynge of hymself / And therfore that he myght come therto he muste do all thyse. as saīt poul dide sayēg thꝰ / Michi mundus crucifixus est et ego mūdo / This worlde is slayne & crucyfied to me. gal. v. & I to the worlde / That is: He y ^t hath forsake the loue of the worlde in worship­pes and riches in all other worldly thynges before sayd for the loue of god. and loueth not it ne pursewyth not it but is well payd that he hathe right nought of it ne wolde haue though be myghte. sothly to hym the worlde is dede / for he hath noo sauour ne delyte theryn / Also yf the worlde sette hym at nought & hath noo rewarde to hym ne fauour ne worshyp: ne sette noo pryce by hym but forgeteth hym as a dede man / thenne is he dede to the worlde / And in this plyght was saynt poul sette perfytly. & soo must a nother mā in partye that wolde folowe & co­me to the perfite loue of god / For he may not lyue to god fully but yf he deye fyrst to the worlde / This deyenge to the worlde is this derkenes / and it is the gate of cōtem­placōn & to refourmyng in felyng. and none other than this. There may be many sūdryd wayes & seere werkes lettinge and ledyng sūdry soulys to contēplacion / For after diuers disposynges of men & after sundry states. as are religyous & seculers that they are in. are dyuers exercises in worchyng / Neuertheles there is noo gate but one / For what exercises it be that a soule hath. but yf he maye come by that exercyse to this knowyng and to a meke felynge of hymself / and that is that he be mortifyed and dede to the worlde as in his loue / and that he maye fele hymself somtyme in this restful derkenes / by the whiche he maye be hydde fro vanytee of the worlde as in his loue. and that he maye fele hymselfe what he is [Page] sothly he is not yet come to the refourmynge in felynge ne hath not fully contemplaciō / He is ful ferre therfro / & yf he woll come by any gate. he is but a theyf and a breker of y ^e walle / And therfore as vnworthy he shal be cast oute / But he that can brynge hymselfe fyrste to nought thrugh grace of mekenes and deye on thys manere he is in the gate / for he is dede to the worlde. and he lyueth to god / Of the whyche saynt poul spekith thus: Cal. 3. Mor­tui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum christo in deo / ¶ ye are dede / That is: ye that for the loue of god forsaken all the loue of the worlde are dede to the worlde wyth cryste in god / That is: ye lyue ghostly in the loue of Ihesu / But your lyf is hydde from worldly men as cryste lyueth and is hidde in his god hede fro the loue & the syghte of flesshly louers / This gate oute lorde hym selfe shewed in the gospell whan he sayd thus /

m. xi iii¶ Omnis qui reliquerit patrem aut matrem fra­term autsororem proptet me sentuplum acciptet et vi­tam etecnam possidebit /

¶Euery man that forsakyth for my loue fader or mo­der syster or brother / or ony good erthly he shall haue an hundreth folde in this lyfe / and afterwarde y ^e blysse heuen / This hundreth folde that a soule shal haue yf he forsake the worlde is nought but y ^e profyte of this lyghtly derknes / the whiche I calle the gate of contemplacōn For he y ^t is in this derkenes and is hyd thorughe grace fro worldly vanytee he coueyteth nought of worldly gode / he sechyth it not / he is not taried therwith / he lokyth not after it / he loueth it not / And therfore hath he an hū dreth folde more thā the kynge or thā he hath that coueī teth most of erthly good / For he y ^t nonght coueyteth but Ihesu hath an hundreth folde / For he hathe more reste more pees in herte / more very loue And delyte in soule [Page] in one daye than he that mooste coueyteth of the worlde And hathe al the wel of it vnder his welthe hathe in al his lyfe tyme /

This is then a good derkenesse and a ryche nought y ^t bryngeth a soule to soo moche ghostly ease and soo stylle softenesse / P. I trowe dauyd meaned of this nyghte / or of this nought whan he sayd thus / Ad michilum redactꝰ sum et nesciui / That is: I was brought to nought. and I wyste not / That is / The grace of our lorde Ihesu sente in to myn herte hath slayne in me / And broughte to nought al the loue of the worlde and I wyst not how / For thrugh noo worchynge of myself ne by myn owne wyt I haue it not but of the grace of oure lorde Ihesu / And therfore me thynkyth he that woll haue the lyghte of grace & fulsomly fele the loue of Ihesu in his soule he must forsake all the fals lyght or worldly loue and abide in this derknes / And neuertheles yf he be adrad fyrst for to won̄e therin torne not ayen to the loue of the worlde but suffre a whyle. and put al his hope and his truste in Ihesu / and he shal not longe be without some ghostly lyghte / Thus byddeth the prophete. Isay. x Qui ambulat in tenebris et non est lumen ei speret in dn̄o & inuitarursu­per deū suum / who soo gooth in derkenes and hath noo lyght. That is. Who so wol hyde hym fro the loue of the worlde and may not redily fele lyght of ghostly loue dyspeyre not / tourne not agayne to the worlde but hope in our lorde and leen vpon hym / that is: truste in god / and cleue to hym by desyre / And abyde a whyle and he shal haue lyghte / For it falleth therby as it doth yf a man hadde be a grete whyle in the sonne /

And after that came sodeynly in to a derkehous there noo sonne shyneth. He sholde be as he were blynde / [Page] & see ryght nouȝt but yf he wolde abyde a whyle he shal mow see sone aboute hym / Fyrst grete thynges & sythē smale / and after al y ^t euer is in the hous / Ryght so it is ghostly he that forsaketh the loue of the worlde & comy­th to hymselfe in to his owne conscyence. it is fyrst der­ke somwhat & blynde to his syght / but yf he stonde styll & holde forth with besyprayeng & often thynkyng of y ^e same wyl to the loue of Ihū: he shal mow see afterwarde grete thynges & smale y ^t he fyrst knew not. thus semyth y ^e prophete behiȝt say [...]ng thus / Orietur in tenebris lux tua & tenebre tue erunt sicut meridies & requiem da bit tibi dn̄s deus tuus & implebit aīam tuam splendori bus / That is: Lyght shal sprynge to y ^t in derknes. that is thou that forsakyst sothfastly the lyght of al worldly loue & hydest thy thought in this derknes. lyght of blys­sed loue & ghostly knowyng of god shal sprynge to the. & thy derknes shal be as myd daye. that is thy derknes of traueylynge desyre and thy blynde trust in god y ^t thou hast fyrst shal turne in to clere knowyng & ī to sykernes of loue. & thy lorde god shal yeue reste to y ^e / y ^t is thy flesshly desyres & thy paynful dredes & doutes & wycked spy­rytes that haue contynuelly before tyme traueylyd the / all thise shal weyken & lese moche of her myght / & thou shalt be made so strong that they shal not dere y ^•. for thou shalt be hyd in rest fro hem & than shall our lorde Ihesu fulfyl thy soule with shynynges / that is. whan thou art brought in to this ghostly reste than shalt thou more esely tente to god & nought elles do but louen hym & than shal he with bemys of ghostly lyght fulfyl al the myghtes of thy soule. Haue thou no wonder though I cal the forsakynge of worldly loue derknes for the prophete callyth it so seyeng thꝰ to a sole / Isaxi vii. Intra ī tenebras tuas filia caldeo (rum) / Go in to thy derknes thou doughter of caldee [Page] y ^t is. Thou souse y ^e arte as a doughter of caldee for loue of y ^e worlde / forsake it & go in to thy derknes.

¶That in refourmynge of a soule y ^t werkynge of our lorde Ihū is departed in to foure tymes. y ^t is / callynge ryghtynge. magnyfyenge and gloryfyenge / Capitulum / xxviii.

LO I haue sayd to y ^t a lytyl yf thou coueyte for to be refourmed in felynge how thou shalt dys­pose y ^t towarde in thy forthgoyng / Neuertheles I say not y ^t thou mayste do thus of thys elfe▪ for I wote wel y ^t our lorde Ihū bryngeth al this to y ^e ende where that he wolde. For he oonly thorugh his grace styreth a soule. & bryngeth a soule ī to this derknes fyrst: p̄ cxxx vii. & sythē ī lyghte as y ^e prophete sayth / Sicut tenebre eius ita & lumē eiꝰ That is Ryght as the lyght of knowyng & the feleng of ghostly loue is of Ihū ryght so the derknes. that is y ^t for sakyng of worldly loue is of hym for he doth al: He fourmyth & refourmyth He fourmyth on̄ly by hymself. but he refourmyth vs with vs / For grace yeuen & aplyen­ge of our wyl to grace worcheth all this / And on what maner wyse he doth that / Ro viii saynt poul reherceth thus / Quos deus p̄scinit fieri conformes ymaginis filii eius hos vocauit. Et quos vocauit hos iustificauit / Et qu­os iustificauit hos magnificauit. Et quos magnifica­uit hos et glorificabit / Thise y ^e god knewe before sholde be made shapely to the ymage of his sonne. thyse he called: thyse he ryghted. thyse he magnyfyed. and thyse he gloryfyed / Though thyse wordes maye be sayd of all chosen soules in the lowest degre of charyte that are re­fourmed on̄ly in fayth: neuertheles they may be vnderstonde more specyally of thyse soules that arne refour­med in felynge to the whiche our lorde god shewyth moche plente of grace and doth moche more besynes aboute [Page] hem / For they are his owne sones specyally that here the fulshappe and the lyckenes of his sonne Ihū / In the whiche wordes saynt poule departeth the worchyng of our lorde in foure tymes / Fyrst is the tyme of callynge of a soule fro worldly vanyte / and that tyme is often easy and comfortable / For in begynnynge of tornynge suche a man that is disposed to moche grace is soo quyckely & so felyngly inspyred. and felyth oft so grete swetnes of deuocion: and hath so many teres in compunction y ^• he thynkyth hym somtyme as he were halfe in henen / but this softnes passyth after for a tyme / And thēne co­myth the seconde tyme that is the tyme of ryghtynge y ^t is trauelous / For whan he begynneth for to goo forth myghtely in the waye of ryghtwysnes. & settyth his wylful ayenst al synne without and within. And stretchith out his desyre to vertues and to the loue of Ihū thenne felyth he moche lettynge bothe wyth hymself of frowardenes & hardnes of his owne wyl / and fro without for­th thrugh temptacion of his enmye that he is ofte in ful grete tourment / And that is no wonder / For he hath so longe be croked to the fals loue of the worlde that he maye not be made ryght / as a crokyd staffe may not be made euen but yf he be caste and weyked in the fyre / Therfore our lorde Ihū seenge sēdeth what thynge is behoueful to a frowarde soule suffreth it to be traueyled & taryed by sūdry tēptacyons. and for to be wel examyned thorugh ghostly tribulacyons that al the ruste of vnclēnes myght be brente out of it / And that shal be both within of dredes and dowtes and perplexitees that it shal nere hande falle in dyspeyre & it shal seme as it were forsakē of god and lefte all in the hondes of the fende out taken a lytyl preuy trust that it shal haue in y ^e goodnes of god and in his mercy. For that preuy truste our lorde leueth [Page] in suche a soule goo he neuer soo ferre fro it. by the whyche the soule is borne vp fro dispeyre & saued fro ghost­ly myscheyf. And also wythout itselfe it shal be mortifyed and pyned in the sēsualyte / eyther by dyuers syknes or by feable tourment of the fende. or elles thrugh a preuy myghte of god the sely soule by felynge and berynge of the wretched body shal be soo pyned. And it shal not wyte how that it shall mow suffre for to be in the bo [...]y ne were that our lorde Ihesu kept it therin / And yet ne­uertheles had the soule leuer for to be in alle this pyne than for to be blinded wyth the fals loue of the worlde. for that were helle to suche a soule / But the sufferynge of this manere pyne is noughte but purgatory / & ther­fore he suffryth it gladly / & he wolde not putte it awaye though he myghte / for it is soo prouffytable / All this dooth oure lorde in grete prouffyte of the soule / for to dry­ue it oute of the sēsualyte / that it myghte receyue ghost­ly lyghte / For after this whan the soule is thus mortyfied and brought fro worldly loue in to this derknesse / y ^t it hathe noo more sauour ne delyte of worldly lykynge than of y ^e strawe / But he thynkye it bytter as wormode / Thenne commyth the thirde tyme of magnyfieng / And that is whan the soule is refourmed in felynge in partye. and receyueth the yefte of perfeccyon and the grace of contemplacyon / and that is a tyme of grete reste / for thenne is Ihesu more homely with a soule / And after this comyth the fourth tyme of gloryfyenge / That is whan the soule shall be fully refourmed in the blysse of heuen / For thyse soules that arne thus called fro synne and thus ryghted or elles on other maner ly­ke by dyuers assayenge bothe thoroughe fyre and wa­ter. and afterwarde are thus magnyfyed they sholde be gloryfyed / For our lorde shal then yeue hē fully y ^t they [Page] here coueyted / and more than they cowde couete / for he shall areyse hem aboue al other chosen soules to the euē hede of cherubyn and seraphyn / sythen they passed all other in knowynge and louyng of god here in this lyfe / Therfore he that woll come to this magnifyeng drede not this rightyng / for that is the way / For our lorde sayth by his prophete a worde of grete confort to all suche soules that are examined wyth fyre of tribulacyon thus / Puer meus noli timere. Isa. xliii. Si transieris perignem flamma non nocebitte That is: My chylde yf thou passe thorugh fyre drede not for the flame shal not deere the It shall clēse the fro all flesshly fylthe / and make the ab­le to receyue ghostly fyre of the loue of god / and that ne­deth for to be done fyrst For as I haue before sayd. it maye not elles be refourmed in felynge /

¶How it falleth somtyme that soules begyn̄yng at profytynge in grace seme to haue more loue as by outwarde tokēs than some haue that ben perfyte / and yet it is not soo in soth wythin / Caplm̄ xxix.

BUt now sayest thou how maye this be sothe For there are many soules newe tourned to god that haue many ghostly felynges Some haue grete compunction for her synnes. and some haue grete deuocyons & feruours in her prayers. and often haue sundry techinges of ghostly liȝte in vnderstonding: and some men haue other maner felynges of confortable hete and grete swetnes / and neuertheles thise soules come neuer fully in this restfull derkenes that I speke of wyth feruent desyre and lastyng loue and thought in god: Then̄e askest thou whether thise soules be reformed ī felynge or noughte / It semeth yes. in asmoche as they haue suche gre­te ghostly felynges that other mē that stōde only ī fayth fele not of / Unto this I maye saye as me thynkith that [Page] thise ghostly felynge whether they stonde in compunction or deuocyon or in ghostly ymaginacyon are not the felynges whyche a soule shal haue and fele ī the grace of contemplacion / I say not but they are sothfast and gracyously yeuē of god / But thyse soules that felen suche are not yet refourmed in felynge: ne they haue not yet y ^• yefte of perfecciō ne ghostly the brenninge loue of. Ihū as they maye come to / And neuertheles often it semyth otherwyse: that suche soules fele more of the loue of god thā other that haue the yefte of perfeccyon / in asmoche as the felyng shewyth more outwarde by grete feruour of bodily tokens. in wepynge prayenge knelinge & spe­kynge and other bodily styrynge. soo ferforth that it se­myth to a nother man that they were euer rauysshed in loue / And though me thynkith it is not soo / wel I wote that thise maner felinges and feruours of deuociō and compunccion that thise men fele are gracious [...]eftes of god sent in to chosē soules for to drawe hē out of worldly loue and flesshly luste that hath ben longe tyme roted in her hert. fro the whiche loue they sholde not be drawē out but bi suche feable stirynge of grete feruours: neuer theles y ^t the feruours is somoche in outwarde shewyng it is not on̄ly for mochenes of loue y ^t they haue but it is for litylnes and weyknes of her soule that may not bere a lityl towching of god for it is yet as it were fleshly festned to the flesshe & neuer was yet departed fro ghostly mortifyeng: and therfore the lest towching of loue and the lest sperkyl of ghostly lyȝte sent fro heuen in to suche a soule is so moche & so comfortable & so delectable ouer al the likinge that euer it felte before in flesshly loue of erthly thynge y ^t it is ouertaken with it / And also it is so newe and sodeyn and so vnkouth that it maye not suffre for to bere it but brestyth and shewyth out in wepynge [Page] sobbyng & other bodily stirynge / Right as the costrell y ^t is olde whan it receyueth new wine that is fresshe And myghty: the costrel boyleth oute and is in poynte for to cleue and brest vntyl the wyne hath boylled and spourged oute al vnclennesse / but also sone as the wyne is fyned and cleryd thenne it stondeth styl aud the costrel hole / Right so a sonle that is olde thrugh synne whan it receyueth a lytyl of the loue of god that is soo fresshe and so myghty y ^t the body is in poynte, for to cleue & to breke ne were that god kepith it hole / But yet it brestyth oute at the eyen by weping. and at y ^e mouth by spekyng. and y ^t is more for weyknes and feblenes of the soule thā for mykylnes of loue / For afterwarde whan loue hath boyled al the vnclennes oute of the soule bi suche grete fer­uours then is the loue clere & stondeth styl: And then is both the body and the soule moche more in pees and yet hath the soule moche more loue than it had before thou­gh it shewelesse outwarde / For it is now al hole in reste wythin. and noughte but lityll in outwarde shewynge of feruour / And therfore I saye y ^t thyse soules y ^t fele [...] suche grete hodily feruours though they bē in moche grace are not yet refourmed in felynge but they are gretely dysposed towarde. For I trowe that suche a man nāly y ^t hath be gretly defoylled in syn̄e shal not be refourmed in felynge but yf he be fyrste brente and purifyed wyth suche grete compunccyons goynge before /

Another soule that neuer was moche defoyleth wyth loue of y ^e worlde but hath euer be kepte fro grete synnes in innocēce maye lyghtlyer and more pryuely wythout grete feruour shewed outwarde com̄ to this refourmynge / Thenne is this soch as I hope that suche comfortes and feruours that a soule felyth in the state of begyn̄ynge or of profytyng are as it were his ghostly foode sente [Page] fro heuen for to strengthe hym in his trauely / Right as a pylgryme traueyleth al daye meteles & drynkles. and is nerehonde ouercome wyth werynes falleth at the laste to a good Inne. and there hath he mete & drynke / & is wel refresshed for the tyme / Right soo ghostly: a deuoute soule that wol forsake the loue of the worlde / & wolde fayne loue god / and settyth al his besynes therto: pray­eth and traueyleth al daye bodely and ghostly / and som­tyme feleth noo comforte ne sauour in deuocyon / Thē our lorde hauynge pyte ouer al his creatures that it sholde not perisshe for defawte ne torne īto heuynes or grutchynge sendeth it amonge his ghostly foode & comforteth it in deuocyon as he wouchith saaf / And whā the soule feleth ony comforte thenne holdeth he hym wel payd for all his traueylle and all the disease that it had on the day whan it fareth well at euen by felynge of ony grace The self wyse falleth it of other soules that are profitynge & ferforth in grace / They felen ofte tymes gracyous towchynges of the holy ghoste in her soule / bothe in vnderstondynge & syght of ghostly thynges and in affeccy of loue / But yet ben they not refourmed in felyng / ne they are not yet perfyte / for why al suche felynges come to hē in that state as it were vnwarly / for they come or they wyte it / & gooth fro hem or they wyte it / And they can not come therto ayen. ne wote not where they shall fynde it for they haue not yet homlynes with hē of thoughte and lastyng desyre in Ihū / ne the eye of her soules is not opyned to y ^e beholdyng of gostly thīges. but they nyghe faste towarde / & therfore they are not yet refour­med ī felyng / ne they haue not yet y ^e ful yeft of contēplaciō /

