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but grace is a manner in man, by which he is gracious to God. And other grace on God's side is good will of God; and for which grace in God, men receive grace in them. And the chiding of idiots, such as was Pelagius, and others who conceive not that a thing may be, unless it may be by itself, as substances are, is to be scorned, and to be left to fools.-But leave we this, and learn we of this knight to be meek in heart, in word, and deed; for he granted first that he was under man's power; and yet by power of man he might do many things. Much more should we know that we are under God's power, and that we may do nothing but with power of God. And if we disuse this power, wo shall be to us therefore. So this root of meekness shall get other virtues to us, and grace of God to deserve reward of heaven and good things of glory, as it was in this gentle knight.

V.

CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST.-ON FAITH.

And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea, &c.
Matthew viii.

This gospel teacheth a miracle that Christ did on the water. And such miracles confirm the faith of holy church full much in rude (ignorant) men, if they are heard; and so doing of miracles in water and in land, betokeneth that Christ showed his wonders to divers men. Some men received him not to the health of their soul, for they were unstable as water, and soon did away Christ's knowledge. But other men were stable as land, who held the knowledge that Christ put in them. And by the ground of such faith, they went fully the way to heaven. The story telleth of Jesus that he entered into a boat, and his disciples followed him. And, lo, the water moved fast, so that the boat was hid with the waves; for the wind and the waves were contrary unto them. Christ slept at this time, as he had ordained. The disciples came and waked him, and said thus to Christ, Lord, save us, for we perish; and Christ said to them, What dread ye, little of faith? And Christ rose up, and commanded to the winds and the water, and speedily they were rested. And all the people wondered hereof, and said among themselves, What is he, that the winds and the sea obey to him?

Since all the deeds that Christ did, teach men how they should do, this resting of Christ in the boat betokens lore to be marked. We should at times rest and pray to God in silence, and hear of him healthful lore, which we should afterwards teach the people. Thus also should teachers flee praising of the people, as Christ did. And this is a common sin among men that preach to the people, and certainly it is a great sin, since God should wholly have all the thanks. And thus the sleeping of Christ betokens his very manhood, and maketh his miracle the more. Also to pray him in time of need, and thus we dread only for default of faith in us. And Christ sleepeth not to us, but for default of faith. For the Godhead may not sleep, and yet we speak to him, Rise, why sleepest thou, Lord, and help us in this need.

Thus in two manners faileth belief in men. First, when men want belief, as these who knew not that Christ was God. For if they had known this wholly, they should have known that Christ, while sleeping, might have done this miracle, and much more. On the second manner faileth belief, when it worketh not well in deed, but is idle as in a sleeping man. And then clerks say it is in habit. And thus may no man do sin unless his belief fail, either on one manner or another. For even if he had fleshly belief how foul his sin is, and how much it harmeth him, he would not for all this world do sin, but flee it. And therefore prayed the disciples to Christ to enlarge their belief. And Christ said to Peter, Why doubtest thou, O thou of little belief? And Christ said to a man, that he should believe, for all things are possible to men that believe.

And shortly; no kind of virtue was praised more of Christ, than was right belief, for it is the ground of all other. Nor doubt we that belief may be now less, and now be more; since then parts of belief might go away and come anew, and then there were divers belief for diversity of parties. Such doubts we should send to the schools of Oxford; and we should know well, from God, that divers faiths in a man, now one, and now another, make one faith in him; yea, if the time be divers that this faith thus cometh or goeth. And may God thus increase our faith! We by sin enfeeble our faith. And Christ sleepeth oft to us, for such sleeping of our sin. For when winds of man's boast maketh us to dread worldly harms; and floods of tribulation come to us, they make us dread and cry on

Christ, for to have help for failing in our belief. For we should know that no such case might annoy us but for sin. And if it come for our sin, it is just and God's will. Why should we be thus distempered for what is needful to come? Love we God, and do we his will, and dread we no kind of thing but him; for default in our belief maketh us to dread for such things.

For these four manners of affections, dread, sorrow, hope, and joy, change a man's will after that he hath virtues; and if he be reared in sins, they change much in a man. For he dreads things of nought, and seeks joy of worldly things; and also sorrows for loss of things that were better for him to want, and for hope of things far from his health, as is welfare of this world. And all these teach that his will is not set on heavenly things, nor his belief grounded in God, for default of good love. For each man should dread more the loss of God's love by sin, than he should dread loss of any worldly things; for as faith teacheth us, loss of God's love were worse; why should we not dread this more since it brings more harm to us; and hope for more help by charity than by any man's help. And thus the prophet declares a curse on him who thus trusteth in man.

