he ys thy vikar wil demen our thouztes, and asken vs what we thynken, nat of the Lorde ne of thy hestes, for they caren litle for hem, but of him and of his, whilke they setten aboue thyne, and maken vs accusen oure selfe, or els they willen accursen vs, for oure accusers mowen we not knowen. And, Lorde, thou seidest in thyne olde lawe, that vnder two witnesses at the lest, or three, schulde stande every matter. And that the witnesses schulden ever be the first that schulden helpen to kyl hem.

And when the scribes and these phareses sometyme brouzten before the a woman that was y take in spousebrekynge, and axeden of the a dome, thou didest write on the erth, and than thou gaue this dome, 'He that ys with outen synne, throwe fyrst at her a stone;' and, Lorde, they wenten forth awey from the and the woman, and thou forzeue the woman her trespas, and bede her goo forth and synne no more.

Swete Lord, yf the prestes token kepe to thy dome, they wolden ben agast to demen men as they done. O Lorde, zif one of them breke a commaundement of thy lawe, he wole axen mercy of the, and not a peyne that ys dewe for the synne, for peyne of deth were to litel. O Lorde, how doren they demen any man to the deth for brekynge of her lawes, other assenten to such lawe? For brekynge of thy lawe they wolen setten men penaunce, or pardon hem, and helpe and mainteynen hem, as oft as they trespasen. But, Lorde, zif a man ones breke her lawes, or speke azenst hem, he maie done penaunce but ones, and aftur ben brunt. Trulich, Lorde, thou seist, but zif everich of vs forzeue other his trespas, thy Fadur ne wole not forzeuen vs oure synnes. And, Lorde, when thou henge on the crosse, thou preydest to thy Fadur to haue mercy on thyne enemyes.

And zet they seyn, Lorde, that they ne demen no man to the deth, for they seyn they ne mowen by her lawe demen any man to deth. A leue, Lorde, even so saiden her fornfadurs the phareses, that it ne was nat lefull for hem to kyllen any man. And zet they bidden Pilate to done the to the deth, azenst his own conscience; for he wolde gladly haue y quitte the, but for that they thretned hym with the Emperoure, and brouzten azenst the false witnesse also. And he was an hethen man.

A Lorde, how moch trewer dome was there in Pilate, that was an bethen iustice, than in oure kynges and iustices that wolen demen to the deth and bern yn the fyre hym that the prestes delyueren vnto hem, with outen witnesse or prefe? For Pilate ne wolde not demen the, for that the phareses seyden, that, zif thou ne haddest not ben a misdoer, we ne wolde nat delyuer him unto the, for to they brouzten in her false witnesses azenst the. But, Lorde, as thou saidest some tyme that it schulde ben lizter at Domesdaye to Tyro, and to Sydon, and Gomorra, than to the cities where thou wrouzt wondres and miracles: so I drede it shalben more lizte to Pilate in the dome, then to our kynges and domeşmen, that so demen without witnesse and prefe. For, Lorde, to demen thy folke for heretikes, ys to holden the an heretike; and to brennen hem ys to brennen the: for thou seidest to Paule, when he persecuted thy puple, 'Saul, Saul, wherfore persecutest thou me:' and in the dome thou shalt seye, that ye haue done to the lest of myne ye haue done to me.'

Thus Lorde, ys thy mercy and iustice fordone by hym that scith he is thy Vicar in erth: for he nether kepeth it hym selfe, nor nille not suffer other to do it.

The thridde commaundement, that ys pacience and sufferaunce, ys also ybroken by thys Viker. Lorde, thou byddist sufferen both wronges and strokes withouten azeinstondinge, and so thou didist thy selfe to zenen vs ensample to sufferen of oure brethern. For sufferinge norissheth loue, and azeinstendeth debate: and all thy lawe ys loue, or else thinge that draweth to loue.