¶On what maner a man shal haue knowynge of hys owne soule / and how a man sholde sette his loue in Ihū god & man one persone. Caplm̄ xxx

[Page]IT nedeth a soule that wolde haue knowynge of ghostly thynges for to haue firste knowynge of it self / For it maye not haue knowyng of a kynde aboue it self but yf it haue knowynge of itself / And that is whan the foule is soo gadred ī to itself / and departed fro beholdynge of al erthly thynges & fro the vse of bodely wittes that it felyth itself as it is in the owne kynde without a body / Thenne yf thou coueyte for to knowe and see thy soule what it is. thou shalte not torne thy thought with ymaginacion in to thy body for to seke it and fele it as it were hyd within thyn herte. as thy herte is hydde & hol­den within thy body / If thou seke soo thou shalt neuer fynde it in itselfe / The more thou secheste for to fynde & fele it as thou woldest fele a bodily thyng the ferder thou arte therfro / For thy soule is no body but a lyfe vnsea­ble. not hyd and holden with in thy body as a lesse thynge is hyd & holden within a more but it is holdynge and quyknyng thy body moche more thā thy body is in myght & in vertue / Then yf thou wolt fynde it withdraw thi thoughte fro al bodily thynge outwarde & fro mynde of thyn owne body. also fro al thy fyue wyttes asmo­che as thou maye. and thynke on the kynde of a resona­ble soule ghostly as thou woldest thynke for to knowe ony vertue as sothfastnes or mekenes or ony other ver­tue / Righte soo thynke that a soule is a lyfe vndedely & vnseably / & hath myght in itself for to see and knowe the soueryn sothfastenes. And for to loue the souereyne goodnes y ^t is god / whan thou seest this then felyst thou somwhat of thyself / Seke thyself in none other place / but y ^e more fully & y ^e more clerly y ^t thou maye thynke of the kynde and the worthynes of a resonable soule what it is and what is y ^e wyndly werkynge of it y ^e better seest thou thiselfe / It is ful har [...]e for a [...]oule that is rude and [Page] moche in the flesshe for to haue syghte and knowynge of it or of an angel or of god / It falleth anone in to ymagynacion of bodily shappe. and it weneth therby for to haue the sighte of it selfe. and so of god and soo of ghost­ly thynges / And that maye not be / For alle ghostly thinges are sene and knowen by vnderstonding of the soule not by ymaginacion / Ryght as a soule seeth by vnder­stōdyng that the vertu of right wysnes is for to yeue to euery thynge that it oweth to haue / right soo & on suche a maner maye the soule see itselfe by vnderstondynge / Neuertheles I saye not that thy soule shall reste stylle in this knowinge / bue it shal by this seke hyer knowynge aboue itselfe & that is the kynde of god / For the soule is but a myrour in the whyche thou shalt see god ghostly / And therfore thou shalt fyrste fynde thi myrrour & kepe it bryghte & clene fro flesshly fylth & worldly vanytee / & holde it well vp fro the erthe that thou myȝt see it & our lorde therin also▪ For to this ende traueylen all chosen soules in this lyfe in her meaning & in her entēt though they haue not specyally the felinge of this. And therfore it is said before that many soules begin̄yng & profiting haue many grete feruours & moche swete deuociō and as it semith brēnynge al in loue. & yet haue they not perfytly loue ne ghostly knowynge of god / For wyte thou well fele a soule neuer somoche feruour / somoche that him thinkyth that y ^e body may not bere it. or though he melte al in to wepynge. aslonge as his thynkyng & his beholdyng of god is moost. or al in ymagynacion & not in vndstōdyng he come not yet to prrfyte loue ne to cō ­tēplacion / For thou shalt vndstōde y ^t the loue of god is on thre maner wyse / Al are good. but echone is better thā other / The fyrste comyth on̄ly thrugh fayth wyth­out gracious ymaginaciō or ghostly knowyng of god / [Page] This loue is in the leest soule that is refourmed in fay­th in y ^e lowest degree of charyte / And it is good: for it suffyceth to saluacyon: The seconde loue is that a soule fe­lyth thorugh fayth & ymagynacyon of Ihū ī his manhede. This loue is better than the fyrste whan the ymagynacyon is styred by grace / for why the ghostly eye is opened in beholdynge of our lordes manhede / The thyrde loue that the soule feleth thorugh ghostly syght of y ^e god hede in the manhede as it maye be seen here / that is best and wooste worthy / and that is perfyte loue this loue a soule felyth not vnto it be refourmed in felyng / Soules begynnyng & profytyng hath not this loue. for they cannot thynke on Ihū ne loue hym goodly but as it were almanly & flesshly after the condycyons & lyknes of man and vpon that rewarde they shape al her worchynge in her thoughtes & in her affeccyons / They drede hym as a man & worshyp hym & loue hym pryncypally in māly ymagynacyon & go no ferder / As thus: If they haue done amysse and trespased ayenst god they thynke then y ^e god is wrothe with hem as a man sholde yf they had trespassed ayenst hym. & therfore they falle downe as it we­re to the fete of our lorde with sorowe of herte and cryen mercy / And whan they done thꝰ they haue a good trust y ^• our lorde of his mercy wol foryeue hem her trespasse / This maner of doyng is ryght good / but it is not ghostly as it myghte be / Also whan they woll worshyp god they present hem in her thought as they were before our lordes face in a bodely lyckenes. & ymagyne a wonder­ful lyght there our lorde Ihesu is / and thenne they reue­rence hym & worshyp hym & drede hym / & fully put hem in his mercy for to do with hem what he wol / Also whā they wol loue god they beholde hym worshyp hym & dre [...]e hym as a man. not yet as god in man eyther in hys [Page] passyon or in some other thyng of his manhede and in y ^• beholdinge they fele her hertes moche stired to that loue of god / This manere of worchynge is good & gracyous but it is moche lesse and lower than is the worching of vnderstondynge / That is whan the soule gracyously beholdeth god in man / For in our lorde Ihesu are two kyndes. the manhede. and the godhede / Thenne ryght as the godhede is more souereyne and more worthy thā is the manhede / Ryght so the ghostly beholdynge of the godhede in Ihesu mā is more worthyer. and more ghost stlyer. and more medeful than ne beholdyng of the manhede alone / whether he beholde the manhede as dedly or as gloryfyed / And ryght so by the same skyl the loue y ^• a soule felyth in thynkyng and beholdynge of the godhe­de in man whan it is gracyously shewed is worthyer ghostlyer & more medeful than the feruour of deuocyon that the soule feleth by ymagin̄acyon oonly of the man: hede shewe it neuer somoche outwarde / For in rewarde of that this is but manly / for our lorde sheweth hym not in ymaginacion as he is. ne that he is / for the soule myght not that tyme for freelte of the flesshhede suffre it soo / Neuerthels vnto suche soules that can not thynke of the godhede ghostly that they sholde not erre in her deuocyon. but that they sholde be comforted & strengthed thrugh some maner Inwarde beholdynge of Ihū for to forsake synne and the loue of the worlde. therfore oure lorde Ihesu tempreth his vnseable lighte of his godhede and clotheth it vnder bodile lykenes of his manhede. and she wyth it vnto the Inner eye of a soule. and fedeth it wyth the loue of his precyous flesshe ghostly / The whiche loue is of soo grete myghte that it sleeth all wyc­ked loue in the soule and strengthe it for to suffre body­ly penaunce and other bodyly dysease in tyme of nede / [Page] for loue of Ihesu / And this is the shadowyng of our lorde Ihesu ouer a chosen soule. in the whiche shadowyng the soule is kepte fro brennyng of worldly loue. For ry­ght as a shadowe is made of a lyght & of a bodi: ryght so this ghostly shadow is made of y ^e blessed vnseable lyght of the godhede & of the manhede ooned therto shewed to a deuout soule / of the whiche shadowe the prophete sayth thus / Sp̄s ante faciē nostram xp̄s dn̄s sub vmbra eiꝰ viuemus inter gentes / Our lorde cryst before our face as a spyrite vnder his shadowe we shal lyue amonge folke / That is our lorde Ihesu in his godhede is a spyryte that maye not be seen of vs lyuyng in flesshe as he is in his blessed lyght. therfore we shal lyue vnder y ^e shadow of his manhede as long as we are here But though this besooth y ^t this loue in ymaginacyon be good / Neuertheles a soule sholde desyre for to haue ghostly loue in vnderstōdyng of the godhede. for that is the ende & y ^e ful blysse of the soule / and al bodely beholdynges are but meanes ledynge a soule to it / I say not that we sholde refuse the manhede of Ihesu and departe god fro man. but thou shalt in Ihesu man beholde drede. wonder. & loue ghostly the godhede. And so shalt thou without departyng loue god in man. and both god & man ghostly & not flesshly / Thus taught our lorde mary mawdeleyne that sholde be contemplatyfe. Ioh. x whan he sayd thus / Noli me tan­gere non dūenē ascendi ad patrē meū Touche me not I am not yet styed vp to my fader / That is to saye: Mary magdalene loued wel our lorde Ihesu before the tyme of his passyon / but her loue was moche bodely & lytyl ghostly / She trowed wel y ^t he was god but she loued hym a lytyl as god / for she kouth not then̄e / and therfore she suffreth al her affeccyon and al her thought falle in hym as he was in fourme of man / And our lorde blamed her [Page] not thenne but praysed it moche / But after whan he was rysen fro dethe and appered to her she wolde haue worshypped hym with suche manere loue as she dyde before / and thenne our lorde forbode her and sayd thus Towche me not: That is. Sette not thy reste ne the lo­ue of thyn herte in that fourme of man y ^• thon seest with thy flesshly eye only for to reste therin. For in that four me I am not styed vp to my fader That is I am not euē to the fader. for in that fourme of man I am lesse than he: Towche me not so. but let thy thought and thy loue in y ^e fourme in whiche I am euen to the fader / that is y ^e fourme of the godhede / and loue me: knowe me. & wor­shyp me as god & man godly. not as a man manly / So shalt thou touche me. For sythen I am both god & man and al the cause why I shal be loued & worshipped is for I am god: and for I toke the kynde of man. And therfore make me god in thyne herte and in thyne loue / And worshyppe me in thyne vnderstondynge as Ihesu god and man: souereyne sothfastnes and souereyne good­nes and blessed lyfe for that I am / And thus taughte our lo [...]de her as I vnderstonde and also al other soules that arne dysposed to contemplacyon and able therto that they sholde doo soo. Neuertheles other soules that arne not sybtyll in kynde. ne are not yet made ghostly thoroughe grace it is good to hem that they kepe for the her owne worchynge in ymagynacyon with manly affeccyon vnto more grace come freely to hem. It is not syker to a man to lene one good thynge vtterly tyll he see and fele a better. Upon the selfe wyse it maye be sayd of other maner felinges that are like to bodyly / as herynge of delectable songe. or felynge of comfortable hete in the body: seenge of lighte. or swetnes of bodili sauour. Thyse are not ghostly felynges. for ghostly clyn [Page] are felte in the myghtes of the soule / pryncipally in vnderstondynge & loue. and lytyl in ymagynacyon / But thise felynges are felte in the myghtes of the body in ymagynacyon / and therfore they are not ghostly fe­lynges. But whā they are best & moost true. yet are they but outwarde tokens of the Inly grace that is felte in y ^e myghtes of the soule / This may be openly preued by holy wryt sayeng thus / Apparuerūt appostolis dispertitelingue tāqm̄ ignis. Act. sed it (que) supra singulos eorum spiri­tus scūs / The holy ghost appered to the apostles in the daye of penthecost in the lickenes of brennynge tonges & enflammed her hertes. & [...]et vpon eche of hem / Now soth it is the holy ghost that is god in hymselfe vnseable was not that fyre ne the tonges that were seen. ne that brennyng that was felt bodily. but he was vnseabli felt in the myghtes of her soules / for he lyghtned her reason and kyndeled her affeccion thrugh his blessed precense so clerely and so brennyngly that they had. sodeynly the ghostly knowyng of sothfastnes & y ^e perfeccyon of loue as our lorde behyght hem sayenge thus / Spiritus san­ctus docebit vos omnem veritatem / That is. Ioh. the holy ghost shal teche you al sothfastnes / then was that fyre and that brennyng nought elles but a bodily token outwarde shewed in wy [...]nessynge of that grace that was Inwardly felte / And as it was in hem / soo is it in other soules that are vysyted and lyghtned within of the holy ghost. and hath with that suche outwarde felynge in cō forte and wytnessyng of the grace inwarde / But that grace is not as I hope in all soules that are perfyte but there our lorde wol / Other Inperfyte soules that haue suche felynges outwarde and haue not yet receyued Inwarde grace it is not good to hem to reste in suche felynges outwarde / but in as moche as they helpe the soule to [Page] more loue. and to more stablynesse of thoughte in god / For some maye be true and some may be feyned as I haue sayd before /

¶How this maner of spekynge of refourmyng in felinge of a soule shal be take And on what wyse it is refour­med and how it is founde in saynt poules wordes. Caplm̄ xxxi.

NOw I haue sayd to the a lityll of refourmynge in faythe. and also I haue towched to the a lityll of the forth goynge fro that refourmynge to the hygher refourmyng that is in felynge. Not in that entent that I wolde bi thyse wordes sette goddis worchyng vnder a lawe of my spekinge. As for to saye thꝰ worcheth god in a soule and none other wyse / Nay I meane not soo / But I saye after my symple felinge that oure lorde worcheth thus in some creatures as I hope / And I hope well that he worcheth other wyse also that passyth my witte and my felinge / Neuertheles whether he worche thus of other wyse by sundry meanes in lenger tyme or shorter tyme / wyth moche traueyle or lityl traueyle / yf all come to one ende. that is to the perfyte loue of hym / thenne it is good ynoughe / For yf he wol yeue one soule on one daye the full grace of contemplacyon and with oute ony traueyle as he well maye / as good is that to that soule as yf he had be examined pynyd mortyfyed and purifyed twenty wynter / And therfore vpon this maner wise take in my sayenge as I haue sayd. and nā ly as I thynke to saye / For now by the grace of our lorde Ihesu shall I speke a lytyll as me thynketh more openly of refourmyng in felynge what it is and how it is made. and whyche are ghostly felynges that a sou­le receyueth / Neuertheles fyrste that I take not this maner of spekynge of refourmyng of a soule in felynge [Page] as feynyng or fantasye / therfore I shall grounde it in saynt poullis wordes where he sayth thus / Nolite conformari huic seculo sed reformamini in nouitate sensꝰ vestri / That is: Ro. xii ye that are thrugh grace refourmed in fayth conforme you not hensforwarde to the maners of the worlde in pride in couetyse and in other synnes. but be ye refourmed in newehede of felynge / Loo here thou maye see that saynt poul spekyth of refourmynge in fe­linge / And what that newe felinge is. he expowneth in a nother place thus / Ut impleamini in agnicione volū tatis eius in omni intellectu et sapīa spirituali / That is: we praye god that ye maye be fulfylled in knowinge of goddis wyll in all vnderstondynge and in all maner ghostly wysdom / This is refourmynge in felinge / For thou shalt vnderstonde that the soule hath ii. maner of felinges. One without of the fyue bodili wyttes. a no­ther within of the ghostly wyttes the whiche are properly the myghtes of the soule / Mynde reason and wylle / whā thyse myghtes are thrugh grace fulfylled in al vnderstondynge of the wyll of god and ghostly wysdō thē ne hath the soule newe gracyous felynges / That this is soth he sheweth in a nother place thus / Renouamini spiritu mentis vestre & induite nouū hominem qui secū dum deum creatus est in iusticia: Col. iii scītate et veritate. Be ye renued in spiryte of your soule / That is: ye shall be refourmed not in bodily felynge ne in ymaginacion but in the ouer partye of your reason / And clothe you in a newe mā that is shapen after god in rightwysnes holinesse and sothfastnesse / That is: your reason that is properly the ymage of god thrugh grace of the holy ghoste shall be clothed in a newe lyghte of sothfastnesse / holynes. and ryghtwysnes / And thenne it is reformed in felynge / For whan the soule hath perfyte knowynge [Page] of god thenne it is refourmed / Thus fayth saynt poul / Expoliantes veterē hominē cū actibus [...]uis induite nouū qui renouatur in angnicōne dei scdm ymagynē eiꝰ qui creauit eum / Spoyle yourself of y ^e olde man with al his dedes That is cast fro you y ^e loue of y ^e worlde with al worldly maners. Col. 3. And clothe you in a newe mā. That is: ye shal be renewed in y ^e knowynge of god after y ^e lyckenes of hym y ^t made you / By thyse wordes thou may vnderstonde y ^t saynt poul wolde haue mennes soules refourmed in perfyte knowyng of god. for y ^t is y ^e nowe felynge y ^t he speketh of gernerally And therfore vpon his wordes I shal saye more openly of this refourmyng as god yeueth me grace / For there is two maner knowynge of god One is had pryncipally in ymagynacyon. & lytyl in vnderstondyng / This knowyng is in chosen sou­les begynnynge and prouffytynge in grace y ^t knowen god. and louen hym al manly. not ghostly with manly affeccyons & with bodely lyknes as I haue before sayd This knowynge is good. and it is lykned to mylke by y ^t whiche they are tenderly nourysshed as chyldern vntyl they ben able for to come to the faders borde & take of his honde hole brede. A nother knowyng pryncipally feled in vnderstondynge & lytyl in ymagynacyon. For y ^e vnderstondynge is lady & ymagynacyon is a mayden seruynge to the vnderstondynge whan nede is / know­ynge his hole brede mete for profyte soules / and it is re­fourmed in felynge /

¶How god openeth the Inner eye of the soule to see hym not al at ones but by dyuerse tymes / And of thre maner of refourmynge of a soule by ensample. Capitulum. xxxii

A Soule y ^t is called fro the loue of worlde & after y ^t is ryghted & assayed. mortifyed & puryfyed as [Page] I haue before sayd: our lorde Ihū of his mercyful goodnes refourmyth it in felyng whan he wouchyth saaf He openeth the Inner eye of the soule whan he lyghtneth y ^e reasn̄ thrugh towychynge and shinynge of his blessyd lyght for to se hym and knowe hym. not al fully at ones but lityll and lityll by dyuers tymes as the sowle maye suffre hym / He seeth hym not what he is. for that maye noo creature doo in heuen ne in erthe: Nor he seeth hym not as he is / for that syght is oonly in the blysse of heuē But he seeth hym. y ^t he is an vnchaungable beynge / a souereyne myght: souereyne sothfastenes: souereyne goodnes: a blessed lyf: an endles blysse / This seeth y ^e soule and moche more that comyth wyth al not blyndly and nakydly & vnsauourly as doth a clerke that seeth hym by his clergye on̄ly thorugh myght of his naked reason but he seeth hym in vnderstondynge that is comforted & lyghted by the yefte of the holy ghost with a wōderful reuerence and a preuy brennyng loue. and wyth ghost­ly sauour & heuenly delyte more clerly & more fully thā it maye be wrytē or sayd / This syghte though it be but shortly & lytyl is so worthy & so myghty that it draweth and rauyssheth al the affecciō of the soule fro beholding & the mynde of al erthly thynge therto for to reste therin euermore yf it myghte / And of this manere of syghte & knowynge the soule groundeth al his worchyng inwarde in al the affeccions / For thenne it dredeth god in mā as sothfastnesse wondreth hym as myghte / loueth hym as goodnes / This syghte and this goodnes and this knowynge of Ihesu with the blessed loue that comyth out of it may be called refourmyng of a soule in felynge and in fayth that I speke of /

