XX.

CHRIST TO BE CONFESSED.

There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; nor hid that shall not be known, &c. Matt. x.

This gospel comforts martyrs and destroys the hidden sin that is in these new orders contrary to the order of Christ.* Christ saith, that nought is concealed that shall not be showed; and nothing is so private that it shall not be known. These words are of belief, for all things are known of God; and that mirror shows forth the most secret thing in this world; and at the day of doom, when books shall be open, which books are men's souls and their consciences, then shall both good and evil know men's works and their thoughts. Therefore should all men boldly stand by truth, and especially by God's law, for therein lies no shame. And therefore Christ bids, that what he hath said in darkness, they should say in light, more commonly and more clearly, both in life and in word; and this rule of Christ's order should men keep, but especially priests. And to this intent Christ biddeth, that what they have heard in their ear they should preach openly upon the flat roofs of the houses. For thus should the common men better understand, and thus wills Christ, that all things which God speaketh to the ears of the soul, these hearers should speak forth.

But since that such preaching asks hardness and martyrdom, therefore Christ comforteth his, to dread not the slaying of body. Dread not, saith Christ, those men that slay the body, and may not after slay the soul, nor can they hinder God to quicken that which they kill, and to make it better; but rather dread ye him that hath power to cast both the body and the soul into hell for evermore, to dwell there in pain. Are not two sparrows sold for the least money in chaffering? For as Luke tells, five were sold for two farthings, and yet God ordaineth for all these fowls; and since these fowls are little of price, and uncertain in their moving, and yet God ordaineth for them whenever they light upon the earth; much more God should ordain for each man that hath a soul to God's image, and especially for such men that serve truly to their God, more than any fowl may; for they are not able to serve thus. And since God ordaineth thus for fowls, men either must grant God to be unwise, *The four orders of friars.

or he should ordain much more for men that are his true servants. And this reason that Christ maketh, moves true men that have wisdom to be hardy in God's cause, and to suffer martyrdom for him. And no man can avoid that other men should thus suffer, or else be untrue to God, as these heretics are. And thus saith Christ of God's wisdom, that all the hairs of his disciples are numbered to God's knowing, and none of them may perish without. And since the hairs of men's heads are the least worth of any part of man, and none of these may perish unknown, how should the better part perish? And thus martyrs are comforted to put their body for God's law. For no part of their body may thus perish to harm them, and much more the souls of such men, and all virtues of their soul may not perish from them; for the soul may not be quenched; and necessarily after the soul must follow the virtues thereof. And Christ saith truly to his apostles, that they should not dread, since they are better than many sparrows. And our belief teaches us that God keeps things according to their value for if any thing be better, God makes it to be better. And so Christ speaketh here a word that should move men to stand with him. Each man that shall acknowledge me before men by both my natures, I shall acknowledge that man before my Father, to that man's honour. Here we shall understand that the confession Christ maketh here is not whispering in a priest's ear, to tell him the sins that we have done, but it is granting of truth, the which is openly said, with readiness to suffer therefore, whatever man denies it. And so that man confesses Christ who grants that he is God and man, and all things that will follow hereof. And there are full many truths; for all the gospel that Christ saith, such a man must confess, and all that followeth of the gospel. And this displeases sinful men.

And certainly a man confesses not Christ that he is both God and man, unless he confess of Christ, that he may no way sin; nor prates, or bears false witness of any word that Christ hath said. And so each word of God's law is true, since Christ witnesseth it and each truth that is therein. And so each priest confesses Christ before men, who tells them that Christ is both God and man; and thus Christ saith, who may not lie. And certainly if a man say thus, and fail not for cowardice to tell God's law to men that sin, he puts them well to martyrdom; and every such man, Christ saith, he will confess to his Father. And then

Christ will confess this man to be true in God's cause, and worthy to have recompense according to the worthiness of his travail, and to be crowned without end in heaven before this great Lord, who faileth not to give to such servants, but gives them bliss of heaven; for the greatness of such a Lord rewards not less his soldiers.

If a man travailed in war with a captain, and this captain wrote of him to his king, and said that he was a good warrior, and worthily and hardily travailed in the king's cause, and therefore this earthly king should have him and his commended-how much more were it worth that the follower of Jesus Christ be commended by his own word as a true servant unto God, and told that God should think on him and give him bliss without end. And as confession of truth is to be loved of God's knights, so confession of cowardice is to be dreaded of men in earth. And thus, default of belief hindereth men to travail in God's cause. But the words of this gospel are evil understood of many who by logic that they have, grant that all the hairs of saints are well known of God, but say that God knoweth not how many they are in number. And they argue that all these hairs be none, since they are without number, and each great thing in earth were made of parts indivisible !* And such errors that men have in logic, and in natural science, bring men in as heretics, to grant many false things. Truth it is that God knoweth all the parts of a man, and how many these parts are; for they are few to God's knowledge. And so each thing that God continueth is made of indivisible parts, and the greater thing hath more such; this is hidden to men's knowing, but they shall know it well, when God shall show it them in heaven.