But, Lorde, men techen that men schulden pleten for her right, and fizten also therfore, and els they seyn men ben in peryle; and thou bede, in the old lawe, men fizt for her cuntrey. And thy selfe haddist two swerdes in thy cumpanye when thou schuldest go to thy passion, that, as these clerkes seyn, betokeneth a spirituall swerde and a temporall swerde, that thou zoue to thy Viker to rule with thy church, Lorde, this is a sliz speech but, Lorde, we beleue that thou art Kynge of Blisse, and that ys thyne heretage and mankyndes cuntrey, and in this worlde we ne ben but straungers and pelgrimes. For thou, Lorde, ne art not of this worlde, ne thy lawe nether, ne thy trew seruantes that kepen thy lawe. And, Lorde, thou were Kynge of Juda by enheritage, zif thou woldest haue yhad it, but thou forsoke it, and pletedest not therfore, ne fouzte not therfore.

But, Lorde, for thy kynde herytage, and mankyndes cuntrey, that ys a londe of blisse, thou fouztest miztelych. In bataile thou ouercome thy enemie, and so thou wonne thyne herytage. For thou that were a Lorde miztiest in bataile, and also Lorde of Vertues, art riztfullich Kynge of Blisse, as David seith in the Sauter. But, Lorde, thyne enemie smote the despitefullych, and had power of the, and henge the vp on the crosse as thou haddist ben a thefe, and bynomyn the all thy clothes, and stekede the to the harte with a spere.

O Lorde, this was an harde assaute of a batayle, and here thou ouercome, by pacyence miztylich, thyne enemyes, for thou ne woldest not done zenst the will of thy Fadur. And thus, Lorde, thou tauztest thy seruantes to fizte for here cuntrey. And, Lorde, this fiztinge was in figure ytauzte in the olde lawe. But, Lorde, men holden now the schadewe of the olde fiztinge, and leuen the lizte of thy fiztinge, that thou tauztest openlych, both in word and dede.

Lorde, thou zoue vs a swerde to fizten azeinst oure enemyes for oure cuntrey; that was thyne holy techinge, and Christen mennes law. But, Lorde, thy swerde ys put in a shethe, and in prestes warde that haue forsake the fiztinge that thou tauztist. Fer, as they sein it ys azeyns her order to ben men of armes in thy bataile, for it ys vnsemelich, as they seyn, that thy Viker in erth, other his prestes, schulden suffer of other men. And, therfore, zif any man smite hym, other any of his clerkes, he ne taketh it not in pacience, but and he smiteth with hys swerde of cursinge, and afterwarde with his bodylich swerde, he doth hem to deth. O Lorde, me thinketh that this is a fiztinge azeynst kynde, and moch azeynst thy techinge.

O Lorde, whether thou axsedist after swerdes in tyme of thy passion to azeynstonde thyne enemyes? Nay, forsoth, thou Lorde. For Peter,

that smote for gret loue of thee, hadde no gret thonke of the for his smitinge. And, Lorde, thou were mizty ynow to haue azeynstonde thyne enemyes: for, thorowz thy lokinge, they fellen doune to grounde. Lorde, yblessed mote thou be. Here thou techest vs that we schulden suffren: for thou were mizty ynow to have azeinstonde thine enemyes, and thou haddest wepen, and thy men weren harty to haue smitten.

O swete Lorde, how maye he for schame clepen hym selfe thy Viker and Heed of thy Church, that may not for schame suffere? Sith thou art a Lorde, and suffredist of thy sugetys to zeuen vs ensample, and so did thy trew seruantes.

O Lorde, whether thou zeue to Peter a spirituall swerde to curse, and a temporall swerde to sle mennes bodyes? Lorde, I tro we not: for then Peter, that loued the so moch, wolde have smite with thy swerdes. But, Lorde, he tauzt vs to blessen hem that cursen vs, and suffren and not smiten. And, Lorde, he fedde thy puple as thou bede hym, and therfore he suffrede the deth as thou diddist.

O Lorde, why clepeth any man hym Peters Successour, that hath for. sake pacience, and fedeth thy puple with cursinge and with smytinge? Lorde, thou seydest in thy gospell, when thy disciples knewen well that thou were Christ, 'That thou mostest go to Jerusalem, and sufferen of the scribes and pharysces, spittinges, reprofes, and also the deth.' And Peter toke the a syde, and said 'God for beede that.' And, Lorde, thou seydist to Peter, Go by hinde me Sathanas, thou sclaundrest me in Israel: for thou ne sauorest not thilke thinges that ben of God, but thilke that ben of men. Lorde, to mennes witte it ys vnresonable, that thou, or thy Viker, zif thou madist anny on erth, schulden soffren of youre sugettes.