It is in fayth / For it is derke yet as in rewarde of that ful knowynge of Ihū wyih the blessed loue that comith [Page] onte of it y ^t shal be in heuen / For then shal we se hym not oonly y ^t he is but as he is / As saynt Iohn̄ sayth / Tunc videbimus eum sicut est / That is: p̄. Io. iiii. Thenne shal we see hym as he is / Neuertheles it is in felynge also as in re­warde of y ^e blynde knowynge that a soule hath stondynge oonly in faythe / For this soule knowyth somwhat of the very kynde of Ihesu god thorughe his gracyous syght / but y ^e other knowyth not. but oonly trowith it is soth. Neuertheles y ^t thou y ^e better maye conceyue what I meane I shal shewe thyse thre maner refourmyng of a soule by ensāple of thre men stondyng inlyȝt of the son Of the whiche thre one is blynde a nother may see but he hath his eyen stopped / the thyrde lokyth forth full sy­ght / The blynde man hath no maner knowyng that he is in the son̄e / but he trowith it yf a true man telle hym And he betokeneth a soule that is oonly refourmed in fayth y ^t trowyth in god as holy chyrche techeth & wote not what / This suffyceth as for saluacyon / That other man seeth a lyght of the sonne. but he seeth it not clerly what it is for the lyd of his eye letteth hym that he maye not see / But he seeth thorugh the lyd of his eye a glyme­rynge of grete lyghte / And he betokeneth a soule that is refourmed in fayth and in felynge / and soo is he contemplatyfe. For he seeth some what of the godhede of Ihesu thoroughe grace / Not clerly ne fully. for the lyd­de that is hys bodyly kynde is yet a walle bytwyxe hys kynde and the kynde of Ihesu god and lettythe hym frome the clere syghte / But he seeth thoroughe thys walle after that grace towchyth hym more or lesse that Ihesu is god. and that Ihesu is souereyne good nesse and souereyne beynge. and a blessyd lyfe / and all that other goodnesse comyth of hym / Thus see­the the sowle by grace notayenstondynge [Page] the bodily kynde. and the more clene and subtyl that the soule is made. and y ^e more it is depared fro flesshly hede the sharper sight it hath & the myghtyer loue of the god­hede of Ihesu / This syght is so myghty that thoughe none other man lyuynge wolde trowe in Ihesu ne loue hym he wolde neuer trowe the lesse ne loue hym the lesse for he seeth it sothfastly that he may not vntrowe it / The thyrde man y ^t hath ful syght of the sonne he trowith it not / for he seeyth it fully / And he betokeneth a ful blessyd soule that without ony walle of body or of synne seeth openly the face of Ihesu in the blysse of heuē / There is no fayth / & therfore he is fully refourmed in felynge / There is no state aboue the seconde refourmyng that a soule may come to here in this lyfe. for this is the state of perfeccyon & the way to heuen warde. Neuertheles al y ^e soules that are in this state are not al lyke ferforth. For some hath it lytyl shortly & seeldom. & some lenger clerer and oftiner: and some hath it best clerest and lengest af­ter y ^e aboundyng of grace / & yet al thyse haue the yefte of contemplacion / For the soule hath not perfyte syght of Ihesu al at ones / but fyrst a lytyl & a lytyl / and after y ^t it profyteth and comyth to more felyng / And aslonge as it is in this lyfe it maye waxe more in knowyng & in this loue of Ihesu / and sothly I wote not what were more leyf to suche a soule that hath felte a lytyl of it than vtter­ly al other thynges lefte and sette at nought. Tent on̄ ­ly therto for to haue clerer syght & clenner loue of Ihesu in whō is al the blessed trynyte / This maner knowyng of Ihesu as I vnderstonde is the openynge of he [...]en to the eye of a clene soule of the whiche holy mē speke of in her wrytynge / Not as some wene that the openynge of heuen is as yf a soule myghte see bi ymaginaciō thrugh the scyes aboue the fyrmament how our lorde Ihesu syeteth [Page] in his mageste in a bodily lighte as moche as an hundreth sonnes Nay it is nat soo. ne though he see neuer so hyghe on that maner sothly he seeth not the gostly heuen / The hygher he styeth aboue the sonne for to see Ihesu god so by suche ymagynaciō the lower he falleth bineth the sonne. Neuertheles this maner syght is sufferable to sīple soules that can noo better seche him that is vnseable.

¶Howe Ihū is heuen to the soule. And why he is cal­led fyre / Caplm. xxxiii.

WHat is heuen to a resonable soule / Sothly noughte elles but Ihesu god / For yf that be heuē only that is aboue al thyng / then ne is god onely heuen to mānes soule for he is onely aboue the kīde of a soule / thē ­ne yf a soule may thorugh grace haue knowynge of y ^e blessed kynde of Ihesu sothly he seeth heuē for he seeth god / Therfore there are many men that erren in vn­derstōdynge of some wordes that are sayd of god / for they vnderstonde them not gostly / Holy wrytynge sayth that a soule that woll fynde god shall lyft vpwarde the Inner eye & seke god aboue itselfe / Thenne some mē that wolde doo after this sayenge vnderstōde this worde aboue hemself as for hygher settynge in stede & worthynes of place as one elemente or planete is aboue a nother in settyne & worthynes of a bodely place / But it is nat soo gostly. For a soule is aboue al bodily thynge that by settynge of stede: but by subtyltee & worthynes of kynde / Right soo on the selfe wise god is a­boue all bodily & gostly creatures not by settynge of stede but by subtyltee & worthynes of his vnchangea­ble blessyd kynde. And therfore he that wol wisely see he god & fynde hym he shall not renne out w ^t his thought as he wolde clyme aboue the sonne & parte the firma­ment [Page] and ymagyn that mageste as it were of an hun­dred sonnes / he shall rather drawe downe the sonne & al the fyrmamēt and forget it. and caste it beneth hym there he is. and sett all and all bodily thinge also at no­ught / And thynke thenne yf he can ghostly both of him selfe and of god also / And yf he doo thus: thenne seeth the soule aboue it selfe / thenne seeth it in to heuen. Up­on this self maner shall this worde within be vnder­stond / It is comynly sayd that a soule shall see our lord within all thynge and within itselfe / Soth it is y ^t our lorde is within all creatures / but not on that maner y ^t a kernell is hyd wythin the shell of a nutte. or as a ly­tyll bodily thynge is holdon within a nother moche / but he is within all creatures as holdynge and kepynge hem in her beynge thrugh subtyltee and myghte of his owne blessed kynde & clennes vnseable / For right as a thynge that is moost precyous and moost clene is layed nerest / Right soo by that lyknes it is sayde that the kynde of god that is moost precyous moost clene & moost goodly ferrest fro bodily hede is hydde within al thynges / And therfore he that woll seke god wythin he shall forgete fyrste all bodily thynges for all that is w ^t out. and his owne body / and he shall forgete thīkynge of his owne soule. and thynke on the vnmade kynde. that is Ihesu y ^t made hym: quiknith hym. holdith hym and yeueth hym reason & mynde and loue the whiche is within hym thrugh his myghte and souereyne sub­tylte / Upon this maner shall the soule doo whan gra­ce towchyth it. or elles it woll but lytell auayle to se [...]he Ihesu. And to fynde hym wythin it self and wythin al creatures as me thīkyth / Also it is sayd in holy wryte that god is lyghte / Soo sayth saynt Iohn̄. p̄. Iohīs Deus lux ī That is. God is lyghte / This lyght shall not be vnderstonde as for bodily lyghte. but it is vnderstonde thus / [Page] God is lyghte. That is. God is trouth ang sothfastnes for sothfastnes is ghostly lyghte / Thenne he that most gracyously knowyth sothfastnes best seeth god / ād ne­uertheles it is lykened to the bodily lyght for this skill Ryght as the sōne sheweth to the bodily eye itself and all bodily thynge by it / rihht so sothfastnes that is god sheweth to the reason of the soule itselfe fyrste. and by itselfe al other gostly thynge that nedeth to y ^e knowynge of a soule / Thus sayth the prophete / Domine in lu­mine tuo videbimꝰ iumē / Lorde we shall see thy lyght by thy lyghte / That is: p̄. xxxv. we shal see the that art sothfastnes by thyselfe / On the selfe wyse it is sayd that god is fyre / Deus nost ignis consumens est: Hebr̄. xii. That is. Our lorde is fyre wastynge / That is for to saye. God is not fyre elementare that heteth a body and brēneth it. but god is loue and charyte / For as fyre wasted all bodily thynge y ^t may be wasted / Ryght soo y ^e loue of god brē ­neth & wasteth all synne out of the soule. And maketh it clene as fyre makyth clene all maner metalle / Thy­se wordes and alle other that arne spoken of our lorde in holy wrytte by bodely lyckenesse muste nedes be vnderstonde ghostly. Elles there is noo sauour in hem / Neuertheles the cause why suche manere wordes are sayd of our lorde in holy wrytte is this / For we are so flesshly that we can not speke of god ne vnderstonde of hym but yf we by suche wordes fyrst be entred in / Neuertheles whan the Inner eye is opened thrugh grace for to haue a lytyll syght of Ihesu / Thenne shall the soule torne lyghtly ynough all suche wordes y ^e whiche of bodily thynges in to ghostly vnderstondynge. This ghostly openynge of the Inner eye in to knowynge of the godhede whiche I calle refournynge in fayth and felynge / For thenne the soule the whiche somwhat fe­leth in vnderstondynge of that thynge whiche y ^t it had [Page] before in naked trowynge. and that is the begyn̄yng [...] of contemplaciō / of the whiche saynt poul sayth thus / Non contēplātibm nobis q̄ vidētur sed q̄ non vidētu [...] Quia que videntur temporalia sunt. que autem non videntur eterna sunt / That is: S. co (rum) iiii. Our contemplaciō is not in thynges that are seen. but it is in thynges vnseable / For thynges that are seen are passyng. but vnsea­ble thynges are euerlastyng / to the whiche syghte euery soule sholde desyre for to come to both here in party and in the blysse of heuen fully / For in that syght & in that knowyng of Ihū is fully the blysse of a resonable soule & endles lyfe Thus saith our lord / Hec est autem vita eterna vt cognoscant te verum deum & quem misisti Ihesū xp̄m / That is: Iohn̄ vii. Fader thys is endles lyfe y ^t thy chosen soules knowe the and thy sone whom thou haste sente one sothfaste god.

¶ Of two maner of loue refourmed & vnfourmed what it meanith / And how we be beholde to loue Ihesu moche for our makynge / but more for our ayen byeng / but althermooste for our sauyng thrugh y ^e yeftes of his loue. Caplm. xxxiiii.

BUt nowe wondrest thou sythen this knoweng of god is the blysse & y ^e ende of a soule? why thē ­ne haue I sayde here before that a soule sholde not elles coueyte but oonly the loue of god / I spake no thynge of this sighte y ^t a soule sholde coueyte this / Unto this maye I saye thus / that the syght of Ihesu is full blysse of a soule: and that is oonly for the lyght but it is also for the blyssed loue that comith out of that syght / Ne­uertheles for loue comyth out of knowynge & not knowynge out of loue / therfore it is sayd that in knowyn­ge & in syght pryncipally of god with loue is the blys­se of a soule and the more he is knowen the better he is loued. But for asmoche as to this knowyng or to this [Page] [...]oue that comith of it. may not the soule come without [...]oue / therfore sayd I that thou sholdest coueyte loue / [...]or loue is cause why a soule comyth to this knowyng [...]nd to this loue that comith of it / And on what man̄ [...]hat is I shall telle the more openly. Holy wryters sayē [...] soth it is that ther is two maner of gostly loue / One [...]s called fourmed. a nother is called vnfourmed /

¶Loue vnfourmed is god hym self the thirde perso­ [...]e in trynyte that is the holy gost / He is loue vnfour­ [...]ed & vnmade as saīt Io. sayth / Deꝰ dileccō est / God [...]s loue: p̄. Io. iiii. That is the holy gost / Loue fourmed is the af­fecciō of the soule made by the holy ghost of the syghte and of the knowyng of sothfastnes that is god. oonly tyred and sette in hym / This loue is called fourmed [...]or it is made by the holy ghost / This loue is not god [...]n hymself for it is made. but it is the loue of the sowle [...]ellte of the syght of Ihesu & stired to hym oonly / Now [...]ay thou see that loue formed is not cause why a sou­ [...]e comyth to y ^e ghostly syghte of Ihesu / And some men wolde thynke that they wolde loue god soo brēnyngly as it were by theyr owne mighte. that they were wor­thy for to haue the ghostly knowynge of hym / Naye it is not soo. But loue vn vnformed that is god hymself is cause of all this knowynge / For a blynde wretched soule is so ferre fro the clere knowynge and the blessed felynge of his loue thorugh synne and freelte of the bodily kynde that it myght neuer come to it. ne were it y ^e endles mochenes of the loue of god. But thēne by cause he loueth vs soo moche therfore he yeueth vs his lo­ue that is the holy ghost / He is the yeuer and the yeft. and maketh vs thenne by that yefte for to knowe and loue hym / Lo this the loue that I spake of that thou sholdest oonly coueyte and dysyre this vnfourmed lo­ue that is the holy ghost / For sothly a lesse thynge or a [Page] lesse yefte than he is maye nat auayle vs for to brynge vs to the blessed syght of Ihū / And therfore sholde we fully desyre and aske of Ihesu oonly this yeft of loue y ^t he wolde for the mochenes of his loue so blessed touch our herte wyth his vnseable lyghte to the knowynge of hym and departe wyth vs of his loue y ^t as he loueth vs that we myght loue hym ayen / Thus sayth saynt Iohn̄ / Nos diligamꝰ deum qm̄ ipse prior dilexit nos That is: [...]. Iohn̄. Loue we god now for he fyrst loueth vs / He loued vs moche whan he made vs to his lyknes. But he loued vs more whan he bought vs wyth his precy­ous blode thrugh wylfull takynge of deth in his man hede fro the power of the fende and fro the pyne of hell but he loueth vs moost whan he yeueth vs the yefte of the holy ghost that is loue. be y ^t whiche we knowe him and loue hym. and are made syker that we are his so­nes chosen to saluacion / For this loue are we more to hym boūde thā for ony other loue that euer shewed he for vs. eyther in our makynge or in our ayenbyenge / For though he had made vs and bought vs: but yf he saue vs with all? what profyteth it elles to vs our ma­kynge or our byenge / Sothly ryght nought / Therfo [...] the mooste token of loue shewed to vs as me thynketh is this / That he yeueth hīselfe in his manhode to ou [...] soules / ¶He gaaf hym selfe fyrste in his māhede to [...]e for our Raunson whanne he offred hymselfe to the fa­der of heuen vpon the awter of the crosse

¶This was a ryght fayre yefte and a ryght grete token of loue / But what tyme he gyueth hymselfe in his godhege ghostly to our soules for our saluacion / And maketh vs for to knowe hym. and for to loue hym / Thenne louyth he vs fully / For thēne yeueth he hymselfe to vs / And more myght he not yeue vs / Ne lesse myghte not suffyce to vs /

[Page]¶ And for this skylle it is sayd that the ryghtynge of a synfull soule thorugh foryeuenesse of synnes is are [...] ­ted and appropered pryncypally to the worchynge of the holy ghoste / For the holy ghost is loue / And in the ryghtynge of a soule our lorde Ihesu sheweth to a sou­le moost of his loue / For he doth awaye all synne and [...]onyth it to hym / And that is the beste thynge that he maye doo to a soule / And therfore it is appropred to the holy ghost / The makynge of the soule is appropred to the fader. as for the souereyne myghte and power y ^t he shewyth in makynge of it / The byenge of it is aret­ted to the sone as for the souereyne wytte and wysdo­me that he shewed in his manhede / For he ouercome the fēde pryncypally thrugh wysdome and not thrugh strenghte / But the ryghtynge and the full sauynge of a soule by foryeuenesse of synnes is approprede to the thyrde persone that is the holy ghoste / For therin she­weth Ihesu mooste loue vnto mannes soule / And for that chynge shall he be mooste loued of vs ayen / His makynge is comen to vs and to all vnresonable crea­tures / For as he made vs of noughte▪ soo made he hem And therfore is this werke greteste of myghte. but not mooste of loue / Also the byenge is comen to vs and to all resonable soules / as to Iewes and saracyns and to fals crysten men / For he deyed for all soules ylyke / and bought hem. yf they woll haue the perfyte loue of it / & also it suffyceth for the bienge of al though it be so that al haue it not / And this werke was most of wysdome not most of loue / But the ryghtynge and the halowynge of our soules thrugh the yefte of the holy ghost. that is oonly in that worchynge of loue. And that is not comen to all but it is a specyall gyfte oonly to them whiche be chosen soules / And sothly that is mooste worchynge [Page] of loue to vs that are his chosen chylderne. ¶This is the loue of god that I spake of whiche thou sholde coueyte and desyre: for this loue is god hymself & y ^e holy gost This loue vnformed whā it is yeuē to vs it wor [...]heth in our soule all y ^e gode is & all y ^e longeth to godenes / This loue loueth vs or that we loue hym for it clēseth vs fyrst of our synnes: and maketh vs for to loue hym. & maketh our wyll stronge for to ayenstond all synnes / and styreth vs for to assaye our self thrugh dyuers exercyse both bodily & gostly in all vertues / It stireth vs also for to forsake the synne and flesshly af­feccions and worldly dredes / It kepeth vs fro malycyous temptacions of the fende. and dryueth vs out fro besynes & vanyte of the worlde. and fro conuersacion of worldly louers / All this dooth the loue of god vnformed whā he yeueth hymself to vs / we do right nought but suffre hym and assente to him. for that is the moost that we doo that we assente wylfully to his gracyous worchynge in vs / and yet is not that wyl of vs but of his makynge. so that me thynketh that he dooth in v [...] all that is well done. & yet see we it not / And not oonly dooth he thus. but after this loue dooth more. for he o­peneth the eye of the soule. and shewith to y ^e soule that syght of Ihesu wonderfully. and the k [...]owynge of him as the soule maye suffre it thus by lytyll and by lytyll. and by that syghte he rauyssheth all the affeccion of the soule to hym & thenne begynneth the soule for to kno­we hym ghostly and brynnyngly for to loue hym / Thī [...]ne seeth the soule somwhat of the kynde of the blessed godhede of Ihesu howe that he is all and that he wor­cheth all. and that all gode dedes the whiche are done and gode thouhtes are oonly of hym for he is all seue­reyn myght & all souereī sothfastnes & al souerein god­nes / & therfore euery gode dede is don̄ of him & by him & [Page] he shal oonly haue the worship & the thanke for all good dedes and noo thynge but he / For though wretched mē stele his worchypp here for a whyle / Neuerthelesse att the laste ende shall sothfastnesse shewe well that Ihesu dyde alle. And man dyde ryght uoughte of hym selfe / And thenne shall theues of goddes that are not acorded wyth hym here in this lyfe for her trespaas be demyd to deth & Ihū shal be fully worshipped & thanked of al blessed creatures for his worchynge / This loue is not elles but Ihesu hymself that for loue worcheth al this ī man­nes soule. and refourmeth it ī felynge to his lykenes as I haue before sayd and somwhat as I shall saye / This loue bryngeth in to the soule the full hede of all vertues and makyth al clene and true soft and easy. and torneth him al in to loue and in to likynge / And on what maner wyse he dooth that: I shall telle the a lytyll after warde / This loue drawyth the soule fro vayne beholdynge of worldly thynges in to contemplacyon of ghostly creatures and of goddis pryuites / fro flesshlihede in to ghostlynes / fro erthly felynge in to heuenly sauour /

¶ How that some soule loueth Ihū by bodily feruours & by her owne manly affeccions that ben styred by gra­ce and by reason / And how some louen Ihesu more rest fully by ghostly affeccyons oonly styred Inwarde thrugh specyally grace of the holy ghost. Capitulum xxxv.