XXI.

WATCHFULNESS ENFORCED.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, &c. Luke xii.

This gospel teaches all men how they should live to Christ, but especially prelates that should be light to the

A specimen of the unintelligible logic of that day, then often applied to theological subjects.

people. First Christ biddeth his disciples, that their loins be girt, and lanterns burning in their hands, as they should meet their Lord when he cometh again from bridals. These loins that Christ speaketh of are the fleshly nature joined with the soul. This flesh serves to the soul, suffering as it should suffer, and doing as it should do, when it is taught well of the soul. And thus saith Paul that Christ was in Abraham's loins.

These loins are girt when man with discretion draws from his flesh the nourishment thereof, or chastises it on other manner before it fall into sin. Burning lanterns are needful works, that men have in their power, by which they should work. And, because these works came both of body and of soul, therefore they are called of Christ two lanterns; and they are in our hands when we work with them. For it is not enough to keep us from sins unless we work good works by these two lanterns.

For these bridals we shall know that they are taken in many manners; first, for the weddings wherein Christ is joined with the soul; and after, for the dwelling that Christ dwelleth in with the soul; and thirdly, for the spiritual food that souls are fed with Christ in bliss. And so there are three weddings that Christ is wedded here; first, when he took mankind and made it one person with him; after, when he taketh his church and maketh it one spouse with him; the third is when Christ taketh any soul in particular to him. And so Christ is said to return again from bridals on two manners. First, when a man is dead, whom Christ hath ordained to come to bliss, Christ turneth again to his soul. But then he must have there dwelt before, or else this soul had not come to this state. And so we should be like to men that abide the coming of Christ in time of death or day of doom. And this abiding should all manner of men mark; for this coming is uncertain, and this time is perilous. And to these comings of Christ should each man make him ready, since Christ shall come and knock at doors and enter to them that are waking, and ready to receive Christ, without sleeping in sin. And Christ knocketh at our doors when he teacheth us signs of death, or signs of the day of doom; but the last knocking is sudden. If man be ready before to dwell with Christ without end, then he opens to Christ, since this opening is readiness.

And thus saith Christ full truly, that those servants are blessed who when the Lord cometh he findeth thus waking.

Truly I say to you that this Lord shall gird himself, and make them sit to meat, and pass and minister to them.

The sitting to meat of saints, is confirming them in bliss. The passing of this Lord by them, is his showing to one and to another. This service is light to Christ, for it is Christ's showing of his Godhead and his manhood, in which saints shall be fed.

And if this Lord come in this second vigil,* and also in the third, and find such readiness in these servants, full blessed are these servants; since they quickly are blessed of God. The three vigils that Christ telleth of here are three wakings from sin, and always of the last sin, which is the worst evil that may be. And so we pray God in the paternoster to deliver us from this evil. And as the length of these three vigils is uncertain to man, therefore he should ever wake, and then he waketh these three vigils. The ignorance of these times, and the knowing that we should ever wake, profits unto God's children; as do all things, as Paul saith. Since we know not the quantity of these three times, we should evermore be in dread, and ever wake out of sin. And this lore Christ teacheth in a parable to his children. This thing, he saith, know well, that if the master knew what time the thief would come and steal his goods, he would wake full busily, and not suffer this thief thus to break his house and spoil him. It is touched before, how this thief is the fiend, that doth all his diligence to tempt man when he shall die. And when the fiend hopeth to overcome; and when the night of sin blinds men to know themselves, then is time for the fiend to fight fastest. This thief ever worketh by deceits, and fighteth blithest in hour of darkness; and in time of man's death he strives most to overcome. For this victory shall ever last, on whatever side it fall.

This house is man's body, that his soul is kept in; and the undermining of this house may be done in two manners. First when the fiend supposes that a man shall die there, he gathers together man's spirits, and tempts him to many sins, as to wrath, to lechery, and especially to despair. But let us seek blessing with the Trinity, and think on God in this case; and against the first sin, think we meekly on God's power, how God is stronger than the fiend, and without him may we not do. And such thought of the Father of heaven should overcome the fiend in hour of * Watch, or portion of time in which a person keeps watch.