A Lorde, whether shou ordenist an ordre of fizters, to turn men to the beleue? Other ordenist, that kniztes schulden swere to fizte for thy wordes?

A Lorde, whether thou bede that zif a man turne to the feith, that he schulde zeue his goodes and catell to thy Viker, that hath gret lordschips, and more than hym nedeth? Lorde, y wote well, that, in the beginninge of that church, men that werein converted threwen a doune her goodes before the aposteles fete. For all they weren in charite, and non of them saide, This ys myne; ne Peter made hym selfe no Lorde of these goodes. But, Lorde, now he that clepeth hym selfe thy Viker upon Erth, and Successoure to Peter, hath ybroke thy commaundemente of charite; for he ys becomen a Lorde. And he hath broken also thy commaundemente of mercye, and of pacyence. Thus, Lorde, we ben fallen in to gret mischefe and thraldome, for our cheueteyn hath forsaken werre and armes, and hath treted to haue peace with oure enemyes.

A Lorde, zif it be thy will, drawe oute thy swerde out of his scheth, that thy seruantes may fizte there with azeynst her enemyes, and put cowardise oute of oure hartes; and comfort vs in bataile, ar than thou come with thy swerde in thy mouth, to take vengeaunce on thyne enemies. For, zif we ben acorded with oure enemies tyll the tyme come, it ys drede lest thou take vengeaunce both of hem, and of vs, to gader. A Lorde, there nys no helpe now yn thys gret myschefe but onlych in the.

Lorde, thou zeue vs a commaundemente of treweth, in byddinge saye, ze ze, nay nay, and swere for no thinge: Thou zeue vs also a maundemente of mekenes, and a nother of porenes. But, Lorde, he that clepeth hym selfe thy Viker on Erth, hath y broken these commaundementes, for he maketh a law to compell men to swere; and, by hys lawes, he techeth, that a man, to saue hys lyfe, maye forswere and lye. And so, Lorde, thorowz comfort of hym, and of his lawes, the puple ne dredeth nat to swere and to lye, ne oft tymes to forsweren hem. Lorde, here is litill treuth.

O Lorde, thou hast ybrouzte vs to a lyuinge of soule, that staundes in beleuinge in the, and kepinge thyne hestes; and, when we breken thy hestes, than we slen oure soule; and lesse harme it were to suffer bodylich deth.

Lorde, Kynge Saule brake thyne hestes, and thou toke his kyngdome from his eyres ever more after hym, and gave it to Dauid thy seruante, that kept thyne hestes. And thou saidest, by Samuel thy prophet, to Saul Kynge, that it ys a maner heryenge of false Goddes to breke thyne hestes. For who that loueth the ouer all thinges, and dredeth the also, he nole for nothinge breke thyne hestes.

O Lorde, zif brekynge of thyne hestes be heryenge of false Goddes, I trowe, that he that maketh the puple breke thyne hestes, and commaundeth that his hestes ben kept of the puple, maketh hym selfe a false God on erth, as Nabugodonosor did some tyme that was Kynge of Babylon.

But, Lorde, we forsaken such false Goddes, and beleuen that there ne ben no more Goddes than thou. And thouz thou suffre vs awhile to ben in disease for knowleginge of the; we thonken the with oure harte, for it ys a token that thou louest vs to zeuen vs, in this worlde, some penaunce for oure trespas.

Lorde, in the olde lawe, thy trewe seruantes token the deth, for they wolde not eten swynes flesch that thou haddest forboden hem to ete. Ŏ Lorde, what treweth ys in vs to eten vnclene mete of the soule, that thou hast forboden? Lorde, thou saist, he that doth synne, ys seruante of synne; and then, he that lyeth in forsweringe hym selfe, ys seruante of lesinge, and then he ys a seruaunte to the deuill, that is a lyar and fadur of lesinges. And, Lorde, thou saist, No man maye serue two lordes at ones. O Lorde, then everich lyar, for the tyme that he lyeth, other forswereth hym selfe, forsaketh thy seruyce for drede of hys bodilich deth, and becometh the devils seruaunt.