THēne maye I saye that he that most ha [...]h of this loue here in this lyfe most pleseth god. and most clere sighte shal haue of hym / and moost fully loue hym in the blysse of heuen / for he hath the most yeft of loue here in erth / This loue may not be had by a mānes owne traueyle as some wene / It is freely had of the gracyous yefte of Ihesu after moche bodyly and ghostly traueyle [Page] goyng before For there are some louers of god y ^t maken hymself to loue god as it were by her owne myght / for they streyne hemself thrugh grete vyolence and panten so strongly that they brast in to bodily feruours as they wolde drawe downe god fro heuen to hem / And they sayen in her hertes and wyth her mouthe / A lorde I lo­ue the and I wolde loue the: I wolde for thy loue suffre deth / And in this maner of worchynge they fele grete feruour & moche grace / And soth it is me thynketh this worchynge is gode and medfully yf it be well tempred wyth mekenes & with dyscrecion / But neuertheles thyse mē loue not ne haue not the yefte of loue on that ma­ner as I speke of: ne they aske it not soo / For a soule that hath the yeft of loue thrugh gracyous beholding of Ihū as I meane or elles yf be haue it not yet / but wolde haue it. he is not besy for to strayne hymself ouer his myghte as it were by bodyly strength for to haue it by bodyly feruours: and soo for to fele the loue of god but hym thyn­keth that he is ryght nought. and that he can doo ryght noughte of hymselfe. but as it were a dede thyng oonly hangyng & borne vp by the mercy of god / He seeth well that Ihū is al and dooth all. and therfore asketh he noughte elles but the yefte of loue /

Horly thē that the soule seth that his owne loue is noughte therfore it wolde haue his loue for that is ynough / Therfore praieth he and that desireth he that the loue of god wolde towche hym with his blessed lyghte that he myghte see a lytyll of hym by his gracyous presence: for then sholde he loue hym / And soo by this waye comyth the yefte of loue that is god in to a soule / The more that a soule nough yth itself thorugh grace by syght of his sothfastnes some tyme wythoute ony feruour outwarde shewed. and the lesse y ^t it thynkith that it loueth or seeth [Page] god. the nerer it nygheth for to precyu [...]e the yefte of the blessed loue / For then is loue mayster & worcheth in the sowle: and maketh it forgete itselfe. and for to se & beholde on̄ly how loue doth / And then is y ^e soule more suffrynge than doyng. and that is clene loue / Thus saynt poul meaned whan he sayd thus. Ro viii Quicū (que) sp̄u dei agunt hii filii dei sunt / All thise that are wrought wyth the spyryte of god are goddes sōnes. y ^t is soules y ^t are made so me­ke & so buxom̄ to god that thei werke not of hemself. but suffre y ^e holy ghost styre hem & worche hem in the felynges of loue wyth a swete corde to his styrynges / Thyse arn specyally godd is sōnes most lyke vnto hym. Other soules that can not loue thus buttraueylen hēself by her owne afflyccyōs & styre hȳself thrugh her owne thinkynge of god & bodyly exercyse for to drawe out of hēself by mastry y ^e felīg of loue by feruours & other bodily sygnes loue not ghostly / they done wel & medful yf so y ^t they wol know [...]ekly y ^t her werching is not y ^e kyndly gracyous felyng of loue. but it is manly doyng by a soule at y ^e byddyng of reason / & neuertheles thrugh y ^e godenes of god by cause y ^t the soule doth y ^• in it is. thyse māly offeccōns of y ^e soule styred in to god by mannes werchyng are [...]orned in to ghostly affeccyons. and are mede [...]ulas yf they had he done ghostly in the fyrste begynnynge / And this is a grete curtesye of oure lorde shewed to meke soules that torneth all thyse manly affeccyons of kyndely loue in to the affeccyon and in to the mede of his owne loue: As yf he hadde wroughte hym all fully by hymselfe / And soo thyse manly affeccyons soo tourned maye be called affeccyons of ghostely loue thoroughe purchase not thoroughe kyndely bryngynge fourthe of the holy ghoste / I saye not that a soule maye worche suche manly affeccyons oonly of itselfe without grace / for I wot [Page] wel that saynt paul sayth that we maye ryght noughte done thynke that gode is of ourself without grace Non en̄iqd sumꝰ sufficientes cogitare aliquid ex nobis qua si ex nobis. [...] co (rum) 3 sed sufficiencia n [...]a ex deo est / That is▪ we y ^e loue god wene not y ^t we suffyse for to loue or for to thynke good of ourselfe oonly / but our suffysynge is of god / For god worcheth in al both good werke and good wyl as saynt poul sayth / Deus est qui eperatur in nobis et velle & perficere probona voluntate / That is: Phil. [...] It is god that worcheth in vs good wyl and fulfyllynge of good wyl / But I saye that suche affeccyon are good made by the wyll & meane of a soule after the general grace that [...]e yeueth to al chosen soules / not of specyal grace made ghostly by towchynge of his gracyous presence as he worcheth in his perfyte louers as I sayd before / for [...]n vnperfyte louers loue worcheth ferly by the affeccyons of man. but inperfyte louers loue worchyth nerely by her owne ghostly affeccyons: & sleeth in a soule for y ^e ty­me al other affeccyons bothe flesshly kyndly & manly. & y ^t is propeely the werchynge of loue by hymselfe / Thus loue maye be had in a lytyl in partye here in a clene soule thrugh y ^e ghostly syght of Ihū. but in y ^e blysse of heuē it is fulfylled by clere syghte of his godhede / For there shall none affeccyon be feled in a soule but godly and ghostly /

¶That the yefte of loue amonge al other yeftes of Ihū is worthyest & moost profytable / And how Ihū doth al that is weldone in his louers on̄ly for loue. And how loue makyth the vsynge of al vertues & all good dedes ly­ght and easy / Caplm̄ xxxvi

ASke thou then of god no thyng but this yeft of loue that is the holy ghost / For among al y ^e yef­tes y ^e our lorde yeueth there is none so good ne so profy­table. [Page] so worthy ne so excellēt as this is / For there is no yefte of god that is bothe the yeuer and y ^e yefte but this yefte of loue / And therfore it is the best and the worthy est / The yefte of prophecye the yeftes of myracles wor­chyng. the yefte of the grete knowyng and coūselynge. and the yefte of grete fastynge or of grete penaūce doinge: or ony other suche are grete yeftes of the holy ghost. but they are not the holy ghost / For a reproued soule & a dampnable myghte haue al thise yeftes as hath a cho­sē soule / And therfore al thise maner yeftes are not gretly for to desyre ne moche for to charge / But the yefte of loue is the holy ghost god hymself. And hym may no soule haue & be dāpned wyth al / For that yefte saueth it on̄ ly fro dampnacyon. & makyth it goddis sone perceyuer of heuēly heritage / And that loue as I haue before sayd is not the affeccyon of loue that is formed in a soule: but it is the holy ghoste hymselfe that is loue vnfourmed y ^t saueth a sowle / For he yeueth hymself to a soule fyrst or the soule louith hym / and he fourmeth y ^e affeccyon in y ^e soule: & maketh the soule for to loue hym oonly for hymself / And not on̄ly that: but also bi this yefte the soule loueth itself & al his euencrystē as itself on̄ly for god / and this is the yefte of loue that makith shedinge atwyx chosen soules & reproued / And this yefte makyth fully pees atwyxe god & a soule. and on̄ly al blessed creatures holy in god for it makyth Ihū for to loue vs & vs hym also / And euery eche of vs for to loue other in hym / Coueyte this yefte of loue pryncypally as I haue sayd / For yf he woll of his grace yeue it the on that maner wyse it shall open & lyghtē the reason of thy soule for to see sothfast­nes y ^t is god & ghostly thynges / And it shal styre thyn affeccōn holy for to see sothfastnes y ^t is god & ghostly thinges / And it shal styre thyn affeccion holy & fully for to loue [Page] hym / & it shall worche in thy soule oonly as he wol. & thou shalt beholde Ihū reuerently with softnes of loue & see how he doth. Thus byddeth he by his prophete that we sholde do sayenge thus / Uacate et videte qm̄ ego sū deus / Cease ye & seeth y ^e I am god / That is. ye y ^• are refourmed in felynge & haue your In̄er eye opened in to syȝt of ghostly thynges cease ye some tyme of outwarde worchyng & see y ^t I am god / That is: See on̄ly how I Ihū god & man do / Beholde you me for I do al / I am loue: & for loue I do al y ^t I do: & ye do nought / And y ^t this is sooth I shall shewe you / For there is no gode dede doon by you: ne good thought felte in you: but yf it be done thru­gh me / That is. Thrugh myght & wysdome. & loue my gho [...]ly. wyttely & louely / Elles it is noo good dede / But now is it soth y ^• I Ihū am bothe myght & wysdome and blessed loue & ye nought: for I am god / Then mowe ye wel [...]e that I do al your good dedes / And al gode though see: and al your good loues in you: and ye do ryght nought / And yet neuertheles ben al thyse good dedes called yours / Not for ye worthe hem pryncypally. but for I yeue hē to you for loue that I haue to you / And therfore sythen I y ^• am Ihesu and for loue dooth al this. cease then ye of the beholdynge of yourselfe: and sette yourselfe at nought & loke on me. & see that I am god for I do al this This is somwhat of the meanyng of the verse of dauyd before sayd / See then & beholde what loue wercheth in a chosen soule that he refourmeth in felynge to his lykenes whan y ^e reason slyghtned a lytyl to y ^e ghostly kno­wynge of Ihū. and to y ^e felynge of his loue / Then bryngeth loue in to the soule the full hede of vertues. and tor­neth h [...]m al into softnes & in to lykynge as it were with out worchynge of the soule: for the soule stryueth not moche for the getynge of hem as it dyde before. but it hathe [Page] hem easely and felyth hem restfully oonly thorughe the yefte of loue that is the holy ghost / And that is a wel grete comforte and gladnes vnspekable whan it felyth so­denly and wote neuer how the vertue of mekenesse and pacyence soberte and sadnesse chastyte and clennes lo­uered to hys euen crysten. and al other vertues the whiche we [...]e to hym sōtyme traueylous paynful & harde for to kepe are now torned into softnes & lykyng and in to wonderful lyghtnes: so ferforthe that hym thynkith no maystrine no hardnes for to kepe euery vertue but it is most lykyng to hym for to kepe it: & al this makyth loue

¶Other men that stonden in the comoetee of charyte and arne not yet so ferforthe in grace. But worche vn­der the byddynge of reason they stryuen and fyghten al daye ayenste synnes for the getynge of vertues: and so­metyme they ben aboue and somtyme bynethe as wrast lees are / Thyse men done ful well / They haue vertues in reason and wyl. not in sauour ne in lone: for they fy­ghten wyth hemselfe as it were by her owne myght for hem / And therfore may they not haue full rest ne fully the hyer honde / Neuerthelesse they shal haue moche mede: but they are not yet m [...]ke ynough / They haue not yet putte hemselfe al fully in goddys honde: for they see him not yet / But a soule that hath ghostly sighte of Ihesu takethe noo grete kepe of stryuynge for vertues for that tyme / He is not besy abowte hem specially but he setteth all his besynesse for to kepe that syghte and that beholdyng of Ihesu that it hath for to holde the mynde stably therto / And bynde the loue oonly to it that it fall not therfro: and forgete all other thynges asmoche as it maye / And whanne it dooth thus thenne is Ihesu soth­fastly mayster ayen all synnes / And bishado wyth it wyth hys blessed presence and getyth it all vertues / [Page] And the soule is so comforted & so borne vp with the softe felynge of loue that it hath of the syghte of Ihū that it feleth noo grete dysease outwarde / And thus sleeth loue generally alsynnes in a soule: & reformeth it in the newe felynges of vertues /

¶How loue thrugh gracyous beholdyng of Ihū sleeth al styrynges of pryde: & maketh y ^• soule for to lese sauour & delyte in al erthly worshyp / Caplm̄ xxxvii.

NEuertheles how loue sleeth synnes & refourme: th vertues in a soule more specyally shal I saye & fyrst of pryde & of meknes that it contrary vertue therto / Thou shalt vnderstonde that there is two maner of mekenes / One is had by worchyng of reason / Another is felte of the specyal yeft of loue / Bothe are of loue. but that one loue worcheth by reason of the soule. but that other he worcheth by hymself / The fyrst is vnperfyte. y ^e other is perfyte / The fyrste mekenes that a man feleth of beholdyng of his owne synnes and of his owne wret­chidnes thrugh the whiche beholdyng he thynketh hym selfe vnworthy for to haue ony yefte of grace or ony mede of god. But hym thynketh it ynoughe that he wolde of his grete mercy graunt hym foryeuenesse of his syn­nes / And also he thynketh hym by cause of his owne sinnes that he is worse than the moste synner that lyueth / and that euery man doth better than he / and so by suche beholdynge thresteth he hymselfe downe in his thoughte vnder al men / And he is besy for to ayenstonde the styrynge of pryde asmoche as he maye bothe bodyly pryde & ghostly. and dyspiseth hymself so that he assenteth not to the felynges of pryde / And yf his herte be taken som­tyme with it that it be de [...]oyled with vayne Ioye of worshyp or of cunnyng or of praysyng or of ony other thyn­ge / as sone as he maye perceyue it he is euyl payd wyth [Page] hymself & hath sorowe for it in hert & asketh foryeuenes of it of god. & she wyth hym to his confessour. & accuseth hymself mekely. & receyueth his penaūce / This is good meknes. but it is not yet perfyte mekenes for it is of soules y ^• are begynnynge & profytyng in grace caused of beholdynge of synnes / Loue worchyth this meknes by reason of the soule / Perfyte mekenes a soule feleth of y ^e syghte & the ghostly knowyng of Ihū / For whan the holy ghost lyghtneth the reason in to the syght of soth fastnes how Ihū is al & that he doth al / the soule hath so grete loue & so grete Ioye in that ghostly syght / for it is so soth faste that it foryeteth itself. & fully leneth to Ihū with all y ^e loue that it hath for to beholde hym / It takith no kepe of no vnworthynes of itselfe ne of synnes afore done / but setteth at nought itself with al the synnes & al y ^e gode de­des that euer it dyde. as yf there were no thyng but Ihū Thus meke dauyd was whan he sayd thus / Et sebstā ­cia mea tanqm̄ nichilū an̄ te / That is: P.C xxxviii Lorde Ihesu the syght of thy blessed vnmade substance & thyn endles beynge sheweth wel vnto me that my substaunce & beyng of my soule is as nought anence y ^• / Also anence his euē crysten he hath no rewarde to hem ne demynge of hem whether they ben better or worse than hymselfe is / For he holde hymself & al other men as it were euen ylike nought of hēself anence god. & that is soth. For al the goodnes y ^• is done in hamselef or in hē is on̄ly of god whō he beholdeth as al / And therfore setteth he al other creatu­res at nought as he doth hymself: Isay. [...] Thus meke was the prophete whan he sayd thus / Om̄es gentes quasi non sintsic sunt coram eo et quasi nichilū & mane reputate sunt e [...] / Al men are before our lorde as nought. & as vu­notefull and noughte they are a counted to hym / That is anentes the endeles beynge aud the vnchaungable [Page] kynde of god mankynde is as noughte / For of nou­ghte [...]ade and to noughte sholde it torne but yf he kep [...]e it in the beynge that made it of noughte / Thys is sothfastnesse and this sholde make a soule meke yf it myght see thorughe grace this sothfastnesse / Therfore whan loue openeth the Inner eye of the soule for to see this sothfastnesse wyth other cyrcumstaunces that co­men wyth al thenne begynneth the soule for to be soth­fastly meke / For thenne by the syghte of god it felyth & seeth itselfe as it is / And thenne forsakyth the soule the beholdynge and the lenynge to itself: and fully fallith to the beholdinge of Ihesu / And whan it dooth soo. then­ne settyth the soule noughte by al the Ioye and the wor­shyp of the worlde / For the Ioye of worldly worshyp is so lytyl and so nought in rewarde of that Ioye and that lone that it felith in the ghostly syghte of Ihesu and knowynge of sothfastnes. that though it myghte haue it without ony synne he wolde noughte of it / Ne though mē wolde worshyppe hym prayse hym and fauour hym. or set hym att grette state it lykyth hym noughte / Ne though he had cunnynge of al the vii. artes of clergye and of all craftes vnder the sonne: or had power for to werke al manere myracles. he hathe no more deynte of al this ne: more sauour of hem than to gnawe on a drye stycke He had wel leuer forgete al this and for to be al one out of the sight of the worlde than for to thynke on hem and be worshypped of al men / For the herte of a true louer of Ihesu is made somoche and soo large thrugh a lytyl syght of hym and a lytyl felynge of his ghostly loue that al the lykynge and al the Ioye of al erth maye not suffy­ce for to fyll a corner of it / And thenne semyth it well that tbyse wretched worldly louers that arne as it were rauysshed in loue of her owne worsyhppe / And pourse [Page] we after it for to haue it wyth al the myghte and all the wytte they that haue / they haue noo sauour in this mek [...] nes / they are wōder ferre therfro. But the [...] of Ihesu hath this mekenes lastyngly. And that not wyth he­uynes and striuynge for it / but wyth likynge and gladnes. The whiche gladnesse it hath not. for it forsakyth the worshyp of the worlde / for that were a prowde me­kenes that longeth to an ypocryte / but for he hath a sy­ghte and a ghostly knowynge of sothfastnesse and wor­thynes of Ihesu thrugh the yefte of the holy ghoste / That reuerente syght and that louely beholdyng of Ihesu comforteth the loue soo wōderfully and bereth it vp so myghtyly and so softly sothly that it maye not lyke ne fully rest in none erthly Ioye. ne it wol not / He makith none force whether men lacke hym or prayse hym / worshyp hym or dispyse him as for hymselfe / He settyth it not at herte neyther for to be well payd yf men dyspyse hym as for more mekenes. Ne for to be euell payd that men sholde worshyp hym or payse hym / He hadde leuer for to foryete both that one and that other: And oonly thynke on Ihesu and gete mekenes by that waye / And that is moche the lykerer waye who myght come ther­to / Thus dyde dauid whan he sayd / P. xiiii O cul [...] mei semper ad dn̄ [...] quoniam ipse euelle [...] de laqueo pedes meos / That is / Myn eyen are euer open to Ihesu our lorde for why: he shal plucke my fete fro snares of sinnes / For whan he dooth so thenne forsakyth he vtterly hymself & vndercastyth hym holy to Ihesu / & then is he in a syker warde for the sheelde of sothfastnes the whyche he holdeth kepeth hym so wel that he shal not be hurte thorughe noo styrynge of pryde as longe as he holdeth hym with­in the sheelde as the prophete sayth / Scuto circunda­bit te verytas eius nō c [...]ebis a timore noc [...]uruo. P. x. Soch [Page] fastnes shal vmbyclyppe the with a sheelde. & that is yf thou al other thynges left oonly beholde hym / For theu shal [...] thou not drede for the nyghtes drede. That is: thon shalt not drede the spyryte of pryde whether he come by nyghte or by daye as the nexte verse sayth after thus / A sagitta volante in die / P. x. Pryde comyth by nyght for to assayle a soule whan it is dispysed and repreued of other men that it sholde by that fall in heuynes & in to sorowe It comyth also as an arowe fleinge on the day whan a man is worshypped & praysed of al men. whether it be for worldly dooynge or for ghostly that he sholde haue vayne Ioye in hymselfe restyngly. and fals gladnesse in a passinge thynge / This is a sharpe arowe and a paryllous / It fleeth swyftly. & it stryketh softly. but it woūdeth dedely / But the louer of Ihū that stabli beholdeth bi deuoute prayers & besy thynkynge on hym is so vmby­lapped wyth the syker sheelde of sothfastnes that he dredeth not: for this arrowe maye not entre in to the soule / Ne though it come it hurteth not: but glenteth a waye & passeth forthe / And thus is the soule made meke as I vnderstonde by the worchynge of the holy ghost that is y ^e gyfte of loue / For he openeth the eye of the soule for to see and loue Ihesu / And he kepyth the soule in that sy­ght restfully & sykerly / And helleeth al the styrynges of pryde wōderfully and pryuely and softly: and the soule wote neuer how / And also he bryngeth in by that waye sothfastly and onely the vertue of mekenesse / All this dooth loue. but not in al his louers ylyke ful / For some hath this grace but shortly and lytyl as it were in the begynnynge of it. & a lytyl assayenge towarde for the conscyence is not yet clēsed fully thrugh grace / & som̄ haue it more fully. for they haue clerer syght of Ihesu. & they fele more of his loue / And some hath it moost fully. for [Page] they haue the ful yefte of contemplocyon / Neuertheles he that leest hath on this maner I haue sayd. I hope so thly he hath the yeft of perfyte mekenes. for he hath the yeft of perfyte loue /