And here may men have a mirror to judge whether they love God, and whether they are in charity, according to the order that they should have. If they love God well, they should have more joy of him than of any earthly thing; and so of loss, if it come. If they lose the love of God by their sin, they should know they should have more sorrow thereof, than of loss of worldly things. And so this joy, with this loss, would make men to flee sin. Since many men, with diligence flee loss of worldly goods, and keep them, that they be not condemned in such loss by man's law; and dread not so much to lose goods of grace that are better; it is plain that charity is not established in them. And thus of goods of nature, for men dread much to lose them, as the rule of nature teaches us, and common experience; and if they come to us, we joy full much, as we know full well; but goods of grace we put behind, and that does away our charity. And if we feign falsehood in these two things, both God and our business shall be judges against us. About which travail we most? about goods of nature and of this world, or about goods of grace? Our own travail shall judge us. What priest bestirreth him more now for to follow Christ in virtues, than to get a benefice; or

to get worldly goods? And this teacheth that he joyeth more of worldly goods than of goods of grace. However we strive now, our Judge shall condemn us at last. And by this same reason hope and sorrow shall judge us; for we contrive our business more in hope of a worldly profit than we do in hope of heaven, or heavenly bliss that we should have. And thus we dread loss of worldly goods more than we do of goods of bliss; and this reverseth all our life.

VI.

CHARITY

Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass, and as a tinkling cymbal, &c. 1 Cor. xiii.

Paul telleth in this chapter how men should know charity, and how men should keep charity; and this lore is full needful to each member of holy church. First, Paul telleth how needful is charity before other things; and he begins at the highest work that man hath in holy church. Paul saith, if he speak with men's tongues, and angels' tongues, and have not charity, he is but as brass sounding, and a cymbal tinkling. It is known by belief, that preaching and other speech is the highest deed of man, when it is done well. But however a man speak in divers tongues of men, either English, French, Latin, or other language, his voice is like a sound of brass, that destroyeth himself, unless he have charity by which he deserveth the bliss. For such men waste themselves and enlarge their pain. And on the same manner, if a man speak in angel's tongue, with clear voice, or flowery words, if he want charity with this, he is a tinkling cymbal; for he profits not to deserve this bliss, but wastes himself to his condemning.

Afterwards saith Paul, that if he have prophecy, and know all that is secret, and have all manner of science, and if he have belief, so much that he remove hills, and he have not charity, he is nought to holy church. These four things which are called virtues by the understanding of man, may be out of charity, and then they prove nought to bliss. Many men may know much, and live evil. A man may work wonders by the working of a fiend; and so it is nothing worth to praise men for such working. And thus

men may have belief unformed by charity, and such belief profiteth not, since the fiend hath such belief. And thus men may have prophecy, and all this knowledge in their souls, and be wicked workers with evil will of their souls. And thus saith Christ in the gospel; they will say, Lord, prophesied we not in thy name, and cast fiends out from men, and yet he knoweth them not to bliss.

The third time saith God in Paul, If he deal all his goods into meats for poor men, and give his body so that he burn, as some men do for heresy, and he have not charity with this, it profiteth him nought to bliss.

Since this work and these grounds seem to make holy men, and each man would naturally desire to be blessed, it is well to learn how men should know charity; since it is so needful to men to come to bliss of heaven. And therefore, in this second part of this epistle, Paul telleth sixteen conditions by which men may know this love. The first is, that charity is patient, and so meek that he conformeth his will meekly to God's will, and thus he gnaweth not himself to death for any thing that befalleth in the world, but for good things that befall he hath a burning love to God. The second is benignity by speech, that Paul speaketh here. The third Paul telleth that charity hath no envy; and he speaketh of charity in the name of the man that holdeth it. And thus, men may not envy, and yet reprove men in Christ's name, for love that they have to God, and for profit to his church. For thus did Christ full sharply, and he could not be without this love. The fourth condition of this love is, that it doth nought amiss. For what thing he doeth, his last intent is to God's will, and so to the profit of his church, according to the law that he hath given. And thus all these four sects* seem to fail in charity; for they leave God's law, and work by their feigned findings, and so they leave God's worship, and travail most for their own winning. The fifth condition of this love is, that it swelleth not to pride. For he thinks meekly how he is a low servant of God. And so hypocrisy makes not that he lift up himself over manner of charity is, that it is not covetous. should covet bliss, and to do virtuous deeds. speaketh of covetousness which is contrary to this end. As many men languish for pride, to have a state that God wills And thus all the four sects seem to fail in this point; for they covet that man's will go forth, and God's will be

not.

*The four orders of friars.

reason.

The sixth Each man But Paul

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