O Lorde, what treweth ys in hym that clepeth hymself seruaunte of thy seruauntes, and in hys doinge he maketh hym a lorde of thy seruauntes? Lorde, thou were both lorde and master, and so thou saide thy self, but zet in thy warkes thou were as a seruaunte. Lorde, thys was a gret treweth and a gret mekenes: But, Lorde, thou bede thy seruauntes that they ne schulden haue lordschip ouer her brethern. Lorde, thou saidest kynges of the hethen men han lordschupe ouer her suggetes, and they that vsen her power ben ycleped well doers.

But, Lorde, thou saidest it schulde not be so amonges thy seruauntes: But he that were most schulde be as a seruaunte. Thus, Lorde, thou tauztest thy disciples to ben meke. Lorde, in the old lawe thy ser

uauntes durst have no lordschyppe of her brethern, but zif that thou bede hem. And zet thy schulden not do her brethern as they diden to Thralles that serueden hem. But they schulden do to her brethern that were her seruauntes as to her awn brethern: For all they were Abrahams children. And at a certain tyme they schulden lettin her brethern passen from hem in fredom, but zif they wolden wilfullych abyden still in seruise.

O Lorde, thou zaue vs in thy cominge a lawe of parfite loue, and in token of loue thou clepedest thy selfe oure brother. And to maken vs perfecte in loue thou bede that we schulden clepe to us no fadur vp on erth, but thy Fadur of Heuen we schulden clepen oure Fadur. Allas Lorde! how violentlych our brethern and thy childern ben now yputte in bodilich thraldome, and in dispite as beestes ever more in greuous traveil to fynde proude men in ease? But, Lorde, zif we taken thys defoule and this desease in pacience and in mekenes and kepen thyne hestes, we hopen to ben fre. And, Lorde, zeue oure brethern grace to comen oute of thraldome of synne that they ben fallen in thorowz the desyringe and vsage of lordschupe vp on her brethern. And, Lorde, thyne prestes in the olde lawe hadden no lordschupis amonge her bre thern, but houses and lesewes for her beestes: But, Lorde, our prestes now haue gret lordschupe and putten her brethern in gretter thraldome than lewed men that ben lordes. Thus ys mekenesse forsake.

Lorde, thou byddest in the gospell, that, when a man ys ybede to the feest, he shulde sitte in the lowest place, and then he maye be sette hyer with worshup, when the lorde of the feest beholdeth how his gestes sitteth. Lorde, it ys drede that they, that sitten now in the hyest place, schullen ben beden in tyme to cominge sitte byneth. And that wole be schame and vileyne for hem. And it ys thy sayenge, Thilke that hyeth hym selfe schall be plowed, and thilke that loweth hym selfe schullen ben an heyzed. O`Lorde, thou byddest in thy gospell to ben ware of the ypocresye of Phareses, for it ys a pointe of pride contrary to mekenes. And, Lorde, thou saist that they loue furst sittinges at the sopeer, and also the principall chayres in churches, and gretinges in chepinge, and to ben ycleped masteres of men. And, Lorde, thou saist, Ne be ye nat cleped masteres, for one ys youre master, and that ys Christ, and all ye ben brethern. And ne elepe ze to zow no fadur upon erth, for one ys youre fadur that ys in heuen. O Lorde, this ys a blessed lesson to teche men to ben meke.

But, Lorde, he that clepeth hym selfe thy Viker on Erth, he clepeth hym selfe Fadur of Fadures azeyns thy forbedinge. And all these worshupes thou hast forboden. He appreueth hem, and maketh hem masteres to manye, that techen thy puple her owne techinge, and leuen thy techinge that ys medefull, and hyden it by quaynte gloses from thy lewed puple, and feden thy puple with sweuenes that they meten, and tales that doth litell profite but moch harme to the puple. But, Lorde, these glosers seggeth that they ne desyren nat the state of mastrie to ben worschuped thereby, but to profite the more to thy puple, when they prechen thy worde. For as they seggen the puple wolen leuen more the prechinge, of a mayster that hath ytaken a state of scole, than the prechinge of a nother man that hath not ytake the state of maystrye.