¶ How loue sleeth al styrynges of wrathe & enuye soft­ly & refourmeth in the soule the vertues of pees & pac [...] ­ce & of perfyte charyte to his euen crysten as he dyde specyally in the appostles. Caplm̄ xxxviii

LOue worcheth wysely & softly in a soule there he wol for he sleeth myghtyly yre & enuye and al passyons of angrynes & malencoly in it. and bryngeth in to the soule vertues of pacyence & myldenes peasybilyte and louered to his euencrysten / It is ful harde & a grete maystry to a man that stondeth oonly in worchyn­ge of his owne reason for to kepe pacyence holy reest & softnes in herte & charyte to his euen crysten if they dy­sease hym vnskylfully and done hym wrong that he ne shal somwhat do ayen to hem thorugh styrynge of yre or of malencolye eyther in spekynge or in worchyng or bothe / And neuertheles though a man be styred & trowbled [...]u hymself and made vnrestful. be so that it be not to moch [...] passynge ouer the bondes of reason. and that he kepe his honde & his tonge and be redy for to foryeue the trespase whan mercy is asked / yet this man hath y ^e vertue of pacyence though it be but weyke & nakydly. for as moche as he wolde haue it and traueyleth besyly in refreynynge of his vnskylful passyons that he myȝt hane it / and also is sory that he hath it not as he sholde / But to a true louer of Ihesu it is noo grete maystry for to suffre al [...]his / For why loue fyghteth for hym & sleeth wonder softly suche styrynges of wrathe & of malenco­ly. and makyth his soule so easely and so peasyble so suf­ferynge and so goodly thorugh the ghostly syght of Ihū [Page] wyth the felyng of his blessed loue y ^e though he be dyspy­sed & repreued of other men: or take wrong or harme shame or vylany he chargeth it he is not moche styred ayenste hym / He wol not be angred ne styred ayenst hym. for yf he were moche styred he sholde forbere the comforte y ^t he felythe within his soule. but y ^e wol he not / He maye lyghtlyer forgete al the wronge that is done to hym than a nother man maye foryeue it though mercy were axed And soo he had wel leuer forgete it. for hym thynkyth it moost easy to hym / And loue doth al this. for loue openyth the eye of the soule to the syght of Ihesu. and stablyth it with the lykynge of loue that it feleth by that syght: & comforteth it so myghtely that it taketh noo kepe what so men Iangle or done eyenst hym / It hangeth no thynge vpon hym / The most harme that he myght haue were a forberynge of y ^e ghostly syght of Ihū / And therfore it is leuer to hym for to suffre al harmes than that alone Al this may the soule doo wel and easely wythout grete trowblynge of the ghostly syght whan dysease falleth al wythout forthe and towcheth not the body. as is bacbytyng or scornynge: or spoylynge of suche as he hathe / Al thise greueth noughte / But it gooth sōwhat nerer whā the flesshe is towched & he feleth smerte. then it is harder Neuertheles though it be harde and Impossyble to the freyle kynde of man to suffre bodyly penaunce gladly & pacyently wythout bytter stirynges of yre anger & malēcoly. it is not Impossyble to loue y ^t is y ^e holy ghost for to worche this in a soule there he towcheth wyth y ^e bles­sed yefte of loue / But he yeueth a soule y ^t is in y ^e plyghte myghtily felinges of loue, and wonderfully fastneth it to Ihū. & departeth it wonder ferre from the sensualyte thrugh his preuy myghte and comforteth it soo swetly by his blessed presence that the soule felith lytyl payne or [Page] elles none of the sensualyte. and this is specyal grace yeuē to the holy marters / This grace had the apostles as holy wryt sayth of hym thus. Act. v. Ibant apostoli gaudētes a conspectu consilii qm̄ digni habiti sūt pro nomine xp̄i cōtumeliā pati / That is: The appostles yede Ioyenge fro the counseyle of y ^e Iewes wha they were beten with scourges & they were gladde that they were worthy for to suffre ony bodily dysease for the loue of Ihesu / They were not styred to yre ne to felnes to be auenged on the Iewes that beten hē: as a worldly man wolde be whan he suffred a lytyl harme be it neuer soo lytyl of his euen­crysten / Ne they were not styred to noo pryde. ne to hy­nes of hēself & to dysdeyne & to demyng of y ^e Iewes as ypocrites & heretykes are y ^e wol suffre moche bodily payne. & are sōtyme redy for to suffre dethe wyth grete gladnes & wyth mighty wyl as it were in the name of Ihesu for loue oh hym / Sothly y ^e loue & y ^e gladnes y ^t they haue in suff [...]yng of bodily myscheyf is not of the holy ghost / It comyth not fro y ^e fyre that brēneth in the hye awter of heuen: but it is feyned by the fende enflammed of helle: for it is fully mēged wyth the heyght of pryde and of presumpcion of hemselfe and despyte and demyng and dysdeyne of hem that thus punysshe hem / They wene y ^t all this is charyte. and that they suffre all that for the loue of god: but they are begyled of y ^e myddaye fende / A true louer of ihū whan he suffreth harme of his euē crysten is so strengthed thorugh grace of the holy ghost and is made soo meke soo pacyente soo peasyble. And that so sothfastly. that what wronge or harme it be that he suffre of his euen crysten he kepeth euer mekenes / He dyspyseth hym not he demyth hym not but he prayeth for hym in his herte and hath of hym pyte and cōpas­syon moche more tēderly than of a nother man y ^t neuer [Page] dide hym harme / And sothly better loueth hym and more feruently desyreth the saluacion of his soule. by cau­se that he seeth that he shall haue so moche ghostly profyte of the euyl dede of that other man though it be ayenst his wyl / But this loue and this mekenes worcheth on̄ ly the holy ghoste aboue the kynde of man in hem that he maketh the true louers of Ihesu /

¶How loue sleeth couetyse lechyry and glotenye / and sleeth that flesshly sauour and delyte in al the v. bodyly wyttes softly and easely thrugh a gracyous beholdyng of Ihesu / Capitulum xxxix

COuetise also is slayne in a sowle by the worchinge of loue: for it makyth the soule soo coueytous of ghostly gode and to heuenly ryches soo ardaunt that it setteth ryght nought by al erthly thynges / It hathe noo more deynte in hauyng of a precyous stone thanne a chalke stone / ne more loue hath he in a hundreth poū de of golde thanne in a pounde of leed / It setteth al thinge that shal perysshe at one pryce / No more he chargeth that one than that other as in his loue / For it semyth wel that al thyse erthly thynges that worldly men lete so grete pryce of & loue soo deyntly sholde passe awaye & torne to nought both the thynge in itself and the loue of it / And therfore he bryngeth it in his thoughte by tyme in to that plyghte that it shal be after. and so acounteth it as nought / And whan worldly louers stryuen & fyghten. and plede for erthly good who maye fyrste haue it / the louer of Ihesu stryueth wyth noo man but kepyth hymselfe in pees. and holdeth hym payd with that y ^t he hath and wol stryue for no more / For hym thynkyth y ^t he nede [...]h no more of al the ryches in erthe than a skant bodyly sustenaunce for to saue the bodyly lyf withal as longe as god wol. and that he maye lyghtly haue / And [Page] therfore woll he no more than skantly hym nedeth for the tyme that he maye frely be dyscharged fro besynes aboute the kepynge and the dispendyng of it. And fully yeue his herte & his sesynes aboute the sekynge of Ihesu for to fynde hym in clen̄es of spiryte: for that is al his couetyse / For why: oonly clene of herte shall see hym /

Also flesshly loue of fader and moder and other worldly frendes hangeth not vpon hym / It is euen kutte fro his herte with the swerde of ghostly loue that he hath no more affeccion to fader or moder or to ony worldly frē ­de than he hath to a nother man. But yf he see or fele in hem more grace or more vertue than in other men / Oute take this: That his fader and his moder had the selfe grace that some other men haue / But neuertheles yf they ben not soo: thenne loueth he other men better thā hem. that is charyte / And soo sleeth goddis loue couetyse of the worlde. and bringeth in to the soule pouerte in spyryte / And that dooth loue not oonly in hem that ha­ue right noughte or worldly gode but also in some creatures that are in grete worldly state and haue dispēdinge or erthly ryches / Loue sleeth in some of hem couetyse so ferforth that they haue more lykynge ne sauour in hauynge of hem than of a strawe / Ne though they be lost for defawte of hem that sholde kepe hem they sette noughte therby / For why the herte of goddis louer is thrugh the yefte of the holy ghost taken so fully wyth y ^e syghte of the loue of a nother thynge that is Ihesu. and that is soo precyous and so worthy that it woll receyue none other loue restyngly that [...]s contrary therto / And not on̄ly doth loue this but also it sleeth the lykyng of lechery & al other bodily vnclennes And bryngeth in to y ^e soule very chastyre. & torneth it in to likynge / For the soule felyth so grete delyte in the syghte of Ihū that it lykyth [Page] for to be chaste & is no grete hardnes to it for to ke­pe chastyte. for it is so moost ease & moste rest / And vpō the selfe wyse the yefte of loue sleeth lustes of glotenye & makyth y ^e soule sobre & temperaunt [...] and bereth it vp so myghtily that it maye not rest in lykynge of mete & drynke. but it taketh mete & drynke what it be that leest greueth the bodyly cōplexyon yf he maye lyghtly come therto Not for loue of itself. but for y ^e lo [...]e of god / On this maner wyse y ^e louer of god seeth wel y ^t hym nedeth for to kepe his bodyly lyf with mete & drynke aslōge as god wol suffre h [...]m to be togyder / Then shal this be y ^e dyscrecōn of the louer of Ihū as I vnderstōde y ^• hath felyng & wor­chynge in the loue. y ^t vpon what maner y ^t he maye most kepe his grace hol [...] and leest be letted fro worchyng in it thorugh takynge of bodyly sustenaunce. so shal he do / That maner of mefe y ^e leest letteth & lest troubleth y ^e herte and maye kepe the body in strengthe be it flesshe be it fysshe be it brede & ale: y ^t I trowe the soule cheseth for to haue yf it maye come therby / For al the besynes of the soule is for to thinke on Ihū with reuerent loue euer without [...]ettynge of ony thynge yf y ^t it myght / And therfore sythen it must nedes sōwhat be letted & hyndred. the lesse y ^t it is letted & hyndred by mete or drynke or ony other thynge the leu [...]r it is / It had leuer vse the beste mete & moste of pryce vnder the son̄e yf it lesse letted the kepynge of his herte than for to take but brede & water yf y ^t letted hym more / For he hath no rewarde for to gete hym grete mede for the payne of fastynge. & be put ther by fro softnes in herte: but al his besynes is for to kepe his hert as stably as he maye in the syght of Ihū & in the felynge o [...] his loue / And sothly as I trowe he might with lesse lykynge vse y ^e beste mete y ^t is gode in the owne kynde than a nother man y ^t worcheth al in reason without the specyal [Page] yeft of loue sholde mowse y ^e worst. out take mete that thrugh crafte of cury osyte is on̄ly made for luste / That maner of mete may he not wel acorde with al / And also on that other syde yf lytyl mete as on̄ly brede & ale most helpeth & easeth his herte and kepyth it moost in pees it is most leyf than to hym for to vse it so. & namly yf he fele bodyly strengthe only of the yefte of loue withal / And yet doth loue more for it sleeth accidye & flesshly ydlenes and makyth the soule to be occupyed in goodnes & namly Inwarde in beholdyng of hym. by the vertue of whiche the soule hath sauour & ghostly delyte in prayenge in thynkynge & in al other maner of doyng that nedeth for to be done after the state that he is in withoute heuynes or paynful bytternes whether he be relygious or seculer Also it sleeth the vayne lykyng of the v. bodyly wyttes / For the syght yf the eye: that the soule hath no lykyng in the syghte of ony worldly thing. but it feleth rather peyne and dysease in beholdynge of it be it neuer soo fayre. neuer soo precyous neuer soo wonderful / And therfore as worldely louers renne oute some tyme for to se newe thynges for to wonder on hem: And soo for to fede her hertis wyth the vayne syghte of hem / Ryghte so a louer of Ihesu is besye for to renne awaye & withdrawe hym fro the syghte of suche maner thynges that the Inner syghte be not letted / For he seeth ghostly a nother maner thynge that is fayrer and more wōderful and that wolde he not forbere / Ryght on the selfe wyse is it of spekynge & heryng It is a peyne to y ^e soule of a louer of Ihū for to speke or here ony thing y ^t myght let the fredō of his harte for to thynke on Ihū. what sōge or melody or mynst ralsye outwarde y ^t yt be yf it let the thought y ^t it may not freely / And rest fully pray or thynke on hym / It lykyth hym ryght nought / & the more delectable y ^t it is to other [Page] men the more vnsauery it is to hym / And also for to here ony maner of spekyng of other men but it be sōwhat towchynge the worchyng of his soule in the loue of Ihū it lykyth hym ryght nought. he is elles ryght sone wery therof: He had wel leuer be in pees & here ryght nonght ne speke ryght nought than for to here the spekynge & y ^e techynge of the grettest clerke of erthe with al y ^e reasons that he can saye to hym thorugh mannes wyttes. but yf he can speke felyngly & styryngly of the loue of Ihesu for y ^t is his crafte pryncypally / And therfore wolde he not elles speke: here ne see but that myghte helpe hym & ferder hym in to more knowynge. & better felynge of hym / ¶Of worldly speche it is no dowte y ^t he hath no sauour spekynge ne in herynge of it. ne in worldly tales ne in tydynges▪ ne no suche vayne Iangelyng. that longeth not to hym / And so it is in smellynge & saueryng / The more y ^t the thoughte sholde be dystracte and broken fro ghostly reste by y ^e vse eyther of smellynge or sauerynge▪ or of ony of the bodyly wyttes the more he sleeth it / The lesse y ^t he feleth of hem the leuer is hym / And yf he myght lyue in the dody without y ^e felyng of ony of hem he wolde neuer fele hem / For they trouble the herte ofte tymes / and putteth it fro reste. and they maye not fully be eschewed Neuertheles the loue of Ihū is somtyme so myghty in a soule y ^t it ouercomyth & sleeth all y ^t is contrary therto for a tyme /

¶What vertues & graces a soule receyueth thrugh openyng of y ^t In̄er eye in to y ^e gracyous beholdyng of Ihū. & how it maye not begete on̄ly thrugh mannes traueyle but thrugh specyal grace & traueyle also / Caplm̄ xl.

THus worcheth loue in a soule openynge y ^e ghostly eye in to beholdynge of Ihū by inspyracōn of specyal grace. & makyth it clene subtyl & able to y ^e werke [Page] of contēplaciō. what this openyng of y ^e ghostly eye is y ^e grettest clerke ī erth cā not ymagyn by his wyt ne shew fulli by his tōge. for it may not be gete by study ne thruȝ mānes traueyle on̄ly: but prīcypally by grace of y ^e holy ghost & with traueyle of mā I drede moche to speke ouȝt of it for me thynketh I cā not / I passeth myn assay & my lyppes are vnclene / Neuertherles for I hope loue axeth & loue byddyth: therfore I shall saye a lytyl more of it as I hope loue [...]echeth / This openynge of y ^e ghostly eye is y ^e lyghty derkenes & ryche noughte y ^t I spake of before. & it maye be called puryte of spyryte and ghostly reste: In warde stylnes and pees of conscyence: hyghnes of thought & on̄lynes of soule. a lyftly felynge of grace & pryuyte of herte. y ^e waker slepe of the spouse and taastynge of heuenly sauour. brennyng in loue & shynynge in lyght. entre of contēplacōn: & refourmyng in felyng / Al thyse reasons are sayde in holy wrytynge by dyuersmen for euery of hem spake of it after his felynge in grace / And though al thise bē dyuers in shewyng of wordes. neuertheles they are al in one sentēce of sothfastnes For a soule that thrugh vysitynge of grace hath one: hath all / For why a syghynge soule to see the face of Ihū whan it towched thrugh specially grace of the holy ghost it is sodeynly chaunged & torned fro the plyte y ^t it was in to a nother maner of felynge / It is wonderfully departed & drawen fyrste in to itselfe fro the loue & the lykynge of al erthly thinge somoche that it hath lost the sauour of the bodyly lyfe & of al thynge y ^t is saaf on̄ly Ihū / And then it is clene fro al the fylth of synne: so ferforth that y ^e minde of it & al vnordeyned affeccyon of ony creature is so­deynly wasshen & wyped awaye. y ^t there is no mene let­tynge betwyxe Ihū and the soule but oonly the bobyly yfe: & then it is in ghostly rest / For why al paynful dowtes [Page] & dredes & all other temptacyons of ghostly enuyes are dryuen out of the herte y ^t they trowble not ne synke not therin for the tyme / It is in rest fro the noye of worlly besynes & paynfull taryenges of wycked styrynges. but it is full besye in the fre ghostly worchynge of loue / And the more it traueyleth so. the more reste he feleth /

This restful traueylle is full ferre fro flesshly ydlenes & blynde sykernes / It is ful of ghostly werke / but it is callyd reste / For grace looseth the heuy yocke of flesshly loue fro the soule & makyth it myghty & free thorugh the yeft of ghostly loue for to worche gladly softly and delec­tably in al thynge that grace styreth it for to worche in / And therfore it is called an holy ydlenes and a rest most besy. and so it is in inrewarde stylnes fro the grete cryē ge of the bestly noyse of flesshly desyres & vnclene thou­ghtes / This stylnes makyth Inspyracyon of the holy ghost in beholynge of Ihū / For why: His voyse is soo swete so myghty that it putteth sylenee in a sowle to Iā glynge of al other spekers: for it is a voys of vertue softly sowned in a clene soule of the whiche the prophete sayth thus / Uox dn̄i ī virtute / That is / The voys of our lorde Ihesu is in vertue / This voys is a lyfely worde & a spedy as the apostle sayth / Uiuꝰ est sermo dei et efficax et penetrabilior omni gladio / That is. quycke is y ^e worde of Iū & spedy. more perysshynge than ony swerde is / Thrugh spekynge of this worde is flesshly loue slayne & the soule kepte in scylēce fro al wycked styrynges / Apoc. Of this scilence it is sayd in the apocalips thus / Factū est scilenciū in celo quasi dimidia hora / Scylence was made ī heuē as it were an halfe houre / Heuen is a clene soule thrugh grace lyfte vp fro erthly loue to heuenly cōuersacōn & so it is in sylence / But for as moche as that scylence maye not laste hoole contynually for corrupcyon [Page] of the bodily kynde / Therfore it is lyckened to the tyme of halfe an houre / A full shorte tyme y ^e soule thinketh y ^t it is be it neuer soo longe / And therfore it is but an halfe houre / And thenne hath it pees in conscience / For why Grace puttyth out gnawynge prickynge & stryuynge & flyghtynge of synnes / And bryngeth in pees and accorde. & makyth Ihesu & a soule bothe one in ful accordaunce of wyll / ¶There is none vpbardynge of synnes: ne sharpe repreuyng of defawtes made y ^e tyme in a soule / For they haue kyssed and made frendes. and al is forgiuen y ^t was mysse done / Thus felyth the soule then with ful meke sikernesse and grete ghostly gladnesse / And cō ceyueth a ful grete boldnes of saluacyon by this accorde makynge / For it heryth a preuy wytnessynge in consciency of the holy ghost that he is a chosen sone to heuēly heritage Thus saynt poul sayth / Ipse spiritus testimonium pe [...]hibet spiritui nostro quontam filii dei sumus That is. The holy ghost berith wytnes to our spyryte y ^t we are goddis sones / This wytnessynge of conscience sothfastly felt thrugh grace is y ^e very Ioye of y ^e soule as y ^e apostle sayth / s. co (rum) ▪ Gloria mea est testimoniū conscientie mee / That is: my Ioye is y ^e wytnesse of my conscyēce & y ^t is whan it wytnessyth pees & acorde true loue & frēd­shyp betwyxe Ihū & a soule. And whan it is in this pees thenne is it in hyghnes of thoughte / Whan y ^• soule is bounden with loue of y ^e worlde then is it byne [...]h al creatures / For euery thynge ouergooth it & beryth it downe by maystry y ^t it maye not see Ihesu ne loue hym / For ryght as y ^e loue of the worlde is vayne & flesshly / Rygh so the beholdynge and thynkynge. and vsynge of all crea­tures is flesshly / And that is a thraldome of the sowle / ¶But then thrugh openyng of y ^e ghostly eye in to Ihū y ^e loue is torned / And y ^e sowle is receysed vp after hys [Page] owne kynde a boue all bodily creatures /

And then the beholdynge & thynkyng and the vsynge of hē is ghogly / For the loue is ghostly / The sowle hath then ful grete dysdeyne for to be buxom to loue of worldly thynges. for it is hyghe sette aboue hem thorugh gra­ce / It setteth noughte by al the worlde. for why: al shall passe & perysshe / vnto this hynes of herte whyle the soule is kepte therin comyth none errour ne deceyte of the fende: for Ihesu is fothfastly in syght of the soule that tyme & al thyng byneth hym / Of this y ^e prophete speketh thus / Accedat hō ad cor altū et exaltabitur deus. P. lxii.

Come man to hyghe herte & god shal be highed / That is a man y ^• thrugh grace comyth to the hyghnes of thoughte shal see that Ihū is oonly hyghed aboue all creatures. & he in hym / And then is y ^e soule aboue moche straū ged fro felyshyp of worldly louers / Though her body be in middes amōge hem. ful ferre ben they departed fro flesshly affeccions of creatures I chargeth not though it neuer se man ne speke with hym ne haue comforte of hym yf it mighte euer be soo in that ghostly felynge / It felyth so grete homlynes of the blessed presence of oure lorde Ihesu and somoche sauour of hym that it may lightly for his loue foryete y ^t flesshly affecccōn & the flesshly minde of al creatures / I saye not that it shal not loue ne thynke of other creatures. but I saye that it shal thynke on hem in time and see hem and loue hem ghostly & freely. not flesshly and paynfully as it dyde before / Of this oonlynes speketh the prophete thus / Ducam eam in so­litudine. oseexii et loquar ad cor eius / I shal lede her in to on̄ly stede. and I shal speke to her herte / That is: Grace of Ihū ledeth a soule fronoyous cōpany of flesshly desyres in to oonlynes of thought. and makyth it foryete the lykynge of the worlde and sowneth by swetnes of hys Inspyracyon [Page] wordes of loue in eeres of the herte / Oonly is a soule whan it loueth Ihesu and tentyth fully to him and hath loste the sauour and the conforte of the worlde And that it myghte better kepe this oonlynes it fleeth y ^e companye of all men yf it maye. And sechyth oonlynes of body: for that moche helpeth to oonlynes of the soule and to the free worchynge of loue / The lesse lettynge y ^t it hath wythout of vayne Ianglyng or wythin of vayn thynkynge the more free it is in ghostly beholdynge. & so it is in pryuyte of herte / Al wythout is a soule whiles it is ouerlayed and blynded with worldly loue / It is as comen as the hye waye for euery stirynge that cometh of the flesshe or of y ^e fende synketh in and gooth thorugh it / But thenne thrugh grace it is drawen in to the pre­uy chambre in to the syghte of oure lorde Ihesu. and hereth his preuy counseyle. And is wonderfully comforted in the herynge / Of this spekith the prophete thus / Secretum meum michi. secretum meum michi / My preuytee to me. my preuyte to me / That is. Isay. xxiiii. The louer of Ihū thrugh Inspyracyon of grace taken vp fro outwarde felynge of worldely loue and rauysshed in to the preuyte of ghostly loue yeldeth thankynge to hym sayē ge thus / My pryuete to me. That is. My lorde Ihū thy preuyte is shewed to me and preuyly hydde fro al louers of the worlde / For it is called hydde nanna. That may lightlyer be asked than tolde what it is / And that our lorde Ihesu behoteth to his louer sayenge thus / Dabo sibi manna absconditum quod nemo nouit nisi qui ac cipit / That is: Apoc. I shal yeue manna hidde that noo man knoweth but he that takith it / This manna is heuenly mete and angels fode as holy wrytte sayth / For angels are fully fede and fylled wyth clere syghte in brenuynge loue of oure lorde Ihesu. and that is māna / For we mo [Page] we aske what it is: but not wyte what it is / But y ^e louer of Ihū is not fylled yet here: but he is fedde by a lytyl taastynge of it whyles he is bounden in this bodyly lyfe /

This tastynge of this manna is a lyfly felynge of gra had thorugh openynge of the ghostly eye / And this grace is not an other grace that a chosen soule felyth in the begynnynge of his conuersyon: but it is the same and y ^e selfe grace: but it is otherwyse felt and shewed to a soule For why grace wexeth with the soule & the soule wexeth with grace / And y ^e more clene y ^t the soule is ferre depar­ted fro the loue of the worlde the more myghty is the grace: more in warde & more ghostly shewynge in the presē ce of our lorde Ihesu: so y ^t the same grace y ^t torneth hem fyrst too synnes: & makyth hem begynnynge & profytynge by yeftes of vertue & exercyse of good werkes maken hem also perfyte / And tha [...] grace is called a lyfly felyn­ge of grace. for he y ^• hath it felyth it wel. & knoweth well by experyence that he is in grace / It is full lyfly t [...] hym for it quyckneth the soule wonderfully & makyth it soo hole that it feleth no paynful dysease of the body though it be feble & sykly / For why. then is the body myghtyest moost hole & moost restful & the soule also. without thys grace the soule can not lyue but in payne: for it thynkith y ^t it myght euer kepe it & no thynge sholde put it awaye / And neuertheles yet it is not so. for it passeth awaye ful lyghtly / But neuertheles though the souereyne felynge passeth awaye & withdrawe. the reley fleneth styl & kep [...] th the soule in sadnes. & makyth it for to desyre y ^e comynge ayen / And this is also the waker slepe of the spouse: Cant v of the whiche holy wrytte sayth thus / Ego dormio & cormen̄ vigilat / I slepe & my herte wakyth / That is. I sle­pe ghostly whan thorugh grace the loue of the worlde is slayne in me and wycked styrynges of flesshly desyres [Page] are dede: somoche that vnethes I fele hem / I am not taryed with hem. my herte is made free / And then it wakyth. for it is sharpe and redy for to loue Ihū and see hym The more I slepe fro outwarde thynges y ^e more waker I am in knowynge of Ihesu & of In warde thynges / I maye not wake to Ihesu but yf I slepe to the worlde / And therfore y ^e grace of the holy ghost sperynge y ^e flessh­ly eye dooth the soule slepe fro worldly vanytee: and openynge the ghostly eye wakyth in to the syghte of goddys mageste helyd vnder the clowde of his precyous manhede / As the gospel saythe of the apostles whan they were with oure lorde Ihesu in his transfyguracyon / Fyrste they slepte / Et euigilantes viderūt magestatem / They wakynge sawe his mageste / By slepe of the apostles is vnderstonde deyenge of worldly loue thrugh Inspyra­ciō of the holy ghost. By her walkynge contemplacion of Ihesu / Thorugh this slepe the soule is brought in to reste fro noyse of flesshly luste / And thrugh walkinge it is reysed vp in to the syghte of Ihesu and gnost [...]ely [...]h [...]n­ges / The more that the eyen are spered in this [...] slepe fro the aperyte of erthly thynge. The sharper is the Inner syghte in louely beholdynge of heuenly fay [...]hede Thys slepynge and this wakynge loue worcheth thorughe the lyght of grace in the soule of the louer of our lorde Ihesu /

¶How specyal grace in beholdynge of our lorde Ihesu withdrawyth sōtyme fro a soule / And how a sowle shal haue her in the abs [...]ence and presence of Ihū / And how a soule shal desyre that in it is alwaye y ^e gracyous presē ce of Ihesu / Caplm̄ xli.

SHewe me then a soule that thorugh inspyracyon of grace hath openynge of the ghostly syght in to beholdyng of Ihū y ^• is departed & drawē out fro y ^e lo [...] [Page] of the worlde so ferforth that it hath puryte & pouerte of spyrite: ghostly rest: In warde scylence. & pees in conscyence: hyghnes of thought on̄lynes & pryuyte of hert: waker slepe of the spouse. that hath loste lykyng & Ioyes of y ^e worlde taken with delyte of heuēly sauour. euer threstynge: & softly shyghynge y ^• blessed presence of Ihū. & I dare hardly pronounce that this soule bren̄eth al in loue & shyneth in ghostly lyght worthy for to come to the na­me & to the worshyp of the spowse: for it is refourmed in felynge made able & redy to contemplacyon / Thyse are the tokens of Inspyracōn in openynge of y ^e ghostly eye For why whan the eye is opened the soule is in ful felynge of al thyse vertues before sayd for that tyme / Neuer­theles it falleth often tymes that grace withdrawyth in partye for corrupcōn of mannes freelte. & suffreth then the soule for to fal in to itself in flesshlyhede as it was beforne / And then is the soule in payne & in sorowe: for it is blynde & vnsauery & can no good / It is weyke & vn­myghty encōbred with the body & with al y ^e bodyly wyttes / It se [...]heth & desyreth after y ^e grace of Ihū ayen & it maye not fynde it / For holy wry [...] sayth of our lorde thꝰ Postqm̄ vultū suū absconderit non ē qui contēplat eū That is: After whan our lorde Ihū hath hydde his face there is none that maye beholde hym. whan he sheweth hym the soule may not vnsee hym. for he is lyght. & whā he hydeth hym it may not see hym for the soule is derke / His hydynge is but a subtyl assayenge of the soule / His shewynge is a wonder mercyfull goodnes in cōforte of the soule / Haue ye no wonder though the felynge of grace be withdrawe somtyme fro a louer of Ihū / For holy wrytte sayth y ^e same of the spouse that she fareth thus / Quesiui et non inueni illū. Cant. 3 vocaui et nō respondit mi­chi / I seched & I foūde hym not / I called & he answered [Page] not / That is: whan I fall downe to my frelte then grace withdraweth for my fallyng is cause therof. & not his fleeng / But then fele I peyne of my wretchydnes in his absence / And therfore I soughte hym by grete desyre of herte: & he yaue to me no feble answerynge / And then I cryed with al my soule / Cant. ꝯ Reuertere dilecte mi / Torne a­yen thou my loued / And yet it semyd as he herde me not The paynful felynge of myself & the assaylynge of flesshly loues & dredes in this tyme & y ^e wantyng of my ghostly strength is a contynuel cryenge of my soule to Ihesu. And neuertheles our lorde makyth straunge & comyth not crye I neuer so fast / For he is syker ynough of his louer y ^t he wol not torne ayen to worldly loue fully he may no sauour haue therin. & therfore abydeth he the lenger

But at the last whan he wol he comyth ayen ful of grace & of sothfastnes. & vysyteth the soule y ^e languyssheth in desyre by syghynges of loue to his presence. & to wchyth it & anoynteth it ful softly with the oyle of gladnes. & makyth it sodeynly hole fro al pyne: and then cryeth the soule to Ihesu in ghostly voys with a glad herte thus / Oleum effusum nomen tuum / Oyle yshedde is thy name / Thy name is Ihesu. Cant. i that is hele / Then aslonge as I fele my soule sore & syke for synne pyned with y ^e heuy burden of my body sory and dredynge for perylles and wretchydnes of this lyfe. so longe lorde Ihū thy name is oyle speryd not oyleshed to me / But whā I fele my sou [...]e sodeynly towched with the lyght of thy grace heled & softed fro all the fylthe of synne. & comforted in loue & in lyght with ghostly strength & gladnes vnspekable. then maye I saye with lusty louynge & ghostly myghte to the Oyle yshed is thy name Ihū to me / For by the affecte of thy grayous vysytynge I fele wel of thy name the true expownynge y ^• thou art Ihū heele. For oonly thy gracyous [Page] presence helyth me fro sorowe & fro syn̄e / Blessed is y ^• soule that is euer fedde in felyng of loue in his presēce. or is borne vp by desyre to hym in his absence / A wyse lo [...]er is he & wel taught y ^• sadly & reuereutly hath hym in his presence & louely beholdeth hym wythout dyssolute lyghtnes. and pacyently & easely beryth hym in his ab­sence without venemous dispeyre & ouer pynful bytternesse / This chaungabilyte of absence & presence of Ihū that a soule felyth is not perfeccyon of the soule. ne it is not ayenst the grace of perfeccyon or of contemplacyon but in so moche perfeccyon is the lesse / ¶For the more lettynge y ^• a soule hath of itself fro contynuel felynge of grace the lesse is the grace: and yet neuertheles is y ^e gra­ce in itself grace of contēplacyon / This chaungabylyte of absence & presence falleth as wel in the state of perfeccyon as in state of begynnynge: but in a nother maner: for ryght as there is dyuersyte of felynge in the presence of grace bytwex thyse two states. ryght so is there in the absence of grace / And therfore he that knoweth not the absence of grace is redy to be dysceyued / And he that kepith not the presence of grace is vnkynde to y ^e vysytyng whether he be in state of begynners or perfyte / Neuer­theles the more stablenes that there is in grace vnhur [...]e & vnbroken the louelyer is the soule and more lyke vnto hym in whom is no chaungabylyte as y ^e apostles sayth And it is ful [...]emely that the spouse be lyke to Ihū spouse in maners & in vertues ful acordynge to hym in stably­nes of pe [...]fyre loue / But y ^• falleth seeldom now here but in the specyal spouse / For he that perceyueth no chaūgabylyte in felyng of his grace but ylyke hole & stable vn­broken & vnhurt as hym thynketh. he is eytherful per­fyte or ful blynde / He is perfyte that is sequestyrde fro al flesshly affeccyons & comonynge of al creatures: and [Page] al meanes are broken awaye of corrupcyon & of syn̄e betwyx Ihū & his soule fully ooned to hym with softnes of loue / But this is on̄ly grace aboue mannys kynde /

He is ful blynde y ^t feyneth hym in grace without ghostly felynge of goddys Inspyracyon. & setteth hymself in a maner of stablynes as he were euer in felyng & in worchynge of specyal grace: demyng that al is grace that he dooth & felyth without & within. thynkynge that what so euer he do or speke is grace: holdyng hymself vnchaū gable in specyallyte of grace. If there be ony suche as I hope there be none: he is ful blynde in felynge of grace / Bu [...] then myght thou saye thus that we sholde loue on̄ ly in trouthe. Heb. x. & not coueyte ghostly felynges ne rewarde hem yf they come / For the apostle sayth / Iustꝰ ex fide viuit / That is: The ryghtwysman lyueth in trouthe. Unto this I say y ^• bodyly felynges ben they neuer so comfortable we shal not coueyte ne rewarde moche yf they co­me / But ghostly felynges suche as I spake of yf they come in the maner as I haue sayd before we sholde euer desyre: y ^t are sleenge of al worldly loue openyng of y ^• ghostly eye: puryte of spi [...]ite: pees of cōscience: & al other before sayd / We sholde coueyte to fele euer the lyfly Inspyracyon of grace made by y ^e ghostly presence of Ihū in our soule yf y ^t we myght. & for to haue hym in our syght with reuerēce. and euer fele y ^e swetnes of his loue by a wōderful homlynes of his presence / This sholde be our lyfe & our feling in grace after y ^e mesure of his yefte in whom al grace is. to some more & to some lesse / For his presen­ce is feled in dyuers manere wyse as he wouchith saaf / And in this we sholde lyue & worche that longeth to vs to worche. for wythout this we shold not cunne lyue / For ryghte as the soule is the lyfe of the body. ryghte soo is Ihesu the lyfe of the soule by his gracyous presence / [Page] And neuertheles this maner felynge be it neuer soo mo­che it is yet but trouth as in rewarde of that y ^• shal be of these Il [...]hesu in the blysse of heuen / Lo this felynge sholde we desyre for eueryche a soule resonable o wyth for to coueyte with al the myghtes of it nyghyng to Ihū & oonynge to hym thorugh felynge of his gracyous vnseable presence / How y ^• presence is feled it may better be knowen by experyence than by ony wrytynge. for it is the lyfe & the loue: the myght & the lyght / the Ioye & the reste of a chosen soule / And therfore he that hath ones sothfastly feled it maye not forbere it without payne he maye not vndesyre it it is so good in itselfe / and soo comfortable / what is more comfortable to a soule here than for to be drawe out thrugh grace fro the vyle noye of worldly be­lynesse & fylthe of desyres and fro vayne affeccyon of al creatures in to rest & softnes of ghostly loue pryuely perceyuynge y ^e gracyous presence of Ihesu felably fed wy­th sauour of his vnseable blessed face / Sothly ne thyn­ge me thynketh / No thynge maye make the soule of a louer ful of myrthe but the gracyous presence of Ihesu as he can shewe hym to a clene soule /

He is neuer heuy ne sory but whan he is with hymself in flesshlynes / He is neuer ful gladde ne mery but whan he is out of hymselfe as he was with Ihesu in his ghostlynes / And yet is that no ful myrthe. for euer there han­geth an heuy lūpe of bodyly corrupcyon on his soule: & bereth it downe & moche letteth y ^• ghostly gladnes. and y ^• must euer be whyles it is here in this lyfe but neuerthese for I speke of chaungabylyte of grace howe it comy [...]th & goth that thou mystake it not. therfore I meane not of the comyn grace that is had & felte in trouth & in good wyl to god without the whiche hauynge & lastynge therin no man maye be saaf. for it is in the leest chosen so u [...]e [Page] y ^• lyueth but I meane of specyal grace felt by Inspyracyon of y ^e holy ghost in the maner as it is before sayd / The comen grace that is charyte lasteth hole what so euer a man do aslonge as his wyll & his entente is true to god withoute the whiche hauynge & lastynge that he wolde not synne dedely. ne the dede y ^• he wylfully dooth is not forbede as for dedely synne / For this grace is not losts but for dedely syn̄e / And then it is dedely sȳne whan his concyence wytnesseth with a vysement that it is dedely synne / & yet neuertheles he dooth it or elles his conscyence is so blynded that he holdeth it no dedely syn̄e al though he doo the dede wylfully the whiche is forbode of god & holy chyrche as dedely synne / Specyal grace felt thru­gh the vnseable presence of Ihesu that makyth a soule a perfyte louer lastyth not euerylyke hole in the hyghnes of felyng. but chaūgably comyth & gooth as I haue sayd before / Thus our lorde sayth / Ioh. 3 Spūs vbi vult spirat & vocem eius audis & nescis vnde veniat aut quo vadat The holy ghost spyreth where he woll and thou herest his voys but thou wost not whā he comith ne whether he gooth / He comyth pryuely some tyme whan thou arte leest waar of hym: but thou shalt well knowe hym or thou go / For wōderfully he styryth & myghtyly torneth thin herte in to beholding of his godenes. and doth thin hert melte delectably as waxe ayenst y ^• fyre in to softnes of his loue. and this is the voys that he sowneth / But then he gooth or thou wote it for he withdrawyth hym sōwhat / nought in al: but fro excesse in to sobirte / The hyghnes passeth: but y ^e substaunce & theffectte of grace dwelleth stylle / And that is aslōge as y ^e soule of a louer kepyth hym clene / & falleth not wylfully to recheleshede or dissolucion in flesshlynes ne to outwarde vanyte. as somtym̄ it dooth though it haue no delyte therin for frelte [Page] of itself Of this chaūgabylyte ī grace speke I of now /

¶ A commendacyon of prayer offred to Ihū of a soule contemplatyfe / And how stablynes in prayer is a syker werke to stōde in / And how euery felynge of grace in a chosen soule may be sayd Ihū: but the more clenner the soule is the worthyer is the grace / Caplm̄. xlii.

THe soule of a man whyle it is not towched with specyal grace is blunt & boystous to ghostly werke & c [...] nought theron / It may not therof for weyknes of itself / It is both olde & drye. vndeuoute & vnsauery in itself / But thenne comyth the lyghte of grace. & thrugh towchyng makyth it sharpe & suptyl redy & able to ghostly werke: and yeueth it a grete fredom and an hole redynes in wyl for to be buxom to al the styrynge of grace redy for to worche after that grace styreth the soule / For by openynge of y ^e ghostly eye it is applyed al fully to grace redy to pray / And how the soule prayeth thenne shal I telle the / The moost specyal prayer that y ^• soule vseth and hath moost cōforte in I hope is the Pater noster. or elles psalmes of the sawter / The pater noster for lewde men. and psalmes & ympnes & other seruyce of holy chirche for lettred / The soule prayeth thenne not in maner as it dyde before in comyn maner of men by hyghnes of voys: or by renable spekynge oute. but in ful grete styl­nesse of voys & softnes of herte / For why. his mynde is not trowbled ne taryed with outwarde thynges but hole gadred togyder in itself / And the soule is set as it were in a ghostly presence of Ihū. and therfore euery worde & euery syllable is sowned sauerly swete & delectably with ful acorde of mouthe & of herte / For why the soule is torned then al in to fyre of loue / And therfore euery worde that it preuely prayeth is leke to a spercle springyng out of a fyre bronde y ^• chafeth al y ^e myghtes of the soule & torneth [Page] hē ī to loue. & lyȝtneth hē so cōfortably y ^t y ^e soule lyst euer for to pray & do none other thyng / The more it prayeth y ^e better it may y ^e myghtier it is / for grace helpeth y ^e soule wel & makyth al thyng lyght & easy y ^t it lyste ryght wel to psalme & synge the louynges of god with ghostly myrth in heuēly delyte / This ghostly werke is fode of y ^e soule. & this prayer is of moche vertue / For it wasteth & bryngeth to nouȝt al tēptacōns of y ^e fende preuy & a perte. it sleth al y ^e mynde & y ^e lykynge of y ^e worlde. & of flesshly syn̄es. it bereth vp y ^e body & y ^e soule fro paynful felynge of wretchydnes of this lyf / It kepyth y ^e soule ī felyng of grace & worchyng of loue: & norysshe it euer ylyke hote & fresshe as styckes norissheth fyre / It puttith awaye alyrkyng & heuynes of hert: holdeth it ī smight & ī ghostly gladnesse / Of this prayer spekyth dauyd thus / Dirigat oracio mea sicut insensū in conspectu tuo. That is: Dressed be my prayer lorde as encēce in thy sighte / For ryght as ensence y ^t is cast in y ^e fyre makyth a swete smel by y ^e reke styghyng vp to the ayre / ryght so a psalme sa­uourly & softly songe or sayd in a brennynge herte yeuy­th vp a swete smelle to y ^e face of our lorde Ihū: and to al the courte of heuen / There dare no flesshe flye rest vpon the pottes brynke boylynge on the fyre / Right soo may there no flesshly delyte reste vpon a clene soule y ^t is happed & warmed al in y ^e fyre of loue boylytige and blowinge psalmes & louynges to Ihū / This prayer is euer herde of Ihesu / It yeldyth grace to Ihesu / And receyueth grace agayne / It makyth a soule homely & felowly with Ihū. and wyth alle the angels of heuen / Use it who soo maye. The werke is good and gracyous in itselfe / And though it be not al fully contemplacyon. in itselfe ne the werkyng of loue by itselfe / Neuerthelesse it is a parte of contemplacyon / For why: It maye not be doone on [Page] this maner wyse but in plentee of grace thrugh openinge of the ghostly eye / And therfore a soule that hath this fredom and thys gracyous felynge in prayenge wyth ghostly sauour and heuenly delyte hath the grace of contemplacyon in maner as it is / This prayer is a ryche off [...]ynge fylled al in fatnes of deuocion: receyued by angels and presented to the face of Ihesu / The prayer of other men that are besy in actyf werkes is made of two wordes. For they oft tymes fourmeth in her hertes one worde thrugh thynkyng of worldly besynes. & sownen in her mouth a nother worde of y ^e psalme songe or sayd / And not for that. yf her entente be true yet is her prayer good & medeful though it lacke sauoure & swetnes / But this manere of a man cōtemplatyfe is made but of one worde. for as it is fourmed in y ^e herte righte soo hooly it sowneth in the mouth. as it were noughte but one thynge that fourmyth & sowneth / And sothly nomore it is / For the soule thrugh grace is made hole in itselfe so ferre departee fro the flesshlyhede that it is mayster of the body. and thn̄e is the body noughte elles but as an In­strumente & a trōpe of the soule in the whyche the soule blowith swete notes of ghostly louynges to Ihū / This is the trompe that Dauyd spoke of thus / P. lxxx Buccinate in neomenia tuba in insigni die solēpnitatis vestre / Blowe ye wyth a trompe in the newe mone / That is ye soules that are refourmed in ghostly lyft thrugh openynge of the Inner eye. Blowe ye deuoutly sownynge psal­mes wyth the trompe of your bodily tonge / And therfore for this prayer is plesa [...]nte to Ihesu and soo profytable to the soule: Thenne it is good to hym that is newe torned to god what that he be that wolde pleyse hym / And coueyteth to haue some queynt felyng of grace for to coueyte this felynge. That he myght thrugh grace [Page] come to this lyberte of spyryte. & offre his prayers & his psalmes to Ihesu contynuelly: & stably & deuoutly with hole mynde & brennyng affeccōn in hym to haue it nere hōde in custome whā grace wol styre hym therto. This is a syker felynge & a sothfast / If thou may come therto & holde it the dare not renne aboute here & there: and axe questyons of euery ghostly man what thou sholde do howe thou shalte loue god: and how thou shalt serue god & speke of ghostly maters y ^t passen thy knowynge as per­chaunce some done / That maner of doynge is not full profytable but yf more nede make it: Kepe y ^• to thy prayers stylly fyrste with traueyle y ^t thou myght come afterwarde to this restful felynge of ghostly prayer: and that shal teche the wysdome ynough sothfastly without fey­nynge or fantasye. and kepe it fourth yf they haue it & leue it not: but yf grace come other wyse & woll remoue it fro the for a tyme and make y ^e for to worche on a nother mane [...]. then maye thou leue it for a tyme & after torne a­yen therto / And he that hath this grace in prayer asketh not wherupon he shal sette the poynte of his thought in his prayer whether vpon the wordes that he sayth or elles on god or on the name of Ihū as some aske: for the felynge of grace techyth hym wel ynough /

¶For why the soule is torned in to the eye and sharply beholdeth the face of Ihū. & is made syker that it is Ihū y ^• it felyth & seeth / I meane not Ihū as he is in hymself in fulnes of his blessed godhede. but I meane Ihesu as he wol shewe hym to a clene sowle holden in body after the clennesse that it hath / For wyte thou wel that euery [...]he a felynge of grace is Ihesu & maye be called Ihesu / And after that the grace is more or lesse so felyth the soule more or lesse Ihesu / ye the fyrste felynge of specyal gra [...]e in a begynner that is called grace of compun [...] yon & [Page] contricyon for his synnes is verily Ihū: for whythe maketh y ^e contrycyon in a soule by his presence / But Ihū is thēne ful boystously and rudely felte. ful ferre fro his ghostly subtylte: for the soule can noo better ne maye no better for vnclennesse of itselfe thenne / Neuertheles afterwarde yf y ^e soule profyte & encrease in vertues and in clennes the same Ihesu and none other is seen and felt of the same soule whan it is towched with grace / but y ^t is more ghostly nere to the godly kynde of Ihesu / And sothly y ^t is the moost thynge that Ihesu loueth in a foule that it myght be made godly and ghostly in syghte and in loue lyke to hym in grace to that y ^• he is by kynde. for that shal be the ende of all louers /

Then mayste thou be syker that what tyme that thou felyste thy soule styred by grace specyally in that maner as it is before sayd by openynge of thy ghostly eye thou seest and feleste Ihū / Holde hym faste whyle thou may & kepe the in grace: and lete hym nought lyghtly fro the Loke after none other Ihesu but that same by felynge of that selfe grace more godly that it myghte wexe in the more and more / And drede the nought thouȝ Ihū that thou felyst be not Ihesu as he is in his full godhede that thou sholdest therfore mowe be deceyued yf thou lened to thy felynge: but truste thou well yf thou be a louer of Ihesu that thy felyng is true and that Ihesu is truly felte & seen of the thorugh his grace as thou may se hym here / And therfore leue fully to thy felynge whan it is gracyous and ghostly. & kepe it tenderly. & haue grete deyn­te not of thyselfe but of it. that thou myghte see: and fe­le Ihesu euer better & better / For grace shall euen techethe by itself yf thou wol falle therto tyll thou come to the ende / But perchaunce thou begynnest to wonder why I saye one tyme y ^t grace worchyth al this. & on a nother [Page] tym y ^t loue worchyth or god worchyth. Unto this I saye th [...] y ^t whan I say y ^e grace worcheth I meane loue. Ihesu: and god. for al is one. and noughte but one / Ihū is loue Ihesu is grace. Ihesu is god / And for he worcheth all in vs bi his grace for loue as god therfore may I vse what worde of thyse iiii. that me lyst after my styrynge in this writynge /

¶How a soule thrugh the openynge of the ghostly eye receyueth a gracous loue able to vnderstōde holy wryt And how Ihesu that is hydde in holy wryt shewyth him selfe to his louers Caplm̄ xliii

THen the soule of a louer felyth Ihū in prayer in the maner before sayd. & thynkyth y ^• it wolde neuer fele otherwyse / Neuertheles it falleth that somty­me grace putteth scilence to vocal prayeng: and styreth the sowle to see and to fele / Ihesu in a nother maner / And that maner is fyrste to see Ihū in holy wrytt / For Ihū that is al sothfastnes is hidde and heled therin woundē in a [...]ofte sendyle vnder fayr wordes that he may not be know ne felte but of a clene h [...]rte / For why: soth­fastnes woll not shewe itselfe to enmyes but to frendes that loue & desyre it wyth a meke herte. for sothfastnes and mekenes arne ful true systers fastned togyder in loue and charite / and therfore is there noo lenynge of counseylle betwyxe hem two / Mekenes presumyth of sothfastnes and noo thynge of itselfe. And sothfastnes tro wyth well on mekenes: and soo they accorden wonder well / Thenne for as moche as a sowle of a louer is made meke thrugh inspyracyon of grace by openynge of the ghostly eye: and seeth that it is noughte of itselfe / But oonly hāgeth in y ^e mercy an [...] the godenes of Ihū lastyngly is borne vp by fauour & helpe of hym on̄ly / & truly desyrynge y ^e presēce of hym therfore seeth it Ihū / [Page] For it seeth sothfastnes of holy wrytte wonderly shewed and opened aboue studye and traueyle & reason of mannes kyndly wyt / And that maye wel be called the felyn­ge and the perceyuynge of Ihesu / For Ihesu is welle of wysdome. and by a lytyl heeldynge of his wysdom in to a clene soule he maketh the soule wyse ynough for to vnderstonde al holy wrytte. not al at ones in specyal beholdynge: but thorugh that grace the soule receyueth a ne­we ablynes and a gracyous habyte for to vnderstonde it specyally whan it comyth to mynde. This openynge and this clernesse of wytte is made by the ghostly presence of Ihesu / For ryghte as the ghospel sayth of ii. dyscy­ples goynge to the castel of Emaus brennynge in desy­re and spekynge of our lorde Ihesu: Luc. xiiii. our lorde appered to hem presently as a pylgryme and taught hem y ^e prophecyes of hymself / And as the gospel sayth / Apperuit illis sensum vt intelligerent scripturas / He opened to hem clernesse of wytte y ^t they myght vnderstonde holy wry­tynge / Ryght so the ghostly presence of Ihesu openyth the wytte of his louer that it brenneth in desyre to hym: and bryngeth to his mynde by mynystracyon of angels the wordes and the sentences of holy wrytte vnsoughte and vnauysed one after a nother. and expowneth hem redyly be they neuer so harde ne so preuy /

The harder that they ben and ferder fro mannes resonable vnderstondynge the more delectable is the treue shewynge of hem / Whan Ihesu is mayster it is expow­ned and declared lytterally: morally: mystyly: and heuē ly: yf the mater suffre it / By letter that is lyghteste and moost playne is bodyly kynde comforted / By moralte of holy wrytte the soule is infourmed of vyces and ver­tues wysely to cunne departe y ^e one fro that other / By mystyhede it is illumined for to see the werkes of Ihesu [Page] in holy chirche. redily for to applye the wordes of holy wrytte to cryst our hede: and to holy chirche that is hys mysty body / And the fourth y ^t is heuenly longeth oonly to the worchynge of loue / And that is whā alle sothfastnes in holy writte is applyed to loue / And for that is mooste lyke to heuenly felynge therfore I calle it heuenly / The louer of Ihesu is his frende. not for he hath de­serued it: but for Ihū of his mercy ful goodnes makyth hym his frēde by true accorde / And therfore as to a true frende that pseyseth hym wyth loue. not serueth him by drede as a thralle: Ioh xv he shewyth his preuyte / Thꝰ he saith hymselfe to his apostles / I am vos dixi amicos qr que­cun (que) audiui a patre meo nota feci vobis / Now I saye that ye are frendes / For I make knowen to you al thynges that I haue herde of my fader / To a clene soule that hathe y ^e palet puryfyed from fylthe of flesshly loue holy wrytte is lyfely foode and sustenaunce delectable /

¶It sauoureth wonder swetely whā it is wel chewed by ghostly vnderstondynge / For why. the spyryte of lyffe is hydde therin that quyckenyth al the myghtes of y ^e sowle / and fylleth theym ful of swetnesse of he [...]enly sa­uoure and ghostly delyte / But sothly hym nedeth to haue whyte teeth and sharpe & wel pycked that sholde by­te of this ghostly brede / For flesshly louers and herytykes maye not towche y ^• Inwarde floure of it / Her teeth are blody and ful of fylthe. therfore they ben fasting fro felynge of this brede / By teeth are vnderstonde the Inly wyttes of the soule / the whiche in flesshly louers and in heretykes ben blody full of synne and of worldly va­nytees / They wolde and they can not come by curyosi­te of her kyndly wytte to the sothfastnes in knowynge of holy wrytte. for her wytte is corrupte by original sinne and actuell also. And is not yet helyd thrugh grace. And therfore they do but gnawe vpō y ^e barke wythout speke they neuer soo moche therof / The Inner sauour [Page] within they fele not of / They ben not meke they ben not clene for to see it / They ben not frendes to Ihesu. & therfore he sheweth hem not his coūseyle / The preuyte of holy wryt is closed vnder a keye seled with a sygnet of Ihesus fynger: y ^t is the holy ghost / And therfore withouten his loue & his leue may no man come in / He hath on̄ly y ^e keye of cūnynge in his kepynge as holy wryt sayth / & he is keye hymself / And he letteth ī whom he wolby Inspyracyon of his grace. & breketh not the selle. & y ^t doth Ihū to his louers / Not to alylyke / but to hem y ^t are specyally Inspyred for to seke sothfastnes in holy wryt with gre­te deuocōn in prayenge. & with moche besynes in studyenge goynge before / Thyse maye come to the fyndynge when our lorde Ihū wyl shewe it / See now then̄e how grace openeth the ghostly eye & clereth y ^e wyt of the soule wonderly aboue the freelte of corrupte kynde / It yeue­th y ^e soule a newe ablenes whether it wol rede holy wryt or here or thynke it for to vnderstonde it truely & sauourly y ^t sothfastnes of it in y ^e maner before sayd / And for to torne redely al reasons & wordes y ^t are bodyly sayd in to ghostly vnderstondyng. & y ^t is no grete merueyle / For y ^e same spyryte expownyth it & declareth it in a clene sou­le in comfort of it y ^t fyrst made it. & that is the holy ghost / And this grace maye be & is aswel in lewde as in lettred men as anenstes the substaūce & the true felynge of soth fastnes & the ghostly sauour of it in general though they see not so many reasons in specyal: for that nedeth not And whan y ^e soule is thus abled & lyghtned thrugh grace. then it lyste for to be alone somtyme out of lettyng or comonynge of al creatures that he myght freely assaye his Instrument that I calle his reason in beholdynge of sothfastnes that is conteyned in holy wryt / And thenne there fal to mynde wordes & reasons & sentēces ynough to occupye hym in ful ordynate & full sadly / And what comforte & ghostly delyte: sauour & swetnes a soule may [Page] fele then in his ghostly werke thrugh dyuers Illumynacyons: Inly perceyuynges: preuy knowynges & sodeyn towchynges of the holy ghost by assaye the soule maye wyte & elles not / And I hope that he shal not erre be so y ^• his teeth that ben his In warde wettes be kepte whyte & clene fro ghostly pryde & fro curyosyte of kyndly wyt / I hope that Dauyd felt ful grete delyte in this maner werke whan he sayd thus / co (rum) xiii Qm̄ dulcia faucibꝭ meis eloquia tuasuper mel ori meo / How swete are thy spekinges lorde Ihū to my chekes ouer hony to my mouth / That is: Lorde Ihū thyn holy wordes endyted in holy wryt brought to my mynde thrugh grace are swetter to my chekes y ^t are y ^e affeccōns of my soule than hony is to my mouth Sothly this is a fayre werke wythoute paynful traueille for to see Ihesus thus / This is one maner of syght of Ihū as I sayde before / Not as he is: but clothed vnder lykenes of werkes & of wordes / Perspeculum in enig­mate / By a myrroure & by a lyckenesse / As the appostle sayth / Ihesu is endeles myght wysdome and goodnes: Ryght wysnesse: sooth fastnesse: holynesse. and mercy / And what this Ihesu is in hymselfe maye noo soule seene here. But by effecte of his worchyng he maye be seen thrugh the lyght of grace. as thus / His myght is seen by makyng of al creatures of nought. his wysdome inordinate disposynge of hem: his goodnes in sauyng of hem his mercy in foryeuenes of synnes. his holines in yeftes of grace: his right wynes in harde punysshyng of synne his softnes in true rewardynge of good werkes / And al this is expressed in holy wrytt. And this seeth a soule in holy wrytte with al other accydentes that fallen herto / And wyte thou wel that suche gracyous knowynges in holy wrytte or in other wrytynge that is made thorugh grace are noughte elles but swete letters sēden and made betwyx a louynge soule and Ihesu loued / Or elles yf I shall saye sothlyer betwyxe Ihesu y ^e true louer and the [Page] soules loued of hym / He hath ful gret tendernes of loue to al his chosen chyldern y ^• are here closed in clay of this bodily lyf / And therfore though he be absent fro hē hygh hyd aboue in y ^e bosō of y ^e fader fulfylled in delyces of y ^e blessed god hede yet notwithstōdyng he thynketh vpon hē & vysyteth hē ful oft thrugh his gracyous ghostly presence & cōforteth hē by his letters of holy wryt. & dryue­th out of her hertes heuines & werines: dowtes & dredes & maketh hem glad & mery in hym truly. trowyng to al his behetynges & mekely abidyng fulfyllyng of his wyl Saynt poul sayth thus / Ro. v Quecū (que) scripta sūt ad nostrā doctrinā scripta sūt vt per consolacionē scriptura (rum) sp̄e habeamus / Al y ^e is wryten to our techynge it is wryten y ^t by cōforte of wrytynge we myght haue hope of salua­cyon / And this is a nother werke of cōtemplacōn for to see Ihū in scryptures after openyng of the ghostly eye / The clenner the syght is in beholdyng. y ^e more cōforted is the affeccyon in tastynge / A ful lytyl sauour felte in a clene soule of holy wryt in this maner before sayd shold make the soule set lytyl pryce by knowyng of al y ^e vii. artes. or of al the worlde / of al worldly cūnynges / For the ende of this knowynge is saluacōn of a man̄es soule in euerlastynge lyf. & the ende of that other as for hemselfe is but vanytee & a passynge delyte. but yf they be torned thrugh grace to this ende /

¶Of the pryuevoys of Ihesu sownyng in a soule wherby it shall be knowen / And how al the gracyous Illuminacōns made in a soule ben called the spekynges of Ihū / Caplm̄. xliiii.

LO thyse are fayre newe felynges in a clene sou­le. & yf a sowle were fulfylled with suche it myȝe be layd. And sothly y ^t is were refourmed somwhat in fe­lyng: but not yet fully / For why: yet Ihesu sheweth more and ledeth the soule Inner. And begynneth to speke more homely and more louely to a soule thenne to folow the styryng of grace / For the prophete sayth / Quocū (que) [Page] [...]hat spiritus illuc gradiebantur et rote sequentes cum / Eze. i. wheder so yede y ^e spyryte thider yede y ^e whyles folowynge him / By wheles are vnderstōde y ^e true louers of Ihū For they are roūde ī vertue wythout angyle of frowardenes. and lyghtly whyrlyng thorugh redynesse of wyl to the styryng of grace / For after that grace styreth and techeth. so they folowe & worche as the prophete sayth / But they haue fyrste a full siker assaye and a true kno­wyng of the voys of grace or they maye do so that they be not deceyued by her owne feynyng or by the myddaie fende / Our lorde Ihesu sayth thus of his louers / Oues meevocem meā audiunt et cognosco eas et cognoscunt me mee / My shepe heren my voys & I knowe hem and they knowe me / The preuy voys of Ihesu is ful true. Ioh. x & it makyth a soule true / There is no feynyng in it ne fantasye ne pryde ne ypocrysy / But softnesse: mekenesse: pees: loue: and charyte. And it is ful of lyfe loue & grace And therfore whan it sownyth in a sowle it is of so grete myghte sometyme that y ^e soule [...]odeynly layeth of honde al that there is. prayenge. spekyng: redynge or thynkyn in the manere before sayd. & al maner bodily werke and lystnyth therto fully herynge & preceyuynge in rest and in loue the swete steuen of this goostly voys as. it were rauysshed fro y ^e mynde of al erdely thynges / And then̄e some tyme sheweth Ihū in this pees hymselfe as an ha­wtful mayster and somtyme as a reuerent fader: and sō tyme as a louely spouse / And it kepyth a soule in a wonderfull reuerence & in a louely beholdynge of hym that the soule like [...]h wel thenne. and neuer so wel as thenne / For it felyth so grete sykernesse and so grete reste in Ihū and so moche fauour of his goodnes that it wolde euer be so and neuer do other werke / It think [...]th that it touchith Ihū and thrugh vertue of y ^e vnspekable touchynge it is made hole & stable in itself reuerently beholdyng on̄ly Ihū. as yf there were no thynge but Ihū oo thyng [Page] and he a nother. borne vp oonly by the sauour & y ^e wondful goodnes of hym y ^• is that thynge y ^• he felyth & seeth / And this felynge is ofte tymes without specyall behol­dynge of holy wryt. ne but with fewe wordes formyd t̄ the herte. nought but thus amonge fallen in swete wordes accordynge to the felyng. eyther louyng or worshyppyng or wondryng. or otherwyse sownyng as the herte lykyth / The soule is full moche departed fro loue or ly­kyng of y ^e worlde thrugh vertue of this gracyous felyn­ge / And also fro mynde of the worlde moche in y ^e meane tyme / It takith none hede therof for it hath no tym̄ therto / But then sōtyme anone with this fallyth in to a soule dyuers Illumynacōns thrugh grace. y ^• whiche Illu­mynacōns I cal the spekynges of Ihū & y ^e syght of ghostly thynges / For wyte thou wel y ^e al the besynes y ^t Ihū makyth aboute a soule. is for to make it a true perfyte spouse to hym in the hynes & fulnes of loue. And y ^t may not be done so sodēly therfore Ihū y ^t is loue & of al louers the wysest assayeth by many wyses & by many wonderful meanes or it may come about / And therfore y ^t it my­ght come to theffecte of true spousage he hath suche gracyous spekynges this maner of a wower to a chosē soule / He sheweth his preuy Iewels. moche thyng he gyueth & more he beheteth. & curteys dalyunce he shewyth / Ofte he vysiteth with moche grace & ghostly cōforte as I before sayd / but how he dooth thys in specyal al fully can I not tel the for it nedeth not / Neuertheles sōwhat shal I saye after that grace styreth / The drawynge of a soule fully to perfyte loue is fyrst by y ^e shewyng of ghostly thynges to a clene soule whan y ^e ghostly eye is openid not that a soule sholde rest therin. & make an ende there but by y ^e seche hym & loue hym on̄ly that is hyghest of al without ony beholdyng of ony other thynge than hym­self / But what are thyse ghostly thynges sayest thou. for I speke ofte of ghostly thynges / To this I auswere and [Page] saye. that ghostly thynge maye be sayd al y ^• sothfastnes of holy wrytte / And therfore a soule that thrugh lyght of grace maye see the sothfastnes of it. it seeth ghostly thinges as I haue before sayd /

¶How thrugh gracyous openynge of the ghostly eye a soule is made wyse mekely & sothfastly to se y ^e dyuersyte of degrees in holy chyrche as trauelyng / And for to see angels kynde & fyrst of repreued / Caplm̄ xlv

NEuertheles other ghostly thinges there ben also y ^e whiche thrugh lyght of grace are shewed of y ^e soule. and are thyse / The kynde of al resonable soules. & the gracyous worchynge of our lorde Ihesu in hem / The kynde of angels blessed & reproued & her worchynge and the knowynge of y ^e blessyd trynyte after y ^e grace techith / Holy wrytte sayth ī y ^e boke of songes of y ^e spouse thus / Surgā & circuibo ciuitatē & querā quē diligit aīa mea / I shal ryse & I shal goo aboute the cyte & I shal seche hym that my soule loueth / That is: Cant. [...] I shal ryse ī to highnes of thought & go aboute the cyte / By this cyte is vnderstōde y ^e vnyuersyte of al creatures bodily & ghostly ordeyned & ruled vnder god by lawes of kynde of reason & of grace / go aboute this cyte whan I beholde the kyndes & the cause of bodely creatures the yeftes of grace & the blyssis of gostly creatures. and in al thise I seche hym that my soule loueth / It is foyre lokynge with the Inner eye on Ihū in bodily creatnres for to see his myght: his wysdome & his goodnes ī ordynaūce of her kynde: but it is moche fayrer loking on Ihū iu ghostly creatures / Fyrst in resonable soules goth chosen & reproued to see the mercyful calynge of him to chosen. how he torneth hē fro syn̄e by lyght of his grace. how he helpeth hē techeth hem: chastyth hē. confortith hem. he righteth he clenseth he fedeth. how he maketh hem brēnyng in loue & in lyght by plente of his grace / And thus dooth he not to one soule on̄ly but to al his chosen after mesure of his [Page] grace / Also of al reproued how ryghtfully he forsakyth hem and leueth hem in her syn̄es & dooth hem no wronge / How he rewardeth hem in this worlde suffrynge hē to haue the fulfilling of her wyll & after to punyssh hem endlesly / Lo this is a lytyll beholdynge of holy chyrche whiles it is in trauelyng in this lyfe to seen how blacke And how fowle it semyth in soules that are reproued: how fayre and how louely it is in chosen soules /

And al this ghostly syghte is nought elles but [...]he syghte of Ihesu. Not in hymselfe but in his mercyfull preuy werkes & in his ryghtwyse domes euery daye shewed & remembred and renewed to resonable soules Also ouer this to se with the ghostly eye the paynes of reproued: & y ^e Ioye & the blysse of chosen sowles it is ful confortable For sothfastnes may not be seen ī a clene soule without grete delyte & wonderful softnes of blessyd brennyng loue / Also the syght of angels kynde: fyrste of dampned & after that of the blessed. It is a ful fayr contemplacyon of the fende in a clene soule whan grace bryngeth the fē de to the syghte of the soule as a clumsid caytyf bounden with the myght of Ihū that he maye not dere / Thenne the soule beholdeth hym not bodyly but ghostly seenge his kynde and his malyce. & torneth hym vp soo downe and spoyleth hym and renteth hym all to noughte. scorneth hym & dyspyseth hym and setteth noughte by his malyce. Thus biddeth holy wrytte whan it sayth thus Uerte impium et non erit / Torne the wycked: ꝓuer. xxii. that is the fende vp soo downe and he shal be as noughte. Moche wonder hathe the soule that the fende hath so moche malice and so lytyll myghte. There is noo creature soo vnmyghty as he is. and therfore it is a grete cowardnes se that men dreden hym so moche. He maye noo thynge doo withoute leue of oure lorde Ihesu not soo moche as entre in to aswyne as the gospell sayth / Moche lesse maye he doo thenne to noye ony man / ¶And thenne [Page] yf our lord Ihesu gyue hem leue to tarye vs it is ful worthily & mercyfully done that our lorde Ihū doth. & ther­fore welcome be our lorde Ihesu by hymselfe & by al his messengers / The soule dredeth nomore than y ^e blustrynge of the [...]ende than y ^e styrynge of a mows / wōder wro­th is y ^e fende yf he durst say nay. but his mouth stopped wyth his owne malyte. his hondes are boside as a the yf worthy to be demid & hanged in helle / And then̄e y ^e soule accusyth hym & ryȝtfully demyth hym after y ^t he hath deserued: co (rum). vi wond not oī this sayeng. for saynte poul meaned y ^e same whā he sayd thus / Frēs nescitis qm̄ anglōs iudicabimus / Brethern wote ye not well y ^• we shall deme angels y ^t are wycked spyrytes thrugh malyce y ^t we­re made gode angels by kynde / As who sayth yes / This demynge is fygured before the dome in coutēplatyf soules / For they fele a lytyl tasting in lykenes of all y ^t shall be done afterwarde of our lorde Ihū openly in sothfastnes shamyd & shent is y ^e fēde gretly in hymself whan he is thus fared with a clene soule. He wolde fayn fle a way & he maye not for y ^e myȝte of y ^e hiest holdeth hym styll. & y ^e greuyth hym more than al the fyre of helle. wonder mekely fallith y ^e soule to Ihū thenne wyth hertly louinges that he somiȝtly saueth a simple soule fro al malice of so fel a enmye by his grete mercy.

¶How by the same lyghte of grace y ^e blessed angels kynde maye be seē And how Ihū is god & man aboue all creatures after y ^• the soule mage see hym here / Caplm̄. xlvi.

ANd then after this by the self lyght may the soule see ghostly y ^e fayrhede of angels y ^e worthines of hem in kynde. the subtylte of hem in substa unce: the cōfermynge of hem in grace. & y ^e fulnesse of endles blise the soūdryhede of orders the dystynccōns of persones how they lyue all in lyght of sothfastnes endles. & how they brēne al in loue of the holy ghost after y ^e worthynes of orders. how they see and loue & prayse Ihū in blessyd [Page] rest without ceesynge / There is no syght of body: ne no figure in ymaginacyon in this maner worching but al ghostly. & of ghostly creatures / Then begynneth y ^e soule to haue grete aqueyntaūce of y ^e blessed spirytes & a gret felyshyp / They are ful tēder & ful besy about suche a soule to helpe it / They are maysters to teche it & often thrugh her ghostly presence & towchyng of her lyght dryuen out fantasyes fro y ^e soule: & they Illymyn y ^e soule g [...]acy­ously. they cōfort y ^e soule by swete wordes sodenly sow­ned ī a clene herte / And yf ony dysease falle ghostly they seruen the soule & mynystre to it al that it nedeth / Thus Hebr̄. isaynt poul said of hē / Nonne oēs sunt administratorii sp̄us missi propter eos q hereditatē capiūt salutis / wote ye not wel y ^t holy spyrites are minysters sente of Ihū for hem y ^t taken y ^e herytage of helth / Thyse are chosen sou­les: as who saith yes / For wyte thou wel y ^t al this gostly worchyng of wordes & of reasons brouȝt to y ^e mynde. & suche fair lykenes are made bi the mynistery of angels whā y ^e lyght of grace abūdantly shineth in a clene [...]oule It may not be tolde by [...]ōge y ^e felynges y ^e lyght nynges y ^e graces & the cōfortes in specyal y ^e clene soules perceyue thrugh fauourable felyshyp of blessed angels / The soule is wel at ease with hem to beholde how they done y ^t it wolde tende to no thyng elles. But then̄e wyth y ^e helpe of y ^e angel yet the soule seeth more for knowynge ryseth aboue al this in a clene sowle / And y ^t is to beholde y ^e bles­sed kynde of Ihū / Fyrst of his gracyous māhede how it is hyghed worthily aboue al angels kynde. & then after of his blessyd godhede / For by knowyng of creatures is knowen the creatur. & then begynneth y ^e soule to preceyue a lytyl of the preuytees of the blessed trynyte▪ It maye wel ynough for lyght of grace goth before. & therfore she shal not erre aslonge as she holdeth her with the lyghte / Thenne is it opened sothfastly to y ^e eye of the soule the on̄ly hede in substaunce & dystynccōn of persones in the [Page] blessyd trynite as it maye be seen here. and moche other sothfastnes of y ^e blessid trinyte pertynent to this mate­re: the whiche is openly declared & shewed by writynge of holy doctours of holy chyrche / And wyte thou well y ^e the same & the self sothfastnes of y ^e blyssyd trinyte y ^t thi­se holy doctours Inspyred thrugh grace wryten in her bokes in strēgthing of our trouth a clene soule maye see in knowyng thrugh y ^e self lyght of grace / I wol not ex­presse tomoche of this mater here specyally for it nedeth not / wond grete loue felith y ^e soule with heuēly delyte in felyng of this sothfastnes whā it is made thrugh specyal grace. for loue & lyght goth bothe togyder ī a clene soule / There is no loue y ^t riseth of knowyng and of specyal beholgyng y ^t maye towche soner oure lorde as this loue maye / For why: this knowyng is worchiest & hyeste in itself on̄ly of Ihū god & man yf it be specyally shewed by y ^e lyght of grace / and therfore is y ^e fyre of loue flaming of this more bren̄yng than it is of knowyng of ony creature bodily or ghostly. & al thise gracyoꝰ knowynges felyd in a soule of y ^e vnyuersyte of al creatures in manere before sayd. & of our lorde Ihū maker & keper of all this fayr vnyuersyte. I calle hē fayr wordes & swete spekynges of our lorde Ihū to a soule y ^t whiche he wol make his true spouse / He shewith preuytees & profereth ryche yeftes of his tresour: & arayeth the soule with hē ful honestly / She nede not be ashamed with y ^e cōpany of her fel [...] ­wes to apere afterwarde to the face of Ihū her sponse / Al this louely daliaunce of preuy speche bytwyxe Ihesu and a soule maye be called an hidde worde. Iob iiii of y ^t whiche holy wrytte sayth thus / Porto ad medcin̄i est verbum scondi [...]um et ve [...]as susurru percepit auris mea / Sothly to me is sayde an hydde worde and the veynes of hys rownynges myn eere hathe perceyued / The inspyracyon of Ihesu is an hydde worde. For it is preuyly hydde frome all louers of the worlde and [Page] shewed to his louers thrugh whiche a clene soule perceyueth redily y ^e veynes of his rownyng that are specyally shewenges of his sothfastnes / for eueryche gracyous knowynge of sothfastnes felt with Inly saudur & ghostly delyte is a preuy rownyng of Ihesu in y ^e ere of a clene soule / Hym behoueth to haue moche clēnes & mekenes & al other vertues / & to be halfe deyf to noys of worldly Ianglyng that shold wysely perceyue thise swete ghost­ly rownynges y ^t is y ^e voys of Ihū / Of y ^t whiche dauyd sayth thus / Uox dn̄i preparantis ceruos et reuelabit cō dēsa / The voys of our lord ihū arayeng hertes & he shal shew thycke / That is: P. the Inpyracyon of Ihū makyth soules lyȝt as hertes y ^t sterten fro ther [...]he ouer busshes & breres of al worldly vanyte. & he sheweth to hē y ^e thicke y ^t are his prenites y ^t may not be perceyued but by sharpe eye / Thise beholdinges sothfastly groūded in grace & ī meknes maketh a soule wyse & brēnyng ī desyre to y ^e fa­ce of Ihū / Thise are y ^e ghostly thinges y ^t I spake of before: & they bē called new gracyoꝰ felīges & I do but touch hē a lytyll for wyssinge of y ^e soule / For a so [...]le y ^t is clene stired by grace to vse of thꝭ werkīg may se mor̄ ī an hour of suche ghostly matere than myghte be wryten in a grete boke /